Hellbound | Blue Exorcist/My Hero Academia Crossover

Chapter Forty-Four: Closing Time

DEKU'S P.O.V

It feels like the fighting's never going to stop. Bakugou, Kirishima and Yukio have been doing their best to fend Rin off this entire time, all whilst the rest of us desperately scrabble to hold the demons back. Some of them escape, but, for the most part, we're keeping on top of it. I just wish there was more I could do- if things keep up the way they are, we'll all be far too exhausted to keep defending the gate. And if this many demons get out into the open, who knows what sort of catastrophe we'll have on our hands?

"Midoriya!" Todoroki suddenly barks, ripping me out of my thoughts as he grips my waist and essentially tosses me to one side so he can incinerate an approaching demon. Keep it together, Deku! You need to stay focused!

"Th-Thanks," I breathlessly murmur, frowning at the way Todoroki's fingertips twitch. They're burnt. Embers still cling to his nails, and they're sizzling the skin with every idle moment. We can't keep this going- it only takes a small glance around to see my class's state. Stiff, sluggish, and struggling to push their quirks any further. "We need a new plan. We're getting too tired."

"What else can we do?"

"We need to close the gate," I insist, brief moments before a blast of blue fire nearly engulfs Todoroki. But, just as he did for me, I pull him out of the way, our bodies colliding with one another from the force. Any harder, and I'm worried I would've dislocated his shoulder. But now we're nose against nose, staring wide-eyed at one another. Too close. Way too close to focus. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Like I said we- There has to be a way to close the gate."

"How d'you suggest we do that?"

"I'm working on it." He cracks a small, strained smile and finally inches away, though he keeps his fingers lingering around my own as he casts his glance over towards the others fighting Rin. Kacchan's shaking, probably from quirk exhaustion, and Kirishima's staring to display a few burns over his hardened skin.

Think. Satan opened the gate from the other side. Satan's blood has to be used to open the gate in the first place. But how does it close? It's clearly not automatic, but there has to be a way to do it from here. Every door has a handle on the other side after all, right? A way to open and close. Why should this demonic portal to hell be any different?

And then I see them. I really look at the entire structure, and I see them. Huge, pulsing eyeballs scattered over the arch, watching the chaos ensue with what I would call entertainment if I thought they were truly alive. "Todoroki, I think I've got it. Those eyeballs- They look like a weak spot," I whisper, pulling him closer and pointing them out.

"What makes you think that?"

"Ah... Well video games, mostly," I admit. But come on- in every video game, you always have to hit the huge eyeball! There has to be a reason, and maybe this is it. That's how people would shut a Gehenna Gate up tight whenever one appeared. I hope.

"It's better than any other plan we've got," he murmurs. He really doesn't sound too sure, but he sounds sure enough. And, honestly, that's good enough for me. Finally, we both turn towards the portal with a plan. It's a loose plan, but it's a plan. We're ready to finally get to work on executing it when-

"Icy-Hot! We need you!"

~

BAKUGOU'S P.O.V

I shoulda known that damn mind-controlling lizard would be onto us; as soon as we figured out that Okumura was being manipulated by that thing, he's been way more offensive. Every attack lands with a blast that's nearly impossible to avoid, and he's been completely relentless. I've barely managed to even get close, let alone land a hit on the fucker. And, as much as I hate to say it, I really don't think any of us have got much time left on our quirks- my arms are already burning with the strain, and I can tell Kirishima's shell is this close to cracking.