めぐり逢えたこと

Fumikage, wreathed in the darkness that was his to control, watched as the lone adventurer kicked open the door to the antechamber, his strange, jagged-edged longsword held at the ready, the blade glinting in the light gloam. To think someone had conquered his, Shihai’s, and Reiko’s tower of darkness on their own was an incredible feat when the trio habitually stonewalled much larger parties.

“Your reign of terror stops now, All for One! Return Kacchan!”

The darkness that he controlled was coiling around Fumikage’s form before fizzling as the words registered. “…Wait, did you say All for One?”

The adventurer faltered, a startled noise erupting from his direction. “Er, yes, I’m here to fight you now for my best friend?”

With a sigh, Fumikage shook his head, a hand rubbing at his feathered temple. Behind him Dark Shadow started whining as the darkness began to recede. “You’re a few days travel short if you’re looking for that particular den of darkness. This is Shadeshow Tombbrood, a bergfried used for testing the Yuuei Adventurers Guild for their qualification exams. I and my compatriots test expectant heroes to make sure they’re ready to face further dangers away from home.”

The look on the pretty freckled face was priceless, despite the strange jagged edged sword in his hands. “S-so this isn’t the Death Star Citadel?”

“Sadly this den of darkness is not quite the impenetrable blackness that is the citadel,” Fumikage said automatically. At the adventurer’s cutely curious look of confusion, he explained, “Er, that is to say, you are not the first traveler who has gotten our keep and that of the Symbol of Evil’s confusion.”

The adventurer peered at Fumikage for a moment longer before nodding, dropping his wary stance. His sword disappeared in a flurry of sparks, nowhere to be seen. That must mean he was a high level adventurer with access to magic items like that. “You, uh… might want to get a sign then? If this happens so often and all…”

“It’s been on the agenda but we just haven’t found the time.” With a casual snap of his finger, the rest of the magical darkness receded into the crevices of the chamber, lightening up the room considerably. “I’ll be more than honored to meet the one that has defeated our tower. Fumikage Tokoyami, the Jet-Black sorcerer Tsukuyomi, at your service.” Fumikage introduced himself with a bow and flourish of his black cape. 

The adventurer bowed back, blushing still. “I-Izuku Midoriya, alchemist, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And, uh, sorry about breaking the lower levels.”

An alchemist had done all that? Fumikage had his doubts, especially as alchemists generally didn’t run dungeons solo, but decided to not voice it.  In the shadows of his cape, Dark Shadow chortled, just as interesting. “The darkness may not seem to end, but perhaps my own brand of shadows can help shed light on it.”

The blank silence dragged on for a moment before Fumikage sighed; some people just didn’t understand. “Let me close up this tower and then we can go back into town for some food and a map so I can plot you out a course to the lair of All for One.”

The alchemist perked up, sending the dark mage a blinding smile, “That would be great! Thank you!”

---

The whole walk to the village was rather pleasant. It seemed the young alchemist — and Izuku was young, apparently a master alchemist at only twenty-five, the same age as Fumikage himself — had yet to meet an Avian in his travels and had plenty of questions to ask. Somehow the man was taking notes while walking, showing great skill in being able to write, talk, and keep 

Then Dark Shadow came out from beneath his cloak, the familiar stealing the man’s attention. Something strange fluttered within Fumikage as he watched the sentient darkness enjoy pets from the utterly enraptured Izuku but he ignored it.

They continued on for a bit longer and, as they came into the town, Fumikage asked, “Did you not visit the Guild before entering Tombbrood?”

Izuku awkwardly laughed, which was an answer in itself. Fumikage shook his head, “In the future, it would benefit reaching out to Yuuei whenever you visit a city, it would have saved you the work of fighting through our tower.”

“I couldn’t, not without knowing who there I could trust. Saying I needed to get to Death Star Citadel would lead to questions and I can’t let All for One know I’m coming for him.”

They stopped, just outside of the town’s limits. Izuku looked harried, wild eyed and worried when he realized what he said. The implication that someone in the Guild, maybe not in his town but elsewhere, could be feeding information or worse to the powers of evil, traitor to all that the Guild stood for rubbed the beastman the wrong way. But strange things had been happening over the past few moons — routine quests going bad unexpectedly leading to party wipes, intel being so wrong when teams — would be explained if there was a leak within the Yuuei Adventurers Guild.

“Then we won’t mention where you’re going, just that there was a mix up.” 

Izuku’s look of gratitude made the strange feeling make a reappearance but, once again, he shoved it down to give a grin instead. “Now, to the Guild so I can report in and advise that I shall be on a break for the foreseeable future.”

“Sounds go-, wait, a break?”

“Well, it would be uncharitable of me to show you where to go and not come with you. My sorcery is black, not my heart. How could I call myself a true member of the Guild if I were to let you go off on your own when I can help, especially if you’re unable to request for assistance?”

Izuku’s flummoxed look made a smirk cross Fumikage’s features, which quickly turned into laughter after the alchemist started sputtering out denials. As if Fumikage would pass off a chance at such an interesting adventure with an even more interesting partner.

---

The building that housed the Yuuei Adventurers Guild in Bandomeer was always bustling with activity no matter the time of night. At a bit past dinner time, the crowds had thinned a bit, most people clustered in small groups around the bar, drinking and not paying attention to the front desk.

Fumikage motioned Izuku to one of the few empty tables before he went to the desk, intent on speaking with Yuuga. 

“Hello my unsparkling friend!” the blond man exclaimed with a giggle. 

Fumikage rolled his eyes at his former party member’s antics. “I need to send a message to Shihai and Reiko — Tombbrood will be closed until one of the three of us returns. I reset most of the traps within but they might want to check on their own creations before reopening as we had… an exuberant accident.”

“An exuberant accident, huh?” Yuuga’s eyes trailed towards where Izuku was sitting, seemingly brooding over a pint. “Anything to do with handsome over there?”

A nonchalant shrug was the beastman’s answer. “There was a bit of a mixup with a quest and I thought, might as well assist with it.”

Blue eyes stared more, obviously unconvinced but nice enough not to inquire more. “Well then⁓ I’ll put you off the mission roster then! Have fun running dangerous quests with your new cutie!” His voice was loud and garnered the attention of many of Bandomeer’s regulars, making Fumikage blush red despite his dark plumage.

“Asshole,” Dark Shadow murmured beneath his cloak, loud enough for the other man to hear.

“Love you both too, platonically of course. Hope your cutie has shit taste!”

Fumikage firmly believed that he was in his right to not stop his familiar from flipping the sparkling hero the bird.

---

“I ordered you dinner,” Izuku said in lieu of greeting when Fumikage joined him at the table, “I guess you’re a regular here? The woman at the bar said she knew what you’d want.”

“Bandomeer is the closest town to the tower, it only makes sense that, as a member of the Guild, I come here often.” It was true enough — the amount of times he, Shihai and Reiko visited the guild and tavern after cleaning up Tombbrood, it would have been more surprising if the staff didn’t know their preferences. “Now, let me see your map and we can figure out the best way to get to your destination.” Mindful of Izuku’s request, Fumikage spoke vaguely.

“Uhm…” 

Fumikage stared at the green-haired alchemist before slowly enunciating, “You were traveling to one of the most treacherous places in the world, without a map.” It was a statement and not a question that needed to be answered, as Izuku covering his face as he flushed was answer enough. It was a rather cute image, but Fumikage could not let himself get distracted by it. What Izuku had done would have killed the average adventurer, going off like that with hardly anything.

Anything the other man would say in response was cut off by a barmaid delivering their food and more drinks. Izuku took the distraction with cheer, lighting up as he started digging into katsudon. Fumikage gave him another look before eating his own pork loin paired with grilled apples and bread. Once they were lulling into a companionable silence, Fumikage brought up their conversation once more. “Where were you coming from then?”

“I was told to go west from Musutafu, and that I’d know it when I see it. Your tower was the first one I’ve seen in my time traveling so I had just assumed…” Izuku trailed off, voice sheepish. “It was probably rather silly, but I had left hours after Kacchan was kidnapped, thinking I could catch up without bothering to grab any supplies.”

“Foolhardy yes, but it seems you’ve survived your lack of thinking.” The city that Izuku came from was over a week’s travel by caravan, possibly longer if the alchemist was avoiding roads.

“I wasn’t utterly unprepared, just mostly. I had money and books and supplies and my sword, which was enough to get me here in one piece!” 

“Well then, we’ll rectify your mistakes now, so you can continue going in one piece,” Fumikage teased, already back to his food. “You have enough money to get some of the best things on the menu and yet, you never considered purchasing a map.”

Izuku pouted again. “This is the first town I’ve been in since leaving the capital.” Looked like Fumikage was right and he had been avoiding civilization. Before he could ask why, the alchemist continued. “Plus, I had to make sure I avoided being seen by any of Ochako’s people – if they saw me and realized that Kacchan was missing, it would be a mess!”

“Ochako?”

“Ah, uhm,” Izuku scooted closer so their heads were nearly touching, voice pitched in a whisper. “Ochako Uraraka – Kacchan’s fiance. If she knew he’s been kidnapped, she would burn down civilization to find him.”

Every mage on this side of Kamino knew the name of Ochako Uraraka, better known as the Witch Queen Uravity. And Izuku just casually called her by her first name. “….isn’t the Witch Queen engaged to the crown prince of Musutafu, Lord Explosions Katsuki of the Bakugou family?”

“Uh, yes? Kacchan’s my childhood friend, we used to go adventuring together as teens.” Childhood friend to the crown prince , wielding a towering sword and green hair?

“Wait, does that mean you’re Deku , Musutafu’s most revered magi-knight?” Fumikage hissed in surprise, barely mindful to not shout out loud. As in, one of the strongest adventurers in both the whole country and the Yuuei guild. As in, someone who could easily destroy his whole tower and Fumikage was lucky that Izuku had only disabled the traps.

Izuku flushed moving back to sit properly in his chair, “I mean technically yes? But I’ve reclassed and everything! I’m an alchemist now!”

It was hard to reconcile the rumors of Deku that had circulated over the past few years with the man who sat in front of him. Somehow the great strategist who led the party that defeated the lich leader of the Eight Precepts of Death who had gone off to rescue his friend without bothering to get supplies. This was the man who had walked into town at Fumikage’s side while cooing about how cute Dark Shadow was, while also known to be able to summon a literal God to do his bidding. But Fumikage thought back on the way he held himself as they travelled into town, the way he stood before him at the top of the tower, the way he single handedly defeated every trap and puzzle that had, on numerous occasions, been total party kills. Only someone truly strong or truly foolhardy could do that, and the beastman would bet on the former.

That said, being trusted with a truth that, in the wrong hands could be disastrous for the whole country meant that the beastman now had an even better reason to drop everything and help. “Then I best help you on your quest. And maybe I can be your plus one at the ceremony.”

His earlier blushes paled in comparison to that moment, Izuku’s face turning a pleasing red that reminded Fumikage of a strawberry. The green haired man sputtered and tried to make a coherent sentence.

“Let’s go to the inn now so you can get some sleep Izuku, for in the morn I shall show you the way to the lair of darkness. Best do it after a good night’s rest because I doubt you’ll have as cordial a welcome there.”

What a mad banquet of darkness… But Fumikage would come along because he couldn’t help follow after Izuku like the black hole coming after the supernova.