Chapter Text
"Alright, we've arrived," Izuku said, his voice sounding a bit anxious as he led the others into his apartment. "Xzarkor should be arriving soon...he said he would arrive around 5:00, and it's already 4:45."
The group all nodded, as they settled in to wait. Tenya, Tsuyu, and Izuku sat on the couch and got comfortable, while Ochaco found a spot on the floor and did the same. Shoto sat cross-legged on the floor and waited patiently as well. "Well, let's just wait and see if he shows up at 5 like he said he would," Izuku said, sounding slightly nervous.
"He will, he has to" Tenya said, sounding confident. The rest of the group remained silent as they waited for Xzarkor to arrive. Everyone was tense, knowing that the fate of Izuku's soul was hanging in the balance.
~
It was 5:30.
"Xzarkor promised that he would be here at 5 sharp," Izuku said, sounding slightly more irritated. "I know he's a demon, and I guess that means he doesn't really care about things like time, but this is important. I have to get out of this deal before anything else happens. Please tell me he's going to show up soon."
Just as he was about to check the time for the third time, there was a knock at the door. The group all turned their heads towards the door and waited nervously. Was this the moment when everything would change? Izuku took a deep breath and went over to the door. He opened it, and standing in the entryway was Xzarkor, looking as terrifying as always. His red eyes seemed to pierce through Izuku's soul, his horns and tail jutting out from his body, as he stood looking imposingly tall compared to Izuku. "Hello, Izuku," Xzarkor said, his voice sounding cold and emotionless as always. "What is this supposed to be?" His eyes scanned around the room, noticing the other present teenagers. Izuku took a breath and tried to compose himself before speaking.
"Well, Xzarkor, we've come here for a few reasons," Izuku said, trying to sound confident. "First, we've come here to ask you to release me from our deal."
"And why would I do that?" Xzardor asked.
"Because the demands that you've given me are impossible," Izuku said, trying not to let his anxiety show in his voice. "I've been working as hard as I can to meet them, but it's just not enough. I've been working myself to exhaustion every day, physically and mentally. I can't go on like this anymore."
"I have no plans to release you from the deal," Xzardor said, his voice sounding firm and resolute. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you signed the contract, and I have no intention of breaking my word. If you can't handle it, that's simply not my problem."
"That's the thing," Izuku said, sounding frustrated. "I signed the deal, and I knew there would be a few consequences. I knew that things would be difficult and that I would have to sacrifice some souls. But I never imagined that it would come to this. You have already asked for fifteen souls from me, and that has already broken the agreed-upon terms of the deal. So don't you think we can come to some sort of arrangement? There are supposed to be no more than a 'few' souls sacrificed, not fifteen. Please, Xzarkor, I need out of this deal."
"Yes, but you see, you never asked me what I consider a few," Xzarkor said, his voice sounding cold and uncaring as ever. "Maybe instead of agreeing so easily, you should’ve read the fine print"
"W-what?" Izuku stuttered.
"So what you're saying is that fifteen souls is your idea of a 'few'?" Ochaco spoke up, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Xzarkor said. "I told you to sacrifice some souls; I never specified how many was considered a 'few.' I gave you a chance to read the contract before you signed, but you declined and blindly agreed without asking any questions."
"Midoriya, why on earth did you sign something like that without reading the fine print first?" Tenya asked, sounding slightly chastising as he looked at Izuku.
"I know, I know," Izuku said, sounding a bit sheepish. "That was a stupid move on my part, I admit that"
“Stupid is an understatement.” Ochaco said.
“Seconded.” Tsuyu chimed in.
"You're right, Ochaco," Izuku agreed, feeling embarrassed about his mistake.
"But we can't keep dwelling on that," Tenya told his friends. "Right now, we've got to convince Xzarkor to let Izuku go."
"Alright, alright," Xzardor said, sounding mildly amused. "Let me hear your arguments for why I should let him go."
The group all took a deep breath and looked at each other, silently trying to come up with a plan. Izuku was the first to speak up. "Xzarkor, I realize that I should have read the contract more closely before I signed it. But I'm asking you to consider the fact that I have already given you fifteen souls. That's more than enough to satisfy the terms of the deal. I'm asking you to show mercy and let me go. It won't cost you anything, and it would be a chance for you to prove that even demons can be generous.” He still had faith that Xzarkor wasn’t entirely evil, that he would do the right thing.
However, Xzarkor just stood there, completely unimpressed with the arguments. He listened to the pleas, but his face remained emotionless. He stepped forward and looked at them with a cold and menacing gaze, his voice icy with distaste. "My answer is no. I will not release you from the contract. You made your decision and now you must live with the consequences." He glared at Izuku. "You should have known better than to make a deal with a demon. You should have been more careful. You were naive and stupid. But you’re even more stupid for daring to question me. For daring to ask to be released from our deal"
"What do you possibly have to gain by keeping Izuku bound to the deal?" Tsuyu asked. "He's already given you fifteen souls, which is more than enough. What is your real goal?"
"Power," he said, his voice sounding menacing. "Pure, unadulterated power and control over the mortal realm."
It was clear that there was no reasoning with him. There was nothing they could do. Suddenly, Izuku stepped forward, his expression determined. "No," he said, his voice strong. "You will not do whatever you please. Not anymore. I won’t allow you to hurt anyone else"
Xzarkor stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he smiled, a thin smirk that sent chills down the group's spine. "Well then," Xzarkor said, his voice low and menacing. "Let us see how this plays out. I look forward to making each of you suffer. You should have never crossed me."
"Xzarkor, we don't want to fight you," Ochaco said.
Xzarkor laughed, a cruel and sinister sound. "You think you can negotiate with me? You are mere mortals, teenagers, with no power over me, I am the one in control here!" He shouted, his voice booming through the air.
Tenya stepped forward, his fists clenched. "These teenagers are not afraid of you Xzarkor. We are training to be heroes. We will not back down. We will not let you hurt our friend, or anyone else."
Xzarkor's eyes narrowed in anger. He raised his hands and a wave of dark energy surged around him. "You dare to defy me? You will pay for your insolence!" He shouted, his voice filled with rage. The group stood their ground, ready to defend themselves against the demon's magic, despite the risk they knew it was. Xzarkor seemed to sense their fear and smirked. "You were foolish to think you could outsmart me! I am the one with all the power here, and you will not escape my wrath!" He stared Izuku down, and for a moment, the air was still. Then, he roared in laughter. "You think you can stand up to me? I am an ancientdemon, power beyond your imagination! You are nothing!"
Still, Izuku did not flinch. He stood firm, his friends behind him, and met Xzarkor's gaze. After a long moment, Xzarkor seemed to relent. He huffed, and waved his hand. "Fine, I will leave for now, but I will return. As the oh so generous demon that I am, I will allow you kids to live for just a little bit longer before I consume your pathetic souls" With a crack of thunder, Xzarkor disappeared, leaving the group standing in shock. Fear quickly replaced the slight sense of relief of being left alive.
“So… what now?” Shoto spoke up, his quiet voice sounding so loud in the completely silent room.
"We have to be prepared for when Xzarkor returns," Tenya said, his jaw set firmly. "We need to come up with a plan to protect ourselves and the people of this world."
"We can't do it alone," Ochaco said. "We need more help if we want to stand a chance against this demon. We need to try and find someone with knowledge about demons"
“I already know exactly who.” Tsuyu smirked as she looked over the group.