It took a lot of work to maintain all that power. After all, I was still getting used to it. I hadn't had my powers for a long time. Not since I was very young. And even if my memory hadn't been erased, would I still remember…?

I could understand why Mob had so much trouble controlling his own power. It was difficult, tricky stuff.

But that didn't matter. Right at that moment, all that mattered was saving my brother. The Fire Angel had saved the world before, and she would do it again.

"Arashi…" Teruki breathed, staring up at me.

"Sister," Sho said, clenching his fists.

"Go to safety," I told them. "Let me handle this."

Teruki babbled incomprehensibly, before running off with a brief nod. Sho hesitated, before walking over to me.

"I'll have your back, sis," he told me. "We're in this together, right?"

I found myself smiling at him. "Of course."

"By the way, Dad is fighting your brother now," Sho explained. "That Himiko girl is there too. Though, by the time we get there, she might've been knocked out."

"We don't have any time to lose," I replied. I felt my fiery wings spread out behind me. For once, I did feel completely in control of my power. I felt… all-powerful. I hadn't felt like this since the fight with Himiko.

It made me feel like a god.

And here I was again, ready to save the world one last time… and bring my big brother back to Earth.

"Right," Sho agreed.

And we took off, ready to fight Shigeo.

It really was a mess.

The city was in bits and business. The road was torn up, and buildings had fallen on their sides. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but it was still horrifying to observe.

This is what psychic powers can do, I realised. That's why I need to stop this.

I narrowed my eyes. I could sense his power from a mile away. As I flew through the city, citizens stopped to stare and gawk at me. I didn't pay them any mind, until I saw…

"Josh…?" I asked. "Daizō?"

My friends were holding onto each other, staring up at me with awe in their eyes. It looked like they were in the middle of some kind of close moment. Josh's face lit up with a smile, and he waved at me. Daizō joined in.

I waved at them, then continued flying. I spotted Ritsu standing on top of a building, surveying the damage.

"Ritsu!" I shouted.

My brother turned to stare at me.

"Arashi?" he asked, raising his brow.

"Shigeo…" I said, gesturing to the destruction.

"I know, sis," Ritsu replied. "But what happened to you?"

"I'm going to save our brother," I told him.

Ritsu stared at me. "All by yourself?"

"Of course," I said. "I've always feared Shigeo's power, but… this time I have to come face to face with it. If I can do it with Himiko, I can do it with him."

Ritsu's face shadowed over. "Good luck, sister. Don't get killed, or I won't forgive you."

"Shigeo wouldn't kill me," I said, assertively. "He wouldn't hurt a fly."

I couldn't fear my brother anymore. No matter what, he was Shigeo Kageyama, my big brother. And I would bring our happy ending.

I flew down, and then I saw him.

I almost couldn't recognise him. His hair flowed around his face like black tendrils, and his eyes were partly obscured. In a firm grip was a partly-destroyed bouquet of flowers. All around him was an aura of destructive power. It was… unfamiliar. I knew it was Shigeo, but… it felt so wrong. So unfamiliar.

My brother had been taken over by a dark force of some kind… it wasn't him. It was some kind of monster made of power.

"SHIGEO!" I boomed, flying in front of him.

He didn't even look up at me, only continuing the move forward. like a robot.

"Brother, listen to me!" I yelled. "You need to regain control of yourself!"

Shigeo suddenly raised his hand, surrounding me in his dark power. I felt myself being flung aside like a doll. I bared my teeth, slamming into a building.

I scowled, reforming my flaming wings. I flew towards my brother, fire racing all around me.

"I know you're in there, Shigeo!" I shouted. "Control yourself!"

Shigeo raised his hands, and the earth crumbled beneath my feet. I felt a rush of fear.

"Shigeo, it's me, Arashi," I pleaded. "Your sister. You have to stop all of this! I know you're upset about something, but… we can talk about it. It doesn't have to be like this!"

Shigeo flinched for a moment, like he was regaining control.

"Yes, Shigeo!" I cheered. "I know you're in there!"

But the moment was short-lived. Once again, Shigeo used his powers to throw me into a building, smashing all the windows. My entire body screamed in pain. I wiped the blood from my forehead. I thought my legs were going to fall off.

"You're getting better that this," a voice told me.

I looked up, seeing Toichiro Suzuki staring down at me. He offered a hand.

"You," I greeted, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"My daughter," he replied, standing back as I stood up. "It's been a while."

"I don't have time for you," I grumbled. "I have to save my brother."

"Even with your power, I don't think you'll be enough," my father admitted. "You're powerful, but I've never met anyone like him before. He's an entirely different entity."

"You don't know shit about him," I snapped. "Anyway, you should be in jail."

"Long story short, I got out," he replied, shrugging. "But don't waste talking to me, my fire angel. We have to save the world."

"I have to save the world," I retorted. "Not you. And I'm not 'your' fire angel."

"No, you're wrong," a voice replied. "You can't do this alone."

I turned around, facing Himiko. Her half-shaved hair was a huge mess as usual, and her clothes were somewhat destroyed. She stood still, fists tightly clenched.

"You as well?" I asked, scowling.

"You need us," she said. "We might be criminals, but we're still espers."

"So you do know what you've done," I grumbled. "You're not pretending to be a 'new person' anymore."

"You really think we should be having this conversation right now?" Himiko asked, making a face. "Arashi, you can't hold a grudge forever."

"You're a murderer!" I yelled.

"Maybe," Himiko said, digging her hands into her pockets, "and perhaps, I'm also your enemy. But for today… just today… let's be friends again. Just for a bit."

I glowered.

"You need us," Himiko said, offering a hand. "Come on."

I slapped her hand away. "Just for today."

Himiko grinned. "That's what I like to hear!"

We returned to the battlefield, facing my brother who was still on his rampage. Well, it wasn't exactly a rampage, but he certainly couldn't be stopped so easily. My nails dug into my palms, and my wings grew. The heat around me increased.

"Combine your powers with mine!" Himiko ordered.

She summoned her tendrils. I mixed them with the roar of my flames, summoning a huge, flaming tendril. It raced around Shigeo, pulling him up into the air. The sky was filled with smoke. Shigeo's body tensed.

"Wait!" I shouted. "I don't want to-"

Suddenly, the tendril exploded, sending flaming pieces of it everywhere, like the world's most dangerous firework. Shigeo floated back down, completely unharmed.

"He… absorbed its power…" Himiko breathed, falling to her knees. "I…"

I looked around at the city. As if it wasn't bad enough, now everything was on fire. Just fantastic.

"Let me help," Toichiro said, stepping forward.

I looked away from him.

"If you can work with Himiko," my father said, "you can work with me."

"No," I replied. "You're my father. You…"

"Grudges," Himiko interjected, putting a hand on her chest.

I cursed under my breath.

"All together," my father said, raising his fists. "We can stop him. We'll use our powers to keep him still, and then bring him to his knees."

I sighed, really out of options. "Let's do it."

We began our trek towards Shigeo, who still had power flowing around him. I felt shivers crawl down my spine.

"I don't want to hurt him," I said. "No, we can't hurt him."

"We're not going to," Himiko said, trying to reassure me (though, considering her, I couldn't take her seriously). "We're going to stop him, so he'll be himself again."

"She's right," Toichiro agreed, but I couldn't really believe him either. He and Himiko were the last people I wanted to work with.

Still, we didn't have much of a choice. The three of us raised our arms, summoning waves of psychic energy. It was enough to shake the whole city. After all, both Himiko and Toichiro were insanely powerful espers, alongside myself. We would be enough to put a stop to my brother, right?

"Now!" Toichiro yelled.

Our power surrounded Shigeo, forcing him to stop. I gritted my teeth. Holy crap, was he hard to keep still. It was like trying to keep water in a leaky dam. His power kept slipping through the wall of power, threatening to spill it out at any moment.

"Just… a little more..." Himiko panted, face covered in sweat.

My father was struggling as well. He fell to his knees, taking in deep breaths.

Is it enough? The voice inside my head asked.

It has to be, I replied. It will be!

CRACK

The dam wall burst open, and we all fell over. Shigeo lifted Himiko into the air, and sent her flying. Toichiro got chucked in the other direction. I was all alone.

Shigeo walked over to me. My wings fizzled out, as his figure loomed above me. My whole body went cold, and the realisation dawned upon me: I was at his mercy. There was nothing I could do to stop him. He could kill me with a single swipe.

"Shigeo…" I whispered, tears slipping down my cheek. "Nii-san, please…"

But he didn't listen to me. He raised his glowing fist…

…

… but it never came. Ritsu had thrown himself in front of me, taking the blow.

"RITSU!" I screamed.

Ritsu fell over, his body completely limp. And then I screamed.

I'd never felt so much regret.

For so long, Ritsu had been the person I loathed. He was my brother, but he constantly got on my nerves. It seemed we were constantly competing for Shigeo's affections. Deep down, though, I was envious of him. He was Shigeo's biological brother. He'd been with Shigeo since he'd been born. He looked like Shigeo, too, whereas I did not. Nearby them, I looked like a stranger.

But then everything changed. Ritsu and I learned to accept each other, and we really hit it off. Ritsu became a close confidant. He was mellow, and in a weird way, easier to talk to than Mob. Mob was much more aloof, and Ritsu was understanding. I spent a lot of time regretting all of the fights we had. Ritsu had become a close friend, a good brother. He was invaluable, and I wanted to make it up to him.

That was yet another reason why I didn't want to go to that music school: I'd never get the chance to reconcile with Ritsu. Sure, yes, at the present, we were bonding, but there was so much more we had left to do. And it would be hard when I left for another school.

I guess my prayers were answered, since Ritsu was lying on the ground, body unmoving.

"RITSU!" I screamed, racing over to his body.

I shook him, but he still didn't move. I kept shaking him, calling his name over and over...

"Wake up, big bro," I pleaded. "Please…"

I grabbed his limp body, taking him away from Mob's form. I couldn't believe it. Mob had done this, to his own brother. Our brother.

"SHIGEO, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" I demanded, tears streaming down my face, as I cradled Ritsu in my arms.

I had never felt so conflicted… normally, if someone hurt one of my brothers, I'd go after them, but what if the one who hurt one of my brothers was one of my brothers? Especially Shigeo? The boy I'd promised never to hurt?

No, I wasn't mad at Shigeo. I was mad at whatever was controlling him.

"You…" I growled. "LET MY BROTHER GO!"

My wings sprouted behind me as I changed towards the entity that was possessing my brother.

Ritsu, you saved me, I thought, clenching my fists. Despite everything… you saved me. I'm so sorry I couldn't do the same for you… but… you're strong. I know you are. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met…

I'm not gonna let your life get thrown away like this… your sacrifice won't be in vain.

"RITSU!" I shouted, flying towards Shigeo. He was preparing to blast me away with his power.

"I know you're in there, Shigeo!" I yelled. I realised my power was starting to fade.

I can't stay the Fire Angel forever, I thought. But I don't need to. Shigeo doesn't need to see the Fire Angel. He needs to see Arashi Kageyama. He needs to see me.

I landed on the ground, facing the full front of Mob's power. I took a deep breath.

This is it, I thought. I either die… no, I'm not going to die. I'm going to live.

I walked towards Shigeo, holding my arms out. I could tell… he was going to push me away. But I kept going forward.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the music school earlier," I whimpered. "Is this all my fault? I'm sorry, Shigeo. I'm a coward. That's all there is to it."

I ignored everything else, only focusing on my brother. Behind me, Himiko and my dad had recovered, and were protecting Ritsu's body. In the distance, I saw some of my other friends.

"I'll admit, for a long time, I was scared of you, bro," I said. "I know how powerful you are. I know you can very easily lift this entire city off the ground."

Shigeo twitched, raising his hand.

Arashi…

Was that him? Was he… breaking through?

"But you would never do that, would you, Mob?" I asked. "You're too kind. You'd never hurt a fly."

Please… stay away…

"You've always been so kind," I told him. "Even towards people who were mean to you. You've been kind to people who don't deserve that kindness. Myself included." I laughed, sadly. "The world doesn't deserve you, Shigeo. I don't, either. Honestly, you and Ritsu… I couldn't ask for better brothers."

I don't want to hurt you…

"You've grown up so much these past few months," I said. "Even though you're my older brother, I've always felt like I've had to protect you and look out for you, and… I still do, but I know you can look after yourself as well. You've shown me that you're well-off enough without me."

Please, just leave…

"You would never lose yourself, Shigeo," I said, putting a hand over my heart. "I always thought that I was the strong one, but I was wrong. You're the strong one, Shigeo. You're the one who's always saving the day. You are the hero."

Shigeo's form trembled.

"So, please," I begged, running over to him. "Just come out of there, alive… I miss you! I want you to come back!"

I threw my arms around his neck, hugging his form. I felt myself break down.

"Just come back!" I sobbed. "Please, big bro!"

The energy surrounded my whole body. My skin felt like it was on fire.

No, I thought. Is he going to…?

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Ritsu.

"Ritsu…!" I gasped.

"We're in this together," he told me, firmly. His skin was unnaturally pale, but there was a fire in his eyes.

He joined me in the hug. For a brief moment, I forgot all about his death, and just focused on saving Shigeo.

"You're right," I agreed.

I felt Shigeo's figure trembling some more.

No… please…

"He's still in there," I told Ritsu.

"I know," Ritsu said. His grip on our brother grew tighter. "Shigeo, I was scared of you as well for a long time. That incident we had when we were kids scarred me, both physically and mentally. But I know you're not a bad person. Arashi knows it. We all know it. You're too good for this world... but we need you anyway!"

"You're strong too," I said, staring at Ritsu.

"This isn't about me right now," Ritsu said, giving me a harsh stare. "It's about Shigeo!"

I nodded, focusing back on the situation at hand.

"Shigeo!" we both yelled.

"Wait, don't forget about me!"

Reigen appeared, Serizawa in the distance. Reigen had his arms crossed.

"You?" I asked, staring back at him.

"I'm Mob's master," he said, spreading his arms. "If anyone can get through to him, it's me."

He walked over to us, staring at my eldest brother.

"Shigeo, it's me," he said, gently. "Don't you remember what I said about using your powers?" He smiled, sadly. "You could really hurt someone."

He joined in on the hug.

"Your siblings are right," he said, putting a hand on Shigeo's shoulder. "You really are amazing." He frowned. "I never had any powers. I'm no psychic. I don't know anything, really." He laughed, mainly to himself. "Everything you've learnt... you've done it all by yourself. That's amazing, Shigeo." He grinned. "So, accept yourself! When the time is right, accept yourself!"

Shigeo trembled some more. We all took a step back, as he fell to his knees.

"I think it's working..." I breathed. "Shigeo's coming back!"

And then everything went white.