Intro: The Devil's Smile 「Flames Rising」 Opening Theme. 1 by [Gathonesh]
Link: https://youtu.be/jd0iqmCH7g4?si=PXClVxpouv6-WbJJ
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(2212 - October 4, Sunday: Location - Japan - Secluded small villa in the outskirts of Musutafu - Musutafu City)
After Shinra had his talk with Izuku, the father and son duo made their way outside to the backyard where Inko was waiting for them. She had been setting up what seemed to be a picnic near the forest of their house. Izuku, seeing this, was delighted. He loved it when they had these kinds of picnics. He always had fun spending time with his parents and watching the scenery.
Izuku quickly made his way towards his towards his mother and gave a big hug, Inko was a little startled and surprised but returned the hug nonetheless while shooting her husband a questioning look. Shinra, in response, only smiled at her, Inko decided not to question it, figuring that her goofball of a husband would tell her later.
Finally, the Kusakabe sat down together and began chatting, laughing, eating, and just having fun time together. This day would certainly be a day Izuku would remember for a long time, whether that was good or bad, only time would tell.
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A little while later, after the family had their fun and filled their bellies with delicious snacks, courtesy of Inko of course, Shinra motioned for Inko to come closer. Inko was confused but still responded to Shinra's silent beckon to come closer. Once she was next to him, Shinra whispered something in her ear.
Inko looked surprised but stood up with a smile while. She then turned to Izuku, who seemed to be distracted by a rabbit, and told him that she was just going to go inside to get something.
Once Inko.was inside, Shinra decided to observe Izuku, after a few minutes of watching Izuku staring at a rabbit, he decided to speak. "Hey bud, what ya thinking about while staring at the rabbit?" Izuku, without turning to face Shinra just said. "It's cool, it reminds me of dad." Shinra was confused by that, so he decided to ask. "Oh? It reminds of your old man here huh? How so Izuku?"
"The way it uses its legs like Dad." Shinra laughed heartedly at that. Izuku was basically telling him that he was a rabbit which was funny heck. Adter calming his laughter, Shinra decided to ask Izuku something. " Hey, Izuku, do you remember the prayer I told you about?" Izuku nodded and said.
Izuku looked up at his dad, his big green eyes bright with pride.
"Yeah! It was '*The flame is the soul's breath... The black smoke is the soul's release... Ashes thou wert and art... May thy soul return to the great flame of fire. Látom.*' Right, Dad?"
Shinra nodded, his grin softening into something gentler. "Perfect. You even remembered the tone."
He gestured with a hand. "Alright, come here, and mimic my hands."
Izuku scooted closer, sitting cross-legged across from his father. Shinra straightened, letting the warm light of the morning sun touch his face. The glow flickered against his eyes, like faint embers — a reflection of the fire that still lived within him.
"Okay, Izuku," Shinra said quietly. "Now bring your palms together. Fingers fully extended, slightly curved — like this." He demonstrated the motion, his hands steady and reverent. "Now, bend your thumbs inward until they touch, right here."
He lowered his tone. "See the space your hands make? That hollow, that circle — that's the soul. Fragile, yet infinite."
Izuku carefully copied the gesture, his small hands forming the same shape. Shinra smiled softly. "Good. You've got it."
Then Shinra's eyes grew distant — calm, but with a faint shadow behind them. "You know, Izuku… this prayer isn't just words. It's a bridge — between the living and the dead, between our world and the Great Flame that created all life. The people of my world believed that when a person dies, their soul returns to that flame — purified, reborn, and free. "That last word, Látom, it means 'see you in the next life,' or 'may your soul find its way.' It's not just a farewell. It's respect — for the flame and for what it takes from us.""
Izuku tilted his head slightly. "So… it's like saying goodbye or see you later?" He asked confused.
Shinra smiled, though his eyes shimmered faintly. "It's more than that. It's saying *I understand*. That even when someone's gone, their flame still burns — in us, in everything."
He took a slow breath, letting the words settle in before continuing. "Izuku, I know you're young, but you're smart… and you've got a heart that sees deeper than most adults ever could. So I'm going to teach you something important about being a hero."
Izuku straightened his back, still holding the prayer sign, his eyes fixed on his father.
Shinra's voice lowered, serious now — steady, like a flame in the wind that refused to die.
"A hero's job… is to save and protect people. Not for money, not for fame, and not for glory. You do it because you can. Because someone has to. And when you save people, it's not just from physical danger — sometimes, it's from their pain, their fear, or even themselves."
He paused, his expression tightening just slightly. "But... sometimes, Izuku, being a hero means facing the hardest choice of all — taking a life to save many others. When that happens, it hurts. It *should* hurt. That pain means your heart still remembers what it means to be human."
Izuku's small hands trembled in the prayer pose. His eyes welled up, but he didn't look away.
"So when that time comes," Shinra continued, his tone gentler now, "remember to do this." He raised his hands again in the prayer gesture. "Say the words for them — no matter who they were, good or evil, human or not. Because their soul still deserves peace."
He looked at Izuku, expecting confusion or fear — but instead, he saw understanding. Pain, yes… but also a fierce light behind those green eyes.
Izuku nodded slowly, his voice quiet but sure.
"I understand, Dad. It hurts, just thinking about it… but I'll hold onto that pain. Because the worst thing a hero could ever do… is stop feeling it."
Shinra froze for a second, the words echoing through his mind — words that once came from another man, his old captain back in Company 8. The memory struck deep, and his throat tightened as a tear slid down his cheek.
He pulled his son into a hug, holding him close. "You're right… You're absolutely right."
For a moment, they stayed that way — father and son, surrounded by the quiet hum of the wind and the faint warmth of the sun filtering through the trees.
Then Shinra whispered, his voice trembling with pride and something greater — something divine.
"Remember this prayer, Izuku. Because one day, it'll be more than words. It'll be your connection — to the flame that gave birth to everything, even the gods themselves. When you say *Látom*, you're not just seeing the truth of death… you're acknowledging the light that burns beyond it."
He leaned back, resting his hand on Izuku's head with a proud smile. "Never forget that, okay?"
Izuku nodded, smiling back through the faint shine of tears. "I won't, Dad. I promise."
Shinra chuckled softly. "Good. That's my boy." Just then, Inko returned with a small wooden box in her hands, her expression calm but tinged with quiet curiosity. "Shinra," she said softly, "I brought it."
Shinra turned, smiling in that same gentle way that made her heart melt — the smile of the man who once carried the weight of a burning city.
"Thanks, love," he said, taking the box carefully from her, almost reverently.
The way he handled it made Inko's brow twitch. "You're holding it gentler than you hold me," she muttered, crossing her arms. Shinra chuckled under his breath, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on, Inko. Don't get jealous of a box."
But his voice had softened — there was something in it. Something final.
He turned to Izuku and knelt down so their eyes were level. "Here," he said, holding out the box. "Open it."
Izuku blinked, confused but curious. His small hands trembled as he lifted the lid — and the light caught on the objects inside.
A **cross**, forged in silver and black, each arm equal in length, gleaming faintly with a warmth that didn't come from the sun. And beside it, a **badge** — marked with the number *8*, and the words **'Fire Force — Tokyo.'**
For a moment, Izuku didn't breathe. The world seemed to quiet around him, as though even the wind knew what these things meant.
His voice was small when it finally came out. "D-Dad? Are… are you sure you want me to have this?"
Shinra's expression softened completely — the proud, almost bittersweet look of a man who knew his time as a hero had long passed, but whose legacy lived before him.
"Of course," he said. "Let them be your symbols of hope from now on."
He placed a hand gently over Izuku's, the warmth of his palm grounding the boy.
"This cross — it's a reminder that faith isn't just about gods or the divine. It's about believing when everything around you burns and seems hopeless. And this badge…" He touched the number *8* on the badge."This belonged to my old company. The ones who taught me what it really meant to save people — even when the world told us not to. They believed in the flame of the soul… and I believe that same flame burns in you."
Izuku's throat tightened. He wanted to say something — anything — but the words refused to come.So instead, he did what his heart told him to do. He hugged his father. "Thank you, Dad…" Izuku whispered, his voice trembling. "I'll make you proud."
A
Shinra smiled, resting his chin atop his son's hair. "You already do, Izuku. Every day."
For a brief, perfect moment, the Kusakabe home felt timeless — a small sanctuary between worlds. The prayer, the light, the symbols of faith and courage — all of it lingered in the air like glowing embers.
And then — the world began to shift.
The faint hum of reality trembled. A cold wind swept through the room, snuffing out the warmth of the sun. A purple pale mist began to form behind them, spreading like ink across glass.
Shinra's eyes narrowed instantly. His instincts screamed before his mind could even process it.
He rose to his feet, turning toward the growing veil of mist.
"Well, well, well…" a voice purred from within. "You're a surprisingly hard person to find, *Devil's Smile* — the symbol of *Hope*." The voice was smooth, cruel, and dripping with mock amusement.Shinra's jaw tightened. The flames in his eyes flickered. He knew that voice.
"To think your house was stationed here all this time Shinra, hidden in plain site. It's seems you enlisted the help of many supernatural factions, the Hero Commission as even the King of Universe Gid... well, king of the non-supernatural universe that is, but king nonetheless. It seems like you made quite the connections since we last met Shinra."
A mysterious figure said whilst stepping out of the mist-like portal. He was a towering man with a powerfully muscular physique, imposing features, short white hair, and faded red eyes that showed no sense of feelings and wore a dark suit over a white shirt.
*"Zen Shigaraki"* Shinra spat out the name as if he ate dog shit mixed with skunk piss. Shigaraki just laughed at that and said. "HAHAHAHA! Please, you know I do not go by that name anymore, call me by my moniker, All For One or AFO if you will." The man said with a sickening grin.
Shinra stood protectively in front of Inko and Izuku. Izuku looked extremely pale and on the verge of passing out because of the sickening aura AFO was emitting from his body, he felt like he was going to die and his mom didn't look like she was faring any better.
Shinra seeing this, held out his hand out towards them and muttered 'Benedictio praesidii', casting a protective barrier around, but it made Shinra shiver in disgust while saying. "Ughh, I hate using magic since the foreign energy of mana feels gross in my body."
AFO clapped upon seeing this while saying. "Good, very good. It would be very entertaining to fight you again now that I know you can use magic. It must be a new trick you picked up in recent years, but my goal today is to kill you, so unfortunately, I can't fight you properly." AFO said in fake sadness.
Shinra felt sick hearing that, it was the easy going way that he said it, he was confident, but not overly so, plus, that weird mist portal was still open, so he didn't know what AFO had planned but before he could ponder more about it....
*Shing* A blade shot past Shinra at lightning speed, but he was faster and managed to dodge the blade in time. Shinra quickly scanned the surroundings behind to determine where the blade came from and to see if there were more.
*BAM!* Something with the equivalent of 10 ton bomb punched Shinra in the face and sending him tumbling hard across the ground. ""DAD/SHINRA!!!""" Both Inko and Izuku screamed in horror at seeing Shinra get so easily taken down with a punch.
"Where are you looking, hero? Has age finally started catching up to you now?" AFO said mockingly to the struggling to stand Shinra.
As Shinra was getting up, he wanted to say something, but the words never got the chance to leave his mouth.
*Blugghhhh* Blood spewed out of his mouth while a strange sword was sticking out of his chest as he fell to one knee.
"How do you like my gift? I went through great lengths to find those swords and merge them with the {Artemis Blade} that's a top-tier ranked weapon, and that's not all, I also prepared this!"
AFO said as a group of strange men in robes walked out the portal along with a fallen angel and immediately began chanting, and after a few seconds, they screamed {*""Daemonium Bomb!!""*} Suddenly a huge ball of what seemed to be golden and dark light appeared and was heading towards Shinra.
Time seemed to slow down for Izuku as he felt that whatever was heading their way was extremely dangerous or well, for him and his dad.... Yet, why did he want to do something? He was safe in the barrier his dad created, but his dad wasn't in the barrier. Logically, he should stay put, but... But... BUT! 'Let go~' 'You must protect~'
He didn't know where those whispers came from, but it made something in him snap.... *BOOM!* Green flames erupted from out his feet as he went flying straight towards his father whilst also break the protective barrier he casted.*CRACK!* *SWOOSH* Izuku soared through the air and did a mid air flip over his father so that his feet were pointed towards the spell while letting out a torrent of green blackish flames that started burning the spell.
But alas, the spell moved too quickly for Izuku's flames to burn them completely, and eventually, the spell broke through and hit Izuku square in the chest. "AHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG!! IT HURTS! IT HURTSSSSS!!" *6* Izuku screamed as he was flung through the air and crashed against a tree, barely conscious. The fallen angel that came along with the strange men prepared to move towards the child to finish him off.... But AFO stopped the fallen and his men and said. "Mmmm, interesting, I was told the child had no form of power or special lineage... It seems even the good doctor can make mistakes sometimes..." AFO then turned to the men and the fallen. "That child is young and yet already powerful enough to somewhat weaken and stop a variation of the concept of destruction that aims to destroy demons and survived a head on blast from it."
AFO then gave the child a wicked smile and said. "It'll be fun to torture and brainwash that child into becoming my hunting dog like I did with Gigantomachia... Take him to the good doctor once all this is finished." He told the people in robes as well as the fallen. "Kurogiri, warp his mother away to somewhere no one can find her, she might... Be able to be of use in the future."
*"As you wish master."* The misty portal spoke as it took a humanoid form and warped Inko away. "MOMMMMM!!" Izuku cried in despair, but then... he heard it, a sweet yet twisted voice. 'Let go~' Let's become one~' And so, he did.
Izuku's skin suddenly started to turn green while strange markings started to appear all over his body, as well as horns and a huge smile started to appear on his face, it almost seemed devilish, Izuku then screamed in pure rage. "AFO!! I'LL DESTROY YO-"
Izuku was cut off by a golden red and whitish chain wrapping around him, returning him to normal and leaving him motionless. *Clap* ... *Clap*... *Clap*... AFO slowly clapped while making his way towards Izuku. "Mmmm, it seems my theory was correct Shinra, you really were a god, and it seems your son is similar to one, his not a god, but also not a demi-god and isn't just part god, mmmmm strange."
Shinra, who had been silent all this time because of how weak the {Artemis Blade} and the other sword that were merged with it made him, and because of the blood in his mouth, could only muster one word. "H-how?" AFO gained a huge smile and said. "I'm glad you asked. See these chains on your son? Their the god sealing heavenly chains {Enkidu}, but that's not all. You see, I managed to get my hand on 2 scales from both the {Heavenly Dragons} Ddraig and Albion, and combined them with the chains, so the chain's sealing abilities are not only boosted, but also more potent. And I only brought it in case one of your god friends became aware of the situation and tried to save you, but it seems that was not needed, but instead, it proved my theory right. But.." AFO slowly made his way towards Shinra and put a hand on the mans head and continued. "You won't be able to tell anyone about this since you'll be dead... Goodbye Shinra Kusakabe.... <[iustum Occisio]>"
Before the spell took effect, shinra managed to say one more word. "I-izu" was all he managed to say before the spell took charge and killed him, leaving him nothing more then a headless corpse. "Kurogiri, open up a portal." Kurogiri did just that as AFO began making his way towards the portal, but then, Izuku caught his eye. "Mmmm, child, why are you smiling?.... Ughhh, how disgusting, your father is dead and your mother is gone, how interesting, you're just like your father, a devil in human skin, but a useless one." AFO commented while walking away, Izuku just lay there crying even tho no sound came out with disgusting huge grin on his face showing off his teeth.
The fallen walked over to the child and picked him up to send him to the good doctor. And so, it was a joyous moment for AFO, but for izuku, it was nothing but despair and hopelessness. And now, he's finally lost... hope.
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To be continued…
Outro: The Devil's Smile - 「Footsteps of Fire」 Ending Theme. 1 by [Gathonesh]
Link: https://youtu.be/o_-867dY6RA?si=eUTY5B0uIS7eie48