The World Ends with You Too

by 0er0

Years have passed and choices were made. The Noise have reached critical mass beyond repair. Once again Shibuya becomes a battleground. Shibuya must be tested by unforgiving angels. It is up to Neku and his friends to save Shibuya from the ultimate battle against the Noise: The Clash. OC character warning. Art commissions located on first/ last chapter. Last update 10/02/14

14. Week Two, Day Seven: Why not?

[I own nothing. NOTHING! *disclaimer done*
Slowly easing my way across the chapters. I'll be working on the final chapter after this is edited. But feel free to distract me with reviews or pms. I always like them.

PM if you see errors, nuff said.]

"Neku, even if you don't remember me... even if you hate me forever. I won't stop watching, I'll make myself be apart of your life someday, even if it costs my soul."

"Your price will be returned. But something so valuable lost... is difficult to obtain again."

"If you allow it... I'll start repaying you immediately. I'll do whatever you ask."

"You'll serve me as a reaper, you'll play a very long game. A game that extends a lifespan. You chose his life over your own... prepare to give it. By my the power invested in me as Composer of Shibuya, I welcome you to the reapers... Kotori."

Neku awoke with a jump out of his bed. His fiance was much slower to open her eyes and rest herself in an upright position. "Neku?" The grown man huffed in panic as if he remembered something that was lost. "I... I need a moment. I just remembered something." Shiki didn't need a bigger hint that something was wrong. At the same time, there were times you questioned what to ask. Neku was troubled, any number of things could be troubling him, but a nightmare seemed a bit excessive. Usually he was composed in troubled times. The grown man paced a moment in the bathroom while his fiance looked into the unlit room, her eyes used to the darkness after sleeping so long. She didn't want to go back to sleep, she wanted to go to where Neku was, but she didn't know if now was the time. So there she waited until Neku returned and told her, "I just remembered something long ago. I can't quite place it... I should be able to place it but I can't."

Shiki cocked her head, "What did you remember?" The woman at this point was the only voice of reason and in fact the only available voice to reason with. Neku told her what he remembered, "My mother died when I was born. They claimed it was a miracle I lived after the accident we lived through. My mother... I can't remember her. I've seen pictures of her, but..." Shiki paused a moment to think, his mother? He had never brought her up before. In fact, Shiki had never seen a picture of his mom before. The bride to be asked, "Do you remember her name?" Neku paused a moment and shook his head, "I've been told many times... why can't I remember? And... why is this suddenly bothering me now?"

Shiki looked out the window coldly and then back at Neku, "Your mother... she played the game didn't she? The reaper's game." That sounded logical enough, "Probably." So Shiki took another shot in the dark after Neku began, "You lived and she didn't... if you should have died... does that mean you actually won the game? As a baby?" Neku shook his head, "I've never seen babies playing the reaper's game. I assume they're not of the age to play." Shiki pointed out, "But your mother would play the game. What would a mother's price be?" Neku saw where she was going with this, "It'd have something to do with a newborn child. But since she died... she must have lost the game and her price." Shiki frowned, "Maybe it was that you wouldn't remember her. Or care about her?" Neku shrugged, "It's in the past now... let's try to get some sleep. We're heading to the airport tomorrow..." Shiki nodded a moment and then questioned to herself, That woman I saw earlier... Kotori... could she?... It's not impossible.

XXXXXXXXXX

The shrink had been in his practice for 8 years. Young enough to be considered young by the other older doctors, but old enough to be respected. The psychologist had dealt with a number of patients none of them had been so... morbid. "Last night... I saw a little girl... She asked me for help. I checked to see if I was awake." His patient began, a small child of the age of four. The psychologist didn't bother taking notes, he just leaned forward and listened as he read every detail the boy's body language would write. Fear, uncertainty, sadness and even still more fear. "I watched her... she was eaten by a monster... I couldn't help her... I ran and hid... I always run and hide." The boy looked away as if he thought he was a coward. The psychologist asked a few questions, "What did she look like, Joshua?"

The frail boy was pale and seemed to lack sleep. This was the first time his parents suggested a powerful sleep aid for the poor boy. "Do you think I imagined it? Do you think she wasn't real?" Joshua tested to see if this man was like his parents or friends, they all thought he was crazy. The psychologist asked him a question, "What do you think? Did you imagine it?" Joshua gulped and showed surprising maturity for his age, "Honestly... I can't tell what's real or not anymore. Everyone says I'm crazy... who's to say their wrong? I'm scared to say she was real... because... if I say that she was... that'd make me crazy." The boy fought back anxious tears. The boy was found in his room quivering in fear of monsters no one but him could see. Tattooed beasts... people dying. The boy was troubled enough to force his conservative parents to seek professional help right away.

"Joshua... I'm happy to tell you a secret. I don't think anyone is really... sane. As a man in my profession. I hardly think you being afraid of frightening sights makes you crazy." The psychologist often believed his patients to a fault. "You think I actually saw them?... You don't think I'm lying?" Joshua looked up from behind his hugged knees. "No, I don't think you're lying." The man said calmly, but unsure of what disorder he actually possessed. Schizophrenia seemed a likely diagnosis. Perhaps he had a night terror or suffered some other trauma and this was his way of coping. There was too little information to say. The boy was clinically speaking... insane. The man for the first time in a week grabbed his notepad. "How long have you seen this sort of thing?" Joshua confessed with his eyes looking out the window, "More and more every day... I'm... I'm scared... can you make it stop?" The boy's eyes were begging at the man to help. After looking at the notepad he initialed a number of boxes and made a few notes. "I don't know if medication will help... but I want you to try it... it'll take a week or two to see if it works."

The boys neighbors questioned what was wrong with the child. Joshua was always staring into space and going into fits when he saw animals no one else did. People no one else did. One neighbor argued that he was abused by his parents. Some argued that he was simply a child desperate for attention. The truth was, he saw the Underground. On his way back home he looked at his medication. He frowned at the sight at the bottle. He could still see them. They were everywhere. Noise, players and reapers. He saw all of it. The medication probably wasn't going to have any real effect until next week by what the doctor said. He dreaded waiting that long, he dreaded being haunted by the dead and the noise. It was then he saw a young man running by him at top speed. The boy ran through other people walking in a different direction. Joshua tried his best not to react. He held on to his little backpack and kept walking until. He saw a girl, older than him. Run by and let out a cry for help. He stopped dead in his tracks as he quivered at the sight of an elephant noise that let out a stomp of impressive power. The girl extended a hand in his direction and was stomped to death. There was no blood and no corpse; there was only a stampeding elephant.

The boy ran as fast as he could away from the awful sight. He dropped his backpack and just ran away crying like the child he was. "Make it stop! Make it all stop!" The elephant chased him as if he were a player. It swung its mighty tusk and it swiped through the boy harmlessly. But he still ran in fear, he knew it couldn't touch him, the creatures he saw never could. But he always feared one day he might be one of those people who were killed by them every day. Joshua's running stopped with a thud against another man's leg. He pleaded with the man, "Make it go away." Joshua started to moan as it was pointless. No one ever helped him, but this man wasn't no one. "Sure thing, chief." The man was Hanekoma, he didn't look a day younger than he had ever been. The man helped the small child up with an extended hand. Joshua accepted it and rose to his feet. When the elephant tried to attack him the noise exploded into energy with an impressive looking palm strike from Hanekoma.

Joshua stood there, dumbstruck, "Who are you?" The man told him on a knee, "Hanekoma, you can call me Mr. H if you'd like." The boy turned and looked at the now gone noise, "What was that thing?" Hanekoma calmly explained that it was a noise. Hanekoma solemnly told him that what he saw was the underground. Hanekoma secretly looked into the boy and saw his creativity/imagination. "If you want I'll tell you at a coffee shop. I love those places." The small boy kept listening as the older man gave him answers, real answers. Ones that satisfied him beyond any medication, "So... the Underground?" Joshua had to learn more, he'd talk to him every day if he had to. He'd learn everything about what he saw. He had to learn it all and Hanekoma had to keep a smile on his face while he secretly swore to himself at the boy's power. If he can visibly see the reaper's game now... When that kid's older... he's going to be a god. How right he was.

Joshua's 'medication' worked. After a few weeks of taking it, the boy had no more outbursts and showed immense progress in school. It wasn't long before the whole incident was dismissed as a childhood hallucination which didn't require medication later. No one even considered the possibility that Joshua hadn't been lying, no one... except this man. His parents who weren't often home, were replaced by this simple man. Hanekoma was something of mentor and a real father. Someone with rarely found wisdom about the world beyond. To Joshua: this man was an angel, someone he could trust. How right he was.

XXXXXXXXXX

Week 2 Day 7: Why not?

"Well this is a surprise." Kariya always began his day with an understatement. This of course could be followed by an even greater understatement, "Well... we're in a bit of a mess." Joshua had to top him. The players were fast asleep, but the reapers had their hands full. The taboo noise were out of control. For the entirety of the last day, they'd grown in number and only now had the original spot been sealed up. Kariya spoke the obvious, "He's probably activated or trying to activate another spot by now." Joshua agreed with a glance in the direction of Pork City. Uzuki had a question at this point, "What place would he be trying to activate now?" Joshua could answer that for them, "Pork City... if he makes one of his junk heap seals there... he could have the whole city drowning in taboo noise." Despite Joshua saying this, he didn't seem worried or even bothered by the noise. He was busy thinking about something or rather... someone else. Hanekoma...

Kariya talked with his lollipop between his teeth, "You want us to try to take on the Conductor? Or should we try to deal with whatever noise we can manage?" Uzuki hoped that they didn't have to do either of those things. They'd die doing either of those things, but she also knew what a cold hearted bastard Joshua was. He had reapers die for much less before. Joshua thought a moment and bit the end of his finger as he thought. Joshua was definitely thinking of something else. The city didn't even seem to matter right now. But by the way Joshua looked, none of this surprised him. Then again it was hard to tell if something ever surprised him. He was prepared for just about everything it seemed.

Joshua turned and finally gave his orders, "Survive. Protect each other... and the remaining players. Leave the noise to me." Joshua walked off with his hands in his pockets. "But sir... I thought if you used your powers while you were on probation... or did anything out of line." Joshua could only comment, "To hell with the probation... As Composer I'm charged with this city's protection. If the angels kill me for it... fine. I don't need to exist in this weakened state anyway." Uzuki and Kariya felt like their mouths dropped until they hit the ground. "... Sir?" They both said at the same time suffering from a case of immense confusion. "You heard me." The Composer muttered under his breath with no sign of interest in current events. The only thing that mattered now was, I can't let him die for nothing. If anyone needs to die for my selfish purposes... it's me.

XXX

"If anyone needs to die for his own selfish purposes, it's Joshua." The angel said to his subordinate who walked by his side. The demon wasn't amused with the daunting task before him, "Wouldn't you rather me deal with the noise?" The Agent didn't have time for that at all. He needed Charon to do something far more important. "Any moment now... Hanekoma could come up with something. If he had his powers as a Producer... he'd have found a seal I'm sure... but... We can't have that." Charon leered a moment at his boss, "You can't?" The Agent spoke frankly, "Hanekoma should never have come here... an angel of his talents should belong in a more... suitable place. We need to save what we can and move on. Hanekoma will not truly be destroyed, you realize this."

Charon looked ahead, "I still think this city can be saved, Hanekoma was right... This... Sho proved it." The Agent didn't need to hear it, "That decision is not yours. The Director will most certainly not side with... these... renegades." The Agent was haughty enough for four men. Charon nodded with more than a little reluctance, "So then you're sure... What is my task?" The Agent gave the demon an annoyed look which said that he didn't want to verbally speak the order. The demon gave a bow and left without another word. The annoyed angel remained leaning against a wall, "I'm sorry old friend... but we can't just erase leave your death to a timer... Normal methods won't work on you... I'll leave your death to Charon." Hanekoma was indeed a dead man. Could anyone have chosen a more powerful opponent? Perhaps, but Charon was far more than Hanekoma could handle. The Agent smiled, "So Joshua... will you save him? Will you try to save yourself, your city or your friend? One of these things will be taken from you... Now... I have an appointment with my future Composer... Minamimoto. Farewell... Composer. I know what you'll choose."

XXXX

Noise were everywhere and anywhere. Nanami raced pasted the people blind to the chaos around them. Part of her wished the living people could see what was going on, then the other part of her remembered why they shouldn't. "There'd be chaos if they could see all these noise." Nanami let out a low tired exhale as she stopped to hide behind a corner. Erasing noise were pointless, there were so many. At the same time it wasn't pointless, these were taboo noise. Sho's specialty noise could attack anyone: players, reapers and anything else that happened across their path. With luck, perhaps the angels would focus on the taboo noise. She thought about Weiss, "I know he's being controlled... the real Weiss... I know he's not really fake. There were moments where he felt something real." The angel in control couldn't possibly know everything Weiss felt. At the same time, she feared he could. If that was true, then the angel was hellbent on destroying Shibuya. Everything Weiss saw only added to the angel's rage. What was worse, the angel decided Shibuya's fate. Not the people, not the Composer, "Not even Hanekoma."

Nanami always liked him, in fact. She had a feeling everybody liked him. Joshua seemed to think of him as a mentor sometimes. Neku had respect for him and even the angels seemed to like him. Hanekoma stood for something, Shibuya. If anybody else were Producer, the city would have been destroyed long ago. There was no telling how many threats he averted, even via illegal methods. In fact, there's no telling how long he stayed Joshua's hand. Hanekoma still did something surprising. With how important he was, he still sacrificed himself to save Nanami. By pacting with her, he effectively forced Joshua to behave. Not only this, the angels went out of their way to let her live. Was she really that important? I'm not the type to let an innocent die. The voice echoed in her head and she huffed with annoyance. Innocent? No one was innocent, if anyone needed to die, it was the person who couldn't save everyone. Hanekoma was far more valuable than her. Why did he have to make a pact?

"Why did you have to make a pact." Again she heard another voice echo in her head. Her attention was lost to this voice now. "Am I hearing his?..." She asked herself before another voice spoke, "Sometimes... you just got to stand for something. Even if no one notices you should still stand for what you believe." It was Hanekoma's voice. He was talking to Charon. Could Hanekoma be sending messages to her? Why was he doing that? "I do have a favor to ask... if you can do it that is." Nanami still was trying to figure out why she was hearing all of that. A favor? Who was he asking? Charon? That sounded like the other voice. "Of course, he's pacted with me... it makes sense he can communicate somehow." She said these things aloud, lucky for her no one in the real ground could hear her. "There's very few favors that would be within my power to grant. Ask with care to this." Hanekoma on the other end sighed and Nanami heard the crackle of paper. It was crumpled as if Hanekoma were pulling a sheet of paper out, "Please, give this to Joshua. Even if I'm dead, give this paper to Joshua. If you do we may be able to save more than this city." The message was for her, not Charon. From what Nanami could tell, Charon wouldn't do such a thing, "That wasn't worth asking. The very idea that I'd betray the Agent is beyond me. You shouldn't have wasted your breath old friend. I'll hold back as best I can... Try to do your errand while you face the fallen. Die in peace, my friend."

The sound cut off and Nanami started to run to the coffee shop before any further events transpired. A piece of paper... it should be on Hanekoma's person... The Ex-Producer was desperate. He couldn't make a call that wasn't monitored. He could ask verbally, but he hadn't the time to find her and tell her in a confidential manner. Hanekoma was short on time, luckily he completed the seal Joshua needed at the last minute. Nanami had to do what should could to help the dying man's last wish. She hoped he wouldn't die at the hands of Charon. She had no idea how strong Charon was, but perhaps with him holding back, Hanekoma might survive. She'd see soon enough.

XXXXXXXXXX

The Agent had an appointment to meet and there would need to be more than taboo noise in his way. The number of noise he erased was impressive, but at the same time not surprising. Any noise that might attack Neku would meet a swift death. This angel was hardly any different. The real surprise was how quickly he erased noise. The Agent could call down pillars of light from the sky similar to the Composer. It wouldn't surprise anyone to learn that the Composer and the Agent both got their powers from the same place. By definition, the Composer was a divine role. As such, it was under the jurisdiction of the angels. This angel was determined to make Joshua pay for the many crimes against humanity he committed. Despite the rest of the world seeming to forget everything Joshua did, this angel could not. He watched firsthand as Hanekoma had his wings removed. The lives Joshua toyed with. The prices he took and the souls he crushed. There was no way that this angel could forgive that. He'd see this city burn before Joshua became redeemed. His personal bias aside, Joshua really did many things that deserved severe punishment. The Director cut him some slack, but this Agent had no intention of doing so.

The angel took careful steps toward Pork City. It towered over the city with an ominous aura. It's shadow alone was daunting, the angel stood in the shadow with a smile on his face. "Sho Minamimoto, you truly are a man worth commending. You doom all life with your actions and for this... You'll be rewarded. You may be more devious than your predecessor... But Joshua is far too unpredictable. Your love of math and disregard of rules makes you an ideal candidate for Composer. After all... You'll be erased by the director within the month. For as every Composer learns... there's a man even they cannot cross. Although... I doubt you could call him a man anymore. You'll be perfect until another one is chosen. At the very least... no one will be able to kill you quickly... no I'll leave that to you. You're the only person capable of damning yourself."

The angel's monologue was getting old, Thanatos was having trouble following him now. The Agent probably noticed him following a long time ago, but why should he care? Thanatos was no threat to anyone, no more a threat than the taboo noise. Thanatos knew what the angel thought of him, he had demonstrated his feelings on Shibuya and everyone in it. "I know he's not Weiss... but still... Weiss is still in there." The player walked into the building a moment after the angel did. Taboo noise stood away from from Thanatos, "Noise are cowards... lucky me. Perhaps I'm the greater cowards... or perhaps bravery doesn't make a damn bit of difference. We'll see..." He entered the building without a second thought. Not the slightest hint of fear, for those who welcome death never know fear. Death awaited him, his timer said so. When the time was up he'd choose death, but before that time, he wanted some answers. Sho Minamimoto had them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Uzuki and Kariya had been tossed aside. "I don't think I like this." Neither of them did, they were half expecting being 'sacrificed with nobility' by a smirking Composer. Oddly enough, they were to entrust the protection of the city to Joshua. What could he do exactly? It's true he was Composer, but these days... that seemed to mean nothing. Never once could Kariya recall seeing the Composer fight. The Conductors of old always revered the Composer, but if they could be killed... that said something about their power. Still, Sho failed so many years ago to kill Joshua. So it always left a hint of wonder in the minds of the reapers. The reapers didn't wonder a lot of things either.

Uzuki didn't wonder anything, "This blows... Just waiting around... in the middle of the street. Waiting for something... anything... to happen." Kariya chuckled, "The Composer put us on standby, I think it's a pretty swell deal." Personally he didn't. He was worried of what Joshua was going to do against hundreds or even thousands of taboo noise. The odds were that the Composer was going to do something suicidal. Uzuki looked at her senpai with cruel disdain, "You're an idiot. Do you honestly not care what's going to happen to us now?" Kariya caught the sight of two reapers getting ready to fight. Okami standing by a seal and an angry woman glaring at him with a look of death. "Not really, no. Let's take a look at what's going on over there." Before approaching Kariya looked at a lesser support reaper, "Get me all free reapers here on the double." He approached like a highschooler who was about to break up a fight.

Kotori wasn't happy with Okami at and from the looks of it all... she was going to have to earn her price. She'd already gotten back a small fraction of it, "Your allegiance belongs to the Composer... are you not a reaper?" Okami let out a laugh which was matched with a low animal growl at the end of it, "A dog is loyal to a master, not a cause. I serve Sho Minamimoto... The Conductor holds my respect... what? Do you expect that pup of a Composer could sway me? The angels show their faces to me! The angels have locked eyes with me and won Minamimoto to their cause. They are the ones who own me. Any reaper with half a brain would join them. This city is dying but... it can be reborn." Kotori shook her head and started to take her skates off. That was something she did before getting in a serious fight. "Did your angels say to avoid me?... If you wanted to live, you should have avoided me."

Okami barked the words with fangs barred, "Bitch! Do you think yourself a match for me! I've surpassed your status! You are not the Conductors bitch! Our pack is splitting and only the finest warriors have been recruited by the angels. Sho and myself of course. Charon has taught me to tamper with noise. I can create perfect noise... a noise beyond even the taboo. The perfect noise cannot be controlled, even by reapers like you. I never seen you fight for real... you've used backup... or turned your opponents against each other. Who's to say you can even join battle with me?"

Kariya thought about stopping this before it started, but he wondered who's side he was on. The angels could make some damn good allies. After all, they probably had a way of sparing reapers who joined their cause when the city was destroyed. Although there was the actual idea that the city could be saved. Kariya had lived in Shibuya a while, it was his home after all. Home was where the heart is, well... if he had a heart. Kariya sighed and told Uzuki, "Hey... what's your stance on all this?" The pink haired woman seemed to be having her own dilemma. "I don't... what?" Her head turned to face him as if she was too busy paying attention to what Okami and Kotori were saying. Apparently they were both debating which side reapers should take. Kariya and Uzuki weren't the only reapers there. Apparently Okami was the current spokesperson for the Agent and his angels. "The angels are the winning side. There's no way you can lose... Think of it... even if you are erased, who is it who judges you? It is the angels. They are the ones who decide your meaning in life. Serve them and take this city by storm. Let the noise destroy this place... and when it is remade... and all cities are remade. We shall take rank as the rulers of this new city. I have been promised the rank of Conductor."

Kotori kept her eyes locked on Okami and wondered what the angels promised him to win him over. What he said was true, but her price... it was too much to give up on. "I do not trust the angels... You'd be a fool to take them at their word... they have long since fallen to earth. I used to think... that this day would never come. The day I could get my price back... this day has come. Okami... I won't let you take him away..." Her eyes turned a golden color as her skates left her feet and her white reaper wings appeared. Kariya ordered the other reapers to step back, he could have stopped the fight but, "This is an act of providence. Take a look guys... whoever wins this... I'm joining. Honestly I don't think the angels can be trusted... but neither can our Composer. Who can we trust? We're reapers. We don't burden ourselves with such things as loyalty. Let's see who cuts us the best deal."

Uzuki looked at him odd as if what he said was an act. But the look in his face was serious enough to make her doubt he was acting. Kariya was indecisive and he thought outloud, "I suck at making decisions... I think we all do. Let's see who wins this and decide who to side with from there, eh?" Okami howled a cry of victory, "Perfect logic! Let's see who's left standing! Me! Or this bitch? Come white winged reaper! Sing to the noise!" The wolf raced forward with his noise seal activating and changing into a wolf. He ran straight toward Kotori who looked far more angelic now then the actual angels. Her eyes were glowing and her costume changed to a modest white dress. Her reaper wings were white and her orange hair had a fiery aura about it that made it flicker ever so slightly. "Come." She said as white noise started appearing to defend their master. "White noise... take wing." She muttered behind a barrier of light. Talk was done it was time to deal with that traitor.

One thing to note that everyone in the general area noticed was that Okami was widely considered someone to never ever screw with. Consequently Kotori was widely considered the girl who could screw anyone and get away with it. They never liked each other, but there was always the question of who would win in a straight fight. Come to think of it Uzuki had a confession, "I've never seen Kotori fight... Not for real anyway." Kariya thought about it and shook his head, "No, I haven't either only the Conductor and Composer from what I hear. Judging by how quickly they promoted her... I'd say we're in for a hell of a show." Kariya had a smirk on his face that said flat out he knew who was going to win this fight. Uzuki knew when he knew something and he knew when she knew that he knew something. Now the question was, who knew what he knew?

Kotori began by emitting a wide range scan which hit every noise in the nearby area. The scan had a look of white static and every noise symbol in the area turned white with hints of black. Honestly the whole thing looked like like an old tv on the wrong channel. Okami and the other reapers were frozen in place when the scan hit them. Luckily this was not an attack, this was a move made for gathering noise. "Don't worry, white noise don't attack. It's the other noise you need to pay attention to." Kotori said this in an echoing voice which fluttered away as she vanished after the scan. Okami let out a growl and tried his best to track her location. "You cannot hide your scent from me, bitch. You're in another zone." Kotori thought he deserved a compliment, "Indeed, a zone which is safe from you. But knowing where I am means little if you cannot get to it."

Okami stayed in his wolf noise form, which if anyone could guess, was a formidable opponent. The wolf rushed to several noise attacking them with his fangs and claw. "These noise have to die I bet! Killing them should be an easy task!" Kotori felt another compliment was due, "You're so clever Okami. However will I be able to defeat you." The sarcasm polluted her compliment. Okami didn't care he attacked white versions of bears. The bigger targets often fell prey to his attacks the best. They did not attack. The white noise took the attacks without so much as a counter or a flinch. Okami smirked behind his dog form. They don't even fight back, perfect! They know the stronger of the pack, so they merely accept their lower rank! These are true noise!" As he killed one the noise exploded into light damaging Okami. The light turned into a tiny glowing orb which floated into the sky. "I told you, the white noise don't fight back. Learn their tricks before you do anything rash."

Okami wasn't in the listening mood. He raced forward to attack another noise the other bear noise exploded in front of him and white light did damage to him. Again a white orb flew out of his reach. "Did you know? That the original concept of the grim reaper is biblical? It is described as death reaping the souls of humans. You see the bible compared people... to the harvest. Some were thrown in the fire... some were kept. It is death that harvests the crop. Over time we gave the grim reaper a persona. A black robed man with a scythe for harvesting crops. Why is it then we are called reapers? Why is it we have wings?..." Okami kept attacking different noise. He attacked a frog noise that healed with every hit. It never even took damage from Okami. "Cut your crap! Just die!"

Kotori was in the talking mood, which spelled trouble for Okami, "You see... from that metaphor there's a more solid truth to life. Death doesn't give second chances, why is it that we? Reapers try to take life yet again? Did you know that the grim reaper was mentioned a second time?" Okami was loosing power. He couldn't explain it. His health and energy were being drained by these motionless noise. Kotori went on, "In the era of when Pharaohs ruled over the Jewish people, the tenth plague of Egypt took the life of every firstborn son. The angel of death... or the grim reaper... came in to take their lives. Unless the blood of the lamb was placed upon the doors and windows... the angel would have slaughtered them all. Anyone who was awake during that late hour met a most gruesome death. You see... an angel... that was the original reaper. That is why the strongest reapers have wings." Okami felt weaker now. Why was she telling him this? Why did this matter, "Shut your mouth... Stop talking." The wolf reverted to his human form now. He now slashed at a different noise. The minks took the damage but reflected half of the damage done to them back at him. Every scratch appeared on his body as well. "The strongest reapers are angels... They're no different than us. But I wonder... what is an angel?"

The other reapers in the area listened silently as they felt a sickening feeling how little a chance Okami stood against her. "Angels... Do they even have wings? It goes without saying that their descriptions were given by men of old. They lacked the language needed to describe them properly. They tried their best to describe them, but to no avail. When men or women saw their true form, they fell on their face and began to pray for mercy. The angels would always say not to worship them, but who they serve." Okami managed to kill the minks but he was hurt afterwards. "This means nothing to me!" Kotori let out a light giggle, "Oh but it does... after all... it's our history. The angels were described as having burning eyes and glowing swords. Some took the forms of beasts around the throne. They were described at times as living creatures. Some were said to have wings. Some were said to have six wings, the ones who flew around the throne. They used two wings for flying, two wings to cover their faces and two wings to cover their bodies. Doesn't that sound interesting? Doesn't that sound like something you yourself have seen. You see... if they dare look directly at who created them... they'd be destroyed. Imagine a being who cannot be observed at his full glory and power. That is a true deity don't you think? But we haven't seen this deity. How could we? He's not in our plane after all. But sure enough his servants are here... he's got angels... and he's got reapers... Reapers and angels are the same aren't they?"

Okami was now falling down, "Why?... What does this have to do with anything?... This has nothing to do with the battle. Why are you telling me this?" The question seemed to echo throughout the other reapers. As it didn't seem to make much sense why she was telling them this. "The answer is so very simple. Listen until it makes sense. The angels do not exist in the physical realm, they cannot be observed by science or physics. To some they're a fairy tale told from the bottom of human hearts. To some... they worship the idea of this deity that is said to be felt but not observed. Faith... it seems... is the only thing separating them." Okami scoffed, "Religious trash... it means nothing."

Kotori appeared for the first time to the weakened Okami and blasted him with a white bolt, "To you perhaps, but there's some things in this religious trash you should take note of. There's one more thing about the angels that I'm going to tell you... This isn't about religion... this is about the reapers... and who you're siding with. Did you know that on special occasions angels took human form? There were two angels who went to Sodom and Gomorrah, a place now located at the bottom of the dead sea. They warned a single family about the cities being destroyed. They told them to leave and not look back. One of them turned to go back. Some say look back, but the wording is closer to go back. Upon her going back she was instantly obliterated and turned to salt. Humans are acidic in nature... if a base strong enough were to hit humans... nothing would be left but salt and a good number of impurities. In short... Who has been sent to this city? Hmm? Did they say why the city was destroyed?" Kariya saw where she was going with this, "She's saying that cities have been destroyed before..."

Okami got up slowly and raced toward her cutting at her several times. She nimbly avoided all of them while he yelled, "So what? So what if angels have destroyed cities in the past? We side with them! We side with them and we stand to gain what remains of the ashes!" He took a kick to the chest where Kotori frowned at him, "They're at the bottom of the dead sea you fool... They didn't just destroy the city... they destroyed the underground. Nothing lives there... and nothing will. They called it sin. They called it corruption... we call it noise. This has happened before!"

Kariya looked left and right, "They're not just going to destroy this place... they're going to destroy everything." Kotori lifted him up and looked at everyone, "You see my point now! THERE WON'T BE A SHIBUYA TO REBUILD!" Okami and the other reapers got it. The angels had been working for a long time. The angels had been doing this forever. Whenever noise reached critical mass... they destroyed cities. There's no telling how often they had to do it. But it made sense. Whenever things got too bad in a location on earth, it was always destroyed. London was burned and plagued, Huns brought ruin to Rome, and more smaller natural disasters came to time. "We've got to fight to save it... if we run... we might as well give up. We're accepting this cycle if we keep going. The angels aren't immortal! They're just like us! They're living and capable of making mistakes too! When they become human... it's not a good sign... there's two living angels in our city... sounds familiar doesn't it? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS?"

She threw Okami on the ground as he stopped fighting. He looked at the ground with a shocked look on his face. Then finally a smile. "You're not a true reaper." Kotori was surprised by his response, "Reapers... we seek destruction. Destruction of players... destruction of each other... destruction of those above us. Look among you! Sho! Kitaniji! Yodai! Myself! We were true reapers. Sho would see this world become garbage! Kitaniji would destroy society and make us all mindless drones! Yodai wanted everything to be devoured! I want everything to be torn apart. True reapers value destruction... I see clearly now... The Agent is no different from me... A former reaper perhaps... yes... that must be it... We both value destruction. I'LL SEE THIS CITY BURN!" As he screamed those words a giant taboo noise landed in front of him. It let out a black flaming hiss and looked at the reapers around him. It was Sho's strongest taboo noise, Zero.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sho Minamimoto. Excellent work my friend. Your actions have led to the impending demise of the century." The former Conductor was still wearing his usual get-up instead of the suit he normally wore when he served Joshua. "Friendship is garbage." The reaper stayed working on his junk heap. Which disguised the fact he was working on one final seal which would flood the whole city in taboo noise. He had no intention to be in Shibuya when it activated. "Indeed it is, especially since it only leads to betrayal later. Did you know... neither of us can betray one another?" Sho chuckled at that but stayed working on his seal, "If one doesn't make friends... then it's impossible to be betrayed. If you trust no one, then you're never surprised when they do something to turn against you. After all... that's how you see things, right?" The reaper kept working and then stood up, "What do you want, Agent?"

The angel smiled and looked across the city with a look of disgust. "I want this city to burn in fires it prepared. It supplied the fuel... the air is right for ignition. All that's needed is a spark. How bout it, Minamimoto... will you be my spark?" The reaper placed a heavy metal scrap in the junk pile and somehow it stayed up. "I'll pass. You know nothing of math or art. Also... you know nothing of me. Any reaper can kill a player, but I'll kill everything." The angel didn't seem to care, "It's fine. The spark is already in place. I don't think my presence here will be required further. I'm leaving today... now as a matter of fact. But I was hoping you could do me one last favor." The former Conductor didn't seem to be interested, "I need you to kill what's left behind... it should be an easy task for you. My remnant is much weaker than myself. He's nothing. If you truly want to kill everything... I think he'd be a good start." Sho Minamimoto turned for the first time, "You want me to kill your brat? What positive numbers would that add?"

The angel started to glow a little, "I'm leaving this body behind, it could take a minute or two. As time goes on... the less control I'll have. I'd hop off a cliff... but I'd feel the pain of dying. I'd rather skip that... it was unpleasant enough the first time. Kill this body... or I'm afraid he might do something rash like mess up your work of art... in fact I guarantee that's what he'd do." Sho turned around to see the angel lightly glowing and he gave an annoyed glare, "So... you're leaving your own zero behind... You seek him factored?" The agent responded with a weak voice, "Indeed... I do... I can't have this one running around without my control... but at the same time... I have someone to deal with in the angel plane... I can't stay here for much longer... so... I leave this... zero... for you to factor." The former conductor didn't see the point, "Why should I? You should have calculated I had no interest in that zero." The Agent grinned and said in a now distorted voice, "You won't have a choice when he wakes up. Kill him... or he'll try to stop you. Say bye to Joshua for me." The gold eyes went away and were replaced with silver. The body of Weiss lay motionless on the ground. The former conductor took a few light steps and waited by what may well be a corpse. He could easily kill Weiss, but what kind of person kills a unconscious person? "Time to die, Radian!" The reaper raised his foot to slam down on the skull of Weiss.

With a thundering clap the foot hit the ground and cracks were visible where his foot hit. Sho turned his head a moment. "You've been here for three minutes, yoctogram. Your stealth is garbage and your skill is in the negative. Players like you should recognize the power of infinity." His attention turned to Thanatos who was holding the gradually waking Weiss. "You're the Conductor... you're the one who made all those taboo noise." Sho seemed to like Thanatos, not enough to spare him, but enough to give him some wasteful breath. "Negative squared... I have indeed. So tell me me... factoid... what brought you to these coordinates? There is enough negative energy here to make two hundred and eighty thousand, five hundred and six noise. That's enough to kill everything that moves in the underground. I'm 78% sure that they will. But then... an inverse matrix happens from time to time... like you... why are you here, radian?"

The player held Weiss over his shoulder and looked for ways to escape. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of escaping. The opponent wasn't exactly someone that Thanatos wanted to fight. Sho Minamimoto was a genius, he was the Conductor out of all the reapers, he was the strongest. Thinking back, Thanatos was never afraid of reapers or dying, but this guy... he was the guardian of the Composer. He was someone anyone in their right mind was afraid of. Luckily Thanatos was never in his right mind. "I'm here because... well I'm not too sure. I wanted to die... That's why I'm playing this game... but... there's something that bothered me." As he spoke Weiss eyes opened lazily and his vision blurred as he could see Thanatos say one more thing. "Why is it that people like you make this world so damn complicated! It's people like you who screw everything around you... So... before I do... I think... you deserve a little grief too. I'm not the only one who's been screwed by this... game."

Weiss muttered under his breath, "Why did you come here?... Why?" The blue haired player didn't look at him, he kept facing Sho Minamimoto, "Cuss... I've been used before... screwed even... I kinda feel like you've been screwed too. Didn't want you to end up the same way... Honestly I don't know... Why did I come here?" Thanatos made a light scoff at himself. Honestly he didn't have much to lose, but making enemies with Sho Minamimoto wasn't exactly a smart move. "You sure you just won't let me take this guy and go?" The former conductor responded with a barrier. "I'm no servant of the Agent... but... I don't like things being taken from me. Steal from a store... you get jailed. Steal from me... you get erased. Your ass is meat." Thanatos shrugged and put Weiss down. Who fumbled to his feet, "I'm... I'm awake... Thanatos you run... I'll distract him." Thanatos laughed, "You idiot! I can't be erased... and even if I could... I'd welcome it. Weiss... you should be able to open up that barrier. Run for it."

Sho kept both hands in his pockets as he waited for those two to let their guards down. Even the slightest turn could be fatal for them. Sho was on the top five people on earth not to F#$ with. With taboo noise and relentless hunger for power, Sho could very well turn the two players before him into meat. In fact, that's what he was thinking about doing. "We need to break that seal behind him. If we break it... we should be able to stop this city from being destroyed." Thanatos smiled at him, "You want to save this city? How odd." Weiss looked at him almost unsure of what he was saying, "This... well... Not everyone here deserves to die. I don't want this place to be destroyed." Sho told them both flat out, "I do. I'll see it crushed into little bits. So... Are you both going to do nothing... or are you going to factor you radians until there's nothing left?" Thanatos made a joke, "I'm not the type to start fights. Never was the feisty type." Weiss shook his head, "Don't make sarcastic jokes." Thanatos continued, "Nah, that's your job. Lighten up. It's a good day to die!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Give me all your love

watch?v=7_3QckQU3nw

(Yes I'm bringing back music.)

Hanekoma left the building by jumping through the window. And before you say that was unnecessary, a giant fallen noise wasn't far behind him. It gnashed and bit trying to catch the ex-producer and it wasn't far behind him. Hanekoma ran for it at amazing speed, impossible even for players. He'd teleport slightly to the left or right before the great serpent noise behind him hit him. It was one of Charon's 12 fallen noise. One for each animal of the zodiac. "Bring humanity to sin, serpent." Hanekoma transformed into the cat noise which he chose when he was ready for battle. This was one of the few times where he'd need to use his full power. Even Neku wasn't a match for Hanekoma normally, but against Charon, Hanekoma didn't stand a chance. The fallen noise were Charon's first means of erasure. If the target proved to be more of a threat Charon could use more of his power. In this case, Charon was allowed to attack the target personally, but was not allowed to release his wings. Only in battling the Composer could Charon release his wings or at least having special permissions.

Charon stepped out as a barrier blocked Hanekoma's path. Slowly the demon walked toward Hanekoma. If Charon reached Hanekoma it'd be over. The demon may not have been able to use his wings but Hanekoma knew who he needed to stay away from. He was right, Charon intended to show him why in due time. Hanekoma grabbed the snakes head and stopped both of its fangs from biting down on him. He was struggling to keep the jaws of the noise open. "Fallen noise are the domain of demons... most demons can only control one fallen noise. Not only this... but rarely can a demon control a noise as powerful as one of the 12 zodiac fallen." Hanekoma's voice was distorted as he responded, "Heheheh, Shibuya is full of talent." Charon didn't smile he raised his hand, "Rise from the pits of sacrifice, ram." From nowhere a giant ram noise rushed toward Hanekoma and smashed him through the barrier behind him. "The ram's charge can break through most barriers. All the barriers I make from now on... will not be broken by it."

Hanekoma got up and avoided another charge and dodged another snake bite. "There's two sides to the human mind. The animus and anima... you'll see both this fight." The tigress noise form took flight and made copies of itself. Enough to confuse the snake and the ram into charging different spots. Hanekoma let loose a few devastating punches at the snake finally flinging it at the charging ram. The ram charged right into the snake. Multiple copies of Hanekoma's tigress charged by the ram noise. Each attack sacrificing one of the copies to explode into energy and damage the noise. Hanekoma got an idea. He turned and started tampering with the barrier. "You intend to create a synthetic key to my wall... it'd take ordinary producers two hours to create a key to my wall." Hanekoma made a key in roughly 18 seconds. He stood there while the two noise barely got up and started their assault against his anima. The tigress was not something that could be easily hit, especially not in 18 seconds. The door opened and the tigress vanished. "Always lock a door behind you." Hanekoma said as both noise slammed into the barrier painfully while he stood on the other side. Hanekoma turned to run for his life as another barrier stopped him in his tracks. He was trying his best to get to Joshua and perhaps get some backup.

"Devour your prey, lion. Eat all that remains, rat." Out of the ground hundreds of little rats attacked. Hanekoma couldn't even find a good place to stand. All of the rats made it impossible to stand anywhere. The little ones bit him and slowed him down. Then before he could get backup from his anima, he saw a lion giving his other half trouble. The lion zipped between the copies killing one copy after another instantly. Hanekoma worked on the door as he charged up energy around him. "The world ends at your horizons." A pulse of energy blew the rats back and he let out bursts of energy every so often to keep the stragglers at bay. He looked at his anima and knew what he had to do, "Switch." Instantly they both teleported to different spots. Clones appeared and rushed into the rats each clone not exploding but leaving a blue energy trail. The energy killed the rats little by little. The lion was far more formidable. It gave Hanekoma a few good slashes before Hanekoma managed to grab the neck of the beast and slam it into the ground. Hanekoma could have done more damage, but the point was to escape not fight. Charon was getting closer. He walked through barriers as if they weren't there. Both hands in his pockets and both hands were in his suit jacket.

"Take the horsemen to earth, horse." "Guard the gates to hell, dog." A vicious three headed dog appeared bit at Hanekoma faster than anything before. Both arms were bitten and before it bit his head he gave the dog a kick. As the dog went midair a horse ran by him with a trail of fire. It circled around him. The flames were too tall to jump over. He traded places with his anima. As the horse kept running he gave it a kick in the direction of the dog. When he kicked it a flame wall hit his leg and he had to guess every single one of these noise was nasty if you allowed it to fight you the whole way through. The dog attacked the copies and actually managed to bite faster than the anima could make copies of itself. It bit the anima and he switch places with it delivering a punch to each head followed by another kick to the body. Individually, Hanekoma was stronger than any two of these noise, but even so... all of them were a problem. After one was erased another would take its place. He needed to lock them up or get away from them. He went to the barrier and the horse ran by it setting off a black flame with red smoke. "Hahahaha! Live for the moment!" Hanekoma said as he reached his hand into the fire and decoded the wall until finally it was cracked. He was getting faster at breaking the walls. With a jump he managed to suffer only minor burns, but his arms were weak now. His anima teleported in and he locked out the noise. He was going through the noise fairly quickly. But they were damaging him just as fast.

"Watch mankind return to instinct, monkey." "Let mankind cast aside their gold and worship idols, calf." They both appeared in front of the barrier that came next. Charon was using the noise as if they were nothing and indeed, they were. To Charon they were a pointless tool, something to appease the angels. Charon's never met someone he could fight. He'd never seen anyone to match him in his combat ability. Perhaps that's why the angels were quick to recruit him. In exchange for his obedience, he need not go to the demon plane. The two noise looked past Hanekoma. The monkey sat on a stump of wood. The calf looked more like a bull with two long horns. The bull was made of stone and the monkey was sitting in the same thinking position. The monkey made no movement as a jungle of trees sprang up out of the ground. His element was wood and it used lots and lots of wood. From every tree vines, thorns and an array of wooden spikes tried to impale or hold him. The trees were thickest around the barrier. The noise were smart enough to block the barrier, but no matter. Hanekoma raced by the trees that came out of the ground as fast as he could step. Before long he was on top of the trees, but they just kept growing. His anima was busy making prey of the calf. It attacked with clones each rushing by, but each turned to stone the moment it touched the calf. With every step the plants and trees turned to stone. With every exhale rubble and small pebbles came out. The calf let loose a breath which fired like a bolt. Upon hitting a clone it exploded into shattering rocks each of those hit another clone. Each one that missed turned trees to stone. The calf turned it's attention to the barrier and let out a breath in that direction. The trees blocking the barrier turned to stone. Hanekoma didn't like the look of this. He punched his way through the rocks. Each tree that was broken exploded into smaller shards of rock some of which hit him. He managed a finger to touch the barrier. At the slightest touch he started hacking through it. The trees started growing through his arm as he made his way through. Eventually the pain became too much, he had to pull his arm back. So he did, but not after the barrier was down. When it was done he reminded the noise, "Expand your world." He let loose a powerful blast that shattered the stone trees in his way and he went through and locked the door behind him.

Charon had four noise left, "Desecrate the pure, boar." "Multiply and devour, rabbit." Hanekoma had almost made it. But his arms were very weak now, he'd have to end this quickly. A boar approached as his opponent, and by approached I mean charged with a streak of lightning behind it. Upon hitting the Hanekoma lightning struck down on him. He was getting slower. If the boar had been the first noise he could have dodged it, not now. What was worse was the rabbit was keeping his anima occupied in full. It made copies of itself and rushed by similar to his anima. It had the exact same power. The only difference is it could multiply even faster, but all of the rabbits were suicidal. Each rabbit that hit a clone exploded. The rabbit soon had plenty of spare clones to attack the anima alone. It teleported from place to place only to be hit by a stray explosion. The boar was hitting him with charge after charge until he finally reached over and touched the barrier. "As weak as you are... do you hope to unlock the barrier quickly? Know your strength and... know theirs." The noise attacked again and again, but Hanekoma kept his defenses up as best he could. He mustered up a pulse or blast to slow the boar down until finally the barrier broke. "Even in your moment of weakness... you cling to life. I admire your courage."

"Show the world your vanity, peacock." "Devour the woman's child, dragon." This was the last two. He was almost where he needed to be. But too little too late. He wasn't gaining any distance on Charon. What was worse, "This is the end for you... the angels have permitted me to fight you myself this next barrier. It seems the fallen noise are not doing the job fast enough. In a way this is good, I'll make sure... you will not suffer in death. I will wait until you pass this next barrier... I'm sure you will."

XXXXXXXXXX

Zero was strong. Stronger than any noise that any reaper had faced. It made sense though that he'd be strong. He was created by combining an immense infusion of taboo energy and noise. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?" Uzuki let out a shout which made it apparent she was the local pissed off reaper of the group. She launched a barrage of bolts which the dragon didn't bother avoiding. Every attack that hit it seemed to make taboo noise. "I am not dying to taboo noise... I almost died once... and I had to be saved... by players of all people." Kariya talked as he avoided gray fireballs. "I actually wouldn't mind some players helping me out to be honest." The reaper attacked a number of small noise and battered them with a number of small hits before the light puck, "Good girl... keep passing the puck... taboo hate light pucks." Often it was passed between players, but Kariya and Uzuki could pass a puck which they could use to double their damage based on whoever had it. In the case of taboo noise, the damage was times 4. "Hey Kotori... You deal with Okami?" The wings were gone and she had her roller skates back on, "He ran off. I'll help you deal with the Conductor's mess."

Her attacks were far more simple, all she did now was similar to Kariya and Uzuki. She healed a number of weaker reapers who fought taboo noise with their fists and energy blasts. The whole place looked like a warzone. Which as far as Kotori could tell, was exactly what Sho wanted. The city was to be torn apart if the noise weren't dealt with soon enough. Uzuki blasted Zero with an attack that let out a big explosion and then launched much smaller dartlike bolts. The big blast made it bleed little noise and the little blasts hurt the smaller noise. Kariya twirled around it as it sprayed flame breath. He was careful to jump and make the flames hit everything except reapers. Much to his chagrin, he noted that the flames didn't hurt the other taboo noise. "Of course." He said as he launched another big blast at the giant monster. Zero was not going down easily. It seemed that all Zero was doing was distracting the other reapers from getting any real work done. Kotori just kept flinging healing psyches around and heel dropping any noise that come by. Which given the roller skates were made of metal had to hurt at least a little bit.

It wasn't long before they figured something out, "This thing isn't terribly dangerous when we have a lot of reapers helping out... but... we're losing reapers." A support reaper said this casting heals and buffs on nearby battle class reapers. The ones with wings were the give away battle reapers. They sent bolts flying at little reapers. "With this many reapers... organized... There's no way we can lose!" One said as he jinxed the moment. Everyone looked at him and in unison said, "You... idiot... now something is going to happen to totally turn the tide and make us struggle. Or worse kill us." As fate would have, a cosmic force decided that was a good idea. However could it have not thought of it sooner, turning the tide. As it turns out the dragon was charging up a big attack this entire time, one big enough to shatter the barriers and buffs the reapers had. Consequently this attack would hurt the little noise too. But it seemed a small price to pay in exchange for dealing some real damage to the reapers. "Negative flare." The monster said in a voice not its own. It sounded more like Sho. The monster flew up into the air and launched a gray blast of energy which sent a shockwave large enough to kill every noise in the area. Consequently, nearly kill every reaper in the area. "This isn't good... Heal them quickly!" Kariya said as he now had trouble dodging the fireballs as much. "Did... that energy slow me down?... Crap..." The energy slowed everyone in the area down, except of course for the noise. This was going to be one of those days, namely a Thursday.

XXXXXXXXXX

Thanatos hated opponents who were stronger than him in every way. Sho was stronger, faster and smarter than him or Weiss. The only good news was this was a two vs. one fight. This of course didn't make a lick of difference when Sho summoned up taboo noise. The moment Weiss turned his attention to the taboo noise and sent a single plasma bolt Sho clocked him square under the jaw. The moment Thanatos turned his attention to Weiss a kick to his face went off. He didn't even use his noise form and he was already kicking the crap out of them. "So zetta slow..." He groaned as he hated fights that could be won so easily. He appeared around them in multiple places and gave each of them a punch and a kick. "Get some distance!" Thanatos said jumping back and Weiss did the same. Both of their feet were grabbed and swung in the opposite direction of where they were promptly slammed into the ground. Sho still held on to their legs, "You should know... I'm stronger than when Neku and the Composer fought me. I've mastered taboo... I've mastered my powers as a reaper... I've calculated your chances of victory... your chances are exactly the same as someone coming to your rescue. You can't take me.

Upon hearing this Weiss pulled out one of the pins that the Agent left in his pocket. It was a gold pin with a sword. He used a shockwave psych that had more power than anything he'd ever seen. "Sword of Heaven?" He looked at the psych and kept attacking at Sho doing damage for the first time. Thanatos took this opportunity to get up and summon his noise. The noise came crashing down on the other noise and launch fireballs at the former-conductor. "You got any more of those?" The pins in Weiss pocket rivaled that of the darklit planets. He didn't have a complete set, but it was good enough. "Road to Zenith?... Sounds good..." Weiss started zooming around the area. It was an impressive dash pin which he used to rush into Sho and slash him more with his shockwave. They were impressive variants on the attacks he used before. More noise greeted him and he greeted them with another pin. "Finger of God." (For those of you who aren't familiar with tornado terminology, that's one of the many nicknames for a tornado. I'll give you ONE guess what that pin does.) A tornado filled the whole area and spun the noise around. Finally they slammed on the ground. After they slammed in the ground they were stunned for a split second which made it easy to come up to them and cut them with more shockwaves. Especially since that dash pin made it easy to get there.

"It seems the angel left pins behind for you... He wanted you to factor me until there was nothing left... Or at least hoped I'd be too weak for my plan to work. Nah, he's just a moron. That angel had an IQ in the decimal places." Sho exaggerated as always, but he didn't exaggerate when he said this, "You'll need a lot more power to beat me... Just because you sons of digits can kill taboo noise that puts you on the same side of a fraction as my misguided underlings. Zero will deal with them soon enough." After he said this a tornado appeared and tried to pull him closer to it. It did nothing but hold him in his place. Which gave Thanatos enough time to launch fireballs via his noise. Sho easily dodged those then Weiss came to hit him with a shockwave. Sho turned his body in such a way where he avoided both, flipping sideways midair. When he came to a full land a hand grabbed his throat. Thanatos hand that stunned. "Try dodging now asshole." A tornado went off right where Thanatos stood. He was in the center so the tornado didn't bother him much. But he held Sho out on the edge of the tornado. The dragon proceeded to breath fire into it while Weiss fired plasma bolts in the tornado full of fire.

Inside the tornado was a yell, not of pain, but of transformation. The hand that grabbed Sho's neck now barely held the front of it. Another hand reached out of the tornado. It was the hand of Sho's noise form. It threw Thanatos midair and into the tornado as it dispersed. "Any storm can do some can throw some rocks, I'll throw the world." The monster gained impossible speed. He was now faster than Weiss when he was using the dash pin. He was stronger than Thanatos' dragon. What was worse, he still had taboo noise ready to give trouble. "Zetta slow." He caught up with Weiss the moment his dash pin ran out of speed and he threw Weiss right at Thanatos. Thanatos responded by created a field of energy which stopped Weiss from hitting him. "Get the noise!" Thanatos yelled at his blue dragon. Weiss checked his fourth pin which he had no idea what it'd do. "Eternal blessing?... What do you suppose it does?" Thanatos tossed Weiss in the direction of the taboo noise, "Use the middle finger of God you jackass! And then find out!" The tornado worked as a shield sometimes, because it was difficult to pass, even for Sho. He encased the noise inside the wind prison. "Middle finger?... Ass..." He cut the noise with his shockwave one after another and after they all died Sho came rushing in the tornado and punched him in the chest. A pulse of energy as there was silence and it shot Weiss into a garbage heap. Sho didn't stop there he ran straight for Thanatos, "Die! Radian!"

Thanatos let loose his stunning hand which Sho easily avoided by dropping to the floor and causing his legs to fall down. "Like a damn cat!" Thanatos pushed himself back as Sho ran toward him to do the same to him that happened to Weiss. A giant dragon noise stomped right on Sho before he reached Thanatos. "Maybe if you were in that lion form, you'd have hit me." Sho looked up with slit eyes like an animal, "I'd have killed you, hectopascal." Thanatos grabbed the head of Sho and let loose stunning energy as the dragon bit his body, "Gotcha you son of a bitch!" The dragon let out a flame breath as Sho didn't even flinch. It's as if he felt no pain, "So zetta weak... This attack's power is in the decimals." He let loose a roar of energy as he changed back into leo cantis, his lion form. "Oh shi-" Before he could finish he was being kicked midair and thrashed around like a ragdoll midair. The words kept repeating. "Zetta slow. Zetta slow! So Zetta slow!" Indeed he was, his dragon barely had time to start flying up to his rescue before Sho turned his attention to the beast. "SO ZETTA SLOW!" He kicked off Thanatos to go toward the dragon who's mouth was open and ready to fire. Sho grinned until his power felt sapped. He looked to see Weiss back up and his taboo noise dead yet again. "What the factor?..." He was human sized and landed into the dragons mouth where he was spit out in a most visual display of fireworks. "Mega flare!" Thanatos cried as the dragon shot him into his junk heap which came to a towering crash.

Weiss found out what his other pin did, "It's a healing pin. It's a one use, reboot pin. It'll recharge, but while it's recharging it gives you smaller heals until it's back in use again. Constant healing... pretty cool huh? Although it doesn't heal as much as normal pins." None of that mattered at the moment. Sho was still standing and worse... smiling. "Do you think I'm through? This isn't over not by a google. I'll kill you both for desecrating my perfectly calculated seal... and I'll make sure you die... zetta slow." Thanatos confessed, "Honestly I'd rather you hurry up and kill us. My spot in hell is getting cold." Weiss rolled his eyes, "Are you even taking this seriously?" Thanatos chuckled, "No. Why the hell should I? I'm dying today anyway. So is your angel buddy. Although with the kinds of angels in heaven... makes me wonder if they'd let me in... Yup... I'm better than that Agent and he seems to run the place."

XXXXXXXXXX

Hanekoma was having quite a bit of difficulty with these last noise. The peacock had an ability which caused everything to be freeze in place. The bird was made of metal and it cut several clones with its tail. It also flung metal feathers that were nothing short of blades. The anima couldn't hold its own at this point. The ability to make clones had long since been diminishing. Hanekoma was busy unlocking the last door as the dragon bit his leg and flung him away. The peacock didn't make it any easier, it flashed its tail and everything froze. Hanekoma could see the world moving around him. The peacock the only thing able to move in the motionless environment. It whipped it's tail across his chest. He switched places with his anima and rushed to the last barrier. He was almost done. The dragon bit him again and breathed black fire and red smoke. "Well... it's all over..." Hanekoma made the confession as the dragon snarled as if it were the victor. "The world ends with you." He told it as he turned back into his human form and he sacrificed his noise form to cause it to explode. It instantly killed the dragon and the peacock was destroyed as the anima blew up as well. "I don't think I need to use them anymore anyway." He said as he locked the door behind him.

Sho wasn't done with either of them. The fight went on a little longer, but it was time for Sho to finish them. "Now... after this... someone dies." He started rattling off number after number. "Three... one... four..." Weiss eyes started to widen as he knew Sho was charging that move up all along. He was aiming square at Weiss ready to destroy the white haired boy. The numbers he rattled off went off faster and faster as the area around them started to turn white. An explosion went off for every number he spoke. He was doing a number a second, then three numbers a second and finally he started firing numbers off like a machine gun. Soon you couldn't even hear all the numbers he was saying. They were all digits of phi. Before Weiss was hit by the blast Thanatos got in the way with both arms in the way. He turned his head to say one thing,

Hanekoma had one precious minute to reach Joshua. He was in luck, Joshua was waiting at the meeting spot. Perfect! Hanekoma felt like he was running in slow motion as he felt the presence of a powerful dark being behind him. Charon approached. "Joshua! I got it!" Joshua's eyes widened as he tried to get closer to Hanekoma. Hanekoma was punched in the back by a dark green energy punch. Hanekoma's glasses shattered and both eyes were shut with pain as a seal appeared on Hanekoma's back. He was hit dead on by Charon's primary attack. "Take it..." Hanekoma groaned as he handed him the paper, "I didn't think... I was going to make it... but it's finished." Hanekoma started to crawl towards Joshua. Charon briskly walked toward him and Joshua felt a wall blocking him off. "No! I can't lose him!" Hanekoma held the piece of paper against the wall and written on it was, Find Nanami. Hanekoma only had one more thing to say before he died. He turned his head to say one last thing, he spoke and timed his words to the exact second of Thanatos. Weiss watched Thanatos. Joshua watched Hanekoma. They said in unison each to a different person and in a different place, "Give up on yourself... and you give up on the world."

With a flash of light Thanatos let out a loud yell. Scraps of metal started to impale him one after another. With a dark green glow Hanekoma grunted and fell to his knees. Gradually falling to the ground. Thanatos found the strength to stand. He kept standing, that's all he could do. "SEE YOU IN HELL!" Thanatos cried out to the sky as tears of pain went down his eyes and quickly vanished from the heat. Hanekoma died a much quieter death. He lie motionless on the ground as Charon stood over his body and left two golden pins in his eyes. Joshua let out a scream of complete pain, he banged his fist on the barrier before him, "No! YOU SON OF A BITCH! NO!" He fell to his knees as he banged both arms on the wall, "He didn't... he didn't have to die... son of a bitch... not him... why him?..." Charon stood up and made the barrier dissipate. "It is not I who wrong you... but fate. He chose this... I hate him for choosing this... but fear not... for he has not died for nothing." The demon clutched the piece of paper, "I've been ordered to destroy this piece of paper... I need not mention to the higher ups where the real one is..." Joshua didn't even listen to the demon. Despite the demon speaking an act of kindness, Joshua kept thinking back of his moments with Hanekoma. Joshua lifted up his head to reveal his full power, "Composer Joshua, I advise you... do not fight me. I will kill you. Even at your strongest... you cannot kill me." Joshua flew up into the air as he embraced the full power of the city. He didn't hear a word the demon spoke, he didn't see anything in the city now, but noise. They all needed to die, so he'd see to it they died.

"Thanatos? THANATOS!" Weiss used a healing pin on him, but it had no point to it. Thanatos was smoking and he took the full blow of the attack. "Hey... asshole..." Thanatos spoke to him, "You keep living... I think... I think... in death... for the first time... I'm happy. Death is like sliding into a warm bath... It's... nice." Sho paused a moment and took a few steps forward. Both hands in his pocket, "One down... with a remainder of one. You're next." Weiss looked up at Sho and behind him was a very pissed off Joshua. The widening of Weiss' eyes told Sho something was behind him. He turned his head to see Joshua in his full Composer power. He blatantly was breaking rules in using his full power on restrictions. "Say your prayers... I'm killing... ALL OF YOU!" A scan stretched out across the whole city. It grabbed every taboo noise and pulled it towards Joshua. Sho's eyes widened himself as every taboo noise was going to attack Joshua at once, "He couldn't possibly meant to-" Sho fell to his knees when he saw Joshua's power now. Upon Hanekoma's death, Joshua's soul energy was now triple what it normally was. Combine that with him being Composer in all his glory. That meant the noise were dead meat.

He didn't even use a phone, he just waved his hand as a building snapped into pieces and slammed against countless noise. He waved his other hand as cars, signs, vending machines and everything that was nailed to the floor went flying towards the countless noise on the ground. Fifty by fifty, they were crushed. Joshua glared at a entire street of noise as all of Shibuya turned into a weapon against the noise. With every wave of the hand he envisioned another memory of Hanekoma which caused his power to rise. With every memory came another attack. Tears ran down the face of the Composer, you couldn't see it due to the sheer amount of power. All at once he rained down beams of light. They were beautiful white beams with a heavenly glow. Every reaper, every noise, everything stopped fighting in awe of the Composer. "That boy... he's a god." Kariya said. Kotori stepped back in fear, "That's the power of our Composer... that's the power of our city." Okami was in his own little street as he looked up in fear as he saw all the noise Sho went to so much work to make gone, all gone. All of them attacked and didn't even reach him in the sky. The whole city fell apart to crush the noise.

"I see... Hanekoma is dead. Thanatos... Hanekoma... the angels will pay... the noise will pay... I don't know what my life measures up to... but they'll pay." Weiss said with his head bowed and tears going down his own eyes. "He didn't need to die." He got up and started to leave Sho didn't even try to stop him. What was the point. All he'd make was more noise, what were noise to the Composer now? His power was beyond imagination. Now, he questioned for the first time, if the noise really had the power to destroy Shibuya. Neku walked down the sidewalk and looked up to see Joshua in the sky. He just gave Joshua a look of that said he knew what had happened. Neku knew what had transpired, but he'd shed not even a tear. Shiki asked him, "What's wrong?" Neku kept walking and told her, "Hanekoma's dead, Shiki. This city is on the brink of despair. We're leaving this place, just as we said we would." Shiki looked back at the city. Paused for a moment if she really should leave, "But... maybe the city isn't done for... maybe we can help!" Neku reminded her, "Leave this place and don't look back. That's what I'm going to do. I can't risk you... not now..."

Shiki looked back and waited as her husband kept walking away towards the airport. He ignored the flashes of light behind him as he glared at the floor with both hands in his pockets. "Hanekoma... if you can hear this... I'll remember you. I'll live for the moment... I'll expand my world. I'll... I'll care about others." Shiki slowly started to catch up when she pointed ahead. "Look Joshua's at the airport." She said that less worried than she should have been. The look in Joshua's eyes was murderous. He called form a distance, "This is your last chance Neku... Become Composer... Take my place! Kill me! Save this city! Save Hanekoma's legacy!" Neku kept walking and told him flat out, "I won't." Joshua responded by pulling out his phone and with a click a traffic light changed. A bus started to accelerate. Neku's eyes widened as he turned his head to see Shiki a little ways behind him. He reached his hand out to run for her, but Joshua was instantly standing between Neku and Shiki. With an open palm, Neku went flying into a wall. Shiki went flumbling into the middle of traffic. The eyes Joshua wore were the eyes of a man who lost the only one he cared about, "He may as well have been my father. I'm done playing Neku." Behind Joshua, Shiki looked up to see a bus going faster and faster until finally a large thud could be heard. She was crushed by the bus and Neku's eyes narrowed. "No! Dammit NO!" Joshua didn't smile, he didn't smirk, he could only keep frowning and stare down at Neku. "She's dead Neku... she'll stay dead if you don't become Composer."

Neku grabbed Joshua by the throat, "BRING HER BACK!" He kept that fierce glare on Neku, "No... become Composer... bring her back to life. Wait too long and she'll die for good." Neku punched Joshua in the face and screamed at him, "SON OF A BITCH!" He hit Joshua again and again. Joshua didn't even flinch, "Kill me." Neku's eyes welled up with tears as he was truly forced once again to comply with Joshua's demands. He held Joshua and let go of his throat. Joshua got up with both arms to his left and right in the fashion of a cross. "There's a gun by your knees. I'd use it quick." Neku was on both knees now crying on a loaded revolver. His hands gripped the gun and he looked up at Joshua. He pointed the gun at him and people screamed aloud as four gun shots echoed throughout the streets.

End Day 7

(As usual I'd like to ask all my dedicated readers to review. But... I'm also asking my not so dedicated readers to review. Talk about everything I did good, bad and ugly. All feedback is welcome. I'll read it after I go kayaking down a river. I need some rest.

PS: Those of you who don't review are lazy jerks who I will be visiting very soon to beat you with a giraffe.)