Chapter 2

"Wow."

Izuku's awe-struck words echoed across the large chamber, the sound bounced against the walls of the room. The entire design reminded the young teen of the final boss room in a fantasy game, old and worn throne room with massive statues aligned against the walls, and a single empty throne in the middle of it all. Mosses and other floral life have grown and covered the statues and other parts of this chamber but only the throne remained intact, undamaged by the surrounding elements.

"This is one fine statue." Saikos' comment drew Izukus' attention toward a statue. A towering statue modeled after an angel, standing several feet away from a throne. Six wings were folded against its back and had a hood drawn, preventing people from seeing its face and a tablet was held in its hand.

"What do you think about this place Intelli-san?" Izuku asked, absently tapping on

"From a personal standpoint, this is a place of wonders but from an objective one, it's rather perplexing." She spoke, tapping on the statue. It wasn't hollow given the sound. Saiko did not know a thing about craftmanship but can easily tell they were well-made but it confuses her.

Any scholar worth their salt can tell all of them were based on human armor, belonging to the sects of medieval warriors in western countries. Human armor. Item bearing likeness to human creation were often found in Dungeons on monsters' bodies and after many years, had been unanimously considered as uncommon findings by the modern-day researchers as several species of Magic Beast such as Orcs and several selective bipedal species have weapons and armors not too dissimilar to human.

"Why is that?" Izuku asked. The woman pondered on the answer, thinking about a proper reply but decided against it.

"It's just something that concerns my thesis. Nothing that concerns you, Izuku-kun."

"Oh-okay then, Intelli-san," He replied, not wishing to pry.

Looking around, he walked towards the throne. He didn't know why but something about it drew his attention. It was unexplainable like an invisible force is egging him to focus on the throne. Truthfully, it looked quite simple; lacking an ornate design. It have no fancy jewels nor made out of gold . If anything, the only noteworthy part was how it looked like it had been carved out of marble stone.

'Hmm, maybe just once.' He thought giddily, wanting to take a seat. When he did, the seat felt wonderful. It felt cool to the touch. A sigh of content escaped Izuku as the young man immersed himself in its coolness. It might not be soft but it is comfortable. Almost like it was made for him.

Much to his confusion, a large magic circle appeared beneath everyone. All of them looked down in bafflement as it began to glow a bright blue. The very air began to hum with power as the glow intensity grew. A nauseating feeling grew within Izuku at the sight. Soon enough, the glow grew too bright and Izuku shielded his eyes and waited until it died down.

'H-hello? Kacchan? Intelli-san? Anyone?" Silence greeted him. When he pulled down his hand, he found an empty room. No one left except all by himself.

"T-this has to be a joke right?" He laughed nervously. Only his laughter echoed across the empty room. Maybe they'll come back if he got out of this seat. Quickly, Izuku tried to get up as this entire issue started due to the seat. However, he was surprised to find out he was unable to move.

'I can't get up?!' He thought in shock, trying as hard he can. Pull and yank he did with all his might and yet his own body refused to budge. He immediately attempted to remove his pants-ridiculous as it sounds-but he grew horrified when his hand wouldn't even obey him. The only reason would be this chair's doing.

Anger boiled within, frustration growing as well at the thought of a mere chair restricting him.

"Damn you!" He hit the chair.

(Linebreak)

Saiko Intelli blinked, clenching and unclenching her hand as if to ascertain what she had experienced were real. The feelings in her hands are present. After that, her cheeks as a second test, pinching it and surprised to find it hurts. Yes, what she had experienced was real moments prior was very real.

'Instant Teleportation. A powerful and rare type of magic had been cast on a large group of people. Possible cause is a Mage: A Magic Beast Spellcaster, highly likely to be a high A-ranked at least and low S-rank,' Saiko assumed, almost frothing in the mouth at the thought. If her assumptions are true, then it would spell certain doom for everyone involved. None of them are suited to deal with such a strong monster. Their only solution is to escape and even then, she was certain only Katsuki Bakugou has legitimate chance of escape.

A quick pinch and she winced, retracting the offending arm while rubbing the bruised area. No, she can't just jump to the worst possible outcome.

"Take note of your surrounding." She reminds herself, remembering her teacher's words. Doing just that, the woman was flabbergasted to find it practically the same as the previous room they were in. The only odd thing that stood out was that everything is placed in reverse. Everything in this room; the statues, the throne, and even the Magic Crystals hanging above the ceilings were suffering from lateral inversion.

'I see Izuku must be back where we were earlier. Peculiar.' Even fighting the urge to panic, Saiko notes that her friend was missing and no doubt back where they started. There's only one plausible and logical conclusion.

But still, she felt something is amiss.

'I need a drink.' She weakly thought, whipping out a flask and taking a quick sip. Distinct lemony citrus and a smidge of grapefruit blossomed in her taste buds, giving the young intellectual comfort. Temporary comfort but it serves its purpose. Saiko felt bliss when her Quirk kicked in due to the tea, feeling the metaphorical locks on her mind lifted.

Hopping on the boost provided, her mind quickly strung the information gathered and formed multiple plausible theories. A teleportation spell; most likely a trap, triggered by the throne Izuku sat on. All of them bar Izuku was teleported into another place. The cryptic words left by the massive gate they encountered earlier served as the heart of every theory.

'Only he holds the key to victory,' Repeated the words. As Izuku is the only one who isn't here, it goes without saying how Izuku is the only one who can help them. Perhaps the seat he used will give him the next clue or they can help him find it in here. The possibilities are endless, something she deeply despised.

Saiko knew Izuku well enough to deduce he was smart; smarter than most of his peers even. Assuming he can be level-headed enough to bury the guilt of presumably killing his own teammates and friends.

"Where are we?!!" A familiar voice yelled out, breaking her train of thought. Saiko sighed, fixing the monocle. How annoying.

"Beats me," Jan Ken shrugged. Katsuki grunted. Seeing how he's acting only makes Saiko wonder what does Izuku sees in him. So far, he has only acted rude and disrespectful to everyone. However, she can't afford to choose who to cooperate with the current situation.

Even the black sheep are needed and Katsukis' strength is her current greatest asset.

"Katsuki Bakugou, can you please keep your voice down." She asked tersely. The young man glared at her and attempted to say something only for Jan Ken to raise a hand.

"Now, now, Bakugou-san, let's keep a cool head shall we?" Ken asked, smiling forcefully as he stepped between the two of them. "She's just a little stressed since she can't attend her lectures. To her, becoming a Pro Hero has only and will remain as a side job after all."

<Damn you!> A familiar boyish voice echoed in their head. The young woman's eyes widen, realizing who was the speaker. Everyone else reacted appropriately, taken surprise by what they heard, and looked around as if it would help them find the source.

Katsuki eyes widened in shock before a scowl replaced it, explosions cracking up as he settled into a crouched forward stance. Eyes scanning the immediate surrounding.

"Who's there? Show yourself, you fucks!"

"Izuku-kun, is that you?" Saiko asked.

< Oh, thank goodness, I thought I was going crazy when I heard voices. Are you guys alright? Is anyone hurt?>

"You dumb turd, you caused this, didn't you? Fix it now!" Katsuki roared in anger. Izuku sputtered as he attempted to form coherent sentences.

"Excuse me, but I would like confirmation whether you are truly my friend. Tell me when and how did we meet?" Saiko's question garnered looks of confusion.

"What's the point in that?" One of their teammates, a woman, asked. Saiko only stared at her numbly.

"Because there have been records of Magic Beast able to mimic the voices of their targets in an attempt to lure their prey out. Though your ignorance is not unreasonable given the biased Hero Public Safety Commission's way of treating the low-ranked Heroes. For your information, some monsters like the Alkonost and Cyclops uses tactics to lure their prey; mimicking the voices of familiar people to lure them into becoming careless." She stated, turning towards Katsuki, arching a knowing look at him.

"I'm certain our resident member of the Pillar of Hope's Agency knew it better than anyone else."

"Hmph, Monocle isn't wrong. Caution is important when working in a Dungeon. You never know what kind of monsters are inside." Katsuki muttered, glaring at the monocle-wearing girl all the same. "I'm sure everyone here must've heard of the Kyushu Incident. It was a complete and utter clusterfuck caused by freaking morons with their heads over the cloud."

Many knew about it. The first failed Gate expedition the Japanese Heroes suffered roughly two years ago. Something that had severely damaged their country's heroes reputation as it was one of All Might's sidekick who had caused it. The threat was subdued through the combined forces of Japans' S-ranked Heroes and both China and India's Pillars.

"Yes. Anyway, please provide the answer to the question?" Saiko continue, trying to divert the attention.

<If I recall right. It was three weeks ago; in the C-rank Gate in Musutafu. I was hi-hired by you to be a porter and you even openly called me a deadweight since you even believed I-I can't provide much h-help.>

"...Yes. You are...correct." Saiko muttered tersely. Right, the two of them didn't get on the right foot with each other.

<Y-yeah,> His voice echoed in her mind. Telepathy, Saiko surmised as it was the only conclusion. < Anyway, I think I-I may have sent everyone away to someplace. I don't know where nor when if it's even possible. Can you tell me what do you guys see?>

"Okay?! You're asking whether we're doing alright?! We're not in Kansas thanks to you!"

"Katsuki Bakugou, have the repetitive usage of your Quirk damaged your brain?" Saiko asked, a scathing glare directed at him. "We are not even on Earth on technicality as various scholars such as Kyudai Garaki, Reinhard Schneider, and even Christopher Reid himself had proposed their theories on the origin of Gates and Dungeons and proven correct. If you philistine ever-"

The young woman stopped when everyone had stared at her in a mix of shock and bafflement. Katsuki Bakugou only looked at her, eyes widened in disbelief. At first, she assume it was due to the insult but the young girl was smart enough to deduce it is for an entirely different reason.

"Wow, I'd taken you for a smart girl but I think you're just plain fucking ignorant. Have you never heard of a fucking joke?" Katsuki ask.

"How can you joke in a situation like this?" She snapped, ignoring the heat forming in her ears.

"Oh jeez, my bad for trying to lighten the mood. Maybe if the stupid Deku hadn't sat on that chair, we wouldn't be here. Listening to me cracking up bad jokes."

<Okay, it's my fault. I'm sorry for causing all this mess.> Izuku spoke. <I'm just glad you true Heroes are alive. Please forgive this pathetic useless, weak Normie.>

"Damn right, you should you freaking Deku," Katsuki snapped. Saiko frowned at him. Why does he act so condescending towards him? He was somewhat cordial to her and dismissive towards others and yet why Izuku is so hated?

"For starters, how about you use that teleporting spell? Beats telling you how our place looks like if we can just get out of here." Ken asked. Others voiced their agreement with their leaders' sentiment. Saiko herself wished to get out of this place.

<I don't know how to trigger it. I can't even get out of this chair!> Izuku moaned. <Tell me what you guys see. Maybe there might be a clue or something like that.>

"Why should we do what you say?" One man barked.

"Because he's our only chance. Remember the massive silver gate we've encountered earlier? The instructions it gave us." Several shared looks with their friends and Saiko continued undeterred. "Whether you like it or not, we're not in a position to argue otherwise. Either you think with your pride or think with some semblance of an immaterial substance called logical thinking?"

"Alright, thank you Intelli-san, I think you've made your point. Fine, kid, the place is just a reverse version of the earlier room. That's it." Ken spoke. "Wait, I wanna know something, how are you hearing us?"

<I don't know. Your voices just kicked on shortly after you guys disappeared. It was rather overwhelming at first since there were so many speaking at the same time. If I just focused on one person, I can drown out the others.>

"Okay. Alright then, listen up." He barked, turning to everyone else. "Everyone, check every nook and cranny of this room. If it can get everyone out of here, then let's do it. We came this far and like or not, y'all agreed to this."

"But we thought it'll be easy." One whined.

"Shut yer bellyaching and get to work. Heroes don't bitch and moan about their bad decision-making. It's our fault for getting greedy and complacent." Ken snapped.

Several mumbled and grumbled but none of them provided anything beyond that.

Much like everyone else, Saiko went to work but decided to take a gander at the angelic statue. The young woman didn't know why but something about it felt off and it's not the craftmanship. Perhaps she is not looking at it the right way. Looking it all over, she was surprised to find words begun to appear on the slab held in hand.

Runes. Every last one of them were written in that language.

"A king see through the eyes of the people for he is everywhere."

"How helpful," Saiko commented.

(Linebreak)

"Oh, my," Izuku murmured, flustered at what he was looking.

<What is it?> Saiko asked. Oh great, what does he say now? He can't exactly tell how he's seeing through her eyes and getting an eyeful of her ample bosom up close. He didn't expect the Runes Saiko read would do this. A quick inhale turned to cough fits as he tried to calm down.

<Is something amiss, Izuku-kun?>

"No...no problems whatsoever." He weakly amended. "Just taken aback by the fact I'm seeing through your eyes. Those Runes you read must've done this."

<I see.> She muttered. <For your information, you don't need to act embarrassed when you see my breast. It's a perfectly normal reaction given your orientation. Especially considering how attractive I am.>

Izuku sputtered in indignant while attempting to give a proper explanation. Only to be cut down by the lavender-haired girl's sigh.

< Simply because I am lacking in social skills, it doesn't mean I am blind to how the people see me.> She answered, exasperated at Izuku's action. <Although I don't mind your gazes on my person.>

"W-w-wh-"

<Hahaha, I was only joking.> Saiko's quip made Izuku felt relieved. <Relax, it was only light teasing. Friends joke with their friends, no?>

"...Yeah, that's....true," he trailed off, surprised by what she had said. Of course, what she said was meant to be a simple joke. Silly him, why does he have to take it at face value. Now, he felt embarrassed. His thoughts were interrupted when something on the screen drew his attention.

"Intelli-san, do you see that?"

<I'm afraid I have no idea what are you talking about. Is there anything of interest to you?> Her words surprised him. If what she said is true, perhaps he is the only one who can see it! Much like the video games he played, they might be able to help his teammates get out! Clues meant to be utilized to help others escape.

"Exactly that. The tablet in front of us-I mean-you is glowing. Maybe you can pull it out? No wait, look around you. Maybe other objects does the same. Please tell the others please."

<A possibility but did you not think there is a high probability that what you suggest may have a horrible catastrophe? It could trigger a trap of some kind. Call me a pessimist but I just feel...uncertain about this. We do not have the necessary information for our conjecture to become facts.>

Izuku hummed in thought at what she said, leaning back in his seat. The comfort it provided did little to mitigate the headache he's having. How could he have not considered that?! Someone could have hurt or worse, died due to his carelessness. No, that's not how a hero should act nor be.

"You're right. I'll tell the others just in case." Briefly, Izuku wondered how does he try to communicate to the others. Getting caught up in the moment had the young man wondered how to do it. How does he establish a link to the others manually? What occurred earlier had only been a fluke. Can he just do that by repeating what he did with Saiko only in reverse?

'I'll tell Ken-san,' Izuku decided. Ken-san might not be as powerful as Kacchan nor Intelli-san but he's the oldest and most experienced member of their party. The mere fact everyone chose to follow Ken-san instead of Kacchan or Intelli-san is proof of the faith people have in him.

"Um, Ken-san, can you hear me?"

<Goodness kid, you almost gave this old man a heart attack,> Izuku laughed along with the man's jokes. Izuku knew him well enough that the old man wouldn't die from a heart attack. The fact that he can still work in this line of occupation in his golden years is a sign of how healthy he is.

<What is it though? Did you find something?>

"Well, I think so. The tablet on the stone angel is glowing. They might help you guys escape. But please tell others first."

<I see.> Ken nodded. <Why tell me and not just announce to everyone?>

"Well, they're not going to listen to someone like me. For being you know what." Izuku trailed off, letting the implication sink in.

<Oh right, I forgot about that,> He waved. <So, which ones are the ones that can help us?>

Izuku told him about the items and Ken relayed to them in the form of orders. Through Ken-san's eyes, he saw the tablet getting picked up by the old man. It looked rather big and yet Ken held up the tablet without showing any signs of straining.

<Alright, dumbass, what do we do with this?> Kacchan drawled in annoyance. Several others voiced similar questions. Well, now Izuku has officially zero clue on what to do next. He had expected something, anything to occur in all honesty. What he didn't expect was everyone asking him about the next course of action.

"Um, I guess we wait for it to give us a clue?"

Much to Izuku's joy, multiple sentences in Runes began to write themselves. Izuku and everyone else watched with curiosity as the stony surface was carved by an invisible chisel. By the time it was done, several sentences were on it.

"Bearers of light imprisoned in a prison with no exit in sight."

"Only those who follow the dark may escape its grasp."

"What is this fantasy crap supposed to mean? The first one was from that silver gate and now this? It doesn't even make any sense! Is this supposed to mean metaphor!" Kacchan roared in frustration. Others had a more subdued but similar reaction to the A-rank, voicing their frustration. Izuku felt bad as he had assumed it could've helped them escape. Now he felt stupid.

<Hey you guys see that?> At one of the teammate's words, everyone turned and Izuku saw what had caught their attention. Black liquid dark as the night were pouring freely out of holes in the walls. Izuku vividly recalled how those weren't there earlier. The greenette's blood ran cold as a grim possibility enters his mind. No, he won't let that happen.

"Did anyone find any openings? A hidden door or a panel? Anything at all?" Saiko asked, her tone carrying a faint trace of panic.

<Nothing. We looked but didn't find anything like what you asked.> One man stated.

<Oh god, we're gonna die aren't we?> Another cried out.

"Check that slab for any clues and check the walls. Maybe I can find something for you." Izuku yelled out. Oh goodness, please just listen to what he says.

<You heard the boy, move! Katsuki, I want you to fly around and check for anything. Daigo, take the slab and check it for any clue. Inform the kid if there is. Everyone else, try to find more items for Izuku to use.> Much to Izuku's relief, everyone began to do what they were told.

Focusing on Kacchan, he saw through the man's eyes and everything around it is a blur as a result of his friend's explosion. Occasionally, Izuku would swap perspectives to see if there were any other items but no one found anything. Only the tablet glowed blue.

<You found anything yet?> Ken asked,

"No," Izuku spoke. Something caught his eyes, a weak blue glow. "Wait, go back to the statue with the scale. I think I saw something."

(Linebreak)

At his words, Katsuki stopped in mid-air and fell to the ground. Both legs stuck out and he slid across the floor, hands digging into the muck to increase friction. All he could feel was the slimy black filth instead of the cold ground. By the time he stopped, the A-ranker grunted in annoyance at the muck that had reached up to his knees length.

Upon contact, it felt like these things are biting into him. A quick lookover but he found it has no teeth nor does it looked alive. But he could feel something inside him leaving. Perhaps, no it can't be now can it?

Taking a deep breath, he tried to control the mana within and forced them to go into his legs. The mana is there but it felt different. Like they weren't there at all.

"Hey, Deku, I hope you know what you're doing. Tell the others this gunk can make people weak and steer clear off them." Katsuki spoke. He heard the green loser gasp in shock and hurried him up. The man grunted before squatting down and leaped upward. Both hands reached out and grabbed onto the statue's chest before he began climbing up. A few leaps were all he needed to close the distance although he settled clinging onto the neck area for convenience sake.

They'll need to act fast lest they all die.

"I'm here. What do you want me to do?" Katsuki asked. "Hurry it up, my hands are slipping because of this gunk."

<Reach for the panel above the statue and hit it.>

Katsuki looked above and saw the aforementioned panel which he wagered is at least several feet above him. Climbing up, he settled onto the statue's head and attempted to find the right posture. He only has a single chance and it must count.

"Katsuki, hurry it up!" Ken yelled, helping a fellow Hero climb up to safety. The explosion user grunted and glanced at his way and saw how the substance is rapidly rising. Some of them are struggling as they tried to keep their head from going under.

"Right. Damn gunk is covering my hands." Katsuki fired off his Quirk, boosting himself. Pressing against the head, he jumped up and flew towards the panel. Raising both hands in an X-shape, he collided with it and the wall broke down under the powerful blow. The hard rock-like surface crumbled, leaving dust and debris in his eyes much to the man's chagrin. Quickly shaking it away, the young Hero thrust his legs out and landed on the ground.

The room seems spacious enough and since there are no growling, it's best to assume there's no Magic Beast inside as well.

<What are you doing? Go back there and save everyone!>

He turned towards the hole and saw how the water surface level had risen. By now, some of them are holding on but he can tell from experience. He had worked with heroes during flash floods to tell how dire a situation has went.

It doesn't mean he'll give up on them though.

Wordlessly, he jumped back into the hole and swam as fast as he can. Katsuki Bakugou didn't care for Deku's words and only acted because he wanted to.