Blood for the Blood God

by Ryujin Maou

Try as he might, Midoriya Izuku can't become something else. He has this thirst; a thirst for blood. Nothing but the crimson life liquid will quench it, yet this monster still tries to become a savior, a hero. (Updated Cover Art by ar14).

49. Ch 45: Fight on Don't hold back III

AU NOTES

Another day, another chapter of Blood God. I'm extremely thankful for all of you that take your time to read my work and comment on it. It certainly has been a wild ride with all of you. I hope to keep you entertained with many more chapters to come.

Things are heating up in the world. I'm trying to set up many events to come, thicken the plot and make a grand finale. Hopefully everything fits together in the end.

Let me cease my useless blabbering, since you all are here to read about our vampire overlord.

Ryujin Maou out!

---

[Blood for the Blood God]
[Chapter 45: Fight on; Don't hold back III]

---

Izuku scanned his surroundings with attentive eyes, aware that his ultimate move had captured merely a fraction of the attending hero-hopefuls that had targeted both him and his classmates.

His mastery at controlling shadow matter had improved even further during the previous weeks of ultimate move training sessions. So much so that at this point it wouldn't be wrong to call [Shadow Control] an integral part of [True Ancestor]. Coupled with the boost he received from [One For All] and now precise shadow control like this was no different to Izuku than control over his blood.

Though he had to ponder over something rather curious for him. The dark matter that was pooled at his feet and own shadow was very much different from the one that was emerging from his hands. Their origins were different, though they intermingled and behaved well together. Izuku could feel a certain intent in the green-tinted shadowy matter that spilled forth from his hand, whereas the red-tinted one at his feet was fully submitted to his call.

This feels…strange. He mused in his head, undoing the tiger hand-seal and lightly moving his fingers to examine the power. The dark matter followed his orders with no problem, but it certainly felt eager to cause havoc if left to its own devices. The vampire clamped over it with his willpower. He moved his hand almost like a puppeteer, the tendrils and lines of black matter obeying the commands and mixing with the black matter already spread out.

Ohh, kinky…well, kinkier than usual. Nana's voice echoed in Izuku's mind, but the vampire opted to ignore it as he focused on his task. The [Inner Beast] growled something in agreement, though it mostly remained silent.

He chose two out of the forty-five captured opponents, using their own ammunition against them. Handballs emerged from the tendrils holding his selected prey, the throwables lightly touching the weak points on their bodies and eliminating them from the exam.

"Now it's your chance!" Izuku shouted to his classmates, still focused on suppressing the remaining 43 other captured opponents. He felt like prickling and taking samples of their quirk-factors, but he restrained his desire for the sake of the test. Getting blood-drunk and going on a rampage was not on his list and would not endear him to the HSPC.

It seemed that his callout was unneeded, as his fellow UA trainees were quick on the uptake.

"Dark Shadow! Ravage them!" Tokoyami shouted his battle-cry, letting his quirk follow through with his attack. The sentient shadow creature lashed out, its empowered state allowing it to push away the last of the handballs thrown at his classmates while also targeting the weak points of his opponents. Most of his classmates wasted no time following through with their own attacks.

"Earth Rumble!"

Just as the UA students were scoring their points, the floor under them began to violently shake. Izuku sensed that the nature of this quake was quirk-based, his head turning towards the supposed origin of the shaking: someone atop a small hill.

The vampire clenched his teeth, further tightening his hold onto his shadows and further empowering the dark matter. Neon-green lightning crackled around the vampire's frame, the power running through from the vampire to the many tendrils of dark matter that claimed their domain, trying to literally stitch the earth shut. The quake became stronger, the vibration truly disruptive as the earth around Izuku began to crack and crumble.

The vampire tried to circumvent the situation, pushing forth more power from within him towards the shadow matter, but before he could serve as the anchor point to tame the quake around him, Izuku felt a deep stabbing pain in his chest.

The [Inner Beast] roared in pain within the confines of his mind, Izuku finding himself shaken not only by the vibrations that assailed the ground, but also by something almost poisonous burning around his neck. A small glimmer of red emanated from within his costume, the vampire feeling suppressed.

The Shackles…He mused within his mind, sensing the power limitation being imposed upon him. If he was to give out a number, Izuku would say that he had pulled on about 20% of [One for All] to boost himself. It seemed that that was enough for the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S] to be activated while on [level 1]. He suppressed a hiss of pain, lowering the pull on his power and feeling the restriction immediately stop.

Too much power too quickly, were his thoughts. During [Level 1]-suppression the effects of the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S] would only be at a warning level, and thus manageable. Only if he triggered [Level 2] would the device be constantly active.

Unfortunately, the distraction and loss of power came at just the right moment as the intense shaking reached its zenith. The shadow matter that was spread all over was forced to retreat to its origin, Izuku huffing in annoyance as the earth crumbled around him, creating a few platforms with different heights, the vampire's one being located at the very bottom. It effectively also separated him from his classmates, as they were forced to retreat to safety to avoid the worse effects of the quake.

"That one! He is their leader, get him!" There was someone shouting from atop one of the man-made cliffs, the opposing teen having some resemblance to Izuku (if he was to dye his hair black). The male had a rather exposed green costume on and seemed to be a leading figure for the opposing figures against UA.

Izuku brushed past his earlier surprised pain and smirked, sensing and seeing the number of the opponents that were congregating around his look-alike.

"Hey, UA bastard. You sure made a mess of things here." The black-haired male spoke, standing from his knelt position. He looked a bit haggard, but certainly looked still capable of action. "How about you don't hog all the spots and let some of us in?!" The sarcasm spewed by him was strong, the teen looking over his shoulders to check his reinforcements.

Izuku remained calm and collected, unbothered by the heated gazes that were directed at him. He had faced way worse opponents; some angry high schoolers were hardly capable of intimidating him. The proof of it the other forty-something opponents he had subdued before the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S] got activated and momentarily halted him.

His enhanced senses warned him that various quirk-factors were being called upon, the vampire counting about 50 quirk-factors just ready to be activated and turned towards him. It made the smirk that split his lips even more aggressive.

The opposition couldn't help a small step back as they noticed the unhinged expression on the vampire's lips. It wasn't taunting them; they would much prefer that. Izuku's expression was that of a hunter amused at his prey's attempt of bravery.

"So…you mean to tell me that you are specifically aiming to defeat us and take our spots?" The vampire's voice echoed across the man-made cliff, the opposing teens finding their throats dry and the incredible urge to flee from the green-haired teen's presence. It spoke of Izuku's confidence in his skills, as no one could detect even a tiny hint of nervousness on him.

The shadow under Izuku's feet became darker than black, the sludge-like darkness spitting out a sheathed blade. He masterfully grabbed the sheath, using his thumb to push the tsuba and release some of the red-tinted blade from its jet-black sheath. No light shone over it, yet the blame seemed to glimmer and radiate a crimson-red malevolent aura; none of the students felt as if they were facing another hero trainee.

It was almost as if they were staring at a bloodthirsty villain.

"Well, that's fine." Izuku calmly stated, slowly drawing the red Odachi from its black sheath, the large blade being released with nary a sound. He then pointed the tip of the blade towards the leader of the group targeting him. "If you want it, you will have to come and take it."

The leader felt sweat trickle down from his brow, his face contorting into a nervous smile. He tried to play it brave, but his warped expression couldn't deny that at this moment, he feared Izuku.

"But you already knew that, didn't you?" At that, the tension had built up past what most of the greenhorns could take, their fight-or-flight instinct triggering. Most chose fight.

"Ahhhh, take this!"

"UA smug bastard!"

"Let's see you escape from this!"

A mess of attacks began raining down towards the vampire, all with the intent of defeating him as quick as possible.

It was one of the rules after all: that just because you had eliminated your required targets didn't mean you had secured your spot; you had to last until the timer ended. Thus, even in the case that he managed to secure his "kills", Izuku could still be eliminated. And the credit from taking down UA's currently most prominent and infamous first-year hero trainee was rather appealing for these Shiketsu students and many others from various other minor hero schools.

A pity that Izuku wasn't willing to let such thing happen.

So long as he kept [OFA] boosting under that 20% threshold of [Level One], it seemed that the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S] would not activate.

That was fine, Izuku could work with that. In fact, it was more than enough to deal with his current opponents.

"Wait, don't attack haphazardly! Synchronize your attacks!" The leader of the group shouted, trying to get a semblance of order over his intimidated group. However, it was a futile effort as the volume of the attacks drowned his voice. He observed as Izuku remained in place, the less accurate attacks of his peers completely missing the vampire and raising a dust cloud that obscured everything around the vampiric teen.

Shidou clicked his teeth in annoyance, wondering if anyone managed to land a blow upon the hemomancer from UA. It took a lot of effort on his part to separate him from his classmates. He knew that some of his classmates (and even most of the tag-alongs) wouldn't have enough firepower on their own, but he was hoping that their joint effort would suppress Midoriya just enough.

"STOP!" He shouted again, trying to see the results of their attacks. The revolving dust cloud took a few moments to settle down, but it eventually dispersed, allowing the group to see the results of their efforts.

The bottom-most platform that had housed the vampire was absolutely wrecked. The earth and stone were upturned, revealing blackened dirt and broken cobblestone, yet no sign of their target. Shidou felt the hairs of his neck prickle and a dangerous feeling settling in his stomach.

"He is not there! He fled!" He shouted, trying to rally some effort from his group. The sinking feeling in his gut persisted, and Shidou scanned his surroundings with fervor, trying to spot any hints that Izuku had truly fled. The vampire had defeated the Hero Killer Stain and even faced that abominable villain that squared up against All Might. It was rather impossible for (or so he figured in his mind) that Midoriya Izuku to be defeated by a couple dozen of half-baked attacks.

His premonitions were proven correct in the very next moment, as something dark broke from the earth under his feet and grabbed his ankles; the same thing happening to about five people around him. In an action surge, Shidou was forcefully pulled down inside a tight cocoon of earth before he could even blink, only his head poking out from the dirt floor.

It was over in a moment, as sudden as it had started.

Shidou could barely move his body, his gaze moving towards a newly forming crack on the floor. From the new crater, Izuku emerged almost as if he was capable of swimming through the earth.

Those that were not affected remained rooted on the spot, still in doubt as to what had exactly happened. It seemed that the vampire was quite eager to give an answer to their questions, as Shidou managed to hear Izuku speak.

"Ninpou: Zanshu no wana (Shinobi arts: Decapitation Trap)." The vampire spoke loudly enough to be heard by his trapped victims. The Odachi he wielded also did very little to dissuade those trapped that they were mishearing the vampire's statement.

Wow, Izuku. You are really pulling out all the stops today, huh? Wasn't that the string technique of that ninja teacher of yours? Nana's voice echoed with admiration in his mind, the vampire humming mentally in agreement.

It's nowhere near his level, and I had to adapt it to keep it PG. He answered back, replaying in his mind the steps he learned from Edgeshot's scroll of secret shinobi techniques. He certainly could duplicate the thin strings of Edgeshot's quirk with his blood, but it took very precise control to use threads to cause the technique's intended effect. It also would be very bad if he truly decapitated anyone, so burying them in the earth was the next viable solution to him. His control of Pixie Bob's quirk-factor wasn't so great that he could make semi-sentient earth automatons, but he could somewhat mold earth to suit his needs. It did very well for a spur-of-the-moment idea – especially when combined with a clever use of [Shadow Control] to bind and drag his prey underground – so he would take the compliment from his temporary mind resident.

Never mind copy, you used his technique as a base to create one of your own. That takes skill, you know. Nana's echo bounced inside his head, but Izuku was focused on his surroundings.

It seemed that his bastardized version of Edgeshot's multi-target ability was worthy of some praise after all as even those that weren't caught in it were now cautiously remaining at a distance instead of charging recklessly.

He scanned his surroundings, noticing that his "buried" prey were looking at him with fearful eyes. He couldn't help the evil grin that stretched his lips, the vampire feeling dark joy spark in his chest at the thought of subduing his opponents. He tried – in vain – to reign in his malicious expression, sheathing his Odachi inside the black sheath resting on his left hip.

"It was a nice warm up, but I need to reunite with my classmates." He couldn't help the taunting tone in his voice. He could smell the fear in the air, the hesitance in his opponents to activate their quirks to try to attack him. It was phenomenal in a manner that few other pleasures could compare to.

The vampire swept his gaze across the area, searching for his classmates. Though he didn't spot anyone from his class, once he spotted Pony and Kendo – from class 1-B – huddled together behind a large rock for protection, he knew where to go. Black mist hazed from his body, Izuku using [warp] to vanish and cover the distance in but a moment.

…

…

…

Shidou began vibrating his entire body, loosening the earth's hold on him, and allowing the teen to dig himself out of his "tomb". Once free, he ground his teeth in frustration, hands balled up. "He played with us like we were nothing."

His partner, a blonde girl dressed in a turquoise bodysuit, reached his side, and patted his right shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself over it. At least we weren't eliminated. If he was like Inasa, we would have been eliminated before even having the chance to resist."

Shidou seemed even more frustrated at the mention of his supposed classmate. Inasa was leagues above your common hero trainee. Shidou had heard a rumor that Inasa was a sure-in for UA, but somehow had given up on that and tried for Shiketsu – where his spot was guaranteed in a cinch – which rubbed him the wrong way.

UA was the so-called top hero school in Japan, but Shiketsu was a close second. The difference shouldn't be this alarming (or feel this hopeless), yet it was clear that their performance was greatly different. Even with a carefully laid trap and cooperation from trainees from other schools, they hadn't managed to defeat the infamous "Monster of UA"; to further rub salt on his wounded pride, the targeted vampire had completely overturned the situation on them. Worse yet, Shidou had yet to see any of UA's first years – including class A and B – be defeated so far.

Their saving grace (if you could call it that) was that Midoriya hadn't opted to further thin out the number of competitors for his classmates.

That's the level that they are operating at. They play around in the field, and they have the power to choose. Shidou bitterly mused in his mind, looking around to appraise his opponents. Since they failed to take down Midoriya, the shaky alliance between Shiketsu and the other minor hero schools was on (at best) shaky grounds. He figured he might as well rupture it and break off his ties with the trainees from other schools.

[XXX]

---

[XXX]

Warping while keeping momentum on his side, the vampire appeared behind the two girls from his sister class 1-B. The large rock they were hiding behind was under a proverbial torrent of attacks.

Izuku didn't think twice about expanding his shadow from the ground to provide ampler cover for his peers. The red-black shadow surged forth and covered the defensive position almost like an upside-down umbrella. It absorbed numerous attacks and reflected any handballs tossed.

"Hello there, you two." Izuku casually greeted the two, scanning the area for further threats. He also noticed that Kendo had one of her weak-spots unlit.

""Izuku-kun! / Vampire-dude!"" The duo exclaimed in surprise, most likely surprised by his sudden arrival.

The female martial artist was very relieved with the aid provided by the vampire, the black matter he spawned looking very comforting instead of threatening and hostile. By Kendo's side, there was the American blonde classmate of hers, Tsunori Pony. Izuku was merely her acquaintance, the two having barely exchanged a few words due to their living quarters; though she looked extremely thankful for his assistance.

He wanted to say more, but sensed more quirks activating in their vicinity, their users most likely focusing on firepower to break past his improvised defense. His shadow matter was very versatile and durable, but there was little point in hunkering down here with such strong opposition just around the corner. Thus, Izuku approached the two girls and acted.

Picking Kendo on his right shoulder with a smooth move, Izuku then turned to face Pony. He grabbed a hold of her shoulder, the girl being smaller than him allowing the vampire a better hold on her.

"Ah!" Kendo wanted to protest at the sudden act (the indignity also not helping), but Izuku was quick to cut her off.

"I'm using [warp]. Keep your mouth shut, else you may bite your tongue." He waited just enough time for his words to be heard. Barely a second after that, hazy mist poured from his whole body, the vampire aiming somewhere far and safer. He managed to spot a few other of UA's class 1-B students, and though there were in combat, it would be much safer for them to be united.

The very next moment Izuku vanished from his current spot, a litany of attacks and handballs rained down on the – now empty – position.

Kendo managed to follow through with the vampire's instructions and kept her mouth shut, aware of Izuku's high-speed body moment techniques. Pony – on the other hard – wasn't so lucky. Though she had progressed leaps and bounds in her comprehension of Japanese, the American girl still struggled with some speech. During such a high-tension situation, it was understandable that it took a bit longer for her to fully understand Izuku's words.

Thus, when they "respawned" many meters away from their initial position, Pony suffered some whiplash and clicked her mouth shut, biting her tongue. Fortunately, it was merely a nick, though it immediately gathered Izuku's attention. The American blonde gave her best version of a glare towards the vampire, though it was severely undercut by her dewy and expressive blue eyes.

She was rather cute, now that the vampire paid closer attention to her.

The trio's sudden appearance caused some disturbance in the already ongoing fight, so Izuku opted to take advantage of that. Reigning in his power, he used his [blink] this time. Emerging smack-dab in the middle of the action, Izuku once more let his shadows expand, almost as if they were an endless swamp.

The dark matter restrained the opposition while allowing free movement to the 1-B party. Once restrained, the opponents became easy pickings for the group.

Seeing as his assistance had bought more entries to his comrades, he opted to scan the field once more for his own classmates.

This time he spotted Uraraka in need of aid on a far secluded area. She was being cornered by at least five other challengers, though she had yet to lose a single "life", it would be a matter of time if things continued as they were.

She used her quirk on herself, allowing her to jump over the attacks sent against her. Though it also made her a vulnerable airborne target without a proper method of maneuver midair. Another wave of attacks and handballs immediately followed after her, this time the girl trying to ball up to reduce her exposed surface and avoid the attacks. Fortunately for the gravity girl, Izuku was already in motion, and two quick [warp]s solved the problem.

"Izuku-kun!" Ochako couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, the vampire suddenly appearing midair and grabbing a hold of her in a bride carry.

"Hello there, Uraraka-san." He greeted as usual, quickly moving to a safer spot and gingerly placing the girl back on the floor.

Though Ochako was disappointed with how quick it happened, she masked it well and decided to prioritize the exam for now. Izuku seemed to value highly competent people, so she would try and do her best to pass the test without too much aid.

"Anything managed to hit you?" Izuku asked, his eyes running over her body.

"I'm okay, and you came just in time." She answered, looking around to see if they were about to be attacked again.

Izuku rested his left arm lazily over the sheath of his Odachi. "We are safe for now, though we should also look out for our classmates." He was confident in the abilities of his classmates, though he had to admit that the earlier strategy of separating the 1-A members with a wide-area attack was a solid plan against them.

A pity that – if it were left up to the vampire – such plans would never fully succeed.

"Have you managed to get your 'kills'?" He asked, his senses warning that they had been found and people were already approaching their vicinity.

Ochako let an awkward smile grace her lips, the girl scratching at her cheek. "I haven't had the chance. The previous times things were a bit too hectic." She confessed with a bitter smile, a bit ashamed of her lack of progress.

The hemomancer simply nodded along. He had only kept track of his own score after all, opting to aid his fellow classmates only after he completed one of the requirements for the exam.

"Then, shall we secure your spot?" He asked, turning his emerald-green orbs to stare deep into Uraraka's gaze. The girl blushed at having his undivided attention, but she nodded her head in a quick manner.

"Very well." His conclusive statement was then followed by the sharpening of his gaze, Izuku focusing his attention on an incoming group of seven opposing students. "I will bind them; you can secure your points right after." His words managed to shake Ochako, the girl then lowering her gaze.

"Izuku-kun." She grabbed the vampire's left shoulder, lightly pulling on it. It had its intended effect, as he focused again on the brunette. "I want to try this on my own." Her words were spoken in a firm tone, the girl's expression a mix of serious resolve and fierce determination. Uraraka truly wanted the vampire's approval, and thus she would win it through her own efforts.

Izuku could smell it in her. A will of fire; the desire for victory. Right now, Uraraka's scent was delicious. So delicious that the vampire found himself with a mouthful of saliva, eager for a taste of her crimson life fluid.

He pushed his desires to the dark corners of his mind, aware that his two mind tenants would most likely latch on the thought later. He would deal with it when the time was appropriate, but for now he figured it wouldn't be bad to allow the girl to show her skills. There was still some time left in the clock, and Izuku figured that his remaining classmates could manage things on their own.

"Alright, the floor is yours." Izuku stated, resting his arms back on the sheath of his blade. "Though if I see that you lost two lives, I'm intervening." He made a point of intoning his voice with seriousness. Wanting to prove herself was fine and dandy, but wasting the chance of acquiring an early license due to overeagerness for praise wouldn't do.

Uraraka nodded, eyes lit with determination. "Please, watch me, Izuku-kun. I promise you that I will pass!" Her statement of victory spoken, Ochako charged towards the direction that Izuku had been previously looking at.

Seeing the retreating back of the girl, Izuku kept his eyes on her frame until felt his attention be grabbed as a quirk-factor flared to life like no other around them. He turned to see its origins, finding a bright beam of light shining on one of the corners of the arena.

That's Aoyama's power. What's he doing, shooting his quirk like that? The vampire mused, a light tugging of his mind bothering him for a few moments. He watched the continuous stream of light act for a good minute before it dimmed and sputtered into nothingness. He certainly has improved his quirk; before the training camp, he could barely use it for a few seconds.

Izuku took a deep breath and focused on clearing his mind as much as possible. He glanced back towards Uraraka, seeing the girl manage a successful sneak attack on the distracted group. He carefully observed the girl's course of action, aware that Aoyama's act gathered a great deal of attention from just about every single remaining student present in the exam arena.

Was he trying to gather our attention? Acting as a beacon? The vampire mused, his presence suppressed as much as possible. Expanding his killing intent would spread his dominating presence all around him, making so that most people could sense him effortlessly; on the contrary, suppressing his presence allowed Izuku to become another bland face in the crowd. It was another of Edgeshot's techniques, though this one didn't take considerable mental toll and effort to maintain, so long as one could control their killing intent.

Izuku had been refining such skills, so he could afford to use it even while unmastered. It was enough to allow him to bypass the senses of the common trainees, effectively affording Izuku the luxury of being able to watch Uraraka's efforts without being bothered by opposition.

Much to the vampire's pleasant surprise, Uraraka managed to get her needed points for her progress in the first part of the exam without much trouble. She demonstrated a remarkable progress in close quarters combat, making effective use of joint-locks and even her adversaries' momentum against them. Though she struggled a bit with a ranged water manipulation-quirk user (which resulted in said loss of a "life-point"), the girl overcame the challenge with determination seldom seen. She truly wanted to impress and leave a lasting impression.

Immediately after Uraraka managed her victory, Izuku swooped in to scoop her and leave. Though she met one of the requirements, the girl could still be targeted by the remaining other students, and it would be a shame if that were to happen.

Much like he had done previously, the vampire appeared behind her in a sudden burst of hazy black mist. A hand smoothly slipped around the girl's waist, the vampire wasting no time in [warping] away and leaving a much-frustrated group of teens behind.

"Kyah!" Ochako yelped, the sudden movement bringing a bout of nausea to the girl. She was growing used to suppressing such feeling due to her quirk and its side effects, but the sudden lurch in her stomach caused by Izuku's [warp] wasn't something she was used to. Though with the firm grasp of the vampire's hand around her the girl found little reason to complain. "Izuku-kun?!"

"Time is over, good job." He quickly offered an explanation for his sudden snatching of her, adjusting his hold so that once more the girl was in a bridal carry. Not that Ochako truly seemed bothered by his action, as a pleased scent emanated from her, together with a heady smell.

The vampire was rushing towards the location he saw Aoyama's signal, effortlessly dodging the few attacks that a few stragglers that managed spot him tossed his way. Since he was carrying Uraraka, the vampire had to maintain a reasonable speed, less it would cause the girl to probably hurl her breakfast all over his coat.

Since he wasn't exactly looking forward to such a scenario, Izuku kept his speed reasonable as he ran towards the location.

"…did you see me?" Uraraka's voice was a low thing, but Izuku's ears caught it.

Izuku didn't immediately reply, focused the path ahead. His lack of response seemed to bother Ochako, but he remained silent, heading straight ahead while noticing the increasingly heated combat zone that formed around his regrouping classmates.

Izuku stopped a few meters before the intense exchange, allowing Uraraka to climb down and get to her feet. The vampire took a deep breath, the air entering his nostrils spiced with the various scents that emanated from his surroundings.

"I saw your performance." He then spoke out of the blue, stunning Uraraka. He watched her with a side-eye, his lips curling into a devious grin. "You were impressive, Ochako."

Those few words.

That's all it took to instantly clear the dark cloud of defeat that had been hanging around the girl. Her scent became a sweet invite that was becoming increasingly harder for the vampire to ignore.

Thus, instead of remaining and having to deal with her, Izuku opted to head into battle. Hopefully some battle lust would alleviate him plenty. There was still a second part of this exam to be completed, and Izuku preferred to face it with a straight mind.

He [warped] right in the middle of his classmates, hands joined into a tiger hand-seal. The grin splitting his lips was the only warning that Izuku gave to the opponents that were so desperately trying to score a pressing victory against his classmates.

"Hissatsu: Norowareta Kuroi Mori. (Ultimate move: Cursed Black Forest)".

…

…

…

[Provisional Heroic's Exam Site]
[Observation Room, 10:15 A.M]

Yokumiru Mera carefully watched the first part of the provisional exam end, the various judges and inspectors sitting around him noting down points to make minute changes to the incoming second part of the exam. Studying the presented behavior of the trainees would allow them to better create a fully immersive trial and weed out the chaff.

Together with these judges and specialists also stood a few heroes. Their job in the incoming second trial would be to present a dramatic increase in challenge: A rescue trial that would also involve villain suppression.

Mera scanned the individual heroes that were invited by the HSPC to act as nuisances, wondering how many students would manage to pass the hurdle. The provisional license was already hard to be acquired during peaceful times; now with the increase in villainous activity as well as the fall of All Might's status as an active hero, the government's whip would crack down even harder in search of new spotlights to deviate the public's attention as well as give the civilians an idol to look up to.

Endeavor was the honorary Top Ranker at the moment, but the official coronation would still be a few weeks off. Besides that, it was hard to be such a charismatic and reassuring presence as All Might.

The figure head of the commission spotted a tall figure dressed in a sharp suit, the figure of Gang Orca rather unmistakable. His sidekicks would be briefed later about their job, but it would boil down to harassing the hero trainees in the field to see those that could respond well to the pressure of fighting villains while actively saving lives.

The villainous-looking hero's expression was hard to read, but a certain aura seemed to ooze from his body in waves. Thankfully he was wearing the super-dense cuffs provided by the HSPC's R&D department, otherwise there would be no way for the trainee rookies to ever manage to fight back against the cetacean-man.

Mera was then startled as the door to the room he was in was suddenly pushed open with a kick, the metal frame being the only thing keeping the doors in place.

"It seems that I arrived just in time, huh?!" Aggressive and informal, a woman had just burst in observational room with all the delicacy of a speeding freight train.

Gang Orca turned his red eyes to the newcomer, crossing his thick arms over his chest and dipping his head in a respectful nod. "It's always reassuring to have a top ranker among us. This year's selection will be tough on the rookies."

To the Gangster-themed hero's greeting, the strutting heroine returned one aggressive smile, her hands stuffed inside the pockets of the brown jacket she was hearing. A baseball cap rested snuggly on her head, though it did nothing to hide the white-furred ears occasionally flicking about. She crossed over the room and stood beside Mera, her lack of height not diminishing her presence in the slightest.

"Are those brats out there giving their all? Can any of them kick ass? I would hate to be dragged from my work to be then told to hold back."

Mera sighed, knowing the heroine had arrived, but praying that she would be too bored to bother with this request from the HSPC. Normally the chocolate-skinned heroine wasn't one for following given requests, merely doing things as they suited her, though maybe Dragoon Hero had managed to get the concept of cooperation beaten into her fellow heroine's head. However, knowing the two, it was most likely that one had nagged the other into compliance.

"Had you arrived on time, you would have seen their performances, Mirko." Mera spoke with annoyance marring his voice, the figure head rubbing the bridge of this nose in an effort to remain composed.

"Nah, that is baby shit. They weren't truly giving it their all. It's too easy right now." The named heroine's smirk grew tenfold as she watched the winners commemorate while the losers despaired and whined about their defeat. Her red pupils scanned the field in search of something…or better yet: someone. "I heard a rumor through the grapevine. Said that that vampire brat that defeated the Hero Killer would be joining in."

Mera sighed, trying (and failing) to alleviate his worries about the situation. "You are not to hunt down Midoriya, Mirko. Just be a proper proctor for the exam. And do wear the cuffs, would you?" He said, pointing towards said items being brought by an assistant. Said assistant was frozen on the stop from a mere glance from Mirko, which was then directed towards Mera again.

The Bunny Hero scowled, her fierce eyes staring straight into the man's muddy browns. Mera didn't back away. He had years of experience being a public figure and dealing with heroes (and their egos). He was used to some heroes throwing temper tantrums, so a stink-eye from Usagiyama Rumi didn't rattle him at all.

"They won't grow if you coddle them this much, Mera." She spoke in a rough manner, forgoing any honorific or respectful conjuncture. One of her feet began to tap the floor in a quick manner, a sign that the heroine was itching for a fight, be it physical or verbal. "Besides, doesn't that brat heal crazy fast? He will be fine!"

The man rolled his eyes. "No, Mirko. It won't be fine. I will not have you hunting down a hero prospect just so that you can sate your battle lust." The commission had appointed Mirko to be a participant proctor this year, so there wasn't much that Mera could do besides comply with the order. He might have some sway over things, but at the end of the day, he was still a mere acting figure head.

Seeing that the commanding figure head wouldn't budge, Mirko huffed, focusing her attention on her fellow hero comrade. "You get what I'm saying, don't you, Gang?"

At the mention of his abbreviated hero name, Gang Orca focused his vicious-looking gaze towards the smaller heroine. "Trying times as these may be, you should know better than be looking for a scrap with children, Mirko." The suited cetacean lightly chastised the rabbit woman, a clicking sound echoing from within the man and bouncing around the room.

Mirko scoffed at the response, unhappy with the unexpected (for her anyway) outcome. "Bah, you are all a bunch of wet blankets." She turned her back towards them, her eyes searching for her quarry. It took a while, as the fighting was already done and the exciting fervor from battle faded from all the students.

Yet, once Mirko settled her red eyes on the green haired vampire, she couldn't ever miss him again. A ferocious grin split her lips, the tapping of her feet increasing into a continuous staccato of "thump thump thump" that betrayed her honest feelings for all those present in the room. There was no doubt in the minds of those present that she would barrel and plow through any obstacles in her path until she reached the hemomancer. Usagiyama was never one to strictly follow rules of any kind in the best of days; when something or someone caught her attention, there wasn't a known force in the planet that could keep her from it for long.

Mera sent a mental prayer to Izuku, hoping that the teen had the skills needed to keep up with the Rabbit Hero. At most, he could (and definitively would) make sure that Mirko was wearing the weighted cuffs, hopeful that the apparel would do its proclaimed function of toning down the heroine's power. If the little suckers could work on All Might during his teaching run in UA, they should work on Usagiyama.

[XXX]

---

[XXX]

"…So, we hunkered down and waited." Momo explained to Izuku, the group around her offering their minute inputs per their acts while in the first part of the exam.

Izuku hummed as he listened to it, trying to make a mental movie of the happenings as he heard them. After he was singled out and separated from his classmates, he found out that he wasn't the only one who was heavily targeted by the other schools.

They were also fortunate to be on one end of the stadium, far away from the corner where a tornado was created by one of the opposing trainees, the rumors and whisperings of the defeated students mentioning someone from Shiketsu High being responsible for eliminating almost two hundred students.

The break time offered allowed the students to have a light meal and some water, since the following test would be a rescue trial. They would need to be at their best if they wanted to impress the proctors after all.

Izuku also found out that a few members from his class had been – unfortunately – eliminated. It was a pity, but Koda-kun, Satou-san, and even Tohru had all been "killed" and thus wouldn't be advancing together with the remaining members of 1-A.

The trio tried to not let the loss visibly affect them, but Izuku could sense and smell their sadness and frustration behind their masks of toughness (or in Tohru's case, her invisibility). While most of the class offered condolences, Izuku remained silent and observed them. Koda-kun might be a shy and awkward kid, but he was trying his best to accomplish his goal of becoming a respectable hero.

Even Koda had male pride after all, so as his eyes wandered aimlessly while he vocally thanked his classmates for their thoughtfulness, Izuku let his own eyes focus on the taller teen for a few moments.

The vampire spoke no words, allowing his blood to resonate with the quirk-factor present in Koda's blood.

You did a great job, Koda-kun. If you ever need help with training, you know where to find me.

Koda's eyes widened by a large margin, but he quickly nodded his head in a silent, but grateful manner.

Satisfied with it, Izuku turned his eyes towards Satou. The musclebound teen was rather gracious about his defeat, quickly reassuring everyone that he was fine and just needed to focus on his training to overcome his current lack of skills. Though Izuku could smell frustration from him, Satou also released a sharp scent of aggressive resolve. It itched the vampire's nostrils in a bothersome manner, but that had more to do with male hormones than any particular dislike against the other male. Izuku offered him a dip of his head, Satou answering with a thumbs up.

As per the last member of the defeated trio, Izuku examined Tohru as best as he could, but her usual condition made it a bit harder. Tohru was leaning against Mina, whining in a joking manner about her loss and using it as an excuse to fondle the sides of the pink-skinned girl. Ashido allowed it, letting her friend release her frustration as they bounded in "skinship". The males of the class were avoiding glancing too much towards the duo Tsuyu and Kyouka also served as visual shields against any lingering gaze.

The vampire closed his eyelids, allowing his pupils to shift while hidden, granting Izuku his "special" electromagnetic sight. It was a bit harder to use it, but the vampire was always a fan of innovative usage of his powers. It allowed him to sense Tohru, the vampire concluding the need to have a more personal talk with the girl. He did the same as with Koda, allowing his blood to resonate with the girl and forming a temporary mental bridge.

I know that we aren't the deepest of friends, but if you ever need to talk with someone, I'm always open for a conversation with less of an audience, Tohru-san.

The girl didn't seem to outwardly respond to his mental message, but her frustrated scent gave away to something…hopeful? It was the best way he could describe it, considering the circumstances.

That being done, the vampire opened his eyes, thankful that none of his classmates were not bothered by his sudden silence.

"But how about you, Midoriya? How did you manage to get out of that trap untouched?" Todoroki suddenly called out towards the vampire, his monotone voice gathering the attention of the group.

Kirishima – who had returned somewhere during the vampire's sightless moment – perked up at the mention. "That's right! You had all your life-points intact when the exam finished! How did you manage that?"

Izuku, now being the center of attention, let out a throaty hum. "A little bit of skill, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of effort." He cryptically answered, causing his classmates to groan in frustration at his pedantic response.

"Always the mysterious, spooky menace to society, huh?!" Kyouka dully spat at him, rolling her eyes at him. The vampire's smug grin at her left the girl irked, Momo soothing the rocker girl with a patting motion on her back.

"There, there~~…"

"Don't you excuse his behavior, Yaomomo! Just because you both are Class President and Vice President, you don't have to defend him!" Jirou huffed, her ear jacks pointing towards the vampire.

Momo gave her friend an apologetic smile. "Now, now, there is no need for that, Kyouka. Besides, Izuku is entitled to keep his skills a secret." The girl then sent the vampire a nod.

Izuku let a tiny smile grace his face. Thankfully, the buzzer for their break went off, warning the teens to get ready for the second part of the exam.

"The talk has been nice, but we need to get going." He reinforced the point, seeing some of his classmates groan at the idea of returning so soon to the action.

"We barely had time to eat anything! This is abuse!" Mina whined, hugging Tohru's frame to herself and nuzzling somewhere onto the invisible girl. "Thanks, Tohru-chan! This will feed me until next week."

The invisible girl giggled. "Come on now, you guys need to go." Tohru disengaged from the pink-girl's hug, lightly pushing her friend away. "Do your best out there, everyone!" Though it was somewhat hard to read her expressions, the girl more than made up for with the enthusiastic gestures of her gloved hands.

The group composed of most of 1-A began dispersing and turning to their designated areas. Izuku himself was going to a zone with almost no one recognizable, but then his senses caught wind of movement towards him.

His nose told him that Tohru was the one that was rushing to him, the vampire turning around to meet the girl. He also noticed that she lacked any of her usual gear (i.e, her gloves and shoes) she wore. He quickly switched sight once more, noticing just in time that the girl was jumping at him.

Having little options besides letting her faceplant on the floor, the vampire stood still and allowed the invisible girl to softly crash against his frame, arms quickly moving to hold Tohru from bellow. Izuku bit the inside of his cheek as his hands wrapped around soft, invisible thigh skin. Arms wrapped around his head and the vampire's head was pushed against two soft mounds.

"Thank you for consoling me, Izuku-kun. I think that I will take you on that offer." She whispered by his ear, the vampire doing his best to not let his hands wander off to dangerous territory. It was rather easy to forget that Tohru's invisibility didn't extend to her clothing, so to be effective she needed to go full commando. Not that Izuku could ever forget about it now, her softness and scent imprinted in his mind.

"Think of it as an early reward from me for advancing!" She stated in her normal voice, unwrapping her legs from his body and climbing down. She then turned around ran off, the vampire looking at ger as she eventually left his senses' range.

Ohhh, is this the beginning of your pretty boy spring?! Are you aiming for a harem after all? Nana's amused thoughts bounced inside his mind, the vampire unable to form a counter argument.

[Females will recognize a suitable partner when they see one.] [It is no surprise after all, Revenant.] [We have been noticing more and more suitable partners releasing their heady scents. Yet, master holds back from the truth.]

Izuku let a growl echo in his mind, receiving a huff as a reply from his [Inner Beast]. 'Enough commentary from the peanut gallery.'

Since when has this been a thing, beastie? Nana asked her temporary mind neighbor, ignoring the vampire's internal sigh.

[It has been happening for a while now.]

[We thought that master would cast aside these foolish restraints after the last development with our first and second mates.]

So you truly have some hot blood in this rationale-filled head of yours, huh, Izuku-kun?! Nana teased, a ghostly touch on his neck causing the vampire's entire body hair to bristle. Wow, that was a nice reaction! Makes me want to tease you more, you know?!

Izuku narrowed his eyes, pulling on All For One's quirk-factor – the [Shackles] – threateningly.

Oh, we made him angry. Time to dip. Nana hurriedly retreated to the deeper parts of the vampire's mind.

The [Inner Beast] merely grumbled, allowing the vampire the respite he asked for. Seeing as his "audience" left their seats, Izuku released a sigh of relief and started heading towards the gate.

[Joking matters aside…can you feel it, master?]

Izuku hummed in agreement. Ever since the start of the first part of the exam, the vampire felt as if someone was targeting him. At first, he found it normal since it was an elimination exam after all, and many opponents were aiming to bring him down with all they had. He could understand it. However, as time went by, and less and less skilled people targeted him, the pull on his senses became more and more prominent.

It challenged him, and not in a fun manner. It wasn't a friendly challenge, neither it was something aimed at helping him grow.

It was something akin to the sensation he felt when fighting the Hero Killer: Stain. Whoever it was, its gaze felt cold and calculated. And the most troublesome thing was that Izuku couldn't pinpoint its origin. Thus, it limited him to passively taking on this "glare" until he could find it. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, but Izuku could bear with it for now.

He brought his right hand to his chest, about where the catalyst of his quirk-suppressing cross would be.

"I feel it, for sure…" He murmured to himself.

[XXX]

---

[XXX]

The second and last part of the exam began with another loud blare coming from an airhorn. Izuku mentally reviewed the debriefing he and many others were exposed to:

As for the rescue part, the exam takers were to try and rescue civilian impersonators that were hidden in the zones. It was almost like his class's rescue training sessions, though this time it was as close as it could be to the real thing. Rescue work could be much more worrisome than battling villains. A myriad of issues had to be factored in before one could try to attempt a rescue. Not only that, but decisions had to be quickly made, so it was quite taxing on the mind.

Fighting was easy; saving was considerably harder.

Izuku was released – alongside a vastly downsized crowd – in a wrecked zone. Destroyed buildings, pained moans, the works. It brought him memories of the immediate after battle of the Kamino Ward Incident.

The vampire took a deep breath, tasting the air. Many of his opponents rushed away from him, eager to try and rescue as many of the faux-civies as possible. Izuku wasn't in such a rush.

First the vampire had to carefully gauge his surroundings. Taking too long to know his environment could be detrimental to his score, but rushing in half-cocked could be a costly mistake.

Turning on his electromagnetic sight, Izuku vanished from sight with a quick use of [warp]. He appeared atop the tallest wreck he could find, which reached only to about three stores high. Not exactly a proper vantage point, but it would have to do.

Many other exam takers were visible, a few already stumped on what to do. A willing spirit was well and good, but normally you couldn't simply rush inside a dangerous wreck and start pulling people out like that. Not everyone was All Might after all.

Enhancing his mental capacities, Izuku released a cloud of steam from his mouth. His already active mind was further sharpened by his usage of blood, the vampire feeling the effects of [Ride Lightning] coat him in sparks of lightning that occasionally flickered between neon green and crimson red.

Jumping from his perch, Izuku's coat flapped along as he quickly fell to the ground level, his presence attention-calling enough so that eyes started to gather on his frame. Figuring that he might as well make use of the attention, the vampire pointed towards a building wreck that resembled a shop.

"You there!" Pointing towards the first trio he saw, Izuku began delivering orders. "There are two civilians trapped under unstable rubble in there. Circle around the back and try to not move the rescue targets too much." His words seemed to fall on deaf ears for a moment, but it seemed that luck was on his side.

A few moments later, a duo of familiar girls approached the wrecked shop. Kyouka let one of her ear lobes extend to the building, closing her eyes to focus on her hearing sense. "It is as he says."

Momo began creating a few tools to aid in the extraction and care of the civilians. Soon, the heiress dressed in a leotard was equipped with medical equipment and was getting stretchers ready. "There is no time to waste! Quickly, grab these and follow me!" She stated in a firm tone to the same trio that Izuku had spoken, this time the action managing to awaken them.

"What?! We are not allies!" A male dressed in a blue and gray jumpsuit spoke in a hurried tone, but soon he withered once he realized he was under the vampire's red-tinted gaze.

"This is a rescue trial, not a battle royale. Cooperate, or don't! Just do not get in the way." Momo interfered before Izuku could say anything, speaking with an authority few could match. The male stammered, looking at his comrades for backup, but the duo opted to grab a stretcher and aid without any fanfare. Being defeated and without help, the teen resigned himself to following commands.

The trio was guided by Kyouka, all the while Izuku approached Momo. The heiress was busy with creating a few more first-aid supplies, but directed her attention to the hemomancer once he was close enough.

"Yes, Izuku-kun?"

The vampire eyed his surroundings. "We don't have a proper zone to take care of the rescued civilians or even triage them. Could you set one up? I'll see to send more people your way, but first comes that." He pointed out.

Momo hummed and nodded in agreement. "Of course, that's what I was thinking too. I'll count on you then." The heiress's exposed stomach glinted with light, soon the shine dying down to reveal a radio. "So that we can stay in communication. You are too fast sometimes, try to slow down." She offered the advice along with the device.

Izuku grabbed it and clipped it to his belt. "I'll keep that in mind." He finished their conversation, just in time for the foursome that went into the wrecked shop to come out with the two rescued civilians. They were a couple: one had a "broken arm", while the other held their ribs "in pain".

Obviously, they weren't truly injured, but their performance was quite convincing. Izuku guessed that the "rescue targets" were the proctors instead of judges watching through cameras. The commission really wasn't pulling any stops when it came to this year's exam after all.

Feeling a bit mischievous, Izuku approached the duo of civies with an evil glint in his eyes. Before he could do anything though, Momo got in front of the vampire and crossed her arms under her chest.

"No."

Izuku stood firm for a few moments, wondering if the president of his class would break first.

…

…

…

"No." She repeated after a beat, shaking her head at the vampire's antics. "Get going, Izuku. I'll do my part, you do yours."

Izuku sighed in defeat, grumbling under his breath as he turned around, missing the smile that decorated Momo's lips. "I guess that the time for talk has passed; hero's work must be done." He commented under his breath, just loud enough to be heard by the heiress.

Their current functions designated for the moment, Izuku once again took off in search of more rescue targets. The vampire observed that the other schools were also working hard in their efforts, unwilling to be behind UA.

Their immediate surroundings were basically taken care of, so the vampire opted to expand his search's circle. The radio on his belt crackled to life and coordinates to their chosen checkpoint were delivered by Momo, the heiress getting ready to take in their rescue targets and garner UA points.

Izuku began sweeping a larger area, making liberal use of his shadows to reach civilians in hard to reach places and lifting rubble out of the way. It was – in all honesty – a rather relaxed exercise when compared to the brawl from earlier.

Though the vampire soon detected hostility. He had been on the skirts of the northern edge of the arena when a few presences entered his sense of perception. The vampire sneaked closer, finding a battle to be happening not too far from a mountainous-like area.

Much to his surprise, Izuku found Shoto to be on the defensive against a whole gaggle of attackers. The group of opponents wore matching jumpsuits, black and gray in color, and they had some sort of gadget equipped on their arms, shooting some grayish gunk towards his friend.

Todoroki effortlessly eliminated their attacks with a wave of fire, holding back the attackers while algo maintaining their focus on him. Izuku figured that it must be an additional bump in difficulty, as no warning sirens had blared and no announcement was made via the microphones in the arena.

Shoto erected a wall of ice, blocking another wave of the gray gunk. This allowed Izuku to observe the effects of it, finding it to be some sort of quick-drying cement. There was no frost built up on the half-and-half teen, which meant that he was alternating between his powers and keeping a steady balance. Neither too hot, neither too cold.

Izuku allowed a smile to split his lips, the vampire very happy with the progress his friend had made with accepting himself and making full use of his power.

The vampire then turned his attention to other matters, as his senses alerted him of an approaching danger. The vampire used his [warp] to appear on Shoto's flank, hands already clad in his blood-red gauntlets.

"Rashomo'on (Underworld Gate)!" Izuku grunted, his sharp claws piercing the earth beneath his feet and bringing forth an earthen wall for protection. This time it was more defined, the blood and shadow matter mixing with the dirt to form a proper looking wall. Barely a second went by before the protection was put to the test, as a wave of pressure hit it and cracked it.

Izuku's defense managed to withstand the attack, the vampire quickly climbing atop it with a jump to take measure of the new threat. He quickly glanced back at Shoto, seeing the teen send him a thankful nod.

"I see that your profile does you justice, young one." A deeply baritone voice reached the vampire, Izuku instantly recognizing the hero.

"It's an honor to be praised by a hero in Japan's top ten position, Gang Orca-san." Izuku greeted back in the best way he could, finding his blood to be pumping fast in response to the older cetacean man in front of him.

Dressed in a sharp suit that matched his own natural colors, Gang Orca stared with his red eyes and ever-serious expression at the vampire, arms crossed and exuding confidence that few could ever match.

His sidekicks began singing praises of the hero, though it seemed to be ignored by the man himself as he focused on the teens.

"Keeping up with rescue efforts while also repealing a massively superior villain attack. Can your current forces keep up pace; can you accomplish the impossible?" Gang Orca stated the intent behind his act, the man fiddling with the thick manacles clasped around his forearms. Once he seemed fully comfortable, he took a battle stance. "You'd better be ready to show your abilities to go [Plus Ultra]; anything else will not be tolerated here." The serious tone of the hero left no quarter for the teens to imagine anything else.

Izuku tensed, aware that he would have to do his best with his current limit with the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S]. He also sensed another arrival high above them, the constant usage of the strong quirk-factor being akin to a brightly lit lamp to him.

"Shoto, how is your tank?" Izuku called to his friend, keeping his eyes upon the menacing figure of the hero in front of him.

Todoroki created another ice wall to shield him from the sidekicks' attacks, the dual-quirk teen using a quick ramp to reach the vampire's side. "I can run full interference. I'm keeping my temperature stable, so no worries on my part."

Izuku hummed a grateful noise from his throat. "Then, let's roast some blubber." The vampire released a heated breath, ready to act. Or so it would be, had Gang Orca been the only hero to arrive here.

"ORAAAAAAAAA!" A fierce shout echoed from afar. Shoto tensed in anticipation, and Izuku himself took a fighting stance as they tried to pinpoint the source of the noise. The vampire's raised wall suddenly shook and crumbled; the two teens being forced to brace for their sudden fall.

Being midair, right as they were about to act, someone appeared between the two. Shoto barely managed to twist his right side, covering himself in as much ice as he could while Izuku himself placed his two gauntlet-clad hands over his abdomen in hopes of managing to soften the incoming blow. He really wasn't looking forward to being kicked by the Top Ranker Number 8: The Rabbit Hero, Mirko.

"TWIN LUNAR CREST!" The heroine did a leg split midair, the tips of her boots digging into the teens' guts with impunity and tremendous force.

"Gah!"

"ACK!"

The two 1-A powerhouses were separated, with Shoto being tossed down while Izuku was thrown near one of the remaining ice walls.

The Rabbit heroine had an aggressive smile planted on her lips, her hands placed on her cocked hips as she looked over the results of her work. "Come on, let's see your tough spirits! UA students can't be this easy to defeat!"

Shoto groaned as he laid on his side, thankful that his improvised ice armor managed to absorb the worse of the blow. His right side still felt tender, but he was still in the fight. Making use of his ice, he slid a few meters away from his crash spot, Gang Orca's sidekicks still a very much present threat. Sliding around Mirko, Shoto summoned his fire and blasted it towards her.

"There it is!" She shouted, clearly excited by the prospect of a longer fight. She began to run to dodge the torrent of fire, matching pace effortlessly with Todoroki as the teen tried to shake her off.

Gang Orca would have assisted, but he had other business to worry about. Said business was a sharply dressed vampire in a coat, bringing danger with his gauntlet claws.

The hero launched a sonic attack towards the vampire, hoping that the soundwaves would paralyze the teen. Izuku's response was to simply dodge it, the teen sensing the danger of taking the attack head-on and responding accordingly.

A [Blink] brought Izuku behind the mafioso Hero, the vampire ready to use his claws and rend flesh asunder. Sparks flew as Orca used the manacles on his wrists as a shield, parrying the attack and answering with a devastating punch of his own. Izuku dodged it again, slipping deep inside the Cetacean's defense and unleashing a punch of his own. The vampire's blow hit the hero's side, though no apparent damage was dealt.

Orca swung around with a backhand, eager to push the vampire away. Izuku complied, dodging once more under the blow, and retreating with a speedy use of [Blink].

His reaction timing is extraordinary, few could have dodged that so fluently! No wonder Edgeshot chose him. Orca let the thoughts swim in his head. He also noticed that Izuku had abandoned his right gauntlet, the one he had used to hit him. Was it heavy? Hence the reason he discarded it… He theorized for a moment.

The answer came in but a moment, as the blood-red metal armor piece suddenly glowed, Orca having to cross his arms in a hurry as the armor piece exploded.

"""BOSS!"""

The shouts from his subordinates reached him, a black cloud of dust surrounding his form.

Izuku wasn't one to not capitalize on opportunities. He rushed in the black cloud, releasing the blood from his remaining gauntlet and drenching the ground around Orca. A click of his fingers and the life-fluid ignited in cherry-red colors, surrounding the hero in a wall of vampiric fire.

That done, the vampire turned to aid Shoto against the Rabbit Hero.

Todoroki was mostly a long-range fighter, his quirk rather perfectly suited for such form of combat. He – of course – was trained in close-quarters combat, but he specialized in keeping his distance and blasting opponents either with fire or ice, depending on the circumstances. Against an opponent such as Mirko, whose specialty was closing the gap and keeping to close-quarters, Endeavor's son was somewhat stumped on what to do. Or so it would be, had he not been training with Izuku.

The vampire had long pointed out such flaw with Shoto's fighting style. Thus, the hemomancer's proposition for the teen to master both his elemental powers. That would open a myriad of options for him.

And now, all that training culminated into a new technique. Something that could cover for Shoto's lack of physical strength (when compared to physical monsters such as Izuku, or in this case the Rabbit Heroine).

*FOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHH*

"Flash-fire Fist: Ascetic Blaze." Shoto duly stated, letting fire ignite from his left and dance around his whole body. It was a controlled output, covering him without being overwhelming. It could even be called beautiful, as the colorful flames licked all around his body without any sign of harm.

Mirko found that unless she was willing to barrel through thick layers of fire and a possible fiery counterattack, she had to be very careful when fighting melee against Shoto. Yet, even so, the smile that split her lips never faded.

"Now we are talking! I thought that that vampire kid would be the only interesting brat here! Glad to see that I was wrong!" She loudly proclaimed, lowering her body and preparing for another charge attack. "Let's see if that armor of yours will keep you safe!"

"I see no reasons to test it." Izuku murmured right by one of her bunny ears, appearing midair while aiming a spinning axe kick on the heroine.

Mirko's smile split ever wider, the heroine dodging the blow by a hair's length while also cocking a high kick of her own. Her leg – however – didn't follow completely through, as the limb was captured and wrapped by black matter extending from her own shadow. Izuku used the stretched limb as a platform, allowing him to finally deliver a solid hit upon the heroine, his right knee meeting her nose with a dull thud.

Izuku's perception, enhanced by his current usage of [Ride Lightning], allowed him to see the moment that Mirko's eyes focused on him. He felt his shadow control break as she forcefully extended her captured leg, breaking his hold on her limb. The woman used said limb to attack, the tip of her boot grazing past his chin as Izuku fell backwards in his efforts to dodge.

"RISING LUNAR CREST!" only now the sound followed through her lips. The muscular leg of the heroine remained up, then began coming back down with a vengeance as she pursued payback for his scoring blow.

While quite the innovative person with his ideas and capabilities, Izuku was pragmatic. If something worked before, there was no reason to abandon said idea.

From Shoto's quirk, Izuku hadn't acquired fire/ice resistance, only the capability of harnessing said elements with his blood as fuel. Thus, technically Izuku could do whatever Shoto was capable of.

And now, copying his friend's move set, while not innovative, felt appropriate to deal with the situation.

*FOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHH*

"Ninpou: Hiboshi (Shinobi Arts: Ascetic Blaze)!" Izuku's blood burst from his skin, flaring up around his body with crimson-tinted flames at the exact moment Mirko's heel crashed against his left shoulder. It lacked Shoto's power, but Izuku didn't mind. He immediately grabbed the heroine's leg with his claws, securing a firm hold as he held onto the metal cuff draped on her ankle.

"I'll take care of her, you deal with Gang Orca." Izuku quickly called out to his friend, opting to not wait for an answer as he used [warp] to bring the Rabbit Hero away from his friend.

Shoto glanced at the fire pillar that trapped Gang Orca. The fight against Mirko had been intense, but rapid. So far, the cetacean hero's sidekicks remained at a distance, unwilling to try anything that might get in the way of their boss. That could change soon.

Todoroki also noticed that someone was floating up in the sky, right above their battle. He didn't recognize the person, who soon floated down until they were by his side.

"That fight was splendid, though I guess that should be expected from someone like you." The teen spoke in a bitter tone, the acidity of his words not missed on Shoto.

Todoroki maintained his focus on the fight, ignoring the jab from the newcomer. Let him speak whatever nonsense he pleased, Shoto was left here to do a job. He would do so, no matter what.

He dispelled the flames around his body, letting a thin layer of icy mist cover and cool him off. The downside of constantly using [Ascetic Blaze] was the rapid increase of his internal temperature. He could handle it for a while, but maintaining himself at a stable temperature would prolong his time and not heavily sap his stamina. He also had to train on using both powers at once, the switch still leaving behind a time lag.

It required training and more training, though this time Shoto was training out of his own volition. No pressure from his father, the teen simply wanted to train and practice his power with his friend.

Gang Orca broke free from his fire encirclement with a sound burst, the hero crushing a large water bottle in his grasp, the remaining content clearly having been dumped over his large frame, steam lightly wafting from his body. "You figured out my weakness, huh?" Though he spoke of such, Gang Orca demonstrated no fear at such fact. It was as if he didn't care for it.

He took a step forward from the burnt circle on the ground, aiming at the duo with his blowhole. "Show me your moves, pups! Let me see what you are made of!"

Shoto released a slow breath, the air visible as the cooling temperature made condensation obvious.

The teen by his side draped himself in wind, the noise starting to sound like an engine roaring.

"Ice Age!"

"Aerial Ace!"

[XXX]

---

[XXX]

Far enough from Gang Orca and his minions to be worry-free from immediate intervention, Izuku emerged with Mirko in a sudden burst of hazy black mist. The heroine chambered a kick with her free leg, the blow slamming like a jackhammer onto his chest.

Izuku grunted in pain, being forcefully separated from Mirko and launched into the ground, the flames on his body dispersing. He managed to right himself midair, the momentum he accumulated causing the vampire to dig shallow trenches as his boots drug on the dirt beneath them. Even with his perception and senses enhanced by [Ride Lightning], he still had some trouble keeping up with her speed.

"What's wrong, kiddo?! Cat's got your tongue?!" Mirko taunted, wiping off the trail of blood that lightly dripped from her nose. She licked at her lips, displaying a toothy grin to him.

Izuku felt his lips move, offering the heroine a sharp grin of his own. Emerald-green sparked off from his frame, Izuku pulling on [One for All] and feeling it boost him up to the very limit that he could deploy without triggering his suppressive device. The sparks around him were dyed in crimson red, his shadow spitting out his sheathed Odachi.

Mirko allowed the teen to prepare, wanting to see him at his best. It would not be fun otherwise!

Her muscles tensed, her heart pumping with such vigor that she could almost hear the beat in her own ears. She wanted a no-holds barred spar, but since Mera forced her to wear the damn cuffs that reduced her power, the Rabbit Heroine figured that this was the closest and best option available.

She saw Izuku release that big sword from its sheath, the crimson-red blade also sparking with the same wisps of power that were emanating from the kid. The grin that split her lips could never be from a rabbit, so wild as it was. "Are you brave enough?!" She shouted the challenge at him, seeing those glowing red eyes of his lock-in her frame.

Seeing the kid take a defensive stance, Mirko decided to be the one in the offensive. She wasn't suited for waiting much after all. With explosive force, she kicked off the ground and advanced on him like a heat-seeking missile. He followed her every move, the veins around his face bulging with the strain of handling such blood pressure.

Mirko circled around him, tightening it ever so slightly to try and confuse his senses. Once she figured it was enough, she immediately cut directions and rushed him. She saw him prepare a swing, but he was a beat too late to catch her.

She dodged under his slash, using both hands to stabilize her body on the floor, her right leg kicking up with thunderous force. Mirko winced a bit, as even with the protection of her special boots, it felt almost like she had kicked a steel wall. Nonetheless, it accomplished her goal. The force of her kick raised the vampire off the ground, launching him high in the air.

His body was slanted, the vampire losing his grasp on his sword.

Mirko followed through with her move, jumping to pursue her prey. She spun to build momentum, bringing her right leg in a lethal arc that would slam him back on the ground. This was one of her common finishing moves…

"Primary Lunar Lotus!"

Her leg barely touched the vampire's body, when he vanished into a hazy black mist, her kick going through air.

Mirko was surprised, failing to notice the vampire's presence behind once until he struck. Shadow matter tinted in green wrapped around her arms and torso, binding her completely. She felt his arms move within the shadowy hold, wrapping around her body and allowing him to pierce her skin with his claws. Then, Mirko couldn't help the yelping shout of surprise, feeling the vampire bite her neck.

"You fucker!" She spat through gritted teeth, trying to loosen the vampire's binding around her body. The feeling of his sharp fangs sinking into her flesh and drinking from her blood was unlike anything that Mirko had experienced before.

Izuku made sure to drink deep, enjoying the rich flavor of Mirko's blood, though he was careful to restrain himself to one mouthful. It wouldn't do for the commission to assume things about him, but his fangs were part of his arsenal, so he wouldn't hesitate to use them when necessary. And well, fighting a Top Ten Ranker hero – especially someone as physical strong as Mirko – required an additional boost.

Besides, now that he had Mirko's quirk-factor, he could analyze it and become better.

Izuku kept his hold on Mirko, strengthening the shadow matter that bound the heroine. He began to spin, copying the Rabbit Hero's move and heading head-first towards the ground in what would be a colossal crash.

The two hit the ground, cracking earth and raising a small cloud of dust.

Izuku jumped away from it, the vampire wincing and protecting his right arm, the limb dangling uselessly. "You are wild, Mirko-san." He commented, the dust cloud settling to reveal the heroine standing straight.

She had some dirt and a few cuts on her body, but so far, the heroine seemed hale enough to continue fighting with the same aggression she displayed since the beginning.

Izuku's right arm healed, the vampire wondering if he had bought enough time. The fighting had been too intense, so he hadn't exactly kept a lookout for the remaining exam time.

Mirko's smile was a dangerous thing, the dark-skinned woman brushing a few locks of hair away from her face. "And you are worth something, brat! Can you keep up the pace?!" She did a few leg stretches, tapping her foot on the floor in obvious enthusiasm.

Izuku felt him own smile strain a bit. He enjoyed fighting, but Mirko's intensity was on another level. Her scent was full of excitement and aggression, the vampire sensing genuine joy emanating from the woman.

"You even copied my move there; the rotation bit at the end was good! Normally just kicking them solves the problem, but you countered that." She laughed, her ears twitching as they focused on Izuku. "I'm ready for round 2!" Kicking the earth under her feet, Mirko charged almost like a gunshot at the vampire.

Izuku released a deep breath, sucking air through his mouth and widening his fighting stance, lightning coursing through him as he prepared to meet the heroine's charge. He had her in his sight, but his true focus was on something that was behind her.

Taking a page out of the Wild, Wild Pussycat's Tiger, the hemomancer waited for the contact to come, his reaction instantaneous. He managed to flip Mirko's charging kick, throwing the woman over his shoulder in a textbook-perfect toss. Mirko roared in anger at the lack of a proper confrontation, the teen backing off and heading towards his sword.

The blade was stuck a few meters away, its tip digging into the earth and displaying the crimson-red color of the metal.

The vampire quickly picked his weapon, throwing it into his shadow storage as he tried to flee from Mirko. He hoped that Todoroki managed also buy time and hold back Gang Orca.

Before Izuku could head towards his friend, Mirko jumped over, crash-landing in front of him.

"Where are you going, brat?! We are not done here!" She shouted, charging towards Izuku with a rising knee kick that would have caved his chest in.

Izuku's shadow spat his blade, allowing the enhanced vampire to use his weapon as a shield and block the hit. He had to palm the blade for support, else the Rabbit Hero would have broken through his defense.

Due to the fight, the two were almost face to face. Izuku stared into Mirko's red eyes, his fear-bringer gaze active. He snarled, using the opportunity, and pushing all his mind prowess to his eyes in an effort to invade the heroine's mind.

Mirko felt the pressure in her head, immediately trying to push the invading presence off. It was incredibly strange having someone invading your mind, and worse, she had no idea how to truly push him off.

Izuku capitalized on Mirko's stunned state and planted his right boot into her torso, pushing the woman a few meters away to allow himself some breathing room. He tried his best to maintain his mental hold on her mind, pushing all his influence and eldritch power unto her mind.

The Rabbit Hero's mind so far was the hardest one to crack past its defenses, Izuku's multiple mind enhancements barely allowing him to keep the heroine stunned.

"Y-you b-brat!" Mirko hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes glassy and clouded, the heroine scrunching her face in an effort to withstand the mind probing.

Izuku's face veins bulged, straining to keep up with the pressure inside his own skull. Blood began to spill from his orbs, but he kept his pupils fully focused on Mirko's eyes. "I'm apologizing in advance, so please, REMAIN STILL!" His influence slammed into her mind almost like truck.

Mirko snarled too, feeling her body betray her wishes. The Rabbit Hero wanted to punt the vampire a few fields away, but her body was locked in place, muscles painfully clenching to stop her dead in her tracks. "Y-you gotta-a do bet-tter than t-that, brat!" She grunt-shouted at him, body minutely moving until he could no longer hold her back.

Izuku hissed, seeing the woman break past his mental hold with sheer willpower. She charged towards him, a mean hook kick about to slam into the vampire's head. He wouldn't be able to dodge, the drawbacks of his abuse of [Ride Lightning] and a failed [Mesmerize] attempt rooting him in place. He could – however – give it as good as he would get.

"Ninpou Hissatsu: Shutsugen Kira (Shinobi Arts Ultimate Move: Apparition Killer)!" Izuku raised his left hand in a defensive gesture, hoping to dampen the force that would hit him, while also swinging his right hand holding his blade.

*PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH*

An air horn loudly blared, echoing all over the arena.

Mirko's leg stopped midair, the muscular limb a few centimeters from smashing into the vampire's head.

Izuku's blade didn't bite into the chocolate-skin of the heroine, the edge turned around so that only the flat of the blade would have slammed into her neck. It rested on her left shoulder, its longer reach guaranteeing a hit had the combat lasted just a bit more.

The two stared at each other, their excitement and battle fervor radiating from their frames almost like a visible aura.

[XXX]

---

[XXX]

Shoto huffed in barely concealed anger, carefully retreating from Gang Orca while also having to dodge the many shoots aimed at him by the hero's sidekicks. He made use of his ice, sliding to avoid the cement and also the sonic attacks that occasionally targeted him.

After his Ultimate Move was repealed by Orca with a sonic blast, Todoroki tried to perform guerrilla tactics against the mobster-looking hero, but all his attempts were met with failure, as each ice attack was broken by the sonic waves.

To make matters worse, the other arrival was actively hostile against him, his wind-quirk was capable of hindering the hero, though it also got in Shoto's way. His fire was hindered, as the wind either dispelled any attempts of an attack or carried his fire into a wildly different direction than its intended target. Shoto might not as experienced as his father with his usage of his fire side, but Endeavor had relentlessly drilled into him the importance of being aware of his surroundings when using it.

Thus, it stood to reason that after Todoroki's first attempt had shot his flames too close to the other sidekicks (the fire wildly boosted by the torrent of wind), Shoto decided it best to remain on the sidelines, actively holding down the fort known as Gang Orca.

The wind guy seemed frustrated with something, shouting over and over at Todoroki about his behavior and attitude. All the while trying to suppress Gang Orca with more and more wind, the air pressure barely halting the hero.

Endeavor's youngest son took it in stride, unbothered with the words. Maybe if he hadn't been trounced by Midoriya back during the School Festival and forced to face himself, he may have let himself get swayed by the comparisons between him and his father and lashed out in emotion. His friends (yes, Todoroki could now say that) allowed him to see a better path. Shoto could never deny that he was – indeed – Endeavor's son, so he would be a better man and hero than his father.

The flying teen eventually had to run out of steam. And so, it occurred; his reckless usage of his power – combined with his emotional distress – made so that he overly focused on Gang Orca, forgetting the hero's sidekicks. They didn't forget him.

Aiming their cement launchers at the hero trainee, Inasa was soon forced to face the consequences of his tirade. He had been so overly focused on the past image that he had of Todoroki that he didn't take into account the person right in front of him. The stoic teen no longer carried the hatred or odious feelings that Inasa had seen that day during the recommendation entry exam. He acted the fool, and now paid the price.

His body begged for a rest, and thus it forcefully took a break from Inasa's reckless quirk-usage. The teen couldn't maintain his airborne position, being forced to rapidly descent, else he might simply crash once his wind control failed him. Exhaustion took over his body, and soon Inasa found himself practically buried under the quick-to-dry cement pellets that struck his body.

He figured that all was lost.

"Zero Kelvin White Wall!"

Shoto's voice echoed with a strong sound, Inasa free from being used as target practice by Gang Orca's sidekicks.

Once he aided the teen with a solid shelter, Shoto focused his attention on the incoming figure of Gang Orca.

The hero menacingly marched towards them with slow steps, his serious countenance highly intimidating for anyone not used to such glare. Todoroki didn't falter, more than used to such gaze. He remained calm and collected, fire wisps surrounding him as he began to march towards the hero.

Shoto released a long exhale, a long stream of steam following his breath.

"Flash-fire Fist: Ascetic Blaze." The teen murmured, the flames from his left flaring up in a myriad of colors. He kept walking towards Gang Orca with an unhurried gait.

The hero matched with the teen, though he kept his head low, aiming his blowhole at the youngest Todoroki in a discreet manner.

Inasa couldn't help but stare at the fire that circled around Shoto. It was beautiful.

"Words are meaningless now, huh?" Gang Orca stated, his eyes fully focused on Shoto. "The exam is about to end, but I see that you want to prove yourself. That is fine." The mobster-looking hero stopped a few feet away from the youngster, the distance easily coverable should he charge at him.

"Sometimes it isn't about winning or losing, it's about taking a stand for those that need it." The cetacean man fixed the slight creases on his suit, fixing his tie in place with a quick tug of his massive hands. "I see that UA has produced very fine prospects this year." He spoke in a formal tone, lightly glancing at the downed student behind Shoto.

Shoto didn't answer, merely letting the fire around him increase in intensity. It was one of the advantages of his father's technique, the Flash-fire Fist. One that Shoto could make further use due to his developing of Ascetic Fire. The colorful fire that surrounded him crackled, heating the air around him. The teen extended his left hand towards the hero that served as an obstacle to him.

"Flash-fire Fist: First Flash!"

Gang Orca braced.

"Sonic Doom."

[XXX]

[TO BE CONTINUED]

---

AU END NOTES

I am very much late with posting this chapter. IRL kicked my ass these past months, I have been swamped with work and some fucken viral sickness washed over the region I live at, and I got the damn virus and couldn't hold food down for shit.

Nonetheless, I am very thankful for all of you who commented, and waited patiently for another chapter. Words cannot describe my mood improvement when I reread your reviews.

Hells, I even received a donation from the illustrious [1WALCO]. I had completely forgotten about the ko-fi account I had, put seeing someone appreciate my work this much really sparked my inspiration again.

Hopefully I have more time to post soon.

This chapter wasn't exactly as long as I wanted it to be, but as I reached the end fight with Gang Orca, I felt that it was best to stop there, else I would just be using words to fill in an imaginary quota.

I guess that this is enough yapping from me in the notes, which shouldn't be this long anyway. Thank you once more for your support. I hope to see you soon.

RyujinMaou out!

PS: Don't worry about Lady Nagant/Quiet, I will give her plenty of love in the future. Izuku the vampiric older women hunter/menace will not let these lovely ladies be on their own.

PSS: what you think about the moves? Too many? Or good enough?