You might notice significant changes made to the previous chapters. I got rid of those opening and closing dialogues because they ultimately became needlessly clunky and would make future chapters much more challenging to write. Don't worry, though. Those scenes will return with a fresh perspective in a future upload.

My Hero Academia Untold: The Black Dragon Knights

Part I: Inferno

Chapter III: Cursed Blood

Inko watched as Hisashi entered Izuku's bedroom to say goodbye to his peacefully sleeping son. Knowing the mission could take days, even weeks, before he would return. When it was finished, she knew it was time for her to say her own farewells.

"You got everything set, Honey?" Inko asked while slightly fidgeting with the letter. Hisashi looked at her with a somber expression. He hugged her, wanting to feel her soft embrace and warmth. Once he had his fill, he answered without letting go of her.

"The letter was the last thing I need to do; everything else is complete."

Inko wrapped her arms around her husband while still feeling the letter in her hands.

"Hisashi, about these letters...I know that it's hard for you to talk about...but don't you think it's time for you to face him?"

She felt Hisashi's grip on her stiffen, but Inko simply began to rub his back to try and loosen his tension.

"I don't know what happened that night all those years ago, and something has always told me that I would know one day, but only with your permission because that is how much I trust and love you, Hisashi. But you also know I have always thought you tend to be too hard on yourself."

Hisashi didn't answer. His body started to shake, and his breathing became raggeder and rougher.

"You've been so much like a son to him, and I know you still love the man like if he was your own father; if your bond was really that strong...then surely he could find it in his heart to forgive you, right? No matter what you did to him, right?"

Inko felt her shoulder getting damp as Hisashi had silently started crying.

"I-i-i don't deserve it...Inko...what I did...to him and to Saya. To the two that I wished I could have had as my own parents...for everything! Everything they did for me, only to cause them so much pain that they didn't deserve. I think...I'm more afraid of being forgiven too easily... as if Karma will only punish me harder and that I still need to suffer."

"That's enough of that," Inko snapped quietly, tightening her around the man. "Hisashi, you are no longer a Kasei, remember? You are a Midoriya now, remember? It was Hisashi Kasei who always needed to go the extra mile to make up for his past, a past he had no control over, but he did his best anyway. You have been Hisashi Midoriya for the last ten years, and the first step for a Midoriya is to correct their mistakes by apologizing and atoning. And knowing when to forgive when we have been wronged."

She felt Hisashi's grip slack, so Inko tightened hers even harder.

"When you took my name, I swore I would shoulder your burdens as you did for me. So when you come back, let me share this burden with you so we can go to him. And we can atone together to regain the whole family you felt you had wronged. It takes courage, I know. But I also know that you have the courage in you. Oh, my sweet, brave knight. Let me share what little courage I have, too, and mend what we can together."

Hisashi chuckled as he wiped away the tears on his face. "Have I ever told you just how amazing you are, Inko? I think...yes, yes. You're right...soon as this mission is done. I'll burn this last letter and go to him...to finally say everything. Everything I've wanted to say to him for the last seven years."

Inko sighed in relief as she felt Hisashi's tension drop and his warmth return to his grip. Seven years had been enough for the guilt and grief to settle; now, it was time for him to let it go.

She looked at the letter and the name of the person it was addressed to.

To Section Chief Kai Doumeki.

"Thank you so much for the food, Mrs. Doumeki," Hisashi said happily after sampling some of the large breakfast that was placed in front of him. Sitting across from him was a beautiful middle-aged woman with bright lavender hair and large brown eyes. She was wearing a simple, flowing white dress that made it easier for her to walk around the house with the swell of a pregnant belly.

"There is plenty more if you want Hisashi," Saya said with a warm smile. She took a sip of her tea as she watched the young man begin packing away breakfast like there was no tomorrow.

"After all, Kai just makes way far too much for me to eat it all!" Saya added jokingly as she looked at the small breakfast table almost full to the brim with Western classics. Hisashi laughed, knowing that Saya's Quirk tended to make her metabolism run like that of a shrew. He knew well enough that she could probably eat the whole table and still go another round without getting close to full.

"That's a lie, and you know it, dear!" The two heard a voice say from the kitchen, making Saya giggle as the man himself appeared after having to kick open the door. Kai Doumeki was wearing a large hot pink apron over his uniform, gingerly carrying his tray with his personalized breakfast on it. Which was significantly lighter than what the two quirk users were currently eating.

"Oh boo, you couldn't just let me have the illusion of not being able to down a whole buffet in front of company?" Saya with an exaggerated pout.

"I'm afraid you broke that illusion on your own three months ago, my darling," Kai answered with a playful smirk. He set his tray down to begin eating, but Hisashi struggled not to break down with laughter. Remembering the buffet they had gone to in celebration of Saya's pregnancy. Needless to say, they were no longer allowed to go back anytime soon.

Which was okay for Saya, who found home cooking to be better anyway.

"Fair enough," Saya said as she started to dig into her food. The trio ran through enough food to make a small restaurant nervous. Near the end of their meal, Kai checked the time.

"I have to go if I want to beat traffic today," said Kai as he cleaned up his tray.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Kai added with concern. Given how hard the two had tried to become pregnant, Hisashi couldn't blame the man for being far more concerned and attentive than usual.

"I'll be fine, and besides! I'll have Hisashi with me for most of the visit unless he plans a surprise rendezvous with Inko like last time." Saya japed at the poor boy's expense.

"It was a coincidence, I swear!" Hisashi pleaded his defense, trying to hide his face with his hands and making Kai chuckle. "How was I supposed to know that her friend, Takeyama, was interning at the clinic?"

"She is her best friend, Hisashi; surely you should know about your future wife's best friends." Saya continued to tease an increasingly red-faced boy, who looked at Kai for support.

"Sorry, my boy, I had to learn that lesson the hard way as well," Kai said, giving the lad a small shrug as he readied the rest of his things.

"But she's crazy! I swear it was like lasers would come out of her eyes the first time I met her!" Hisashi exclaimed, remembering the lethal stare of Mitsuki Takeyama when Inko had first introduced her to him. "And she seldom calls anyone by their name! Instead, she keeps making up many insulting nicknames for everyone!"

Saya had to hold on to the table, laughing as she remembered the hot-headed blonde at the fertility clinic, who ended up addressing Hisashi as Fuck boy. Her iron grip was strong enough to form cracks on its surface.

"Oh goodness, I needed that laugh," Saya said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Is she still interning there?"

"Oh, gods, no! I think she started doing more fashion-related stuff after complaining about the place," Hisashi answered with some relief. Reminiscing about Mitsuki's rant about the doctor harassing her about eggs or something that he honestly didn't give two shits about to remember.

"Well, that's enough assurances; for now, I'll see you after work, dear," Kai said, gently placing a kiss on his wife's forehead and rubbing her belly a bit. The moment of intimacy made Hisashi look away; not wanting to intrude on their rather intimate moment.

"Thanks for the help, Hisashi," Kai said gratefully while patting the young man's back and removing the pink apron. "I'm thinking about going to the range to practice shooting next week; feel like joining me again?"

"You know that I suck at shooting Da-umm...Doumeki." Hisashi quickly corrected himself with a cough. Thankfully, Kai didn't seem to notice what Hisashi had almost said.

"It's because you don't practice enough with me, my boy! Shooting is a great mental exercise that hones focus, discipline...and it's fun."

"I'll check my schedule..."Hisashi answered with a defeated sigh, knowing he really couldn't say no to the guy.

Kai smiled as he grabbed his bag and left out the door.

"We should get going, too, Hisashi. I don't want to hold you up all day; just let me use the restroom for a moment," Saya said, getting up from the table.

"No problem, I'm not really doing much of anything today anyway," Hisashi answered as he proceeded to gather the plates from the breakfast table.

"Oh, Hisashi, you don't have to do that!" said Saya, concerned about having her guest do her side of the chores today.

"It's no problem, Mrs. Doumeki. I'm more than happy to do so for you," Hisashi promptly answered with no hint of a lie on his face.

"Well, then, thank you," Saya said gratefully before going to the restroom.

Hisashi walked, slightly embarrassed, as Saya insisted on having Himashi walk beside her, wrapping herself around his arm. It was a warm summer day in the streets of Hosu—not too hot, just right for having the most fun in the sun.

"It's not every day I have a handsome young gentleman escorting me around, though I'm afraid that Kai would still have you beat!" Saya would say to Hisashi's weak protests. It wasn't the first time she had teased Hisashi as a mother does to a son.

Given Saya's quirk, they were simply going to the local clinic for a regular check-up on the baby. The Doumekis wanted to be extra careful that both Saya's and the baby's health would be just fine. And Hisashi was happy to volunteer to help her while he was still on summer break. It was a welcomed change of pace not having Sakura Tatsuma, his cousin Ryuji's wife, be on his case 24/7 every time he was over at their house.

Even after four long, hard years of trying to reform himself, she still didn't trust him to be much better than a common street thug who could put up a good public front. It didn't matter that he had earned his provisional license and had almost died on three separate occasions saving people. The woman still refused to acknowledge him. Then again, Hisashi couldn't exactly blame her for thinking that, not after the great big scar he had left her when he had gone berserk a few months after first moving in with them.

"Oh, Hisashi, that bakery is making me hungry again," Saya said with a frown. As the two walked past one of the local pastry shops, the smells of deliciously fresh baked goods wafted in the air, filling their noses. Even Hisashi had to admit that despite eating a massive breakfast less than an hour ago. The aromas of warm loaves, sweet cookies, and all the other tasty treats could make any stomach force itself to make room for dessert.

"It's just across the street from the clinic, maybe we stop afte-" Hisashi suddenly went silent as they continued to walk down the street.

"Hisashi?" Saya called out, disturbed by his behavior.

Hisashi, however, began to feel a familiar chill run down his spine. Someone or something was watching him, following him. For what reason, he didn't know, but he knew from the way the feeling spread that it felt like blood lust threatening them.

"Hisashi, are you okay?"

Was it a villain he had helped bring in wanting revenge? A stalker? No matter what, Hisashi knew that Saya could be in equal danger, and he would not allow anything horrible to happen to her.

"Hisashi, what's wrong?!" Saya asked, shaking the boy lightly, seeing that Hisashi's face went blank and silent, even though they were still walking. Thankfully, it was enough to snap him out of it.

"Huh? What?" He said as the two stopped a few feet away from the clinic.

"What happened? You just spaced out suddenly!"

'Shit!' Hisashi quickly made up a lie on the fly.

"Oh! That! Hehehe, I think we do have to speed this up today, Mrs. Doumeki; I just remembered that I still have some of my summer homework to finish up." Hisashi answered her with a nervous laugh. He didn't want to scare Saya or give his watcher any indication that anything was out of the ordinary.

"Oh dear, you should know better than to neglect your studies!" The kind woman chided lightly with a slightly disappointed tone of voice.

"I know, I know! But at least I remembered to get back it! Plus, it's easy stuff! I can take care of it when I return home after dropping you off at your house." Hisashi retorted before changing the topic. "Anyway, how about I get you something from the bakery after you're done with the clinic visit?"

"Hisashi, are you trying to bribe me from telling Kai you've been slacking off?" Saya questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It is working?" Hiasahi asked while attempting a charming smile.

"...I want mochi or something with chocolate."

Once Saya was safely inside the clinic, Hisashi informed her that he could go to the bakery now so they wouldn't have to wait long. As Hisashi made his way to the exit, he stopped to hold the door and allowed a large middle-aged man with a suitcase to enter with a casual thanks. Once he was outside, he stood by the entrance for a few moments when he began to feel that strange sensation again.

Whoever was following him before was back on his tail.

'Time to take care of this.'

Hisashi began walking opposite the bakery, wanting to go somewhere isolated where civilians and private property wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. He took a few random turns here and there, trying to spot the person with his peripheral vision with every turn. After a few more tries, he finally spotted his stalker and made one last turn into an alleyway to confront them. Hisashi was halfway in when he suddenly heard a familiar voice call out to him. A voice that made him freeze in an instant with fear.

"You know, little brother, there are far more subtle ways of trying to find someone pursuing you."

Hisashi turned to see the source. To a stranger looking at the two men at a distance, one could think the two were twins; upon closer inspection, however, one could see that the elder was slimmer and slightly taller, with small burn scars that traced the edges of his neck, which were covered by his black and red T-shirt.

"Hotori?" Hisashi called out to the man.

"In the flesh, little brother," spoke the rasping voice of Hotori Kasei, Hisashi's elder brother. He sported a dark grin on his face as he opened his arms wide as if waiting for a hug. Hisashi didn't move as he knew the situation was much worse than he thought. If his brother was here, then his father wouldn't be far behind, which was its own bag of worms to deal with.

"Come now, don't worry. Father isn't here and as a matter of fact. I have news about him that I know you'll want to hear." Hotori continued, seeing the look on his brother's face as if he could read his mind.

Hisashi instantly breathed a little easier. His father wasn't here, but he also knew that Hotori could be just as big a threat, if not more.

"Come, I just want a nice little chat between us brothers," Hotori spoke with a flat yet harsh voice that unnerved Hisashi to the bone. "There's a nice park nearby that clinic that you walked out of that seemed like the perfect place for the two of us to catch up...and just to make sure you understand the situation, little brother. You don't get to say No."

The man then turned on his heel and motioned Hisashi to follow him.

Hisashi hesitated but knew it wasn't wise to keep his brother waiting since Hotori was the type to calculate his plans to the letter.

'He must have known about Saya; that is why he mentioned the clinic!' The young Dragon thought as he started to follow him. 'Hotori must have been studying me for a while now. It wouldn't surprise me if he only let me sense his presence now. He knows what it would take to get me to follow without refusal.'

The silent and awkward walk ended when the two sat on a small stone bench; it was still an early Monday morning. Making the area pretty empty except for some runners or the randomly patrolling Pro-Hero here and there. Hotori made himself comfortable as he pulled a large silver lighter from his pocket. Playing with it for a moment as though he was trying to find the right words to say to his young brother.

"Father's dead," Hotori spoke up suddenly while still playing with the shiny silver lighter with a bored expression.

Hisashi did everything he could to suppress the gasp of surprise at that news. On one side, this was good news; his father, Suzaku Kasei, was a beast who had made his life in the family such a hellish experience. On the other hand, Hisashi could still remember a handful of good times, as few and short as they were, but this left one very important question.

"I killed him," Hotori answered as if he continued to read his younger brother's mind, "call it revenge for killing mother a few years back. Only I refused to give him a proper burial; no, that motherfucker got his ashes dumped in the trash where he belongs."

Hotori stopped playing with the lighter; instead, with a sudden flick, a light with a bright fire came on. The young man continued speaking as he looked into the small flame with a curious gaze.

"Which brings me to the reason why I am here. I have taken father's place among the Four Cardinal Kings. As of two weeks ago, I am now the Crimson Fire Phoenix King of the South." Hotori's gaze now turned to his brother, his golden eyes staring down wide and unblinking.

"So you decided to join the family business with the rest of those damned yakuza?" Hisashi asked bitterly, gritting his teeth, reminded of his shameful family legacy.

"Indeed I have, but Hisashi...I need your help. I need you to take our grandfather's place as the Azure Lightning Dragon King of the East."

Hisashi nearly bolted out of his seat to fight his brother right then and there, insulted by the very idea.

"You do realize that I'm a third-year Hero course student, right?" Hisashi asked forcefully through gritted teeth. "I could never join a bunch of yakuza villains!"

Hotori rolled his eyes, with an expression of amusement growing on his face.

"Ah yes, your foolish dreams to continue playing as the hero of this story? You've done a great job keeping your legacy hidden, Hisashi, but here is what you don't understand! I have a plan! A plan to destroy the world and reform it! I have connections in the government, Hisashi! Does the name Representative Takumi Saito sound familiar? Let's just say I got him by the balls, and..."

Hotori paused, voice turning into a whisper.

"I found someone else. I found the Emperor. He's real, Hisashi; The Emperor of Darkness is real."

"He's a myth," Hisashi retorted, starting to feel that familiar black rage brewing within him. It took a lot of willpower not to give in to a deep desire to rip and tear into the man with his draconic claws.

"He is just as real as you and me. If we could take power from all four families. Each of the Cardinal Kings, then we would have enough power in the underworld to rival even him. We could finally break his hold over us! Regain our independence as Lords of the Underworld! Get revenge for our cousins, the Vermillion Bird Kings! But I need you, Hisashi, to think about it. We could even be a family again, a proper one, live as brothers like we once did."

Hotori tried to sound like he was pleading, but Hisashi knew better.

"Those days are long gone," Hisashi said with a painful snarl, shaking his head. "I found my own home; I found my own way...And I found my own fam-"

"Ah yes, that damned cop." Hotori interrupted with a haughty laugh. "Oh, my sweet little brother. If only you listened to our families' wisdom on law enforcement. You know that man isn't your real family as much as your silly little fantasies try to make it so. You're being used! He knows about our family; he's just using you to get to us! Trust he's the type to throw you away once you've outlived your usefulness."

"Think about it! The cop who finally put an end to the greatest of Yakuza! Promotions and fame are soon to follow! No, Hisashi, your family, your real family, is the one right in front of you." Hotori explained. "Together, we could do so much more! More than what a mere hero could do! We can make a better world! One where we could prevent others from having childhoods like ours! The system is now beyond corrupt, and I know of a way to make it better. Join me, Hisashi, my dear little brother."

Hisashi looked down at his brother coldly, thinking about every single word he spoke.

"Never, I'm going to be a hero. I refuse to break the confidence that has been given to me. I'll stop you, and if society is as corrupt as you say, I'll work from the inside to change it. I don't care about blood ties; I care about those who have been good to me. Something you haven't been to me in a long time, brother. I'll stop you, the remaining Kings, and this damned so-called Emperor."

Hotori closed his eyes as he breathed out a long sigh, but kept his wicked grin.

"Are you sure that's how you want to answer, Hisashi?" Hotori asked with an air of finality.

"Yes." Draco Knight answered, standing up, feeling a warm glow around his skin as his quirk readied itself.

"Very well," The Phoenix King retorted, opening his eyes but refusing to look at the boy who he once saw as his young brother. Now, he only saw a mortal enemy. "Then let the consequences of your choice now fall on your head. This is your punishment for refusing your call; this is the curse of our blood."

The Phoenix King breathed in the flames of the lighter consuming them while Draco Knight jumped across from him, fists raised and readied for a fight.

Boom.

A large explosion shook the ground, making people nearby scream with terror. Hisashi turned to find that the clinic had been blown up, to his horror.

"Saya!"

"She could still be alive...able to be saved if you move fast enough, little brother," The Phoenix King said mockingly as he remained seated calmly on the stone bench. "I made sure that my companion would place the bomb away from the check-up rooms. Still, you might want to hurry up, my dear hero, or do you want to fight me and waste time? The choice is yours."

Hisashi looked at his brother with malice before finally turning away and running toward the blazing clinic.

"We'll meet again someday. I know it, my dear brother. The Kasei name will never stop haunting you. The Dragon and The Phoenix will clash again and will continue to clash until one of us takes their rightful place."

Hisashi sat in the waiting room of the hospital, covered in soot and burns. Trembling with a mixture of shock, horror, guilt, and finally filled with wrath. He had managed to save several people who had been trapped inside at the risk of his own life. Thankfully, Saya was among them but failed to save several others from the blaze.

Their screams and cries, haunting him as they reverberated in his head.

'It's my fault!' He thought to himself, 'Why? Why did Hotori have to return now?' Hisashi rocked in his seat, fear spreading throughout his body with dark thoughts.

'What if someone finds out he did it?!' He knew Pros, who had family ties to villains past, could be viewed with suspicion, but now his very own brother was the head of a whole gang of villains! He just had a fucking clinic blow up right in front of him! And he did nothing!

'Hotori had the clinic blown up because he knew Saya was inside!' Hisashi wanted to scream as he gripped his dark, wild hair. 'I failed! I FAILED TO PROTECT HER! Who else is next? Inko? Ryūko? My friends? Are they all in danger, too?!'

"Hisashi!"

The young man flinched at the familiar voice, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked for the source of the sound. He looked up, feeling his heart sink, as he spotted the panicked-stricken police officer coming to him. Hisashi couldn't help it when he began tearing up in shame.

"Kai, I'm so sorry!" It was all he could say before Kai wrapped his arms tightly around the teen.

"I'm so glad you're safe." The man said with relief, despite still shaking in fear.

"Sa-saya."

"I know my boy. I'm worried about her, too, but we need to remain calm. I'm sure the doctors can handle it."

Hisashi continued to weep into the man's shoulder. Hugging as tightly as he could, feeling so much shame at the moment.

"I failed...I tried...I swear I did..."

"Hisashi...I don't blame you," Kai reassured him. "You did what you could, and that's all I can ask for."

"The explosion..."

"I've already gotten a report from my friend Kiriyūin...It seemed like the culprits had managed to steal some of the frozen eggs stored for surrogate mothers."

Hisashi felt like his very blood froze.

"Wh-what?"

"Most likely, they are going to be used for experiments...or possibly much worse, but the police are still investigating...Hisashi, do you have any information that could be helpful, anything that you saw at the scene, anything at all?"

Hisashi thought for a moment, still emotional and rattled from earlier; his thoughts turned to what his brother had told him.

"No-no...I didn't...I should have been more observant...I'm sor-"

"It's okay, Hisashi, it's okay. I trust you enough to know that you did your best." Kai reassured the young, crying teen in his arms, rubbing his back.

Hisashi felt like his heart had been stabbed with guilt at those words. Hisashi was about to change his mind and tell him the truth when a new voice called out to them.

"Kai Doumeki?" The two turned to see a young doctor standing by the waiting room doorway. He stood alongside a nurse with a grim expression on his face.

"Yes?" Kai answered, pulling away from Hisashi.

"We need to talk; it's about your wife, Sir. And Mr. Kasei, my companion here, will see to your wounds. Thank you for your service today."

"Ah...yes," Kai answered, patting Hisashi's shoulder. "I'll be back."

"Please follow me, Mr. Kasei," the young nurse directed, pulling him away from Kai. Hisashi watched the two men begin to speak to each other. He couldn't hear them as the distance between them grew, but he saw the color drain from Kai's face before Hisashi turned the corner of the hallway.

"I'm afraid you'll have to get cleaned up before you can visit, sir." Said the nurse as she sat him down in a check-up room.

"Could you please tell me what happened to her?" Hisashi pleaded to the nurse, who shook her head.

"I'm afraid I can't; I have to keep patient privacy," the young woman informed him while prepping a first-aid kit. "You'll be able to see them soon."

"She's...my mom..." Hisashi suddenly lied as fresh tears began running down his face, doing whatever he could to get something out of her. "She's carrying my little brother...please..."

The nurse looked at him in surprise.

"The adoption hasn't been finalized, which is why my last name hasn't been changed yet. That's why he was hugging me and why I was with her at the clinic. I was watching over her..." Hisashi quickly made up, mixing the truth with a few lies. "Please..."

The nurse paused, seeing the pain the poor boy was in.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," the nurse answered, looking down at the kit. "I'm afraid you won't be having a sibling anytime soon."

Hisashi felt like his soul had escaped him. Saya had miscarried, and the trauma had inflicted irreversible damage that would prevent her from ever having a child. The guilt and anger would continue to haunt the Dragon every day until the day he died and beyond.

Six years later

Hisashi knocked on the front door of the Doumeki residence, having been roughly a week since he had proposed to Inko. And only two days since he had been released from the hospital. Now, here he was, with another challenging request to those he held dear.

"Coming!" Hisashi heard that warm, familiar voice say behind the door. "Hisashi! I'm so happy to see you!" Saya Doumeki exclaimed as she opened the door, her lavender hair now streaked with a few gray strands.

"Hi, Saya. Can I come in, please?" Hisashi asked meekly with a weak and nervous smile on his face.

"Of course! Kai told me the good news! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you, dear!" Saya answered, giving the young man the biggest bone-crushing hug she could muster before practically pushing him inside. Hisashi laughed nervously as he made his way into the living room, spotting Kai, who was busy fixing up dinner in the kitchen while wearing a familiar hot pink apron.

"Hello, Kai," Hisashi called out to the man with a small wave. The man turned upon being addressed and had a warm smile grow on his face.

"Hisashi, my boy! I'm glad to see you out and about you stopping by for a bite?"

"No, I actually don't have that much time. I have to get back to my agency soon, but I...came here to ask you guys something," Hisashi said, staring nervously at the ground. "Something important."

Saya and Kai looked at each other with some concern on their faces. Kai put aside the food he had been working on while Saya had Hisashi seated in the living room.

"What's wrong?" Saya asked, concerned; "are you getting cold feet? It's perfectly normal if you are Hisashi. Getting married is a big life-changing event." She added before reaching for Kai's hand.

"Now, now, darling, let the boy talk. Take your time, Hisashi," Kai interjected as he sat with Saya on the couch opposite Hisashi. He gently grabbed Saya's hand, their matching wedding bands touching.

"No, Saya, I'm not getting cold feet. I honestly can't wait for the wedding." Hisashi answered honestly, scratching the back of his head with a big smile the more he thought about it. "Nothing will make me happier than finally getting married to the woman of my dreams."

"Then, what's wrong?"

"Ummm...well, after talking it out with her parents and some of my friends who tend to be very busy, including you guys. We have decided to have two ceremonies: one more Western and the other more traditional."

"Oooh, how fancy."

"I'm guessing you wanted the Western wedding as an excuse to wear that fancy armor you bought?" Kai said with a raised eyebrow. "And her parents wanted a more traditional wedding."

Hisashi visibly deflated as Kai was right on target, making Saya giggle.

"Well, it's also that I can have all my friends and family still come to my wedding. If they can't attend one, they have another chance to attend the other."

"How nice of you and Inko to do that for everyone! I think Kai and I could at least attend one of them, right honey?" Saya said, facing her husband with excitement.

"I'll need to check my schedule. I was actually afraid of missing this important day, but at least with two dates to consider. It makes it much easier knowing that we still won't miss your special day."

"Well, that's the thing. I was hoping that you would specifically attend the traditional wedding instead of the Western one..." Hisashi said as his nerves started to eat at him. Finally, getting to the point of his visit.

Kai and Saya looked at each other in surprise.

"I mean, sure, but is there a reason you want us to attend that one specifically?" Saya asked, puzzled at the request. While Kai kept silent, looking at the boy with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"There is a reason," Hisashi managed to say without grasping out, but nerves could be heard in his voice. "You know that...in traditional weddings, as part of the ceremony, the bride and groom's parents are present to give their children up as a sign of their blessing."

In an instant, Kai sat up straight as those words were spoken, while tears were building up in Saya's eyes as both realized where Hisashi was going with this.

"When I think of parents...I can't really think of anyone else; my biological parents are gone. And Sakura still wants nothing to do with me," Hisashi said, tears welling up.

"You two have been so kind to me throughout the years. Despite everything, you've been there for me, supporting me. And I guess what I'm trying to say...is...will you please attend my wedding as my parents?" Hisashi finally managed to say, with tears running down his face. "I know I'm not much a son, and if it's too much for you to do, you're more than welcome to decli-"

The two older adults didn't even give Hisashi a chance to finish. As they simply embraced the young man they had known for so long, both wept joyful tears.

"We would be honored, Hisashi...if you'll have us...son." Saya tearfully as she held the crying young man in her arms. Kai, however, couldn't even get a word in. Unable to keep in the emotions he was feeling at the moment. He long thought he had lost the chance to be a father, yet here he was with a son, just under his nose all this time.

Kai had even considered adopting Hisashi once upon a time. But Ryūji, Hisashi's cousin and legal guardian, refused to even consider the option whenever Kai brought up the subject to him. Yet, it seemed like Hisashi had the same idea in the end. It ultimately didn't matter; Kai and Saya were more than happy to make up for lost time with the son they thought they would never have.

Author's Commentary

Like I said before, I love exploring flawed characters. While I'm personally sick and tired of seeing an evil/villainous version of Hisashi Midoriya, I still wanted Hisashi to be a flawed individual. Given our limited time with Hisashi in the main story, Draco Knight exists to fill in several blanks.

This also helped explain just how complicated the relationship between Kai Doumeki and Hisashi Midoriya was.

Family and bonds were mentioned as being elements of this story.

Legacy would be a theme that links these elements and how they affect the main story.

As always, everyone, keep yourselves safe and happy.

with love.

-ZX