Chapter Text
On the final day of existence, the sky boiled with the blood of gods and heroes.
At the top of an impossibly tall tower, the nexus of thousands of worlds and trillions of lives, stood the last of the survivors.
Apollo, Sun Wukong, Shiva, Athena, Horus, Odin, and many more gods stood with the greatest human heroes the tower had to offer. All of them simply staring up at the sky.
“Well…it seems this is the end.”
Thor, the god of thunder, examined the cracked and broken hammer in his hand. “You fought well my friend. Rest now, your duty is done.”
“We do not have much time left my brethren” Said Quetzalcoatl, who was currently in a humanoid form. “This ritual will either save us all, or change nothing. We must prepare with utmost haste.”
“Aye, he is right.” Said the elderly-looking god named Mimir. “All we can do is hope that this succeeds.” He chuckled morosely. “Not that we will know if it did or not.”
Hercules, a hulking man with muscles upon muscles, winced as he flexed his broken hands. “Is he ready?”
All the gods and humans turned to look at a lone figure who stood apart from the rest of them. A battle-scarred man with green hair. His jaw was covered in an unkempt beard, and his hair sprouted messily from his head. He wore custom-fitted armor that looked like a mix of medieval plate armor and cybernetic musculature. On his hip rested a double-edged sword that glowed with an otherworldly light, and on his back laid a massive blood-stained rifle. Underneath the armor the man’s body was covered in scars, both new and old. Even though he appeared to be in his middle-age years, his body was in peak physical condition with muscles and skin as strong as steel.
The man was staring down at his open hands with a melancholic gaze, and it took him a second to respond.
“Must it be me?”
The question was not said with fear, but with heart-wrenching sorrow.
“Must I be the one to leave you all behind? To leave you to whatever horrible fate awaits?”
Wukong sighed heavily and crossed his arms unhappily as he leaned against his staff. “You already know the answer. Us gods cannot make the trip, and you are the only human capable of shouldering this monumental task.” The monkey god forced a cheerful smile. “And don't look so sad. You will see us all again.”
Turning around, the 300 year old warrior known as Izuku Midoriya could not stop a single tear from rolling down his cheek.
“But it won't be you.” Izuku said in a voice full of despair. “It won't be the comrades and friends I spent the best years of my life with! I will need to do unspeakable things to prevent this from happening! I cannot repeat the same life again, even though it was the best life I could ever ask for! And the worst part is I won't be able to tell any of you! Call me selfish! Call me a coward! But it won't change the fact that even if I succeed, it won't bring any of you back!”
Everyone in attendance went silent. Some sobbed in sadness, some clenched their fists in anger, and some nodding in understanding.
Finally, a single goddess stepped forward.
“Izuku.” Athena said comfortingly. “We all understand and wish there was some other way. But there is not. To save not only us, but thousands of worlds, you must do this. With the knowledge we have gained, you will change our fate.” She placed a comforting hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “You will face many trials, many monumental challenges, but along the way you might be able to change some things for the better. Who is to say you won't find some way of returning to us and saving us all like the hero you are?”
Stepping back, Athena bowed deeply to Izuku. “Will you accept one more quest from us?”
As one, all the gods and heroes bowed deeply to Izuku.
A quest notification window appeared in front of Izuku. With only three words.
“Change your destiny?”
With a somber look on his face, Izuku wiped away the tear on his cheek and nodded.
“I accept.”
The window disappeared in a blink, and a few seconds later incomprehensible whispers began to swirl through the air as the blood-red sky rumbled and shifted.
“It is now or never.” Shiva said urgently. “Let us begin.”
The last gods and heroes of the tower surrounded Izuku in a circle and joined hands. Seconds later, arcs of magical energy began flickering around Izuku.
Looking around one last time, Izuku resisted the urge to say goodbye. He knew this ritual would kill them all. The amount of magic and life energy needed to send someone back in time was astronomical, and even at the height of their power it was a guaranteed death sentence for any god participating.
“I will see you all again.” Izuku said with a sad smile as he felt his heart breaking.
Above them, a million hungry mouths the size of planets began to descend with ravenous hunger as the sky changed to an unnatural gray.
As Izuku vanished in a flash of light, Athena looked up at the descending mouths with a peaceful smile.
“This sacrifice…” She gasped as she turned to ash. “...this sacrifice is ours. We choose it. We deny you your victory.”
For a moment, a tiny sun burned brightly in defiance of the hungering darkness.
And then it was no more.