(BGM: The Abyss Watchers OST – Second Phase)

Izuku bit his lips, switching his armor to his Elite Knight set. Izuku grabbed the Black Knight Shield for fire damage reduction, and a practical Longsword. Getting ready for the oncoming fight, he ate a Green Blossom and applied a Thunder Resin to his sword.

The Abyss Watcher dashed, giving Izuku no more time for preparation. Izuku swiftly dodged and strike while the Abyss Watcher's back was turned. The sword lodged deeply in the body, but Izuku was surprised by the flame that followed while the Abyss Watcher paid no heed, and swept their Greatsword behind them.

Quickly, Izuku held up his guard and blocked the incoming strike, but it pushed him away a few feet back. Taking this as an opening, the Abyss Watcher did an overhead strike, which Izuku blocked as well.

But he held his guard down too early to block the flame that followed.

Izuku was scorched and was staggered, and the Abyss Watcher slashed him with their dagger, wounding Izuku's forearm. They also followed up with heavy swing, gashing Izuku's chest, searing it with flames. If that wasn't enough, the delayed flame arc scorched him once again.

Izuku retreated and took our an Estus Flask. He gulped once then charged again, this time, ready for the delayed flame arc. The Abyss Watcher jumped over Izuku's attack with perfect timing, leaving Izuku vulnerable, and slashed again with the Greatsword.

Izuku quickly brought up his shield, but the hastily placed defense crumbled down from the sheer power of the swing, causing Izuku's knees to buckle under the pressure. That was enough for the Abyss Watcher to follow up with a devastating attack.

In one fell swoop, the Abyss Watcher did a slash to further buckle Izuku's defense, followed up by a flame arc, scorching Izuku under the armor, and another slash, breaking Izuku's guard, followed up by another flame arc, then the Abyss Watcher lodged the dagger inside Izuku's shoulder, causing him to grunt, and finally, they stabbed through Izuku's armor, the blade protruding from his back.

Izuku held in a pained scream and gripped the Longsword with all his might and thrusted it towards the defenseless body of the Abyss Watcher. The strike aimed true, piercing the chest of the Abyss Watcher.

Both of them stared at each other in the eyes, emerald colored eyes met ominous, glowing red. Both of them were at a standstill, knowing that one wrong move, then the other dies.

'Crap crap crap! I may be strong, but against someone equal, my main power is learning!' Izuku cursed in his mind at the predicament he was in. He may be a fighting God, but his main tool in fights was the ability to do it over and over until he got it right.

That was how he fought in Lordran, predicting the moves of the enemies and punishing them. But here he was, a new opponent to fight, and no redo's… One mistake and either his opponent or his classmates die.

Both of them were at a deadlock, swords piercing each other, until a shout alerted Izuku.

"DEKU!" Ochako came running in, hands at the ready to grab Izuku and run. Izuku however, saw a chance.

'If she could nullify the gravity of the Abyss Watcher… then!' sadly, as much expectation Izuku held, it all came crashing down when Ochako grabbed him instead and pulled him off.

"NO! OCHAKO!" Izuku screamed, but it was too late, the sword lodged deeply inside of Izuku was pulled out, and the Abyss Watcher was able to move again, which they did immediately.

By attacking the panicking girl right beside a terrified Izuku.

He did all he could to raise his shield and block, but without gravity to help him fight against the pressure, Izuku was flung away a few meters, and watched horribly as Ochako got impaled in the chest by the Abyss Watcher.

Ochako had a fear and tear-stricken face, while getting paler and paler by the second. Blood pooling down beneath their feet as Ochako lost the life in her eyes.

She collapsed, her eyes wide with terror.

All the while Izuku watched, helpless because of the nullified gravity.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku screamed, the frustration, the guilt, the helplessness… It was Lordran all over again. One day he could see one of his friends chatting with him, the next day, he could see them dead in a ditch somewhere.

Here however, he had the power to protect everybody. He had miracles, the strength, the pyromancy… He even had techniques. If he just went all out, he should've…

Why did he think he still would be accepted in this society? He did everything he could, he just wanted a normal life. But he should've realized that the moment he was sent to Lordran, a normal life would forever be out of his grasp.

He didn't want to worry his mother… He didn't want his secret exposed… He didn't want to be branded as a freak of nature…

He just wanted to be a human accepted by others, and protect those he cared about…

"No more…" Izuku gritted his teeth, flame burning within him. "Forget acceptance, forget secrecy…"

Izuku grabbed a talisman from his inventory, as well as a sorcerer's catalyst. And with that, he held them in both hands.

"I accept my fate as a Lord of Cinder," Izuku brought up his catalyst high and blue 5 blue orbs hovered above him. "And my duty, is to sacrifice myself for the sake of others."

"No matter if I burn out."

Izuku made a Crystal Soul Spear and hurled it towards the Abyss Watcher. The Abyss Watcher tried dodging, but the spear was just too fast to dodge. After that, the orbs followed, each of the orb striking vital areas on the body.

If that wasn't enough, from the talisman, Izuku gathered his faith and conjured a Lightning Spear, once used by Solaire, and hurled it towards the staggering Abyss Watcher. The bolt landed true and the Abyss Watcher was brought to their knees.

Once the Abyss Watcher did so, Izuku quickly swapped out to the Washing Pole and dashed, two-handing the long blade and slashing the Abyss Watcher. Blood was spilled and Izuku didn't let up on his attack, slashing twice, thrice, and on the fourth swing, Izuku used pyromancy once again and hurled a Great Chaos Fireball towards the face of the Abyss Watcher.

It exploded, leaving a lava pool behind, and the Abyss watcher was soaked in it. If it weren't for the powers of the Lord of Cinder, the Abyss Watcher would've already given up after the Lightning Spear, but here they were, still standing.

Izuku changed his shield to the Black Iron Greatshield, and his armor set to the Black Iron set. Izuku blocked every attack, grunting after every strike. After a certain strike, Izuku swapped his Washing Pole to a Zweihander. With a yell, Izuku brought all his strength into that one attack, slashing off one hand of the Abyss Watcher.

Without letting up, Izuku brought his body back, and with a final grunt, thrusted the Zweihander into the head of the Abyss Watcher. The Abyss Watcher let out a final gurgle before they collapsed to the floor. Izuku felt the souls entering him, and he saw the memories of all of the Abyss Watchers.

(BGM End)

Fighting against hordes of Abyss creatures, returning back to their barracks, tired, exhausted, and some of them missing. Training to be in top shape, learning about another Kingdom stricken with the Abyss. Journeying there and burying the Kingdom to prevent the spread of the Abyss, and returning back to the barracks, a lot of them missing again.

All the while nobody gave them praise. They just did it to prevent the spread of the Abyss, following Knight Artorias footsteps…

They also gave themselves up, all of them burning in the Kiln to prevent the fire from fading. To make sure that humanity can prosper once again without the fear of the Abyss.

"You… Are true heroes…" Izuku muttered underneath his breath as he bowed towards the corpses of the Abyss Watchers.

Izuku then moved towards the corpse of his classmate while drinking an Estus Flask. He had one final method to bring her back alive, but it was also something he didn't want to do.

"Fear not! For I am here!" a loud booming voice echoed across the dome, a scowl on his face before it turned into horror. "What the…"

All Might quickly grabbed a phone and called the principal. "NEZU! CALL AMBULANCES NOW!"

Izuku just ignored All Might from the top of the stairs.

"… Alright, you better not regret this, Izuku…" Izuku said to himself as he grabbed a part of Manus' soul and placed it on Ochako. A few seconds later, a circle began forming on Ochako's exposed back, and it was very familiar to Izuku's eyes.

The Darksign.

Moments later, Ochako's eyes fluttered, but for some reason, she didn't look hollow, but she is an Undead. A voice entered his mind, and he muttered out loud.

"Ashen one…?"