A Merfolk's Tale

Chapter Seventeen

"Ah, what a lovely reunion is this, eh little one?" Shigaraki said, addressing Izuku who looked away, pursing his lips.

But Izuku's hair was yanked back and he fell with a cry as Shigaraki forced Izuku to look at him. "I asked you a question, didn't I?"

Shoto watched in horror as tears streamed down Izuku's face before he opened his mouth and spoke, letting the others hear his voice for the first time. "Yes..."

Shigaraki seemed satisfied as he let go of Izuku who furiously wiped his tears away while Shigaraki looked at Shoto with a sly smile on his face, enjoying the shocked expression of the prince's face.

"Y-you... you can talk?" Tenya asked in surprise, mirroring the same shocked expression that Shoto wore.

"You lied...?" Shoto asked in utter disbelief as he felt his heart be broken into a million pieces.

Izuku bit his lips as he looked down on the floor, only to yelp in pain as Shigaraki pinned him down-- slamming his head on the floor.

"It's a bit disrespectful to not answer your prince, little one," the pirate leader whispered to his ear as Izuku struggled to stand up despite his situation.

Izuku looked up at Shoto, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry... I had no other choice..." he said, voice hoarse as if he had been in this situation for a long time.

Shoto looked away in disgust as he remembered the times he had with Izuku-- all of it had been a lie. Izuku had just been using him to infiltrate Yuei just as his father had predicted.

"Where is my father?" Shoto said, his anger seething as he continued to glare up at the man that stood before him.

"Oh don't worry, we didn't kill him," Shigaraki said with a smile. "Not yet, at least,"

Shoto's eyes widened when the doors of the throne room swung open and a group of pirates entered, dragging in a badly beaten up King Enji. Leading the way was a man with short silver hair and copper eyes, a scar that cut through his right eyebrow and under his chin. 

"Leave him there, Hisashi," Shigaraki ordered the other pirate and they forced Enji on his knees in front of Shoto.

Shoto glared up at the man whom his name Shoto often heard off. Shigaraki was also known as the pirate king that ruled over the oceans and the bandits that came along with it. He was once a citizen of Yuei until he was cast out for an unknown reason and had been eyeing Yuei all these years, trying his best to conquer the stubborn kingdom which always failed because of Enji. But now, he stands in front of Shoto with a victorious smile on his face as his goal was finally accomplished.

"Shoto..." Enji whispered as he was forced to kneel down in front of his son whose eyes were wide with shock as he never thought that he would see his father like this-- vulnerable and weak.

"W-what did they do to you?" Shoto said as soon as he found the strength to speak.

"I figured I'd give you two a few moments before death claims the beloved king of Yuei," Shigaraki said, "Who knows, maybe it's time that Shoto finds out the truth, eh, Enji?"

Shoto looked at Hisashi then back at his father in confusion. "What truth?" he asked.

Enji looked up at him before casting his eyes away once more, keeping his mouth shut.

"Oh, you won't tell? Fine, I will," Shigaraki said, then glanced at Izuku who's had his eyes averted from them the whole time. "King Enji here had earned the right to be called a tyrant not because he was almighty and all-powerful, but because he had dirty little secrets of his own..."