Chapter Text
Izuku stared down at Katsuki, his mind racing. “I don’t think you understand what you’re asking, Katsuki. Offering your life for this… it’s not a game.”
Katsuki’s crimson eyes held no hesitation. “I don’t care. I want to see you. You’re more than just a voice in my head now.” His voice softened, rare and vulnerable. “I need to see you.”
Izuku sighed, looking away. His ethereal presence rippled in the air, invisible to Katsuki but tangible enough for him to feel the weight of their bond. “There are rules,” he began, his voice firm yet laced with sadness. “If you offer your soul, there’s no going back. You’d give up everything—your mortality, your future…”
“So what?” Katsuki clenched his fists, desperation making his voice harsh. “What future do I even want if you’re not in it?! You’re the only thing that makes sense anymore.”
Izuku remained silent, his heart aching. The path of obsession wasn’t new to him, yet Katsuki’s insistence frightened him. But he knew Katsuki wouldn’t let this go. He couldn’t stop him. Because if he’d learned anything from observing Katsuki, it was that he always got what he wanted.
“I… I can’t let you do that,” Izuku finally said, his voice shaking. “You’d destroy yourself.”
Katsuki smirked, but there was no humor in it. “If you don’t want me to sacrifice my soul, then find another way. There has to be something.”
Izuku hesitated, then whispered, “There is a way… but it’s dangerous. For both of us.”
Katsuki’s face lit up with determination. “I’m not afraid.”
“You should be.”
---
Katsuki’s days began to blend together, each one spent longing for Izuku. Friends tried to reach out, and his mother’s harsh words grew fainter, like echoes from another life. The world felt empty without Izuku.
Meanwhile, Izuku watched helplessly, feeling Katsuki slipping away from everyone else. He wanted Katsuki’s devotion, but not like this. Not if it meant losing himself to a path of obsession.
One night, Katsuki’s desperation broke through the silence. “I can’t keep living like this, Izuku. Tell me how to see you.”
Izuku’s voice was faint. “There is a way. But it would destroy you. The ritual requires that you give up your memories—everything that makes you who you are.”
Katsuki didn’t flinch. “None of that matters to me anymore. You’re all I want.”
Izuku’s heart ached, but he guided Katsuki through the ritual. That night, Katsuki stood before the crumbling altar, his blood marking the stones as the ancient incantation escaped his lips. The air thickened, and Izuku’s presence grew stronger. Then, a pull, like something was being ripped from within him. Images of friends, family, and his own life faded into nothingness.
When it was over, Katsuki opened his eyes and saw Izuku standing before him, solid and real. He reached out, their fingers brushing, warmth flooding his chest. But there was an emptiness too, a part of himself missing, even if he couldn’t remember what.
“Izuku…” Katsuki whispered, his gaze locked on the god before him.
“You did this for me,” Izuku murmured, a flicker of sorrow in his emerald eyes. “But at what cost?”
Katsuki held Izuku’s gaze, resolute. “You’re all I have now.”
---
One reckless decision, and everything had changed. Katsuki quickly realized that this wasn’t enough. Despite the sacrifice, they were still worlds apart. He needed more. The other gods were furious with Izuku for allowing the ritual, but they had already gone too far to turn back. Driven by a need to be closer, Katsuki demanded another way.
Izuku finally offered him a solution, a ritual to bind their souls together—but with a cost.
Katsuki stood before him, his face set with defiance and resignation. “This is the only way, isn’t it? One of us has to go.”
Izuku’s voice trembled. “Katsuki, please… I can find another way.”
“There *is* no other way,” Katsuki said, his gaze unyielding. “I won’t let you disappear, Izuku. I’ll be your guardian, even if it means leaving everything behind.”
Izuku’s ethereal form flickered as he tried to touch Katsuki’s face, his hand passing through like mist. “If you do this, we won’t be able to talk. You’ll be a spirit, bound to me but out of reach.”
“Better that than leaving you alone.” Katsuki’s voice softened, and the desperation gave way to raw determination. “Let me do this, Izuku. I need to protect you.”
Slowly, reluctantly, Izuku nodded. “Very well. I accept your sacrifice, Katsuki Bakugo, and bind your soul to my shrine.”
A bright light surrounded Katsuki, his mortal form giving way to something more. He faded, his final smile filled with quiet resolve. When the light receded, Izuku felt an absence, a wound that would never heal. But he reached out and sensed Katsuki’s presence within the shrine’s stones, an eternal guardian.
---
Time passed, and mortals began to visit again, drawn to the shrine’s peace. They left offerings, strengthening Katsuki’s spirit, and Izuku could feel him growing closer. Though they couldn’t speak, Katsuki’s presence was a comforting shadow.
A legend spread—that on stormy nights, the spirit of a warrior bound to a forgotten god could be felt, a guardian who sacrificed everything for love. Izuku felt pride with every offering, knowing Katsuki was still there, watching over him.
In quiet moments, Izuku would close his eyes and remember Katsuki’s smile, the fierce loyalty in his gaze. They could no longer touch or share breath, but their bond endured, transcending realms. The tragedy of their separation was tempered by the knowledge that Katsuki’s spirit would never leave him.
Together, in spirit, they watched over the shrine, bound by love, sacrifice, and an eternal connection that would never fade.
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