Hellbound | Blue Exorcist/My Hero Academia Crossover

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Phoenix

DEKU'S P.O.V

We can't get a single hit in. For what feels like hours, we've been going all-out against this guy, but every time he just gets back up again. Half of our class has already been wiped out, and the rest of us are starting to struggle with keeping ourselves on our feet. A group of the strongest students this school's first year has to offer, and we're no match for him at all! How can someone possibly have so much power?!

"If you all just stepped aside this would be much easier," he chuckles, brushing down his sleeves before swiping his feathers at Sero, knocking him out of his attempted sneak attack without even looking his way. This is on a whole other level- not a single villain we've faced as a class has come close to this guy. But still, we're heroes. We're supposed to be the ones that never stop, not matter how many times our faces get smashed into the rubble.

"We're not letting you out of this building," I snap, having spent most of this fight just soaking it all in. But every move is unpredictable. Like Kacchan, he seems to be fighting on pure instinct. And the only thing that can even hold a candle to a fighting style like that is one that matches it. So trying to calculate my kicks is only going to get me thrown into the nearest wall.

There has to be something we can do! The more we throw ourselves at him, the more our numbers drop. Sero's down for the count now, and it looks like Mina won't be far behind him. Her acid doesn't even leave a scratch- anything that crumbles away from him just regenerates in a matter of seconds. And all of this is clearly amusing to him. He's tossing my classmates around like toys, and soon I won't have any choice but to take him on alone. 

C'mon, Deku. Think!

"You won't let me?" He hums, grabbing Mina by the scruff of her collar and tossing her down a connecting hallway. I try to leap to break her fall, but her body just collides with my own and sends us both hurtling into some nearby lockers. The crack of the metal against my ribs sends a choking cough out of my mouth. "When, not if, I get rid of the rest of you, who's going to stop me?" And then there are flames, amber as the sunset, spiralling towards us. I brace myself to get burnt down to my bones, but the attack never comes.

Instead, Tokoyami sends Dark Shadow out to muffle the fire. It simmers the poor silhouette, but it takes as much of the impact away before our avian classmate collapses. We're dropping like flies! We can't keep attacking one at a time; if we do, he'll get away. And who knows what he's got planned for Rin and Yukio when he eventually finds them? Todoroki, I wish you were here. We could really use your help.

"Excuse me." I barely hear the voice at first. And I definitely don't see the speaker through the throbbing blurriness framing my vision. But it immediately captures Todo's attention, the demon swinging around with a snarl to face the slender form behind him. Who is that?

"The hell do you want, kid?"

"Put your flames out," the voice calmly replies. Quickly followed by the spitting fire suddenly snuffing itself out. Smoke dribbles from Todo's fingertips, but his entire body seems to slump a little. As though-

Then it hits me like a blast to the chest. Scrabbling to my feet, I stumble over a couple fractures of plaster, a smile finally stretching onto my face when the wisps of purple hair sweep into my vision.

"Shinso!" I bleat, tripping over my feet as I stagger to his side. He doesn't shift his eyes off of the demon trapped under his quirk, but he does smirk to himself. I can't believe it. Out of all of the students in this school, he was the last one I expected to show up. But here he is, stood before a milky-eyed Todo, holding him back.

But then his smile falters. His brows crease together, and it seems as though his focus is suddenly thrust under immense strain. The phoenix's fingers are starting to twitch to life again. That's my cue, and I take it. Shinso's quirk is incredibly powerful, but Todo isn't just a regular human. No doubt, controlling his mind is far trickier than making one of us walk out of a sports arena.

So I stagger over to my injured classmates as quickly as possible. Those who have manged to stay standing haul the others over their shoulders, quickly making a break for it on my command. Soon enough, it's just Shinso and I left in the hallway, standing our ground against a twitching Todo. "I'm not leaving you," I insist, grabbing onto his arm and squeezing it tight. If I run away now, there's no doubt he's gonna end up hurt. 

I'm glad a plan hits me when it does.

The moment I commit myself to the reality that the pair of us are going to have to fight him on our own, something comes to me. And I can't believe I've been so blind to it this entire time. We aren't fighting a villain- we're fighting a demon. Something Mr. Okumura has been training us to beat since the day we arrived at True Cross. Partner that with all of my extra studies, and I think I finally have a way to get rid of him. It might not kill him, but it'll at least put him to the backs of our minds.

Stepping away, I reach for a small chain of beads beneath my collar, fishing it out and wrapping them around a tiny bible tucked in one of my costume's pouches. Clutching the pair together, I quickly flick through the little book, scanning for the correct chant to perform. Even though Shinso begins to struggle, he's holding out for me. He's depending on me. Everyone is- if Todo gets out, who knows what havoc he'll cause?

"Get... out... of my... head," said demon snarls, his initial eye colour starting to flicker back into his irises. But I've got it, and I immediately begin to chant the verse as it's written on the page. 

"To the Israelites, the glory of the lord looked like consuming a fire on top of the mountain."

These are the words I repeat over and over. At first, I wonder if they're taking any effect, but, eventually, Todo starts to snarl and twist. As though I'm throwing vials of poison over him, he snaps and snarls like the demon he barely resembles, before a billowing light finally engulfs him. Seconds later, he's gone. Shinso collapses to the floor, and the thread of wooden beads snaps between my fingers. As it scatters, I just frantically look around for any sign of Todo. Nothing.

Nothing but a scorch where he used to be.

"Midoriya... What did you do?"

"I sent him away. I don't know where but... Hopefully a mountain," I sigh, shuffling over to him and sinking to the floor before my knees can give out. "That was incredible- what you did for us." He lifts his eyes, meeting my own, and I smile when his cheeks flush. Usually I'd be the one getting all flustered, but- Well it's sweet to see him look so soft. For someone who always closes himself off, he has such a kind glint to his gaze when he's flattered.

"I didn't do much."

"You acted like a hero. You saved us," I insist, taking his hand and squeezing it tight. His blush deepens. Maybe, when all of this is over, I might ask the principal to bump Shinso into our class. When it comes down to it, I really do believe he'd fit right in with us. 

But, before I can open my mouth to say another word, something suddenly splits across the sky, parting the clouds and separating the sun. It feels as though the fabric of this world itself stutters for a moment, before everything finally settles again.

"What the hell was that?"

"You... You felt it too?" I can't be sure, but I've got an awful feeling about this. A feeling that tells me whatever just happened probably involves Mr. Okumura. Rin, please be careful.