Chapter Text
Life as the personal guard of King Toshinori and Queen Inko wasn’t a particularly exciting one. No one but the most foolish would attempt an attack. Sorahiko’s job required him to follow his Lord and Lady about, watching for anything out of the ordinary as he listened to stuffy men in pompous garments drone on and on about commerce, taxes, building relations, and other such nonsense. Humans loved hearing themselves talk. More often than not he found himself wishing his job had a bit more excitement.
Staring at the stains of blood and ashes scattered about the chambers before him, filled with sounds of gasping breaths and screams, he regretted ever having desired such a thing.
It had been a trap from the start, under the guise of meeting to discuss the terms of a truce. And they had fallen for it—he had fallen for it. He should have been more alert; should have seen this coming. Shouldn’t have grown comfortable enough to let his guard down.
The dust that coated him was proof enough of that.
“Toshinori.” He tugged at his king, prying a bolt of silver out of his shoulder once they were safely behind a corner, hiding them from view. Toshinori didn’t so much as flinch, staring at his hands with wide, unseeing eyes. Hands that, just moments ago, had been clutching his wife to his chest as he attempted to use his body as a shield to protect her. Now, only glowing shards lingered in his grip, like little pieces of starlight. Sorahiko shook his king roughly. “Toshinori, we can’t stay here. We have to move!”
The sound of a click and the scraping of wood and metal had Sorahiko moving in an instant. The human that had found them didn’t even have time to raise his crossbow before claws were tearing into his throat, ripping out his jugular with a spray of blood. In the next moment, Sorahiko was back at Toshinori’s side, who was using the wall as support now. There was a hole going through his stomach, blood sluggishly dripping from the gaping wound. Blackened veins crawled up the side of his neck and trailed down the length of his arm.
“Sorahiko,” Toshinori rasped, his voice hardly more than a hoarse whisper, “listen to me. Return to the castle. Warn the others of what happened. Tell…tell Izuku that I…that we loved him.”
“You can tell him yourself when we get back—” Sorahiko made to grab his king's wrist, but Toshinori grasped his instead. His middle twisted as he stared into his eyes, a bright, almost ethereal glow to them now.
“Go, now,” Toshinori ordered, causing a jolt to surge through Sorahiko at the command. His body went rigid as he fought against it. Toshinori continued on, “Protect Izuku. Make sure he grows up right.”
“Toshi—” Sorahiko tried one last time, but his king would not hear it.
“Go!” Toshinori commanded once more as he heard more footsteps in the distance.
This time he could not disobey, his body moving against his will and fleeing even though he desired to stay and fight to the bitter end. It’s what he should have done. He should have been the one to give his life for his king and queen, not the other way around!
As he ran he cursed the humans; cursed their wretched kingdom; cursed King Todoroki. But most of all, he cursed himself. He had never trusted that wretched human king, had always felt that his gaze contained poorly hidden hostility—even as he played at being hospitable. But after multiple meetings between the vampire and human royalties, Sorahiko had inadvertently let his guard down.
They had been discussing terms of peace between them for a long time now. While there hadn’t been war between the vampires and humans for many years, the two were on neutral ground with each other. King Todoroki had extended an invitation to make a formal truce between their kingdoms, one that would bolster trade and hopefully create friendly relations between their peoples. Today was supposed to wrap up negotiations and finalize their truce.
Toshinori had been so optimistic, so hopeful.
How quickly things could change. Sorahiko grit his teeth as he ran faster, his mind screaming at him to turn around and go back for his king, but his body was forced to obey his king’s last order as he passed back into vampire territory.
There would be an uprising when the news spread—he just knew it. The vampires would not stay quiet about what had been done to their king and queen. If King Todoroki had been looking to incite a war, he would get one. Revenge killings would start, vampire to human and human to vampire. And Izuku…
Izuku.
The sight of the royal castle looming ahead in the distance sent a sharp pain through Sorahiko’s chest. He didn’t want to be the one to have to break the news to the prince. How did someone even break news like this?
He didn’t have much time to plan his words as he passed through the main doors and into the foyer.
Izuku hummed as he read through the thick book that Mirai had selected for his lessons, flipping through the pages. He stifled a yawn, eyes scrolling down the text. It detailed the history of humans and their strange customs, from the complexity of their royalty keeping track of their lineage, to how nobles rose and fell in their standing in accordance with whom they married. Izuku was made to study who was who, to not forget anyone’s names and what said person did for the region they controlled, lest he insult someone.
Personally, he thought it was a little dull and stifling, but Mirai had insisted it was important. Knowing more about the humans and their customs would only aid their interaction with them. With his parents in the middle of negotiations with them and Izuku being expected to one day join them, it was crucial information.
Later Mirai would be teaching him how to properly greet humans in according to their status and how to address them correctly—
His ears perked when he heard the main doors of the castle open up with a loud bang. A wide smile grew on his face, little fangs poking out from behind his lips. They were back!
Immediately he stood up from his chair, the book all but forgotten as he hastily made his way down the halls and spiraling stairs. Izuku wondered what they had brought back this time. His mother always liked to pick out new books for him to read, mostly tomes or scrolls detailing the finer points of the magic humans preferred. Izuku would eagerly drink in their contents, hungry for the knowledge contained within them.
Meanwhile his father often brought back trinkets or even human treats for him to try. It was never filling, but the strange foods they made never failed to pique his interest. From little cookies and cakes to sweet, glazed breads and pies full of sugary fruits—
Izuku paused in his step when a strong scent drifted through the air. His eyes glowed as he caught the smell of blood, an ache forming in his fangs as he struggled to recall the last time he had eaten.
He clenched his teeth and ignored it, but the closer he grew to the foyer the stronger the smell became. And when he finally arrived at the last set of stairs leading down and looked over the railing, he did not see the entourage he had expected. Nor were his mother and father there to greet him. It was empty and still, save for the guards standing at their posts.
But the droplets of blood that were splattered against the marble flooring did not escape his notice.
Disappointment welled up in him when he realized his parents hadn’t returned after all. Then it shifted into curiosity. Had someone entered the castle injured and seeking help? The blood had been that of a human—could one have wandered in on their own?
Renewed excitement bubbled up inside him at the thought. He hadn’t seen many humans before, having never left the safety of their lands or even ventured far from the castle—for his own safety, or so Mirai liked to insist. Most of his days were spent within, learning and training, with only his tutors and servants around to keep him company.
It was rare that he would meet others around his age, vampires of noble houses, but they weren’t much fun to be around. Always keeping their distance because of his status as a prince and speaking to him with unfalteringly polite tones. They never acted like he was just another kid like them or played with him.
It made him feel lonely, at times, even with the others around. Especially when his parents left on long trips.
But a human…a human might not know who he was and then finally he could make his first real friend! Now to find them…
The trail led deeper within the confines of the castle, passing through the corridors and various rooms. Guards and servants would greet and bow to him as he passed, to which Izuku gave a short greeting in return before resuming his search. He wondered why they weren’t more curious as well. It wasn’t every day that a human entered their abode after all.
The scent of blood was growing stronger with each step, his anticipation growing. It led down a corridor, one that went to Mirai’s personal studies. A pang of worry shot through him—were they going to kill the human for trespassing?!
Izuku sped up his pace, picking up the faint voices just behind the door that grew in volume the closer he got.
“—can’t just let them…” said a voice he recognized. Gran’s, he concluded. He had come back then? Then why weren’t his—
“...I know. But how do we…” another spoke, this one belonging to Mirai. His voice was strangely tight.
“I don’t know! How do you tell a kid something like that?” Gran snapped irritably.
“We have to tell him,” Mirai said resolutely. “We can’t possibly keep the fact that Queen Inko and King Toshinori are…are dead from the prince.” Mirai’s voice cracked a little. There was a pause as he fought to recollect himself. “We’ll have to break it to him gently—”
Izuku stilled just as he went to reach for the handle, feeling like the breath had just been stolen from his lungs. He…had he heard that right? His parents…they were gone?
He stumbled back on numb legs, his mind swirling. That couldn’t be right. That wasn’t possible! His parents were the strongest people he knew, they wouldn’t just die!
Izuku bit at his trembling lip as he fought to keep tears at bay, fangs pricking at his skin. His efforts were in vain though as a small whimper left him. Mirai and Gran stopped talking, pausing to listen.
“Izuku—?” Gran murmured, and Izuku heard his footsteps nearing the door.
He turned and ran before it opened, ignoring the call of his name as he fled back upstairs to his room, not caring who he bumped into or knocked over in his rush. He threw open the door upon reaching it and slammed it shut once inside, locking it behind him, his whole body trembling as their words circled in his head.
Only then did he let the tears flow freely, unable to contain them anymore as a choking sob tore from his throat.
His parents…were they really dead? How? Why? His mom and dad were good people! They didn’t deserve to die!
It was a lie. It had to be a lie! Just another one of Gran’s pranks!
The sound of footsteps echoed from down the hallway. Izuku tightened the grip around his legs and gritted his teeth. Sure enough, Gran and Mirai were soon at the door.
“Izuku!” Gran called out as he pounded on the door. “Izuku, we need to talk to you. You weren’t supposed to overhear that—”
“Go away!” Izuku snapped angrily.
Mirai sighed wearily. “My Prince, please. If you would take a moment to let us explain…”
“No!” Izuku denied, burying his face in his knees. “I don’t want to talk to either of you! You’re both liars!”
There was a moment of silence from behind the door, before Izuku’s ears picked up Mirai’s hushed whisper to Gran, “When did we lie?”
“They’re not dead!” Izuku shouted in denial, answering him. “You’re LYING and it’s not funny!”
“We would never joke about something like this, Izuku,” Gran said in a grave tone. “I…” A sigh, and a small thunk sounded out, as if someone had dropped their forehead against the door. “This is not how I wanted you to find out,” Gran murmured.
Mirai’s voice came to Izuku very softly, “My Prince, please let us in.”
There was a long pause in which Izuku merely sat there, quietly crying. Then he slowly got to his feet, wiping at his face with the sleeve of his clothes with a little sniffle before turning to the door, unlocking and opening it. He was greeted with the sight of Gran, covered in dried, flaking blood, and his retainer Mirai, who looked almost as miserable as Izuku felt.
Even still, Mirai’s sharp eyes softened at the sight of him.
“I-Is it really true?” Izuku dared to ask, hoping with everything he had that it wasn’t. “Are they really gone?”
“Yes,” Mirai spoke softly, his voice barely audible even with his supernatural hearing. Izuku looked down, hands clenching at the front of his pants as his eyes welled up with more tears. For once, Mirai forwent the standards of his station, kneeling down to Izuku’s level and pulling the boy into a hug. “Oh, My Prince…I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
“W-Why?” Izuku asked through a hiccuping sob, pulling away from Mirai. “How…how did they…?”
“Let’s sit down and I’ll explain,” Gran said, to which Izuku nodded. He was led to his desk and made to sit in his chair. Gran inhaled deeply, blowing out a soft sigh. Then, reluctantly, he began to tell Izuku everything that had happened. Of the peace treaty, of how tenaciously his parents had been working towards a truce between their races.
Of how King Todoroki had betrayed them.
“But…but why?” Izuku asked after he had finished. “All Mama and Daddy wanted was peace!”
“I don’t know,” Mirai replied, his voice hard and cold. “But rest assured, Your Highness, that this will not go unpunished.”
“Mirai, this isn’t the time or place,” Gran said curtly. “We’ll summon a council of the nobility and discuss what our first move is then. Right now, we need to make sure that Izuku stays safe. Those were Toshinori’s last wishes.”
“Of course,” Mirai said, clearing his throat and collecting himself. “I’ll have the security around the castle updated at once. Guards will be stationed by Prince Izuku’s side at all times. Meanwhile, you and I will—”
Izuku stopped listening as Mirai droned on, dull eyes drifting to the floor as reality settled in.
His parents were gone. And nothing he could do would ever bring them back to him.
Izuku walked swiftly down the corridor, trying to outpace Mirai who was hot on his heels.
“It’s simply preposterous!” Mirai was ranting. “The war is still ongoing and you’re here thinking about things such as this? I just cannot condone—!”
Izuku tuned him out, having heard the same spiel almost every day since he’d brought up his idea. He understood where Mirai was coming from, as hostility between the vampires and humans was currently at its peak; the war leaving many of them with sleepless nights. But Izuku didn’t think Mirai understood where he was coming from.
Between being thrown into war councils, being expected to govern his people as king, and being expected to still keep up with his studies—all at the tender age of eleven—Izuku was tired. It had only been five years since the death of his parents, and in the tumultuous period that came after, he felt as if he had barely had the time to mourn.
And as those years passed and stresses rose, Izuku found himself longing. He missed his parents greatly, and he wished more than anything to have them back. He couldn’t do this alone. Gran and Mirai were excellent counsel, but it wasn’t the same.
Izuku fell asleep every night wishing for comforting arms to wrap around him. For someone to be there solely as his support; to give him unconditional love. He wanted more than Gran or Mirai could give him. He wanted his parents.
And that desire only grew everyday, but Izuku would never have his parents back. So after a lot of consideration, he had decided: he would find a new parent. A dad. Someone strong that he could lean on and feel safe with. He thought it was a great idea.
His advisors, unfortunately, didn’t agree. When he had first presented his idea to find a human man to turn into his new dad, Mirai had flipped. Ragging on and on about how Izuku should be focused on the war and his studies, not on frivolous and silly ideas.
It hadn’t stopped Izuku from slowly putting together a list of potential candidates though. And as he walked, shutting out Mirai behind him, he crossed another name off his list.
None of them had fit. None of them were the one.
“My King, are you even listening—”
“No,” Izuku answered bluntly, grumbling in frustration and scowling at the paper as though it had personally wronged him. Without breaking stride, he turned to look at Mirai, ignoring his twitching brow. “Where’s Gran? He should have more prospective names to give me by now.”
“He’s likely already at the war council. Which we should be heading to. There were important details to go over—”
“Right. We’ll head there first, then,” Izuku muttered, making a sudden turn in the direction of the meeting. He didn’t want to go, but he would never hear the end of it from Mirai if he missed another one. And it also saved him from having to search for Gran later.
“Finally, you’re seeing some sense,” Mirai sighed from behind him. “Now we need to go over details for securing our defenses. The humans have been making bolder attacks as of late—”
“Mhm,” Izuku hummed, pretending he was listening as Mirai continued to talk, almost relieved when the large mahogany doors were upon them. A spacious room opened up before them, containing a regal table lined with plush chairs; most of them occupied with members of the nobility. They glanced up at their arrival. Izuku took his own place at the head of the table, pleased when he saw Gran was already seated on his left. Mirai joined them on Izuku’s right.
“You’re late, brat,” Gran said, shifting impatiently in his chair.
“Sorry, got a little held up. Mirai needed to speak with me,” Izuku said with a small grin. “Anyway, now that I’m here, you wouldn’t happen to have more names to give me, would you?”
“Not now,” Gran hissed, turning his attention to a noble that was standing up. “I’ll give it to you after the meeting.”
“My King.” The noble, one whom Izuku recognized as Iida Tensei, bowed deeply before retaking his seat.
Izuku inclined his head to him in acknowledgment, the next noble standing and bowing to him after he had done so. They went around the table like that, Izuku nodding to each person as they greeted him with due esteem. He felt it was a silly tradition, having to do this at every single meeting, but Mirai insisted on it, and so Izuku let it happen. He didn’t want to have to put up with another lecture on “upholding proper customs” and “reminding the council that you are the king and they must show deference to you”.
Most of the nobility respected Izuku, as his parents had been beloved by the nation. But he still felt as though they also looked down on him for his age. Izuku was trying—he really was—but it was just so much all the time. He had learned a lot about war in the last five years, but there was a reason Mirai and Gran had taken charge. They made most of the decisions, though they needed Izuku’s official approval as king to go forward with anything new. And he was fine with that. It was a relief really, to have so much help.
“Your Majesty?”
Izuku blinked. Oh. He had zoned out. “Ah, yes?” he inquired.
“Will you approve this request as made by the council?” Iida Tensei repeated.
Oh, he really hadn’t been paying attention. What request? Izuku glanced over to Mirai with poorly hidden panic in his eyes.
Mirai’s lips thinned in disapproval, but he nodded his head, indicating that whatever the request was, he felt Izuku should approve it.
Izuku turned back to Iida. “Yes,” he said with a confidence he didn’t feel, “I will approve it.”
Iida bowed once more. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Good,” another noble snorted. “Hopefully it will be enough to slow All for One down.”
“All for One?” Izuku muttered—mostly to himself.
“Aye. He’s been getting far too close to our borders for my comfort,” Gran stated.
Izuku had been hearing more and more about that man. All for One was a vampire hunter, one of the rare few who had been one before the war had started. More hunters had cropped up as hostility rose between the two species, but they were sloppy and fuelled by anger. All for One, on the other hand, was an expert. It was easy to tell he had trained all his life to hunt vampires, and he did so with brutal efficiency.
All for One was like a one-man army, and the war council considered themselves lucky that he did not officially affiliate himself with the human military. He had yet to even cross into the vampire kingdom, preferring to stay on human lands and hunt down any vampires who came onto their territory. Still, even though he wasn’t a part of the army, he was enough of a threat on his own that he was getting brought up more and more by the council.
Izuku couldn’t help but feel intrigued by him.
“What has he done now?” Izuku pressed, curious to know more.
“What hasn’t he done?” Gran muttered irritably. “Stopped supplies from reaching our soldiers at the borders, prevented troops from marching into the kingdom of Yuei. His latest accomplishment has included killing a number of our soldiers and even one of the top lieutenants while they were on patrol beyond the border.”
“The Shirakumo family hasn’t taken the loss of their heir well,” said another solemnly.
“Nor have the heirs of Aizawa or Yamada,” added the head of the Yaoyorozu house, tossing a lock of raven hair behind her. “The three were quite close from what I recall.”
“How is he so dangerous? Shouldn’t a group of vampires be able to stop him?”
“All For One is an accomplished sorcerer for starters,” Kan Sekijiro answered for him, crossing his large arms. “They say he’s mastered nearly every type of magic a human can learn. On top of that he’s been hunting our kind for years, learning everything there is to know about vampires. Knows how to prey on our strengths and weaknesses.”
“So he’s very strong then,” Izuku concluded, tugging at his lip in contemplation.
“Quite so. I daresay even your father may have struggled against him.” Kan nodded before tensing as he realized what he had said. But Izuku didn’t seem upset, seeming to be deep in thought. Beside him though, Mirai glared at Kan and his poor choice of words.
“I see,” Izuku said, his eyes lighting up. “Is that all for the meeting then?”
Mirai nodded, frowning at him. “For the most part My King, but there’s still the matter of—”
“Great!” Izuku beamed, grinning ear to ear now. “I’ve made my decision then.”
“Er…your decision for what?” Mirai blinked as Izuku stood abruptly.
“Of who my new father will be, of course,” Izuku answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“I haven’t even given you the list yet, brat,” Gran grumbled from his seat.
“No need!” Izuku waved him off, leaving the council room with a new skip in his step. “I’ve made my choice!”
He heard Gran and Mirai skitter across the floor to catch up with him as he marched into the corridor. “Well?” Mirai asked impatiently. “Who’s the fool you’ve chosen—against advice—as your new…father.”
“All For One!” Izuku answered cheerfully.
Gran started choking. Mirai tripped over his own feet.
“Are you insane?” Gran managed to wheeze out after a few minutes.
“What? I don’t see the problem.”
“Your Majesty, please,” Mirai all but begged. “I’ll take back everything I’ve said about your idea and help you look for someone. Just—Just anyone but him!”
Izuku tilted his head. “But we just finished discussing how much of a problem he is. When I make him my new dad, that will remove him as an obstacle from the war. It’s a win-win.”
“Not when!” Mirai cried. “Please don’t say ‘when’. If you make him your father, you’ll only be creating a new problem instead.”
“When I make him my father”—Izuku ignored Mirai’s pained groan—“he won’t be able to hunt down vampires anymore. I’ll be saving lives by doing this.”
“Why him?” Gran asked in a tone of weary acceptance.
“He’s strong, right? The strongest hunter ever; which means he’s hard to kill. And once he’s a vampire, he’ll be even harder to kill,” Izuku said.
His answer earned him soft looks of understanding, and Mirai sighed. “May I ask that you at least sleep on the decision, Your Majesty? Give it a few days.”
With his newfound excitement, Izuku felt impatient, but waiting a few days couldn’t hurt. Especially if it would appease his advisors. “Alright,” he agreed.
As he turned left at a fork in the corridor, and Gran and Mirai went right, Izuku could still hear their voices echoing down the hall in hushed tones.
“We have to talk him out of this,” Mirai whispered.
Gran snorted. “For sure.”