Chapter Text
Izuku has lived a pretty easy life.
Did she feel fulfilled? Honestly, she didn’t.
Was she considered selfish for wanting to do more with her life? She doesn’t know… but she was sure she wanted to reach higher.
After all, was an average life something to boast about? Was it a worthy achievement to carry with you as your coffin sealed tight?
For her, it wasn’t.
She had always wanted more, to keep pushing past her limits. To help people, even if it meant her own demise, even at the expense of her own life.
So, she spent her days' training. Training to become a powerful swordsman. A pillar.
She was determined to train after knowing how such horrid creatures could masticate on their prey and slobber with gluttony, but still remain unsatisfied and hunt for more.
She didn’t want a repeat of what happened. Of standing helplessly as she watched her slaughtered family rot on the ground, blood seeping from the inside-out.
It was a sight that forever etched in her brain, and a scent she never wanted to smell again.
She didn't want others' lives to be wasted for the sake of hers...
She wanted to be useful like her sensei.
But… she was incapable.
Her sword never changed color, no matter how hard she repeatedly trained, repeatedly sliced huge boulders with ease, repeatedly slayed multiple training dummies in one go, repeatedly kill her lungs and legs by running up and down different mountains, repeatedly exhausted herself just for nothing!
Her efforts would always arrive with the same exact conclusion. She could not yield a sword to its full potential. She could not master a quirk.
Yet again, resources and time were wasted on her.
Why couldn't she master such art? Though she was oblivious to the reason why she could not do so, she knew deep inside. She definitely had the determination, just not the will to kill.
Not even after the event she’d rather not recall. Not even after red tainted her clothes.
She was incapable of killing. Of causing pain.
Of ending a life.
Even if that life belonged to a heartless creature.
She had too much of a hero complex. Wanting to save everyone, no exceptions.
While her friends all became accomplished swordsmen under the Hero Corporation, she was left behind. Instead, focused on mastering medicine and being of use as support. Her swordsmanship skills may be lacking, but her brain always proved to be her prominent asset, and she'll use that remaining asset of her's to be useful.
Though her fate tied her away from the future of the Hero Corps, she always seemed to attract danger. To be a victim of it. To involve herself in it.
In the field of this small world, she was a simple magnet, and danger seemed to be nothing but pieces of metal attracted to her influence.
She was oddly favored. By danger that is, not by the gods.
This wasn’t the first time she encountered danger, so why was she trembling under the glare of this blonde demon whose red, bloody eyes boldly claimed to be part of the upper rank?
Death’s knocking loudly at her door, and she’s quite aware of it.
She was only trying to gather mushrooms for a trial medicine she was making. There was no harm in doing so, right? right...? On second thought, maybe she shouldn’t have done it in the middle of the night. But what’s done is done , and she never meant for her to get stuck in the traps of her current situation.
She rummaged throughout her body, looking for the tinted sharp object she always kept near her. Though she was a mere chemist, she knew a thing or two on how knives work. Especially how well they worked against demons when dipped in wisteria.
Once she found it, she hurriedly propped it in front of her as her shaking hands held it tightly. Pointing the tip at the awaiting demon, showing off that she was armed.
“S-Stay back! This kn-knife is glazed with w-wisteria, and I-I know h-h-how to use it!” She warned. Mentally scolding herself for seeming too vulnerable with her excessive stuttering.
The demon glared in silence, then suddenly scoffed. Curling the corners of his mouth as he showed off the fangs that decorated his smirk. “You sure know how to use it, but I doubt you ever do. You’re too weak to hurt anything.”
Izuku bit her lips as they quivered, “Not true…” She denied though a part of her knew that there was no lie in what the demon said.
“You’re not a good liar either– Pfft, are you crying? Are you really that useless?”
“N-No! I’m not… I’ve k-killed before, y’know?” Obviously a lie. She didn’t want to admit she couldn’t kill. What good would that do? Definitely would worsen the situation she’s in and give the demon another reason to see her as an easy opponent. She could only desperately hope he wouldn’t notice and press on the matter even further.
She carefully watched the demon’s next actions, her hands threatening to lose grip of her only advantage– no, correction, defense. It was in no way an advantage. She knew she never used a knife against anyone in her lifetime. It was only for show. The moment the demon takes action, she’s bound to be doomed and she can’t do anything about it.
The demon folded his arms and puffed his chest with pride. After all, he wouldn't be part of the upper-rank demons if he had nothing to boast about. “How fucking interesting, so have I.” he continued, this time his ruby eyes staring deep into her emerald ones, straight into her soul. “Wanna add to my collection, milady?”
She flinched. She was shaking. Her legs. Her arms. Her hands. They all wouldn’t stop shaking! She couldn’t stop shaking!
She took deep, slow breaths, trying to calm her banging heart and shaking body. 1… 2… 3–
The demon suddenly lunged forward which forced Izuku to react without thinking. She hated acting upon impulse… But when push comes to shove, she had to if she wanted to live, and she did.
She shut her eyes tight as she steadied the knife she held in front of her, hoping for the best. She braced herself for the demon’s impact, but surprisingly, it never came?
She slowly opened her right eye, taking a peek at what she was to come across next. The scene surprised her once again.
The demon wasn’t feasting on her insides, nor ripping her throat. He was… a few measures nearer which definitely alarmed her, but that wasn't her current priority. She was alive. She was fine . Maybe the gods did favor (to a, somewhat, small extent) her after all.
A crunch of leaves (which turned out to be the demon steadying his footing) brought her back to reality, reminding her of the life-threatening situation she was in.
“Eeek! D-Don’t come near me. I s-s-swear I’ll l-lodge this knife onto your neck, and allow your head to r-roll on the floor!” She stumbled upon her words. Warning the demon with empty threats yet again as if they actually were convincing. She knew it wasn’t okay? But she didn’t know what else to do, and there was no harm in trying. She just wanted to go home and brew whatever concoction she feels like making.
“Aggressive, are we? Then go, lodge the knife or whatever the hell you want. Prove to me you aren’t weak. That you can kill .”
He took a few steps forward, slowly approaching her, causing Izuku to retreat in response. That was until her back hit the trunk of a tree, (curse you tree! - izuku) stopping her from backing away any further, dropping her knife on impact. Shit. Much to the demon's advantage (but to her dismay), her situation allowed him to corner her and deem her helpless. She was doomed.
Tears threatened to make a mock of her face as the demon gently placed onto her frail hands the knife she had dropped. Smiling ominously, while a menacing aura continued to flood her.
“Kill me, milady.”
Her eyes widened as he kept his gaze steady.
Emerald eyes were trapped within his ruby orbs. Her whole body was stunned beneath his heavy aura. She felt so small compared to him. She knew at that moment that he could never kill him.
He was right. She was weak.
“What are you waiting for?” The demon mocked, never once faltering. Never once losing focus on her emerald orbs.
Tears spilled from their confinement as they tainted her freckled cheeks. The moon illuminated her eyes further as the tears reflected them.
“I-I… just go away please.”
She felt defeated. She was defeated. And she knew she couldn’t escape from the situation she trapped herself in. How could she when right from the beginning, the demon possessed strength levels ahead of her?
At that moment, she expected death to be the only answer.
But, apparently, it wasn’t.
“What. The. Absolute. Fuck.”
She stared, a repeat of the stare she wore earlier. However, this time, it was a stare of confusion. Prominently a stare of confusion. She was still scared.
“Are you actually demanding a demon?” The demon asked with a scowl. Eyebrows knitting together as his eyes dared to pierce through not only her body, but to shatter the soul of the greenette.
So that was his problem? A short moment of change in superiority? Was he so caught up in his own ego that a quick moment of his inferiority from a mere human (who was about to die, mind you) bothered him that much? Wow.
But the demon had the upper hand, and she wasn’t going to risk gambling her life away. So she answered honestly. Hopelessly.
“Yes.”
Considering that she was expecting much much more, the demon merely pinched the bridge of his nose and scoffed in response. Was the demon annoyed? Angry? Happy? Disappointed? She didn’t know. But that wasn’t important. She was in one piece, more importantly alive , and that’s all she needed. How did she do it? She didn’t know either.
“Either you don’t know what demons are, or you have a death wish to fulfill. I’m thinking it's the latter since you’re knowledgeable enough to know what wisteria does to creatures like I.”
He sighed, crossed his arms, and adjusted his position by leaning back.
“You’re a nerd, but a complete idiot at the same time! I don’t get you at all.” He growled in frustration.
“O-Oh, the ‘nerd’ part was kinda nice…” Izuku muttered quietly (but loud enough for the demon to hear) with a smile, absolutely forgetting the shitty mess she was in. For what? A simple compliment? Yeah, sure, that.
“No! Stop it! It wasn’t a fucking compliment– you know what? I’ve lost my appetite, thanks to you. I’m going.”
The demon turned his back and started grumpily walking away. Izuku couldn’t blame him. She was his supposed dinner (do demons even have dinner? Eh, didn’t matter), and he left without a single bite or taste. Hunger could explain why the demon was so grumpy.
It was hilarious (inappropriate for the situation) how a human could empathize with a demon. A fucking demon. More so in food when humans were the only thing on their menu.
She cut off her thoughts as she realized a mistake she made. She hurriedly stood up and chased after the demon, her lungs not in the best condition after the near-death experience. She stopped in her tracks as he recognized his signature spiky blonde hair.
“Wait! I… I didn’t catch your name. Real name .” She managed to huff out as her breathing paced fast. Her lungs hurt like hell, and she could put her life in danger yet again, but it didn’t matter. She needed– no. She wanted to know his name.
The demon stopped walking as he turned around, to face the greenette. Allowing her to see his stern face and ruby eyes trailing to meet her emerald ones.
He tsk-ed in annoyance, but continued to speak his mind. “You’re really fucking weird. I hope you know the consequences of befriending a demon. Don’t regret it…”
He then turned around, facing what was behind him seconds ago with the intention to leave. He began to walk away while Izuku could only stare in disappointment, expecting a better answer. Only for the blonde to stop and quickly leave his last message.
“But it’s Katsuki .”
“I’m– oh… he vanished.”
The blonde was gone. Immediately disappearing into the dark forest after stating his name. Though the blonde’s disappearance went by without warning, Izuku felt happy and honored to know his name. To know that behind the demon Ground Zero , was the human Katsuki .
“Ka… Kacchan…” She muttered while smiling softly.
Strangely, she wanted to meet him again. Someday, she hopes.
Someday, they will.
After all, fate will find a way.