章 29: Shouto’s fire
"W-what the hell are you..!"
Izuku had been just about to jump down the cliff edge and finish the deceased body of the notorious villain Muscular, when he was stopped at the sounds of Kotas horrified voice; tormenting himself as he pulled away from the bloody aroma and mouth-watering flesh and tissue clawing at his appetite.
He looked up from the cliff edge drop towards the small child, who stood trembling in fear and horror at the sights his young eyes never should have seen; the distraction pulling his thoughts away from the delicious, gorgeous, delectable fles-
'No... Stop thinking about it...'
He couldn't eat in front of Kota, not after already witnessings the atrocities of murder firsthand. No matter how good having something to eat would be for replenishing his hunger, he needed to get Kota back to camp, he needed to ensure his friends were safe! He couldn't afford to eat now, there wasn't time...
Izuku shifted on his feet slowly, looking up at Kota with an expressionless face, iris blazing red in the luminous moon and fire-lit sky, composing himself before speaking calmly to the terrified child.
"…..It's nothing you need to worry about, alright..?" Izuku struggled to reassure him, voice wobbling slightly as he tried his best, knowing his attempts were probably going to result in naught, "We just need to get you back to camp and warn everyone else about their target Kacchan-"
Kota interrupted him, the poor child terrified of the formidable person before him.
"You're a Murderer..!"
Izuku winced at the boy's bluntness, feeling something akin to anger starting to swell from Kota's thankless words; having just saved the boy's life and sacrificed his fate and risked his entire life for him.
In some way, he wasn't surprised at Kotas reaction; it had been the same with Uraraka and Todoroki-san too. It left a painful, heartbreaking feeling inside of him; knowing that everyone else he would meet, in his now seemingly shortening freedom, would suffer from the same resentment and disgust...
He kept his tone neutral, hiding the small waves of anger before his emotionless voice.
"Kota. I just killed the man who killed your parents...
Izuku stated, giving an unforgiving response, making Kota finch back at its subtle hostility; his eyes widening slightly with fear.
"Y-yeah but..." He trembled as Izuku gave a solemn sigh, he needed to stop, he was only terrifying the poor child more...
"It's fine, you don't need to worry, we just need to get you back to Mandalay..."
Izuku slowly approached Kota, who quickly realized what he was planning, as he turned away and began running in a sprint as he desperately tried to get away from him.
luku sighed again, this time more freely than the time before.
There was no point in hiding anymore... No matter what would happen Kota would unfold the truth about Musculars' murder and the Monster that Izuku Midoriya was. He can't kill Kota- He wouldn't ever want to think of it as a possibility.
With no possibility of... Removing the witnesses, there was no chance of his identity staying a secret any longer.
Izuku Midoriya was a serial killer and a ghoul, it was time to stop hiding and face his downfall head-on that he was far too cowardly and weak to ever do before...
Activating his Kagune, he launched himself into the sky, wrapping a single tentacle around a now shrieking and petrified Kota as he flew across the trees towards the camp.
There was no point in hiding his true identity anymore...
For better or more seemingly for worse, the hero-in-training Izuku Midoriya's time was finally coming to an end...
For now, he was on his own.
Shouto had been paired with Bakugou for the test of courage, much to his displeasure, but now the villains were attacking he couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't walking alone...
First, they had been faced by the blazes of blue flames in the distance before the gases had slowly trailed behind. They had to get back to camp and find the rest of their classmates, this being far more dangerous than the two of them were comfortable with.
They hadn't been running back to camp for long when they came across their first villain of the night; a man, covered head to toe in restraints, chowing down on the severed limb of someone's arm... The vile sight caught them both by surprise and horror, as they stood frozen, unable to comprehend the brutal violence before them.
"Is that the fucking Bloody Stain..." Bakugou managed to curse out with a mutter, his normally rougher exterior dampened with alarm.
Shouto shook his head slowly, eye wide at the hand which laid motionlessly on the ground, knowing full well the hidden identity behind that Ghoul, "No... That's someone else..
The villain didn't bother looking at them at their new presence, muttering and cannibalizing down on the human tissue in front of them.
"Hey, which group was in front of us again..."
Shouto looked over to Bakugou out of the corners of his eyes, too nervous to take his eyes completely off the homicidal villain, "I think it was Shoji and Tokoyami.."
The villain continued to ignore them, muttering phrases of gluttony and gore in the process, leaving both Shout and Katsuki lost for words as they tried to move away, the horrific view transfixing them still.
Shouto stood horrified at the morbid scene before him, his mind reeling back to the night he had watched Midoriya devour, in his psychotic state of vile hunger and repulsive obsession over the dying body of the hero killer Stain. The morbid and ghoulish similarities between them horrifying Shouto right down to his own icy core, the new villain carelessly tearing chunks of blood-soaked flesh off the severed limbo on the ground; shoveling clumps of human flesh into his mouth, ripping away at it like a deranged rabid animal...
So eerily similar...
"Bakugou..." Shoutos' voice shook out, staggering back at the gruesome similarities from now and the night two months ago, his breath slowly increasing as the fear and abominable resemblance slowly got to him, "We have to get back..! Ghouls all have Kagune and we're right in its striking zone.!"
Bakugou slowly stumbled back at his grim revelation, just as mortified as Shouto was beside him.
It was then that the villains' voice came spine-chillingly louder...
"So pRetTy... So Delicious..! But I need to work...
But it's so tasty...Don't tempt me... I've Got A Job To Do!'
Shouto and Katsuki stood in a petrified silence as the villains' dark voices rang out around them.
Midoriya and Kaneki had both probably been like this before eating people... Shouto knew Midoriya had..
To think that both Izuku and Kaneki, with both their inept social skills and dark secret and mentally numbing issues, tried their best to become some of the nicest and kindest people he had ever met; yet were ghouls nonetheless.
The sight before him and the blood-splattered alleyway from two months ago showed the devastation that these people, with no help or control of the insanity that would slowly plague itself deep into the crevasses of their mind, would cause...
They couldn't escape their horrors on their own...
The disgustingly horrifying sights engraving
themselves into anyone who fell unfortunate enough to see them, traumatizing their dreams for the rest of their lives.
This was why the ancestors of Ghouls were almost wiped off the face of the earth like dirt to extinction, slaughtered with widespread genocide caused by the fear they had once controlled over the world before being erased from history...
This was what the people were so terrifyingly afraid of...
Aizawa had been directing lida, Mineta, Kouda, and Ojiro away from the villains when the whining screams and a loud thump of something landing behind him. Adrenalin running high, the sudden noise setting him on edge for another attack as he paused to turn around at Kota kicking and screaming with terror, wrapped in the Kagune of none other than /zuku Midoriya; confirming the suspect theory Nezu had called to tell him about before his phone was burnt into ash.
Aizawa could only imagine how his look of surprise morphed into betrayal and then anger with rapid succession at the revelation and behaviour
Midoriya was displaying, handling Mandalay's nephew in such a way that made him fearful for the child's own safety in the hands of his student..
"MIDORIYA..!"
Aizawa didn't waste a second, yelling his name in fury as he jumped into action in a flash, wrapping his capture weapon tightly around Izukus waist, activating his quirk simultaneously.
As his quirk started working on Midoriya, his kagune soon disintegrated away; dropping Kota onto the ground with a thud, scampering away from the villain
If his Kagune wasn't enough to determine his hidden identity, the clutching of his stomach as he slumped forward slightly, gasping in agony, was clear as daylight; even if he didn't collapse onto his knees like the last time Eraserhead and the Bloody Stain had crossed paths.
The gasping behind him alerted Aizawa that the students he had been directing earlier hadn't left, turning around to see the gobsmacked and jaw-dropped expressions of lida and the horror and terror slowly etching onto their expression as they realized who they were really facing; what their classmate really was, a villain...
"Midoriyas... The Bloody Stain..?!"
Aizawa didn't comment at lidas deathly quiet words, far too intensely concentrating on the serial killer before him... Holding him back for as long as he could.
All this time he had tried desperately to believe that his students were innocent.. That it was only a coincidence, some kind of mistake..!
He should have already known that there was no such thing as mistakes in their grueling line of work, this was real...
"STAND BACK..!" Aizawa yelled seriously, straining his weapon tight while making his students flinch back at the volume of his voice with fear, as they looked away from Midoriya towards his burning eyes; his words knocking them out of their shock and back to this unfortunate reality.
"He might have been your classmate once but now he's an enemy, and a strong one at that; I won't be able to hold him off for long..." Aizawa stated gravely, voice unwavering with conviction as he set them with a sturdy look; praying they would understand the grim situation they were in.
Midoiya stayed in a radio silence during the whole fiasco, setting Aizawa on edge at the unknown motive he had revealing himself as the Bloody Stain as the villains attacked.
"I see Nezu was right after all..." Aizawa's words caught the students behind him with distress, alarming them to the knowledge that UA had been tracking the Ghoul throughout the school...
He watched as Midoiryas eyes widened slightly at his revelation, his mouth opening slightly to mutter a reply as the suspense slowly dragged on; the pressure of the situation fused with the anxiety he felt for the safety of his students...
The silence before he spoke felt almost deathly, but his words shocked Aizawa even further...
"Oh..! Nezu finally found out hu..? I'm a little shocked but honestly? Not surprised in the slightest..."
Aizawa furrowed his brows at his detached response, mistaking it arrogance as he was about to retort; however, he was cut short before he even had a chance to speak.
"Aizawa-Sensei, they're here for Kacchan, they want to kidnap him and I can't allow that..!"
Caught off guard by the sudden concern which laced Midoriya's tone, Aizawa blinked with surprise before narrowing his eyes suspiciously, unsure of his intent and the dangerous catch that could potentially be brought with it.
"What side are you on, Midoriya... Why are you telling me this? Aren't you working for the league..?"
Izuku didn't seem shocked by his sensei dark accusation, as he relaxed in Aizawa's capture weapons hold; making the pro-hero relax in turn, not realizing the mistakes he had made.
"I never joined the league, Aizawa-sensei, and I never even want to..! I came to UA for a reason, I want to be a hero and save people!"
Midoriya's movements were too quick to chase in the instances that followed. Aizawa hadn't realized his hold on his quirk had dropped until it was too late, Midoriya's Kagune reappearing in a flash as if it had never disappeared, shredding through the ends of the capture weapon that had held him back.
Aizawa's eyes widened with shock and sudden fear as he jumped back at the bright crackles of electricity-coated Izukus Kagune, flashing violently against his eyes as his captive launched himself away with a powerful jump; picking up small clouds of dust in the process.
He Flinching protectively towards his students, still wary of Midoriya's movements and intentions as he disappeared over the treeline; unable to do anything to stop him, never having seen Midoriya move so fast...
All Aizawa could do was watch with disbelief alongside his students who had yet to run away, utterly confused at the mess which had become of their school training trip...
Finally, findingthe identity of the Bloody stain had some twisted ending, the case which had terrorized the police force and heroes for over a year could come to a close. This whole time, Izuku Midoryia had been the culprit behind the serial killings which had scattered over the city of Musutafu, had been the child behind the notorious Bloody Stain.
But why had Midoriya chosen to use his Ghoul quirk now of all time? Why choose to reveal himself now when he could have kept himself hidden?
It didn't make sense and that worried him...
He didn't have time to find an answer to his question, the blazes of blue flames rapidly drawing towards them, as he reached down to where Kota had hidden behind him; his students who had witnessed the whole ordeal staring at him with some kind of plea for direction.
Aizawa turned around with alarm as his students didn't make a move for safety, realizing they were still too overcome with fear and shock-horror at the sight of what Midoriya had become.
"Hey..! Don't just stand there! The villains are still attacking and you all need to get into the camp building now!" He yelled sternly, breaking them from their frozen exteriors as they flinched back with surprise, emphasizing his next words, "You're not to say a word of what you have just seen to anyone here or outside of camp, without my express permission!"
The small group of boys nodded fearfully, tension showing in their stance as the villains drew closer towards them as Aizawa leveled them with an authoritative look, "You are now part of a high-class investigation! If it gets out to the public about what Midoriya is, you will get in more trouble than just a week's detention..!"
lida gave an unsure nod, worry and disbelief very clearly visible on his expression as he commanded Minata and the two others to run straight back to camp...
Aizawa sighed, thankful in the knowledge that he knew he could trust lida to keep the others in check before he got back with Kota. As the blue flames raged on in the distance, quickly picking up Kota and carrying him to safety, Aizawa could only hope all his students would end up being ok...
As soon as he had felt Aizawa-sensei's scarf slip, he Was out in the second, dashing in the direction of Kacchans scent; hoping, that no matter how much he hated him, that Bakugou was still safe.
Flying past the trees, it didn't take long for his scent to grow in strength; having already subconsciously memorized it from the year the pair had spent together, his scent mixing with four others including Shoutos and one he had never smelt before.
Another Villain..
Izuku landed on the floor beside them with a loud thud, the noise catching the shocked attention of Bakugou and Todoroki, the other two boys too distracted by the villain who raged on in the distance...
It wasn't until the dust cloud passed that the pair recognized him and the new features he had worn.
Bakugou's expression spent no time switching to something of abhor and disgust as he screamed furiously towards him, a tone filled with minacious
fire.
"Deku..!?' Bakugou looked his Kagune up and down, staring darkly into the blood-red iris which shined in the night with horror-filled rage, his words catching the fear-filled attention of Tokoyami and Shoji, "WHAT THE FUCK!?'
Midoriya watched silently as he saw Bakugous jaw-dropping in horror, almost mimicking the expession he had made when he had first witnessed him use the power of One for All;
Tokoyami and Shoji soon joined him as they stepped back, terrified.
The only one who seemed glad at his arrival, if not for the concern which swarmed in his eyes, was Todoroki; who just sighed with relief, ignoring the reaction both Bakugou and the other two had.
"Midoriya, that villain is a ghoul..! Do you think you could help us take him down..?"
Izuku furrowed his brows with confusion, ignoring the flabbergast expression Bakugou now had staring at Shouto, as he looked over to the villain tied in the black straitjacket; the villain screeching out incoherent phrases as his quirk lashed out too close for comfort.
"I don't think he's a ghoul Shouto, he doesn't smell like one..? He smells human to me" He stated calmly, not bothering to hide his abilities any further.
Shouto furrowed his brows in turn as he muttered quietly to himself, "But we saw him eating Shoji's arm.."
Bakgous fury quickly turned on Todoroki at the two toned-haired boys' lack of surprise and reaction, "What the hell Icy-Hot!?"
His voice filled with uneasy panic as his eyes flashed between both Midoriyas and Shoutos' as herook an unnerving step back, trying to figure out the connection between the pair of them before the wave of horrific realization flooded thought.
"Wait you KNEW, YOU BASTARD!? HE'S KILLED PEOPLE AND YOU KEPT IT A SECRET"
The loud pops of explosions, which rattled from his hands, were stifled as Izuku flung his arm out towards Bakugou; silencing him. Izuku furrowed his brows with worry, and something akin to shame and guilt, as the blond flinched back uncharacteristically at his sudden movement; along with both Tokoyami and Shoji, the strange something he should have expected, as the three of them looked at him as the notorious villain the Bloody Stain.
He wasn't Izuku Midoriya to them anymore...
"We don't have time for this, Kacchan, the villains are after you and we need to get you back to camp.
The group of boys all widened their eyes at his revelation, all horrified at the thought of their classmates being targeted. They didn't have time to ask any questions as Izuku turned to face the raging villain in the distance, addressing the situation they had found themselves in.
"We need to deal with this villain before we can head back to camp, if we don't we're going to risk it following us back to camp." Izuku turned to adovess Shouto, eyes narrowing seriously, "…. And if what you're saying is true about him being a cannibal, that is something I would like to avoid..."
Both Tokoyami and Shoji stayed silent with terror, making no move to revoke and question his command as he instructed them what to do;
Shout only nodded with determined agreement to help while Bakugou stood silently, violently shaking with fury in the background.
It was at that moment their continuous conversation drew the unwanted attention of the villains whose teeth scattered the land around them like knives.
"OhhHhh... It's YOU! The psychotic villain began, his voice unnervingly enthusiastic, "You're the guy Shiggaraki wanted as well.."
The blades of teeth were launched at them like heavy rain, scattering down savagely; the feral villain creating an unavoidable attack as the group of boys bar Izuku lept back away for their own safety.
Izuku stood strong as he sent his retaliation attack back against the stained teeth which speared through the ground, knocking the villain back harshly; not breaking a single tooth in the process.
The villain's sturdy teeth made Izuku jump up slightly with worrying surprise, expecting his attack to do far more damage than send the villain back justar enough for his friends to recuperate.
Izuku pushed back with all his strength and quirks combined as the insane villain desperately tried to overwhelm him with his vile attacks, pushing against the barrier he had created with the few of his Kagune he had activated.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Izukus' seemingly impenetrable guard to be broken though as his grip started to slip, hunger starting to affect him on a far deeper level, as one of the teeth managed to slip past Izukus' barrier. The sharp pain caused Izuku to gasp back the unexpected injury he had received, slicing through his reinforced skin like a katana, as he reeled back with horror.
What the hell..!?
As Izuku stumbled back, stunned and horrified at his healing arm.
How had that been able to break through his skin!?
His sudden panicking behaviour gave his classmates time to join in on the action; their sudden movements brought Izuku from his disconnection to the battle before him.
He saw Tokoyami bravely take a step forward to attack the villain with dark shadow as Izuku yelled out at him to stop.
"Ol! Tokoyami.!'
His bird-headed classmate turned to look at him with fear in his eyes as they stared back at one another, Izuku choosing to ignore his reaction for now, "You cant control dark shadow in the dark can you yet..?"
The poor boy looked terrified as he shook his head, nodding frantically.
Izuku turned to look at Shouto as Tokoyamis answer, a grave look glazing his expression as he addressed him, "Todoroki, I'm gonna need you to use your fire, along with Bakugou if were going to have any hope of defeating this villain."
Shouto turned to glare at him with something akin to disgust and horror, ice tingling down the side of his arm"I don't need to use that man's quirk. I can defeat him with my ice-"
"TODOROKI..!" Izuku interrupted him, glaring down at the two-toned-haired boy, "Now isn't the time for this..!"
Fear suddenly blooded in Shoutos expression for the first time since their joint battle had begun, as Izuku yelled with unbidden frustration at him, setting the poor boy on edge as he took a subconscious step back from the possible threat before him.
Izuku winced with shame at his reaction but pressed on speaking regardless, empathizing his words with pure belief as he spoke "Todoroki-san...
If I can use my ghoul quirk, that I've always hated and despised, then you can use your fire too..."
Izuku shouted passionately towards him, speaking from the very depths of the cold heart he had been cursed with, "I despise my ghoul quirk, Todoroki! I always have..!l hate what it stands for and I hate what it makes me! And I will be stuck like this for the rest of my life; as a murderer because I had no choice!"
Izuku's breaths came faster and faster as he spat out his words, glaring at the shock and horror-filled expressions of all the classmates around him, as he conveyed the lesson he had learned from his mentor; still grabbing onto the arm which had now fully healed with alarm.
"I know the horrors it brings me, and the memories of Akuma trying to murder and, will damn and curse me for the rest of my life; but I also know now that this ghoul quirk isn't hers anymore, I can control what it hurts, I can control it to save people!"
Izuku could see the internal battle he was desperately trying to fight as he spoke his last and most important message...
"Just like your quirk isn't Endeavors! It's yours and you can help save us right now!"
Bakugou's eyes widened with horror as he took in Izukus' words, as Izuku ignored him in favor of getting his desperate message through to the dense Shouto before him.
"WAIT, WHAT'S AKUMAS QUIRK!?"
Shouto stood back, stunned at Izukus' words, as he slowly realized the depth of what he was trying to convey. Slowly his stunned expression morphed into a slight smirk as he sighed tiredly.
"Fine..." He stated dully, turning away from Izuku to face the villains as a small flame flicked to life on his palm, the new light widening the eyes of Izuku and the classmates around him.
"I'll use it just this once..."
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット