A/N: Trigger warning: The Hanako suicide scene is heavily referenced in this next scene and there is some other dark content.
Taro was in a field of flowers. The sun was out, and a gentle breeze was blowing through his hair. The weather was perfect. He breathed in, taking in the summer breeze. He smiled at the daffodils at his feet, the birds chirping, and the puffy white clouds. Everything… was perfect.
"Baka!"
Taro looked up, seeing his best as well as childhood friend Osana Najimi walking over to him, arms crossed.
"What are you doing waiting around, dummy?" she groaned. "We're going to be late for school!"
"Oh, right!" Taro laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I almost forgot about school."
Osana huffed, her cheeks going red. "You're such an idiot, Senpai."
Taro stood up, walking beside her. The environment around them suddenly changed to the ever familiar City Z Suburbia. The two best friends walked down the peaceful street. The weather was still perfect; Taro couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
Osana stared at him. "Why are you smiling, Senpai?"
"I don't know," Taro shrugged. "It's just such a nice day today."
Osana blushed, shaking her head. "You're so cheesy."
The pristine white gates of Akademi High were ahead, surrounded by cherry blossoms. Pentals danced in the wind. As Taro and Osana walked into the fancy school, a familiar voice called out to them:
"Big brother!"
Taro glanced up, noticing his younger sister Hanako running over to him. She eagerly bounced on the spot.
"Where've you been, big bro?" she asked, getting into his space. "I was waiting here for half an hour!"
"He got distracted by flowers," Osana rolled her eyes. "Such a dummy…"
Taro rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…"
"Well, at least we're not late for class," Osana said, as the bell rang. "Come on, Senpai!"
Taro was still in a good mood after class finished. He hugged his books to his chest, making his way out of the class, lighthearted chatter filling the air. He walked over to his locker, and opened it up. He raised his eyebrows at a pink, handwritten note inside.
Meet me at the Confession Tree at 6PM. You better be there, baka!
He could tell from the use of 'baka' that the letter had been written by none other than Osana Najimi. And of course, being a… gentleman, he was going to head straight there at 6PM.
So as soon as school and cleaning time finished, he headed straight to the tree. He ran up to the top of the hill, where he saw none other than Osana herself, standing there with a bright red blush and pouty lips. The cherry blossom tree radiated behind her, petals flowing through the orange sky.
"... You… you kept me waiting… you dummy…" Osana huffed, crossing her arms, looking away from Taro. "Listen up, okay? Because… I have something… really important to say…"
She breathed in. "... You know… a lot of boys ask me to go out with them… but… I always turn them down… it's not like I'm not interested in boys… I just didn't feel like dating anyone… except for one person… someone who's always been there, right next to me…" Her eyes lit up. "Up until now, I always thought of you as just a childhood friend… no… I was just trying to tell myself that, because I was afraid to admit my feelings… but… I finally realized… I can't keep lying to myself, and lying to you… I have to be honest with my feelings…" She went red. "This is… so embarrassing, but… I can't stand just being friends anymore!"
She began to sob. "Listen up, okay?! Because… it takes a lot of courage to say this! I… I love you, you idiot! Iloveyoumorethananythingelseintheworld!"
Taro was surprised to say the least. His heart fluttered in his chest. And then he took Osana's hand in his.
"Osana, I…" he choked up. "I love you too. I'd be happy to be your boyfriend."
Osana cried harder. "... I… I don't get it… I should be so happy… but I can't stop crying… You're… being honest, right?"
Taro nodded. "I swear."
Osana wrapped her arms around him. "I'm… I'm so happy... please… never leave me… you big dummy…"
Taro hugged her back. "Of course, Osana. I'll never leave you."
"... no." Osana's grip tightened around him. "You're wrong, Senpai… you did leave me…"
Taro's body tensed up. He felt his heart drop to his stomach with a cold sweat. He stood back, the world starting to… glitch. Blood was dripping down Osana's cheeks like red tears. The ground began to split, and the sky was losing its colour.
Taro stumbled back, the Confession tree quickly losing its leaves. "No, I…"
"You lied to me," Osana hissed, blood pooling out of her mouth. "You let me… die…"
"No, I didn't!" Taro screamed. "It wasn't me!"
"It was all your fault, Senpai," Osana repeated. Her eyes had become bloody sockets. "It was all your fault."
"NO!" Taro screeched. He bolted away, covering his head with his hands. The sky had gone blood red. The ground was twisted and warped; sickness brewed up inside him. Osana's deceased body was everywhere he turned. No matter where he looked, he couldn't escape the gaze of her blood red sockets, peering into his soul.
YOUR FAULT
"Big brother!"
Taro looked up, seeing his little sister running towards him.
"Oh, Hanako," he sobbed, reaching out for her. "Come on. We need to get somewhere safe."
"Don't be ridiculous, big brother," Hanako spat. "I died because of you. Everything is your fault."
"No, Hanako," Taro pleaded, falling to his knees. "Please… Please, I'm so sorry…"
"You let me die," Hanako said, tilting her head. A dark flash slashed through the air. The blood had turned into the ocean surrounding them. Hanako was hanging by a noose on the Confession Tree. Her lifeless, dead eyes were piercing Taro's soul.
YOUR FAULT
"STOP IT!" Taro screamed, covering his head. "Hanako! Please! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to say all those things to you! Come back! COME BACK!"
"You let me down, Senpai," whispered Amai. Her eyes were lifeless as well, blood red tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"No… no…" Taro pleaded. "Stop it…"
He turned away, sobbing into his knees. A hand appeared on his shoulder.
"It's your fault, Senpai," Ayano whispered into his ear.
"It's… my… fault…" he agreed.
"You are mine now," she said.
"I am yours," he agreed.
And then she gave him that haunted smile.
"You really think you can escape from me, Senpai?" she asked, placing a hand under his chin. "You are mine… forever."
"Yours… forever…" Taro repeated, staring into her eyes. "Yours… forever."
"Senpai."
Taro's grey eyes glazed over. "Yours… forever."
"Senpai!"
And then the world dissolved. Taro was lying on a plain, white bed. A large window was to his left, letting some sunlight onto the white carpet. Next to him was a bedside table with a cup of water. And standing right above him was Megami Saikou, hands clasped together.
"Drink some water, Senpai," she encouraged him, gently. "It will help you think clearer."
Taro reached out for the cup of water. He grabbed it, bringing the liquid to his dry and cracked lips. The water parched his dry throat. For the first time in - well, he didn't even know how long - he felt slightly revitalized.
"Do you feel better?" Megami asked him, her tone still gentle.
Taro glanced up at her. Ayano's face appeared in hers; those dead eyes and that lifeless, doll-like smile.
"You are mine." she taunted.
Taro gasped, stumbling backwards like a frightened cat. He fell off the bed, and crawled to the windows, panting heavily.
"It's okay, Senpai," Megami said, softly. "I will not hurt you."
She took a step, which did not settle Taro's nerves in the slightest. He crawled closer to the window. Megami hesisted, expression darkening for a brief moment.
"What has that wretched girl done to you?" she uttered, clenching a gloved fist in disgust.
Taro burrowed his head into his knees.
"Don't worry, Senpai, I'm not mad at you," Megami assured him. She sat on the bed, breathing out slowly. "All I want to do is help you recover. You have been through far too much. Please tell me what happened to you, and I will be able to help you through this."
Taro whimpered into his knees as a response.
Megami sighed. "Very well. If you don't feel like talking at the moment, that's okay. Just get some rest for now."
As she stood up to leave, she noticed something flowing around Taro. Red strings. She stopped.
Those strings… Megami clenched her fists. No, he can't be…
She paled. He is… the true hero of the prophecy. The one that will save us all.
Drive Knight was considered to be one of the most interesting heroes in the Hero Association. He was mysterious, powerful, analytical, but also very aloof and cold-hearted. He was vastly intelligent as well. Much more intelligent than he led the Hero Association to believe.
As soon as he saw Ayano Aishi, he was suspicious of her immediately. She had the signature dead, doll-like look of a Yandere. The grey eyes, the uncaring nature, pretending to be someone she was not…
No one else but her could be responsible for the many, many deaths of heroes, monsters, and civilians alike.
So naturally, she was perfect to help him take down the Hero Association.
Like many others, Drive Knight tired of the Hero Association's misdeeds, toxic behaviour, and classing. Despite that, he did not want the Hero Association to turn against him. So he blamed some of his behaviour on the equally aloof Metal Knight. While they were busy being concerned about him, Drive Knight could put his own plan into action, with the help of the Yandere girl Ayano Aishi.
He had been observing her behaviour throughout the Monster Association, tracking her phone. It had been obvious to him that the other humans she led through the Monster Association she was planning to kill. And she had somewhat succeeded in that goal. She had also killed a few other heroes as well, though Drive Knight doubted all of them were dead.
She was officially an S Class hero, but Drive Knight knew she was only going to get worse. She was going to kill off the rest of the S Class heroes. But Drive Knight didn't have a problem with this. He thought nothing of the other S Class heroes. He only cared about destroying the Hero Association, no matter what.
He had sent a text to Ayano, preparing her for the day that they would meet. The day that he would use her to take down the Hero Association. And once she was dead… he would kill her himself. She was far too dangerous to be left alive. She was a tool, but also a time-bomb. Once she had served her purpose, she had to be executed.
All he had to do was convince her to help him. So he started simply: texting her again.
?:
Miss Yan-chan.
Ayano:
It's you again. What do you want?
?:
Do you want to kill every S Class hero at once?
Ayano:
…
?:
I can help you achieve this goal. But I believe it would be better to meet in person to discuss this.
Ayano:
Who are you?
?:
You will see when we meet in person. But for now, consider me an ally.
Ayano:
How do I know I can trust you?
?:
That is the same for you. You cannot be trusted either. But in truth, I know what you have done, yet I have not reported you to the Hero Association or the authorities.
Ayano:
Are you trying to blackmail me?
?:
No. Not yet, anyway. Come see me, and I will explain.
Ayano made her way through the secluded forest, weapons in hand. She was still very suspicious about the mysterious person who wanted to meet her. After all, they were completely aware of her true nature. But she believed she was strong enough to escape a trap, and kill whoever they were if needed.
Or perhaps… they had something to offer her. Perhaps they were like Info-chan, and were a true ally. She was soon to find out.
She walked underneath trees, seeing a figure in the distance. Tall, shadowed, a singular, glowing red eye. Most likely a male. He had long, black hair and wore a white mask. His mask had a single horizontal slit for the eyes, and a single red shining eye in the center of the slit. The mask had three small vertical slits where his mouth should've been. His armor was rather simplistic, being similar to a medieval black knights' armor.
Ayano narrowed her eyes. "Drive Knight."
She was surprised to see an S Class hero of all things that wanted to help her.
Drive Knight took a step forward. "I see you are wielding many weapons. I was not planning to fight you, so don't worry about taking them out."
Ayano stayed still. "What is your plan?"
"We have similar goals," Drive Knight explained. "I want the Hero Association gone, and you want to eradicate all its heroes. We can work together in this situation, and effectively get both of our goals completed."
"I see," Ayano said. "How do you plan to help me eradicate the S Classes?"
"I have gathered details about them," Drive Knight informed her. "As well as that, I have a vast supply of weapons you can use at your disposal."
Ayano tilted her head. "And once they are all killed…"
"Then you must take down the Hero Association, in exchange for my help," Drive Knight told her.
"Why do you want me to take them down?" Ayano asked. "You can do it yourself, right?"
"It will be much more effective if you do it," Drive Knight explained. "And besides… don't you want that satisfaction of taking them down yourself?"
Ayano stared at him. "How do you know all of this about me?"
"You are a Yandere," Drive Knight said. "Once you're aware of how Yanderes behave and appear… it is easy to spot them. You're on your way to becoming one of the most powerful beings on Earth. It's hard to miss that."
"But what will happen to you after the other S Classes are dead?" Ayano asked.
Drive Knight's eye flashed. "That is not important. But I won't stop you from whatever you need to do." He paused. "I believe it is your best interest to help me. You have great power, but there are still stronger beings. You need an alibi."
"I disagree," Ayano said. Red strings floated around her body, and her eyes changed to a blood red.
Drive Knight shook his head. "Ah. I predicted that this might happen."
He brought out a large, metal box, and slammed it on the ground.
"If you won't help me, then you must die," he proclaimed. "Is there a form of torture you've always wanted to experience? My Tactical Transformation can cause you each and every kind of pain."
Ayano charged towards the S Class hero, but was sent back with an explosion. She crashed against a tree. When she looked up, Drive Knight was unrecognisable.
He had added a layer of armor to his body. His hair turned white and his armor flared between its plates. Ayano had to shield her eyes from the brilliant white glow.
"Behold," Drive Knight boomed. "Tactical transformation: Gold!"
Ayano turned on her Yan-vision. Drive Knight was highlighted in a deep red. He was incredibly powerful. Much more powerful than she'd thought.
No… she thought. He is using his most powerful form right away. He wants to kill me quickly.
She stood up, taking a few steps back.
"You cannot escape," Drive Knight boomed. "I will annihilate you immediately."
She's too dangerous for me to even experiment on, he thought. She must die at once. No mercy.
He zoomed beside her, pinning her down to the ground with a large crack. Her body had turned to jelly. Her entire spine had snapped.
No, Ayano thought, completely motionless. I can feel his power increasing…
Drive Knight's body was rapidly increasing its temperature. Small flames were licking his shimmering arms. Ayano stared at his glowing red eye.
He is going to…
He had been too fast, and she could not make her escape. She was utterly trapped beneath his power. Blood was pooling around her. The temperature was increasing. It was getting hotter. Ayano's throat was drying, and her skin was starting to flake and burn. Tears of pain melted off her cheeks.
Drive Knight's eye peered into her soul.
Three, two, one…
And then she was burning alive. Her skin was burning off, searing pain reaching her bones. The scent of burning flesh rose through the air, attracting wild animals. Slowly, ever so painfully, she was dying, turning to a hollowed corpse.
R̲̈e͕̒s̝̖͙̈́̐̓e̺̙̟͇̽̍̈́̚t̼̪̙͕͐́͂̓̚ͅ,̞͉̫̺̑̉̔̕ ͖̄r͕̠̤͉̒̊͌̽é̘̩͞ş̥̞̏̌̒̈́͢͢͡ẹ̜̈̍ṭ̺͚̌̐͂̈͟,̝͓̼̫̄̍̏̎ ̛̼͕͉̆͆r͎̣͕͈͒̈̂̀̅ͅe̩̗͒̚s̹͘ḙ̾t̛̟̯̼̫͗́̔
God was back. It had no face, but Ayano could feel its stare down to her bones.
"God…" she whispered. It was the almighty being… the one who created Yanderes. The one who wanted to end humanity.
God's form glitched. It held out a deformed hand.
"RESET, MY WEAPON… AND KILL HIM."
And then everything went white.
Drive Knight stepped back. Ayano Aishi was well and truly dead. Burned to a crisp, living no more. Her pulse was gone, her strings were dead. She would not pose a threat to anyone any longer.
Yanderes are gone forever… he mused. A shame, there was so much more to learn about them…
… but he could not help but feel something… ominous approaching. Something creeping up on him from behind.
He turned around.
"Impossible," he breathed.
It was her, standing there,. She was still alive and well. Her body was twitching, and her eyes red. She somehow looked… less human than before. As if reincarnating herself made her give up some humanity. But Drive Knight doubted she cared about that. He realised, for a moment, he could sympathise.
Some people will do anything for power, Drive Knight closed his eye. That is how we are similar.
And before he could react, she sliced off his head.
