"How many died?"
Izuku felt sick asking that but he needed to know the answer. He felt responsible since they were relying on him for an answer. It was his words and his actions that caused the waters to pour in. All of them were better and far more powerful than he and yet, they died. All the blame lies on him, not Kacchan nor Intelli-san. Intelli-san had even warned him of the very real danger of taking that tablet but he still went and did it anyway.
If he could, he would go there and try to pull them out. However, he is unable to even leave this throne and had to rely on Kacchan for help. It doesn't help by the time his friend saved Daigo who was the final person he could get his hands on, the water level had already risen to the fullest which forced him to get out.
It felt surreal, to say the least. A moment ago, those people were well and alive but now they're at bottom of that huge mass of black sludge. It doesn't take a genius to tell what had happened.
<About half of our party is wiped out. I only managed to save four of our teammates Barring you and me, that makes it six.> Izuku numbly nodded. More than half had died in an instant. On the screen, he saw their leader, Ken and his pudgy friend named Hoshi, both of them were leaning against the wall looking worse for wear. Intelli-san was busy tending to Daigo's wound, the tablet holder.
"Why didn't you save them?" Izuku's question earned a scoff from Kacchan.
<Why don't you?>
"B-but you could've at least gone faster."Izuku weakly replied and in turn, Kacchan snorted.
<Go what? Faster?> A laughter escaped Kacchan. <That black gunk that covered me was sapping my energy, making me weaker with every moment. It doesn't help the damn thing seems to rose quicker with every passing seconds. Some of them...> The fact Katsuki paused baffled him. As if he couldn't even believe the words coming out of his mouth. <Couldn't held on and fell deep into the black sludge. Much as I hate to say it, I gotta prioritize who to save and who shouldn't>
His words rendered Izuku shut. For the first time, Kacchan isn't yelling nor screaming. He spoke in a level-headed tone, emotions restrained.
And yet, Izuku still felt the compulsion to reject Kacchan's words. Maybe he could've gone faster. Maybe he could've used his Quirk to blow some of those gunk out of the way. But then again, where would those substance go?
Forget it. A quirkless nobody like him don't have any right to criticize him. Kacchan did his best.
"But still, you said you were strong." Izuku retorted, fighting down the anger growing.
A sigh came and Izuku wished this chair would allow him to read the minds of others because he really wished to know what Kacchan is thinking.
<If it was anyone else, I'd assumed you're mocking me. Whatever, I'm done talking to you. Why don't you hop over to Monocle's vision and take a gander? > Izuku wanted to say more but decided against it. He'd pushed enough of his luck with Kacchan. With a mere thought, the screen changed appropriately and turned into one from his female friend's perspective. Watching her hard at work made him feel awful as it serves as a reminder of his choices.
"Um, Daigo-kun, can you hear me?"
<Oh, h-hey. The name's Daigo Nise and you're Izuku Midoriya correct?> Daigo replied. A boyish voice that reflects his appearance; young. Izuku estimates the fellow could be no older than he is or maybe a little younger. From what he has seen, he has black hair and a fairly athletic build, possibly from working as a Hero.
"Yes. Sorry about your head injury, Nise-san." Izuku spoke. He secretly noted how his surname is rather odd but didn't ask. It felt rude and he has no right to pry as his surname is a nod to the color of his hair.
<Nah, don't worry about it too much.> Daigo waved off. <Hero work has a lot of risk to it. Anyway, I know you want to look at this tablet here.>
The tablet came into view and the young man saw a different statement on it. The previous two sentences had disappeared and another sentence took their place.
"March onward towards the chamber of angels and you shall find what you seek." Izuku read out loud. Huh, well that seems helpful. March onward towards the chamber of angels? It's highly unlikely it's referring to the previous chambers since the previous one is now overflowing with that black sludge. However, it did kept him hopeful as whatever lies in this 'chamber' it spoke off is something they seek. Perhaps it is the exit to get out of this place.
<Any ideas, oh fearless leader? > A certain A-ranker snarked. Izuku settled back and hummed in thought. What would be the right course of action here?
"I-I guess you guys must move forward. Seems to be the only option." He answered, clenching and unclenching his hands repeatedly.
<Well, you heard the useless help. I'll scout ahead to see if there's any potential enemy. Follow me once you're done. I'll leave a mark behind for you guys to know where I went.> The man turned and marched forward. Izuku watched the man's retreating before focusing on Intelli's mind.
"Intelli-san, I-"
<If you apologized for another time, I'm gonna stop being your friends.>
"What? No, I just want to ask how is Daigo doing."
<Oh, my...apology for overreacting. I'm not a certified doctor in medical field but I believed he should be in fine condition.>
"I also wanted to apologize." Izuku added, cracking up a smile. The woman paused before sighing. "N-no offense intended."
<Hilarious. I am simply fighting the urge to laugh. Knowing you, I believed you are being genuine and an apology is simply not offensive.> Despite the monotonous tone, he can tell she's cracking a smile.
< But in all honesty, this has nothing to do with you. We've made our choices and you made yours. How many times do you wish for me to say this?> Her words carried more emotion than usual. Often she talked in a level-headed tone and rarely let her emotions control her. To hear her acting cranky is a surprise on their own. And it's all because of him.
"But I told Ken to pick up the tablet."
<And if it were not for you, we would still be in that place. We've made progress and while the loss of life is unwanted, it is of their own doing. They entered this dungeon believing it is easier with the aid of two powerful Heroes. They unanimously decided on that decision through a vote that suffered no sabotage and still chose to come.> Saiko answered heatedly before sighing. It is rather tiring listening to this boy constantly apologizing for almost anything that went wrong. The young woman had an inkling of what plagues her friend but finds the subject to be a very sensitive matter.
"O-okay," Izuku answered. Saiko huffed in satisfaction and went back to checking on Daigo.
<I can only suggest you don't work yourself too hard. Regrow spell only regrew the loss of cells and doesn't heal blunt or penetrating trauma. You may still feel a headache occasionally.>
<Got it.> Daigo grinned before picking up the tablet and his sword. Seeing there's no one else is needing treatment, she focused on the crossbow. Izuku watched her hands going over the massive modern weaponry. The silence was disturbed by a loud crashing sound, startling everyone. From Izuku's perspective, the screen shook greatly mimicking the effect.
<Move! He needs our help.> At Ken's words, everyone sprung towards action. The green-haired man watched as his teammates ran towards the source. The very same path was taken by Kacchan earlier.
Yet again the worst scenario ran through the young man's mind and his heart beat rapidly at such thought. Not in elation but anxiousness, fearing for the life of not just his childhood friend but the lives of others. If Kacchan falls here, the others will have a far lesser chance of surviving. Even though they aren't facing a monster, who's to say it will stay the same in the future.
Worse, Izuku does not wish to have another person's life snuffed due to his actions.
They stumbled upon a baffling scene where the young man was lying on the group, heaving in surprise and a fearful look on the face. Lying before him was a giant cylindrical hammer made of stone. The large weapon became loose and crumbled into dust with the smaller constituent materials dissolving into the ground. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots based on the young man's shocked expression.
"There's a trap?!" Izuku exclaimed in shock. There have been no records of traps in Dungeons before and yet there is one? The longer Izuku spent inside this Dungeon the more fearful he is becoming. Who's to say something like a stone spear erupting out of this throne and pierce right through him.
<Are you alright?> Izuku watched his childhood friend glare at the questioner.
<Don'cha think that's just dumb?> Kacchan snarked, dusting himself as he stood up.<Hey, check the tablet.>
"Sorry, Kacchan, it still says the same thing." The information caused the man to growl in frustration but he didn't go beyond that. The appearance of such a dangerous contraption frightened Izuku and he felt others are undoubtedly unsettled by this. Now, they are unable to move as much as they want. One wrong move and perhaps they would've become another casualty.
<Are you kidding me?! If we're forced to choose whose lives are sacrificed at some point, I'm gonna kill whoever is making us participate in this Jigsaw horror ripoff!>
"I don't think a fictional character is involved in this place," Izuku muttered. The blonde's response was yelling at him to keep his mouth shut. Smartly, he relented to the man's demands, not wishing to aggravate him further.
<Enough! We'll just have to rely on Izuku to deal with this problem.> Ken ordered.
"Right, you guys can count on me. One of you will have to be at the front so that I can see through their eyes." Izuku stated.
<I would like all of us to walk in a single file.> Saiko spoke up.< I'll be at the front and Katsuki at the back. The rest of you are in the middle. Izuku-kun can see through my eyes. That way we can avoid potential traps from being triggered.>
<I see your point. Very well, lead the way.> Ken spoke.
Through her eyes, he saw how none of them objected and complied with her suggestions. As expected of someone like Intelli, commanding a group of Heroes with ease and suaveness of a Pro Hero. And so, their group marched forward. Intelli had her crossbow out and ready to fire while Izuku watched with close attention to find any glowing objects. Hopefully, the whereabouts of the trigger's traps work on the same principle as the previous problem. They moved for twenty minutes and encountered no Magic Beast nor a single trap until they stumbled upon a forked road.
"Wait!" Izuku shouted. "Don't go to the left one but the right. The left side isn't glowing blue."
<Really?> One asked. If his memories serve him right, the voice belonged to that friend of Ken-san. A portly fellow by the name of Hoshi was armed with a spear and had a star-shaped head. The very same who discovered the doorway to the chambers from earlier.
"Yes, please. Just throw anything, rock or pebble or something into the left one, you'll see." Relief floods the young man when Saiko picked up a pebble, no bigger than her index finger, and threw it into the passageway on the left. Halfway through the air, multiple spears thrust out at once. Izuku winced at the sight knowing had he not acted fast, everyone would've suffered greatly.
<Hmm, guess you were correct.> Hoshi admitted plainly. After that, they continued on their merry way and while they still found no monster standing in their path, traps became more and more common as they traveled deeper. One particular instance where they had to jump over a big gap filled with spikes and another came in the form of a sledgehammer similar to the ones Kacchan had accidentally triggered earlier.
With each help, Izuku felt warm and fuzzy inside as he realized how he was being helpful for once. It felt fantastic knowing what he does is making a change.
The group came to a stop when they found a double door made out of iron with engravings of a single angel, kneeling before a pope. Izuku assumed so based on the garment the standing figure wore. Whoever built this place or at least the doors must like angels as they had kept finding multiple ones associated with such beings. Angel doors, angel statues and find the chamber of angels.
"Yes. It is safe to do so." Izuku answered. Seeing no reason, Saiko laid her hands on the doors and pushed. It creaked and groaned under her touch as it parted ways. Once fully opened, they walked in and found a huge room. Izuku wagered the entire place is as big as Tokyo Dome. Scattered across the room were twelve statues of a six-winged angel lined at the outskirts of the room.
In contrast to the ones placed beside Izuku all twelve looked like warriors. Each one were dressed in a suit of armor and a helmet, leaving only the eyes out. A long sword was held in front of each one, standing at the ready to fight.
<You think any one of them might come to life?> Daigo asked, nervously eyeing one of them.
<With all due respect, please do not challenge Murphy's Law.> Saiko bitterly spoke up.
<What's that?> The tablet carrier asked.
<It's...never mind. It doesn't matter.>
"Nise-san, can you please check the tablet?" At his request, the screen changed and he saw the tablet. Words were already transforming and another sentence appeared soon enough.
<Hey, the words on the tablet did change.> Daigo exclaimed in surprise. <The reach of the reaper is far and true but only the King may protect the light.>
<What does that suppose to even mean?> Katsuki angrily yelled. Daigo in turn only shrugged helplessly.
<Beats me, I'm just an extra like you said. How should I know?> The man's answer earned a snort from Katsuki.
'Hmm, the reaper?' Izuku wondered. What does it mean by that? An Undead-type Magic Beast will come for them? But if that's what it meant, then who will be the King? The Light are obviously referring to the Heroes if past trials were any indication.
<Hey look!> The screen swiveled, focusing on the spot. Briefly, Izuku managed to catch a bright blue light filling the screen before the owner shielded her eyes. Once it died down, she let down her hand and saw a figure rising.
"An angel," breathed Izuku in amazement. It was the first thing that came to mind. The angelic Magic Beast was garbed in pristine white armor from head to toe. Sheathed on its side was a single impossibly long and thin blade. As it slowly rose, all four wings on its back unfurled in unison. Wings as pure as snow, they looked just as strong as their owner.
A pair of glowing eyes lacking pupils were opened and regarded his team. However, as he has formed a link with Saiko, he saw what she saw. It felt like it was staring into his soul. A truly beautiful monster on its own.
Before he knew it, it charged straight for them with its clawed hand reaching out.
(Linebreak)
When a person's life flashed before their eyes when they experience a life-or-death situation, they will see the events that transpired throughout their whole life. Starting from their childhood and to their current status. Several had personally attested to experiencing such a scenario, further confirming the phenomenon's validity. There were several known researchers of psychology such as Raymond Moody, Kenneth Ring, and a handful more attempting to use this phenomenon to prove the existence of the afterlife, wishing to understand why such thing occur.
She recalled how her mentor believed it is actually the human mind subconsciously seeking ways to escape from their imminent death. Revising their entire life experience to find any possible methods through the events they'd experienced; both big and small. Saiko personally had never experienced such and wished she never will.
Sadly, she did. When the angel charged, she only managed to aim the armament but was too slow to pull the trigger. In that small instance, she saw its gauntlet-encased fist closing in and the images kicked in. When it had ended, she thought death would come. Thankfully she didn't die considering someone had leaped out and held off its charge.
"Keep your eye on me!" Katsuki roared with glee, bursting forward with both legs shot out. A flap of its wings and it gained some distance. Unfettered, Katsuki followed suit without the usage of his Quirk and caught up with relative ease, delivering rapid and powerful combos of punches and the occasional kicks. All of which were either blocked or dodged, causing him to rage even harder.
<Intelli-san, shoot him now.> Snapped out of her daze, she quickly aimed the high-tech weaponry at the angel. A hand under the snout and she willed the mana within her to flow into the rifle. Glowing blue veins came to life all over the rifle, contrasting against the stark white. Taking a deep breath, she then pulled the trigger. The futuristic bow-like rifle hummed and discharged a bolt of energy, one created using her magical energy.
The monster took notice, spreading all four wings, and took to the air in two beats and evaded it. Growling like a beast, the A-ranked Hero merely aimed both hands downward and detonated a series of explosions to fly upward at a similar speed. Soon enough, both were engaged in a close-quarter version of a dogfight, neither side giving the other an opening to exploit. Saiko can barely keep up with the exchange, the two darting back and forth like speeding wasps. Quickly she aimed but waited, eyes keeping track of the flying duo, and fired thrice. Her go-to strategy is useless without any prior data on this unknown species so there is only one thing left to do.
'You don't need to think when you shoot,' Saiko remembered her mentors' words fondly, finger rapidly pulling on the trigger.
The armament in hand complied, discharging multiple concentrated blasts of magical energy. Although the intended target was preoccupied with the A-rank delinquent, it managed to masterfully dodge every shot.
"Damn it, let me show you how it's done," Hoshi yelled. She didn't reply and focused on her work. The two tumbled in the air like children wrestling, wild and unrelenting. Both punched and kicked at one another without giving concern, making it far more difficult for her to aim.
A frustrated grunt and the man ran forward, settled into a position Saiko had seen used often by professional javelin throwers. He wound up and hurled the spear with great strength. The polearm flew but missed its mark when it slammed into the wall missing Katsuki by an inch.
<You could've killed him!> Izuku yelled in Hoshi's mind.
"Oh, he's still alive right so quit your whining." The old man remarked. "So, got any bright ideas that can help us?"
<Let me think.>
"Try to find the meaning behind the words. Us four will support Bakugou-san. He's the only one that can take that thing on so he'll need all the help we can get." Ken spoke up, the old man standing beside his friend. Picking up a rock, the hammer-wielder aimed and threw as hard as he can. Sadly the projectile missed, embedding deep into the wall.
"We'll provide support fire by throwing these. Do hurry it up, kid. We want to go home too."
"You do that while the real Heroes fight," Hoshi remarked, hurling another rock as hard as he can.
(Linebreak)
Contrary to popular belief, Katsuki Bakugo does not like conflicts. He does not enjoy trading blow for blow with another opponent like some warrior of yore seeking out a worthy opponent. No, what he loves is slaughtering his enemies. A quick decisive one-sided beatdown is more effective and beneficial than a prolonged battle against some monster.
Hence to achieve that, he relentlessly trained day and night; both his Quirk and body. Just so that he can have the right to stand tall and strong alongside the Pillars and S-ranks. Therefore it annoys the young man to no end when he realizes this damn monster is a peculiar one. A rarity if anything.
Small and short but just as powerful burst of explosion roared to life from his back as he bobbed and weaved through its punches and kicks. The Angel spun and a reverse roundhouse kick came. In retaliation, Katsuki grabbed ahold of the leg and spun it, explosions blowing up. The Angel followed along with the momentum and a second kick came, connecting to his forehead. The world spun around Katsuki but he saw it spun in the air, delivering a backhand blow to his face.
Through the pain, he heard the annoying Quirkless calling out for him. Telling him to get up. Ignoring the green-haired man, Katsuki powered through the pain and flew straight for it, explosives taking him up. Restarting the exchanges of blows.
This entire debacle's sole purpose was to prevent the monster from using its sword. A fight's outcome is decided by the involved participant; their strength, weaknesses, and weaponry. As he is barehanded, he would need to close the distance, ensuring it never gets the chance to even the odds. However, it frustrates him to no end to find out that they're evenly matched in terms of hand-to-hand combat.
To make matters worse, Monocles and the extras are nearby, preventing him from using his more volatile techniques. All the moves he has are meant for pure overwhelming and incredibly raw damage.
'Screw it, might as well use that technique.' He thought to himself, delivering a kick to the head. He had planned for it to be called Patton. The name was a work in progress.
The monster quickly drew its blade but before it struck, he blasted himself downwards. Quickly he fired off and flew upwards with a raised uppercut. It leaned back and tried to draw its blade only to feel an arrow piercing chest armor. A momentary distraction and Katsuki pressed on, grabbing his opponent before using an explosion with his free arm to propel himself in a spinning motion. Katsuki kept on going, creating explosions after explosions until he gains enough momentum only to then throw it away.
"Why the hell are you looking so bored?!" Much to his frustration, the monster looked bored. As if everything he had thrown at him meant nothing. The punches and kicks don't do anything at all. Anger bubbled within him like his powerful Quirk and he decided to try something else. Palm thrust outward and a circular formation placed above the palm, courtesy of his other hand.
'Let's see if you can withstand this!'
<Kacchan, don't!>
"AP SHOT!!!" He cried out, ignoring the Quirkless bastard's words. A ray of condensed heat shot out. A special move was made specifically to prevent collateral damages to the local area and a monster's carcass. Over his time as a sidekick under All Might, the young man learned how to be more creative with his Quirk and how strong his body is.
Rocks and energy bolts pelted its side, the former serving no more than distractions while the latter wound it. Its armor was riddled with holes courtesy of Monocle, blood pouring out of them as a result. Barely perceivable to his eyes, the angel had pulled out its sword at the last second and guarded at the last second. Using the side of the blade, it deflected his superb move!
<Dodge!> Izuku's warning came too late as one of their teammates, Hoshi was hit square in the head. Hoshi's head stood no chance and melted away. Scalp, skin, and flesh burnt under the powerful makeshift laser in mere seconds. The older man weakly raised his hands to touch the destroyed head only to fall forward, the lifeless and headless corpse twitching slightly. Others were positively shocked by the sudden death.
"Hoshi!" Ken cried out in shock, rushing to his deceased friends' corpses. Saiko said nothing and continued to shoot with Daigo whose controlled throw had taken a frantic undertone.
"Fuck y-" The words died out when the tip of the blade filled his vision. Head leaning to the right and yet only to still have it cut the left side of his forehead. Pain flared and blood dripped out of the wound. He glared and found a long, thin and black metal string attached behind the sword's tip, tracing all the way to the angel of a swordsman.
Its sword had turned into a whip! A freaking whip of all things!
'No, not again. NEVER!' Katsuki frantically thought. Fear begun to grip him for what felt like the second time. No, he wouldn't lose again!
One hand grabbed onto the thin metallic wires and he jerked forward violently as the sword-whip user pulled him in. An idea forming, Katsuki smiled like a maniac, thrusting his hands back. Burst after burst of powerful explosions made in an attempt to bolster his speed.
The wind around him howled and the sight surrounding him blurred as he picked up speed.
He needs to do this lest they all die.
"DIE!!!"
Letting go of the whip in mid-air, he reared both hands and unleashed a barrage of punches. Hearing it's bones breaking was a delightful thing. Techniques forgone in favor of brute strength, he threw everything hard and fast as much as he can, cackling like a madman all the while.
The man reared one hand back and stopped, realizing it is broken. Before giving in to the pain, Katsuki attempted to raise his knees only to find a gauntlet gripping him by the face. Cold metal dug deep resulting in the wound from earlier acting up again. The monster and him stared into each other's eyes; one filled with wrath and the other cold apathy.
Before he can act, the world spun and he found himself falling to the ground.
(Linebreak)
"Damn it!" Izuku slammed on the armrest of the throne, angry at himself. Here he sits in comfort while his friends and allies are getting brutalized. Judging by how Kacchan isn't getting up anytime soon, the others are just waiting to be slaughtered. Saiko is strong but Kacchan was stronger and if he had failed then what chances does she ever have?
No, the key to victory lies in the tablets' words.
"I gotta do something butw hat!" He yelled, slamming down on the armrest for the second time. All it did only hurts him but he has nothing else. All he could do is think on the matter.
'Calm down, just clam down first me.' he admonished himself, taking several rapid breaths until he has become calm.
"What did it mean? The reach of the reaper is far and true but only the King may protect the light." From what he had seen, everything was not meant to be taken literally. There are two similarities both information share.
All previous sentences were associated with light and darkness. If the words were anything to go by, the four-winged Angel is associated with the Reaper and light refers to people like Intelli-san and the others. But who would be the King?
The second was how the answers to everything had been hidden in plain sight. Standing in front of them, waiting to be used. In the first chamber, it was the tablet and hidden plates on the ceiling. The second was the very environment themselves. Perhaps, no it can't be that easy, can it? How will he tell them? There's nothing that can prove him right though.
<Hey kid, would like your help now.> Ken's words cut short his thoughts.
"Go towards any one of the statues. Any will do."
<How is that gonna help us?>
He paused, wondering what should he say until something caught his eyes.
'Stupid Deku, stupid Deku!' he cried, smashing the chair yet again.
<Kid?>
"It's because they're glowing! Every last one of them are glowing." He yelled. He had only noticed their radiance when he connected to Ken, whose line of sight landed on one of the statues. It was only an assumption but maybe it will work. Perhaps those statues will protect them from the angels. Izuku prayed he was right.
<Shit kid, why didn't ya say so. Come on, let's go.> Ken ordered, beckoning towards the others. Through the middle-aged man's eyes, he saw the man running and his friend, Intelli-san outrunning him. A dark shadow loomed over the two and fear gripped him. His throat ran dry, knowing what will happen next.
"Watch out!" He cried out. It was too late. The last thing he saw was Ken turning around and the monster brought down that sword of his. However, imagine his surprise when he saw a familiar bloodied figure intercepting him. Never had Izuku felt more glad seeing him once again.
<Jackass, your opponent is me!> Katsuki cackled, throwing a superman punch out of the blue using the damaged limbs. Though Izuku noted his movements were sluggish, slower than before. It dodged to the side, missing his attack. Katsuki roared in frustration and followed up the attack with a sidekick. Black metallic wire struck like a serpent, wrapping around Kacchan's legs and sent him flying.
Through Katsuki's eyes, Izuku saw Saiko rushing forward, leaping up and thrust with her weapon, having turned into its spear form. The creature didn't even turn to her and yet managed to dodge Saiko's thrust. With a simple click, the spear reversed to a crossbow and multiple bolts of energy were unleashed. Sword raised and it extended, whipping and cutting up the energy blast at incredible speed but few made their marks, drawing more blood as a result.
"Kacchan, Intelli-san, just run for one of the statues! Please for the love of all things sacred, just save yourself!" Izuku yelled. None of them can do as he says because of that monster. They're too occupied by that thing to listen.
Eyes narrowed in annoyance at her and yet they widen when he felt someone grabbing onto him. It glared, catching Ken and Daigo, restraining his wings. The two gave a cocksure grin to its' annoyed expression. The Angel growled before taking flight, turning the body, and in an instant, slammed the older man into the ceiling.
Rendered unconscious by the attack, Ken fell to the ground like a sack of flour. Daigo saw the poor man and quickly let go in favor of rescuing the old man. The young man clutched the man tightly and exhaled, unleashing a stream of powerful wind blow to slow down the fall. Successfully landed, he made a break for it with the old man. The angel tried to swoop down but flinched when an energy bolt hit it in the shoulder.
It looked at in apprehension and glared at the cause, a single pale lavender-haired woman.
"Come at me."
(Linebreak)
Seeing her allies are out of harm's way, Saiko pulled the trigger. An onslaught of magical energy unleashed and a black serpentine-like shadow flowed through the air at blinding speed. She can barely kept her eye on them. All of her magical arrows were cut down and the young heroine noted it was faster than before.
Does this thing grew in strength whilst in combat or perhaps it has been holding back? Neither possibilities are a welcoming thought and all the possible scenarios doesn't seem to end well for them. Whatever the case, the monster's strength lies in that unnatural sword. No weapon can move like that, regardless of their user's skill.
'This is inefficient.' She concluded. Already she feels weaker with each of the shots fired, concluding it's caused by the black sludge's effect instead of working. Treating the other Heroes must have affected her as well.
To her surprise, it landed on the ground and stood roughly five feet away from her. Even more so when it placed both hands in the back. It doesn't take a genius to tell this monster is looking down on her.
'Hopefully your arrogance will help me,' she thought. Although Saiko knew she stood no chances whatsoever. If an A-rank Hero can't win, what hope does she has? Regardless, she still must fight.
The woman pressed a button on her crossbow and the metal pieces shifted, forcing Saiko to change the way she held it. Once completed, a two-foot-long shaped blade popped up like a switchblade. Wordlessly, she jumped forward and thrust the spear at it's head. It swayed back, unconcerned by the attack.
Growing furious, she landed on her feet and spun on the ball of her dominant's side leg in a reverse clock, she pulled her arm back, slamming the spear's butt into it. Almost casually, the angel parried her spear with its swords, making a clanging sound as it connected.
Saiko completed her spin and unleashed a series of blows onto it. Swings and thrust mixed into a seamless combo, striking at incredible speed. Saiko considers herself to be a competent spearwoman as she had spent many hours perfecting her craft. On their own, they are rather simple but highly effective when combined.
Yet, it frustrates her knowing her pride and joy are dealt with using incredulous ease. Each strike was parried perfectly and each swing evaded the monster. A terrible but realistic outcome if one were to factor their strength and condition.
A downward swing and it sidestepped, hitting the ground and leaving an impression. Before she can pull it back up, the angel placed one foot onto the spear's blade. She pulled but failed, unable to make it even budge. A kick to her shin was her reward.
Saiko gasped in pain and fell on one knee, trying her best not to cry. Looking up, a blade came down but never made contact as Katsuki jumped into the fray, socking the monster in the face. Taken by surprise, it was sent reeling back by several steps. Before it can swing that sword, Katsuki kicked a familiar spear at it, one belonging to a deceased Hoshi.
The Angel raised the sword in a knightly fashion, the blade extending into a whip and chopped down the hurled weaponry. One moment it was a spear and in the next, it had been reduced to bits of iron and wood, clattering uselessly to the ground.
The whip turned back to its initial state, the user wiping away the blood on it's cracked lips. It then gestured towards them with a 'come hither' gesture.
"Get up, you're a Hero." He retorted, eyes honed only on the monster. She glanced at him and huffed, standing up while rapidly chanting Regrow on the injured shin. Already she can feel its healing properties kicking in. A slight shake to ascertain whether the injuries are fully healed. It should suffice for the future fight.
"I'm only doing this to fund my research. I could care less about fighting." She retorted, placing her dominant side to the back. The spear leveled downward and both hands tightened around the shaft. To say she is not afraid would be a lie. This fight might be her last much as she hates to believe it.
"Do you need your wounds healed?" She asked.
"Save it, you probably running on fumes now." He replied.
"Whatever floats your boat."
"Come on, you ugly fuck! We'll show you what's a Hero's grit are!" Katsuki roared with glee, running forward. Saiko followed suit.
(Linebreak)
Izuku chewed the inside of his cheek, frustrated at the current situation. He wanted to rage, he wanted to scream and help them. He wanted to be useful. Even if he can only give instructions, he felt useful. For once he wasn't the useless Deku who had to sit back and watch others fight. But now, he's doing that dumb crap again!
Being useless.
Despite Kacchan's gung-ho attitude, he knew the man is down on his last knees, the same went for Intelli-san and Nise-san is busy guarding Ken-san. At this rate the casualties are just piling up and what can he do?! Imposing commands is the only thing he can do and even then, things are not going according to plan.
So what if he realized what does the tablet's words meant? So what if the instructions and orders given can save them? It doesn't mean anything if the people he wanted to save are dying. His childhood friend, his friend, everyone is dying. They require help, something he can't even provide.
"Everyone, please just run and save yourself!" He sobbed. This is all he can do. What can he do anyway? Since the beginning of these trials, he had only given commands. Doomed more than half of their entire party and now he is watching his friends dying. Made worse given the fact that he can't do anything to save them. Nothing!
[Do you wish to save everyone?]
[Yes/No]
"Eh?" Taken aback by the sudden pop-up on the screen. He pondered behind its meaning. What does this mean? What is the meaning of this? This has never happened before. What should he do?
"Wait, I...can save them?" He wondered aloud. Is this thing, whatever it may be, is giving him a chance. To prevent them from dying.
[Warning, User has only 3 seconds to decide]
"Crap," he muttered, watching the numbers going down. Dilly-dallying wouldn't help and he doesn't have the luxury to do so.
[Warning, User has only 2 seconds to decide]
"Damn it, their life's worth more than mine anyway."
Without waiting any longer, he slammed on the 'Yes' button, a literal second away from hitting zero.
Imagine his surprise when the chair he sat on glowed a bright blue and engulfed him, blinding him as a result. When it died out, the young man found himself at the epicenter of a chamber. The very same his friends and fellow teammates were in earlier. But they're not in here.
"Oh, dear." Fear sets in when the angelic beast from earlier took note of him. It walked casually towards him, brandishing that whip-sword menacingly. Boring down on the young man was a pair of blank eyes devoid of any emotions. Before he can say anything else, the monster swung down the blade. All he could do was looked down in shock at the diagonal wound, from his shoulder and down to his stomach.
'This is where I die? A fitting end for someone like me I guess.' Izuku somberly thought, crying all the while. This isn't what he had expected. He hasn't achieved his dream. As his mind loosen it's grip, his thoughts reached toward his mother. Their latest conversation leaving an impression on him.