It was a day like any other.
Birds chirping, singing a cacophonous chorus, paradoxically melodic in their own disorder.
The sun blaring harshly onto everything within the warm embrace of the rays of sunlight, humans bathing in the welcomed heat. The light breeze helped to cool everything down, sweeping up loose leaves from off branches, carrying them off into the distance.
Children laughing, adults enjoying the outdoors, insects crawling along the ground, vulnerable to the greater beings around them.
And that's the issue. The underlying problem.
My eyes narrowed, dragging my fingers along the rough, coarse dirt beneath me, grasping at rocks strewn out across the ground.
I chuckled to myself, grinning a bit as I stumbled up to my feet.
Yes. If I'm not mistaken... I was just ten years old at the time.
"You haven't had enough yet?"
My eyes twitched at the frustratingly pompous voice of the bastard barely even a meter away from me, two other children joining him on either side.
I snorted, forcing myself to rise to full height, smile widening into something far more manic. I shook my head from side to side, arms quivering in pain from having to defend from the strenuous assault from not too long before.
Scrapes and bruises coated both my exposed arms and legs.
I grasped tighter around the rocks gathered in both of my hands, meeting the gaze of the leader of this small group of brats.
"Quit smiling, freak!"
He ran at me, hand raised, balled into a fist as he moved through the light breeze, compressed air gathering around his fist.
I stood tall, no one giving enough of a damn to intervene.
And why would they? I was at the bottom of the pecking order. At the time, I was meant to be beaten black and blue. That was my purpose. However...
Crack
Squelch
Fight back
I fought back.
Intense screams and sobs rang out through the once calm and jovial atmosphere. I stared down apathetically at the crying child before me, hand forcefully bent to the right, blood pooling from a large gash that stretched along his arm and down to his wrist.
The other two were frozen. Frozen still. One of the rocks in my hands dripped with blood that wasn't mine, slowly splattering onto the ground.
My gaze flickered to the adults running towards us, finally seeming bothered by what was happening.
I only continued to stare down at the crying child.
My thoughts only grew louder and louder until the conflict and cacophony of noises around me became nothing more than muffled annoyances.
I was once weak. But it was on this day that what was once considered a fact now became a hopeful myth.
Yes... It was on this day when I realized one of humanity's greatest weaknesses.
Once the strong are shown their weakness... once their false sense of strength is realized, they fall, fall into the abyss of pain, suffering, and failure.
Yes. I would force humanity to understand this. I would make everyone vulnerable to their weaknesses. I would exploit their weakness for my own sick pleasure.
<•------------•>
"This is unacceptable!"
"Tsk."
I kept both of my arms crossed in front of my chest, tapping my pointer finger on my forearm out of impatience.
"He was defending himself from your son!"
I clicked my tongue, staring through the clear glass, watching the two parents argue through the glass. Both of our mothers were quite obviously not very happy with what had happened earlier.
After all, I hospitalized another kid with just one hit. I guess I hit the bastard at just the right spot with the perfect amount of force to break his wrist.
I smirked to myself, grinning at the memory of inflicting pain onto that idiot. Now... everyone will know not to fuck with me. Everyone will know.
"I'll make sure of it."
"And now I can't help but wonder... If I had a quirk of my own, how much of my wrath would I be able to inflict on others?" I thought to myself, interlocking my fingers together as I became lost within my own thoughts.
"If I had more power, what would I be capable of doing?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes slightly.
"If I were to be unbound from all of my restrictions... from all of my own weaknesses... what would I be able to do?"
Yes. My goal. I wanted to do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. If an individual were to be able to do whatever they wanted, then they were without weaknesses, without restrictions and limitations, without bondage and without attachments.
Without attachments...
My gaze flickered over to the door being pushed open, watching as my mother and the injured brat's mother walked out in tandem.
I narrowed my eyes as I met her gaze. "Without attachments..."
"Damn brat..." the boy's mother muttered under her breath. But I heard her loud and clear, sparing her a small glance. I made sure that the look in my eyes told her everything she needed to know.
That I would do it again in a heartbeat if I ever got the chance. In fact... I would kill the bastard if I ever saw him again. That was a promise that I made by simply staring into the mother's eyes.
I was sure she got the hint by the way her face twisted into horror and fury. Acting on neither of those emotions, she walked off, leaving me alone with my mother.
"Let's go Hisashi."
<•------------•>
"I'm sorry, what? Are you sure?"
My gaze flicked over to my mother, taking apart her outwards expression of shock. I narrowed my eyes, dragging my fingers along my pant legs in frustration, averting my gaze towards the doctor.
"Indeed, the boy does in fact, have a quirk. It was simply difficult to detect, which likely led to your previous quirk doctor to pronounce you as quirkless. However, this is not the case," the doctor explained, leaning forward in his chair.
The doctor flipped through several sheets of paper, gaze gliding through whatever was written on the pieces of paper.
"The quirk isn't anything powerful, however, it is intriguing to me. It would seem as though young Hisashi here has the ability to take apart and understand whatever a person is trying to say or express."
I rolled my eyes resting my head in my hand, leaning back in my chair slightly. No one seemed to notice my sudden disinterest, despite making it blatantly obvious that I didn't give a damn about this ability.
"Understand what someone is trying to say...?" Mother repeated, more so to herself than for anyone else to hear.
"Correct. Tell me, has the boy exhibited an understanding of other languages? Perhaps the ability to differentiate what a person truly means that's hidden behind false statements?" The doctor questioned, looking up from the small pile of papers in his hands with an eyebrow raised.
Mother shook her head. "No... at least not as far as I'm aware. He's never shown either of—"
"I have," I spoke up for the first time, voice remaining monotonous and expression aloof.
"Is that so?" The doctor said, acknowledging my words.
I nodded, not bothering to look the man in the eyes as I talked.
"There was this one kid at school who recently moved to Japan from Russia. I was able to understand what he was saying perfectly, while everyone else couldn't," I explained, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
"Interesting. Yes, this seems to prove it. Your quirk extends to languages as well. No matter what is being said or how it is being said, it's translated into your mind as something you can understand. I suspect this may also be able to transfer to languages written down on a page as well, not limiting you to what you can hear, but also what you can see," the doctor said.
The doctor flipped over to another page, pen tapping against it.
"Let's try a little test. I want you to read this short sentence and tell me what it says," the doctor instructed, pressing a button on a remote that was rested on top of a desk.
A small hologram appeared beside him, a short sentence being shown as if it were a screen.
I squinted my eyes slightly, leaning forward a bit.
I read aloud, "My name is Hisashi Midoriya, and my quirk is omnilingualism."
The doctor nodded with an impressed expression on his face, mother staring at me with shock.
"Very good. Each word in that sentence was in a different language. I had a feeling that your quirk would work on written words as well, however, I wanted to see if it could perfectly take apart something written in several languages put together. It would seem as though it worked perfectly."
"I doubt you noticed this, kid, but you said each word in its respective language with perfect pronunciation."
For the first time that day, I expressed something other than disinterest.
I frowned, looking up at the quirk doctor.
"I... did...?" I whispered.
He nodded. "It would seem that you can also speak any language as well as long as you see it first."
"Most kids your age want to become heroes. I'm not sure if you could become a daylight hero with this quirk. However, I think perhaps a career as a reconnaissance hero would be possible. If not, there are plenty of other careers that could put your quirk to good use."
"A hero?" I thought to myself. "What a joke."
"A hero is the last thing I want to be."
<•------------•>
Dragons.
Beings of mass destruction.
Winged and horned serpentine beasts capable of breathing fire.
Wise. Ambitious. Energetic.
Terrifying. Aggressive. Fierce.
Scales and sharp spikes coating the outside of their reptilian bodies, acting as near-indestructible shields from attacks.
To some, a symbol of wrath and evil.
To others, a symbol of wisdom and good
A symbol of luck and power.
Are they malevolent or benevolent creatures?
Bringers of rainfall and bringers of floods.
Masters over all creatures. Masters over all beings.
And above all else. Masters of success.
The ability to overcome any and all obstacles to achieve even the most inconceivable ambitions and aspirations.
Me
<•------------•>
Sand Manipulation.
The ability to create and control large amounts of sand to attack and defend as well as form constructs out of said sand.
A simple ability that can suddenly skyrocket into something far more complex.
"It has both its strengths and weaknesses, with the weaknesses being so painfully obvious," I muttered aloud as I pushed through a small crowd of onlookers, gathered around a hero that I never bothered to learn the name of. After all, why would I bother to learn the name of a dead man?
"Today's the day. After this, there is no going back," I thought to myself, stuffing my hands into my pockets. If I can destroy a popular hero, I will instantly be seen as a force to be reckoned with. A force of nature that doesn't discriminate between people. Anyone and everyone is fair game.
That's what I want to be.
That's what I will be.
I shoved past a few more people, garnering a few words of disdain as a result, but I couldn't care less.
Finally, I escaped through the crowd of fanboys and fangirls, grumbling lowly to myself as I made a sudden but purposeful turn into a nearby alleyway, removing my hands from my pockets.
I took a deep breath, rubbing the back of my head as I called out... cried out for "help".
Crying out for someone, anyone to come and "save" me. I reached into my hoodie pocket, listening to the obnoxious words of a hero, reassuring someone of their safety.
Bang
I shot without mercy, small but lethal sparks of electricity crackling around the bullet as it entered the hero's body of sand.
Crackle
It was quick. Incredibly quick as electricity traveled through his body of sand, quickly heating him up to an incredible degree.
The hero had no time. No time to react. No time to scream or writhe in pain. No time to call for help.
After all, who'd be able to hear the screams and cries of a statue made out of glass?
Just as quickly as I had struck, I fled the scene, leaving behind the cold, soulless, motionless statue of a man who was only just alive mere seconds ago.
My first kill. The first of many deaths that would inevitably be caused by me.
<•------------•>
I was little older than 14 at the time, a monster in disguise who still lived with its mother. I never knew my father, and I couldn't care less about who the man was.
It was several decades ago, but I believe this was the day I finally decided to cut all emotional attachments I had. All of them.
I sat at the edge of my bed, cross legged with a sharp knife in hand, twirling it between my fingers as I contemplated on what I was to do.
I was going to go through with it, without a doubt. I would.
But what should I do after committing such an unspeakable act? Where would I go? What would I do?
I scoffed to myself, getting up to my feet, running a hand through my fluffy, black hair as I made my way to the door, reaching a hand out.
I grabbed onto the door knob, twisting it and pushing the door open as a small smile graced my lips.
"Doesn't matter. I'll figure it out later," I thought to myself, smile widening a bit as I made my way down the hallway, footsteps falling into a rhythm filled with excitement.
There wasn't even the slightest bit of conflict in my mind. No hesitation. No second guessing myself.
Splat
Squelch
Thump
She was none the wiser. Didn't make a single sound, gone quietly in a swift motion, falling to the the ground as blood bubbled out from her slit throat.
I whistled jovially as I stepped over the body, knife coated in blood. I reached out, grabbing onto a piece of cloth, wiping the blood off of the blade, tossing the cloth into the trash once I was done.
Crackle
I lit a match, twirling it between my fingers as I made my way for the front door, tossing the lit match onto the wooden floor behind me.
This was it. There was no turning back.
<•------------•>
I kept my arms crossed in front of my chest, leaning back in my chair as I stared at the group of wannabe villains that sat across from me.
"So what do you say, kid?" The leader of the group asked, a dark grin on his face, leaning forward.
I narrowed my eyes from behind my mask, tapping my head with my pointer finger in faux contemplation. "What do I say?" I repeated smugly, leaning forward as well, hands clasped together as I met the man's gaze from behind my mask.
"I say..."
"Fuck no."
I smiled wider at the man's shock, rising up to my feet whilst tapping a finger on the table.
"I'm a one man army, 'sir'. I work alone, and I don't feel the need to associate myself with a group. Especially not one as insignificant as yours," I spat, pushing myself away from the table, turning my back to the group of villains and criminals who were undoubtedly pissed off at my words.
Click
I narrowed my eyes, slowly turning my head to the right, looking back at the group who had all pulled guns out on me, each one pointed at a vital spot.
I smiled behind my mask at this, not moving an inch, standing perfectly still. "These pests have no idea what they're getting themselves into," I thought to myself, letting out a low sigh.
"You better watch yourself, brat. I don't normally kill children, but I may have to if you don't reconsider," the leader threatened, getting up to his feet as he approached closer.
"Idiot."
"I don't know what your quirk is, but the amount of success and recognition you've garnered over the past year can be beneficial. And with the resources we have, you'll be getting a lot out of it as well," the leader explained what he already had before, as if I hadn't heard him the first time.
"I know. And I already gave you my answer. I'm not interested. You all will only slow me down," I said, looking around the room, eyeing each and every member of this group.
"Besides, you all are already dead."
"I warned you, kid. You should've really reconsidered," the man said underneath a sighing breath, pressing his gun up against the back of my head.
"Yeah, maybe," I replied, continuing to smile evilly. "But I have to admit."
I whipped my foot backwards, kicking the leader in the balls in one swift motion.
"You're all really weak."
I bobbed my head to the side, avoiding a desperate bullet from the leader I had left strewn out on the ground from my attack, groaning in stifled pain.
Click
Clack
Bang
I leapt to the side, hiding behind a large shelf containing glass bottles of beer, avoiding several bullets that shot out towards me all at once.
I reached down by my hip, grasping my own firearm, performing my fastest quick draw, popping another member of the gang in the head, killing him instantly.
Of course, this wasn't any normal bullet.
I watched in sadistic pleasure as the crackling electricity surrounding the bullet spread out across the room, electrifying three more of the members before they could shoot me.
Bang
I slid under two more bullets, twirling my pistol in my right hand, only to quickly grip tightly around it, pulling the trigger unexpectedly.
The electric-bullet traveled through another member's chest, piercing their heart.
Crack
Glass shards shot out at me from all directions, surrounding me and making it nearly impossible for me to escape.
Nearly impossible.
"Must be one of these bastards' quirk," I reasoned in my head, pressing a button attached to my arm, a thin sheet of metal shooting out from underneath the button, wrapping and coiling around my entire body to protect me from the glass shards.
Bang
I didn't bother dodging the bullet, as it simply bounced off of my armor.
"You should've just let me go," I said, sighing lowly as my fist collided with another member's stomach, only for the metal coating around my fist to expand outwards into razor sharp spikes, drilling holes into the man's stomach.
Crackle
Bang
This time, I shot, sending out yet another electric bullet, this time aimed for the four remaining members, excluding the leader.
Electricity spun around the bullet as it traveled, shooting out in all directions, the tendrils of electricity breaking through skin and muscle fibers before the bullet itself even came into contact with one of them, killing them all instantly as the electricity traveled through each of them.
Click
My gaze fell on the leader who struggled to stand up straight, his rifle pointed straight at me, finger on the trigger.
I tilted my head to the side.
"Seriously? You think you can kill me? Did you not see what I just did to your underlings?" I questioned, with genuine confusion and amusement.
The man's hands were trembling, and yet, he took a single step forwards, keeping his rifle aimed for my head.
"I'm not surrendering to a child. If you're going to kill me... I'm going down on my own terms," the leader spat, immediately pulling the trigger after speaking, the large bullet flying straight for my head. But...
I whipped my head to the side, avoiding the bullet, only to pull out a knife and stab the man in one swift motion, moving faster than he could even perceive.
"I respect that," I said, chuckling softly to myself. "Unfortunately, your weakness led to this. You shouldn't have let your pride get the better of you. Maybe then, you would've wisely let me leave."
The man didn't respond, at least not with words. A wet cough came from the man's throat as he dropped the rifle to the ground.
"Oh. I'll be taking this gun, too. That bullet you shot seemed stronger than a normal rifle bullet. It could've dented my armor," I said, pushing the man to the side, only to reach down and pick up his rifle.
"Maybe I can modify it and make it better."
I shrugged, stepping over the leaders body, pushing the exit door open, ready to completely forget about this entire ordeal.
So I left, left behind the massacre of the infamous group of villains with a skip in my step, lightly humming sweet tunes to myself as I began to already forget the leader's face.
After all, why would I waste memory space on someone so pathetic?
<•------------•>
"P-please, sir... just a bit of mon—"
Bang
"I told you to shut your mouth, but you didn't obey," I muttered, staring at the newly made corpse of the annoying homeless woman. I scoffed to myself. It was the dead of night, no one would find this body any time soon.
That's not even mentioning the fact that this is an urban area of Hosu City. It's unlikely she'll be found till morning. Maybe even noon.
I whistled lightly to myself, twirling my gun around my pointer finger as I walked down the sidewalk. There wasn't many people out at this time of night, especially not in this area.
So when I heard a loud scream of pain coming from not too far away, I was intrigued. Sure, I had just killed someone, but they were annoying me and wouldn't shut the fuck up.
This on the other hand. This was interesting. "It wouldn't be too much trouble to see what this is about," I thought to myself, holstering my gun.
It didn't take long to get to the scene. After all, the scream had sounded pretty close by. I had expected a mugging, perhaps a murder or just plain old assault.
But whatever this was, was completely unexpected.
"Wind Breathing: Second Form: Claws—Purifying Wind!"
A young man, possibly in his early twenties lifted what seemed to be a katana, upwards towards the right, above his head, only to unleash four vertical slashes at once.
Each one traveled at immense speed towards his opponent, a grayish-green man who looked to be around the same age as the katana wielder.
My eyes narrowed, as I reached a hand down towards my pistol.
"A fight? No... there's more to it."
"Something's off..." I observed, focusing my gaze onto the strange looking man who dodged the katana wielder's slashes, an arm getting chopped off in the process.
I snickered quietly to myself. "That's gotta hurt."
But to my surprise, not only did the strange looking man not even make a small wince in pain, his missing arm grew back in mere seconds.
I frowned, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Neither of them seemed to have noticed me, which was good. I wanted to observe a bit more before either of them noticed my presence.
"A powerful regeneration quirk?" I contemplated.
"No. It seemed... more than that. I've never seen a regeneration quirk act as fast as this one had. Let alone it being so effective in recreating a lost limb. This was otherworldly. It may be ridiculous to say this, but... the one with the regeneration quirk almost didn't seem human."
And I couldn't quite put my finger onto why that was.
"Blood Demon Art"
I perked up a bit, my interest heightened to an even greater degree.
"Demon?"
"Wind Breathing: Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!"
Before the man with the regeneration quirk could activate whatever it was he was preparing, the katana wielder backflipped into the air, unleashing a powerful gust of circular wind while upside down, that slashed apart everything below him, including the regeneration man.
One of the slashes broke through the man's neck, swiftly beheading him as blood splattered onto the ground.
"I wonder... can he regenerate from that?" I thought to myself, taking a step closer, still managing to remain completely unseen by the katana wielder.
But before the katana wielder could even realize I was there, he fell flat onto his face, katana clattering onto the ground right beside his unconscious body.
At the exact same time, the decapitated head of the grayish-green man began to... disintegrate? The same happened to the rest of his body.
"Interesting."
My attention and gaze returned to the unconscious katana wielder, eyes shut as he laid on the ground.
I smirked, walking towards him, easily picking him up, along with his katana. "Looks like all of that strength training paid off, otherwise there'd be no way I could carry this guy."
"Let's get you somewhere safe, pal."
<•------------•>
I downed an entire glass of cold water, resting my upper body on my table counter, panting lightly as I finally began to catch my breath.
"Even for me, that was difficult," I muttered aloud. "Obliterating ten heroes at once sure was fun, but... less fun than I thought it'd be. I didn't expect them all to be high-ranking. It doesn't matter anyways. They didn't manage to inflict any serious injuries onto me."
I slammed the glass bottle onto the counter next to me, letting out a final sigh of breath, pushing myself up onto my feet.
Creak
I rose to attention, tapping a finger on the counter table, head turned to face the slowly opening door.
"So you're finally awake, katana wielder," I observed, presenting the man with a wide smile, leaning my body up against the tall counter table. "I was starting to think you were dead."
The man was wrapped up in bandages, thanks to me. He had many injuries after fighting whatever that creature was last night. His katana was in his right hand, left hand holding his side.
"Who the hell are you? Where am I?" The man questioned with venom. Even in this injured state, there was a decent amount of bloodlust that oozed off of him. It was almost scary. Almost.
Although, if this man were at full strength, I had a feeling he'd be able to quite easily kick my ass.
I put my hands up in faux defensiveness.
"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you or anything of the sort," I said, reaching up to my face and completely taking my dragon mask off of my face.
"See? Just a kid."
The man's eyes narrowed, frowning a bit as our gazes met.
He had intense yellow eyes that seemed to be quite observant, taking apart everything about me. I already had a sense that he knew a decent bit about me just by looking at me. It was strange.
The man didn't drop his katana, but he drop his stance.
"Grea—"
My eyes widened in shock, the cold, sharp edge of the metal blade now pressed up against my neck. One second, the man was standing at the other side of the room, and the next, he was in front of me.
"A speed quirk?" I thought to myself, narrowing my eyes.
"Your eyes scream evil. They ooze malice. Tell me why I'm here, and I won't kill you, boy," the man said, staring into my eyes like a predator ready to kill its prey.
I dropped my smile. It was intimidating, but I wasn't fearful. I made sure to drop all sense of fear and remove it from my mind.
"This is the thanks I get for helping your useless ass?" I spat, glaring into his eyes with the same level of animosity he had.
"I saw you fight that person. If it could even be called that. It didn't feel human."
At this, the man's eyes narrowed slightly, a bit of his malice disappearing from his eyes, being replaced with caution.
"Your swordsmanship was commendable, as well."
"You see, I'm a person who likes to be knowledgeable. As knowledgeable as possible. Everything I saw and felt in that little confrontation was... interesting. So if you want to know why you're here, then you have your answer. I want information. It's the least you could do after I treated your injuries."
My smile returned. "So why don't you get that katana away from my neck and we talk about this like civilized people?"
Civilized. What a joke. I was far from civilized. But if I wanted this man to answer any of my questions, then I'd have to act like it.
"Fine," the man eventually agreed after a long drawn out silence, moving the katana away from my neck, taking several steps back as what seemed like pain shot throughout his body, since he winced and clutched at his side.
"So moving that fast must've hurt him. It makes sense. His injuries haven't completely healed," I thought to myself.
He took a seat next to the counter, and I did as well, sitting across from him, propping up my head with my hand.
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." the man muttered underneath his breath. "Look, before I tell you anything, you must promise not to inform anyone about this. The only reason why I'm agreeing to this is because I do owe you."
I nodded. "I have nothing to gain by telling others. I work alone anyways, so you don't have to worry about that," I responded.
The man stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at me with narrowed eyes.1
"Okay."
"The thing I was fighting is known as a demon. They're man-eating creatures, and it's my job to dispose of them," the man explained, resting his katana on his lap as he spoke.
I raised an eyebrow, snorting quietly. "Forgive me, but... are you mentally ill? Demons aren't real."
The man closed his eyes, letting out a sigh whilst shaking his head from side to side. "Believe me or not, it's the truth. If anything, I'd prefer it if you didn't believe me, it'd make all of this a lot less troublesome."
"Hmm."
"He doesn't seem to be lying. I don't see any tells. But still, he could just be crazy and believe this to be the truth. After all, demons are a myth. A scary bedtime story to get naughty children to behave," I thought to myself, leaning forward a bit.
"Tell me more. What was that blood demon art the thing was about to use?" I asked. As I asked this, I realized that 'demon' was in fact in the name of whatever the attack was going to be. Perhaps this man had more credence to his words than I originally thought. But, I'd be the judge of whether this is the truth or a bunch of baloney.
"Hmph. So you heard that too, huh?" The man said before sighing. "Fine. Blood demon arts are supernatural abilities exclusive to demons. Think of it as blood magic, being able to create or manipulate things thanks to their blood. Only stronger, more developed demons can use blood demon arts, weaker ones can't."
I nodded along with what the man was saying.
"Blood Magic..." I repeated aloud, drumming my fingers on the counter top.
This was a lot to take in, even for someone as well-composed as myself. It sounded crazy, and yet... Something was telling me to believe this man. I had no idea what, but I felt inclined to.
I had always believed that there was something greater than humanity. Perhaps these "demons" were that something.
"Demons. How did they come to exist? Are they a separate species entirely? Have they always existed alongside us?" I asked aloud, eyes narrowing.
"They first appeared 1500 or so years ago. If a human's body is exposed to demonic blood, then they will be turned into a demon. Once a demon, you must consume humans to become stronger," the man explained.
"Interesting," I muttered aloud. "Maybe..."
"Weaknesses. What weaknesses do they have?" I questioned. The way I asked it seemed to put the man on edge for a moment, but he eventually decided to answer.
"Sunlight. If they are exposed to sunlight and are to stay in sunlight for too long, then they will evaporate. Another way to kill them is by using a specific type of blade made from a metal that has bathed in the sunlight. Even then, you can only kill them via decapitation. They also aren't the biggest fans of wisteria, so get enough of it and they can be poisoned."
"So even creatures as interesting as demons have their weaknesses. But it seems that, compared to a human, they have far less than we do," I thought to myself, smiling wider.
Before I could ask another question, it seemed as though the man wanted a turn.
"Where are your parents?" The man asked, seriously.
I tilted my head to the side.
"What?"
"You heard me, kid. Now answer the question. Where are your parents?" He repeated.
I frowned.
"I never knew my dad. My mom died over a year ago. Our house caught fire," I responded with faux sorrow.
I technically didn't lie. Our house did catch fire. However, this man didn't need to know that I was the one who set it on fire, nor did he need to know that the flames weren't what killed her.
The man's eyes narrowed. "You... seem awfully well off despite living alone. What exactly are you up to, kid?"
I shrugged. "I'm just doing what I want."
"Mhm."
The man didn't pry for anymore information, instead rising up to his feet, not seeming to want to answer any more of my questions, which was fair, I suppose. He already answered a decent amount of them.
"And where are you going?" I asked, turning my body as he walked past me, starting towards the front door.
He turned his head, side-eyeing me.
"I need to get back to base," he responded simply, opening the front door, walking out and closing it behind him.
"Base, huh? So there are more of you."
<•------------•>
"The Villain known as Dragon has recently become an S-class threat. Many heroes all over the country are searching for him, attempting to put a stop to whatever atrocities he may have planned for us next."
Click
I turned the TV off, scoffing at the reporter's words. "It's taken them long enough to give me that rank. Not that I care much for rankings, but I expected to have gotten it a while ago."
"Don't you agree with me, whoever's in my goddamn house?" I questioned frustratedly, turning my head slightly while getting up to my feet.
I had expected silence or soft whispers and curses of panic. However, what I certainly didn't expect was for whoever was in my house to actually agree with me.
"Indeed," the voice responded, confidently.
I smirked. "Normally, people would cower in fear when they're around me, especially when I've caught them snooping around in my house. Why aren't you doing the same?" I asked, impressed at the complete lack of concern for the bloodlust I was letting loose.
The voice only chuckled as the silhouette of a tall, imposing man stepped out of the shadows. "The same goes for myself. I'm impressed with your confidence, young one."
My eyes widened, a small smile gracing my lips as I looked into the imposing red eyes similar to my own.
"All For One," I realized aloud, stepping around my couch to get closer to the man, stopping a few meters short. "Now I didn't think I'd meet you so soon."
All For One chuckled, hands clasped behind his back. "Quite."
"I've seen what you can do... Hisashi Midoriya."
At this, my smile dropped, as I frowned up at the otherwise terrifying villain, being met with a smile second to none in terms of creepiness.
"What? Did you not believe that it'd be painfully easy for me to figure out who you were, Dragon? All it took was a tad bit of digging into government files."
My eyes narrowed. "Right."
"Well. Enough with the 'small talk'. I'm here for something quite important. I think you'll be interested in what I have to offer."
I crossed my arms in front of my chest, expressing disinterest as blatantly as I possibly could. "I'm not joining you, All For One. Other people may be terrified of you, but I'm not. So, you can go now. I'm not interested."
All For One chuckled.
"I'm sure you're not. Which is why I would like to make a deal," All For One responded, seemingly unbothered by my disrespect.
"Whatever it is, I want no part in i—"
"I'd like to grant you a quirk. Well, a more offensively useful one compared to the one you have now," All For One interrupted, smile widening as he stepped closer.
My eyes widened in shock, only for me to instantly bury that shock underneath a layer of skepticism.
"A quirk, huh? You're not one to do something like that so easily," I stated, incredulously.
"Indeed, which is why I want to make a deal that would benefit you more than I," the man lied through his teeth.
I frowned. "Go on."
No matter how highly I may view myself, there was no way in hell I was beating All For One, or escaping him. I'm not strong enough for that just yet. So, I'd have to come up with someway to avoid getting annihilated if I refuse his offer.
If I can't, then...
"I'm not interested in you working under me completely. Think of this as more of a partnership. If I call on you for assistance, you must do so. If you call for my assistance, I'll be there. And to seal the deal..." All For One held his hand out, the hole in his palm glowing a strange, dim red.
"A quirk. A quirk that, I believe will satisfy you. All you have to do is shake my hand, Dragon."
I took in a deep breath, only to let that same breath go after a couple of seconds. What choice do I have? Whatever, I'll find a way to escape his control when the time is right.
I looked up, meeting the man's intense gaze. "Fine, I guess."
I took All For One's hand, shaking it, now truly sealing the deal. But there wasn't much else I could do. I know what happens when you make deals with All For One, even if they may seem beneficial to you more than him.
He'll have me under his control, I know it.
So, I just need to find a way to escape his control after agreeing.
Easier said than done.
"Perfect," All For One muttered, reaching his left hand out for my face, grabbing onto it gently.
"This may hurt, so prepare yourself my boy."
I sucked in a deep breath as my entire body writhed in pain. Although, I didn't allow for a single sound to escape my throat. I wasn't about to scream in pain before this giant of a man. I had more self-respect.
But, I couldn't stop myself from falling to the ground once it was all over, landing on my hands and knees, vision becoming incredibly blurry.
"Impressive. You may be the first who's managed to stay conscious during a quirk transfer. You'll go far, Dragon, especially with me by your side," All For One said, chuckling lightly to himself while I made several gasps for air.
"Wha-"
I interrupted myself, sucking in yet another large breath of air before slowly exhaling, forcing myself back up to my feet.
"What qu-quirk? What quirk di-d you g-give me?" I questioned, painfully raising my head to meet the man's gaze once again.
"Oh, just one that I believe suits you, mainly due to your villain name."
Yes. I remember. I was 17 at the time that I first met All For One. 17. The age where my body became accustomed to my new, better quirk.
Fire breath.
<•------------•>
It's been five years since then, since I sold my soul to the devil.
I've continued making a name for myself, doing what I want, when I want. Of course the man had lied all those years ago. That's how he gets what he wants. That's how he puts people on leashes.
But, what answer was I supposed to give him back then?
Saying no to All For One is never a good option. Despite having said no at first, I saw that look in his eyes. He was ready to either force that quirk onto me or kill me.
And I knew I'd have no chance of preventing him from doing either.
Looking back on it, I would've preferred to fight back. I shouldn't have shown weakness to the most dangerous human alive.
Most dangerous human.
Ever since the day that katana wielder answered my questions, I have yet to meet another demon. Or, maybe I have, and I just haven't realized it yet.
Whatever the case, it's unlikely he was telling the truth. Because I've searched for them. I've searched for people like that katana wielder, but I've failed, time and time again.
So now, I've given up. That's not something I enjoy doing... Giving Up.
However, I simply have my focus pointed elsewhere at the moment, so there'd be no point in wasting my time continuing this search.
I do hope it's all real. Perhaps... demon blood is the key to breaking me free from All For One's control.
No.
I don't need any damn assistance. I'll find a way to break free on my own.
I don't need some mythical children's tale to "save" me.
I trudged down the hallway, clicking my tongue as I did so.
I'll confront this bastard on my own.
No one. And I mean no one prevents me from having my fun. No one prevents me from doing what I want.
I've grown since then. I've grown exponentially since I was 17.
I'm stronger now. Far stronger than I have ever been, even when limited to All For One's control. It doesn't matter.
I could kill him. Right here, right now.
I'll make sure of it.
I swung the door open, not wasting any time, breathing a large wave of flames into the wide-open room, searing everything within the immense heat.
However, much to my dismay, the flames were instantly dispersed by a powerful, concentrated blast of air that sent me back several meters.
"Tsk."
"Ah, Dragon. I didn't expect to see you here today, especially since I haven't called you for anything," All For One said, a smile on his face as he made his way down the small flight of stairs within the room that led up to the lab equipment.
"Don't act so casual, All For One. I'm here to kill you, you know that. So come down here and fight me," I ordered, angrily approaching the man as I began gathering flames in my throat.
All For One frowned raising an eyebrow as he lifted his right arm.
He was several meters away from me, and yet, this simple movement forced me to fall down onto the ground onto my knees, a sharp pain shooting out across my midsection.
I coughed up a bit of blood. "What the fuck...?" I muttered aloud, arms and legs trembling as I tried my hardest to get back up onto my feet, only to fail.
"Dragon, I assumed you were smarter than this. Smart enough to know that you don't hold a candle to me. You attempted to kill me. I ought to wipe you off the face of the Earth for merely having the urge to try," All For One spoke, but I wasn't listening, not truly.
I was hearing him just fine, but I was listening to my own thoughts.
"So that's what he did specifically. He must've laced my quirk up with some sort of trap. If I disobey, then this happens," I thought to myself, still struggling to get back up.
The pain only increased the more I struggled. It was almost enough for me to scream in pain. But I can't feel pain. I shouldn't be able to feel pain. But I was. I was feeling it quite well.
But, I still wouldn't scream.
I wouldn't scream.
I'd fight back.
"And you still try to defy me," All For One muttered grimly, stepping closer, slamming his foot down on my head with immense strength, cracking the floor beneath me.
I grunted in pain for the first time since childhood, fingers twitching as I attempted to grasp at anything I could use to fight back.
There was nothing.
All For One removed his foot, stepping around me to crouch down by my side.
"Your intelligence is second only to myself and yet you still thought it logical to attempt such a thing?" He questioned in an amused tone of voice, chuckling lightly.
"Perhaps I'll let you continue to suffer for a little longer, teach you a lesson."
I smirked wildly, arms trembling as I pushed myself up an inch or two, slowly turning my head to meet All For One's gaze.
"I'm not the one... who'll be learning a lesson!" I shouted, delivering a powerful blow on the side of All For One's face, a slight cracking and snapping of bone echoing throughout the room.
All For One stumbled back, shock evident in his expression.
Finally, I forced myself back up onto my feet, rising to full height, cracking my neck and back.
"Hmph. How insolent," All For One spat, opening his hand only to close it immediately after, the pain in my body increasing tenfold.
I slouched over, nearly falling back down to the ground, only barely managing to fight back.
I took a single step forward, my heart thumping faster and faster as I strained my already overwhelmed body.
All For One wasn't intimidated. Why would he be?
However, he was thrown off guard by my sheer resolve.
Dragons.
Masters of success.
I would succeed. I would break free from his control.
"I may not be able to kill you All For One. But... I promise you this. I'll break free from your control today," I spat.
"Hellfire!"
My blood felt like it was boiling underneath my skin as flames exploded outwards, consuming the entire room in the amount of mere seconds.
My throat burned, turning soar as I felt the metallic taste of blood stain my tongue.
Smoke bellowed out of the corners of my mouth and out my nostrils as I pushed my fire breath to its limits.
Perpetually creating more and more flames.
"Air Cannon!"
The same concentrated blast of air from before broke through my attack, sending me flying into a nearby wall. However, I quickly got back up to my feet, avoiding ten black and red tendril like weapons that shot out from AFO's fingertips.
The wall behind me cracked from the impacts of the tendrils as I continued to run away from them, ignoring the intense amount of pain my body was going through.
My heart was beating so fast it felt like it had already beaten a hundred times in the past minute.
I felt like I would die from shock. But that's a pathetic way to go. I wouldn't die today. I knew that for sure.
"Hardflame Fan!"
My eyes widened as I leapt back, avoiding the intense wall of flames that blocked my path to All For One.
"Brawn Boost!"
I flinched at the terrifyingly close voice, All For One moving fast enough to appear beside me without me noticing.
His fist connected with my ribcage, creating several audible and painful cracks and snaps as my ribcage was obliterated by a single blow.
I coughed up a river of blood as I slammed into another wall.
"Rivet Stab!"
The same black tendrils with red cracks from before shot out at me once again, this time succeeding in their mission to pierce me.
I gasped in pain as I struggled to catch my breath, my lungs in immense pain.
However, before I could be pulled towards All For One, I used all of my physical strength to snap each rivet at the point of contact with my body, leaving bits and pieces of them poking out of my body.
But I was still free from their hold on me.
The pain from my injuries began to mix with the pain caused by All For One's control, nearly causing me to keel over as soon as I had broken those rivets. But, I forced myself back up to full height, staring All For One down, red meeting red.
"Such a shame. Such talent and skill gone to waste. I suppose I don't necessarily need you anymore," All For One said, raising an arm, only for it to enlarge greatly.
"Hypertrophy!"
He dashed towards me with murderous intent, but I stood my ground, gathering an immense amount of flames in my throat, but—
"Ack!"
I coughed up more blood, small puffs of smoke escaping. My body gave out at the worst possible time as All For One's fist collided with my stomach, sending me crashing completely through the wall, forcing me outside.
"Agh!"
I screamed. I screamed in pain as I plummeted towards the ground at high speeds, losing consciousness before splattering onto the ground.
Or at least. That should've happened if it weren't for him.
<•------------•>
I gasped loudly, body flying forward for a split second, coughing several times as memories of the fight came back to me. Well, if you could even call it a fight.
I brought a hand to my chest, clutching at my heart as I felt weakness for the first time in years. Against a man as powerful as All For One, I was nothing.
Was nothing.
"Oh, so you're awake," a voice said from beside me.
I whipped my head to my left to face whoever was here, throwing myself to my feet, instantly getting ready to murder a man.
"Who are you?" I questioned, no, demanded an answer as I looked at the red-haired man with animosity and malice.
The red-haired man's eyes narrowed at me, as he too rose to full height, arms by his side as he remained unmoving.
"Tanjiro Kamado. The demon king," he introduced himself simply.
I frowned. "You? You're the demon king? Don't make me laugh."
He only frowned, tilting his head to the side as he stared into my eyes.
"You said that as if you expected something more. Which means you already know of demons. Which also means you still have your human memories. How?"
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "What do you mean still have my human memories? Of course I do. I'm huma—"
That's when it clicked for me. My mind went back to what that supposed demon slayer had told me all those years ago. How demons multiply by exposing humans to their blood.
Had this "demon King" done the same to me?
Am I a... "demon", now?
"I'm a demon..." I whispered, but he seemed to hear me just fine.
"Yes, you are. You haven't changed much in appearance, though," Kamado said, continuing to just stand there.
I didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, all of my weaknesses as a human have been wiped clean, now with only three weaknesses as a demon. On the other hand, I was now likely under yet another person's control. This went against everything I stood for.
I want to do whatever I want, whenever I want.
That was my whole motivation. If I could grow to the point where no one could stop me from fulfilling my own desires, then I'd truly be without weakness.
But here the demon king is, standing before me. He'd force me to do his bidding as well, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I let out a soft sigh, balling my hands into fists.
The man began to walk away, into the night.
"Wait! Where are you going. What in the world am I supposed to do here?" I questioned in frustration, frowning as he didn't even turn around to face me.
The demon king shrugged. "I have places to be. Responsibilities to attend to. You may do whatever you'd like. If you can grow strong enough as a demon, you may see me again. Just... make sure to stay out of the sunlight."
"Stay out of the sunlight..." I thought to myself. "Right."
<•------------•>
And that's what I did. I didn't need the demon king to tell me stay out of the sunlight, I instinctively knew not to, even if I hadn't been told before by that one demon slayer.
I was out of All For One's control now, and have been for years.
I've eaten many humans. Many humans.
I've also continued my appearances as Dragon. Even while working with All For One, my fire breath was never caught on camera, due to the limitations that were placed upon me by All For One.
With him, I couldn't do whatever I wanted. But now that I'm a demon, I could.
Crack
I snapped the corpse's arm in half, only to tear it off with brute strength a second after, biting into it.
It wasn't as hard of a transition as I thought it'd be. Turns out, I had no qualms with devouring humans, not even when it was the first time I did so.
Doing so only acted to further my goals, and so I never hesitated to kill a human out of hunger, especially when I'd kill humans before becoming a demon for less of a reason.
Whoosh
There are many things I tend to expect or predict in my life, many things that I know will happen before they eventually happen.
But meeting that one demon slayer again wasn't one of them.
"Wind Breathing: Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist!"
I twisted my body to the side, narrowly avoiding the demon slayer's attack, the slash flying upwards into the air.
I leapt back after evading the first strike in preparation for another attack, but it never came.
"It's been a while," I greeted, smiling maliciously at the man from a decade prior. I still remembered him, but he didn't seem to remember me. Or at the very least, didn't seem to recognize me.
"I've never met you before, demon. And I'll see to it that you never meet anyone else again after tonight," the man responded, turning around to face me, his katana in hand, fully ready to strike.
"Oh, come on. You remember me, don't you, katana wielder?" I asked, glaring at the man.
At that, his eye's widened, only to narrow a second later as he raised his katana. "I shouldn't have left so quickly. I should've known you would've attempted something like this when you seemed far too interested in the demons."
"Oh so you do remember. Great. I don't really feel like killing you right now, so would you mind fucking off? You're interrupting my dinner," I said in as kind of a tone as I could, but the man only scoffed, raising his katana up higher above his head.
"Wind Breathing: Second Form: Claws—Purifying Wind!"
I dodged to the right, avoiding the four vertical slashes that shot towards me.
"Blood Demon Art: Storm of Scales!"
I wasted no time. This man... I remember his skills. I remember his speed. But now...
This was nothing compared to what I could do. This fight wouldn't last more than five minutes. Besides, he's not wearing the demon slayer uniform. Either he wasn't on patrol or he has retired.
I sent out dozens of scales that shot out in all directions, spinning like saw blades, tearing through everything that came in their way.
"Wind Breathing: Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash!"
He leapt into the air, swinging his blade which generated many circular torrents of wind that deflecting a decent amount of my scales. However, a few of them still managed to break through his defenses, leaving gashes all over his body.
"Gah!"
I let out an excited chuckle as I dashed forward, surrounding my right arm with scales, only to punch him straight in the gut before he touched the ground.
The man coughed up blood, sent flying back by the force of my punch.
I didn't let up, surrounding both of my arms with more scales, sending them all towards the man, only for him to successfully deflect all of them.
Crack
Splat
Well. All except one.
A single scale swiftly and cleanly sliced his left hand off, leaving him with only one hand to swing with.
The man's eyes widened in what could only be described as a combination between shock and horror.
"This may only be our second meeting, but... you have managed to teach me quite a bit," I said, taking a single step closer to the man as I began manipulating some more of my scales, forming them into a large blade of scales.
"Blood Demon Art: Scaleblade."
The man frowned, raising his katana, refusing to back down.
"Your wind breathing is impressive. I hope you don't mind if I modify it a bit."
"Dragon Breathing: First Scale: Dragon's Tempest!"
The last bit of life and emotion that I saw in that man's eyes before he died was that of shock, confusion, horror, pain, and disbelief all at once.
It wasn't hard to replicate his style into something I could use. All I needed to do was get rid of the style's weaknesses. A demon using a breathing style... Probably wasn't expecting that to be the last thing he saw before he died.
Clap
My eyes widened slightly, turning around to stare at the newcomer.
I got on one knee, bowing before the man despite not wanting to. "Sir," I called him, because there was no way in hell I was calling him 'sama'.
"I'm impressed. You've grown quite fast, Dragon," Kamado said, stepping closer towards me.
I nodded. "Yes."
"Here, take more of my blood. With this, you'll become my new lower moon 6.
<•------------•>
I continued to climb up the ranks, defeating lower moon after lower moon via blood battles. It wasn't difficult. As soon as I was made into Lower 6, I worked to become the strongest even among demons.
Kamado may not be the same as AFO, but his very presence is limiting what I am capable of doing. He's limiting what I can and cannot do.
It's frustrating having to know that even after transcending the strength of humans, I am still nowhere near reaching the top. But I would eventually. That was a promise.
Now, I'm Lower 1, garnering that title a mere 6 months after becoming Lower 6.
It was hilarious seeing the faces of the other lower moons after I took their spot right from under them one by one.
Both my control over my flames and scales have increased drastically. To the point where I felt as though I could do almost anything.
It was... exhilarating.
I now truly had the chance to achieve what I promised to do when was just ten years old.
Still, even as a demon, I have my weaknesses, same as any other demon.
The demon king is the only one of us to be devoid of these weaknesses. He's the only one without weakness, the only one who was truly... immortal.
I didn't want to be like the demon king. I wanted to be better. I wanted to be the symbol of wrath and freedom. I wanted to be free to inflict my wrath and desires onto anyone and everyone.
And while I don't feel a dislike towards the demon king directly, I truly dislike what he is.
He is what I promised to be.
Perhaps... there is a way I could work past that. Perhaps there is a way I could get rid of these weaknesses. Perhaps there is a way to walk amongst the humans. Perhaps—
"Look out!"
I nonchalantly raised my head, staring up above me as I sensed danger.
I narrowed my eyes at the large object falling down on top of me. However, just before it could...
It stopped.
It froze in midair mere centimeters away from my head.
"A metal beam?" I thought to myself.
If it had struck my head, it would've just bounced off. However...
I stepped to the side, moving away from the floating metal beam. As soon as I did, it fell, hitting the ground.
"Are you alright, sir?" A female voice asked from a meter in front of me.
I turned my head to face the woman.
She was genuinely beautiful, tall and slim. She had broccoli green hair, and I likely stood there longer than appropriate wondering if it was natural or hair dye. Her green eyes were a lighter green than her hair, eyes filled with worry.
That's the day when I first got the idea. When I first thought of the inconceivable.
Yes. My path to become a being without weakness would begin here, and with her quirk, it might just be possible.
A creature I could create without human or demon weaknesses. And once it's made... I'll consume it to gain those attributes for myself.
This would work. I'll make sure of it.
<•------------•>
It most certainly did not work.
"Quirkless? Quirkless?" I thought to myself, smiling manically as I punched the alleyway wall with all of my strength, dragging my razor sharp claws through the brick wall.
I gritted my teeth, throat beginning to heat up as smoke flowed out of my nostrils and the corners of my mouth.
I punched the wall again, and again, and again, and again.
"Hey! What are you—"
I didn't give what sounded like a hero anymore time to speak, snapping my fingers as he instantly exploded into a pile of flesh and bone fragments thanks to my scales tearing through his body in an instant.
"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, tearing my claws away from the brick wall.
My eyes twitched from anger, chest heaving up and down uncontrollably.
"When that brat was born, I didn't sense an ounce of that blood inside of him, but I assumed that it was just dormant. I had and still do have plenty of time to wait, so I did. And now I find out that he's quirkless as well? No fucking way he is what I made him to be!"
I slammed my fist onto the wall once again and then again and then again, letting out every ounce of my anger onto the brick wall.
"He's failed me..." I grumbled, teeth painfully grinding together. "I might as well kill them both!"
I blinked several times, shaking my head as my body shook and seethed with rage.
"No. No... there's still a chance. There's still a chance. How slim that chance is, is something I can't estimate. But, there has to be a chance. There just has to be."
Maybe... I'll just have to beat it out of him.
Even if it takes a few years for me to do so.
<•------------•>
They were holding me back. They were constantly holding me back from growing into something greater.
These damned lower moons were holding me back.
I had managed it. After so many years, I had finally managed to break free from the demon king's control earlier this same night.
"I guess I'll just have to dispose of them," I thought to myself, my scale-cladded arm rising up, striking Lower 3 across the jaw, blasting his entire head off. Immediately after, I tore him to shreds with a storm of scales, reducing him to a pile of flesh onto the ground.
It'd take a while for him to regenerate, but that's the most problematic one of them out of commission for the time being.
Having to focus so much energy into regeneration would prevent him from using that damned illusion blood demon art.
"What the hell?!" Lower 2 shouted, looking at me with a shocked expression.
"Are you telling me you didn't expect this?" I questioned, grabbing the Lower 2's head, only to slam him onto the ground, draining his blood from his head through my claws.
Crack
I was interrupted by a powerful burst of wood that managed to break through a layer of my scales. "Lower 4..." I muttered as I rose back up to full height.
I didn't have to explain what I was trying to do. It was obvious what I was trying to do.
A large, crescent-shaped glass shard pierced me through the heart, slicing through my scales like butter.
"Tsk."
Lower 5.
Lower 6 approached me from behind, slamming his fist onto my back, sending me flying forwards several meters.
"Blood Demon Art: Forest Encapsulation!"
Dozens of tall, wide trees shot up out of the ground, surrounding me on all sides, completely covering the night sky above as they began enclosing closer in on me.
"Blood Demon Art: Scaleblade!"
I swung my Scaleblade around in all directions, destroying each and every one of the trees with ease.
No doubt, he's attempting to find me as quickly as possible, but... it'll be too late.
I'll kill and absorb every last one of these lower mons before he gets here. Once I do, I'll return home and dispose of those two. Nothing I try is working. It would seem as though I was a bit too ambitious in achieving something truly impossible.
"Dragon Breathing: Sixth Scale: Winged Beast Slash!"
I performed several chaotic circular slashes, creating ring-like shockwaves aided by my scales, which tore through all of the lower moons.
"Blood Demon Art: Glassfall!"
Many large shards of glass appeared above me, shooting downwards at incredible speeds.
I maneuvered through it, avoiding each one as I ran towards Lower 5. Lower 5's glass shards are incredibly sharp. Too sharp.
They're sharper than my own scales.
"Dragon Breathing: Second Scale: Wyvern's Tail!"
I transformed my Scaleblade into something more akin to a whip, swinging it around, obliterating more trees and grass shards.
Lower 6 ran towards me from my left, fist coated in brick, fist colliding with my head.
My head whipped to the side from the force of the impact, but I managed to get my bearings, head butting Lower 6 in retaliation.
"Blood Demon Art: Reinforced Sphere!"
I surrounded both Lower 6 and I in a larger orb made of scales, each scale reinforced in durability and density to a far greater degree than my normal scales.
"Shit..." Lower 6 muttered as he realized he had no way of escaping. Not even Lower 5's glass shards could slice through these reinforced scales.
Lower 6 attempted to fight back, but I easily overpowered him, grabbing him by the neck, absorbing him completely and assimilating him into my own body.
I let out a shaky breath as I allowed for my technique to disperse, which caused me to be sliced by glass shards the instant I did so.
"Absorbing a lower moon was far more effortful than I thought it'd be," I said aloud.
"You damn bastard!" Lower 2 exclaimed as he dashed towards me.
"I'll have to in this all quickly."
"Dragon Breathing: Eighth Scale: Ryujin no ikari!"
I created an intense shockwave that shot out in all directions, along with both scales and flames.
Everything around us was instantly destroyed, Lower 2, Lower 4, and Lower 5 all took the brunt of the attack, each one of them. They all exploded into loss limbs and pools of blood from the scales that accompanied the shockwave.
The fight was over faster than it started. Didn't even give them time to use their quirks as well.
"That was quite easy," I muttered aloud.
One by one, I approached the slowly regenerating bodies of the lower moons, absorbing them into myself before they could even scream.
"Compared to the other lower moons, I'm a god. They knew that and yet they still tried to fight back. If they had only accepted their fates, I may have made this less painful."
"How?"
I turned my head to face whoever had said that. Lower 3.
"How the hell did you..." Lower 3 wasn't able to finish his sentence, struggling to even get back up to his feet as his body was still desperately trying to regenerate from the attack I had used against him at the beginning.
I tilted my head to the side. I kept quiet as I approached Lower 3. I could tell he was attempting to activate his illusions. But I wouldn't let him.
I raised my Scaleblade above my head, perfectly ready to behead him.
"I swear... I'll..—"
Crackle
My eyes widened as I screamed in pain both of my arms being instantly sliced off, faster than I could even comprehend.
It wasn't Lower 3, no.
He looked just as shocked and confused as I was.
"What the fuck did you do, Dragon?"
I swallowed deeply. "Shit! He wasn't supposed to get here so fast!"
"K-Kamado-sama!" Lower 3 exclaimed, fear in his voice.
Tanjiro Kamado didn't reply, at least not immediately.
"Lower 3. You may go, I'd like to talk to you afterwards. Right now... I must... take care of something," Kamado said, voice laced with venom.
Lower 3 didn't waste any time, quickly running away from the scene, leaving me at the mercy of the strongest creature to have ever walked this Earth. The strongest in existence.
And the amount of wrath and fury that was held in those dull, red eyes shook me to my very core.
Fear.
I felt true, true fear.
<•------------•>
And now we're here, in the present day.
My decapitated head flying through the air, slammed onto the ground mere seconds later, rolling into a nearby alleyway.
This was it. My death.
Killed by the very thing I sought to create. He didn't even awaken. He didn't even achieve what I wanted him to.
I'll die before I can see him achieve it.
No...
I won't die here. I can't. I won't allow it.
I will live and—
I felt a hand pick my head up from off the ground, lifting me up.
At first, I assumed it was Izuku, but as soon as I caught a glimpse of those red eyes, I knew that wasn't the case. I knew.
"Tanjiro," I spat, grinning a bit. "How coincidental. Took you long enough to find me. While I'm on death's door, no less."
Tanjiro scoffed, tightening his grip out of what seemed to be anger.
"I could've killed you earlier, Hisashi Midoriya. However, I felt as though it was that child's fight, not mine," Tanjiro said, frowning. "Besides, you'd feel a lot more weak if it were your own son who killed you and not me."
I chuckled lowly to myself. "Yes, I suppose you're right about that," I admitted, closing my eyes for a moment as my head continued to disintegrate in Tanjiro's palm.
I opened my eyes again, staring at him.
"So, feeling any regrets?~"
"Far too many. More than you know," Tanjiro answered, truthfully. "I should've killed you when you murdered the past lower moons. I shouldn't have shown you mercy."
"I agree. That damned mask repressed both my power and my memories, but your mistake was keeping me alive. You see, that's your one weakness, Tanjiro. You're far too kind to be a demon king."
Tanjiro nodded solemnly. "I know."
"I know."
Barely even half of my head was still stable, the other half having completely faded away, leaving me with just one eye left.
"If I didn't believe you to be useful. If I didn't believe you to be powerful enough to warrant an escape from death, then I would've killed you long ago," Tanjiro said. "But that doesn't matter. I allowed you to live and now Japan is paying the price for it."
My smile only grew.
"With me gone, there will be no more lower moons. What will you do?" I asked, genuinely curious in what was going inside the demon king's mind right now.
"I'm disbanding the lower moons. Mostly due to your actions. I believe the Twelve Kizuki will be better off consisting of just the upper moons," Tanjiro responded, sighing lowly.
"Ha! Interesting. I wonder how that'll go," I said.
"Too bad you'll be burning in hell for your sins. You'll be missing out on all of that excitement I know you love so much," Tanjiro retorted.
"Maybe for a bit, yeah..." I muttered.
"But, I promise you. I will come back. Whether that be as a reincarnation or as a damn spirit. I'll find a way, and when I do, I'll make sure to kill you," I promised, just in time as my lower jaw faded away, leaving me completely incapable of speaking.
"I'm sure you will."
And all I saw was darkness.
<•------------•>
Izuku's POV:
I watched in silence as father's body faded away in the sunlight, ashes flying off into the sky.
I dropped both my pistol and my butcher's knife onto the ground, hands trembling as all of that strange, unexpected adrenaline and energy began to finally disperse from my body.
Whoosh
In my peripheral, I caught a glimpse of purplish-black mist that slowly formed into that of a silhouette.
"Emerald—"
"Do it yourself," I interrupted Kurogiri, reaching into my pocket, tossing my final syringe over towards Kurogiri, not bothering to see if he caught it.
"His blood's right there," I muttered, barely managing to point a finger at the pool of father's blood that was still being burned away by the sunlight.
"Better act fast," I whispered, a wave of pain and exhaustion washing over my entire body as my legs began to tremble as well.
"I... I think I'll just... lie down for a b-bit."
My eyelids fluttered a couple of times, falling down to my knees before blacking out, succumbing to my pure exhaustion.
<•------------•>
Author's Note: Not only does this conclude my longest chapter ever, it also concludes the fight in Tokyo. More like a war, but still.
Very Dragon-centric, going into Dragon's backstory as to how he became who he is today. I did not attempt to make his backstory sympathetic as he is not at all a sympathetic character, so that 'backstory no jutsu' has no place here when it comes to Dragon.
I wanted to do more with Dragon's backstory, but this chapter is already over 12,000 words long, which is ridiculous, so I may explore his backstory more in the future if it ever becomes relevant again in the story.
I also feel as though this chapter has answered several questions I've proposed so far, and many other aspects of the story as a whole have been both mentioned and revealed, which is why I think I enjoyed making this chapter so much more than most others.
Anyways, I'm rambling on too much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue supporting this story and the next ones I'll make after it.
If you have any questions regarding the story itself or any questions about this chapter specifically, I'll be happy to explain or clear up any confusion.
3 more chapters and an Epilogue left until this book ends and we move onto Book 2 of Demon Slayer Deku, so I hope you all continue to stick around.
The next chapter will be coming soon.