Ch. 2: Rias Gremory, the Devil
"Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is-"
Izuku groaned as he reached out from under his bed to turn off his All Might alarm clock. He groaned some more before sitting straight up in bed, causing his blanket to fall off.
"Ugh, what a nightmare," Izuku groaned as he felt his head. He then looked down at his torso and lifted up his undershirt, seeing there was no hole in his abdomen, "But… why did it feel so real?" He got out of bed, still feeling drowsy.
After getting dressed, Izuku went into the living room, where his mom sat on the couch watching the morning news. "There you are!" she said. "Did you know how worried I was last night? You never answered your phone. I thought one of those zealot murderers got you!"
Izuku blinked a few times in surprise. "Uh, I'm sorry mom. When I got home you were already asleep and my phone was dead." 'That's weird… My phone was dead yesterday, but I don't remember coming home at all.'
"The next time you plan to stay out so late at least tell me in advance," Inko deadpanned. "You're breakfast is on the table."
"Okay."
After breakfast, Izuku went to school like normal, but for some odd reason, the sunlight just sapped him of energy. "So tired," he groaned at his desk. The school bell would ring soon, and everyone was clamoring to their seats.
Izuku's mind was still going over the 'dream' he had. 'Why did it feel so real?' He began to wonder if he was under the effects of someone's Quirk when the teacher arrived.
"All right, nice to see everyone present for once," he said. "Today's lecture will cover the constellations. Pay attention because we'll have a test about this Saturday."
'Maybe this will help clear my head.' Izuku thought as he prepared his school notebook.
It didn't. While the lectures and projects for his classes did help clear his head a little, by lunch Izuku had more questions than answers. And it didn't help that he felt tired every time he stepped outside into the sunlight. He was currently eating by himself under the shade of a tree, enjoying the lunch his mom prepared. "That definitely wasn't a dream," he concluded. "But does that mean Amano-san really did kill me? If so, then how am I still alive? How was she able to create that light spear? Did her Quirk allow her to control light? And what's a Sacred Gear? And what did she mean by 'Him'? And whose voice did I hear after I blacked out?"
When school ended, Izuku had more questions than answers. It didn't help he felt tired all day. "Why is the sun making me feel so weird?" he asked himself as he walked home.
By the time Izuku made it back to his neighborhood, it had already turned dark with the sun setting in the distance. Strangely, he actually felt rejuvenated. And despite it being so dark, he could see clearly, better than during the day even. Not only that, he could clearly hear people's conversations even if they were a block away. "What is happening to me?" He asked himself.
It wasn't obvious till now, but ever since this morning, Izuku felt his body was different somehow. Questions were spinning in his head, about to be unleashed as a mumble storm, when Izuku stopped in his tracks, a cold feeling running down his spine.
"Am I… being followed?"
Izuku slowly turned around behind him. From where the sun was setting, he could see a shapely figure walking forward toward him. It was a man, middle-aged too. He was dressed in a pale gray trench coat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, a pair of black gloves, and a black fedora.
"Well, how unfortunate…" he said. "Me, bumping into something like you in a place like this."
Hesitantly, Izuku took a couple of steps back, instinct telling him that he should run. 'Who is this guy?!'
"Trying to run?" the man asked as he drew closer. "Tell me, boy, where's your master?"
Izuku turned around and ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. He ran for what felt like hours before he finally stopped. Taking in his surroundings, Izuku saw he was at a small park near his apartment.
"I think…I…lost him…" he panted.
"Think again."
Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin, screaming as he turned around. The man had somehow followed him. The reason why? He had two large, black bird-like wings.
'Those wings…! They're like Amano-san's! Does that mean they're related?!'
As the man floated up in the air, he looked around, as if searching for something. "No sign of your friends or master, and no magic circles being deployed," he then looked to Izuku again, this time with a sadistic grin. "Therefore I will assume you are a stray."
'Stray? Master? What is he talking about?!'
Blue light emitted from the palm of his hand, soon forming a spear. "That means killing you won't be a problem!"
Izuku, realizing what was going to happen, tried to run-
*SHINK!*
Only to collapse to the ground, a spear of light stuck through his torso. "It… burns…" he gagged painfully. He tried to grab it, but his hands were burned by it.
"Light is a deadly poison to your kind," the man said. "Sorry for giving you so much pain. Looks like I missed the vital organs," the spear of light disappeared and reformed in the man's hand. "I won't miss this time!"
BOOM!
"GAHA!" the man gasped from the impact of an explosion hitting his back, causing him to drop his spear, and part of his coat burned to a crisp. The weapon instantly shattered and vanished as it hit the ground.
"Pardon me, but could you not touch that kid?" a third voice asked.
"Tch," the man glared at his attacker behind him. "I know you… you're the duke's daughter, right?"
"That's right," the mystery person said, stepping into a street light. "Rias Gremory, at your service. How do you do, fallen angel-san?" she introduced, performing a bow.
"R…Rias… Gremory…?" Izuku groaned, looking behind him. He recognized her as the U.A. student he met the other day.
"Don't tell me that this kid is your property?" the man demanded.
"He is," Rias smiled like a fox as she folded her arms, "And I won't hold back if you kill him."
"Very well. I'll apologize today," the man released his wings and took off into the air. "But I advise you not to let your servant loose again. There are others like me who would prefer to hunt him down."
"Thanks for the advice, but this city is under my protection," Rias warned, "If any of your friends interfere, don't blame me if you get turned to ashes for it."
"I'll keep that in mind. My name is Dohnaseek. Till next time, Gremory princess!" he shouted, flying off into the night air.
Izuku was barely able to register what had just happened with the burning hole in his torso. The man was a fallen angel? Did that mean Yuuma was a fallen angel too? And how did this Rias person drive him off? What was happening? He couldn't think anymore as he fell on his face and darkness enveloped his vision.
"Morning is here! Morning is here!"
The sound of Izuku's alarm violated his ears. Snorting in irritation, he rubbed his eyes as his sight adjusted to the morning sun. He slowly sat up and slammed his alarm shut. "Huh? I'm still alive?" Izuku muttered to himself groggily. "I thought that guy with the black wings was trying to kill me, then that red-haired girl saved my life." He gave out a tired yawn. "I guess it really was just a bad dream…"
He flipped the sheets off his body, only to look down to realize something very, very wrong. "Huh?! I'm NAKED?!"
Then he noticed something else. His head twitched like a clock as he slowly turned his head. Next to him in his bed was Rias, sleeping soundly in the nude. His mind was a blur, unable to comprehend what was happening. There, lying in his bed, was a beautiful girl from U.A. High. How the hell did that manage to even happen? "Ah… ah… ah…" Izuku whispered, blood slowly dripping from his nose and 'junior' standing in attention. 'There's a naked girl next to me! Oh my God, what do I-' "AGH!" A sudden, sharp pain exploded in his head like a bullet had just bolted through, causing him to clutch his eyes and temple. Unfortunately, this caused the girl to stir from her sleep.
She moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and faced Izuku in all her naked glory, "Oh, good morning Izuku-kun."
"Go… good morning," Izuku nodded shyly. "Um… and, uh?"
"Hm?" Rias smiled, "What is it?"
"I-I-I-I c-can s-s-see your b-b-b-b-b-," he whispered, unable to finish.
"That's fine," she smiled slyly, cupping her mounds, "In fact, you can look at them all you like."
"Huh?!" Izuku gasped, blood running from his nose. He shook his head and wiped the blood from his nose, "Wha-wha-wha… what's going on?! How did we get here?! How did you fight off that guy with the wings?! And how do you know my name?!"
"One question at a time," Rias laughed. "That man was a fallen angel, and he is our natural enemy. And I brought you here through a magic circle."
"Huh? Magic?" Izuku said in disbelief. He blushed as Rias gently cupped his face and caressed his cheek.
"That's right," Rias purred, "You see, I'm a devil and also your master. A pleasure to meet you, Midoriya Izuku. And please, call me Rias-san for now."
"R-Rias-san? You…? You're a devil?" Izuku blinked, trying his best not to gaze too much at the older girl's hourglass figure. "You mean fire and brimstone, horns and pitchforks kind of devil?"
"Oh, no. Nothing like that, love," Rias laughed, waving it off. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and rested her hand against her knee. "While humans tend to look at us that way, devils are hardly anything like that."
"Uh… right," Izuku cocked his head. Rias' smile turned mischievous as an idea formed in her head. Scooting closer, she looped her arms over his and rested her head on his own. "R-R-Rias-san!?" Izuku blushed brighter, "What are you-?"
"Well, if you want to get to know your companion start by sitting side down with them side-by-side," Rias elaborated, "That's Dating 101. Now you know. I bet from here on out you'll never make the boorish mistake of sitting across from your date, will you?" She emphasized her point by squeezing her perky nipple against his arm. Izuku's eyes grew large as his face became bright red, sweating intensely. His breathing intensified. Rias just continued teasing him, stroking her fingers over his bare chest like a brush on paper. Then, she leaned her lips close to his ear and blew a gentle breeze. Shuddering, Izuku backed up to the other side of his bed.
Rias couldn't help but giggle, looking at his embarrassed face. 'It's really fun to tease him like this.' As she looked around his room, Rias noted all the All Might merchandise he had. "I knew you were a hero fanboy, especially All Might, but this is a bit much."
Somehow Izuku's blush turned redder. "I greatly admire him…"
Then, to his abject horror, he could hear footsteps approaching his door with his mother's voice coming closer, "Izuku! Don't tell me you're oversleeping! If I have to drag you out of bed, I will!"
Izuku began to panic as he jumped from his bed. "Crap! It's Mom! How am I gonna explain this?! Oh God- ARG!" The same pain from before rocketed through him. And, like before, the pain lasted only for a short moment before it subsided just as quickly. "Why does that keep happening…?"
"That's normal for devils," Rias explained, not looking the least bit worried that Izuku's mother was about to walk in on them, "Just thinking of God let alone praying to Him is enough to give you a headache."
"Never mind! We have to get decent- no, I have to get decent and I need you to hide before mom sees you! At least put on a shirt!" Izuku shouted, trying to reach over his bed to find something to cover his legs. Unfortunately, he didn't get far enough as Inko had already opened the door.
"Izuku, breakfast is almost ready! So get out… of… bed…" She lost track of her words upon seeing the crimson-haired girl in her son's bed in her birthday suit. Not only that, Izuku was above her with both of his hands on either side of her head, also butt naked.
Inko's face was the definition of shock, her eyes bulged and her mouth opened so wide you could lay eggs in it. Izuku didn't fare any better. He couldn't do anything else but smile nervously at the sight of his mother with sweat pouring from his face. Rias, on the other hand, was the only one who didn't look remotely disturbed as she gave a winning smile. "Ah, you must be Izuku-kun's mother. Good morning. I'm Rias Gremory."
"H… hello, Rias-chan," Inko could only say. Slowly edging away from the door, she said, "Um… I'll let you carry on while I finish breakfast." She slowly closed the door.
Izuku just stared and uttered, "Oh dear God, please let me fly away…" He then winced as he felt another headache.
Rias simply giggled before she stood up. She soon began to get dressed, her clothes neatly placed in the corner of the room. "How's your stomach?" she asked.
Izuku then remembered he was stabbed last night. "How did…"
"I teleported us back to your room and stayed with you to heal your injury," she replied as she put on a skirt. "It works best when we're in the nude so I used you as a hug pillow." Izuku went lava red once again, his head steaming. A haughty, almost lustful smirk appeared on Rias' face, "And I must say, I never expected someone of your age to be so… mighty~." Izuku's nose began to bleed as his whole head turned a darker shade of red. "And don't worry, we're still virgins."
"Wh-why are you doing this?!"
"Because teasing you is so much fun."
The walk to his school was far longer than usual. Izuku's face was one of complete and total embarrassment throughout the way. As he got closer to his school, more students saw who he was with. The boys were glaring daggers at him, their faces twisted in looks of envy. The girls were whispering at each other with looks of either confusion and wonder or total suspicion. The cause of all this? How about the fact that Rias was walking next to him with her arm looped around his? She was so close he could smell her strawberry perfume. It was so intoxicating.
"Uh, Ri-Rias-san?" Izuku began, just barely able to form that sentence. "Do you have to stand so close to me?" Izuku asked, hesitant.
"After what happened last night I didn't want to take the chance." Rias smiled at him, not minding the looks, "Besides, most guys would kill to be where you are now."
"Yeah… I can see that." Izuku muttered nervously, looking at the murderous glares from most of the male half of the crowd.
Rias couldn't help but look at his face in amusement. It was in such a deep crimson that it could easily be matched with her crimson hair, "You haven't been this close to a girl before, have you?"
"N-not recently," Izuku admitted shyly, "O-Other than my mom, a-and sometimes Takamaki-san, I-I c-can't say I have much e-experience with girls. I tend to freeze up whenever any girl gets close to me, let alone a pretty one."
"Oh dear," Rias said cheerfully, "So you think I'm pretty?"
"W-well, don't a lot of people do?" Izuku stuttered. He was still red in the face and Rias was loving every second of it.
"Well, your mother seemed to think so. She's a rather sweet woman," Rias replied.
Izuku didn't give a response as his face became somewhat uncertain. Instead, his mind wandered back to how breakfast went.
"IZUKU! I'M SO HAPPY! YOU FINALLY BROUGHT A FRIEND OVER! AND IT'S A GIRL!" Inko cried as she hugged her son, squeezing him tight, tears of happiness flying from her eyes like fountains. "I can't believe this is happening! My baby boy brought over a girl to visit! And a very cute one too! Oh Izuku, I'm so happy for you! You're growing up so fast!"
"Mom! Please!" Izuku pleaded, trying to escape from the smoothing of his mother. "Not in front of Rias-san!"
"Oh, you," Inko smiled, letting go of her son and wiping away her tears. "Don't be so shy. It's natural for boys your age to do this and that with a girl like her. Me and Hisashi didn't do it until we were in high school but you get my drift." She giggled as her face became flushed, "It was fun to have him underneath me in the sack…"
"Mom!" Izuku groaned, his face red. "I don't need to know how you had me!"
"So, Rias-chan was it?" Inko asked, turning to the other woman at the table. "Sorry for being like that. It's just… It's been so long since my son brought anyone home and I got a little emotional… Please, don't mind me."
"It's fine, Mrs. Midoriya," Rias assured, having enjoyed the emotional woman's show.
"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, dear. You can call me Inko if you want," Inko insisted. "Pardon me for asking, but are you a U.A. student?"
"Yes, ma'am," Rias confirmed, "I'm currently a first year in the general studies course. And I must say, I didn't expect you to look so young. I thought you were his older sister for a moment."
"Oh my!" Inko giggled daintily, "Most of the people on my side of the family do appear young even in adulthood. The only thing negative about it is that it's rather tough to get jobs or need to show ID to get certain things." She sighed and cleared her throat behind her fist, "So Rias-chan, how did you and my son meet?"
"I was walking home from school about a week ago when I met him watching some heroes stop some purse snatchers," Rias explained, not missing a beat. "He was taking notes about the heroes, and when I approached him he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. When he finally calmed down we talked for a bit and he told me about how he wanted to become a great hero like All Might. We stayed a little later than we thought yesterday so we went home together." Izuku blinked at how quickly Rias answered. He had to admit that it was a nice save. He wasn't sure how he would explain the events of yesterday to his mother.
But how did Rias know about him wanting to become a hero?
"So that's the case," Inko nodded, "Just promise that you'll keep my son safe."
"I'll do what I can, Inko-san," Rias promised her.
With a groan, Izuku said, "Thanks for stopping mom from making a fuss about… ya know…" He was somewhat thankful that Rias had altered his mother's memories of seeing them naked, but he wasn't sure he liked that she did it.
Rias giggled at that as they arrived at Izuku's school, where the stares intensified, and gossip had already erupted from them.
"OMG! Who is that with Midoriya-kun?"
"No way! Is that a U.A. Student?!"
"Are they dating? Really? Are they dating?"
"Why would a U.A. student date a Quirkless kid like him?"
"But they do look pretty cute together. Like an otouto/onee-sama kind of couple."
"Waa! So cute!"
"Damn you, Midoriya! Gah!"
"As if things weren't bad enough for me here," Izuku groaned.
"Hey, don't be so negative. They are right about one thing," Rias grinned at him with a glint in her eyes. Her teeth, he noticed, looked rather sharp. Though he couldn't help but feel enchanted by her smile. Maybe it was just part of her charm. "We do look pretty cute together~." Izuku looked away in shyness.
"P-please s-stop t-teasing m-me," Izuku stammered.
"You're too cute," she said playfully, poking him on the cheek. "Anyway, I have to head over to U.A. now. I'll send someone to pick you up later."
"Uh, ok," Izuku nodded. "Where should I wait?"
"Just wait in your class. See you later." She gave a lady-like wave and a wink before turning around to her class, making sure to put an extra swing in her steps. Izuku naturally stared as she left, her backside hypnotic. He realized what he was doing and quickly shook himself out of it.
Turning around, he saw a bunch of male students glaring at him. This won't end well.
Izuku leaned over his chair trying to ignore the stares from the rest of his classmates. It didn't seem to be working as he was practically in the center of the room. It had been like that all day. Even Bakugo was glaring daggers, wondering how the hell Izuku got a pretty girl from U.A. High to accompany him to school.
"This is gonna stay with me for a long time, isn't it?" Izuku muttered from under his breath. Classes had ended a little while ago, and he was currently waiting for whoever Rias had sent to pick him up.
"Uh, Midoriya-san?" The quiet voice of Milia spoke up.
Izuku turned his head to her. "Uh, yeah? What is it, Takamaki-san?" Izuku asked, feeling a little relaxed with the pleasant face in front of him.
"Is it true?" Milia asked, "Did you really arrive at school with Gremory-senpai today?"
Izuku blinked a couple of times. "You know her?"
"You… could say that," Milia replied. "Let's say we're in similar social circles."
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, she did come with me."
"Oh. That's… interesting," Milia replied. "You know, I don't think Gremory-senpai has ever been seen dating anyone for a long time. If she has her eyes set on you, she must find you very special."
"R-really?" Izuku muttered. "W-what's so s-special about me?"
"Your unwavering kindness, for one, but whatever the case is I think she might've made the right choice in picking you," Milia smiled, pressing the rim on her glasses, her face adorned with a light blush.
Izuku felt a chill go up his spine from the way Milia looked at him. 'When was it that girls started getting so weird?' he thought to himself, looking away nervously while blushing.
Bakugo scowled at the two, having a hard time believing that Deku was so oblivious to Milia's crush on him. "Idiots…" he growled.
Izuku's waiting seemed to finally come to an end when the door opened, causing all the girls in the room to flush with heavy breathing and dreamy sighs, and some of the boys to all sulk and mumble in envy. Izuku didn't have to look to see the cause of the commotion, but he did anyway. It was a boy the same age as him, Kiba Yuuto of Class B-3. He had short blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in the uniform for boys that appeared to be neatly pressed, and brown loafers.
Izuku had heard that Yuuto was considered by many to be Aldera Junior High's prince charming. For good reason too, as plenty of girls seemed to flock around him pretty much all the time. He was the epitome of a perfect gentleman, though was also seen as the bane of many boys for attracting such pretty girls, evident by the sight of a few boys scowling at him in contempt.
Yuuto hadn't even managed to move from the doorway before he got mobbed by a group of girls. Being the gentleman he was, he accommodated the girls for a short time before politely excusing himself and walking over to Izuku's desk.
"Hi," Yuuto smiled, "Midoriya-kun?"
"Uh, yeah," Izuku replied.
"Rias-san asked me to come get you," Yuuto told him. "Would you mind following me?"
"Uh, sure," Izuku nodded, standing up with his bag.
"Rias-san… does he mean that redheaded girl?" one girl said. "Then what happened this morning… was real?!"
"That U.A. Student sent Kiba-kun for him?" a second girl blinked. "Why?"
"No clue."
"Is it me… or do they look like a Yaoi pairing!" a third girl squealed.
"KYA! A Kiba x Midoriya pairing!"
"That's so hot…!"
"What the fucking hell?" Bakugo grumbled, not sure how to process what was happening before him. The school's pretty boy took Deku away to see some hot chick, with all the girls in class squeeing over the two like they were leads in a boys' love manga.
"Can we please go now?" Izuku asked, starting to get very uncomfortable.
"Yeah, yeah, we're leaving now," Yuuto laughed in a good-natured way as they both left for the hallway. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions to ask."
"Yeah, I do," Izuku nodded.
The two remained silent for the rest of the trip. The trip in itself took longer than Izuku thought and in a familiar direction. "Are we heading to U.A.?"
"To one of the more public buildings, yes," Yuuto answered.
While most of U.A.'s campus was not open to the public, there were some areas made for public use, like the clubs hosted by the general studies student body.
Izuku started to get nervous. This wasn't how he expected his first trip to U.A. to be like. He began to sweat a little when they eventually reached the destination, a two-story building that looked like it was straight out of a horror movie.
There was a sign above the front door that read 'Occult Research Club'. "Occult research…?"
"Rias-san will explain everything. C'mon," Yuuto opened the door and held it open for Izuku. "We mustn't keep her waiting." Yuuto urged him. Izuku nodded and followed Yuuto inside. The inside, unlike the outside, was rather nice. Old gothic-style furniture and marble floors gave it a rather nice touch. If only there was better lighting, as the inside still looked like a horror movie set.
"And here we are," Yuuto said, opening the last door in the hall. Izuku stepped inside and looked around the room. Looking around, he could see that several sofas and tables were set up together orderly. There was even a pentagram in a corner, and a few paintings hanging on the wall. Sitting on one of the sofas was a young girl, likely a year younger than Izuku at least, quietly munching on a pastry.
She was a short, petite girl with white hair and hazel eyes. At the front, her hair had two long bangs going past her shoulders and several loose bangs hanging over her forehead, while the back had a short bob cut. She also wore a black cat-shaped hair clip on both sides of her hair.
"Koneko-chan," Yuuto said, grabbing the shorter girl's attention, "I'm sure you already know about Midoriya-kun." Koneko turned her eyes to Izuku and studied him silently.
"Ah… hello?" Izuku greeted quietly. Koneko simply gave a curt nod before going back to eating her sweets.
"You'll get used to it," Yuuto told him, "Koneko doesn't really get along with new people much till she knows them better."
"I'll… take your word for it," Izuku nodded, glancing aside. "Is there anyone else?"
"No, not yet. Right now, the club hasn't been finalized yet," Yuuto answered. "Once we start attending U.A. we'll need at least two more people in order to officially form the ORC."
Izuku blinked a few times at what Yuuto said. "Wait, you're applying for U.A. too?"
"Only for the general studies. I'm not interested in being a hero."
Izuku nodded, glancing aside. He had heard that not everyone who went to U.A. applied for the heroics department, but he never met anyone like that till now. He blinked as he turned to another room that was centered off, the sound of rushing water coming from it, "Wait… is that a shower that I hear?"
"That would be Rias-san," Yuuto told him, "She's a stickler for cleanliness."
"So she had a shower installed in the clubroom…? That's not even her's yet…?"
Eventually, the sound of a shower turning off was heard. A minute later, Rias stepped out of the room. "Oh good, you're here," She stepped out dressed in her uniform and combed her hair, the scent of the body wash still fresh on her. "Glad you could make it, Izu-kun."
"Uh, yeah sure!" Izuku blushed at the nickname Rias gave him.
"I'm sure you would like some answers now, correct?" Izuku nodded. Rias then sat down at the desk. "I'll be blunt then. Remember when I told you that I was a devil?"
"Uh, yeah…"
"Well, so is everyone else here, and that includes you." With a snap of her fingers, jet-black wings stretched out from the backs of her, Yuuto, and Koneko, which didn't seem to shred their clothing from the way they shot out. Izuku felt something pulse in his back before the very same wings jumped out from behind him as well, much to his disturbance.
"Huh? What?!" Izuku gasped, looking at the black objects sticking out from him. "This is real?! I'm not dreaming?!"
"I assure you, Midoriya-kun, this is very real," said Yuuto. "It's a lot to take in, believe me."
"I'll continue," Rias said, folding her arms. "The reality is that not just devils, but angels, fallen angels, and other supernatural beings exist. Some are benevolent, and others are not. In terms of us devils, we make pacts with humans to obtain power, while fallen angels use humans as tools to destroy us. Moreover, God has commanded the angels to destroy both us and the fallen angels. We've been in a three-way standoff for a long time now."
Izuku blinked a few more times. "You're right Kiba-kun. This is a lot to take in."
Ch. 3: New Life as a Devil
Angels? Fallen angels? Devils? They were all real? And now he was a devil too? What… did this all mean? How did he get roped all into this? Questions went going through Izuku's head as he sat on one of the sofas in the ORC room. "What… does this have to do with me?"
"Remember the night you were killed?" Izuku's response was a mix of shock and terror. "Your 'date' Amano Yuuma was really a fallen angel called Raynare. I'm still not sure how or why, but lately several fallen angels have been gathering in this city. Raynare was likely ordered to kill you because of your Sacred Gear. If I had known what kind of danger you were in, we would've intervened the moment you met her."
"Sacred Gear? Oh yeah! I remember Amano- I mean Raynare mentioned that. What is it?"
"Sacred Gears, or God's Artifacts as some call them, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon certain humans," Rias answered. "Think of them as like very special Quirks. In fact, many powerful and influential humans throughout history had Sacred Gears. You've likely heard of a few of them. King Arthur Pendragon, Joan of Arc, Hercules, Beowulf, Sinbad the Sailor, Guan Yu… and those are just a handful of them."
"Those are all legendary heroes from various stories all over the world," Izuku realized.
"Right on the money," Rias smiled again, "You see, every religion, every pantheon that has ever been mentioned is or was real. Stories throughout each legend have at least a few heroes who have a Sacred Gear. But only humans or those with human ancestry are born with Sacred Gears. As such devils, angels, and fallen angels often have to turn to humans who have these powers."
Izuku then looked to where the hole should be in his stomach. "Is that why you turned me into a devil?"
"Yes," Rias nodded. "When I meet you the other day, I saw something interesting in you so I decided to keep a close eye. Do you remember this?" from a drawer, she pulled out a very familiar flyer.
Izuku recognized it right away. "Wait… that's the flyer that one girl gave me!"
"Right," said Rias. "As I said, a devil needs a signed contract to use a human's power. To forge an agreement with that human, a devil must complete their wishes, and then they gain something else of equal price in return. However, humans who draw pentagrams these days are almost non-existent, so we use things like this flyer to create contracts."
Izuku nodded. He was still having trouble taking this all in. On one hand, he was now a devil. On the other hand, he would probably be dead if it wasn't for Rias. "So, I'm a devil now, and also your servant?"
"Right." Rias smiled. "High-class devils like me need a peerage, or a team of servants, to rise up in the ranks of the devils. The more interesting the servants, the more that devil is recognized."
Izuku nodded. "But wait, that guy last night thought I was a stray. What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Rias answered. "A stray devil is a devil with no master, either because their master died or the stray killed them to obtain freedom."
'Considering she turned me into a devil without my say in it, I can see one reason why.' Izuku thought to himself.
"Have you heard about some of the murders going on in Musutafu?"
"Yeah, the news said that religious fanatics were the cause," Izuku said, still feeling on edge.
"And they're not entirely wrong," Rias confirmed. "Some of those murders are caused by stray devils, wantonly devouring any human unfortunate enough to wander in their parlor. But that's only a few of the murders. Most are caused by fallen angels, stray priests, and demon slayers. They kill humans who come into contact with us, believing them to be tainted. They are especially dangerous to us because their powers are supported by the prayer of God. This city has been put under my protection, and it's my job to keep any more tragedies from happening."
"So then… you're like Musutafu's secret warriors?" Izuku asked.
"For the most part," Yuuto nodded.
"Wow…" Izuku looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet. He honestly didn't know what to think anymore. "I… I need to get some air. I need time to process this."
"Understandable," Rias nodded. "You can go on ahead."
"Thank you," with a bow, Izuku stood up and went to the door to walk out.
He had forgotten about the wings on his back, causing them to get caught in the doorway. Izuku pulled hard against the door, groaning as he struggled to break free.
"Ah, sorry about that," Rias said quickly. She snapped her fingers, making Izuku's wings vanish. The momentum caused him to fall flat on his face with a thud. Izuku twitched slightly before slowly getting back up and walking away, grumbling.
"He seems to have taken it better than expected," Yuuto said.
"It did look like he felt conflicted though," Koneko spoke.
"Perhaps, but I did that to save him," Rias said. "I'm sure he'll be ready after he's had some time to think."
Izuku stepped out of the building, nursing the bruise on his head. He wasn't sure what to think. He had been turned into a devil, a demon of sorts. What did it mean for his humanity? His life? Was he going to have to give up on his dream? The sunlight draining him right as he stepped outside certainly didn't help.
"I don't even know what to think," he groaned. Looking around, he spotted a bench not far from the ORC building and decided to sit down. "Sacred Gear… I don't even know what I have, but it's apparently powerful enough that a fallen angel tried to kill me because of it. Does that mean it's as powerful as All Might's Quirk, or even greater?Wouldn't-that-mean-other-heroes-are-really-using-Sacred-Gears-instead-of-Quirks?If-so-then-if-I-can-master-my-Sacred-Gear-I-can-be-a-hero?But-what-would-Kacchan-think-about-it?"
"I think he would be rather envious."
"Gah!" Izuku looked up and saw Rias standing nearby, a slight look of amusement on her face. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough," she replied. "Was that one of your famous mumble sessions?"
"Uh… yeah… How did you-"
"Yuuto-kun told me about them." Rias then sat down next to him. "I take it you're still unsure."
"I am," Izuku answered. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to you for saving me, but… I didn't ask to become a devil."
"Yes, I know. Sorry," Rias sighed, "Listen, you're probably thinking that becoming a devil means you'll have to give up your humanity, right?"
"Isn't that what people usually say?" Izuku said.
"In my opinion, humanity is an ideal and not a state of being," she continued. "There are humans that act more twisted and evil than any devil, such as certain villains like Toxic Chainsaw. Such humans are so twisted that even most devils want nothing to do with them. Just because you're a devil, doesn't quite mean you stop being human or stop acting like one."
"So basically, the only thing that sets me apart from other humans is the wings on my back and aversion to light?" Izuku questioned.
"You'll get used to sunlight eventually. Devils also don't normally have Quirks, and there are several cultural differences," Rias said. "But other than that, devils aren't all that different from humans. It's one of the reasons why contracts between both races are so simple. Each side has something they want, whether it's sinful or not."
"Hm…" Izuku muttered, thinking about her words. "Rias-san…" he began. "Even though I'm a devil now, do you think… I can be a hero?"
Rias smiled, and said, "Yes. I believe you have what it takes to be a hero."
It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did Izuku began sobbing. But these were tears of joy. Rias reached over and hugged him, placing his head in her ample bosom as he wept.
The next day after school, Rias and Izuku met at a small park to begin his training. The U.A. Entrance Exam was four and a half months away, and Izuku needed to both learn about his Sacred Gear's abilities and bulk up. Currently, Izuku, in a mint green tracksuit, was doing laps around a park near his apartment. What was slowing him down was a large tire with a rope tied around it and connected to his waist, with Rias sitting on that tire, wearing the standard U.A. gym uniform. The combined weight was making him work harder, making him sweat out like a fountain, water droplets forming into a dark stained path in the dirt as he went.
"Hey, don't slack off," Rias said, her arms folded. "If you slow down I'll add ten more laps."
"Sorry…" Izuku panted tiredly, "Gonna… try… harder…!"
"You'd better," Rias answered back. "In the world of devils, strength is absolute. The stronger you are, the easier it is to rise up in ranks. I can't have any of my servants getting weak, so a training regiment is to be done every day. This is also in preparation for the U.A. entrance exam, so get moving."
"H… hai…" Izuku groaned.
Not long after he finished jogging, Rias immediately had him doing push-ups. That in itself wouldn't have been too much of a problem despite his muscles being already sore, but the pressure was added on with having to do 100 of them, and Rias was sitting on top of his back. She wasn't heavy of course, but having someone sit on top of you while you were doing push-ups just made things harder.
"64… remind me again… 65… why you're… 66… on my back…?" Izuku asked, his voice wheezing in the midst of his pushups.
"You need to increase your stamina a lot more than it already is," Rias said to him plainly. "Power means nothing if you can't handle it. Your abilities will be more powerful if your basic physical stamina becomes stronger. And if your body is unfit, then your magic and demonic power could wear it down."
"Stamina… 69… fit body… 70… got it… 71!"
"If you're talking while doing pushups, it must mean that you've improved," Rias said, a sly look appearing on her face, "Shall I add another hundred?"
"No ma'am!" Izuku quickly shouted.
"Then come on! Go faster!"
"R-right! 75…!" 'She's enjoying this a little too much.'
By the time Izuku had gotten to one hundred, his muscles were pulsing and aching, and he could do nothing but lay flat on his face in exhaustion. He gave a silent groan, wishing he could just crawl back into bed again.
"Good job!" said Rias. "You manage to finish within the time allowed. I'm impressed." She took out a water bottle from her bag and handed it to Izuku.
"Th-thank you," Izuku greedily took the bottle and began to chug the liquid.
As he finished half of the bottle, Rias said, "Now we can start learning more about your Sacred Gear."
Izuku put away the half-finished bottle. "So, what should I do to use it?"
"First we need to figure out what it is," Rias then grabbed hold of his left hand, causing the younger boy to blush. "From what I can tell it seems to be within your left hand. Try focusing your feelings into your hand."
"Uh, okay," Izuku closed his eyes, doing what he was told. Suddenly, an armored bracer emerged from his hand. It was red with yellow accents and a green jewel on top of the palm area. "Holy whoa! I did it! …But what is it?"
Rias took a good, long look over Izuku's Sacred Gear. "Hmm… I'm not sure. It may be in a dormant state at the moment." Suddenly, it disappeared.
"Wha-what happened?!"
Rias sighed. "It looks like you still have some way to go," she then smirked. "But if you can keep training, I'm sure you'll be able to get it up and keep it up for a long time."
This caused Izuku's face to once again turn lava red. "Wh-why d-did y-y-you s-say it l-like t-that?!"
"Because you're too easy."
A week into his new life as a devil, Izuku was jogging by himself at the park, Rias, Yuuto, and Koneko were busy fulfilling contracts. Izuku was rather surprised by how simple and straightforward working as a devil was. He had to send out pamphlets that served as tools to summon a devil the previous night. According to Rias, in the devil world, it was essential to rise through the ranks and gain recognition. There were three ways of doing that. Military accomplishments were the fastest way but were very difficult because they were often dangerous. The three factions were also at a ceasefire, so that would also make things difficult. Making contracts with humans was the most common way, but it was also tedious and had the longest route. The third and final way was through a Rating Game, but Rias said she would go into a deeper explanation of that later.
After spending the day handing out flyers to people, the night came and it was time to answer the clients. A common thing most devils had was the ability to teleport through magic circles. They would have to use these portals to reach clients quickly.
But since his demonic power was still incredibly low, Izuku couldn't simply teleport to the clients and thus was forced to ride a bike to them. Between his schoolwork and his training, Izuku was only able to do a couple of jobs, but one of them ended rather… disturbingly. The image of the muscle man Mil-tan in a very revealing magical girl cosplay still haunted him.
At least now he was able to summon his Sacred Gear more easily, but he and Rias still didn't know what it was yet. Rias had said that part of the reason she went to this meeting was to look for any information about it.
Izuku wanted to learn more about his Sacred Gear, but for now, he focused on his training. As he neared Dagoba Municipal Beach Park, he noticed a couple of girls hauling away some old microwaves.
The first was rather petite with a slender build and is a little shorter than Izuku. Her hair is short, only around chin length, and is dark purple in color with an asymmetrical fringe, and two lighter streaks shaped like sound waves on either side of her head. But her most prominent features are the flexible, plug-like earphone jacks hanging from each of her earlobes at the end of two thin cords. She was wearing a dark purple tank top and black sweatpants with white sneakers.
The other girl had a rather mature figure, being slightly taller than Rias, with long black hair tied into a spiky ponytail with a single bang hanging on the right side of her face. They also seemed to be about the same age as Izuku. Her attire was similar to the first girl's, only she had a light red tank top that revealed a bit of her sports bra and short jeans that stopped just above her knees.
The girl with the earlobes seemed to be in pain. "Don't give up yet, Kyoka! We're almost done for the day!" the taller girl encouraged.
"I… can't… keep up!"
Suddenly, the earlobe girl, Kyoka, tripped on something and began to fall. She screamed, closing her eyes, but nothing broke her fall. "You okay?" Opening her eyes, Kyoka saw that Izuku had caught the microwave, which helped stop her fall.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks."
Izuku and Kyoka put down the microwave next to a trash bin… which had several other microwaves, an old refrigerator, and a couple of bags of scrap next to it. "Uh, w-what are you guys doing?" Izuku asked them.
"Just cleaning up the beach," the other girl answered.
"That beach?" Izuku pointed at the giant piles of trash that littered the beach. "I've heard that because of the ocean currents, things dumped into the water wash up here. People use that so they can illegally dump their trash. Why are you cleaning it?"
"Well, we're trying to clean it up as a workout. We're applying to U.A. in a few months." Izuku's eyes widened in surprise when the other girl said this. "A friend recommended it, saying it would also help give back to the community, which is what heroes from before the rise of Quirks did."
"You're applying to U.A. too?" he said.
"Yep…" Kyoka panted. "But… I might… die… before then…"
"You lasted this long, so you'll be fine," said the well-endowed girl. "Anyway, I'm Yaoyorozu Momo," she gestured to Kyoka, who was still panting. "And this is Jiro Kyoka." Kyoka simply waved as she drank the water. "And you are?"
"Oh! I-I'm M-Midoriya I-I-Izuku." Izuku stuttered, causing the two girls to laugh a little. He then blinked as realization dawned on him. "I think I know you two. Weren't you saved from a sludge villain by All Might a few months ago?"
Momo gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah. It hasn't been easy these last few months, and not just because of the training…"
Izuku then looked back at the trash-covered beach, wondering why he or Rias didn't think of it. "You've been trying to clean up the beach by the U.A. exams? How long have you been at it?"
"Around five months now," Momo answered. "We started in May."
"Oh wow. That sounds nearly impossible."
"I said the same thing…" Kyoka grunted.
"We can get it done in time," said Momo. "If we keep moving forward, we'll both be in U.A. before we know it!"
Izuku smiled at them. They were just as serious about getting into U.A. as him. "I'm sure you two can do it. We all will if we work hard." Izuku said clenching his fist. "I need to get going. Good luck," Izuku then continued on his jog. "Maybe I'll stop by and help sometimes."
"Please DO!"
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle at Kyoka's plea. As he continued on his jog, his mind wandered back to the girls, wondering who their friend was.
Izuku then tripped.
'Oh great.'
Izuku closed his eyes as he took a nose dive, expecting to hit the hard ground… only to not. Opening his eyes, Izuku gasped when he realized he was floating in the air, a brown-haired girl next to him.
"Are you ok?" The girl asked in a sweet voice as Izuku started struggling in midair. Izuku steadied himself as the girl set him back on the ground.
She was more or less the same height as him with her hair styled in a bob cut with 2 bangs going along the side of her face on each side. She had brown eyes and a perma-blush on her face. But her most distinguishing feature was the animal paw-like pads on her fingers. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and black shorts and white loafers.
"T-t-t-thanks f-for that." Izuku stuttered.
"It's no problem!" She said nicely. "I'm sorry for using my Quirk on you without asking but it was kinda my fault you fell like that."
"Huh?" Looking back, Izuku saw that what he tripped on was a light pink 1000-gram dumbbell. "You doing training here?"
"Yeah! Trying to prep for the U.A. entrance exam."
Izuku blinked a few times. "You're the third girl today I've met who's training for U.A."
"Really?"
"Yeah. There are these two girls trying to clean up Dagoba Beach for their training."
The girl blinked a few times. "That… sounds impossible."
"I said the same thing."
The two had a quick chuckle. "Oh, I'm Uraraka, by the way. Uraraka Ochako."
"I'm M-Midoriya Izuku," the two chatted for a bit, Ochako explaining that she's practicing lifting heavy objects for as long as she can so she won't get sick, demonstrating with her putting away her equipment by floating them into her bag. Izuku immediately noted that her Quirk can easily be used in rescue operations with how it can lift both injured people but also debris, both surprising and impressing the brunette.
Eventually, Ochako needed to leave. "See you later," she said before heading off. 'He sure was cute!' she thought to herself as she left.
Izuku was about to continue his jog when he realized something. 'I JUST TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT GIRLS LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!'
A little while later, Izuku was hanging onto a low branch, doing pull-ups. "…96 …97 …98 …99 …1-"
"Hawaau!"
"Huh?" Izuku looked toward the source, and saw a girl on the ground, having tripped. It was a girl of medium height, but instead of hair, she had green, thorn-covered vines. The vines were of manageable length, just above her waist, though she had a light blue scarf with a floral border covering her head. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved, ankle-length green dress along with a turquoise shawl, and light green boots.
In front of her was an opened suitcase, bits of clothes spewed about, along with a silver cross necklace. "Owww…" she groaned. "Why did I trip like that?"
Izuku, without hesitation, ran over to her, offering his hand. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yes, thank you," she said as she took Izuku's hand. Now that she was standing up, Izuku saw that she was a little taller than him. She gave a slight bow before turning to her scattered belongings, sighing.
"I can help pick this up," Izuku offered.
"Oh! Thank you."
It didn't take long for them to pick up the discarded clothing. But the silver cross gave Izuku some trouble. Looking at it alone gave him chills. When he tried to touch it, his hand felt like it was on fire. Even when he picked it up by the chain his hand felt like it was over a hot stove. Izuku did his best to ignore the pain, giving the cross back to the girl.
"Thank you very much, sir," she said, taking the cross from Izuku.
"It wasn't any problem," Izuku replied. 'My hand's numb.'"Are you traveling?"
"Not exactly," she put the necklace away in her bag. "I'm trying to find the church in this city… and got lost."
'Church? Does she mean the old church near the Korusanto ward? Isn't it abandoned?' "I think I know where the church is. Would you like me to take you?"
The girl's eyes widen in surprise before she smiled. "Really?! Oh, thank you! This must be an act of God's divine grace!" She said, making a sign of the cross with her hand.
A sharp pain rocketed through Izuku's head, causing him to gag.
"Ah! What's wrong?!"
"N-Nothing!" Izuku said, the pain now gone. "Just a little migraine! There's nothing wrong with me! Let's go!" With that Izuku led the way, with the confused girl not far behind. But before they could get far, the sound of a young boy crying caught their attention. Without hesitating, the girl ran over to him. "H-Hey!"
"Are you okay?" she asked. The boy only kept crying. A large cut on his knee was the case of the boy's distress. "It's okay." She placed her hands over the boy's knee. Two small, silver rings with a light green gem appeared on her middle fingers. A light green glow then appeared over the boy's knee. Izuku's arm suddenly began to ache.
Izuku's and the boy's eyes widened as the cut disappeared along with the glow.
"There, all better," said the girl. She was right. The boy's knee was completely healed.
"Oh, wow. Thanks, onee-chan!"
As the boy ran off, waving goodbye and thanking her while doing so, Izuku asked, "Was that… a Quirk?"
"Oh, no," she replied. "It's a miraculous power to heal granted to me by God."
Izuku realized that only one other thing that light could've been: a Sacred Gear. 'She has a Sacred Gear, too? Is that why my hand ached like that?' He looked at his left hand, which held his Sacred Gear. 'She's able to both freely summon it and use its power. Right now I can only summon mine for about ten minutes, and even then I still don't know what it can do.'
Clenching his fist, Izuku and the girl continued on their way to the church.
After about twenty minutes of walking, the two reached the edge of the Korusanto ward, the church in plain view atop a hill. "Ah! This is it! I'm so glad!" the girl exclaimed.
Izuku, however, had a harsh chill running throughout his body. 'My body won't stop shaking… It must be because of how close I am to the church.' "Well, I should be going now…"
"No, wait!" she gripped hold of Izuku's arm. "Let me repay you for your help. Do you want to stay for tea?"
"Uh, I can't," Izuku did his best to stop his body from shaking. "I need to get home soon, or my mom will get worried." He wasn't exactly lying. "We never properly introduced each other, did we? My name's Midoriya Izuku."
"I'm Shiozaki Ibara," she bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san. I hope to see you again soon."