Chapter Text
“Izu! You’re on the news!” Kei shouted from the living room as Izuku crawled out of bed, his body sore from the exhaustion of the previous days. It was a good thing the Daily Quest hadn’t been activated by the time dilation of the Recursive Gate because he didn’t want any more exercise than he had already gotten. He’d have to handle it today, but then he could use the Status Recovery to heal his tired bones, so it wasn’t all bad.
“Yeah?” He walked in with his phone in his hand, he still hadn’t received anything from Yaoyorozu. It was one thing for her not to respond yesterday. No doubt she went home and passed out from exhaustion, probably forgetting about their deal to meet up at the cafe, but to still have nothing from her? It worried him.
“Yeesh… you look like a rat made a home in your hair,” Kei stood and combed her fingers through his hair until it was at least a little less messy. “Are you okay? You look sick.”
“Yaoyorozu still hasn’t messaged me…”
Kei winced at that. “You didn’t say anything stupid to her did you?”
“What?! No!”
“Just checking! Just checking!” Kei said, holding up her hands in placation. “You don’t exactly have the hottest social streak so I just wanted to make sure. So if you didn’t say anything, the two options are… she’s sleeping late, or she’s ghosting you.”
“She wouldn’t do the latter,” Izuku said, certain of himself.
“Then give her till the afternoon, even a girl like her takes a lazy day to sleep in.”
“Maybe…” Izuku glanced up from his phone to the Tv, where a reporter was gesturing at a still image of him and Setsuna carrying their teammates through the Gate.
“Hey, not bad! I expected you to have some stupid look on your face! This is a nice, serious, but not too scary look for you!”
Izuku rolled his eyes as his sister continued to analyze his televised appearance.
“So what are you gonna do about the two that saw the Shadows?”
Izuku shrugged. “One seems too serious for her own good. I doubt she’d spill the beans. The other… I can’t be sure, she seemed a little… excitable. But I made a promise to tell them.”
“You know you don’t have to keep every promise you make, right Izu? Even if you don’t tell them, who’s gonna believe that you have an army like that? No Summoner has ever managed to call upon more than a few Summoned creatures at a time.”
Izuku gave Kei a withering stare, “They were good teammates, they helped in that final battle. I can’t just go back on a promise. You shouldn’t go back on a promise either.”
Kei shrugged. “If keeping a promise is more harm than good, then I’m gonna abandon it. Sorry, but that’s how it is.” Izuku just shook his head. “Hey didn’t you say you had a bunch of stuff from the System?”
“Yeah…”
“Well don’t bother waiting for Yaoyorozu, get that stuff done so that you can meet her as soon as she responds.”
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, again looking down at his phone, as if that would conjure a text from her. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He went to retreat back into his bedroom, but stopped short. “Oh by the way, school starts next week so I should be getting a package with my uniforms soon. Just keep a lookout for those.”
“Roger!” She said, going back to the Tv.
“I’m probably gonna need a Hero Outfit of some kind at this rate. A way to keep my face hidden in the event that I need to use my Shadows.”
Izuku settled down at his desk, opening his Documentarian Quirk to make notes about whatever Rewards he received.
*******
[Level Based Rewards can now be claimed.]
[You have acquired items:]
- Orb of Avarice
- Part of a Rune Stone for the Skill: Dominator's Touch
- Treasure Trove of the Orcs
*******
The first thing Izuku grabbed was the Rune Stone pieces from his Inventory, fitting them together like two Lego bricks. The two pieces instantly fused together, the seam vanishing as if it had never existed to begin with. Then, Izuku crushed the stone.
******
[Skill: Dominator’s Touch]
- Active Skill
- Mana Cost: 0 Mana Cost.
- Description: The User can exert their will on any object.
******
“Kind of a lame description…” He muttered, deciding to test it out by activating it on a nearby pencil cup. “Woah…” Suddenly, the cup lifted off the desk and by concentrating on where he wanted it to go, he could move it. “Okay so it’s Telekinesis. Why didn’t it just say that?”
The Treasure Trove of the Orcs was just a massive amount of gold coins for the System Store, approximately 100 Million, more than replenishing the 1 Million he had spent on Uraraka’s cloak. He currently had no use for it, so he went on to the Orb of Avarice that dropped from Tusk.
*******
[Item: Orb of Avarice]
- Item Class: High S
- Item Type: Artifact
- Gem Slots: 0
- Description: All magic power is doubled when this item is held.
******
Izuku let out a whistle, thinking about the sheer damage he could do if he had Tusk hold this and let one of his Hymns rip. It would be insane.
“Alright, accept Level-Based Rewards.”
*******
[Rewards:]
- 1. Quirk: IQ
- 2. Instance Dungeon Key: As Above So Below
- 3. Job-Specific Skill: Monarch’s Domain
- 4. Job-Specific Skill: Monarch’s Presence
- 5. +30 Stat Points
*******
The Quirk worked the same way as Amplify, doubling the amount of Stat points put into Sense and Intelligence. Izuku wasn’t sure how IQ applied to Sense, but it did. So now, every single one of his Stats would grow at a rate of two for every Level he acquired.
The Instance Key didn’t say much about itself, aside from the fact that it was S-Ranked and could be used anywhere.
The Job-Specific Skills were the fun ones.
******
[Skill: Monarch’s Domain]
- Job-Specific Active Skill
- Mana Cost: 0 Mana Cost
- Other Conditions: Skill can only be active for five minutes at a time, and requires twenty minutes before it can be used again.
- Description: A domain spreads out from the feet of the Player, approximately a kilometer in diameter. Any Shadow within this space will be enhanced by 50%
******
[Skill: Monarch’s Presence]
- Job-Specific Active Skill
- Mana Cost: 0 Mana Cost
- Description: The Player now has enough control over their Mana to let it out as an intimidating force. This has the potential to freeze an opponent in fear.
******
“I guess it could be useful to scare some people,” Izuku said, chuckling to himself.
With his Sense and Intelligence Stats lower than the rest, he decided to put the 30 Stat points into them, 15 to each, causing his Stat page to look as such.
*******
Izuku Midoriya:
Level: 100
Strength: 228 (+5)
Vitality: 208 (+25)
Agility: 280 (+45)
Intelligence: 191 (+5)
Sense: 176 (+25)
Available Points: 0
[Mana: 12,425/12,425]
[HP: 15,271/15,271]
[Saved Shadows: 305/418]
*******
Izuku leaned back in his chair, contemplating what to do next. He could either start the Instance Dungeon and get a jump on some new Levels and Shadows, or… He hopped up from his chair, grabbing his hoodie.
“Kei, I’m heading out for a bit! I left some money on the counter for you!”
“See ya! Avoid the paparazzi!” She joked as he closed the door and headed out onto the streets. He pulled his hoodie up to cover his head and made for Yaoyorozu’s apartment.
They’d never actually visited each other’s homes, but they had exchanged addresses. Maybe it was rude of him to go to her house unannounced, but he simply couldn’t shake the pit of unease in his stomach.
Her apartment was in a neighborhood similar to his. It was a relatively nice area, with plenty of shops and restaurants around. Not that it really mattered to Yaoyorozu, she could’ve been holed up in the seediest place in Tokyo, but unless a thug was a high Ranking Awakened human, she was more dangerous than the criminals were.
He made his way up the stairs of the apartment complex, coming to her floor and making for her room number, 714.
He knocked lightly. No answer. He knocked a little harder. Still nothing. He resorted to calling out for her inside the apartment. She didn’t respond.
Izuku looked down at his phone once more, but by this point he really didn’t need to. He knew she wasn’t responding to him.
He took a deep breath. “Okay… this is not me being a weirdo. I’m not invading her privacy to be a creep, I’m just worried about her…” He told himself as he reached out with Dominator’s Touch, finding the lock mechanism to her door and unlatching it. The Skill had more than a few uses apparently.
He pushed open the door, finding her apartment exactly as he expected it. Neat, with not a single piece of clothing out of place. There were only two sources of clutter, in fact. Two massive bookshelves overflowing with novels and the stand underneath her television was piled high with DVDs.
The kitchen, her couch, her table. All of it looked normal. No sign of a struggle. And the same was true of her bedroom. Her bed looked like it was out of a hotel with how smooth and unwrinkled the sheets were. There was nothing of note in the entire apartment complex, aside from the note on her nightstand.
The paper was old. It was crinkled, turning a different color from the years of exposure. Hesitantly, he picked it up.
‘If you have come looking for me and I am not answering my cell phone, I am likely on a raid, please wait a few hours before attempting to contact me again. However, if I still do not return or answer your calls and you have found this note, then please alert local authorities that my name is Momo Yaoyorozu and that I have been found by people looking for me. Tell them that I have been kidnapped and need immediate help.’
Izuku nearly fell over, faint as he realized his stupidity. “Of course it was her parents… She never would’ve forgotten the cafe…” He bolted out of the apartment, rushing outside as he grabbed his phone, dialing the only person he knew to call for help.
“Nejire! This is Izuku! It’s an emergency, I need a favor!”
*******
Izuku raced through the streets, Stealth activated to hide him from drivers as he passed them at asinine speeds. He weaved through traffic lights, dodging speeding cars, leaping over them, anything he needed to in order to reach his destination as soon as possible.
Even though Nejire was organizing an official investigation with police and Heroes, Izuku wasn’t just going to sit on his hands. He didn’t have much information on the Yaoyorozu’s, but he did know where their mansion was.
With more square footage than both his and Momo’s entire apartment complexes combined, it was an abundance of space that no family could’ve occupied on their own. Even with dozens upon dozens of guests, the mansion would’ve barely been filled. With that much space, there would’ve been plenty of room to hide someone.
Izuku leapt over the fence that separated the house from the street. Still hidden in Stealth, he dashed to one of the side doors, again using Dominator’s Touch to delicately unlock it, or at least, he tried to. The door was electronically sealed. He could’ve forced it aside, but he quickly realized that doing so would set off an alarm that the door was connected to.
He scowled, running from door to door, window to window, looking for any entrance, and finding nothing that wasn’t wired with an alarm. He saw plenty of servants roaming the halls indoors, but you’d think the place was on lockdown with how secure it was. And he didn’t doubt that it was on lockdown.
“No way in quietly, I guess…”
What Izuku was doing was criminal. He had no clear evidence that Yaoyorozu had been taken by her parents. And even if he had evidence, he wasn’t a licensed Hero or government agent. This was illegal, and if it was somehow discovered that he was the one behind the break-in, he could face serious charges.
So, of course, he didn’t hesitate in smashing a window and letting out his Shadows into the mansion.
“Tear it apart!” He screamed. “Every room! Every nook and cranny!”
The servants yelped in fear and began running for their lives as the Shadows pushed their way deeper into the palace. But Izuku wasn’t in a good mood, he tripped up the dozen or so nearby servants with Dominator’s Touch, and telekinetically pulled into a corner of the house as his Shadows searched.
“Where are the Yaoyorozu’s?!” He demanded, still remaining invisible.
The servants again shrieked, having seemingly been attacked by a ghost. Some were young, but there were a few middle-aged men and women.
“Where! Are! They!” He repeated.
“They told us they were going out of town for a vacation!” One of the older men replied. “They didn’t say where! It’s common for them to just up and leave like this!” That, Izuku didn’t doubt. They probably spent every weekend in the Bahamas.
“Oh yeah?” The man turned pale as a sheet as he felt the cool steel of Izuku’s dagger press against his throat. “And what about their cult? Huh? What about the crazy things they do inside Gates? The people they sacrifice? What about their daughter? Where’s she?”
“I-I don’t… know anything about t-that…”
“You sure?” Izuku asked. “I’ve always been a little bit clumsy. Would be a shame to just let my fingers slip.” This wasn’t his forte, and it was clear, but to help supplant it, he activated Monarch’s Presence, and four of the servants wet themselves on the spot.
“I-I swear! Please!”
“Never seen any creepy guests? No crying girls? No Awakened humans that took them off to their escapades inside the Gates?”
“S-Stop… They don’t know anything…” One of the women at the back said.
“Excellent,” Izuku said, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off the ground, “Because that means you do. Spill.”
“I-I don’t know where they went!” She quickly clarified. “B-But there was a night, w-when I saw them leading a girl out to their backyard, near the gazebo! T-They were with a bunch of people in masks! We all thought it was a masquerade party, b-but when they returned, I didn’t see the girl! I-I was too scared to say anything! That’s all I know, please!”
Izuku called back the Shadows of one of the Pinnacle Orcs, “Don’t let them leave.” With that, he turned on his heel and sprinted… straight through several walls, leaping from the third floor to end up in their backyard. If the alarm was already blaring, might as well trash the place. Clearly something fishy was going on.
He sprinted through the fields, feeling like he was in another forest with how large the grounds were. But it didn’t take him long to find the gleaming white gazebo. At the very least, he had to give it to the servants for being able to keep such a large place so incredibly clean.
His eyes flicked around the wooden panels, finding nothing as the water of the nearby manmade lake splashed against it. He stomped his foot, not in frustration, but to obliterate the wooden structure. Just a single stomp sent every plank flying, creating a small crater in the ground. But the only thing there was dirt, dirt, and more dirt.
“Dammit!” He looked around, desperate for any lead, but it wasn’t his eyes that found something. Rather, it was his Sense Stat. The water of the lake, though faint, was undeniably mixed with magical particles.
Izuku withdrew the Orb of Avarice from his Inventory, holding it in one hand as the other reached out, burning with fire magic.
The lake exploded into a blindingly-hot cloud of white vapor. Izuku had turned the entire lake to steam in an instant. And at the bottom of that lake, sat a metal structure, built atop pneumatics that would’ve lifted it from the bottom of the silty floor, likely through the use of a remote. It was a staircase that was sealed to prevent water from entering whatever it was hiding.
He dropped down to the mushy mud of the lake, using the sharp claws on his gauntlet to rend the metal apart and reveal the rest of the staircase. They seemed to go on endlessly, with only a few torches, lit with blue flames, to illuminate them.
But Izuku didn’t take the slow path, instead, he called his Shadows back to him and sprinted down the staircase. Taking dozens of stairs at a time, he was in the air more than he was touching the ground. Whatever this place was, it had been buried miles underground.
Time dragged on for Izuku. He knew Momo was down here, he knew this was the right path. So the asinine amount of stairs was beginning to wear on his nerves. “How does the cult get down here without taking hours on these stairs?!” Just as that thought occurred to Izuku, the ground came up to meet him, like a shifting tectonic plate. It was, in fact, just the end of the stairs.
He hit the ground with an explosive stomp, skidding to a stop in the rubble. He took just a moment to look around before realizing that the carved stone around him looked like the inside of a Gate. It was eerie, but it didn’t stop him from proceeding onwards, because just a few feet away, was a golden gilded door, several times larger than an average person. It was far too ornate to not be important.
Izuku placed his hands against the doors, feeling immense power on the other side. It wasn’t Mana, it was just a sense of grandeur, a sense of importance that he couldn’t shake. Regardless, he pushed, allowing the doors to open soundlessly to a room cloaked in total darkness. He stepped forwards, preparing to illuminate the room with fire magic.
Before he could, however, the doors slammed shut behind him, and the room erupted with light. The same blue torches on the stairwell lined the circular room, illuminating the dozens of robed figures, kneeling around an altar at the center of the room. An altar that was all too familiar. The same one that Izuku had sacrificed himself upon to earn the System in the first place. Standing atop it, bound and gagged, was Momo, limp, but still breathing.
Izuku wanted to rush forwards and free her, but two of the robed figures at the foot of the altar, clothed in much more dignified robes than the rest, stood.
“Welcome, Shadow Monarch.” The first one said, lowering her hood to reveal the beautiful, yet haunting face of Momo’s mother, Miyuki.
“We are honored to welcome you to your sacred chambers.” The second to pull down his cloak was Akihiko, Momo’s father.
Izuku dropped his Stealth Skill as the two greeted him. At the same time, Momo lifted her head slightly, weakly screaming into her gag. It sounded like “run.”
“Come Forth.” But nothing happened.
“This was where you were born,” Miyuki explained at his confusion. “Such a sacred chamber does not allow you to bring an army with you.”
“That’s fine,” Izuku said, scowling. “I don’t need them to kill you.”
Akihiko and Miyuki waved their hands in sync and two massive spindly legs from the ceiling came down to pierce his hands, and pin them to the ground.
Izuku held back grunts of pain as the creature stabbed through his legs as well, locking him in place.
“No, you don’t,” Miyuki giggled sadistically. “Because you won’t be doing any killing,” The two withdrew sharp ceremonial knives. “We will.”
The creature that had stabbed Izuku lowered itself from the ceiling, gleaming red eyes coming from the darkness. And it’s face… was that of a smiling statue, elated by his torment.