A Tarnished Hero

Chapter 36: Glorious Evolution

The trip up the hill wasn't anything special. Their eyes caught herds of goats and their young grazing amongst the green hills, the sounds of their baa's echoing through the landscape as they passed through.

Both Izuku and Katsuki remained silent with the trek uphill, the more experienced of the two feeling his heart thump against his chest. Katsuki, meanwhile, felt the ominous air radiating from the ruined church right at the top.

The closer they got, the more the two had their feelings magnified. Izuku's lips nearly ripped his face in half as his hands rummaged through his bottomless box that he had opened, while Katsuki's knees nearly buckled against the grassy slope.

Once they reached the top, the broken archway beckoned them closer. Izuku all too happily sauntered in, while Katsuki remained outside, hands gripping tight against the tools needed to set up their tent for the night.

It was good news that it wasn't that windy here than the last spot they had camped the night prior. Turning around, the ash blond focused on finding a good spot that wouldn't cause them to have problems in their sleep.

At least there was no presence of hostile beings in the island, so that was another plus point.

Meanwhile, inside the ruined church, Izuku came across the corpse of a giant dragon, its scales pale and as hard as rock. All around him laid statues of half-men, half-dragons, all in different poses.

"Been a while since I've come here." Izuku muttered to himself, his hand gliding across the scales of the dead dragon. His hand that was previously rummaging through his bottomless box slowly made its way out, in his palms the fresh heart of the dragon he had slain back in Liurnia.

It was large, bigger than two of his hands combined, and heavy to boot. He remembered the first time he grabbed the heart of the dragon, Agheel, he had killed in this region. His twig-like arms struggled to even hold it up for even a few seconds, the heart falling to the lake and splashing water all over him.

But now, the heart that had the same weight and size barely made one of his arms twitch, a sign of his progress. Smirking, he lifted it to the altar that resided next to the corpse of the dragon's head. With a single prayer and hope for the future, he brought it close to his lips.

Then took a bite.

Blood sprayed all over his face and armor, his helmet long forgotten within the confines of his bottomless box as he indulged in the profane ritual. His teeth ripped through the red flesh, blood oozing down his throat as he gulped down the dragon's remaining lifeblood.

The taste of iron tingled on his tongue, his eyes clenching shut as his gut filled with the sacred liquid. His knees buckled, forcing him to the ground as he felt power coursing through him, but he did not dare stop his consumption.

The ritual didn't last long, the heart slowly losing color as blood drained out of the organ. Once it was all drained, with nary a tinge of red remaining within, Izuku got to consuming the flesh.

He made sure that none were wasted, lickign the blood sticking onto his fingertips for good measure. The taste may have been unbearable the first time, but now, he couldn't help but lick his lips.

Izuku's eyes opened, the green orbs tinged with a hint of yellow glaring into the setting sun. A grin formed on his mouth, and he let the newfound power course through his veins.

It gathered within his chest, then rapidly climbed upwards, his throat feeling the burn. The spectral head of a dragon appeared over his own, and its maw opened wide. Flames belched out of its maw, embers flicking in the wind as the air grew hot.