(A/N: Yep. Another story. xD Since I've been into both a My Hero Academia and demon mode as of late, I decided to combine the two. Especially after watching some incredible videos on youtube of the characters in yokai form. :3 This story will be focusing more on Izuku, but I'll be switching from his POV to the original characters every now and then. And since it's been a while that I've tried my hand at a yaoi story, this will contain that. Along with straight couples and possible yuri as well. I just want to try different things with my stories. Of course I'm mainly just doing this for fun, so who knows if it'll be good or not. But I hope anyone who reads this enjoys. ^_^)
"We're doing what now?"
Izuku's dark green eyes were wide in complete disbelief, a small hint of worry also shining within them. He wondered if he had misheard his childhood friend. Granted the spiky blue-haired and snaggle-toothed girl who stood excitedly in front of him had always been into folklore and mythology, but reading and suggesting what she just had were two highly different things. Especially when one of those scenarios could possibly lead them into danger.
Not that he actually believed in yokai mind you, but still...
"Visiting the old shrine up in the mountains that legends say is a gateway into the realm of yokai!" Kaori chirped out, lightly bouncing on her feet with a bright grin. "Tonight there's a rare blood moon. And with such a unsual occurrence, I'm certain we're sure to see something supernatural out there!"
"Can't we just go to the festival tonight like everyone else?" Izuku asked hopefully, a hand reaching up to run through his curly green locks. He didn't want to admit he was a little scared to trek up the mountain that led to the Shinto shrine. The place had been abandoned for years, and who knew what sort of weirdos might be hanging around up there...
Things in Musutafu had been a lot more unsafe lately. People were just up and vanishing with no traces of their bodies ever being found. The police believed it to be the work of some deranged serial killer who was just able to meticulously dispose of the bodies, yet some people believed this was the work of spirits 'stealing' away these poor people to devour their souls. This including his friend.
Kaori let out a sigh, the light having depleted a little from her eyes, yet she wore an understanding smile. "It's okay, Zu-kun. If you don't want to go, you don't have to. I'll be okay going by myself."
"No!" The sharp shout caused the few students in their classroom to look at the normally timid male in surprise, and a pinkness tinted Izuku's cheeks from the attention. "I-I mean, I wouldn't be a very good friend if I just let you go out there all by yourself. A-and I suppose going to the festival every year does get pretty boring..."
The light green eyed girl was truthfully his only friend, and he'd never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her. Kaori was like a sister to him, perhaps because they had been ostracized since they were very small. The reasons for this were actually pretty idiotic. Kaori because of her odd looks, often being compared to a demon herself due to the little fang that protruded over her bottom lip, and the fact that both of her parents were currently serving jail time for various theft crimes, something that wasn't her fault. And he simply for the fact that people saw Izuku as the perfect candidate to walk all over. He supposed it didn't help that his father was known to be a womanizer either, so people automatically assumed he was a playboy himself.
It made him shiver knowing how many sick individuals had come onto him just because they thought Izuku was easy...The fact that it leaked that he liked both women and men not helping matters for him...
"Really? Thank you, Izuku!" Kaori happily squealed out, her sudden embrace causing Izuku to faintly blush and smile softly. "We'll head to Yudono-san thirty minutes before twelve tonight. That should give us enough time to be ready to walk through the tori exactly at the stroke of midnight."
"Just so we don't stay out till dawn...My mom's already been terrified with all the news reports lately..." Izuku murmured. He had to reassure his mother over and over that he would be with Kaori and that they would be safe together. The people that had been snatched away were all on their own. Or at least, there were no accounts to anyone having seen them before the incident...
"My aunt and uncle too...Yui-san said I should find someone at least big and strong to go with us so I'll have someone there to protect me," Kaori said with a small smile while her fingernail gently scraped at her cheek.
"E-eh? Is your aunt trying to say I wouldn't be able to do anything?! Have you told her I've been working out more lately?!"
It was true that Izuku wasn't scrawny like he had been when they first started high school. Now that they were in their last year, he had actually buffed up. Still, he was of average height and his rather cute looks didn't exactly make him appear intimidating...
"Well, it is a little hard to believe when you're squeaking similar to a mouse~" Kaori teased with a playful smile, giggling when Izuku started to rapidly wave his arms up and down like a bird trying to fly away.
"Th-that's not true! Ah, Kao-chan! Stop laughing! You're supposed to be on my side...!"
"It's so beautiful!"
"Yeah..."
Izuku and the girl beside him were both in awe at the grand red gate that stood before them. The crimson moon shining above did give the place an eerie glow, thanks in part to the lanterns Kaori had lit to give them more light, but the cherry blossoms that swayed with the gentle breeze on either side of the large tori, made the place seem less foreboding.
This sacred place did honestly feel magical.
"You brought your notebook? So does that mean you're hoping we see something after all?" Kaori voiced with a knowing smile, seeing the worn out book clutched in Izuku's right hand. It was something that meant a great deal to him, and he was always jotting down anything within it that caught his interest.
"I mean I'm still not sure if I believe, but I suppose anything is possible," Izuku murmured, a small smile curving up the corners of his mouth. "And even if nothing happens, writing down about this amazing place that people rarely visit will be worth it. This is something from our past that once meant a great deal to our ancestors."
Kaori nodded with a soft expression on her tan face. "Mmm...To be honest, even if back then things were a lot more chaotic during the Edo period, I wouldn't have minded living during that time. And we'd get to wear these cute kimono's on a daily basis! They're way more modest then the clothes we wear today, which I prefer."
Izuku couldn't help but laugh at Kaori as she spun around in the pretty green and yellow trimmed kimono that she donned with a black obi. He had to admit that the silky white kosode that he wore with dark green hakama pants was pretty comfortable, and he did kind of like the material a little more than his usual clothes.
Sitting down on the steps, the two fell into a comfortable silence. Izuku took to drawing the view around him and Kaori was gently humming a tune he didn't recognize. She would occasionally glance at her cell to check on the time, so when she was jumping up, Izuku put away his notebook and slowly pulled himself off the concrete steps.
"You ready?" Kaori asked, taking hold of Izuku's hand in her own.
He noticed that her palms were just a little sweaty. Maybe she was actually nervous or a little scared herself, so he gently squeezed her hand in a reassuring gesture.
"Yes. Let's see if this yokai realm actually exists or not."
"We should close our eyes and count to three. Maybe if we can't see what's in front of us, we'll be more likely to enter into another realm." Kaori suggested.
Izuku nodded, his eyelids fluttering close. He took in a deep breath of air and then began to count in time with Kaori.
"One...Two...Three...!"
The two continued to hold each others hands while they crossed through the large red tori. They felt a brush of warm wind tickling their faces and could smell the scent of cherry blossoms wafting all around them. None of this seemed odd to them, so neither noticed that their surroundings happened to be shifting and distorting around them.
"Do you think we've reached the old shrine by now?" Izuku questioned.
"I'm not sure...It shouldn't hurt to open our eyes and see..." Kaori replied.
The seventeen year old's slowly peeked open their orbs. Instead of being met with an old temple and shrine, they stood in front of an oak bridge that was surrounded by a sight neither Izuku nor Kaori were expecting. A picturesque village that seemed to come straight from the feudal area was what laid before them. Cherry petals floated all around them, making the view appear more ethereal than it already did. On the water beneath the bridge many colorful lanterns glided on the darkest water either of the teens had ever seen. It matched the equally dark, yet beautiful sky that rested above them, where no stars could be found. Only the large moon that was pink and purple in color instead of a blood red.
"Kaori..."
"Yes Izuku..."
"I don't think we're in Musutafu anymore..."
Izuku and Kaori turned to stare at each other for a few seconds, abruptly clinging to each other where they screamed out in unison with bold white eyes and pallid features, "SO WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!"
Unknown to the two human's, they were being watched by multiple eyes of various colors and shapes. Most were surprised by the sight of two mortals having managed to enter their domain. Others wore looks of curiosity or even interest. A few even held expressions of hunger, but they were trying to hide or at least suppress these urges.
"It's been nearly five hundred years since the last human came to this realm, hasn't it?"
"Yes...But how did they get here is my only question..."
"Don't you remember? Tonight's when our world is more connected with theirs. Still, it is surprising. Most human's don't believe in us anymore and that was always a critical thing for finding this place..."
"Who gives a shit! What the hell are we going to do with those two cowards?"
"...It'll be some time before the portal opens again. They're stuck here until that happens..."
"Tch...Maybe we should just eat them then. I can't remember the last time I tasted one."
"Come on, man! You know we don't do crap like that! Scaring human's, sure. But we're not animals like that other group!"
"...With that temper of his, Bakugou does seem like he'd be more on their side..."
"THE HELL DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME, YOU DAMN BUG?!"
"S-sorry! I spoke out of line...I'll...just head home..."
"I'm pretty sure Bakugou was the one being out of line, Tamaki-kun. That being said, it should be the leaders call. So, Todoroki-sama, what should we do with them."
"...Amajiki. Use your pheromones to knock them out for the time being."
"Understood."
Once Kaori and him had calmed down, Izuku glanced behind him. The tori had completely disappeared. Nothing but water as far as the eye could see lay where they had previously come through. Wherever they had ended up, it appeared they were trapped. Or maybe if they proceeded forward they'd find some way to escape this beautiful, but still unknown place...
Feeling Kaori tugging on his long sleeve, Izuku noticed that her pupils had shrank and she looked terrified by something. When his gaze met what had the blue haired female so spooked, he felt his own body tensing up on the spot.
A tall male stood before them. His face was covered by a kabuki mask with a red and white fox design painted on it, so Izuku was unable to make out his features. What did stand out were the six red and white fluffy fox tails that seemed to be attached to his figure.
Is he...a demon?! Then were the legends right? Izuku pondered. He couldn't help but gulp, wanting to back away and get far away from this creature. Yet there was nowhere to run. This...person blocked their only path. I'm scared...but Kaori must be too. I have to focus on protecting her!
Moving in front of his friend, Izuku managed to keep his voice from quivering as he said, "I don't know who you are, but don't come near us!"
The demon merely tilted his head, and Izuku gasped when the taller male was upon him and gripping at his chin with his clawed fingers. They looked sharp enough to rip into his throat if the mask-wearing figure wanted to, and just thinking this made Izuku's body lightly tremble.
"You're brave to talk to the King of Yokai like that, little human," he uttered out in a velvety baritone. His demeanor was cold like a glacier, and Izuku was certain he possibly just sentenced Kaori and himself to death. "I can respect that. That's why I've decided to keep an eye on you myself."
Kaori wondered if she should try and pull Izuku away from the demon, but she blinked when a rather pretty golden glitter like substance was drifting around her. It had such a calming and warm feeling to it. Almost like someone was hugging her and telling the girl that she was safe. Before she knew it, her eyes were closing and she was out like a light.
"Ka-Kaori!" Izuku cried out, hearing the thump from behind as he pulled away from the yokai's grip where he noticed the girl laying sprawled out on the ground. He was unable to run to her side for the same sensation that hit her had captured him, and Izuku did his best to struggle against the calming pull, but his body soon gave in and he ended up collapsing into the arms of the fox demon.