The Grimmlands of Menagerie (II)

[New Title!

Hero of Kikuo: Legends of your battle as a dragon warrior will be told for generations to come by the people of Kikuo. Those who recognize you can't help but be captivated by your courage and might. Charisma effectively increases by 10% when interacting with people that recognize you for your Title.]

'What has my life come to?' Izuku thought as he reflected on how abruptly his life could change at seemingly any moment. Where less than an hour prior he had felt terrible angst at the possibility of being forced into another death world or how his newest Curse might lead him to life-ruining situations, now he sat amongst a group of Huntsmen, where he was revered as a champion and a hero.

The group he had encountered had taken him back to their now-deserted settlement where, after inviting him into their barracks, ate with him after cooking him a meal and asked him questions about himself.

Naturally, Izuku couldn't say much given he'd rather they not think him insane for claiming to be a multiverse-traveling repo man for The Devil. But that didn't stop him from speaking freely about some of his experiences and, in the process, learn more about the Broken World of Remnant.

"...Man, I wish my Semblance was as cool as yours, though. I mean, I haven't even found mine yet, but… For yours to give you that much control over your Faunus traits is just soo awesome! If didn't know any better, right now I'd think you were just one of those lousy humans," Deli, at one point, said.

"Damn… She's right," Arnold added. He then smirked and said, "Just think of how easy it would be to blend in with the hateful bunch. Just think of what the White Fang could accomplish if… Wait, are you a part of the White Fang? Don't tell me you're one of their top-secret trump cards!"

The level of excitement Arnold and Delia displayed after hearing that concerned Izuku, but he pushed past his doubts to say, "Sorry but, I am from a pretty remote place. I've never heard about this White Fang."

"You haven't heard of the White Fang?! Well, that just won't do!" Delia said as she took a stand. "With you in their ranks, I'm sure that one day we'll be able to take back our rightful place in the world."

"Damn right," Arnold grinned.

"Hey," Michael, their leader, sternly said. "Unless you mean "as equal" for "our rightful place," then I don't want to hear it. It's bad enough that most humans either actively discriminate against us or passively accept that from others. We shouldn't be stooping to their level."

"Yeah… Tell me that after you come back from one of their territories," Delia rolled her eyes. "The moment you experience their hate firsthand, you'll understand that sometimes, you just have to strongarm your oppressors if you want to get their respect."

"We've tried doing things the peaceful way and look where it got us. A hundred years have passed since the Great War and we've been shipped off to a mostly uninhabitable island continent where our territory is lost to the Grimm every few decades. As for those who aren't lucky enough to be here, they've all either been inducted into legal slave camps that barely even pay enough to live or they've turned to fighting through crime, the military, or by becoming Huntsmen," Arnold said as he counted with his fingers.

"It's that bad?" Izuku grimaced.

Sure, he'd been Quirkless before and had read of the racism that had once proliferated before it died out in his world by the 21st century. But, he'd never heard of things being this bad for anyone in the modern era. Even if he'd remained Quirkless or totally powerless, he'd still be able to work his up through any career other than heroics and live comfortably.

"Hah," Delia chuckled as she said, "I'm convinced the only reason they didn't fight to the bitter end during the Great War was because the losses on both sides, the despair and grief born out of it would have resulted in the Grimm bringing about their second extinction right after they caused ours."

"Ok, enough with the depressing topic. Talk about something less heavy like…" Katherine, the third most boisterous of the group, turned to give Izuku a knowing smile as she asked, "How old are you and… Is the big bad dragon single?"

"I— Uh… I'm nineteen and, uh… No, I can't say I've ever been in a relationship," Izuku awkwardly stammered. Internally, he was both more embarrassed and more grateful than he thought was possible to feel at once.

Katherine's smile had turned sensual at his response, and by some miracle, his Hormonal Curse wasn't causing him to act out as terribly as he'd imagined if put in this exact kind of situation. Maybe he felt more embarrassed than he would have without it, but Hormonal was not causing him to have immoral desires or forcing him to pitch a tent in his pants.

"Really?! But you're… You're so strong! And… And hot!" Delia added as faint blush rosied her cheeks. "Just how remote of a place have you been living in, where there hasn't been one girl who's tried to shoot her shot with you?"

"H-h-hot?" Izuku had never wanted to dig a trench and be buried in it to hide his shame as he did right now. "Strong I can understand, but hot? You're probably just having your judgment impaired and confusing your appreciation for my strength with my looks. I know I'm nothing special…" And that was honest truth of how he saw himself.

"Bro," Arnold emphasized to get Izuku's attention. Once he had it he started shaking his head and said, "Please just… Don't. If you start saying you're nothing special in front of the girls, they'll start believing it, and then how will we be able to compete? I mean, I'm not gay, but if I was… You know?"

'I really don't,' Izuku thought.

"Yeah, you might want to prepare yourself for when we eventually take you to see the Chieftain of Kuo Kuana. As soon as you hit the streets of the capital, you're going to be fighting off most of the single girls who hear you're single," Michael said as he grinned at Izuku.

"As if I'd let them get the chance now that I know he's fair game," Katherine snickered.

And for the next half our or so, Izuku was teased mercilessly as the group continued their meal and engaged in small talk. They didn't have to do much to convince Izuku to go to their capital settlement of Kuo Kuana and meet with their leader and Chieftain of the entire continent. Izuku was certain that being connected to such an influential man would bring him one step closer to finding another fragment of the Gamer System.

…

[Observed Status

Name: Bullhead

Durability: 100/100

Description: A standard-issue VTOL jetplane that's been fashioned for military use. This vehicle can reach speeds of up to Mach 1.5 but has a recommended cruising speed of Mach 1. It uses Combustion Dust as a fuel source and requires about 100 grams of Standard Cut Fuel Grade Dust for every 100 kilometers traveled at the recommended cruising speed.]

"Come on, don't tell me you've never seen a Bullhead before. Even the villages that are spread out in the middle of nowhere need some way to trade for supplies," Katherine said as she took a seat on one of the chairs that lined the interior body of the Bullhead.

Michael gave Izuku one last look that seemed to say, "good luck," before he closed himself in the cockpit. The man did not think too highly of Izuku's chances of retaining his chastity now that it was only him and Katherine outside of view from everyone else. Arnold and Delia wouldn't be able to save Izuku since they had to watch over the Settlement of Kikuo until its citizens returned.

Izuku sighed as he said, "I can't say I have."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Katherine said as she playfully smirked, "Next you're going to tell me you have heard of Dust or Aura."

"..." Izuku just looked away.

"Really?" Katherine deadpanned. She remained quiet for a few seconds before her expression grew downcast as she said, "You know, you can tell me to stop talking if I'm bothering you… I know I can be a bit much at times."

"What? You're not a bother!" Izuku said as it pained him to think he'd made her think he was ignoring her. "I'm really not that experienced with what most would consider common in this world."

"You don't have to lie to me," Katherine said as she grew the slightest bit angry. "I don't know if you're trying to act ignorant or if you just want to hide some secret, but we all saw you use Dust to wipe out the army of Grimm. Obviously, you know what it is and how to use it to great effect."

"That wasn't Dust," Izuku said.

"Really? Ok then" Katherine snorted as she stood up and opened one of the doors of the plane. "Go on then, show me you managed to shoot such destructive bullets without Dust," she gestured condescendingly at the open door side of the Bullhead.

Izuku silently followed through with her request and let her see with crystal clarity as he aimed a finger out of the plane and let loose a barrage of dozens of Argent Bullets. When he turned back to look at her, he watched as she descended down a spiral of emotions.

First came the shock, "Wh— How?! Your Semblance is—"

Then came confusion, "Your Semblance… Wait…"

Lastly, came the dread, "I-if you really didn't know about Dust… We're you also serious about not knowing about Aura?"

"I have no reason to lie to you," Izuku said.

"B-but that would mean… Your transformation in and out of becoming a dragon… How could you possibly do that or shoot beams of bullets from your fingertips without Aura or a Semblance?"

"I've… Been through a lot to get all the strength I have. Anything else I could say, I doubt you or anyone else would believe, so let's just leave it at that," Izuku sighed.

"O-ok," Katherine said as she quietly went back to her seat. She remained quiet for a long time before she recovered her nerves and asked, "Well… If you're still up for it I could help you learn anything you might not understand yet."

"Thank you," Izuku said, and for the rest of the flight he asked Katherine direct questions about the world, its structure, and culture.

Izuku learned that the world was split off into five continents, of which Menagerie was the smallest. Three of the others, Solitas, Anima, and Sanus, were predominantly controlled by Humans who at best "tolerated" the Faunus. And the last continent was unnamed and uncharted territory that had not yet been recovered since the first extinction of humanity.

The three Human continents held four great Kingdoms, each of which was controlled by an independent government. Atlas controlled the whole of Solitas to the north, Mistral controlled the whole of Anima to the east, and Sanus was occupied by Vale at the center of the world and Vacuo in the west.

The four Kingdoms strived to defend Humanity and Faunuskind from the Grimm and they were the only places a person could conventionally go through to become a Huntsman. Many cities and settlements outside of the Kingdoms had schools to prepare Huntsmen, but all official Huntsmen had to graduate from an Academy of the Kingdoms.

Apparently, the way Katherine had described it, the situation was bleak as none of the Kingdoms nor Menagerie could summon the strength to fight back against the forces of Grimm and expand their territory. Instead, they strived to defend their territory and were content with the situation as it was. It seemed that even the existential threat of the Grimm was not enough for both Humans and Faunus to unite against a common enemy.

Then there was the matter of Dust which reminded Izuku of the Monster Cores that powered pretty much everything back in the Dungeon World. On Remnant, they had to be mined from the ground like minerals and came in all kinds of elemental and phenomenal types. Dust could do everything from heating or freezing things, to producing electricity, to even changing the local gravity.

The last thing Izuku learned about before the Bullhead touched down on Kuo Kuana was about the nature and history of Aura and Semblances. Aura was what allowed Humanity and Fanuskind to survive the Grimm and fight back. It was a power born from one's soul and a Semblance was a direct reflection of each individual's soul.

Normally, Huntsmen were trained from a young age to build up their spirit and mind before they'd spontaneously unlock access to their Aura. But, it was possible for someone with Aura to spark the Aura of someone who previously had awakened it. In rare cases, it was also possible for an unawakened to unlock their Aura during times of extreme duress or life-threatening danger.

"So you could just unlock my Aura if you wanted to?" Izuku asked as the concept of gaining power so easily evaded his weathered mind. 'If only that had been an option for me in my Original World,' he lamented.

"You… You'd let me?" Katherine asked coyly, in a way that conflicted immensely with the appearance Izuku had grown familiar with. "I mean, I've never done it before; unlock another person's Aura, that is. And, i-it… It is seen as one of the most intimate things you can experience with another person. To embrace another with your very soul…"

"I-I don't want you doing anything you're not comfortable doing on your own," Izuku stammered as the way Katherine had described it did sound like a very intimate thing to do. He wouldn't reject her if she accepted though, as he was still far from being strong enough to deal with some of the strongest entities lurking within this world; probably either near or in possession of some of the Fragments he was looking for.

"I-it's… Fine," Katherine slowly said before she gave him a heartfelt smile. "I wouldn't mind you being my first… Even if you weren't the dashing hero who saved me and my team from a Grimm Tide," she grew bashful as she approached him.

Now that provided enough stimulation for Izuku's Hormonal Curse to act up. He, fortunately, retained enough control of his body to not express anything more than a blush-ridden face, but internally… He was an absolute mess.

All of a sudden, Katherine now looked like more than just a friend he'd made over the last couple hours. Her feminine features became more prominent or, at least, he noticed them more. Her own flushed face and nervous, yet clearly excited, body language enticed him to no end. He noticed how much he liked her hair, her eyes, her nose, her lips, her chest, her ass, her—

'Stop,' His mind demanded.

Izuku was a man, a red-blooded young man who definitely wouldn't have resisted the urge to kiss her had she been in a relationship with him. Unfortunately, she wasn't, and he wasn't about to make a move on someone who was potentially blinded by the fact that he was a "dashing hero" to her.

He may have been Cursed, but in the end, he'd earned the power to resist through his 100+ Will Stat and all the Abilities that went into to it.

Still, he couldn't help but shudder as her hand caressed his face. She then looked into his eyes and closed hers. When he managed to find it in him to close his own eyes he soon heard her start a mantra.

"For it is through our souls that we unite as one. Through this, we achieve perfection and consummate our power for the world and its people. Restored, complete, and with balance, I release your soul, and by my heart, embrace thee."

[New Abilities!

Unbound Soul (Level 1): The Aura of another has galvanized yours from its previous dormancy. This Ability Grants you access to a new Energy System, Aura, +1 Intelligence and Charisma every Level, +2 Wisdom and Will every 3 Levels.

Modifiers

(Amaterasu's Blessing/Argent Core) Nascent Divine Demon: The energies of Argent Energy and Godblood that are present in your body have fundamentally changed your soul beyond that of a mere human. You can willingly transmogrify your Aura to passively possess the corruptive properties of Argent Energy, the destructive properties of Fire, or the protective properties of Hard Light. Aura can also be converted into Argent Energy at a rate of 10%:1%.

(Open Mind) Limited True Magic: The Soul nourishes the Mind. Connection to Magic through an Open Mind, however, synergizes both to be more than the sum of their parts. Magic can be converted into Aura at a rate of 1%:5%. Aura can now be expended while performing Magical Abilities to produce potent effects that are multiplicative of what they would otherwise be.

Aura Energy Manipulation (Level 1): Demarks your proficiency as it relates to the relative control of your soul's Aura. This Ability Grants you +1 Wisdom every Level, +1 Intelligence every 3 Levels, and +1 Charisma every 5 Levels.

ID Create (Level 1 | As a Core Gamer Ability, this Ability can not regress at all): A Special Ability that manifests as your Semblance. It is a reflection of your weathered spirit and represents your need to adapt and grow as strong as you can, as quickly as possible.

Costs: 10% Total Aura per minute to create and sustain a fixed illusionary copy of reality. The higher this Ability, the more you will be able to manipulate some aspects of reality within it.]

[New Perks!

Flawless Foundation: You have managed to develop a mind (Magic), body (Quirk Factor/Argent Energy), and spirit (Aura) connection. Through this, you have achieved the perfect foundation for attaining Immortality. All Abilities permanently cost 10% less.]

The next thing Izuku felt was Katherine's hand fall off his face as he heard her thud as she fell to one knee. She was panting deeply when he opened his eyes, but she was smiling brightly at him as an outline of a white glow shimmered around her.

"I… I knew this was bound to make me exhausted, but… I didn't expect you to be this big— You're Aura! For your Aura… to be so big," Katherine said as she turned away from Izuku. She looked so shy that Izuku wasn't able to tell whether or not she was still teasing him or feeling genuinely embarrassed.

"Right… His Aura," Michael said as the door to the cockpit closed behind him. He gave Izuku a knowing look as he said, "Anyway, we've touched down on Kuo Kuana. So, if you two—" He looked between Izuku and Katherine, "—are done being a couple of horny brats, we can go see the Chieftain now."

"R-right!" Izuku said as he stared at the most interesting piece of floor he'd ever seen.

He was caught in the middle of feeling the most embarrassed he'd ever been as well as the high emotional warmth he'd felt from having his soul unbound. It was a terrible amalgam of conflicting emotions that left him shellshocked even as he followed Michael and Katherine out of the Bullhead.

"Hahaha," Michael just laughed him off, while Katherine…

Katherine kept taking hardly concealed glances at him the whole way down to the Chieftain's manor.