*earlier*

BAKUGOU'S P.O.V

"Dude, c'mon, it's not that far," the dumb redhead insists as he essentially drags me up this huge ass hill leading to god knows where. There are so many steps it's hard to keep up, but that doesn't stop him from pulling me by the hand like he freaking owns me. I don't even know why he's so excited to go to this stupid shrine; we should be back there, training with the others. It's always nice showing off my super cool quirk to guys who'd only ever be as strong as me in their dreams. And even then, probably not.

But, because Kirishima is so good at wrapping me around his little finger, I can't find it in me to say no. He's gone through all my teen angst bullshit up until this point, so I guess I at least owe him this much. Even if shrines don't really interest me at all, apparently they mean a lot to him. Maybe he goes to them a lot to pray for manliness. I dunno. All I do know is he really wants to go to this place in particular, so much so that he was willing to sneak off with me to do it.

Sometimes he's like a man possessed.

"Well will you let go of my hand and stop dragging me?" I eventually snap when I nearly end up tripping up one of the stone slabs beneath my feet. Damn stairs. I could get up this hill in one explosion! Well, I could if I didn't have to worry about destroying the path to something this idiot is so excited to show me. Part of me wonders if he's been here before, but I quickly dismiss it. He's never mentioned coming to Kyoto, and it ain't exactly something you wouldn't wanna brag about. As much as I hate class trips, this place it actually kinda awesome.

"Huh? Oh, sorry," he finally stammers, taking way too long to let go of my hand, but eventually releasing me from his grip. Someone needs to tell him that he's stronger than he thinks he is before he goes and breaks one of my bones or some shit. Not like it would hurt, but a broken hand wouldn't be very convenient. I've gotta be on my guard at all times, especially around Okumura. We're cool now (kinda), but I still don't totally trust the guy. How could you trust the kid of Satan? "Look! I see it! C'mon!"

And, with that, he disappears over the crest of the hill, bounding up the steps like a fox on steroids. Even small puffs of explosions struggle to propel me closer to him, but I eventually manage to catch up. All I can say is: damn, this is pretty. The way cherry-blossom branches twist around one another, pink petals fluttering down onto the marble and stone structures beneath them. Not only that, but there's a balcony, behind a large kitsune statue, overlooking the view below the shrine. A thick, lively cluster of trees, crawling up a sheer drop. Guess it's best to stay away from that edge, huh?

Obviously, weird-hair is in his element. He's running here, there and everywhere to take it all in, eyes wide and reflecting every ounce of gentle light bouncing around the little area. "Isn't it awesome?! Super cool," he breathes, running his fingers along the grooves in the statue. Right down to the kitsune's ninth tail. "I'm so glad I got you up here." Wait. Hang on. That voice... That wasn't Kirishima. But it came out of his mouth. "I thought it would be much harder, but I suppose my reliance on your affection for this boy was well-placed."

Then he turns, and my stomach caves in. His eyes aren't just red anymore; they're glowing. Like they're piercing right through me, staring deep into my brain and reading every thought rattling around in there. That's not Kirishima.

"The hell are you?! What did you do to Kirishima?!"

"So that's this vessel's name? Kirishima. Strong name for a strong boy."

"He's not a vessel, you asshole!" I roar, aiming my palm towards him. I don't wanna do this, but if there's something inside Kirishima, I gotta get it out. But, before I can let off a violent explosion, the gleaming haze lifts from his eyes, and his face twists in fear.

"Bakugou?! What're you doing?! Don't hurt me!" He cries, voice strangled with terror. Shit. Shit! What the hell am I supposed to do?! Would holy water do anything? I don't even know what verse to recite to exorcise whatever's inside him! How the fuck am I meant to do anything under this pressure?!

"Let him go! Get the hell outta him!" I shout, shooting a blast towards the ground. I'd call it a warning shot if I ever thought that I could aim one of those things at that stupid redhead. Why him? Why did he have to go and get possessed?!

"You'll blow your friend to pieces, will you? Come now, even I wouldn't appreciate such a waste." His voice is back to a sharp, spindly growl. The snarl of a demon, with the pitch of something else. Like... Like a fox. Like a kitsune. "Figured it out, have we? I've been imprisoned in this shrine since The Blue Night. Nearly seventeen years! I thought I'd go mad sitting in that statue!" It cries, sweeping around the marble, using Kirishima's body like he belongs to it. I can't do anything. I'm powerless. "Now, as much as I'd like for this vessel to work, I'm afraid this boy doesn't quite have what I'm looking for. I need a rage to match my own." I wish I had the time to react.

But, before I can even move, or take on any sort of defensive stance, Kirishima's face is inches from my own. His eyes are completely crimson, right down to the whites, and when he pulls his lips into a smile, his jagged teeth seem sharper than ever. A rage to match its own? It's only when I understand does it grab my wrists, pinning me tight and forcing its lips against mine. Even though the air is being sucked out of my lungs, it feels like something wrong is filling them. Something malicious, furious and- Now this is what I call a vessel.

~

KIRISHIMA'S P.O.V

Where am I? Cracking my eyes open, I struggle to even stand up straight without swaying a little. Was I... Sleepwalking? The last thing I remember was looking around the shrine with Bakugou and then-... Bakugou! Snapping my head up, I take in a sharp gasp when I see the form of my best friend practically writhing in front of me. His face is seared with ruby marks, each as aggressive as the next, and his teeth have sharpened into vicious, deadly points, not unlike my own. From his explosive hair, a pair of fox-like ears stand to attention, matching the nine, golden tails twisting around from the base of his spine.

"Bakugou!" I yelp, moving towards him. And that's when he attacks. Not with an explosion, but with a flame unlike any I've ever felt. Not even Todoroki's come anywhere close to being this hot, the embers blistering my skin on contact. Letting out a sharp wail, I grip the damaged area and harden the rest of myself, adrenaline-filled breaths tearing my lungs apart. "What have you done to my best friend?!" I cry, only to be met with another wall of fire. It's okay. It won't hurt, not when my skin's hardened.

And then it cracks, and the flames twist through the shell. With a scream, I almost collapse to my knees, the taste of iron swelling on the tip of my tongue. Nothing can break through my quirk. Nothing! But the fact is: something has. I can't fight it. I can't fight him. So I do the only thing I can think of.

Using my last few pieces of energy, I unclip a small bottle from my belt and wrench the cork out, tossing the contents all over Bakugou. His piercing shriek confirms the sick truth of just what's happened. A demon's possessed him, the holy water burning through his skin. And, no doubt, if I don't move quickly, it'll kill me where I stand before I can even get away.

So I don't think. I just run, pretty much falling down the hundreds of steps the pair of us took to get all the way up here. I don't even know why I wanted to come here so badly. It was like I wanted to show Bakugou the shrine, and that desperation totally took over me. Like it was calling to me. Why the hell did I listen?! All I can do now is try to find Mr. Okumura; he's the only hope Bakugou has. If he's still in there, he's gotta be fighting. I can't just leave him to get swallowed up!

Thank god, after a few taps on my phone, I pick up Okumura's location- a sushi bar not too far from here. I don't know what I woulda done if he was all the way up the damn Kyoto Tower. Honestly, I don't really wanna think about it; I just need to get to him! So I stagger my way through the town, ignoring the stares and the gasps and the people stumbling away from me. I just comb the streets until I reach Okumura's signal.

It's embarrassing, but all I can do is collapse into the door and tumble into the restaurant, skin searing and smouldering all over. All I have to do is blink and Okumura's by my side, asking all sorts of questions I don't bother to listen to.

"Bakugou. It's Bakugou. You gotta... You gotta help him." And then I'm gone, consciousness slipping through my charred fingers. Please help him.

~

* kitsune tsuki

        translation: fox possession

                   definition: the process in which a kitsune takes possession of a human body, often with malicious intent.