Thread by @midoriyakacchan

he doesn’t know where he’s headed.

he doesn’t know if kacchan is even in whatever location his soul is dragging him to.

but he does know kacchan’s in trouble, and he knows that it’s the only lead he has.

https://twitter.com/midoriyakacchan/status/1129275192943841292

it feels like he’s been running for weeks when his senses narrow down on something.

izuku slows down to a stop. he crouches down, hands trembling as he picks up a bead, one of the many scattered on shattered bits of an eerily familiar armor.

the prayer beads he gave to kacchan.

izuku lifts his eyes to the sword sticking out of the dead soil.

the other half of all might’s sword, the one he’d given to kacchan.

it was stained in red: the beads, the armor, the sword. everything.

there was so much of it.

‘kacchan…’ shaking hands curled tightly over his fingers.

there was too much red. why couldn’t he see anything else?

‘where are you?’

…

a pulse.

…

(do you wish to see him?)

who was that?

(answer me, izuku.)

see… kacchan?

(make a wish, izuku.)

‘i want to see you, kacchan.’

it all goes dark after that.

---

where the fuck were these lowlifes coming from?

for every hoard katsuki destroyed, more and more continued to arrive. to make matters worse, he also had to deal with three pests that proved more annoying than the mindless masses.

there was no doubt that katsuki was one of the strongest demon lords of his generation, but even he was beginning to stagger at the relentless assault.

if he didn't figure out a way to turn the tides, he was finished.

'what is that?'

demons were screaming, fleeing away from something.

he feels it before he sees it.

katsuki shifts back to two legs, dodging the large blast of purity that annihilated all the demons in one go.

his senses were screaming at the close proximity to purity. hair stood on edge, his nose stinging at the sharp scent of power. but katsuki refused to flee.

a lone figure stood in the wake of destruction.

there was an unearthly radiance to him, green lightning crackling across his body. hair and robes flowed through an unseen current.

something was glowing on his hand, dark and ominous.

katsuki felt dread pool in his stomach.

"DEKU!" he shouted, descending back on the ground. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU *DO?!*"

deku raised his gaze to meet his.

the sickening feeling intensified at the dull, lifeless look in his eyes. his face was streaked in tears.

"kacchan." he whispered.

"what's wrong with you?!" katsuki demanded, eyes shooting down to the negative energy pulsing on deku's hand.

it was the sacred jewel. sinking into the back of deku's right hand.

tainted.

"have you lost your mind?!" he wanted to shake the idiot by the shoulders, knock some sense into him—only to jerk back with a hiss as sharp purity stung his palms. "snap out of it!"

"how touching." remarked scarface, from behind.

before he could even do anything, the fire user was sent flying by a spiritual blast.

"kacchan," deku's breath tickled against his nape. katsuki looked down sharply as something was placed around his neck.

prayer beads.

"stay here."

hah?

"HAH!?" he turned his face to glare at the AUDACITY of this asshole, only to realise that deku was no longer there and was currently engaging the blue fire bitch.

"who the hell do you think you are telling me what to do?!" katsuki snaps, furious, and moved to join the melee.

or tried to.

katsuki gaped in disbelief at the green barrier shimmering around him. "you PIECE OF SHIT! LET ME OUT!"

the asshole ignored him, preoccupied as the shapeshifter joined the fight. katsuki grits his teeth, trying to force himself through the barrier.

he managed to get his hand through only to be repelled back inside. he snarls furiously, his instincts riled up at being surrounded by so much purity.

that little brat was LUCKY the sacred jewel was protecting him, because it looked like the blonde bitch was more than capable of taking a limb out if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't touch him without burning.

and then the hand freak joined the scene.

for some reason, the jewel wasn't purifying *him.*

katsuki swore, redoubling his efforts.

he doesn't know what happened.

a blinding light erupted from the battlefield.

deku meets his gaze.

somehow, katsuki hears him clearly through all the noise.

"i'm sorry, kacchan."

katsuki finds himself alone on the war-torn terrain.

"no," he hears himself whisper, his heart pounding in his ears. "no no no no NO! NO!"

he couldn't

he wouldn't

he fucking PROMISED.

"DEKU!!!!!!!"

there were no bodies. no presence. no jewel.

no deku.

nothing.

he failed.

it was hours later when forces of the east and south had arrived.

"l-lord bakugo!?"

they found him on his knees. thick, dark blood pooling out from wounds that his body had been too weak to heal. eyes glazed and unresponsive.

"we found him!"

"help! we need help!"

"katsuki!"

his mother's face drifted in and out of focus. "mom."

a concerned knot furrowed between her brows. it's been centuries since her son had referred to her as anything other than 'old hag'.

"katsuki," she brushed his hair away from his face. "what happened?"

his breathing hitched and mitsuki's eyes widened. jaw locking, she shared a glance with her son's tutor, who nodded before turning to the awaiting troops. "give them space."

they complied immediately.

mitsuki had shielded her son, but they saw.

katsuki had shed a tear.

no one knew exactly what happened, but what they did know was this: the jewel had vanished.

its power had been steadily growing, tempting many to its pull. but now? there was nothing. whatever the half-demon had done had effectively whisked it away from existence.

---

500 years in the future, tales of yokai became just that: tales. myths and cautionary stories used to scare children into behaving.

---

somewhere in the shizuoka prefacture, a little boy was born.

for a moment, inko thought she saw something glow in his hand.

hm? must be a trick of the light.

gently brushing tender curls away from his face, she smiled down at his sleeping face. "happy birthday, izuku."