Chapter Text
Izuku’s POV
It regenerated? BloodRed can sever souls. Something is terribly wrong with it. “Nova. Any observations?” I asked, as Kacchan removed his arms from my body. “None, that maniac was yelling something about how it was bred for Thirteen, thus the Spatial Superiority.” He replied, his eyes trained on Riftbearer.
The beast was still for way too long, its multitude of faces were jittering and wailing while their eyes snapped from place to place, Shit! It was mapping a path, and we let it! My hands moved before I could think of a plan.
But it was unnecessary. As Singularity had already moved, his hands were swirling with ashes and all I could feel was that unspoken rage he had when he couldn’t understand something, and if he couldn’t understand something it was probably something bizarre.
The moment his hand touched the ground, the terrain shifted like it was a disaster, stones jutted out, the ground raptured and all the unconscious villains were swept away. The earth tremored under my feet. I jumped back before I was swept away, I looked back to see all my classmates crouching to keep balance.
“Students! This is not a drill. We are under a villain attack and only way we can survive is if we fight, together.” Tenko declared, still changing the terrain. He had this familiar commanding tone, like him.
“Jirou, Shoji, get on recon. I want every movement captured, Sounds, ripples, shockwaves, everything,
Hoshino, Todoroki, ranged attacks. No hesitation, hit the mark I command you to, no delays.
Tokoyami, Kirishima, on defense. None of the attacks should pass through, no injuries on the support.
Tsukikage, comms.
Prometheus and Nova, direct combat, stall and versatile attacks, target specific points.” He commanded like he was taught, the instinct that were engraved deep in his bones were showing, I couldn’t help but feel tense.
He stood up, his cape gone but still I could feel something flapping behind him. He looked straight at us and said, “You are heroes now.”
As soon as he said that, I could feel Aika’s Neurolink connect. Several people being able to hear my thoughts, it does feel unpleasant. But, my heightened senses may help them. Aika has improved vastly.
“Move on my mark.” Tenko commanded, envisioning the position he wanted Kacchan and me to move onto. Kacchan looked at me, and it told me all I wanted to know.
“One day if I go too far, you stop me.”
“And if I fall behind, you pull me ahead.”
Those were the words that bound us together.
“Now!” I lunged, Silver flaring around my body, augmenting and healing me. I primed Indigo to be released at perfect opportunity. Riftbearer came hurtling, teleporting through the uneven terrain.
Teleportation, Protective Membrane, Hyper Regeneration and a Bypass effect. 4 different quirks meshed into one amalgamation, I wonder how the fuck is it even functioning.
It searched for something before dozens of eyes landed onto me, I could feel its rage and hatred like it was broadcasting it. Vestiges of Sensory Quirk? Fuck, this was a gift that kept on giving. It teleported to attack me, I could feel the spatial distortion clearly.
Fine! It wanted to attack me and only me. So be it. I pushed Silver to max and made clear out of spatial distortion. It punched at my earlier position; blue cracks broke into the fabric of reality. It’s multitude of faces snapped their eyes at and around me.
I bet it was calculating my escape paths and wanted to intercept them. I grinned, because Kacchan was already upon it. His hands blazing with heat, he pushed towards Riftbearer and let out a large-scale explosion.
The aftershock struck me first, before the sound rattled into me. I rushed at Riftbearer, swinging my hands, willing Indigo to cast a wide net to cut off an entire area. Chains of BloodRed gushed out, intending to rip it apart.
The chains had soul severing properties, it didn’t matter. I felt something connected and ripped the chains back, hard and as soon as I felt the resistance; A large stream of light rushed past me and rammed straight into the smoke.
It seems like Kaito decided to join the battle. The beast screamed. The smoke settled and one of its 18 faces was missing, instead a red searing hole highlighted the spot. I looked back to see Kaito and Todoroki touching a device with one hand and both had their opposite hand extended.
Narrowing my eyes at the device, I recognized it. One of the best technicians in Constellations created it, it had a piercing attribute bestowal. Needed exactly for situations like this. The beast roared in pain, broadcasting the pain all over the USJ. I felt my classmates recoil through Neurolink.
It didn’t move again. Every limb locked, every eye turned inward. The air bent around it like it was listening to something we couldn’t hear. Even through the Neurolink, I felt a pulse; cold and deliberate. Riftbearer was thinking, too.
Kacchan exploded his way towards me and landed on a spire behind me, as I was still in the air.
Instead of fear, I felt triumph and pride through the Neurolink. Kaito’s attack was result of careful positioning, recon and communication. And there he was, smiling amidst the high schoolers he barely taught, Tenko was as much of a genius as any of our family.
A manic laughter broke our triumph; I looked towards the source and found the source of our problem standing next to Riftbearer consoling like a parent would do to a child. His wispy hair bellowing in spatial distortion.
“Now, now. You just had a little obstacle, you can do better!” he consoled, giggles escaping from time to time as he stroked the air next to Riftbearer. “Look what you did! Now I must call its siblings to deal with you!” He pointed at me and accused me like I had just kicked a puppy.
The Neurolink was instantly plunged into fear, the implications were dire. Fighting one beast was hard enough, multiple of them would jeopardize the safety and morale of our forces. I felt Tenko’s will flood the Neurolink, his mental prowess stabilizing morale.
The purple smoke expanded behind Riftbearer. Realizing their reinforcement would arrive through the portal, I couldn’t sit still. I plunged diagonally straight towards them, Weave forming a large battle fan in my hand. I willed Silver into it and using the momentum from the plunge, I swung hard.
Winds rushed along with ice, light beam and explosion towards the purple portal. Looks like my team understood the strategy to interrupt their summoning. I grinned, preparing for another attack but the impact of our attack made me falter.
We hit it dead on but when the smoke cleared and something shimmered into existence, deflecting everything.
Strings upon strings were spread out everywhere, like a spider driven mad with symmetry. Densely packed pink strings created a protective barrier and at end of it all stood another beast. Tumors taken humanoid form with asymmetrical 8 limbs and 4 pairs of eyes, it had a bulging tail connected to it tailbone.
It was jittering constantly, its limbs twitching just like an addict. It was strangely familiar. But I couldn’t place my finger on it.
The air pulsed again with same rhythm, same cold deliberation. This one wasn’t answering Riftbearer’s cry; it was harmonizing with it.
It also looked like a patchwork like the first one. The maniac laughed upon my faltering expression, “You thought we hadn’t summoned it? You may think I am just another villain, but I am much more than that. My name is Nullgrave, and I am here to reclaim Samsara for my master!” he declared almost sermon-like, as if we were the heretics.
“Prometheus, analyse.” Tenko whispered through Neurolink, I extended Silver through my senses. Multiple heartbeats sounded in my ears. As if the beasts had multitude of hearts pumping through them, I tuned my senses further. Kacchan was already positioned in front of me.
“Multiple heartbeats from one beast, 4 multiple signatures including Riftbearer and new arrived spider.” I replied, hoping for Tenko’s will to override the fear and anxiety. “The newly arrived bastard might be more fragile than rift-fucker. Protocol-Divide?” Kacchan asked. He was right, if he and I played our cards well; we could divert one and target other.
As if the beasts could sense our intent, Riftbearer teleported in front of spider from hell. “It is more fragile than Riftbearer. It either means two things; a liability or a trap.” Tenko analyzed, “Attack, spare no expense. Go all out if you need.” He continued, giving us green flag to destroy the targets before they get used to us.
“What about the two hiding?” Aika asked, her tone resolute. “Todoroki and I will intercept any attack on them. Hoshino, get ready to extract them if things go wrong.” Tenko commanded, why Kaito? He wasn’t fast enough to extract any of us.
It doesn’t matter; we won’t fall.
“Let’s go, Nova. You taking point?” I asked, loud enough for the beasts to understand. A simple diversion and momentum technique. “Let’s explode these fuckers!” He yelled, and in mere seconds was upon the beasts, hands and body blazing with heat. Sweat droplets shimmering all around him.
Looks like he entered his overdrive, I just couldn’t let him go ahead, could I? I pushed my StarCore, pulling all 3 colors and one unmanifested color for extra precautions. In a split second, I looked like a discount rainbow.
Silver augmented my body, enhancing my mobility. Indigo threads coiled around my hands, ready for precise strikes, my fingers glowed with BloodRed and Weave was flooded with unstable ArcticBlue as it expanded into a segmented sword. This was about to be lit.
The blade turned heavier than usual. Perfect for a mobility counter. I used both my hands to grip the handle as hard as I could before swinging it sideways at Spider. The segments widened with the blade, terrifying cold emanating from it.
Anywhere the blade touched, the strings froze and shattered like ice. The icy debris formed multitudes of icicles as they rushed towards the Spider, which responded with throwing chunks of webs at the icicles, barely stopping as two of them grazed its body, frost spreading throughout it.
The spider panicked, as it shrieked another sequence of pulse, probably asking for help. I heard explosions intensify behind me. Riftbearer was aware of threat that Spider was under, I couldn’t let this opportunity go. I moved forward, all the color cracking through my skin as they struggled for space.
The blade in my hand felt more powerful than ever before. Frost now forming on my hand, as ArcticBlue was just a push of fully manifesting. Sensing the danger, Spider screamed. Its voice filled with multitudes of voices like several people were screaming in a room.
The sound hammered in my mind, rattling my head. Gritting my teeth, I persevered. The webs rushed at me from various angles but the blade intercepted them without any input from me. The segmented blade spreading around me, as though it had a mind of its own.
Another Vaultborn heartbeat found its way into my ears, my eyes snapped towards it and then everything went red. The explosions and screams lost themselves behind me, the only thing I could hear was blood.
Their blood.
I abandoned my path towards Spider, swung my sword at the abomination in my eyes. A little horrendous figure hunched over and cackling at one of the downed villain’s body. Its heretical hands transforming the villain into something familiar, something inhumane.
A drone!
The blade carved through the air, snowflakes and frost freezing everything it touched. The segments headed for the Gremlin’s head. I wanted nothing but blood splattered on the floor beneath it. The Gremlin looked at me and smirked, the villain’s body convulsed and stood up suddenly.
The segments were suddenly attracted to the villain’s body and stuck to it like iron to magnet. The segments’ intense frost shattering its body into snowflakes. I pulled back before Weave was compromised, I needed momentum to unleash heavy attacks.
The Spider made its way towards the Gremlin, strings coiling around Gremlin’s waist and pulling it back. Their pulses synchronized, probably communicating with each other. Purple mist swirled around both Vaultborns as NullGrave walked out, leisurely.
“How are they? Horrific yet so beautiful. They were specially created for you, inspired by your power.” NullGrave announced. My eyes narrowed at those beasts, the familiar disgust that filled my entire being was because of that goddamn quirk.
“You stole that quirk? AllForOne is still alive?” I asked, charging my Weave with potent ArcticBlue to eradicate these abominations out of existence. “No, BloodClone was too simple to handle variety of quirks. No, master had to specially breed them intensely for such quirks.” He explained, too suspicious.
He was aiming for something, an angle I was overlooking. “What does that have to do with me?” I asked, the sword was fully charged. I could barely hold the frost back.
“Oh? You don’t recognise them?” He said, gesturing to faces of Spider and Gremlin. I looked closely, tuning through Silver to avoid Mental attacks.
Horror dawned on me.
It was them.
The ones I failed to rescue.
“No! You defiled their corpses?!” I bellowed, accidentally overcharging my sword. “How fucking dare you?!” I swung, the energy released was equivalent to an avalanche.
The energy recoil shot me back a few feet. Pink threads densely protecting NullGrave and others. “This is your Creation, Reaper of Blood Moon! Meet Geist! Your successor and meet Yuu the successor of Chi!” He spread his hands, both Vaultborns bowing behind him.
“You made them!” He pointed at me, but why was he so right?
“PR----THEUS!!!! IT---- A M---TAL ATT----!” Something whispered in back of my mind.
NullGrave’s words echoed in my mind even after he stopped speaking.
I wanted to deny his words, to scream he was wrong but the threads glistened. Geist’s pulse rippled through the air. It was too rhythmic, too perfect.
A mimicry of my own heart.
Explosions and Riftbearer’s noise folded into NullGrave’s laughter, I couldn’t tell what was real anymore. Every thought came back to me, warped beyond recognition as if the world itself was mocking me.
“GE----H---LD OF YOU-----LF, IZU--- MI----RI--A. YO----ARE UN----R M-NTAL ---TACK!!!!”
Someone’s voice hissed in my head and fell silent. Every presence in my mind flickered out. Silver rushed to anchor me, Indigo tried to respond. But both unraveled under the pulse.
Geist’s heartbeat and mine aligned, one note replaying into my skull until I couldn’t tell which was mine.
So pitiful
Something whispered, deep within me as if it was part of myself.
So young, so full of heart.
It sighed, older and heavier. Something ancient yet so young.
If your heart can not bear the sins. Let me.
Something shifted, a thrum spread throughout my body like a ripple in pond.
The colours stopped clashing, and aligned.
BloodRed struck first.
The air ruptured.
Kusarigama snapped into being, chain coiling around my arm like a living nerve. Each link pulsed with StarEnergy, not a conduit but a source.
I walked, each footstep found itself on WineRed threads. Carving a path for me, the Kusarigama hummed; craving for blood to be spilled.
The enemies faltered like their strategy failed. Like they wanted me to turn?
How pathetic.
I swung the sickle. Blade jagged and cruel as usual. Pink webs expanded with the same symmetry.
BloodRed didn’t care, neither did I. The blade tore through the webs, heading for a clean slice towards Yuu.
Blue cracks manifested, and Riftbearer joined the fray. The blade embedded itself in its arm.
No matter, they all die the same. I pulled, the blade tore Riftbearer open with a sickening squeal.
It healed fast, the harmonizing pulse returned. All three of them pulsed; thinking and strategizing.
A fourth pulse responded but Golden Heat stopped it, Warm Photons and Freezing cold accompanying it.
Good. Useful.
These are all mine.
Buzz of swift made their presence known. Senbons vibrating with poison. Whizzing around me. It called itself ToxicGreen.
A pristine flying sword manifested itself besides me, PristineWhite was its name.
I walked, the sickle moved only to kill. Riftbearer teleported but ToxicGreen was faster. Numerous senbons flew.
Like a swarm of dragonflies. Fast, precise and deadly. Drones of several mutated villains came rushing.
Created by Yuu. Trying to protect their master.
The blade moved. Silencing the drones as it sliced them. Returning to me as it killed. For a split second, NullGrave panicked.
He retreated. Good. He needed to be alive unlike them.
“You shall fall under my blade. Mourning Burial.”
Every attack was serene, swift and accurate. The blade sliced another face on Riftbearer.
ToxicGreen allowing no respite. Their trajectories specially designed to kill.
They flew at Yuu and Geist. Forcing Riftbearer to intercept, once intercepted. BloodRed sliced.
I walked and walked. Barbed WineRed bowed to pave my path. PristineWhite slicing anyone that interrupted me.
Three beast pulsed, my heart pulsed in return. They were scared. Yes, they should be scared.
Exactly like them.
Yuu ran. How dare it?!
ToxicGreen rushed towards it, abandoning Riftbearer’s path. Riftbearer pulsed and attacked.
Geist ran to provide support to Yuu. Its 8 limbs chittering like sick drumbeats. My disgust rose.
Riftbearer teleported upon me, its fist cocked. WineRed bound him before he could punch. The sickle shifted in my hands. Now in a reverse grip.
I jabbed upwards, the sickle jamming itself into another of its face. 16 remaining.
The WineRed constricted, and pulled. Left arm and part of shoulder alongside with two faces was torn apart.
The barbed WineRed tore through the beast like paper. Riftbearer screamed, tried to run away.
Who allowed it?
WineRed and BloodRed bound him, PristineWhite already upon its throat.
A scream startled me.
Someone screamed into my mind. I looked back.
HOW DARE IT?! YOU WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER ONE!? NO! I WONT ALLOW IT.
I ran, WineRed served as footing, my stride faster and precise. PristineWhite already a beat faster.
I knew it. Yuu wanted to incapacitate me and use as Hostage. Using Geist’s mental attack and my trauma as trigger.
Upon my change. It abandoned its plan.
It went straight for a student.
The one it was familiar with.
The one who was there that night.
The one who survived where it didn’t.
The one commanding the fight.
It headed for Lilac. Not again. I cant fail her again.
But suddenly, time came to a stop. Everything froze.
A conundrum, isn’t it?
Another one whispered, just as ancient but more powerful. It radiated with raw strength.
Strategy works only when you have all the cards.
She was right. Vaultborns are too weird. Riftbearer was a spatial anomaly. Geist was defense master. Yuu was the cannon fodder. The one in middle of battlefield stalled the Heroes.
Do you want to save her?
I could see someone in my peripheral view. Someone not of this world. Her figure glittered with stars.
Tell me, little one. Is your resolve this shallow? This pathetic? Are you not of Zenith’s bloodline?
I wanted to scream. Who was Zenith? Who was she to judge my resolve? How fucking dare she? Haven’t I bled enough for Paragon?! Haven’t I burned enough for the cause?!
Good. You have that same fire. Perhaps, it burns brighter than Zenith.
I could feel BloodRed draining from my body. Connection between ToxicGreen, PristineWhite was cut off. I was back to my powerless state.
No. I can not fail her. I will save her no matter what!
I took advantage of frozen time, reaching into my StarCore. Pulling everything it could provide, even if excessive power shattered my body.
Kacchan and everyone is waiting for me!
Yes, little one. Burn. Burn brighter than anyone who dares stops you. Burn brighter than the stars. Burn like the God you are.
The StarCore responded. Power spilling from the once unawakened piece of crap. Chaotic Prismatic energy came gushing out like water from dam.
Perhaps. You will like this gift.
The figure clasped her hands on my shoulders. The prismatic energy shifted to Golden.
Whenever there is injustice. Let your faith roar, little one.
Time resumed but something was different. The world felt weird. Like it was fragile. WineRed foothold vanished. My leg fell on the ground, shattering it.
Unimaginable power burst open, my muscles coiled like steel cables. I covered the path in mere milliseconds while normally it would have taken minutes.
I swipes my hands, tearing the mutated drones open. Claws ripping the flesh apart. My footsteps made the ground tremor.
In seconds, I was upon Yuu. I clawed downwards intending to rip the little bastard apart but Geist’s webs pulled it back.
I looked at Aika, thankfully she was safe. I placed my hand upon her head. Gold rushing through my palms. I looked at Yuu and screamed.
The shockwave sent Yuu and Geist flying back to Riftbearer who was now 5 faces short. The absence them would prove for a better mobility plan.
I looked at Kaito, who flinched. I asked him to take Aika back as I pointed towards her. He looked fearful but I assured him, it was safe.
I ran, towards the group of 4 VaultBorns. The newest one was a towering figure swirling with ash and debris, like it fed off of Tenko’s power.
Kacchan, Tenko and Thirteen were struggling as four VaultBorns decided to run away from me and target others.
Why were they not trying to abduct Samsara directly? Something was fishy.
I landed a few meters away from Tenko who, also flinched at me. I was confused, was there something different about me?
“PROMETHEUS!”
I felt a voice in my head, Neurolink was reconnected.
“What the hell is that?”
Kacchan asked, his eyes containing hints of fear. I looked at him, tilting my head and asked what was wrong.
“Please for love of God! Stop roaring!”
Tenko commanded. What? Roaring?
“What do you mean?” I asked, but before they could answer Riftbearer came rushing at me.
Move little one, tear it apart.
And move I did, slamming my hands on the ground as I lunged at Riftbearer. It teleported randomly to get a clean hit but I was faster.
Stop thinking and feel. Feel the cracks in space, feel the hostility.
I moved, clawing at the direction I felt the most probable. Riftbearer was caught in my hands, its faces twitching as Gold burned through them. 9 remaining.
And in that split second, everything made sense. The Golden scales on my body, the draconic claws, the shift in power. I was in semi-transformed state.
This was pinnacle of my life, little one. Created from 39 different colors. Wield it as you please.
I blinked and drove my hand through Riftbearer, the Gold shredded his defense and bypass quirks. I slashed three of its faces before it could run away. 6 left.
I looked at VaultBorns, all four of them. Gold burning through my vision. I could see the threads that bound them to something, like a piece of flesh torn from someone. They pulsed together, the Ashy VaultBorn looked the most dangerous.
“What happened to you?” NullGrave asked, his voice neutral but I could feel the fear and anger from his heart, it rolled in waves. Judging from my family’s reaction, I couldn’t speak.
The ashy VaultBorn pulsed, telling me it could translate. I looked at it, walking skeleton with ash as its skin, that was what it was. 8 different quirks mashed into one being.
I pulsed, ‘I will gut you like the insect you are.’ There was no need for any conversation. No need for strategy, they were here for Samsara but they wont get her.
Time froze, as stars glittered in my vision.
You figured it out?
Yes, I did. Their plan is to overwhelm normal students with Riftbearer and Yuu’s drones. While Geist is responsible for extraction and last one is needed to stall Tenko. Geist having the same powers as me was just a coincidence.
Enlighten me, little one. Why haven’t they taken Samsara yet?
Their eyes hunger for StarCore. Their Master has fought with Paragon once and that ultimate power is what they greed for. NullGrave cannot take Samsara without deactivating his quirk.
And Tokoyami would not allow it while VaultBorns can not move their eyes from me. That is my conclusion.
So, now. What will you do?
Give them what they asked for!
Time resumed, I lunged. Ground shattering under my feet as NullGrave and Yuu scrambled to dodge. Geist pulled its web to protect them but it proved to be worthless.
I was already upon Geist, ignoring Riftbearer and Ashy VaultBorn. My claws glimmered with Gold found themselves on Geist’s neck before it could move. Torrents of flames rushed through my scales, burning the VaultBorn to ashes.
Remaining three VaultBorns pulsed in anger, in grief but I did not give them time. I rushed to Riftbearer, it was now down to 6 faces. Ashy one responded first, its skeletal hands intercepting my path.
Gold burned, augmenting me and I attacked. I clutched its hand and pulled it apart, it dispersed in the wind. Riftbearer pushed back. The ashes swirled and concentrated on one spot, forming the VaultBorn once again.
But, this time it felt more complete. No longer was it skeletal. It was now looking like a underweight human, ashes still composing its form but something burned in its heart.
Gold
It takes residual energies and resurrects itself. It took Gold and integrated it in its body. Snarling as it did.
“Rebirth.” Its voice echoed, scraping from thousands of throat as it escaped. “Kill me. KILL ME MORE!” It rushed at me, significantly faster. I obliged, rushing at it. Flames blazed around my scales.
I roared, shockwaves flung back most of the ashes and plunged my hand in. Retaking what is mine. The ashes swirled again but this time I didn’t wait. I rushed at Riftbearer who still burned with Gold.
My hands tore it apart before it had a chance to regenerate or teleport, incinerating the remains. Its ashes rushed to AshWraith. It looked stronger, faster and more humane.
“GIVE ME THE FLAME!!!!” It bellowed, teleporting just like Riftbearer did. However, its teleportation was weaker and clumsy. I felt the intent and clasped its neck before it could attack.
Scales detached from my arms and embedded themselves into it, restricting its movement. Killing it would only make it stronger, but before I could move. A hand touched it, disintegrating it into purple motes.
“I cant kill you, but this one.” NullGrave announced, his body moving with utmost precision. “Is fair game.” He continued, ashes swirled around him to form AshWraith once again.
I attacked, and attacked.
Sometimes at NullGrave, other times at AshWraith and every-time, it resurrected.
Its power increased with each death, purple scales now forming over its humanoid form. It looked like a replica of NullGrave.
I couldn’t remember how many times I had killed the VaultBorn, nor how many times had NullGrave killed it.
I roared, it stretched thin. Then snapped. And everything went black.
The last thing I remember is Aika and Yaoyorozu looking at me with some emotion in her eyes.