Shdowstep
patreon
Demonic Academia: The Archivist
🕑 Added 2022-11-13 17:44:55 +0000 UTCNote: This is a future chapter for Demonic Academia that I wrote up with my brother, Autumnstar. The Archivist is his creation, and so he wrote the dialogue for him, while I wrote it for Momo. Many things are implied here of past events, but I think it's a fun little thing.
The large doors slammed open, the noise echoing through the vaulted ceiling of the Library.
“Archivist!” Momo demanded as she marched in, walking past ancient bookshelves filled with knowledge of the past. Their forms shimmered between books to ancient scrolls to computer servers. All symbolizing repositories of knowledge. “I need to speak with you!”
There were a few large windows high up, stained glass likely depicting some ancient religious figures, that started to move. They flipped once, the glass changing to show a bloody battle.
A second time, now showing hooded figures bowing to some demon.
And a third time, now showing the image of an astronaut, staring straight at her.
The sound of static filled the air for a moment, before halting in a rush, with the glass completely blank now, with the astronaut standing in front of Momo, staring blankly ahead.
"Yes?"
Momo frowned at the display, feeling a bit of unease at the Demon Lord before her. She never liked coming here. She was used to being able to sense people, from the weakest to the most powerful - even her father had an aura about him that she could sense far before she could see him. But the Archivist? There was nothing. Even after such a display. Had he not been moving, she would have assumed the suit was empty.
She had asked her father once, and he just laughed.
Still, she pushed down her unease. She refused to show any weakness.
“Father claims you’ve kept track of the history of the human world, in addition to the Underworld,” She stated. “Is that true?”
She got the feeling that he was smiling at her. Even demons had body language that could be read, but the astronaut in front of her was still. Nobody knew why the demon chose to appear as an astronaut. Well, perhaps her father did, but if so, he hasn't shared that information with anyone.
The suit tilted its head, still staring at her. "You know I do. What is it you want?" The voice sounded bored, even as the feeling of someone smiling remained.
She exhaled violently. “What do you know of somebody named All-Might?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously, “Is he human?”
When Izuku told her about him, the whole deal sounded way too familiar. An offer for power, supposedly getting nothing in return, supposedly devastating repercussions if that power wasn’t used a certain way… This sounded way too close to a Demonic Deal.
She had spent three years protecting Izuku from cultists, kidnappers, and other demons. And now somebody just waltzed in and made a deal with that which was hers. A poacher.
She looked up as a flipping motion caught her eye. The glass in the windows had flipped again, the leftmost one showing an emaciated figure, hunched over. The one in the middle had a series of lights connected to each other. And then the one on the right had All-Might, staring straight ahead with his usual smile.
“All-Might? Now why would you want to know about him?” The feeling of a smile grew larger, like he knew something she didn’t. Granted, that was why she came here, but having that paraded in front of her like this was vexing.
She grit her teeth, her power flexing around her unconsciously. “Stop being coy,” She demanded, “His presence is affecting somebody that is under my protection. Fulfilling a deal of that sort is hardly unusual.”
He might know the details of her relationship with Izuku, but if he didn’t she refused to be the one to reveal it.
Most demons were aware of Izuku at this point. She did order a portion of her father’s army to save him not even a year prior after all. Most assumed it was her waiting for the moment to claim his soul, and she was content with them making that assumption.
“Ah, yes. Your… ‘deal’. An interesting situation, that is. The daughter of the highest Demon Lord, summoned by accident, breaking through the bonds that summoned her, and still managed to get wrangled into a deal.”
The suit turned its head upright and slowly paced a few steps. The glass had changed once more, depicting the scene. The cultists on the ground.
“But what of a deal to acquire this information?” An inquisitive tone entered the voice coming from the suit. “You know me, and know that details come at a price.”
Rapid scribbling sounds came from behind one of the bookcases, out of view, like quill on paper.
She nodded. This was familiar territory, as distasteful as she found it. “The details of my own deal are confidential. As would be any deal between the two of us.” She regarded him for a moment, “The information I’m asking for is within the human world, not anything regarding the Underworld, or any demons. I imagine the price for such knowledge would be quite tame in comparison.”
“‘Not regarding the Underworld or any demons’, you say. You are so quick to assume so?” The scribbling came to a close, leaving the library in silence again.
Her heart jolted for a bit, her fists clenching slightly before she forced them to relax.
It wasn’t a confirmation that All-Might was related to demonism in any way, but it was far, far from the denial she was hoping for. Blast it, how would Alistair handle this?
“I have seen nothing to indicate otherwise,” She stated in an aloof tone. “Unless you are telling me he is?”
Alistair would be laughing at her attempts, that’s what he would do.
“When attempting to bargain, an assumption is oft a good thing to push for.” A presence filled the air around her, not invading her personal space, simply… existing. “And when fishing for information, the same is true.” The windows flipped again, all three now showing the same image. The helmet of the suit, blank, black, staring down at them.
“But you should know I won’t reveal until a deal is struck. And,” the glass shimmered, fading to empty glass once more, “it will even be the same deal I offer to all.” A bookcase twisted form suddenly, becoming a computer. The screen fizzed to life, showing a smiling face.
“Information. An arm for an arm, a leg for a leg, as is said. Perhaps not now, but come some time in the future.”
She scowled at the computer screen before facing the astronaut once more. “What sort of deal would you propose?”
This was hardly the first time she’d be forced into a deal, but she would never get used to the feeling. At the very least, she’d be looking over the contract with a fine tooth comb.
Her friend, Ashido, had bemoaned to her already the various deals that had gone horribly wrong for her. While those had been minor, she would do everything she could to ensure it didn’t happen to her.
“As I said. You wish for information, as do I. I give information now, and you return the favor with information in the future. Your ‘deal’ with the human, when it expires, should free you from any vow of silence held by that deal. When the human’s body has breathed it’s last, I wish to know of the details between you and he. Would that be satisfactory?”
Her face burned, “Y-you, what?!” Out of everything he could possibly ask for, that’s what he wanted to know about?! Images flashed through her mind of some of the things she desired - of going on dates with the green haired boy, going out to dinner, walks through the park, her showing him the Underworld and her own achievements... “T-that’s private!”
A quiet scoff came from the suit. “Private? Yet you wish to know the details of the one known as All-Might. Do you not consider that to be private information? Do you consider the information you wish to receive as less important than anything about the boy or yourself, past what I am aware of already?”
The frustrating thing was… He was correct.
Any future she wished with Izuku could be destroyed, never to be realized, if he were to die before they occured.
She narrowed her eyes at the figure, “Any information I give wouldn’t be shared, correct?” She couldn’t resist letting loose her aura a bit, her power brushing against the bookshelves and computers, causing them to shake and heat up. Such an act was something most would be intimidated by.
“Really now, there’s no need to be rude.” He said, his tone condescending. Her aura was rebuffed, pushed back by a gentle, yet powerful presence, the minute changes made by her aura instantly reversed. “Old, I might be, but to upset you, and thereby your father, is something few demons would come back from. An action I would scarcely be so foolish as to attempt.”
She mulled it over before steeling her resolve. It wasn’t uncommon for people to have biographies written about themselves… She just needed to think of it like that.
“Very well,” She agreed, “How do you wish to seal our deal?”
Many demons preferred a simple handshake, the lack of hammered out details making it simpler to abuse. Others had long and complicated contracts written out and signed, giving the human confidence, yet often having thousands of loopholes to exploit. Various others put their own spin on it.
The Archivist said nothing, standing there. The floor between them rippled, twisting into the shape of another computer. On the screen was their contract, simply written, with a box for a check mark below it.
Above the box was a line of text, saying. “Check box to continue with purchase”
She gave him a look before rereading the contract. And again. Satisfied, she clicked the checkbox.
As the computer shimmered away she turned towards the astronaut once more. “Now for your part of the bargain?” she prompted.
“Very well then. To answer your first question, I know everything about All-Might. For your second question. Yes, he is human.”
It paused, almost as if finished speaking. Before she could ask him another question in frustration, the Archivist continued.
“His name is Toshinori Yagi. He wields a power he received from another, and wishes to spread that power to a successor, to be capable of defeating the one that gravely wounded himself. He himself likely does not wish Izuku Midoriya harm, if that brings you any peace.”
She stood still, the words echoing through her. ‘To be capable of defeating the one that gravely wounded himself’...
She knew how strong All-Might was. It was frankly impossible to be friends with Izuku for any length of time and to stay ignorant of that. She would readily admit that he was strong. Almost impossibly so.
And yet there was somebody that wounded him?!
Who cares if he didn’t desire Izuku any harm?! Harm would come when they faced each other!
“What else can you tell me?” She demanded, “What is this threat?”
“Would you like a seat?” The suit waved a hand, a small table forming from the ground, with chairs emerging from a few bookcases that appeared. “You seem to be experiencing heavy emotion from this.”
“It is my first contract,” She bluffed, though she did accept a seat. “Failure to fulfill my side will no doubt affect all future contracts. Why wouldn’t I become emotional?”
“To tell you much of the threat would require another deal, I am afraid.” He said, not sounding sorry in the least. “But the threat has existed since All-Might was born, and sought to kill him ever since All-Might received the power he gave to Izuku. From my sources, the threat is even the source of the power All-Might wields, and wishes it back.”
Her breath caught. That… She knew how quirks worked. A power such as All-Might’s - to pass it on - was quite frankly unique. Izuku had never heard of such a power before, had never even realized it was possible. To hear that it came from a source that existed before All-Might was even born… She did the math in her head… He must be around fifty years old.
It was the source of All-Mights power, and yet existed long before All-Might. All-Might's power was unique, and it was apparently created in a unique way.
Her theory of demonic influence was solidifying. And she was not liking how it looked.
“Is there anything else you can tell me?” She asked. She might have what she came for, but she would still attempt to get all she could from her deal.
“I could tell you a great many things. How old All-Might was when he received the power he was given. How many successful, or non-successful missions he has gone on. The people he’s saved. But there is little that would be of interest to you, I imagine. He wishes the best for Izuku, despite trying to give Midoriya the power. All-Might had no power before he was given what he possesses. He sees himself in Izuku, trying to become that which everyone said was impossible.”
Momo gave a nod, her thoughts still in turmoil, but documenting what was being said. “Thank you for your time then,” She stated, standing up slowly and making her way to the door. “It’s been a pleasure.”
The astronaut suit remained seated, staring blankly ahead. “I assure you, Momo, the pleasure is all mine.” The doors opened silently by themselves. “And one last word. As it is your first deal, I will tell you one thing. The threat is very interested in any anomaly’s surrounding Izuku Midoriya. I would suggest exercising caution.”
She left quickly after that ominous warning, keeping her emotions tightly under control.
She had quite a few things to consider apparently.
