Bonus

Long, long ago, the demon lord conquered the world. Stripped of the will to fight back, the good people were oppressed and exploited by the wicked ruler, and long did they suffer under evil’s reign. As it happened, a group of brave men and women found the courage to stand up against the darkness and despair. Heroes, they were called, and the greatest among them—All Might—smashed the demon lord back from whence he came, restoring peace to all the land.

These heroes were revered by all, and one boy from the countryside named Izuku held in his heart an admiration for All Might that bordered nearly on madness.

“Mother! I’m off to become All Might’s apprentice!” said the boy, one day.

“Oh? Be careful, out there in the world,” said his mother.

Though the mother was taken aback at her son’s sudden, gleeful departure, she nonetheless saw him off with a smile and a wave. The boy’s fanaticism had been apparent from an early age, so she knew there was nothing she could do when one of these moods gripped him.

The day before, Izuku had discovered a doll resembling All Might while walking through the woods, and that night, the great hero had come to the boy in a dream and proclaimed, “Lad! You can become a hero! A fantasy hero, that is!” The excitable Izuku had interpreted the dream as no less than prophecy, and so he now set out to meet his idol.

In high spirits, Izuku skipped down the road toward the town where he hoped to find All Might, but the boy soon lost his way. This was, after all, his first journey away from his own village. Fortunately, the lost, troubled boy was soon spotted by a positively Uraraka-looking girl named Ochaco and a boy clad in full armor named Tenya. When Izuku informed the pair of his quest for All Might, their faces darkened.

“They say that All Might has gone missing,” said Tenya.

“What? How could that be?” said Izuku.

Rumor spoke of scores of heroes vanishing within the Realm of Sumwere, including All Might himself. Tenya, who came from a long line of proud knights, had set out to solve the mystery, and Ochaco had accompanied him as the mercenary mage employed by his family. Given the nature of their quest, Izuku decided to join them.

However, the road to Sumwere was long indeed, and the trio soon ran low on provisions.

“How odd… I was positive I had packed enough food for this trip…” said Tenya.

“Ah, sorry!” said Izuku. “We probably ran out cuz you’re sharing with me now.”

“Nonsense. I brought extra in case of emergencies, so we shouldn’t have run out so quickly… Hmm? Ochaco, why do your cheeks bulge like a pair of rosy, waxing moons?”

“Gulp. Sorry! Using magic spells makes a girl hungry!”

“Hang on, can’t you just create more food with magic?” asked Izuku.

“If it was that easy, you think I’d be busting my butt as a mage for hire?” said a peeved Ochaco, whose family finances made even peasants seem wealthy.

“Oh, right. Guess not. Sorry,” said Izuku.

The trio trudged wearily on with empty bellies until they came across a tree bearing magnificent fruit. Grateful for nature’s bounty, they plucked the fruit and began to eat.

“Oh, how absolutely scrumptious!” declared Tenya.

“It’s all soft like mochi, with hints of kinako and brown sugar!” said Izuku.

“This’d go great with a nice cup of dirt tea! Boy, I wish Mom and Dad could taste this stuff!” said Ochaco.

The children were too busy stuffing their faces to notice a pair of guards approaching—guards clad in armor adorned with flame patterns.

“Was it you three who dared to steal Lord Endeavor’s kuzumochi fruit?”

“Those who eat of the fruit face execution!”

The trio ran from the guards in a panic but soon found themselves cornered at a cliff’s edge. Before the guards could make good on their threat, a boy appeared behind them.

“Leave them alone.”

“Master Shoto! You may be our lord’s heir, but we are not subject to your whims!”

“Shut up and get out of my sight.”

Despite their protests, the guards followed Shoto’s command, and the three travelers thanked their savior.

“I didn’t do it for you. Just to get back at my rotten father,” he spat with a scowl.

Shoto’s father, Endeavor, was the notoriously ill-tempered lord of this province, where the rare kuzumochi trees grew. Those fruits happened to be the lord’s favorite snack.

“That bastard’s obsession with his precious trees drove my mother away. If he loved the trees so much, why not marry them, right…? As his heir, I’m supposed to keep the trees growing, but I’ll be damned if I follow his plans for me.”

Shoto might as well have been speaking of long-planned revenge for a loved one, such was the spite and enmity that pervaded his rant. Izuku and his companions took pity on the boy.

“Um, we’re off to search for All Might and the vanished heroes. Want to come along?”

“Sure,” answered Shoto in haste, eager for any excuse to remove himself from his father’s shadow.

With that, the three travelers bound for Sumwere became four. However, they quickly lost their way and found themselves surrounded by crags in the foothills of a volcano on the verge of erupting.

“Ochaco!” cried Ida. “Can your magic aid us?”

“I’ll give it a shot. Flame, frame, ram, and ramen, if here be fire daemon, show us the way, man!”

She drew her wand in a flash and pointed to a path through the heat and smoke.

“Should be this way!”

“Was that even real magic?” asked Shoto doubtingly.

The travelers nonetheless followed Ochaco and her wand until a plume of flame burst upon the path before them.

“You dare trespass on Lord Katsuki’s volcano? You four got a death wish or something?”

The menacing, unyielding voice came from a shirtless boy cloaked only in a wild cape of fur. His mount was a red fire-breathing dragon.

“If you’re hoping to pass, you gotta beat me in battle!”

“Defeat a dragon tamer…?” said Tenya. “Impossible! Let us beat a hasty retreat!”

“Running scared? Not on my watch!”

With that, the boy signaled his dragon to leap over the fleeing youths and block their escape.

“You totally shall not pass unless you take me down first!” said Katsuki with a fierce, indomitable grin.

“Looks like we’re in for a fight,” said Shoto, striking a battle-ready stance. Beside him, Izuku stared at Katsuki, pondered for a moment, and gasped.

“Hang on… You’re Kacchan, aren’t you? We used to be neighbors!”

“Huhh? Ugh, if it ain’t Deku!”

“Wow, this brings back memories! How are your folks doing?”

“Just freaking fine and dandy! Thanks for asking, pleb!”

Upon realizing that Izuku and Katsuki must have grown up together, Tenya breathed a sigh of relief.

“Won’t you yield to your childhood friend and his companions?” he asked.

“Nobody’s yielding squat, cuz I’ve been waiting my whole life for a chance to crush you, Deku!” said Katsuki.

“Crush me? But why, Kacchan?”

“You know exactly what you did!”

At Katsuki’s seething words, Izuku gripped his lower lip and fell into thought.

“You mean, the time you wet the bed and tried to blame me, but then I told your mom it was actually you? Or that time we went cave exploring and I saw you get scared and turn tail? Or could it be how, when you were moving away, you gave me your prized possession, but I immediately dropped it and it shattered into a million pieces?”

“Yeah, all of that, peasant! So it’s just you and me now, mano a mano, and you other merry fools better not interfere!” roared Katsuki with fiery rage. And so did their battle began.

“Seems like these two’ve got some history…” mused Ochaco.

The dragon blew jets of flame from the sidelines to fire up his warring master, and Izuku’s companions cheered on their own champion. Locked in battle, the two boys barely paused to observe the volcano erupting behind him. The goddess of victory smiled upon Katsuki that day, though, when his long-standing grudge exploded forth and gave him the slightest edge.

“Hah, this is my win!” he declared, standing proudly over a vexed Izuku. He turned to the other three and shouted, “Rules say you’re all my servants now!”

“Huh?” said Ochaco. “What rules? You never mentioned any rules!”

“What the winner says, goes, you round-faced mage!”

“You are the clear victor, yes,” said Tenya. “But we must venture on to the Realm of Sumwere to search for All Might and the vanished heroes!”

“Oh yeah? Tell me more.”

After a brief explanation of the quest from Tenya, Katsuki’s face turned pensive.

“I’m coming along,” he said. “Anyone who can take down a buncha heroes has gotta be freaking strong. So I’ll fight ’em, and I’ll win!”

“Say what?” said Ochaco.

“You are welcome to join us, but journeying with your dragon may prove difficult…” said Tenya. But no sooner had he raised the issue than the red dragon transformed into a grinning red-haired boy, prompting shock and disbelief all around.

“Heya, I’m Eijiro the Half-Dragon. Part dragon, part human, y’know? If this form’s fine with you dudes, then I’m glad to join the party!”

As it turned out, the brave and spirited Eijiro had been in service to Katsuki ever since losing a duel of his own.

With that, four travelers became six on the road to Sumwere.

The fellowship faced down all manner of beasts and demons, and after several death-defying days and nights over hill and dale, they at last arrived in the Realm of Sumwere. Instead of a bustling border town, however, they found only dusty streets, nearly devoid of residents.

“Where’re the enemies?” shouted Katsuki. “Show yourselves!”

“Hmm… We’d better get some information before anything else,” suggested Izuku.

In hopes of finding townsfolk to question, they made for the only tavern showing signs of life—the Dancing Tadpole. A charming girl with a froglike face greeted the six weary travelers.

“Welcome. We haven’t hosted such a big group in quite some time. Please, call me Tsuyu.”

Only two other customers were dining at the tavern—a sharp-eyed girl and a shifty man in a black hood. They did not sit together. When Tenya asked Tsuyu if she knew what had befallen the vanished heroes, the proprietress shook her head. She had seen the heroes arrive in town but could not say who or what had spirited them away. From one corner of the tavern, the sharp-eyed girl stared and listened intently.

“At the very least, the rumors were true,” said Tenya. “I suppose we have no choice but to search every corner of the realm.”

“How about some grub first, though!” said Eijiro.

The six travelers were glad for their first hot, cooked meal in some while, and they cleaned plate after scrumptious plate of food until they were fit to burst.

“What a delicious feast this was, Miss Tsuyu. How much do we owe you for it?” asked Tenya.

“That’ll be thirty thousand Sumthins.”

Tenya reached into his satchel for the money and froze. His face twitched, and he began to shake.

“What’s up, Tenya?” asked Ochaco.

“We have no money! It seems a hole tore open in my satchel…”

“What? Everyone knows you gotta tie your purse strings tight and keep your bags well mended!”

“I apologize, but could you all pitch in to pay our bill?”

At Tenya’s request, a dark pall fell over the party.

“Um, I’ve only got five hundred Sumthins on me,” stammered Izuku.

“Money? Hah. I only believe in cold, hard barter. Like goods and services,” said Katsuki.

“Sorry! Dragons ain’t exactly known for carrying cash,” said Eijiro.

“My employer’s purse is all I’ve got. That means yours, Tenya,” said Ochaco.

All eyes turned to their last hope—Shoto the lordling.

“Sorry, but you guys whisked me away after that business with the tree. I didn’t bring my wallet.”

With all hope lost, the travelers slumped in despair, pierced by Tsuyu’s unblinking, uncompromising stare.

“Wait up, I bet we’ve got something to trade… Aww yes, here we go!” said Katsuki as he reached into Izuku’s satchel and withdrew the All Might doll.

“Just sell off this All Might! It’s gotta be worth something.”

“Huh? No way! Give it back!” said Izuku, in an unusually resolute tone.

“That doll fills me with courage!” he said as he swiped it back. “The day I found it, All Might came to me in a dream and told me that with my stout heart and brave spirit, I could be a fantasy hero.”

Izuku stuffed the doll—as precious to him as a piece of himself—back into his satchel.

“This’s no time for your worthless dreams!”

“You’re not taking All Might from me!”

While the boys’ war of words escalated, the shifty man in the corner said, “Thanks,” placed some money on the table, and left. The sharp-eyed girl, clearly deep in thought, watched him all the while. Then, from outside, came a piercing scream.

The party dashed out of the tavern and found it surrounded by several dozen massive, red-eyed beasts with black wings sprouting from their backs.

“Are these…demons? But why here? Why now?” asked Izuku, always ready with a probing question or two, even in the face of mortal danger.

“Act now, question later,” responded Shoto.

The beasts closed in on the party, but their travels in the wilderness had forged the six youths for just such life-and-death battles, and they quickly slew the creatures.

“Hah, was that s’posed to be a challenge?” howled Katsuki. “I’m hungry for more!”

“Relax, dude,” said Eijiro, attempting to calm his companion.

“Hey, d’you think demon meat tastes good…?” asked Ochaco.

“I wouldn’t try it, Ochaco. Their flesh would likely give you indigestion,” said Tenya.

The sharp-eyed girl from the tavern had joined the fray at one point, and now she stood nearby, agog.

“You guys are wild…” she said.

As thanks for slaying the beasts, Tsuyu insisted that no payment for the meal was necessary and even offered the party a night’s stay at the tavern. That evening, the six enjoyed baths and clean beds for the first time in a great while, and they asked the sharp-eyed girl to join them. Her name was Kyoka, and she had been staying at the tavern for the past several days. Ochaco, in particular, was eager for conversation with another girl.

“So what do you do for work? Me, I’m a mercenary mage!”

“I guess you could call me a mercenary too,” said Kyoka, but her every word seemed somehow evasive.

“Oh yeah? Then you know how rough this life can be! What do people hire you to do, exactly?”

“Well, this and that…”

“Lemme guess—you’re a spy hired by the kingdom?”

“Huh? How’d you know?” said Kyoka, flustered by Ochaco’s keen guess. She was, indeed, employed by the king himself, who, sensing the impending danger to the kingdom, had deployed spies to every realm in hopes of discovering whatever it was that now threatened the land. Upon learning that she and the travelers shared a common goal, Kyoka opened up.

“I’m thinking it might’ve been the demon lord who made all those heroes disappear.”

“The demon lord himself? The one vanquished by All Might?” said Tenya in shock.

“That one, yeah,” said Kyoka calmly. “His corpse was supposed to be buried deep underground, but at some point, it vanished, they say.”

“Yikes…” said a stunned Ochaco.

“That would explain the demons we fought,” muttered Izuku gravely.

“I suspect he’s removing any obstacle that might keep him from rising to power again. And it’s not just the heroes around here who keep going missing—it’s gotten tough to find one anywhere nowadays,” explained Kyoka.

The six companions gulped in fear. Who could say what might happen if the demon lord were to attack now, with no heroes remaining to defend the land? These youths had been born during the peaceful era following the defeat of the demon lord, but bedtime stories had taught them to dread him all the same. The air seemed to grow heavy around them as they imagined a return to the dark days they knew only from tales.

The door to their room swung open, and the man in the black hood stepped in.

“So it was you kids who slew those demons earlier?”

The man’s shifty appearance put them immediately on guard, until he removed his hood and caused Izuku to gasp in recognition.

“Long messy hair, five-o’clock shadow, scars under the eyes, and a neck wrapped in bandages…? You must be Aizawa the Hero!”

The rest of the group looked puzzled, so the delighted Izuku explained.

“He rarely shows himself, so there’re rumors that maybe he doesn’t even exist at all! But wow, what a treat to meet a real-life hero—here, of all places!”

Aizawa grinned at Izuku’s exuberant introduction.

“Ever since the demon lord’s revival, I’ve been searching for his lair in secret,” said Aizawa. “I think I’ve found it, but if his influence has already spread this far, we’ve no time to lose. I mean to challenge him alone, but you, spy—get word back to the king. And the rest of you—can I count on you to help spread this news throughout the land?”

The fellowship was encouraged by this call to action. Katsuki, most of all.

“I’ve gotta be the one to slay the damn demon lord!” he said.

“Come now, we each have our roles to play in this conflict! And on that note, we should depart, while the night is still young!” said Tenya.

As they rose from their beds and rushed out of the Dancing Tadpole, Aizawa placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder.

“Lend me that All Might doll. It may hold a clue of some sort.”

“A clue? Well, trust me to find it, then! I know every last thing about All Might, including his bust-waist-hip measurements and even where to find those Yakushima cedar trees he loves so much!” said Izuku with stars in his eyes, nearly snorting in excitement. Aizawa heard him out in silence before letting loose a small sigh.

“Fine. But you’re coming with me, then.”

As the man and boy marched into the forest together, Kyoka watched from a distance with doubt in her eyes.

“So you once fought alongside All Might? What’s he like in real life? I heard he’s drawn differently than the rest of us, even!”

A brief anecdotal war story from Aizawa had piqued Izuku’s excitement once again, but the man now looked down at the boy with apathetic eyes.

“Oh, right, sorry!” said Izuku. He then hurriedly took the All Might doll from his satchel and inspected it by the light of the moon.

“So, this doll… I don’t really notice anything weird about it… Hmm.”

“No. You wouldn’t,” said Aizawa with a dry chuckle that sent a chill up Izuku’s spine. He glanced up at the man, but nothing seemed amiss.

“Give it here.”

“Oh. Sure…”

But just as Izuku extended the hand holding the doll, a mighty voice echoed in his mind.

You mustn’t hand me over to him, lad!

“What was that…?”

“I said, give it here. Quickly, now.”

“B-but…”

Caught between the voice in his head and his companion’s outstretched hand, Izuku froze. Aizawa’s listless eyes suddenly narrowed to icy slits.

“You shouldn’t trifle with your betters, boy. Despite my appearance, I’m no proponent of irrational killing, so you still have a chance to walk away with your life. Now… Hand. It. Over.”

“Eek!”

The red flash in Aizawa’s eyes was enough to force Izuku’s legs to move, but before he could get away, the bandages around the man’s neck uncoiled and lashed out like so many serpents. Izuku found himself bound fast in an instant.

“Why do you run? Aren’t I one of the heroes you revere?”

“You…were… But something’s not right, here…”

“I’ll be taking that doll now.”

“N-no! Wait!”

With a smug grin, Aizawa stuck a hand between the bandages and extracted the doll.

“What’s so important about the doll…? Oh, wait! Are you just as big a fan of All Might as me? You should’ve said so sooner!”

“Not quite,” said the man, all hint of levity gone from his face.

“You said All Might appeared to you in a dream? He declared you a future hero…? Allow me to crush your prospects here and now.”

“Urk!”

The bandages tightened around Izuku, but before the life could be squeezed out of him, a sudden burst of fire severed their connection to Aizawa.

“Thank goodness you still live, Izuku!” came Tenya’s voice.

“You guys!”

Izuku freed himself from the loosened bandages and scampered over to his companions, including Tsuyu, Kyoka, and Eijiro in all his dragonian glory.

“I thought I told you lot to spread the word,” said Aizawa, scratching his head in annoyance.

“Well, let’s just say something seemed fishy,” said Kyoka. “Because I heard that Aizawa the Hero was one of the ones who vanished… Meaning, you’re probably not who you say you are.”

“I’m afraid I am. However…I’ve been reborn as a demon!”

At this, a horde of fell beasts and demons emerged from the trees and surrounded the group.

“I would have let you live if only you’d followed my commands… Sadly, there’s only one rational way this can end now.”

With a wide grin, Aizawa transformed into a hulking demon larger even than Eijiro in dragon form. The eight youths stared wide eyed at their towering foe, yet stood firm, ready to fight.

Tenya, Shoto, and Izuku leaped into battle, shouting and brandishing their blades. While they cut down one fiend after another, a roaring Katsuki tore through multiple foes at a time.

“Bring it on, punks!”

Eijiro’s flames and bulk wiped out a good portion of the horde all at once. Nearby, the agile Kyoka fought with daggers, and Tsuyu used her unnaturally long tongue to fling attackers through the air.

“That’s some tongue you’ve got, Tsuyu!” said a shocked Ochaco.

“I know. I spent some time with a circus, actually. My whole clan is blessed with this ability.”

“Well, I’d better pull my weight too!”

With a full belly powering her spells, Ochaco’s powerful magic blasts ripped through the ranks of the enemy. Within moments, the companions had defeated every last demon save for Aizawa himself.

“It seems I underestimated you children. With the power you hold, why not join our side?”

“No thank you!” said Izuku.

“No way in hell!” echoed Katsuki.

Aizawa snorted at their blunt rejection and beckoned with one long claw—a clear provocation.

“No, I didn’t think so. Have at me, then. Go on.”

“Rahhhh!”

They rushed the demon, but their blades and spells couldn’t pierce his hide. He retaliated with a series of swift attacks that belied his size. Though the youths refused to back down, victory soon seemed fleeting.

“What’s the matter? Finished already?” said Aizawa, sounding almost bored.

Izuku and his companions fell to their knees, drained even of the energy to respond.

“It’s time to end this, then,” murmured their foe, his voice lacking all emotion. He lifted a massive leg, but before crushing Izuku underfoot, he stopped and spoke again.

“Ah, allow me to impart some knowledge as a parting gift, because I’d hate for you to die thinking I’m a mere All Might fan… That doll you hold is none other than All Might himself, cursed into that pathetic form by the demon lord. A thieving bird carried the doll off, though, which is why I’ve been searching high and low for it.”

At this, a voice echoed in the back of Izuku’s mind… All Might’s voice.

Lad! Like mine, yours is a pure heart that would seek peace for one and all. Now, become one with my power!

“Yes, All Might!” said Izuku, and he felt All Might’s boundless energy flow into his body.

“Say goodbye… Huh…?”

Just as Aizawa brought his foot down, Izuku dodged out of the way. His companions gasped at the shimmering aura that now cloaked Izuku and his blade—an aura in the shape of the indefatigable All Might.

“I’m not finished yet… Because we’ve got a whole world to protect!”

“How…is this possible…?”

“Hahhh!”

With All Might’s prodigious power filling his muscles, Izuku brought down his blade upon the demon.

“Tch… Gahhh!”

Struck down by the mighty blow, Aizawa’s demonic body began to shrink. At the same time, All Might’s power flowed back into the doll.

“Oh man, it’s really you, All Might! I never dreamed that this’d be how I’d get to meet you!” said Izuku as he rushed to retrieve the precious doll.

Never mind me for now, lad—take a look at Aizawa. It was only the demon lord’s curse that made him that way.

“Oh, right!” responded Izuku to the voice in his head.

As the group approached the felled hero with caution, his eyes blinked open.

“Hmm? Who’re you kids?”

Aizawa had no memory of recent events, but after a brief explanation, he apologized for the trouble he had caused. According to him and the All Might doll, the demon lord had been cursing heroes, robbing them of their memories and transforming them into demons. Defeating the demon lord would break the curse and free the heroes.

“Meaning, the cursed heroes are likely to come after us now,” said Tenya grimly. They all understood that the quest would only grow more dangerous.

“Fine by me!” said Katsuki with a bold laugh. “The only baddies worth battling are strong ones!”

“If you’ll fight, then I will too! Besides, I can’t just sit back while the world’s in danger!” added Eijiro.

“This battle is mine as well! That means you’re coming along, Ochaco!” said Tenya.

“No prob! We can discuss my fee later!” said Ochaco.

“I’m coming too! Gotta break this curse on All Might, at least! How about you, Shoto…?” said Izuku.

“Okay. Anything to put some distance between me and my bastard of a father,” said Shoto.

“Don’t forget me,” said Kyoka. “I bet there’ll be plenty of intel to pick up along the way.”

“I’m coming along as well. My tavern is doomed unless we can restore peace to the world,” said Tsuyu.

Aizawa stared at the enthusiastic youths and sighed.

“A positive attitude is great, but do you even know where to start looking?”

“Oh. Erm…” said Izuku. Aizawa sighed again.

“This quest is too dangerous for a bunch of kids on their own. Just stick me with.”

The group cheered, thrilled to have found a trustworthy leader.

“Why do I suddenly feel like a schoolteacher…?” grumbled Aizawa.

His heart aflutter with high hopes for the quest ahead, Izuku spoke to the All Might doll.

“Once we break the curse…please make me your apprentice!”

Don’t be foolish, lad—you’re already my apprentice and then some! So don’t let me down, now!

As the voice of the great hero echoed in his head, Izuku’s face broke into a broad smile.

“Y-yes, All Might! I’ll do my best! Oh, and when the curse is finally broken, can I get your autograph?”

Thus did the fellowship of ten brave souls venture forth, with all hopes set on the demon lord’s defeat. But that, perhaps, is a tale for another time…