After resting for half an hour – as he told himself he would – Izuku stood up and began the trek back to the other Site of Grace where Katsuki and Melina waited. Fortunately for him, the sorcerers he knocked out were still unconscious, making the trip back a quick one.
Entering the room, he found Katsuki listening to Melina as her soft tone narrated the contents of the book, the ash blond focused solely on learning the knowledge and secrets contained within the dusty tome. Izuku blinked, he knew Katsuki was always a serious learner. Hell, he would almost always get top remarks on his grades during tests because he was that serious in becoming number one. But seeing it in action made him do a double take due to how quiet the ash blond was being.
"Oh, you're finally back, dear companion of mine." Melina's lone eye zoomed in on Izuku, her golden orb twinkling underneath the light of the Site of Grace.
"Didn't kick the bucket this time, huh?" Katsuki turned around, greeting the armored man with a light scowl. "So, now we go back to climbing this shitty academy?"
"Yes. Also, why shitty?" Izuku tilted his head, a bit confused as to why Katsuki would say that to this grand architecture that held secrets no mortal man would ever be able to lay their eyes upon in their entire lifetime.
"Cuz the reception sucks." Katsuki humphed, and Izuku had to admit, he had a point. Imagine how easier it would be just to climb all the way to the top if the sorcerers just let him through? Plus, he didn't even get that many runes in here other than the giant red wolf and those zombies back at the cemetery because of his non-lethal approach to the sane sorcerers.
Which reminds him, he should probably go over the entire area with a fine toothed comb. Can't miss out on any other sweet loot he could find hiding within tombs and graves. But that would be for after he had conquered this academy.
"Anyway, shall we go? The top awaits." Izuku turned to move and Katsuki followed, all the while Melina faded from view as she vanished into thin air.
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The trip back to the giant room with the red wolf was as peaceful as his backtracking to where his companions waited, the sorcerers still in their blissful reprieve from the harsh lady known as life. Once they arrived, Izuku was quick to kneel down beside the Site of Grace and just rest for a bit more. Katsuki, seeing the act, loitered around for a bit as he waited for Izuku to finish whatever he was doing.
His eyes widened, however, when he saw Melina materialize out of thin air, and he was about to ask how she did that, but then he remembered that she said something about always being around, prompting him to stay silent. Izuku, meanwhile, exchanged some words with the brunette, before kneeling as he offered his hand to her. Melina accepted it and then began chanting in a different language that Katsuki couldn't understand.
The ritual proceeded unimpeded, golden motes of light circling around them as they slowly pressed themselves against Izuku's armor. The greenette felt his muscles coil, his limits surging to newfound heights. His core roared with newfound strength, his chest growing hot as the dragon's power that coursed within him hum like a choir.
Izuku smirked beneath his helmet. Already, he could tell that if he fought this wolf from earlier, it would be far easier than his first attempt.
"Thank you, Melina." He said to the brunette, the single-eyed maiden only nodding as she caressed Izuku's knuckles before she vanished. Standing up, Izuku called out to Katsuki, the ash blond coming over with nary a sound as he stared at him with an imaginary question mark hovering over his head.
"The fuck was that all about?" Katsuki pursed his lips, his arms crossed. "Don't tell me you two were a thing?"
"Not essentially." Izuku shrugged at the misunderstanding. He and Melina were close, no doubt about that, but there was no romantic love between each other. At most, they liked each other as the best of companions in this horrible world. "Anyway, about that ritual thing? You know the currency we used with the merchants?" The ash blond nodded. "I can also use them to strengthen myself with the help of Melina."
"... The fuck?" Katsuki's brows rose, quite flabbergasted at the words. "Something tells me you're not joking… Fuck man…" He rubbed his face with his palms, a low groaning sound escaping his lips. It took him a moment to compose himself again, and when Izuku next saw his eyes, he saw a gleam of hunger within them. "Can she do the same for me?"
"Sorry, but no." Izuku was quick to deny that, seeing as how he wasn't Tarnished. Also, he doubted Melina would even dare try. "I have a special set of circumstances that guarantees she could only do so for me."
"... Welp, I fucking tried." Katsuki's shoulders slumped, the hunger in his eyes being replaced with disappointment.
"Hey, no worries. At least you're learning magic." Izuku pointed at his staff and the ash blond perked up a bit at that. No more words were exchanged, and sensing that it was almost time to move, Izuku got on his feet and moved to the nearest exit, with Katsuki following suit.
They stepped into a giant courtyard with a pretty looking fountain in the middle, a bunch of crabs the size of his foot roaming around, picking at the ground with their claws. To their right, they saw a destroyed bridge that connected to the highest point of the academy, its pinnacle still unseen to the eyes due to the fog surrounding it.
Not far away from the fountain, a large moving, iron maiden with giant pendulum blades at the end of each spindly arm. He immediately stopped and gestured for Katsuki to head to the edges, not too keen on fighting that thing just yet. Maybe explore some of the areas first and get a good vantage point before doing so, making it easier on them. The ash blond nodded and they slowly made their way to the edges, or more specifically, just to the side of the exit to the last room.
They then saw a staircase heading to the left, and a ruined staircase to the right, with two commoners searching amidst the ground for… something. Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other for a bit, and then back at the commoners. They approached them, but they didn't seem hostile. Leaving them alone, they decided to head for the left staircase first.
At the top, they saw a bunch of small warrior jars and a sorcerer overlooking what looked to be some kind of cracked pot in the corner. They decided to approach them, and their footsteps alerted the sorcerer and warrior jars to their presence.
"Hm? Who are you?" The sorcerer turned, hands gripping his staff as he held his head high. "Quite strange, never had visitors this high in the academy in recent years."
"Well, we do have business with your Queen." Izuku admitted, causing the sorcerer to grip his staff tightly.
"Then, tell me. What is your purpose, meeting with our Queen and headmistress?" The sorcerer approached, his footsteps echoing within the area. The warrior jars all looked ready for a fight. "Speak now, lest you suffer the consequences."
"Well, I am Tarnished. Is that enough of an answer?" Izuku tilted his head, and the sorcerer stilled. The area was silent for a brief moment, before the sorcerer sighed loudly.
"I see. Then I take it you are here for her Great Rune." He turned around and went back to staring at the corner before they interrupted him. "Go. And leave me be in peace. You never saw me."
Izuku raised an eyebrow at the words, then looked back at Katsuki, the ash blond also having the same confused expression on his face. After a brief moment of silent contemplation, they left the sorcerer and went back down the stairs.
"That was… weird…" Izuku started, his hand gripping tightly against the grip of his zweihander. "Never thought I'd see a non-hostile sorcerer."
"Fucking said it." Katsuki groused. "Thought for sure we were gonna have to knock his lights out."
It didn't take too long to reach the foot of the stairs, and then they set their sights on the other set of stairs, this time ruined beyond repair. It wouldn't take too long to scale, but he no doubt had to be a bit careful in case the footing was a bit loose.
Again, they ignored the commoners still scrounging about the ground. And a bit amusingly, the crabs were also with them, as if they were helping the commoners with their claws. It was kind of cute, honestly.
Finally reaching the top – well, not really the top, there was still a staircase behind them – they saw commoners kneeling before two sorcerers posted above looking over them like guardians. They could even see a sorcerer inside the room just directly ahead.
"Halt there! Who are you and why have you interrupted our ceremony!" One of the two sorcerers above pointed their staff at them, the tip glowing as the power of the stars surged from within. Izuku then looked at the commoners kneeling in front of them, their eyes glassy and mouth agape, as if their mind was as empty as a ransacked barn.
"Uhhh… Before that, are your… listeners okay? They don't look so good." Izuku pointed at the commoners and he felt that the sorcerer scowled at the insinuation.
"Yes, they are quite sound of mind." The sorcerer's staff lit up even more. Izuku had to do a double take, looking back at the commoners still looking like they were lobotomized and carefully propped up in their kneeling position. "Now, answer my question, or face my might!"
"I have business with your Quee-" In an instant, Izuku dodged a glintstone shard that was sent hurling his way.
"No one should be meeting the Queen at this time. Intruder!" The commoners that were once kneeling slowly stood up, groans exiting their lips as they turned to look at both Izuku and Katsuki. They looked like some of the dead they dealt with back in the cemetery.
Not letting the sorcerers have the upper hand, Katsuki immediately blew himself to the top, his gloves already hanging from his belt ever since the sorcerers pointed their staffs at them. The mask-wearing sorcerers quickly pointed their staffs at the flying ash blond, only to let out a yelp as kukris embedded themselves into their arms.
Glintstone shards zoomed past Katsuki, not even managing to scratch him as he let loose an explosion with his hands all while wearing a manic look on his face. Both of the sorcerers cried out as the blast took them by surprise, their bodies ragdolling across the ground as dirt and grime marred their robes.
"What is going on out there?" The sorcerer from inside stepped out of the room, only to pause as he looked at Izuku making quick work of the mentally disabled commoners with his zweihander, their blood pooling on the ground, creating a river of red. "By the Queen! You vagrant!"
His staff raised, a glintstone comet was sent hurtling towards Izuku's direction, not that it was a problem as he just swatted it down with his blade. This, however, didn't deter the sorcerer, his two headed mask hiding the furious snarl deep within.
He conjured another glintstone comet, but Izuku was having none of it. It's been a while since he's used it, but it was always a blast showing the enemy just how outmatched they were. Stomping the ground, he felt the pulse of energy within him stir. The sorcerer let his attack loose, and Izuku bashed it against his shoulder.
He felt the impact, his armor creaking from the magic, but his stance remained firm. As the attack dissipated, Izuku pushed forward and swung his zweihander from bottom to top, his blade sparking across the ground.
Of course, he intentionally missed, the tip of his blade barely scratching the nose of the sorcerer, but it was enough of an opening to knock him out with a simple pommel strike. The sorcerer collapsed like a sack of potatoes and Izuku exhaled, his shoulder a bit sore from tanking the damage.
"I heard a loud ass explosion in there! The fuck happened!?" Katsuki yelled from above and Izuku yelled back.
"Nothing to worry about." Izuku looked at the sorcerer, then at the body that was hanging on the balcony. He clicked his tongue. Would they at least care for the bodies that littered this place?
Approaching said body, he spied something glinting within its breast pocket. Slinking his hand through it, he grabbed the thing and brought it to his eyes. It was a whetstone, but blue in color. And he could feel the expanse of the stars within it.
He blinked. Okay, that was new. At least with this, he can ask Master Hewg to diversify his weapons if he ever needed some new gear to test out.
Putting it in his bottomless box – which he took from Katsuki the moment they arrived back in the room with the giant wolf – he whistled a tune as he headed back out of the room, only to come face to face with the iron maiden looking at them from below, one of its pendulum arm raised.
"Ah shit." Izuku quickly bent his knees and the pendulum arm soared through the air, the blade cutting through where his neck would've been had he not ducked. "Katsuki! We got incoming!"
"I know!" Katsuki yelled from the other staircase that continued further up across the room, his hand steaming as the body of another sorcerer laid limp on the ground. "Fucker looks one of those medieval torcher machines!"
Izuku hummed for a bit, only to widen his eyes as he saw the chains of its arm retract. Looking behind him, he saw the arm sailing towards him and he was quick to roll to the side, avoiding the hunk of metal as it passed through him. He then pumped energy into his legs and leaped forward, a spectral dragon arm forming over his left arm.
Ahead of him, the iron maiden opened its torso as its pendulum blade clicked back into place, red mist pouring out as two fleshy bits that looked like arms opened wide, like welcoming Izuku into its embrace. Not giving it the opportunity, he let the dragon arm rake its spectral claws all over its metal bulwark, steel giving into supernatural forces.
The iron maiden shrieked as blood poured from within, and as its death throes echoed throughout the courtyard, did it finally topple over and cease from moving.
"... Well, that was anticlimactic." Izuku huffed for a bit, his dragon arm fading. "Anyway, you done there, Katsuki?"
"Yep!" The ash blond popped the 'p' as he headed down the stairs to meet him. "That thing is fucked up, by the way."
"Yeah, no kidding." Izuku looked at its – for the lack of a better term – innards. He grimaced Turning away, he looked at the giant building towering over them, a smile coming over his lips. "Won't be long now."
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