Chapter 1: The Maiden of Homori

This was a passion project, well, more than the other stories. Still, I had an idea for a while from now on if Izuku had another route, such as one where he met Ryukyu and went down the hero route and another where he met Nine and descended into villainy. This one, he goes down a middle route, which wasn't impacted by heroes or villains, or at least one where the people point him in a direction. Also, there was a lot of background info, but for obvious reasons, I couldn't give all of it, so I'm just going to try and hint at changes and events throughout the story.

Chapter 1: The Maiden of Homori

Synopsis: Izuku Midoriya has always revered fire for its myriad gifts: its warmth in hearths, its power to heat water for cleansing and cooking delicious, nutritious meals, and its light to banish darkness and imagined monsters. Fire could sterilize wounds and forge raw stones into iron, steel, and gold—tools, structures, and jewelry. To him, fire's crucible is literal and metaphorical: only by facing the flames can one emerge stronger.

Yet his peers scorn this belief, unable to see beyond fire's destructive face. Branded strange for embracing the burn, Izuku flees his home and discovers a sanctuary in the ruined temple of Kagutsuchi. There, among old remains, he found purpose in a divine blessing ignited within him. He pledged to wield this gift to shield his village as its guardian, shrine maiden, and the living flame of Kagutsuchi's mercy. As heroes falter and darkness spreads, Izuku will ensure that those who honor the inferno remain safe—and that the brilliance of the inferno will consume any who threaten them.

Line Break

It all began in Qingqing City, China, where the first spark was lit. News broke of a newborn born with the power to give off light, its childlike innocence burning brightly like a sun above.

Ever since that single spark appeared, superpowers have manifested across humanity—transcending race, nationality, and genetics. That initial flicker quickly ignited latent abilities, and over the years this phenomenon spread relentlessly until roughly eighty percent of the global population awakened their spark.

What began as a marvel soon bred misuse. Fear, uncertainty, and crime surged as old institutions buckled under this new reality. To restore order, a vocation arose: heroics. Men and women trained to channel their gifts for the common good—battling villains, quelling disasters, and earning the public’s trust and admiration. These heroes organized into agencies under strict regulations and rankings to coordinate their efforts and maintain accountability.

Among these guardians stood one man who epitomized heroism, whose mere smile could break villainous resolve and uplift the downtrodden: All Might, the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace.

He was a blazing bonfire against evil’s chill, unwavering in his mission. Under his watch, especially in Japan, peace seemed assured—his presence itself a sun that banished shadows. His signature catchphrase and heroic poses inspired countless young individuals to train and follow in his footsteps.

Yet even under All Might, hidden rot spread. Sleeping faults and burgeoning threats grew unnoticed, allowed by complacency in his prolonged reign. As the first signs of decay emerged, All Might was already fading; no hero could match his power or passion. His successor, the so-called Second Strongest, burned brightly but lacked that inspiring warmth.

It became clear that when All Might sun set, his like would never return. The torchbearers who remained strove to uphold his legacy, but criminals sensed the shift. Though the Top Ten and numerous other heroes held the line, crime crept upward as long-concealed forces prepared to strike.

What had begun as the League of Villains evolved into Japan’s most dangerous syndicate: the Paranormal Liberation Front. Their transformation went largely unseen, hidden even from the staunchest defenders. Few grasped the threat’s true extent or what would follow if it remained unchecked.

Then came the Jaku Tragedy. Ostensibly a decisive blow against that rot—and a chance for heroes to prove their enduring strength—it instead burned away their efforts like paper in flame. Two daring raids—on a villa housing the Front’s commanders and on the hospital sheltering their leader—ended in ruin. The carnage and revelations of that day shattered public faith and extinguished the heroes’ momentum.

Prisons fell next, unleashing waves of criminals onto Japan’s streets. A country unprepared for such destruction spiralled into a crisis unseen in generations. Law enforcement was powerless outside the most fortified cities; civilian militias scrambled to fill the void. In those desperate times, people clung to neighbours for protection—but some found new guardians rising from the chaos.

Line break

As he slumbered, he found himself in a familiar realm that he had not just grown accustomed to but had fondly appreciated.

Slowing opening his eyes, he saw he was surrounded by flames, all the world bathed in their beauty and heavenly warmth. From the temple around him to the gardens and mountains outside, all was burning; all knew its loving touch, and he was no exception. His clothing was not sparred as he wore his uniform but wasn't made from fabric. A closer look revealed they were made from thousands if not tens of thousands of tiny, microscopic strands of flames, pure whites and vivid reds forming it, its heat like a blanket piercing to his bones.

Midoriya graciously stood from his seiza position, turning to the flames that burned away at the altar, their heat greater than everything else and their size as it burned so high that the roof had long since been turned to ash. He took a calm, controlled breath, the aroma of the special candles thick in the air despite the inferno that engulfed the world around him.

His mind emptied, his heart calmed, and his soul felt free as he prayed. Bowing deeply towards the flames before he started his kagura dance, Suzu bells and a branch of a Sakaki tree formed in his hands. As he moved, he rang the bells and waved the branch around, not a moment of wasted movement as this was second nature to him.

His performance was soon joined by a drum beat coming from the flames, flames that grew larger, brighter, and hotter. The charred and crumbling walls of the temple gave way to flames that climbed ever higher into the sky. As the mountains were but fuel to the flames, so too were his clothes, which clung to him as if a draft of air was blowing from beneath him.

"Kagutsuchi, lord of fire, born from the burned womb of creation and death, progenitor of the eight volcanoes. Hear my prayer and grant us your power. Bring us under your protection from the darkness."

His prayer uttered with reverence and love, elicited a reaction as a leviathan of burning rock and searing flames rose from the mountains around him. Its size drawled even the tallest skyscrapers, and its body bloated out the sun.

And yet, Midoriya didn't react; he didn't lose even a modicum of speed, and his dance remained perfect as he performed his praise to his God.

“Kagutsuchi, lord of fire, born from the burned womb of creation and death, progenitor of the eight volcanoes. Hear my prayer and protect my loved ones. Bring us under your protection from the darkness."

As he continued, smoke would flow out his lips with every word as his innards burned away, but Midoriya didn't react to what had to be unimaginable pain, for to him, he felt no pain, only joy, the type of bliss that came from contentment and received love.

He continuously repeated those two lines as he danced to the fire God. Even as his lungs burned, he didn't stutter, his limbs blackened, he didn't stumble. Even when the very ground beneath him shook and grew boiling, he didn't skip even a single second, a single step of his dance. This was nothing new; he had gone through it before, and I'll go through it again.

Time lost all meaning in this realm when Midoriya fell into the flow, like a leaf riding along the wind; he could never tell how long he remained here. It could be minutes, it could be days, it didn't matter in the end. Soon enough, he stopped, his instruments falling away as he returned to the seiza position and bowed low to the flames. The beat of the drums continued around him. Above him, the giant snake, a serpent made from an active volcano, loomed large over him.

Its form bubbled and rumbled as magma flowed and turned within its body.

Unlike in other cases, his quirk did not speak. Instead, it watched him before slowly descending around him, even its gentle landing coming like a crash as buildings and burning trees gave way to it. Midoriya didn't make a sound like him; his quirk bowed to him, but to their God, to the being that had put the spark into Midoriya.

Line Break

When Izuku opened his eyes again, he returned to the waking world. Yawning, he rose from his bed. Rubbing away the last of sleep's hold over his eyes, a glance at his clock showed that it was 5 AM sharp. 'The sun won't be up for another 30 minutes, give or take.' Midoriya chuckled as he got into the habit of rising before the sun.

Getting up, the blanket fell off his body, revealing how he had slept in an old shirt and light shorts. Walking around his bedroom, he opened the windows, letting the chill morning September in, which made him shiver a little, but a moment later, he was as warm as always. Having sat at his drawer, he lit the andon lantern atop it to give him some light to work with as he started to get his hair out of his night bun.

As he carefully released his wild locks of hair, he hummed a little song that he had heard being played in town the other day. It was a catchy, upbeat little tune, just one of the many things he had come to enjoy about his time here. He celebrated two years at the temple last May, yet he felt like he had been here for longer, though that was reflected in his private space.

He had gotten a few more potted plants, including some vines that grew along a framework he installed along the way with the best spot for light through his window. He had drawn another 15 illustrations, some of the landscape and many more of the town, with each addition showing more details as the town expanded.

His small desk was more organized, as he liked to keep his notes and files on the shrine's upkeep and finances close even if he alone no longer managed the site. He did have a larger space for knickknacks.

As his hair fell out of his night bun, he felt something slithering up close to him, but instead of fear, he smiled.

"Good morning to you, Koharu." He greeted, looking at the frankly absurd site at his side. Koharu had always been special, not just for her intelligence but also because she was larger than others of her species because of her quirk and how much she fed off his ambient heat. But now,

Now she made even the biggest anacondas look small; she was so big that the soft corner she had been sleeping in had to be expanded so she would be comfortable, which meant he moved some things out and generally just expanded the room a little, which took a week of work. It wasn't for nothing, as Koharu was over 6m long, over 3 times what should be her total length and having the weight to back it up, coming in at a chunky 168kg, a number he knew to be extracted because she had gone to the vet not too long ago for her monthly check-up.

Still drowsy, she snuggled closer to him, wrapping around him. “Good morning. Do we have anything new on the agenda today?” Her voice formed in his head.

"Not that I know of, but who knows, a surprise might happen," Midoriya remarked as Koharu released him so he could stand.

"Let's hope it's a good one. Maybe they'll catch some good game for dinner." Koharu's remark made him giggle as he put on a bathrobe, grabbed his toiletries, and left his room. Koharu was in tow as they went towards the men's washrooms to shower.

Line Break

Despite no longer manning the place alone, Midoriya still made it a habit to be the first one out of bed and was quiet about it, too. As he moved through the place, it was as if his feet were made from cotton, his footfalls hardly audible unless you were close, and despite her size, Koharu could move about with a similar level of effortless discretion.

As no one had woken yet, and the sun would rise soon enough, Midoriya left the andon lanterns he saw along the way unlit. It wasn't as if the place had electrical lighting, as even now, Midoriya and the Guji had decided to limit electrical usage to the kitchen and infirmary.

Making his way to the bathhouse, he ensured the tank was full, placed come logs into the furnace, and lit it. It would take time to boil, but by the time he finished, they'd be hot water for everyone else to use. As for himself, well, he merely transformed, taking his volcanic form, and entered the large bath, the stone handling his intense heat without issue as the water around him slowly started to bubble. He returned to normal and relaxed in the water only when boiling.

Koharu slithered in with him, and the two, with a great view of the morning skies and valley below, washed up before returning to his room and getting dressed. He started making everyone's breakfast, which was cereal with fried eggs, toast, and bacon.

Looking over his shoulder, Midoriya smiled when he spotted the red-eyed, white-haired angel peeking out from the corner.

"Good morning, Eri. Did you sleep well?" he greeted as his youngest ward stepped out and approached. Looking a little sleepy, she was still in her PJs, an adorable little button-up and pants covered in apples and pony motifs.

“Morning, Izu. I had a good sleep, but I had the same dream.” Eri walked in, rubbing at her eye as Midoriya paused as he chopped another batch of onions for the eggs.

“With the ghosts?” He asked, and when she nodded, he quickly washed his hands and turned his attention to her. “Did they try talking to you again?” He quickly looked over as he asked but saw nothing worrying or cracks. Her horn only seemed slightly bigger, but she didn't seem to be in pain from it else. She would have said so, as he had often reminded her to do.

"Hmm, it was weird. I can't remember a lot of it, though…" Eri looked down, which upset Midoriya so much at how much this little girl had been through in her short life and how, even now, she was struggling because of her situation and felt like it was her fault for not being better at handling it.

He touched her cheek warmly, smiling when she didn't flinch but leaned into it. "There's no reason to worry, Eri. Dreams can often be confusing, or we just forget about them. I couldn't tell you what half my dreams were last night." He joked.

“But it could be important because of…that.” Eri didn't know what to make of her situation, nor did Midoriya and the quirk doctor they took her to. Her quirk had been believed to be a powerful, if a little basic, ability to rewind organic matter, but then things got…weird as it seemed to evolve and develop new facets to itself in the months she'd been under his care.

“Maybe, but maybe not,” Midoriya shrugged, kissing her forehead before he smiled at her. "We'll keep working on things. We can always talk more about your dreams, but when it comes to your quirk, we'll keep training so you can be the best little bean out there."

“Okay.” Eri nodded, to which Midoriya dramatically sighed, playing with his soft cheeks.

“Oh, don’t be so low energy.” He asked again.

“Okay!” Eri whined, but her eyes flashed with life, and she let out a precious bout of laughter, making it clear how she felt about this.

"That's my girl. Now, let's get some food for you. We have a busy day ahead of us." Midoriya stood up and quickly went back to cooking before he burned something. Resources were precious and shouldn't be wasted after all.

Eri nodded once more but didn't leave the kitchen. Instead, she bounced on her feet a bit, eying Koharu, who sat under an open window, the early morning rays bathing over the serpent. “Can I play with Koharu? Just till breakfast is ready?”

Koharu raised her head at that, eying up Eri bit with no annoyance or hostility towards the tiny human as Midoriya chuckled. “Of course, but don’t go too far. We don’t want any early morning guests seeing you running around out of uniform, do we?”

Eri's bright smile always managed to warm him in ways not even a good hour of prayer could. Little Eri almost yelled for joy as she raced towards his scaled friend and coaxed her to head over to the interior play area, a fairly new addition.

Midoriya smiled as he watched runoff, at one point latching into Koharu, who easily carried the girl's weight. Her giggling echoed through the halls as another person came in, a young woman a little older than Izuku but not by much. She was dressed for work like him, but hers was a more traditional miko assembled over his modified attire.

"Someone is in a good mood," she noted as she wordlessly stepped up to help Midoriya prepare dinner.

"She was a little unsure about something, but it didn't take much to remind her how to find something to smile about," Midoriya replied as his fellow shrine maiden hummed, lightly smiling in turn.

"She's growing daily in more ways than one, Guji.” She teased, though she had no malice to her words.

"You're not wrong, but that's a good thing. More than most, she deserves to laugh, smile, and just experience being a child, loved by the flames." Midoriya hummed as he went to the tap and filled some pots with water, as many other workers preferred tea or coffee over fruit juice to start their day.

"She and plenty more children in these trying times." His fellow shrine maiden sighed, Midoriya nodding as they, like everyone else, understood how rough things were. But they were still alive and safe in this domain.

Line Break

When the rest finally woke up and got ready, breakfast was served with little Eri seated next to the Guji, who just happened to have a breakfast serving 3 times that of everyone else's, not that they called attention to it as it was normal for him, necessary even for him to conduct his daily tasks.

Tasks started with an early morning offering to the sacred flame, which was always burning. Midoriya led them as salt, rice, and sake were placed on a sanbō tray and presented to the flame; as they burned up in the flames, they all, in seiza position, bowed their heads to it, leaving only Midoriya standing with his hands clapped and head bowed in reverence. But with that done, that freed up his day as with 20 other shrine workers, as days weren't as busy as they once were.

“Eri,” The little girl, dressed in their smallest miko uniform, paused in her cleaning of the wall when Midoriya approached, a tranquil smile on his face. “Would you like to accompany me on my walk into town?”

"Yes, please." Eri nodded as she quickly got up, leaving a couple of the other words laughing at her childlike excitement for such a simple errand. Midoriya offered her his hand to ensure she was presentable as they turned and walked down the path leading into town. It was still early morning, but the last days of summer were on, and fall was coming in, with the first leaves shifting from their vibrant, life-filled green into shades of orange and yellow.

A chill passed over the mountains, leading to Eri leaning into his walking heater of a body while Koharu, long since outgrown him, slithered at his side. As he conversed with Eri, Koharu noted something was approaching and approaching fast.

Looking down the path, Midoriya saw what looked to be a humanoid mantis approaching them, its armed scythes-like with a lower body resembling the insect. His speed increased when the man saw him, yet none worried about it; why should they be?

Getting close enough to talk, the man stopped and bowed to Midoriya. “Good Morning, Guji.”

“It is a good morning, isn’t it, Kamachi? Are you heading up for morning prayers?" Midoriya asked, to which the heteromorph nodded as Midoriya's smile remained tranquil, approaching and yet wise behold his years. Well, I wish you all the best." He stepped aside and allowed the man to pass, but not before he asked if he could expect to see Midoriya at Hoppers, to which Midoriya replied they should see.

By the time the trio made it into town, the morning sun had well and truly risen; with it, the many residents had awoken and were now going through the morning motions. Pale sunlight filtered through the misty valley air, lingering along the town's low-slung houses and rooftops.

Many residents had small kitchen gardens where chilies, shiso, eggplant, and tomatoes were grown, while trees planted along the narrow, homely streets bore fruits like apples and oranges. With the season being what it was, there was plenty that people could pick and wash off to eat later. Among the modern buildings that Midoriya had once seen on his first trip into town lay several new buildings made from local stone and wood.

There was a yell and earth-shaking thud as Midoriya saw a familiar face appear over the buildings—the same villain who, once upon a time, Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady had taken down. His frame was just as imposing as it had been then, and his giant size dwarfed the buildings around them.

And yet, no one reacted as a moment later, the giant former villain held up a load of timber and passed it to the workers on the 3rd floor of a new building. The convict was now just another construction worker, using his quirk instead of the heavy machinery they couldn't handle even if they wished.

Waving off, something said to him, the villain caught sight of Midoriya; his eyes widened as he clapped his hands together, sounding like a giant firecracker going off, and bowed.

"Good morning, Guji!" He didn't yell, but his size made his voice boom. Eri looked at him in wonder, muttering that he was really big.

“Good morning, Retsu. I see that you came in early today.” Midoriya called back to the man, who continued to treat him respectfully despite the size difference.

"The Boss said that we needed this new hostel built before the end of the week, and we haven't even started with the electrical work yet!" Retsu Umahara, a former villain living on probation, responded. Midoriya eyed the building, recalling that hostel construction had come up at the last town meeting.

“And I recall you worked a late shift just last night,” Retsu shivered at Midoriya's tone, though the boy sounded less like a hero or threat and more like a disappointed parent. "I hope you get your fair share of rest and downtime."

Despite his size, the man felt himself wilting a little. “N-no, I’m getting rest. I…I volunteered for this, Guji,” He rumbled back. “We need these homes done!”

People around them, elders and schoolchildren alike, didn't interrupt as Midoriya hummed in thought before he replied. "Well, that is a noble thing, Retsu, but you know you've already proven that you wish to change and have made many strides toward that. What I'm saying is that I hope that you don't feel like you need to work so hard to prove that."

The former villain nodded, a relieved smile forming on his face, the man standing taller. "I know, Guji, and I've been following my anger management tips. Haven't had a blow-out in the last month!" Midoriya smiled along with him, pleased to see the man and his progress in making an honest living. "I'm doing this…because I want to beat lazing around, that's for sure!"

Midoriya let out a soft laugh that seemed to warm up the street. "You got me there. I'm not what anyone would call idle, but we can discuss this later. Same time?"

“Of course, Guji. I look forward to it!” Midoriya let the man return to work, humming a little tone that Eri joined in on. It was true that their old little town, once mainly occupied by retirees and those who wished to escape the noise and hassle of the city, had grown over the last year, its population more than tripling, and with that, new constructions to accommodate them had been built.

Midoriya found it somewhat poetic that many of these new constructions took notes from centuries past, yet they had been modernized to account for the wide assortment of people who came to call this small slice of peace home.

With the lack of national or regional services, they had to improvise as many new and older buildings as possible. All had solar panels fitted or are in the process of being fitted. A small wind farm also sat on a nearby mountain. All larger ones also housed large water tanks for daily needs and fire suppression.

They stopped a couple of times so that Eri could speak with children her age, who differed from her as they were going to school, something she'd join in on come spring. As she did so, Midoriya also joined in a couple of times, rewarded with laughter and smiles, especially when they turned their attention to the giant snake at his side. Still, Izuku mainly spoke with some elders he saw moving about, some with nurses who helped them get around to enjoy the country life.

Waving the groups of children off, Midoriya or the rest of the adults didn't fear for their safety or if they'd get to class on time. Despite the mass increase of residents, and thus unfamiliar faces from all walks of life, everyone respected that everyone else wished to live in peace and the rule of law of the council's mandates.

Thus, Midoriya and Eri's morning continued with little trouble to report as people went about their mornings in peace. He met with some local businessmen to hear their concerns and feedback on things and visited Old Man Saitama's general goods store to check up on an upcoming order the shrine put in.

Throughout the day, people showed deference to him, respect, admiration in most, and even fear in some they passed. It didn't matter their age, status, or roles in the community, as when he met the local police chief ordering something at the bakery, the man bowed low like all the others. The heroes would also probably treat him the same, if they were any from the old era, as instead, those he recognized outside their costumes were working separate jobs, though many could still use their quirks.

After all, when Japan was in its worst state in generations, who cared about quirk laws? Not here, as what governed their usage was common sense. Who cared if you could use your spark in a way that didn't harm or needlessly damage something?

Line Break

“I see, so southern Odawara has fallen.”

Midoriya's response to the news was somber. Eri wasn't with him, having been taken to the shrine when he was called for a town council meeting. The room was what one would expect from the small-town city council meeting room, the only one that had taken over more responsibilities since the Jaku Tragedy.

Midoriya sat crossed leg at the head of the table, the entrance on the other side of the room allowing him to be the first to notice anyone entering. At his back lay his serpent, Koharu, her body acting like a back and armrest for her human.

The rest of the council sat seiza around the rectangular table, with some of the police standing at the room's walls, acting as security.

On the table was a large map of Japan, with figures denoting which fraction controlled where, and it wasn’t ideal. Government and heroes only controlled larger settlements. Town militias like their own protected smaller yet still substantial settlements, though a third had fallen over the last 2 months. Unaffiliated villain groups which had taken to dominating the countryside.

Then there were villains under the League of Villains, under All for One, and they had been spreading, having now captured Odawara.

A guest to the chambers gave the report: a tall woman with long, wavy white hair she kept tied in a ponytail. Her uniform covered her voluptuous figure, which denoted her as a member of their security forces, and she was wearing modified police attire.

“From what we’ve through the grapevine, we have it on good authority. The villains who carried it out have backing from All for One." She confirmed.

"Yes, that will make it a challenge for the heroes to mount a proper counterattack, but they should still be busy securing Saitama's outer boundaries and Kamakura, " the chief of police commented, analyzing the map of Japan as they understood it.

"They'll have an easier time at it on paper since they abandoned Hokkaido." An elder snorted, disgusted yet unphased by the fact that the Hokkaido had no mark of known hero resistance, at least, nothing large enough to protect a village, much less a town.

"With the Russians and Koreans terrified to dilute their security, I can see why they made the call." The chief of their security forces, Fukukado Emi, wore her uniform slightly different to the base as she tied an orange bandana, covering most of her sea-green hair, and wore a green wrist guard on her left hand and a salmon pink glove on her right.

The room grumbled, but no one bothered countering. Things were bad for them, but they didn't have to worry about Humanise, who, over the winter, carried out trigger bombings across the globe, killing hundreds of thousands. With the panic left in its wake, they couldn't rely on any organized outside help, from friends or anyone seeking to profit off their situation, all made worse as villain attacks the world over were rising, and sadly, not even a heartfelt plea to the UN from their retired symbol of peace could change that.

“And in doing so, surrendered more to those wretched villains, allowing them greater capacity to misuse their sparks.” All eyes turned towards the head of the table, where the light reflected off Midoriya's headdress for a moment as he turned to the map. “And about Toyohashi?”

"League activity was reported, but they managed to chase them off easily." The white-haired woman, former villain Haizono Konako, replied, though Midoriya wasn't satisfied with that, and neither was Fukukado.

“So quick? That doesn’t seem right.” The guji’s brow creased. "The League and All for One aren't just acting like wild animals, but as a flame would. They're following a path, burning through fuel and spreading in a predictable route."

Ghosting his finger over the map, he nearly tapped each location that the villains under All for One, or the League itself, had hit over the last 2 months alone. It wasn't random; it looked far too coordinated. "That route…it's a search, I'm sure."

“But what?” the town's primary doctor, a middle-aged, balding man, asked the million-yen question. With the country already down the toilet, they've effectively taken control of over half of it, and the heroes are on the back foot; otherwise, they would sally out of their fortified positions more often, not abandon them."

Fukukado turned to the intelligence officer, the woman who often spent time in the thick of it in villain-controlled territory gathering info. “Haizono, do you have an idea of what?”

The reformed villain paused as she thought it over, as she had heard plenty of things on the outside, far from the safety of the village, as things worsened. But there was one thing that came up recently, though saying it was strong evidence would be false as it came from someone talking about what another person allegedly heard being spoken at a League recruitment rally. "Well, it's unconfirmed right now, but he could be after something called One for All?"

“One for all, and all for one," Granny Tomako spoke up, the others confused as she explained. "It's a motto from a book about the three musketeers. Could it be another quirk?" All for One, what a terrible villain whose name she had hoped to never hear again as All Might rose, but alas, like a cockroach, the fiend seemingly rose from the grave to spread fear and death once again.

"Maybe it's a counter to his polar opposite?" the police chief theorized. It would make sense that someone that dangerous and paradoxically paranoid would seek to squash anything that could be a threat, but he just…couldn't buy that there was one like that, not in Japan, at least.

A small thud traveled through the room, interrupting the meeting. Koharu, who had a much better sense of tremors and their causes, instantly grew alert, and Midoriya followed her.

“What is it?” The doctor asked as Fukukado pulled her radio and demanded information. She dreaded what it could be, but years of hero work had refined her intuition too much for her not to go on alert.

“Report.”

“It's a villain! We don't know how, but he managed to sneak to the boundary wall and smash right through!” The reply came through loud and clear, delivered by someone in the field as they could make out people screaming as they fled. “Oh shit, I recognize him, that's Muscular-!”

The crunch that followed didn't imply that the man's radio had simply been dropped or crushed, but it was enough for Fukukado to rise and make her way to the exit as the police guards moved in to escort the council to a safer location in the bunker below.

“I’ll send the security forces to handle him.” Fukukado was already on her radio, calling available forces and getting more details from her second in command.

“Have them focus on handling the evacuation and any medical needs that need to be tended to,” She and the rest paused as Midoriya calmly rose, Koharu falling into form at his side as he walked out. “I’ll handle our guest.”

“What will you do?” Granny Tomako asked as he turned his head their way, his emerald eyes glowing like two green stars.

"I'll do as I've always done and give him a choice." He said no more as he stepped out.

Line Break

"Come on, people, get out of here! Head to the town center!" Members of the police pointed and caroled people as they fled from the panic and destruction, others helping those who were too young or slow to get them as far from the danger as possible as a building came down, destroyed by Muscular's rampage. Overhead, one of the security forces flew, using his bat wings and

“Is there anyone else?” Command asked over his radio, the man trying to spot anything that could resemble a person through the dust and smoke.

“Just a few people in the bookstore,” He replied before he spotted something close to the now-ruined construction site. “And another group trapped at the construction site 4!”

At the sight, Muscular laughed as he stood over the bloody and defeated form of Retsu. The man had tried to buy others time, but sadly for him, his quirk just didn't match up, nor was he anywhere close to the level of fighter Muscular was.

Stomping on the defeated man’s chest, causing him to hack up blood, Muscular laughed as he looked down on him. "Was that it? All that talk, and you go do that easily?" He was about to just be done with it and kill this guy when he saw a flash and reacted, raising his hand to protect his one good eye; he felt a piercing pain in his arm, and looking at it, he saw an arrow buried halfway into his flesh, which only made him laugh as he spotted the archer posted on a building not too far from him.

As she fired more, each finding their targets, Muscular only laughed harder, flexing his muscles to shatter their shafts and eject the arrowheads from his body. “Arrows? Really? With how thick my muscles are, you might as well throw rocks!” He picked up a mailbox and threw it at her.

Cassandra Fletcher, the former agent of Humanise, Beros, jumped over the steel mailbox onto the roof, firing another shot at Muscular at an angle. However, Muscular was fast and blocked her shot despite the curve.

Drawing another arrow, she spotted one of her fellow security force members sneaking up and getting the wounded Retsu safely. That was one issue down, but they had the other in the form of the murderous, rampaging, muscle-bound beast. “I’m not suited for a tank like him.”

Lucky for her, she wasn't alone. When Muscular charged down the street towards her position, he got shoulder-checked by another member of the security force. The man wasn't as tall or beefy as the muscle-covered villain but was far from weak. His opening move staggered Muscular, allowing Kenta Hijiri, formerly the villain Bearhead, to swipe at his flesh, his claws running through at least a dozen layers.

Being quick on the recovery, Muscular countered, with Kenta barely dodging it as he kept the defense, Fletcher remaining ready to fire should she see an opening. “You bastard, you think you can come here and wreck shop and get away with it?!” Kenta yelled at Muscular, who only laughed in his face.

"Oh, you seem strong; maybe this little mission will be better than those other ones. Let’s see how tough you are!” Kenta roared at how casual the villain was at how he had seriously injured a dozen people on his arrival.

“Mission? What are you talking about?" Kenta asked him, finding that Muscular was too much for him despite his strength. He started pushing him back, with a blow to the gut, making him near his lunch.

Grabbing the man in a chokehold, Muscular slammed him into the road hard enough to crack it, doing more damage to his opponent. "Maybe you can help me then. I was told to find some punk named Midoriya that lives here.” Muscular replied, increasing the pressure on his opponent's neck as the Bearman fought against the villain's attempts to squeeze his life out.

“You would dare-!” Kenta choked out but felt himself growing weaker as Muscular was too strong, and even Fletcher's attempts to distract him proved fruitless; her arrows just couldn't hit deep enough, with the villain even wrapping his head in dozens of layers of muscle fibers. The slits he was using to see through were too small for Fletcher to aim for, so she had to quickly run to another spot to get a better angle, but Kenta knew he didn't have that time as his strength seemed to vanish while Muscular's grew stronger.

"I don't know or care why, but All for One and Shigaraki said he'll be pretty strong, so where is he? I hope I didn't kill him by accident-!” The villain's mockery was cut off when a figure crashed into him, knocking him off Kenta and sending Muscular to tumble further into the street.

Coughing, Kenta took mouthfuls of air through his bruised windpipe, looking up to see the back of their maiden. “G-guji…”

“I’m sorry I’m late. You’ve done well, Kenta. I’m proud of that,” Midoriya turned to him, offering him a grateful smile before he turned back to Muscular. His eyes started to glow as steam and traces of volcanic gas leaked off him. Now, let me handle this intruder. They come all this way for me after all.”

"Wow, that was a hard hit; I felt it!" Muscular complimented, though one could hardly tell if he was lying, seeing how the man got up like it was nothing, only to stop when he looked over Midoriya.

Well, they hadn't given him a picture, just a name, and told him to track him down, but he wasn't expecting this. His new opponent looked young, definitely younger than 20, with a soft, round face with freckles on each cheek. A wild mane of dark green hair flowed down to their shoulders, with part of it done up in a bun, along with a large golden rice stalk accessory and two silver pins.

Their clothing was just as out there as a hero's, a modified shrine maiden's attire with a sleeveless robe. Instead, they wore separate sleeves, held in place by straps halfway up their biceps. Along both were red and blue flower patterns with a short, layered skirt that ended just above their knees. A crimson obi was tied tightly around their waist, but its ends were so long that they fell to their shins. Their appended finished with a pair of Geta sandals, tabi socks, and a headband with a large, polished peridot gem.

"So you're the guy then? Gotta say, I was expecting something else, but if I get a good fight, who the hell cares?" Muscular cheered.

Midoriya held no such joy or anticipation for violence. “Imasuji Gōto, villain name, Muscular. You’ve killed and hurt so many people, and now you bring destruction and pain to these lands that I protect in the name of my Lord, but there is a chance of salvation. Truly, your sins are vast."

“What, you think I care about that?” Muscular charged him, pulling a fist back to pummel him into the ground, only for him to pick up a whiff of volcanic gas before his fist struck the streak, shattering the stone road, but his target was nowhere to be seen.

Midoriya landed behind him, unphased by the attempt on his life. His eyes still glowing as he accessed his gift from God, he continued to try and converse with Muscular, as he had done with many villains that had found themselves in his presence. "I don't, but I shall still offer you a chance, this one chance to redeem yourself and set yourself on the right path,"

Turning fully to him, he raised a finger, revealing that his nails had been painted obsidian black with shades of red and blue. Pointing at the ground, he made his ultimatum. "Prostrate yourself, admit to your sins, and ask for forgiveness from the fire God, Kagutsuchi.”

"Nah, I'm gonna keep on doing what I love because I don't want to die with regrets, and after breaking you, I'm dragging you back to All for One!" Muscular yelled, buffing up more as he figured he needed speed to catch this guy and put him down. He wasn't nearly as big as the rest and probably relied on speed.

When he charged again, he caught Midoriya's face twitch, just for a moment, as a smile broke out on his face. He didn't retreat but rushed Muscular, who caught the smell of volcanic gas off Midoriya again. Suddenly, from out of nothing, a fireball formed, and before he could react, it slammed into him. The flames didn't just burn through a few layers of muscle but dozens at once, with the fireball carrying weight as it shattered on impact with him.

Waving the smoke away, Muscular felt…something on his body. Looking at himself, he was caught completely surprised. “What-!” Dozens of shards of dark green glass covered his body, most of which stuck in his muscle fibers. He didn't see much blood from them; in fact, just about all of them showed signs of heat damage.

“Well then, it matters not,” he looked towards Midoriya, who was now giving a smile that seemed innocent but, when paired with that look in their glowing emerald eyes, said anything but. Whether from the heavens above or hell below, flames will take you. I shall pray that from your ashes, that a new kinder soul is born." Muscular was reminded of that crazy blood psycho and Pyromaniac when he saw that face.

But it only excited him, as he's not had a good fight in months. Not since they clashed with Endeavour and some heroes trying to take Tokyo. But this kid…he just knew he would finally get some fun out of his stupid work for All for One! “All right, you think a little glass and fire can take me on? You'll need more than simple tricks if you want to survive!"

Again, Midoriya only smiled as he flicked his hand, the scent of volcanic gas rising as Muscular saw Midoriya's fingertip catch alight; a moment later, he was slashed across the chest, slowing him down and giving Midoriya ample time to dodge his attack.

Landing on a lamppost, Midoriya kept perfect balance as he turned to Muscular, with all his fingertips now on fire, creating swirling strings of molten glass around him. "Tricks? I do no such thing. What I've done is merely express the wonderous power given to me by the heavens. After all, volcanoes don't just produce fire and heat, as great as that alone can be." Midoriya sent them after Muscular, who covered his body in hundreds of layers of muscle fibers and charged.

Like his opponent, Midoriya didn't fear him. He controlled the molten glass to continue cutting away at Muscular, burning through dozens of layers of muscle fibers before they cooled and got stuck in his body. The villain grunted through the pain as he flexed to eject the foreign material, but Midoriya's attack added more.

Breathing in the smell of roasting pork, Midoriya’s smile only grew more demented. “They also produce obsidian, and as long as it’s still hot, I can manipulate it like clay.” He demonstrated this point when he brought his fingers together, creating a much larger blade of molten obsidian, allowing its edge to harden while its rear remained soft; he swung it at Muscular, who expected a weaker strike, was given a rude awakening when the blade sliced through his armor to his body, cutting deep into his right arm.

Trying another angle, Muscular pulled back and, using his quirk to reinforce his injured arm, dug his hands into the road, pulling out a large chunk of it and throwing it towards Midoriya. “Do you know what else can be found in volcanoes? Riches like Gold and Silver!” Opening a vent on his palm, he pointed it at the giant rock, firing out a bowling ball-sized sphere and molten silver and gold, which exploded on impact with the chunk of road, leaving him untouched by it as he remained on the lamppost.

Midoriya started laughing, his face twisting with fanatical joy as he reveled not in the fight but in his quirk because it was proof that he was loved, if not by man, then by God.  "Is it amazing? Isn't this great? From the body of our God, we can have fertile soil, earthy treasure, heat, and flames- flames born from the very core of the earth!"

On a dime, his mood shifted from joyous highs to burning rage. “And yet, you dare to deny that?!” Calling on his quirk again, Midoriya boasted his body past its limits, closing the distance between him and Muscular, firing a fireball straight into the man's chest, and launching him back onto his butt.

Standing in the smoke as Muscular rose, Midoriya only glared at him. “What a fool you are to refuse heaven's chance for redemption. Well, if you wish to indulge in sin....” He punched the ground, sending heat through the earth to Muscular, where it exploded. The heat melted the rock and stones of the road, covering Muscular in it, leading to the man screaming as he leaped out, shredding the lost muscle and trying to regain it.

"This kid…I've never felt such a rush! Show me, show me more!" Muscular, despite his injuries, didn't care for them. Only trying to keep the fight going. He had seen what Midoriya could do, so he just had to plan around that, and he'd be able to see if this kid could take as much as he could give!

Grabbing a bench and some wooden beams from the construction site he had landed in, Muscular tossed both at Midoriya before rushing him, trying to use the objects to distract him and divide his attention.

Midoriya didn't speak as he shifted the street to block the bench, dodged a wooden beam, and gave Muscular a searing gaze as he approached. Moments away from hitting him, Midoriya's mouth opened.

Muscular had no warning, no chance to move as from within the depths, a surge of scorching green flames, mixed in with molten obsidian and iron, roared out, the heat so great that the muscles on Muscular's hand were burning before the flames ever hit him, when they did, a giant explosion rocked the street as the blast of fire continued onwards into the sky, lighting up the fall afternoon as it momentarily raised the temperate.

At the epicenter, Midoriya stood, the only damage done to his body being self-inflicted as his jaw, hanging by a thread, fell off and yet didn't so much as flinch as his scorched jawbone hit the similar burnt ground.

As for Muscular? He lay on his back, his eyes wide with confusion and nerve overload. Most of the muscle fibers that had once covered his body were gone, having been vaporized by the intense heat, leaving his body exposed as it was now covered in serious burns from just being close to that attack; his pants were gone and barely leaving him decent. His left arm, which had been the one he had punched with, had been turned to ash, leaving just a blackened stump just below the shoulder.

The villain couldn't hear anything; the intense heat that the air got to had damaged his eardrums.

He could hardly see as his one good eye felt like he had dunked it in acid.

He couldn't move as everything was either covered in burns that seemed to reach as deep as his bones or were broken as the heat-induced shockwave had struck him first, with his body having taken the brunt of it so that there was minimal damage.

All was apparent to Midoriya as he approached, standing over the pile of muscular flesh, mildly impressed that he wasn't dead. As his vision cleared, the villain looked up and saw Midoriya standing over him, his jaw reforming like he was a Nomu. When it did, Midoriya's expression shifted into a demented smile. Only now did his eyes glow brighter with anticipation.

The boy said something, but he couldn't hear a word. But as he watched Midoriya step back and create walls of magma that cooled and hardened into the rock around the immobile villain, he recalled something else he had heard about the target: a word of advice from Spinner to be cautious about him.

As Midoriya’s jaws opened once more, a fire visible building up inside, Muscular recalled what Spinner had called Midoriya.

‘Homori’s Maiden of Destruction.’

With that, all he knew was flames…and nothing else.

Line Break

Holy…crap, that was long. It was longer than I thought it would be, which I blame on how I explained things. I took some inspiration from earlier chapters, which covered Midoriya's time at the temple, and even gave the town a name, which translates to “Fire‑Forest”, a nod to Izuku-yes and his name, but also to the fact in lore, the temple predates the town by a good few centuries.

Also, I used Benimaru's introduction episode as a sort of mold for Izuku, and no-not the one from Slime; I haven't seen it, but Benimaru from Fire Force, you know-the strongest fire soldier in their verse. Of course, I added things like how, while Izuku is similarly respected as their protector, he's much more polite and cordial about it; however, like Beni-he's not unwilling to drop a body, Muscular learned the hard way after getting embarrassed.

Also, I went a different route with Izuku here as he's unlocked a form similar to what he recently got in Path of Waves but also went down the stone tech tree for his volcanic powers, which, as you all just read, gives him an entirely new avenue. Now, as for the other stuff that was shown, like the villains, Eri, and just how messed up their world become-we'll learn more about that in the next and final chapter.