Izuku woke up with one of those rare instances where he woke up before Ochaco. And the rare instance that Eri is with them at The Crowley. Between this and the morning when they confronted her father, he felt that this must be how she was when she didn't want to start the day.

But much like burying your head underground won't make your problems disappear, doing the same won't do her any good.

He gently nudged at her, trying to wake her up.

"What is it, My Love?" she grumbled.

"Time to get up, Ochaco," he kissed her on the forehead.

"So. Today is the day. When we prune the tree of Camelot's nobility. If we fail today, I will forever go down in history as Queen Ochaco the Foolish."

"And if we succeed?"

"Likely as Queen Ochaco the Bloody. Or the Butcher. But they have given me no choice in this; the butcher's bill is on their heads," she got up.

"Fitting, since they're the ones paying it." He noticed she was still uneasy about it. "Scared?"

"No," she shook her head. "Anxious for it to be over. For us to return to Camelot, and a time of peace. I fear we do not have as many months left to prepare as I would have liked. Before the storm arrives."

"What could go wrong?" he stood up and started to get ready as well.

"A thousand things. But I trust in you and in your strength. Mostly I fear the Cult will openly enter the conflict; if that happens, innocents will die. But if it is to happen, it will happen...worrying will not ease anything," she sighed.

As they went downstairs, lacking the playfulness and flirtiness of the past few days.

"Izuku, where are you going? Are you going to class in your costume?" Inko asked.

"Yeah, Mom. I wear them during Heroic Classes. Please take care of Eri for us."

"Of course, Izuku. You be safe, you hear?"

"Don't worry, Mom. I have my own army of knights with me."

"You and your jokes," she laughed. "Just like your father. Take care now."

"I will," he waved as he went to the basement.

"Classes? Husband? Really? You are aware that at some point you will need to tell her, I assume? If nothing else, having her show up in Camelot looking for her second grandchild could be interesting."

"There's no way she would...actually, strike that. But it doesn't feel right to tell her yet. Maybe it's the Voices, influencing me?"

"Or maybe you are just following the path of least resistance on this, My Love. At some point, we will have to tell her; if you will not do this, I will. We cannot build our new lives together on a lie."

"Yeah, but what do I tell her?" he asked as they went through the Portal.

"Everything? Honesty seems to be a decent strategy, especially for Powers like us."

"What, tell her about Eindridi, and the Dragon, and Dad, and the Outsiders? She'll have me committed to the nearest nuthouse."

"I doubt Montrose wants you, dearest. It is difficult to restrain a God that wants to be somewhere else. Even if it's possible, I doubt Montrose has the requisite chains forged from the roots of the mountains and the breath of fishes."

"Like the Æsir did Loki?"

"I see you did your research. Yes. With a Schwartalf chain forged from the whiskers of the Fae, the breath of fishes, and the roots of the mountains. They used it to bind him in a cave, under the snake that drips venom on his face."

"Quite excessive, isn't it?"

"Gods are not known for their temperance, dear. It is worth remembering that before you go around making threats against them," she warned him, which gave Izuku the idea that she was listening in his conversation with Valery.

"So we just let Eindridi get away with this?"

"No. I merely suggest that you learn from Booker. If he decides to eliminate Eindridi, nobody will know until the sword has already parted his head from his body. Leave the grandstanding to older, more foolish Gods."

"Probably a good idea," he mulled over what she said until they got to the Gate and entered it.

"Hey Owyn. Finally decided to join us? Eradicating half the nobles of the Court in Exile won't happen all on its own, ye ken?"

"Some days, I suspect you and Himi were related, Nana. I never imagined anyone could combine your joyful optimism and love of life with such a cheerful genocidal attitude before knowing you two."

"Live fast, die young..."

"Leave a mountain of corpses on your way out, yeah. But let's avoid the die young part, at least today."

"Morning, Master. Feeling ready?"

"Only one way to find out. New threads?" he asked, seeing Itsuka in a new outfit. It wasn't too dissimilar to her old Hunter outfit, but with less protection on the arms and legs.

"Yeah. I'm not part of them anymore, so normal dress regulations don't apply to me anymore. It's easier to move this way, too."

"Well, you're looking smoking. Keep it up," he smiled.

"Thank you, Master," her eyes shined,

"We are here, Danna-sama," Momo greeted as she arrived with the rest of the girls. "On the way here, I scryed the meeting place. There is no Veil covering it, at least not as far as I can See. There is quite a substantial gathering; a tent city inside an old, abandoned, castle."

"It would be rude to keep them waiting, then."

"What's our plan of attack?"

"Mina, Himi, and Itsuka are with Ochaco and me. Neither Mina nor Himi looks too intimidating. Itsuka looked like a hired muscle. Ochaco and I, they already discount. Shouldn't raise too many flags."

"Wait. They discount you, of all people?" Toru asked, confused.

"They thought I don't have much magic in me," he smirked.

"Even so, why would they discount a man your size? Are they dumb?" Kyouka's went wide at the absurdity.

"To be fair, physical size didn't matter much with enough magic. I regularly throw out patrons in The Crowley much larger than me."

"That is true, shroom," Kinoko added.

"Anyway, Nana. You take the second Fist. Is there any way we can hide you girls?"

"I can try to Veil them, Danna-sama," Momo volunteered. "It will not hold up against a true Seer, but it should be enough to evade the kind of entities I sense near our target."

"Excellent. Nana, take the rest of them. I'll call if I need you, but I'd prefer you as the ace in the hole."

"As long as I get to set those traitors' faces on fire, I can wait. A little."

"Sure," he smiled. "Alright. Let's go."

The twelve of them exited through the Gate back, with Itsuka in front to guide them through the Leylines.

"Let me take the lead on this, beloved. It is time, and well past time, and I had some amusement with my disloyal nobles."

"I'm here when you need me, Ochaco."

"I know, My Heart," she smiled.

The rest of the walk was mostly silent, with a tense atmosphere among them. Even though they knew they would likely win, the prospect of potentially killing so many filled them with dread. But even Kinoko and the rest agreed that conspiring with Eldritch Beings that will destroy the world was simply too far gone to have a second chance.

"Not far now. Mitburgh lies ahead," Ochaco declared. This signaled to the rest to get to their respective Fist.

"Then it is time to introduce our fractious nobles to their new King. The Winter King," Izuku spoke, his voice low.

"Here we are. Mitburgh Castle. The home of the Pretender. And the end of the second traitor," Ochaco briefly glared at the castle.

Izuku looked at the once-mighty fortress. The Horned Lord's magic left the walls crumbling, with great chunks of weathered stone scattered across the surrounding grounds like discarded toys of some ancient giant. Yet even in its ruined state, the castle's remaining towers still reached defiantly skyward, their jagged edges cutting dark silhouettes against the morning light. But what truly caught Izuku's attention wasn't the physical decay - even with his near-blind magical senses, he could feel the layers upon layers of Enchantments that saturated the stones, new magics woven through the ancient fortifications like parasitic vines choking a dying tree.

"So, we march to the castle, looking for him?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, I doubt that will be necessary. I told brave Sir Tomas to meet us here, at this time, after all. What use is a traitor if cannot at least be reliable?'

"And there you are, right on time," a voice called out. The man had a platinum blonde hair styled in a modern, spiky arrangement. And his outfit was a burgundy long-sleeved shirt underneath an ornate green vest with blue pants. "You were always the dutiful and correct little idiot."

"But...but Lord Yarkow, what are you doing here?" Ochaco started her acting, the higher pitch of her voice combined with the slight tremble of her shoulders was extremely believable.

"And so it ends your little couter-rebellion...before it has begun. The only question is whether I will decide to chain you with steel or with a gold ring. That depends on you, foolish little imbecile. If you make me very happy, I may let you live. Either way, the days of the Pendragons are over," he declared as he looked at his fingernails.

"Oh, but Lord Yarkow: I have allies. More than you can guess!" Ochaco indignantly declared.

"Yeah, take her word for that," Izuku added.

"Allies like this?" he waved his hand and pointed behind him as Tomas walked to the view, wearing an intricate green armor while holding short swords in each hand. "Lord Tomas saw the wisdom of joining the winning side of this political upheaval."

"Traitor," Izuku muttered, starting to enjoy the comedy in front of him. 'If they weren't traitors, I'd have asked Ochaco to have them as Court Jesters.'

"Treason, peasant, is a term reserved for losers. Those of us on the right side of history, we will be remembered as brave liberators from the chains of the Pendragons. And you will not be remembered at all," he held out his hand to Izuku and clenched it.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Unless I vaporize you right now."

Yarkow laughed, then the mechanical sounds of Guardians were heard as two appeared behind him. It was the same ones that Schwartalf had. "Do not be dense, peasant. Do you think I would face an Evoker...even one as pitiful as you, unprepared?"

"What are those, Ochaco?" he asked, playing dumb.

Ochaco's eyes were wide. "The House Guardians. He has subverted them. I am sorry," she paused, her expression heartbroken. "I was hoping that would be beyond him. Are they...are they...all here, Lord Yarkow? All my Lords?"

"They are my Lords now, girl. And yes, they are all watching this little spectacle from the walls...Lord Arundel is here, as is Reneal. Witnesses to the humbling of a dynasty, the miserable end of the Line of Arthur."

"All of them? Even Lord Chriswick? And Lord Albury?" she listed the suspected traitors while appearing shaken.

"Albury's here, though Chriswick was otherwise occupied. Not to worry: he's firmly in our grasp."

And like a soap bubble popping, Ochaco's demeanor changed back to the confident Queen. "A pity. I was hoping, foolishly, that we could clean house completely today. But I shall have to be content with the vermin that showed, rather than complain that some failed to take the bait," she shrugged before turning to Izuku. "Dearest...I think we have heard enough."

"Indeed."

"Enough stalling. Do you not understand what you are trying to do, silly girl? Booker will not save you; my new allies are dealing with him. There will be no Paladin swooping in to save the day. You are done."

"So it's true," Izuku confirmed. "You've allied with the Cult."

"Labels do not matter, peasant. Suffice to say, they have enough Power to deal with even that accursed Paladin. I can only hope he suffers as only they can make him for what he did to Lord Steinbeck and his family."

"Okay. I think we're out of time to play games, Ochaco."

Tomas stepped forward, flourishing his sword. "Lord Regent, let me deal with young punk. I have a score to settle; he cowardly attacked me from the back, though I fought him off easily enough. Let me have this mongrel; afterwards you can keep the princess and the pink-skinned woman. I'll take the little blonde as my spoil for the night," he smirked which caused Himiko to glare at him, accompanied by the slight protrusion of her fangs. She won't suck his blood since he disgusted her. She'll just tear his neck apart.

Izuku put a hand on her shoulder. "That's not quite how I recall things happening. but I think it's time for both of you to die."

As soon as he said that, he felt a burning fury in the bond with Itsuka as his only warning. That, and the sudden drain of a FULL HOUSE disappeared from the link. Itsuka blurred past Izuku, even his eyes barely catching her movement.

Before Tomas could even get his guards up, his vision spun as he quickly found his head in the air high enough to see everyone below him. His blood splattered on the grassy ground.

Itsuka made a pirouette, snatching Tomas' head out of the air as it tumbled to the ground and brings shows the head, slowly losing the light in his eyes, to Izuku with a look more akin to a puppy looking for a praise.

"Good girl."

She smiled before her face turned ferocious. "Nobody talks about the Princess, or my Sister, or one of Master's Companions like that."

"X could you stop hiding my Spark?" Izuku said aloud.

'I told you Boss, I ain't the one hiding it. But whatever you're doing is gone, it's back at full strength again. If not stronger than normal.'

'Excellent. Now, about Lord Jerkoff.'

Jerkoff's face twisted in fear and he turned white. For the first time, he saw a Spark so large and bright, it blinded him. It was as if watching a supernova happen ten feet away. He used all his strength to move his legs, and was partial successful, a testament to his willpower. "Who the fuck are you?!"

"I'm sorry, Lord Jerkoff. I should really have introduced myself; I'm Ochaco's husband, and your rightful King," Izuku stepped forward. Jerkoff tried to run, but it was as if the space around him held him back, no matter the steps he took, he was stuck in the same location. "The true heir to Arthur's Mantle...The Winter King. Itsuka? Fetch," he pointed to Jerkoff.

He turned to the two Constructs. One challenged him before, even forced him to destroy the landscape with his magic. Now, he raised his hands, playing a simple THREE OF A KIND of Force at it, in the shape of a wall of pure kinetic energy, traveling so fast, it immediately sheared both in half. The upper parts never to be found.

"Good work. Coulda given me something to do as well, ass," Nana talked to him from behind. Despite her words, looking at her smirk made it obvious she was joking.

"Sorry about that, Nana. But we are in a hurry."

"Can I at least set him on fire now?" she asked, pointing her thumb to Yarkow.

"Ochaco?"

"Sadly not, Shimura. Due process will be followed. A fair trial before as many of his peers as survive today. And then a quick meeting with a headsman's axe."

"Next time, maybe?" Izuku patted her shoulder.

"Feeeck. Okay, so we go set the rest of the poncy nobles on fire? You take the west side; I'll take the east side. Last one to the middle pays for drinks."

"I'm sorry, Nana. But we don't have time for that, really. You heard Jerkoff, Booker's in trouble with the Cult. I'll need to end this. Fast," he looked at the Enchanted castle with a determined face. It felt even more formidable than before as they started stacking even more Enchantments as a response to what they saw.

X, knowing him, tried to talk him out of it. 'Please, Boss. Tell me you're not thinking of doing what I think you're thinking of doing?'

'Got to pop the cherry someday, X,' he told the sword.

'Yeah, but today doesn't need to be the day!'

'I know what the Mantle can do. I can't think of a better place and time to do so than right here, right now.'

'How about Andromeda? Nobody would care if you blow that galaxy up.'

'I dunno. Ochaco might get mad at me for blowing up a celestial object. She can be quite passionate about space.'

Izuku ignored X as he summoned the mental vision of the Mantle. Once again, he was standing at the Void, facing the impossible. But today, he intended to use it.

"How about it, Mantle? Ready to set the reality on fire?"

Unlike the other times, he wasn't merely reaching out nor brushing the surface of the magical ocean of hellfire. This time, he plunged his hand into it, the familiar pain enveloped his arms and spread around his body for an instant before the power overwhelmed him as he bathed in it.

"Poor, foolish, disloyal nobles. It's time for you to harvest a traitor's reward."

Izuku raised his hands, and let out magic, not bothering to play a hand. There was no fireball, no beam of light. One second, the castle was standing tall in the setting sun, the next moment it was in flames reaching to the skies in across all realities.

"Well...that was more power than I planned for. But it didn't seem to get out of hand...too much," Izuku looked at the sky as the beam disappeared in it, unaware of the full effect of his power.

"Izuku, ye fecking maniac, where did you learn to do that?" Nana excitedly asked, her face beaming with awe.

"It's the Mantle, I think."

"Feck, I need to git meself on of those. That was awesome. Ah think ah'm in love," she maniacally laughed.

Kyouka, Kinoko, and Toru were at awe as they looked at the sky. They never saw fire reached that high before.

Ochaco and the Chosen were stunned. They felt how formidable the Enchantments were. But they saw none of those mattered. Izuku's magic wasn't meant to lob an overwhelming fireball, but to bend causality itself to set the castle on fire.

Himiko excited gleefully jumped on him.

Ibara was on her knees, praying at him, prompting Kinoko to stop her.

"Only one slight problem," Izuku looked at Nana after setting Himiko down.

"Aye. Ye set all me nice nobles on fire. Without lettin' me play. But we've got bigger problems. Booker, and the Cult."

"Yeah. Momo. Can you spot him?"

"Searching, Danna-sama," she said as her eyes glowed a mix of purple and red. "There's...something cloaking him. Drawing from you, Danna-sama," she informed him.

"Careful, Momo."

Izuku felt her drawing then stop immediately. "He fled before me, there was barely any resistance. Word must have gotten out about the last one. Even the Cult cannot afford to lose their Seers to Chosen Seers of the Yaoyorozu line. Booker is about a hundred miles south of here, on the path to Camelot. You must hurry."

"Damn, Okay; we need a party for speed and punch. Itsuka?"

"Ain't nobody outrunning me, Master."

"Nana?"

"Okay. I'm in."

"Himi."

"Oh, yes! I've never fought a necromancer before, Izu-kun! This is too exciting!"

"Okay. We four should be more than enough. Kitsune, if Jerkoff tries anything, you've got my permission to take him apart."

"I don't need your permission, Mongrel. But I will protect my pack from any harm. You have my word."

"It'll have to do. Ochaco, My Love. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Ochaco gave him a kiss. "Of course, My Love. We are hardly defenseless here. Go, hurry. Booker is an ally, if not a member of the Knights of the Lake. We cannot let him fall to the enemy."

"Indeed. Ready, you three?"

They all nodded.

"Let's go."

"How about the last to arrive to there has to pay for drinks?" Izuku offered.

"I'm down, ye lazy bones will likely go last anyway," Nana accepted.

"Sure, Master."

"How about we decide on the order for the next date with Izu-kun?"

"I mean, sure you wanna do that?" Izuku asked. Itsuka would likely win the competition between them.

"I sure am!" she made a peace sign and winked at him.

"Then why not?" Nana accepted. She wasn't the type to go for dates, and she thought she and Izuku will likely just be rutting in the gym anyway.

Izuku sprinted flat out, his speed now let him glide through the air as if it weren't even there, even phasing through any obstacles as he was too fast for the atoms to react to. The speed of light a standstill in comparison even before this. The environment should have been distorted from his sight, going at these speeds but they appeared normal, if not at a standstill.

He was the first to arrive, leaving the rest in the dust. The next was Itsuka, who devastated the environment behind her.

"Damn, that was fast, Master. I ain't no slouch, but ye managed to beat me handily."

"I think you could've run faster, Itsuka. Next time, don't hesitate to draw from me if you need to," he reminded her before seeing Nana crashing into the earth.

"I'm here. Now. Goddamned should'a known better than challenging a god to a race. At least I'm faster than the vampire."

"Not true," Himiko's voice was heard but the others couldn't see her. That was until a bat came out of Izuku's armor and changed back to her. "I arrived here at the same time as Izu-kun!"

"Ye little shit..." Nana clenched her fist at the dhampir.

"'Work smarter, not harder,' as they say."

"Well, it looks like you're paying for the drinks, Nana," Izuku added.

"Feckin' vampires. Fine. Just don't go ordering the most expensive drink," she conceded, defeated.

"You can count on it. Let's get a move on, we don't want to keep our guests waiting."

"I think there's up ahead," Itsuka warned them before seeing Booker bleeding and getting tag teamed by two creatures. It was a mix of troll and ogres and something they didn't know about.

"Lad, be careful!" Booker called out.

"Booker. What the hell are those?"

Suddenly, Sarah showed up out of nowhere, with an...edgier outfit, her eyes flickering red. "Why, Izuku. We meet again. And Ms. Shimura. It seems the two of you have remained uncouth, growing in Power. Since they were too incompetent to finish you all off, I guess I will have to do it myself."

"The game's up, Sarah. You're not walking away from this," Izuku called out.

"You're not ready to take on a Lord of the Cult yet. Especially her. Get away, Izuku. Run!" Booker yelled, as he dodged one of the monsters' slam attack, the impact shaking the planet itself.

"Do you like them? My very own invention, with some inspirations from my new Masters. Though holding a troll and a weretiger to complete the ritual was a challenge. And they do make such dreadful noises before they surrender their souls."

"That's a Troll and Weretiger Lich?"

"Close enough, I guess. A good explanation for a barbarian like you."

"Quite ironic, for someone wearing a Conan the barbarian cosplay."

She merely dismissed his provocations. "There was more to it, but Evokers aren't known for their brains, anyway. I wonder what noise you will make before your soul leaves your body. A tantalizing prospect. Though I will have you watch as I sacrifice the Pendragon bitch first."

With wordless snarl, Izuku lunged at her but his hand slipped through empty air.

Sarah clicked her tongue. "As incompetent as always. After teaching for so many years, I have come to realize I despise students. The inadequacies, the doe-eyed stupidity, the willingness to be led by the nose. Like ship, fit only for the slaughter. Fit only to give up their miserable little souls to fill my hunger."

"Itsuka, can you sense where she is?"

"Why would you think I'm actually here? Maybe I'm off at Mitburgh Castle with your little girlfriend and Yaoyorozu Seer? You always did think in straight lines, Winter Child. It doomed Arthur, and it will doom you."

The words sent a shiver down Izuku's spine. "Shit. Let's get Booker outta here as soon as possible."

"Do enjoy my little pets, Izuku. If you cannot deal with them...well, then you are no use for us in what is to come anyway. Just know...Winter Child...before this year is over, the Doors will be opened. My Masters are coming. And then...then I shall drink my fill of blood. But maybe I will take your girls as a downpayment," she wondered in amusement before commanding her creations. "Kill the rest. But leave the Winter Child...for later. Goodbye, Izuku."

Izuku was split between going after her or staying until he felt Itsuka drawing from him as she rushed the undead trolls meant to crush Booker's skull.

"No, you don't. Himi, grab Booker!" Izuku said as he played his card, intending to finish it in one stroke. As Himiko grabbed Booker to safety, he sent out a FLUSH of Fire towards the creature. A supernova went off as the blast blew away everything within the horizon, its heat rivaling a thousand suns. The shockwave blew past them, but his armor took the brunt of it as he cast Barrier on the rest.

It hit one of the creatures but all it did was signed it a bit, and it visibly regenerated not even a second later. It smiled in amusement, which pissed him off more. Nana delivered another Fireball, but it was intercepted by the other creature with the same results.

Himiko and Itsuka each took a creature on, sending slashes and punches towards it, but they didn't budge. Himiko's Harpe barely left a scratch on its skin.

"Careful, laddie. On top of being tough as fuck. They regenerate devilishly fast," Booker warned.

The creatures then moved stupidly fast, not enough to hit Izuku, but enough to distract him with the threat of one hitting the girls. Before he knew it, he was hit with a hammerhead strike on his head, which rattled him temporarily. It took its chance to strike again, cratering the ground.

"Master!" Itsuka tried to back up Izuku but was intercepted by a strike from the other creature, its punch made her skid a few feet.

It kept its watchful eye focused on the three. Izuku, who was receiving attacks for a while now, noticed that they seemed intelligent. It was as if it was sapient.

'Then again, the Liches I fought were pretty intelligent, if not cruel as well. Shouldn't underestimate them just because they don't speak.'

"Don't worry about me! I'll take care of this!" Izuku shouted as he blocked another strike with a Barrier before his fists glowed and send the lich to create distance.

He fired off another spell, a FOUR OF A KIND lightning, packing the power of a Quasar, followed with a STRAIGHT FLUSH of Fire, a whole magnitude more powerful than the last.

He saw Himiko was about to get hit so he created a Barrier for her. But just like before, the Lich took advantage of this, sending a strike to his face, breaking his nose before instantly regenerating again.

He snarled. His regeneration could go toe-to-toe with the creatures. In a battle of attrition, he would no doubt win. But he doesn't have the time for it right now, with Sarah's threat to Ochaco and the others.

He needed to think of a way to get rid of them. Fast.

Exchanges were made but Izuku was getting impatient as he felt like he was wasting time. Then it clicked on him.

'Okay, X. It's showtime,' he called out his sword.

Time stopped. 'Please don't tell me you're planning to use the Mantle again?'

'That would fix the liches, I guess. But we're too close and will get caught up. And the rest were too far back to use a Barrier on.'

'So if you're not using the Mantle...?'

'Regenerating undead trolls sounds like the kind of thing a sword that can cut anything was made to destroy. Think I'm ready for this?' Izuku asked the sword. The last time he tried to engage a Lich, it ended badly. While he may have become significantly more powerful then, these Liches were also significantly more powerful too.

X let out a manic laugh more akin to Himiko than anything he heard from it before. 'You were born for this! Let's do it.'

Izuku pulled X out from inside him. He sank to a familiar stance...the Boar, Ochaco called it a lifetime ago when she first taught him.

'It's coming. Boar to Gate!' X instructed.

Izuku flowed naturally to the next stance, X passing through the Lich's wrist in transition. Its hand disappeared from existence. 'It never did that before. Maybe a change after using the Mantle?' he briefly thought.

It looked at its hand and noticed it wasn't regenerating. A roar of fury showed that finally hurt it. Deeply.

It then lashed out with the other hand impossibly fast, but Izuku thought it was clumsy compared to Ochaco's movements. All it had was speed. Without X prompting, Izuku saw the gaps in its defenses.

A shift in the hips, a rotation of the sword down against its shoulders was all that was needed. The other arm disappeared.

There was little blood, due to their unique physiology. But the loss of its arms didn't stop the creatures the same way it would most mortals.

Izuku smiled, thinking Ochaco would've been proud of him, as he executed a dodge with the barest of movements, its stump creating a large crater on the ground but even without footing, Izuku created a Barrier in empty air as a substitute. With one more swing, its head was now no more.

As the headless troll slumped to the ground, creating a heavy thud. He felt a spark of energy ran towards the Excalibur. Whatever force animated the monstrous creature died with it.

'What the hell was that, X?'

'You couldn't do it before, but each time you end an enemy with me, I gain a Spark of its energy. In this case, quite a lot of energy; your crazy thot must have sacrificed a lot of people to reanimate it.'

'So you're a soul sucking sword? I'm not sure that's a great thing.'

'Stop whining. Looking this good doesn't come easily. And as a side benefit, it's useful for making sure undead things stay dead. Otherwise you really want to set the corpse on fire once you're done with it, to make sure it doesn't entertain the ideas of returning.'

'Speaking of fire, we should probably help Nana.'

'I'm not sure that's necessary.'

'What do you mean?'

'Look at her,' X instructed and saw Nana, her eyes glowing in black fire as it enveloped her.

'She crossed the threshold, hasn't she?'

'Sure looks like it. You're dragging them along in the slipstream of your destiny,' X told him as they watch the trio work together. Himiko had always been a great support to anyone's fighting style, if she wanted to. Nana had always been the nuke of the team until he surpassed her recently. And Itsuka had always been a stalwart protector of the group.

Itsuka cut the creature's hamstrings while Himiko provided the distraction. And then Nana shot out the increased firepower. Her flames are now significantly more intense. Hotter and struck harder. Eventually, they overcame the creature's regeneration and it was overwhelmed by both the teamwork and the amount of damage inflicted on it. Eventually, all remaining of the lich was a pile of smoking ashes.

"Doesn't look like you need my help," Izuku smiled at the trio.

"Aye. Ah see ye managed to dispatch yer lich as well, Izuku? Fancy blade work. But ah'll stick to fireballs, thank ye very much."

"Nana, can you help get Booker up and mobile? We might've been played by Sarah."

"You think she's gone after the princess?" Itsuka asked.

"We brought our bruisers here; Yui, Momo, Mina...heck, even Ochaco are more support than frontline, technically. Kitsune's a force of nature, but I worry it's not enough to stop Sarah."

Nana grabbed Booker and put his hand around her shoulders. "You three should go. Booker and ah'll join ye as soon as we can. Run like the wind, and all that."

Izuku nodded to Nana and Booker before he felt Mina and Momo pulling magic from him. The sudden drain staggered him to a halt.

"SHIT!" he cursed, in panic.

"I can get to them, Master. Focus on giving us energy," Itsuka suggested.

"I'm not repeating my Father's mistake; I need to be there. Strap in, Itsuka. This is going to be rough."

Once more, Izuku went back to the part of his soul that contained The Mantle.

'Would it help if I begged you not to do it?'

'You know me better than that, X. Ochaco's in danger. My Chosen are facing a Lord of the Cult without me along with the other girls who were mostly Normies. What's the point of the Mantle if I am to cower in fear before it?'

'Just...be careful. Please.'

Izuku dipped into the Mantle and pulled his Magic. It was not to cast, this time, but to suffuse his being...and make him more than merely human.

"Holy shit, Master! What's going on?" Itsuka called out.

The pain was indescribable, like being dipped in gold. Fatigue, worry, sorrows, and joy: all were washed away as the Power scoured his Soul of mortal weakness. Izuku felt the world flicker before him. An infinite paths to the future...an infinite ending. And flowing through him was the power to not only pick, but to affect all of them at once. All he had to do was reach out and all could be rewritten to his wish...

'Izuku! You must stop! Please! Ochaco...Think of Ochaco!'

With a wrench, Izuku returned to his old reality, though without letting go of the Mantle. The world felt brighter, the shadows etched away by the burning power flowing through him.

"Master?"

"Izu-kun?"

"Run. The two of you. Run like you've never run before," he told them.

He took his first step and it took him a mile down the path, the armored ball of his foot dug deep into the soil as he kicked his next giant stride. Izuku felt Itsuka drawing energy to keep up, but the amount was so insignificant compared to the torrent flowing through him.

Despite all his speed, Izuku felt like it was an eternity as he felt Momo's drain to falter for a heartbeat and redoubled again.

"Hang in there, Momo."

Izuku tried to increase the torrent further, going faster than ever. Shortly, he arrived back to the hilltop where he left the rest of the Knights of the Lake were...Yui working frantically to heal Kitsune. Ibara was wrapping them in a cocoon with her Vines. Kinoko had her water spray, ready to fill Sarah's lungs mushroom. Kyouka was listening in on the ground for any movement while Toru was occasionally sending out pulses of light to see which ones distort.

They were all surrounded by Ochaco, drawing her shining blade as her eyes glowed amber; Mina, manipulating probabilities as her hair flowed around her, and Momo, trying to best to locate the thot as she created a primitive cannon to blast her with.

"Where is she? Ochaco, are you girls safe?" Izuku looked around, trying to catch the slightest hint of Sarah.

"Careful, My Love. She is out here somewhere, under a Veil. She's taken Lord Yarkow. And Kitsune's hurt...badly."

"Itsuka?" he turned to the Chosen who had just arrived.

"I can smell the bitch. She's still nearby," Itsuka growled.

"Where, though?"

"Let me find her for you, Danna-sama. Tear the Veil!" Momo started to increase her draw from Izuku. The world rippled as she stripped away tens of thousands of Enchantments and Veils in this part of Elsewhere. About thirty yards away, it hesitated; Momo's spell fought against a stubborn illusion.

"Izuku summoned his cards as they flickered transparently through the world, crackling with absolute Power. He played a single PAIR as he focused it as narrowly as he could. A beam of liquid fire reached out, connecting his hand to the place Momo's spell had revealed. Izuku's spell splashed off a Shield but destroyed the Veil that hid it.

"I can see you, Sarah," he taunted the floating Necromancer.

Sarah smiled with confidence, despite being in front of Izuku as she dragged Yarkow by the hair. "Well, Izuku. Seems you're able to cancel your incompetence somewhat with your allies. Not that you'll stop me like that, of course."

"It's over, Sarah," he growled. "You'll be joining Lord Jerkoff on his date with the headsman."

"Oh, I really don't think so, Izuku. I was promised an eternal life and power...and I intend to have it. And while that filthy little fox demon might have foiled me today...neither it nor you can be there all the time. I'll take your little girlfriend another day. She'll spend weeks dying," she threatened as he made her preparation to leave.

"There won't be another day, Sarah." Izuku pounded the Shield with his spell, each blow amplified by The Mantle. Once. Twice. Every Glade within Elsewhere and The Deep trembled at the power unleashed. The shield flickered, a look of strain on her face as she desperately tried to hold it. Lord Yarkow whimpered next to her as the Shield started to give out.

"Goodbye, Sarah," he said, a cold finality in his tone.

The third blow shattered her shield; and for a moment, the outlines of their bodies in golden light could be seen before the magical fire burned through them and they disappeared from the inferno.

"Sky above me. Earth below me. Fire within me. It's over," he muttered before his grip shattered to the Mantle shattered like glass. He felt himself dropping to the ground, battered, and bruised from the backlash. His muscles screamed as each ligaments tore, tendons snapped, and bones crumbled. "Oh...crap."

His sight barely revealed Ochaco running towards him. "It...is over."

'You are one lucky bastard,' X told him, with an indignant tone.

'I don't...feel...lucky right now. Everything hurts.'

'You'd heal within a day or two, even without my or the Mantle's help. Which is far better than you deserved for the stunt you pulled. You could have gotten everyone killed. What on earth inspired you to use the Mantle like that?'

'It felt...natural. Didn't Arthur use it like that?' he asked.

'Never. He used it to boost his spells, combining the control of an Enchanter with raw power exceeding most Evokers. What you did to Mitburgh Castle was...well, something similar. Except instead of more control, we get less control. And more power, which is the last thing you need.'

'Nobody who didn't deserve it got hurt.'

'We both know that ain't true. There would have been servants. Cooks and musicians. Mistresses and whores. Maybe even families. Nobody expected Ochaco to put up an actual fight, nevermind getting frontside seats to a God unleashing the Sodom and Gomorrah option on their asses.'

'At least we know I can use the Mantle.'

'If you don't mind risking the dimension you're on, I guess. But I'm not talking about the pillar of fire. I'm talking about the second time you drew the Mantle. What the hell were you thinking?'

'My...my body was too weak. Too human. It needed to be something more. It seemed logical. At the time.'

'Could you do me a favor and never do that again?'

'I can't promise, X. Someday, I may need to. But I'll agree it wasn't a very pleasant experience. But...for a moment there...'

'For a moment I felt the Arch of Time merge and split, threatening to collide with each other and taking them out. I have no idea what you thought you were about to do. But I think you came pretty close to breaking everything.'

'Are you sure?'

'No, I'm not fucking sure. I never tried to break the World before. But I am pretty sure that nothing good was going to come out of it.'

'I wonder if it was the mix of Sorcery and the Mantle. The feeling that I not only could see the future but reach out and change it as well.'

'To what?'

'I'm not sure.'

'Then maybe your first instinct shouldn't be to try? What if you'd accidentally opened the Doors and let the Outsiders in?'

'I don't think...I wouldn't do that. Sorcery wouldn't let me do it.'

'What would Ochaco say about that? Or even Nemuri, for that matter. You cannot trust Sorcery to be your guide-rail, it will fail you one day.'

'You're right, X.'

'See, that wasn't so hard. Some humility is good for you. And for future reference, the human body is not made to take that kind of abuse you put it through today.'

'I feel fine, actually.'

'Mostly because I turned off the neural feedback. I'm seriously tempted to stop; maybe experiencing the consequences of your actions would make you think twice before pulling a stunt like that again?'

'What's broken?'

'Every single joint, muscle, and bone in your body got shattered. But you'll heal. Bloody Evokers. Anyway, time to wake up. I've fixed the big stuff...you should be able to limp back to Japan on your own.'

'Thanks, X.'

'Don't thank me. Just try to think before you do something stupid next time.'

'Knowing what I know, I would still have done the same.'

'Yeah, I know,' the sword said, resignation in its voice.

'I'll see you later, X.'

Izuku opened his eyes and was greeted by Ochaco's worried expression, her hands cupping his face.

"I'm fine. Yui can tell you, I'm sure."

"She's still with Kitsune."

"Crap. How bad was the hit?"

"If she was a human, she would be dead," Yui told him from behind. "Demon foxes seem to be made of sterner stuff. She'll pull through."

"What happened?"

"Kitsune sensed something. Before Sarah attacked us," Ochaco told him. "She took the brunt of the first attack, gave us time to raise our guard. But I think Sarah was playing with us...like a cat with its prey."

"So that's the power of the Lords of the Cult," Izuku muttered.

"No," Booker staggered towards him. "I don't know what that crazy bitch thot is, but her power's way beyond any Lord of the Cult I have encountered before."

"Well, at least she's gone now."

"She's a Lord of the Cult, lad. Unless you caught her completely by surprise, she would have retreated to her backup body. Right about now she'll be waking up again."

"The fuck? How sure are you?"

Booker's expression hardened. "I've killed their kind before. Sometimes the same one, repeatedly. Conditional immortality is a large part of why they sign up; they're not fucking stupid, you know? Well...not that stupid. You have to wipe out their backups at the same time as you take out the main body or it's a wash."

"Crap. Okay. So we head to Camelot now?" Izuku turned to Ochaco.

"Not today, dearest. You are unable to stand. Kitsune is nearly dead, and Booker is not much better off. We retreat to Japan. It will allow me to coordinate our arrival with the Gurkha battalion."

Izuku stretched his body, still feeling a numb in a few places. "Not a bad idea. Itsuka, could you give us a hand with Kitsune? I should be able to walk this off."

Itsuka nodded, and carried Kitsune on her back.

"Are the rest of you okay?" he turned to the girls.

"We're fine, Daddy. Thanks to you," Mina answered for them.

"And Kitsune, it seems. I owe Foxy an apology. Let's go home."

They then ventured back home, with Izuku's Spark unsealed, most of the Elsewhere creatures wouldn't even dare to move when he was in their country so they breezed through the travel.

"I was worried we'd draw too much energy from you, Daddy. But then we felt...we felt the Mantle."

"Hope it didn't scare you anywhere near as much as it scared X."

"Of course not, Daddy. It's yours; we knew you'd always be fine, in the end."

"I wish I had your faith."

"You will be safe, My Heart. You are needed. By the Voices, and by the world. But most of all, by me. And Eri and Arcus. So stay safe, My Love. And come back to me."

"Always, Ochaco. You know that," he said, hugging her.

The rest of the trip was filled with talks and a lot of bantering between the girls.

When they arrived at The Crowley, Yui told Izuku, "I will monitor Kitsune overnight. She's recovering at a fast pace I want to be sure." Her words were innocuous, but he couldn't help but feel she was expecting him to give her permission or something.

"Sure. That shouldn't be a problem. Probably best to ask Momo for that, though."

She nodded her head. "I did and she gave me the okay. I just want to be sure since you're living in the same dorms. It was also to check you out, but you looked like you healed with each step. It's kinda weird."

"The Mantle healed me from the dead before. This is nothing," he smirked.

"Ah'll go get Professor Booker to Recovery Girl for checkup."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Nana."

"Not happening. I'm not going back to a hospital bed."

"At least let her get you to your apartment. Thanks for all the help, by the way."

"I didn't do anything to help you, lad. The Cult is the enemy of Humanity. But thanks for the assist; I got way too close to the final destination there," he chuckled.

"Take care, Booker. We'll see you in the future."

The rest of the girls, save for Ochaco, started to return to their dorms. Today was a long day and most of them wanted to rest now.

"Welcome home, Izuku," Midnight greeted them as they went upstairs. "Hope you had a productive day."

"Just a normal day at work," he smiled.

"If only all problems were so easily fixed. I'll see you tomorrow, Izuku," she returned the smile as she tended to the roses in the corner.

The two of them opted to sleep The Crowley tonight. "Bed, here I come," Izuku sighed as he went upstairs.

"You will do no such thing," Ochaco reprimanded. "You smell of blood and smoke and something indescribable that I will assume is undead troll. Get showered first."

"Yes, dear."

"I will take one after you. You should get some rest. You and I both know you are far more tired than you let your followers know. But I am sure your Chosen and I noticed. Please. Tomorrow is another day," she kissed him despite her earlier remark about his scent. "Exercise can always wait, and your health is more important."

Thanks for reading this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

While this marks a major victory against the traitorous nobility, their influence will continue to echo through future events. The shockwaves of today's display of power will ripple through various factions and Pantheons, though their responses may take time to manifest.

In this chapter, we've also seen Izuku's Power truly jump as he starts to embrace The Mantle's Power. However, even this growth only prepares him for the edges of what's to come. Even with this, the Outsiders still stand above him. And as he said, he's supposed to teach them there are scarier things than them in this world.

Sarah's performance demonstrates why she's a genuine threat - even with the Mantle's power, it took Izuku three consecutive attacks to breach her Shield. Her survival ensures she'll remain a dangerous adversary.

Next up: Uprooting Lives

It's time for Camelot to meet its King. :D