AnimeFan13579: ...when you put it that way, Ibara seeing Izuku as a second coming of Jesus is logical and hilarious at the same time. XD
ProjectIceman: It is.
marquis.shax: As I said in the previous chapter, Izuku has burned the harem route right before it started.
Phatom666: Thanks for telling me, and sorry if it annoyed you.
Whitemare: I…..never said that. I say the Ice Elves Arc will happen early, and I won't tell about the Lycanthrope Tribe's fate, it's a spoiler. As for Inko losing weight, it's…a slow progress happening in the background. And given now that she's taking care of Eri, she might not have many times to exercise properly. For the main antagonist, Shigaraki and All For One has been demoted, Antares will be. For your Shigaraki idea, it's….interesting, but I might need to think about it.
Kouteikuro: That's true, but if Izuku says that after displaying such power, the Lycanthrope tribe could unintentionally mistake it as a threat, and you see how scared the Elder is just by Izuku's presence. So, it's not a good idea.
Daemon of Wrath: Well, I have an idea, what if in the past, Tarnak disguised himself amongst the mortals and somehow encountered Ammut, who didn't know his identity, and offered to train him? Tarnak at first believed it was stupid but he agreed out of amusement before he experienced those training himself and getting taught many things, especially in mana. It's where Tarnak learns that mana can be used more than just raw power, which makes sense given that he's an entity who was born from Absolute Being and he never bothers to use it in another way. When he finally decides to destroy the world, he chooses to spare Ammut and offers him to stay by his side out of gratitude. But Ammut refuses which leads him to get captured and experimented on. It's just an idea, so I might scrap it but given how the Monarch's origin contradicts (One says they're beings created by Absolute Being, and one says they were once mortal before getting taught to be a Monarch). I admit, I need an outside opinion on this one. As for UA underestimating Izuku, they didn't see his full strength, so it does make sense. And yeah, Thomas Andre will later appear. Speaking of Jackal, when a world with superpowers made anyone obsessed with power, it didn't matter what their crime was. And I guess you're right about Appraisal. And for the Solo Leveling: Arise, I don't care if his Shadow Authority sucks, I'm unlocking him the moment he is released. XD
Outside the Dungeon
Ground Gamma, UA High
Musutafu, Japan
Everyone was shocked by Eijirou and Ochako casually threatening the number 9 hero of the United States. Masato looks at them with a raised eyebrow before scoffing and trying to grab and push Eijirou's claws away from his throat, confident that his awakening skill prevents him from getting harmed. To his shock and disbelief, his hand feels an invisible barrier slowly shredding his skin, causing him to let go.
"I would advise you from doing that, Jackal," Gang Orca says while narrowing his eyes. "My intern's skill has the property of Defense Ignore, which is a perfect counter to your Invulnerability."
"….To think that you managed to get your filthy fins on someone like him," Jackal snarls. "Is he the son of Silver Mane or something?"
"No," To his surprise, Eijirou is the one who replies to that.
"… Interesting," Masato grins before he makes proper eye contact with him. "You know, you are quite interesting. How about this? I made sure to put a good word to Goliath, and let you be part of the Scavenger. With that, you'll officially be a hero but you must be in the United States, how's that sound? You can get all the money and fame you desire,"
Eijirou looks at the man for a moment before he clenches all of his claws from Masato, except for his middle finger. This made Gang Orca taken aback by his action before covering his mouth, suppressing his chuckle while Masato looked at Eijirou in sheer disbelief.
"That's my goddamn answer, asshole," Eijirou growls. Masato was about to move, but Ochako launched the ice shards at Masato. To her surprise, the ice shattered upon impact, and Masato didn't get injured or flinched. He then disappears from everyone's view and tries to hit Ochako, but Ochako uses [Colossal Strength] to block the attack, creating powerful shockwaves, craters form under them and the pipes around the training ground fall off.
Ochako grits her teeth as she clashes with Masato, who's grinning ear-to-ear at the surprises he encountered one by one. He was expecting to find his brother's killer but instead, he met two new hunters with so much power. And given how young and new they were, he thought he could bring them to the Scavengers and work under him.
"Even you!?" Masato cackles. "Wow, it seems the old fishbone knows how to find them! Hey, how about you? Same offer, and maybe some extra-!"
"Fuck off, you pedophilic psycho!" This made Masato's grin fall and his eyes twitch at the accusation, making Gang Orca chortle. Present Mic, who understands them given that he's an English teacher, is slackjawed at the kids and their conversation.
What in the world is happening and why do things make less and less sense?!
Inside the Dungeon
With Izuku and Albus
"W-we're here, sir."
Izuku merely nods as he takes a good look at the giant gaping hole under the mountain that leads to the bear's den. Albus nervously moves back as he knows his ice magic will be rendered useless due to the Ice Bear's naturally high ice resistance and Izuku's [Hellfire] melts every ice near him.
Not to mention with all the clear trails Izuku unknowingly creates using his fire magic.
"Thanks for the guide," Izuku says kindly. "Now, please step aside. I would rather if you didn't get caught during the fight."
"S-sir, I could help!" Albus exclaims.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think that won't be necessary." Izuku summons [Hellfire] before launching it into the cave, creating a powerful whistle reminiscent of a launched missile. Izuku and Albus quietly wait before Izuku sees a bright light and curses himself as he summons a mana barrier around him and Albus.
As the light appears, it follows with a massive explosion blasting out of the hole. Albus yelps before covering his eyes with his arms as the blast hits the barrier but never reaches either him or Izuku. Albus moves away his arms before staring in shock and looking at Izuku.
"H-how did such a low quantity of mana could produce such destruction?" Albus mutters in shock.
"In humans, it's called physics and what you saw earlier is what we humans would like to call thermal runaway. Cold suddenly meets with heat will create pressure, causing it to explode." Izuku explains before grumbling. "That was my fault, I didn't think things through."
"D-don't apologize. I'm fine." Albus says while shaking his head.
"You almost got hurt," Izuku stops himself as he hears a loud growl from the den. "So, that wasn't enough to murder the ice bear, huh?"
"B-but, how? That amount of strength should've pulverized them!" Albus exclaims in disbelief.
"Apparently, it didn't," Izuku mutters as a large Ice Bear crawls out of the den, snarling at Izuku. Thankfully, the bear didn't survive unscathed as its fur was burned off and exposed flesh around its left eye. As he snarls, more and more bears crawl out of the den, and unlike their leader, they are only mildly injured, making Izuku raise his eyebrow.
"He's quite a leader, huh…" Izuku mutters under his breath. Albus can't help but snarls back at the bear and draws his bow. Izuku was about to move but suddenly, three dog heads emerged from his shoulder.
"Master, let us fight!" Mamoru exclaims as Izuku raises his eyebrow.
"Well, okay," Izuku says before his eyes glow dark emerald. "Arise!"
Upon his command, a powerful black flame bursts from his back, startling everyone, even Izuku who refuses to admit it. The flame turns into a tornado before it disperses, revealing to be a Shadow Cerberus with emerald flames. Izuku wonders what in the world is with the flames and why did it happen.
"It's nothing you have to worry about, my lord," Igris speaks as his head emerges from his side and Izuku notices the exasperation in his voice. "It's something all Shadows could do due to being reborn as your Shadow Army. We can either use it or we don't."
"So….it's just for showing off? Like in anime where they made an entrance and amped their animation to eleven?" Izuku asks while his eyes twitch slightly.
"….yes," Igris says, his eyes also slightly twitching. Albus was too busy gaping at Mamoru. The alpha bear roars, making the other bears charge in while the three-headed dog snarls before shooting fire arrows from its flaming head, immediately killing the bear as it pierced through their head.
Albus loosened his grip on the bowstring, completely slackjawed as he witnessed the most brutal massacre he had ever seen in decades. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Izuku tapped his shoulder.
"You okay, there?" Izuku asks in confusion.
"A-Ah, yes…..I have never seen such a one-sided fight before….. Is this even considered as a fight?" Albus mutters in disbelief. Izuku merely hums, understand why the lycanthrope were baffled. Given how his tribe was taken down by the same sleuth of bear, seeing them struggle like that does make sense.
The alpha bear is enraged as it summons icicle spears to counter the incoming flaming arrows, making the flame stuck on the ice like it's a rock. This of course catches Mamoru off guard as his Hellfire rivals his master's, but it does explain how he manages to survive the blast in the first place. He snaps out of his thoughts as he sees more Bears incoming. Tapping to the power of Earth, Atsuki roars and creates a huge pillar of rocks to crush them. A powerful shockwave appears through the impact.
"Oi, oi, oi! Don't crush them! We need their meats for the Lycanthrope tribe!" Izuku shouts indignantly, making Atsuki flinch before lowering his head to apologize. The alpha bear snarls in vengeance and charges at Mamoru as he crashes into the giant Cerberus and pushes him back slightly. Using its immense strength, the bear tries to lift it and topples the dog. But, the Cerberus didn't just let it happen as Kuroi aggressively bit the bear's neck and ripped the head, neck, and spine off the bear.
"I can't believe this bear has magic that is strong enough to stop my Hellfire. This is shameful!" Kaen, the left head, growls in annoyance.
"Don't be too mad, Kaen. The bear could tank Master's Hellfire, which is stronger than us given his growth. Our flames won't finish it so easily." Atsuki says, trying to cheer his brother. Yes, the three heads consider each other as brothers since they see themselves as three different individuals sharing a body.
"Bah, we could've finished it if we simply sank our teeth into the bear, or crushing them with rocks. But, no, you just have to go with fire." Kuroi rolled his eyes, making Kaen snarl at him before both started to argue while Atsuki tried to calm them down. Izuku shakes his head before grabbing the bear's head from Kuroi's muzzle, letting mana flow onto his hand as his eyes glow once more.
"Arise…" Izuku mutters before black miasma burst from its head as the fur starts to turn black and the miasma starts to build a new body from scratch. As the resurrection is complete, the bear opens its eyes before looking at Izuku. Both of them stare at each other for a minute before the bear does something that shocks everyone there.
The shadow bear gives Izuku a big lick on his face.
'I will NEVER get used to this!' Izuku thought in sheer disbelief as the bear smiled at Izuku, its tiny tail starting to wag. 'Ever!'
"Is….this what the Elder means?" Albus asks in sheer disbelief.
"Not exactly. Usually, beings with lower intelligence will show absolute loyalty whenever it was resurrected by Shadow Monarch." Igris pops up from Izuku's shoulder again. "Also, the kindness he radiates made any resurrected beings even more loyal,"
"Is that what happened?!!?" Izuku asks as he looks slightly horrified.
"Yes," Igris says in an even tone, making Izuku facepalm.
"And you didn't bother to tell me when I was wondering why for the first time!?" Izuku asks in disbelief, making Igris stammer before sheepishly muttering an apology. Albus stares at them in confusion, unsure how to react to their interactions.
Albus has heard of the existence of Monarchs, creatures of evil that brought destruction upon their path. One example is the Ice Monarch who brought an eternal winter to this realm since his tribe's ancestors were born and the birth of its kin, the first Ice Elf. This land was cursed with blizzards and no tribes were able to escape the realm. Over time, other tribes died down and all that was left were the local wildlife, the Lycanthropes, and the Ice Elves.
Such power possessed by beings known as Monarch has left fear to everyone, and it didn't help that their ancestors also heard about the existence of other Monarchs who possess power even greater than the Ice Monarch. The ones that left dread everyone the most are Shadow Monarch and Monarch of Destruction. One can bring back the dead and control them, the other loves destruction and leaves it everywhere in its path. So, Albus would never expect a normal interaction between a Monarch and its minion.
Perhaps, he and his ancestor know nothing about them, or the Shadow Monarch is a complete exception. Judging from how he acts, he believes that it's probably the latter one.
'Oh, look. More black bears,' Albus thought, and for some reason, he had grown numb at the scene he was currently witnessing, Izuku using his power to resurrect the bear and be part of his Shadow Army.
The bear and the dog had started a fight. Albus simply watches in silence. Against a force of nature, what chances does he have?
Back with Shoto
"Gakh!"
Shoto rises from the bed before he starts to shiver in the cold. His mind went back to when Baruka somehow managed to freeze him like it was nothing, ignoring his increased resistance toward the ice, and it felt like a prison to him. A prison that lets him watch but is unable to move, the feeling of suffocation when trapped inside the ice is terrifying.
He snaps his head towards his left and sees an Ice elf next to him, frozen in shock while holding a bowl of medicine. Shoto snarls as he tries to attack the ice elf, but freezes to feel his 'magic' doesn't appear out of his body like he wants before an overwhelming pain appears on his chest, causing him to collapse into the ground and writhing in pain.
"Ah, you're awake." Shoto turns towards the source of the voice and sees Baruka leaning his back on the wall, lazily watching him with a smirk. "Sorry about that, but I rather if you didn't kill my subjects. I would rather not lose manpower when we're at war here,"
"W-war…?" Shoto mutters, gritting his teeth in pain as he hastily gets up.
"Indeed, war." Baruka reply. "Anyway, it's a story for another time. Right now, let us talk,"
"W-what did you do to me…?" Shoto asks, the pain slowly subsided.
"It's a rune, a specific rune created by our elder for prisoners like you. If you try to harm anyone in this village, you shall be unable to access your magic before an unimaginable pain appears in your body as a punishment." Baruka says as Shoto widens his eyes before glaring at the elf.
Shoto tries to think about his situation. Right now, he faces someone superior to him in any other way. Not to mention that he has a weird 'rune' that prevents him from accessing his magic. And even if he can use it, what can he do against someone who casually no-sell his magic? So, he decided to calm down by taking a deep breath.
"What do you want?" Shoto asks as Baruka grins.
"I'm glad Lord Sillad didn't choose a braindead creature as his 'allies'." Shoto glares at Baruka, but his mind can't help but think of what Baruka said. Why does he say 'allies' so loosely? "Anyways, our lord asks us to wait for a human who resembles us in any way, their appearances and their magic. I commanded the scouts to look for you and they did. Given how it fits your description and your mana along with a piece of our lord in your body, it's safe to say it's you."
'A piece of Sillad!? Is that what gives me my magic!?' Shoto thought, slightly puzzled.
"When we brought you here, our lord requested us to….train you," Baruka loses his grin as a scowl forms on his face. "I have no idea what he sees in you, or why he asks us to do such thing, but I'm not questioning my lord."
'Doesn't that count as questioning?' Shoto thought dryly.
"So, here we are. Me having a normal conversation with a bug and offering you a chance to train in our way. I hope you reject it," Baruka whispers the last part not so subtly. "So, how about it?"
"….do I even have a choice?" Shoto asks while glaring at the leader.
"Oh, you do. I was hoping you would just reject it," Shoto sweatdropped once more at the elf's lack of subtlety. "If you reject it, I could just throw you out of my village and let you wander around the wilderness. Once you're out, you are completely defenseless against the local wildlife, and with your sorry excuse of skill, you are helpless against them given they all have resistance against ice magic."
"Yeah, I don't have any choice," Shoto deadpanned.
"It is a choice, bug. I never said it was a good one," Shoto wishes to punch the smug smirk off the elf's face, but he knows right now he is completely powerless against them. "So, how about it? Your choice?"
"…..I accept…" Shoto says with hesitation. Baruka merely hums before his grin grows and becomes a full psychotic one, sending shivers down Shoto's spine.
"Ah…good, that means I got time to make you regret your life decision,"
Shoto didn't know how to respond to that as he was experiencing what people would like to call 'Vietnam Flashback'.
Back with the Lycanthrope Tribe
Tokoyami can be seen helping the tribe rebuild the house since he has nothing to do. Dark Shadow assisted them with heavy lifting while Tokoyami helped with the small stuff, like hammering, positioning, etc. Tokoyami can't help but feel exhausted in just a short amount of time and he can't help but curse himself for neglecting in physical improvement.
He had never expected to do a lot of heavy lifting due to Dark Shadow's tendency to attack before the threat reaches him and he focused on his mental strength due to the fear of losing control. This leads him to overlook his physical strength and he regrets it since coming here.
"Thank you for assisting us…" One of the Lycanthrope thanked Tokoyami as he looked a bit puzzled.
"…apologies, I do not understand your language," Tokoyami says as the Lycanthrope looks at him before giving him a curt nod and giving him a gift, a crystal blue flower that seems to be from the local wildlife. Tokoyami looks surprised before he understands it is a gift of gratitude, but he never likes a flower. But, given how the tribe's condition, declining it will lower their morals. So, he accepts the flower hesitately.
"Thank you…" Tokoyami returns the gesture as the Lycanthrope perks up and smiles wider before bowing and walking away. Tokoyami couldn't help but be slightly happy by the warm gesture given to him, and he unintentionally made a bright smile.
"Hiss! Too bright!" Tokoyami loses the smile as he looks at Dark Shadow with a disapproving stare. "Sorry boss, but your smile is too bright!"
"I do not have a bright smile, nor do I smile," Tokoyami says with a scowl while the Dark Shadow gives him a teasing grin.
"Saw you accepting the flower, Fumi. What's the matter, can't say no to a girl?" Tokoyami froze before looking at Dark Shadow. "….pfffft! Oh my god, you didn't know you just got proposed!? Hahaha!"
"S-stop uttering nonsense! You don't even understand her language, so you won't know what she said!" Tokoyami exclaims as his feathers ruffle. "Besides, we just met, so she possibly just gave me this flower as a gift of gratitude!"
"I don't know, Fumi. Giving flowers to someone is a universal sign of love. She could've given you anything, but she chose the flower of all things!" Dark Shadow cackles.
"What if it's part of their tradition, giving this flower as a gift of gratitude?" Tokoyami asks with his eyes twitching.
"I doubt it," Dark Shadow says with a teasing grin, making Tokoyami fume before trying to grab Dark Shadow, who did everything to dodge out of Tokoyami's reach while cackling at his partner's frustrated cry.
Meanwhile, the same Lycanthrope hears everything from the distance and if it wasn't for her fur, she would be blushing madly. What was she thinking, giving that flower to him!? The birdfolk's partner had mistaken her gesture as a sign of love and he won't stop teasing his partner about it. It wasn't her fault that the village was destroyed and had nothing that could be used as a gift, and it wasn't her fault that the only flowers that bloomed at the local wildlife were the only perfect gift as a sign of gratitude, and it was not her fault that the same flower was always used as a proposal banquet!
….oh, Rulers, she had screwed up, badly! She wanted a hole to open up on the ground so she could crawl into it and bury herself with whatever dignity she had left. She can feel the teasing grin projected by every member of the tribe directed at her!
Meanwhile, Andor can be seen with his parents who were brought from the dead. He can't help but be grateful for the Shadow Monarch. Sure, his parents no longer look like their normal selves, but they are still them and to him, that's what matters. The three of them spend together helping the tribes and while at first, everyone is scared of them, they slowly ease up when they realize that they are still the same Allister and Kelly, just…..black.
Speaking of his revived parents, back then, Andor noticed how everyone seemed to fear the Monarchs, especially the Shadow Monarch and Monarch of Destruction. When he first sees him, he is scared, but his desire for his parents to come back is stronger so he acts out of impulse. To everyone's surprise, the Shadow Monarch complies and lets him meet his parent. He didn't force his parents to be loyal servants, just granted them a body to contain their souls, unlike what his elders always told everyone.
Their expectations were once more shattered when the same was offered to help them with the Ice Bear problem, even though he doesn't have to and let his parents stay with him along with his apprentice to help them.
'That birdfolk is his apprentice! The shadow being attached to him is the proof!' Andor thought, and unknown to him, everyone seemed to share the same thought.
Suddenly, they hear a yell from a distance, getting everyone's attention and sparing the poor soul from getting teased. They all look in the direction where the shout came from and see their scout waving at them to get their attention before pointing in the other direction, directly towards the approaching figures. They tensed up as from the distance, it looked like an army and they were approaching the tribe.
Everyone couldn't help but be afraid and some were even angry. They haven't been able to recover properly, the chief hasn't returned yet, and none of them were in a condition to fight. But, they have no options, so they grab their weapon and they get into their position.
Andor froze in fear and he started to shake, scared at the possibility of losing his tribe members like he lost his parents. He shakily pulls out a dagger from his pocket but his parents gently hold his paws, stopping him which makes him confused. Why do his parents seem calm? Didn't they notice the incoming army?
"Andor, you have the gift of vision. Use it and see what's over there." Andor looks at his parents in confusion, wondering why his parent is talking about his blessing now of all time. Lycanthrope tribe all possess the blessings from the Full Moon itself, which happens once every month to bestow any children coming of age with such power. The gift can be varied, enhanced senses, enhanced strength, super agility, weapon mastery, enhanced magic, etc.
It's one of the reasons why the Lycanthrope Tribe could even fight toe-to-toe with the spawn of Ice Monarch itself and survive in such a harsh environment. The other reason is that they're able to use their blessings to their fullest, even the ones whom others might think its weak. They may lack in strength compared to Ice Elves and other dead tribes, but their survival skills are top-notch.
Andor chooses to listen to what his parent says and activates his blessing, his eyes glow blue and his vision sharpens. One of the unique things about his vision is that his view can't be obscured by any obstacle like snow, dust, smoke, etc, and it also allows him to see any hiding enemies, which makes the child possess the greatest enhanced vision in their tribe. He looks at the direction of the figures and he widens his eyes in surprise before it turns to happiness. Deactivating his blessing, he looks at his parents and they nod in confirmation.
"Everyone, stay down. It's Chief Albus and the Shadow Monarch!" Andor shouts, getting their attention and they lower their weapon. And sure enough, they manage to take a proper look at Midoriya sitting on top of the Shadow Alpha Ice Bear with Albus sitting behind him and waving at them.
Behind them are a sleuth of Shadow Ice Bears following their leader. The Lycanthrope Tribe can't help but slackjawed at the scene as the Elder widens his eyes. To witness the strength of Shadow Monarch once again triggers his fear but his enhanced senses manage to feel the trails of mana it emits, calming him down. Despite already heard the boy's explanation, he can't get used to it. It didn't help that the darkness that rivals the boy was the one responsible for locking the realm into an eternal winter.
"Everyone, start the fire!" Izuku shouts from the distance. "Incoming food for the entire tribe!"
Thanks to their enhanced hearing, they hear Izuku's shout, even the Elder who has weaker senses due to his old age. As they hear the shout, they let out a loud howl, cheering for Izuku as Tokoyami and Dark Shadow watch in awe as Izuku brought hope for their survival while looking at themselves, barely doing much to help.
Andor watches the Shadow Monarch in awe, unable to contain his admiration. The Shadow Monarch had fulfilled his promise and he brought hope to everyone in the tribe. Andor can't help but notice how everyone seems to brighten up when they see Izuku approaching them. Andor looks at his parents again and gives them the biggest smile he ever made, making them happy.
The source of their hope is darkness itself, something that they never expected but are too grateful to question it.
To be continued