Death Paradox 💥BAKUDEKU💥

Chapter 19

The Emperor

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Chapter 19

The crackling of the campfire barely cut through the thick tension in the air. The orange flames flickered weakly, casting long shadows on the grassy hillside where they had set up camp just outside the citadel, far enough from the noise but close enough to be ready for the Trials of Valor the next day. The walls of the city loomed in the distance, the towering spires of the castle barely visible under the darkening sky. The stars overhead twinkled against the deep blue... it should've been peaceful—should've been the kind of quiet Katsuki could enjoy after a long day of fighting through crowds and getting to the damn city.

But Katsuki wasn't feeling any peace.

Right now? Katsuki was still simmering. All he could focus on was that icy shard. He shot a glare over his shoulder, where Izuku sat cross-legged on the ground, staring down at the notebook Katsuki had given to him, furiously scribbling down what he thought was important to note about this world... and that damn ice shard Shoto had given him was just there, catching the firelight like it was mocking him.

He wasn't sure why this shit was getting under his skin so much.

No—scratch that. He knew exactly why.

That icy bastard had touched Deku like he had the right to, like he could just take what he wanted. The way Shoto's fingers had grazed Deku's jaw, the way he had spoken to him so softly, so damn condescendingly, like Deku was some fragile thing that needed protection—his protection.

"You should get rid of that," Katsuki growled, stopping mid-step to face Izuku. His voice was low, rough, barely hiding the frustration that had been building inside him since they'd left the marketplace. His hands twitched at his sides, and for a moment, the sparks of his magic crackled between his fingers, lighting up the night with small bursts of light.

Izuku blinked, glancing up from the notebook in his hand. Confused he follows Katsuki's line of sight, his brow furrowed like he was considering Katsuki's words. "I don't know, Kacchan," he said slowly, his voice careful, like he was trying to ease the tension. "Maybe we should hold onto it. Shoto's offer might be useful."

Katsuki's jaw tightened. Useful? He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at Izuku, nostrils flaring, and he felt his body heat up, the anger pushing at the edges of his control.

"Useful for what, Deku? You think that—" he pointed to the ice shard with a sharp flick of his hand, "is something—" Before he could finish snaping back, he felt a familiar sensation creep into his mind. Kirishima's presence brushed against the edges of his thoughts, calm and steady, like a quiet nudge trying to coax him into settling down. Katsuki could feel Kirishima's concern radiating through their bond, the silent request for him to ease up, to not blow up the whole damn campsite over this.

But that just pissed him off more.

I'm just saying—

Stay the fuck out of this, shitty scales. Katsuki shot a sharp glare at Kirishima, his eyes flashing dangerously. The dragon raised a scaled brow before huffing a plume of smoke softly through his nose and turned his head away, clearly trying not to get in the middle of whatever was about to go down. Good. Katsuki wasn't in the mood to be told to calm down. Not about this. Not when that bastard had touched his—

Wait.

His?

The thought hit him hard, and for a moment, he froze, his mind reeling. His? Was that what this was about? The way Shoto had acted around Izuku, the way his hand had lingered on Izuku's skin, like he had every right to touch him, to pull him in close? It made Katsuki's chest tighten with something unfamiliar, something hot and possessive that he didn't know how to deal with.