Chapter 45
What I decide
"We've been walking for a while in this maze." Exo sighed, distressed about their current predicament."We haven't encountered anyone."
"That's good." Shinjitsu told him as he kept glancing behind him."If we don't encounter The Baron, then better. We haven't received any calls yet, so probably everything is going fine."
"What about Nova?"
"He's fine." He grinned, winking at him."It'll take more than that weretiger to bring him down. I found him. Hey, you did too."
"I wouldn't say I fought him." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly."I only took the others back to safety. You risked your life out there for our sake."
"Hey, so did you." Darby pointed out."I'm sure Shiozaki-san was proud of you. If you weren't there, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate and fight Takashi with all I had."
"Man, you're awesome..." Hoshi muttered under his breath."I can't believe you became this strong. Compared to how you were when we first met, it's a big difference. No offense."
"None was taken. You've come a long way as well." Darby gave him a thumbs up."Your barriers are insanely strong. I think they can even hold a bomb and not break!"
"I wouldn't put money on that..." He deadpanned."Remember when we fought Salazar? I have a time limit for when I can have my barriers out. Hey, why don't you teach me that Neko Mode thing of yours? Maybe I can like, I don't know, make a thousand barriers!"
"I would, but..." Darby had a sad smile on his face."I'm afraid I don't know how to do the ritual. Ashe-san took that with her to the grave. Besides, there's no guarantee you'll get the Perfect Version I have. Remember Ryuji and his goons back when we went to Shirahama? Even they, who'd trained under her long before me, had the Imperfect Version."
"Maybe you're super special or something."
"I don't know..." Darby folded his arms in thought."I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Though apparently, the ritual was a lot shorter than it should have been for some reason. Wonder why?"
"Have you tried learning more about it? Maybe it can point you in the direction of finding its secrets."
"I would, but Ashe-san's house was blown up, remember? Nothing worth mentioning was salvaged. Nothing that could give me a hint, at least." The boy sighed in defeat, shoulder slumping."Guess I'll just have to make do with what I have."
"Don't worry. We're all here to help you out, you know that. If you have faith, I'm sure God will also give you a hand!"
"Yeah...sure." Darby sweatdropped at the sudden mention in God."I'm not really a believer. I mean, I believe in God, but I don't pray."
"You're missing out, let me tell you. Fir-Wait, did you hear that?"
Both boys tensed up as they listened intently for any noises."Yeah. It's like...metal colliding with rocks?" Darby looked over to his left at an adjacent hallway, noticing a huge figure flying towards them."RUN!"
He practically grabbed Hoshi's hands and broke into a sprint, not daring to look at the incoming figure behind them. Hoshi, however, took a long good look. The machine resembled a large metal scorpion-like body that was holding a person inside of a glass container. It had a mouth with a single red eye above it, two claws, feet with two toes and a giant tail.
"He's catching up!" He shrieked as he saw the claws threatening to cut his leg.
"Fuck! I can't concentrate! I can't access Chaos Mode!" He panicked, feeling his concentration lessen more and more.
"Well, fuck it!" Hoshi created a barrier, encasing their bodies in it as they were slapped away by the robot, crashing against a wall."You all right?"
"Yeah...sorry..." Darby groaned, grabbing his pulsing head.
"I-I-I found the int-t-truders." Sloth, who was piloting the robot, stammered."I'm the Sin of L-L-L-Lust. Please, allow me to k-k-k-kill you."
"So, he's Lust. Doesn't really look like Lust, though. That robot of his is fast. Don't let your guard down." Darby manifested his six Black Spheres, creating two Black Batons in each hand.
"Right." Hoshi nodded, ready to create any barrier ay any point.
"I-i-i-if you don't let me kill you..." The robot rose its arms, shooting its hands as they spun around, mimicking a drill.
Darby created a Black Shield in front of him, stopping the claw but feeling it pushing him back. The claw, as it has a mind of its own, changed course upwards and flew down.
"They're like homing missiles!" His allied cried out as he encased the claw in a barrier, throwing it back to the robot and releasing his Quirk.
Lust, however, was prepared, and rose the robot's arm and connected its arm back.
As this happened, Darby was running away from the incoming attack. He shot a Black SPhere up in the air followed by another one, causing himself to be pulled up in the air. All of a sudden, the rotating arm gained speed, grabbing him by his cloak and pinning him up in the ceiling.
"What the fuck?!" Darby cried out as he glanced down below.
"For the sake of a new w-w-w-world, I'm sorry, but you have to die!"
The robot rose its arms as the red light in the middle began shining."FIRE!" A red-beam of energy shot towards Darby. He desperately clicked his tongue, using his Spheres to removed the claw pinning him, and fell back to the ground, almost missing the attack as it made a hole through it.
The hand flew back to its arm, reattaching like nothing happened.
"His attacks are something else." Darby huffed."Not even my Black Shields would have stood a chance against that attack. I almost died. Just what is that robot? It's not his Quirk, so what is it?"
"Envy made it for me." Lust confessed, hugging his thin frame."He gave me a w-w-w-weapong to use, so I can be of u-u-used. The young boss needs my help!"
A few years ago...
I was always in the background. Never stood out for anything. My Quirk wasn't particularly good for regular use. It's what caused me to lose everything I held dear when I was a kid. I erased the memories that my parents had of me. My Quirk, Mental Out, allows me to control the human brain. It all depends on what I write on a piece of paper that I write on. Next, I have to make the other person read it, and it has to be physically possible. That is how we tricked the League of Villains into forgetting crucial details and avoid exposing us. But...that is how I lost my parents. One day, I got so upset about how controlling they were over my life. How I did my daily routines, the friends I would hang out with, what I would eat. So when I first used my Quirk...I wanted them to forget everything about me. So I wrote a letter saying that confessing I wanted to run away.
I never thought the phrase, "be careful what you wished for", would become a reality. My parents denied my existence. To them, I never existed. After that, I spend time looking for that whole they left behind. It was never the same. I craved to feel love...to feel desired again...to feel needed. But someone like me, the worst scum on the planet, could never achieve that. That is, until I joined the Shie Hassaikai. At first, I was an underling. I merely controlled their network and their cybersecurity. But then, I was ascended in rank after revealing the nature of my Quirk. I didn't understand. Why would they invest so much time into exploring my curse? A useless Quirk like mine that brought nothing but pain. But...I realized that's how the world worked. This blasted world relies on hurting others for the sake of profit and fame. It was cruel, but it gave me what I wanted. It gave me praise. It gave me the sense of fulfillment I so longed desired!
"Are you done with those codes I asked you for?"
It was a chilly night in December, a day before Christmas. I was tasked to reprogram all the robots the young head had asked me for. He was even younger than his brother, but he was quite knowledgeable. He was the one who had requested my promotion into the Seven Deadly Sins. It was he that allowed me to operate his mechas and work on whatever he needed.
"Y-yes, s-s-sir." I remembered I was completely exhausted. Updating their programming took me a lot longer than I had anticipated, so I was on my last legs."I just need to finish up with the console a-a-a-and it'll be completed."
"So, not done quite yet."
It honestly scared me. The thought of disappointing him. I had diligently worked as efficiently as I could, so this would have been my first warning. However, his words were completely different.
"Keep up the good work. My brothers and I expect great things from you. You are special."
They were simple words, but those were the words I always yearn to hear. It gave me the energy I needed to keep going. To keep living. That is why...
"That is why I can't lose to them." Lust narrowed his eyes behind his mask."I will put an e-e-end to you and help create a new world!" He typed a few keys on his keyboard. The mecha's claws opened up slightly, revealing what looked to be Gatling guns.
"Shit! Get covered!" Darby cried out as he pulled a Black Shield, hearing the incessant firepower coming from the robot firing against him."He's motivated. Whatever he thinks he's doing, he wants to see it through the end!"
"Yeah...well, so do we." Hoshi grimaced, watching the bullets' shells fall on the ground after colliding with his barriers."Though if it has machine guns, we can also assume it's armed to the teeth."
"That's true, however, we are probably his worst match-up." Darby pointed out."Think about it, he specializes in long-range attacks and sometimes closed-range. We can produce barriers and shields that can withstand his attacks. So, all we have to do is bait him and find an opening to attack. Our best bet is probably attacking him directly and drag him out of the cockpit."
"Easier said than done." He grumbled under his breath, noticing the bullets had stopped coming."Seems he gave up one that. Okay, so how are we going to get close enough?"
Darby grinned as he opened his eyes. His hair was crimson as his eyes. His sweater had turned black and his clock was now blue with black flames in the bottom."Just follow my lead."
Shie Hassaikai Compound, Underground Tunnels, Inside Walls, Morning
"I can't see shit in here!" Ayushi cried out as she fired a neon blast at the incoming robotic hound."How are you doing over there?!"
On the other side, Hisashi was blasting robots with his neon powers, keeping them at bay."Just dandy! Just how many of these things are there!"
"They must be the welcoming committee." She grabbed the head of a mecha hound, blasting it off and slicing another one with a neon blade."They're being controlled remotely, so these are nothing but empty husks."
"Uh...what about the one right here?" Hisashi spared a look at the robot whose body resembled a panda sleeping."Seems like it's not making any moves."
"Maybe it's just confident these small fries will be enough to take us down. Then, it'll seem it's not just a programmed robot if it's able to make a call like that." She felt something scratched her back, causing her to decapitate a robot, back kicking it with a neon-enhanced leg. She used its body to ram into a group of them and using it to protect herself from the bullets raining upon her.
Outside, Hisashi continued cutting whatever came his way with a neon sword. However, he didn't let the big robot sleeping out of his sights.'If it's really an AI as sis suggests it is, then we don't know what it's capable of.' He screamed out, creating a neon aura that pushed back the remaining robots, crashing them against the walls and breaking them into pieces.
"All done here?" Ayushi asked, coming out of the hole in the wall. Hisashi sighed in relief upon his sister coming out with no injuries despite fighting in a dark place.
"Yeah. All we got left is that one." He pointed at the particular robot snoozing away."It's still not moving."
"Let's not waste any time and finish it off before it changes its mind." Both siblings leveled their arms, gold, and orange-colored neon energies manifesting in their palms. As soon as they came, the energy shot at their target, causing a small explosion upon impact.
"That should have done the trick. AI or not, it's still the same as any other robot we've trashed."
"Oh, now you've done it!" Ayushi's eyes widened, pushing her brother away before a flying object nearly hit his head. She followed with her gaze, noticing the object was a robotic falcon, which landed next to a metallic lion and the sleeping panda.
"What is this? Where did they come from?"
"Forget about that, how the hell is that panda still standing?" Ayushi grimaced."Our combined attack should have wiped it off of existence!"
"Little lady, don't think for a second that the Sin of Sloth will go down that easy!" The bird croaked, puffing its chest.
"Sin of Sloth?" Hisashi parroted."Wait, that's you?"
"I don't believe it." Ayushi said in disbelief."Why? The Sin of Sloth is a machine? You're not even a human. You're not capable of feeling emotions or even be able to represent human sins. Plus, you're a bird...Couldn't they make you into a more threatening design?"
"First of all, fuck. I'm a raven." The bird snarled."Second of all, good luck telling that to Maria. She's always on about robots being similar to humans. And finally, yes, I am Sloth. Don't ask why they made an AI represent the Sin of Sloth. I know a pretty lazy guy, but he's with the other gang, the Precepts. Anyway, I'm rambling. You're right, I am Sloth, but so is he." He poked the head of the lion."And the panda. And every robot that you've destroyed. You see, Sloth is not just one but many entities! We are infinite!"
The lion roared as if it agreed with the bird. The panda moved slightly, now lacing on its back before it sat up, rubbing its eyes.
"Bring it then, little chicken," Ayushi smirked, beckoning the metallic beings to attack.
"All right, bitch! Let's get this party started!" Raven Sloth announced, spreading its wings and taking flight in the air. The lion's shoulders opened up, revealing small compartments where two small missiles appeared and fired at the siblings.
"Stay sharp," Ayushi said, jumping in the air and firing two neon blasts at the missiles, making them explode before reaching them. She noticed Raven Sloth flying over her, moving its wings and shooting metal feathers at her. She quickly fired a neon blast above her, using the impact to send herself back and avoiding being pierced.
Panda Sloth stood on its two feet, slowly walking up to Hisashi. He enhanced his arms with neon, dashing at it and delivering a punch to its belly, not even putting a dent on it. Before he could look up, the panda backhanded him away against a wall.
"You okay?" Ayushi cried out, trying her best to blast the bird in the sky while also making sure the lion didn't get to her.'Stupid bird is focusing on long-ranged attacks while the lion is focusing on catching me off guard in close-range. A deadly combo. I have to concentrate and make sure I don't let my guard down, even for a second. Seems like they aren't made from the same material the others were.'
Ayushi landed on the ground, spinning away as she gracefully dodged the feathers flying at her.'They are a bit darker than the others. Probably made from a different material. It's no wonder Hisashi's punch didn't do anything. This might sound lame, but we'll just have to punch them really hard or blast them with enough firepower. Our neon reserves are enough for us to-'
All of a sudden, the lion's mane detached from its head. The mane was actually made out of rockets that fired at the blonde woman.
She clicked her tongue, annoyed to have her thoughts distracted. She fired a neon attack from her finger, exploding a rocket that actually exploded the few around it. Something was off about these rockets.
Ayushi continued firing the ones who would get closer to her. She was always on edge since the whistling noise made it clear where they would come from. They weren't particularly fast, but there were a ton of them. She stifled a chuckle at how ridiculously the lion looked without its mane. But a rocket suddenly exploding on her left side cause her to instinctively yell.
"Huh?" She muttered under her breath, noticing she was not in any pain."Even though the explosion was so close to me..." She then realized what their true objective was. A talon came directly at her eyes, scratching her visor.
"Shit! Of course, this is what they were after!" Ayushi cursed aloud."I can't see shit in this smoke, but that bird probably can detect me by other means. I'm a sitting duck in here!"
She was suddenly jumped by Lion Sloth, knocking her to the ground. She grabbed its head as the beast tried to bite her with its razor-sharp teeth. She felt her arms and thighs being scratched by the artificial animal pouncing on her.
"Fuck it! I've had enough of this!" She screamed, letting out a great deal of neon power as her body flickered from gold to yellow. The lion was sent flying against the ceiling, nearly crushing the bird in the process.
"God damn!" Raven Sloth gawked at the dying flames surrounding her body."That's some serious power she has. No wonder she's the current head of the Kachidoki family. She's just messing around with us, presumably to save energy to fight the Captain. Hey, you good over there?!" It hollered to the lion, who was sprawled on the ground, smoke coming off its body."Guess you can take a breather."
Hisashi coughed up blood once Panda Sloth tackled him against the wall. He placed his hands together."Destructive Torrent!" A beam of neon sent the robot skidding away, giving him room to breathe.
"Nothing I do is affecting him." Hisashi wiped some blood off his lips."It's certainly tough. I guess this is what makes it Sin Level, at least. However, it seems as though he needs to get close to me to attack me. It's probably that he can only do that. Maybe its job is tanking attacks, but it's separated from the rest. Maybe it's trying to tire me out? I have 70% of neon and my reserves are good."
The panda suddenly fell on the floor, not making any movements of wanting to pick itself up.
"Huh? Why did it fall?" Hisashi blinked, estranged as its behavior."Dit it go back to...sleeping? I mean, it is the Sin of Sloth for a reason, right? But can robots even feel tired?"
Without warning, Panda Sloth turned to its back, hugging its legs and moving its head to the center. It then began to rotate around in place, gaining speed and momentum. The panda began rolling towards him at astonishing speeds, nearly crushing him.
Hisashi jogged away, followed closely by the rotating robot. Hisashi blasted neon from both of his palms, propelling himself away as he headed for a wall. Before he crashed against it, he blasted himself up, hearing the noise of the wall breaking upon Panda Sloth clashing against it. He landed safely away, putting both of his hands forward, firing a neon ball with great power behind it, firing it at his opponent. However, from the explosion the panda launched itself and hit Hisashi, prompting him to land harshly against the floor.
"This is...going to be trickier than I thought..." Hisashi muttered, watching as Panda Sloth was coming at him at full speed.
Shie Hassaikai, Underground Tunnels, Morning
Overhaul, Chronostasis, and Accelerator made their way down the tunnels, accompanied by Nemoto and Sakaki nearby. The procession was dreadful, with only the sound of their steps serving as background noise.
Taichi was holding Eri's arm, his eyes set on the floor."How long until we get there?"
"There's quite a walk still." Kai informed him."You're not getting tired, are you? One of your legs is made of metal, after all."
However, instead of answering back, Taichi remained silent."Hey, Kai? The others...do you think everyone who stayed behind is going to be okay?"
"Does it matter?" Kai asked."They are doing what they're supposed to be doing. Making sure no harm comes our way while we escape."
"Right." He chuckled dryly."That's the job of the Eight Precepts. But what about us, the Seven Deadly Sins? Surely, they are just as valuable, if not more. We're not mere foot soldiers. Not to mention, Teema is there, right? Is that really a good idea?"
"He volunteered himself." Kai supplied without sparing him a glance."He is the strongest asset we have, so he figured he'd be the one to give us plenty of time."
'So, Kai doesn't know about Teema's plans. Still...if there are as many heroes as they think to the point where they see the need to escape like this...' He shook his head."Why are we running, though? Surely if we all fight together, we can get rid of all the heroes pestering us."
"Even if we do that, we have to find a new hideout." Kai answered without missing a beat."Regardless, we have to move on to the next stage of the operation. We can't stay in Japan if we want to expand. We will be traveling to Russia. I have some interested business partners that are willing to help to fund our project. Everything is ready for us. Fake ID, driver's licenses, passports."
"Wait...so how many did you get?" He asked, not sure what he was referring to.
"Enough for the four of us, and for Teema. Unfortunately, I don't know if he'll make it in time before the plan is scheduled to take over. It will be a hassle to get him over to Russia if that's the case."
"But the plan won't work if the heroes get here. What if there is a hero that has a Quirk to bypass all those walls you made? Like intangibility or teleportation. Then we'd be in trouble."
"I doubt something like that is going to happen." He scoffed."But either way, nothing we can't handle. Nemoto and Sakaki are guarding our backs. Unless the top heroes get here, we have nothing to worry about."
"We don't know exactly how many are here. And if the Kachidokis are here, they will give the others some trouble."
"What's with these questions." Kai finally halted his march, as did Chrono."I thought you trusted them. If they are skilled as you think they are, there's no reason for you to worry about it."
"That's..." He gritted his teeth behind his mask.
"I thought I told you pointless things like sentimentality." Kai scowled."You and I were born into this unfair and cold world, don't you forget. We received no love and no appreciation. The only thing we have is ourselves. The only thing you have is me."
Taichi slapped Kai's arm away as he tried to grab him."I know. I know that there's nothing much for scum like us. That's why the only thing we can do is bring ourselves to the top and purge the world from Quirks. But I learned some things over the years, Kai. I learned to be open-minded. Since I'm younger and still a kid, I guess I have more free time on my hands. But we aren't just assassins. Each of us is as important as the last. We're not expendable. We are the best of the best. The same goes to me."
He guided Eri over and helped her up to Chrono's arms."Be a good girl. I'll take you to that concert once this is all over." He then turned to his brother, a solemn expression on his face.
"I wish I could be like you, Kai. I wanted to be in your place. You are everything I am not. I could never be as heartless as you and make decisions accordingly. Even though we were born in the same hell and lived under the same roof, we have different experiences that shaped us into who we are today. I am not you and you are not me. I can't leave them fighting when I'm a crucial part of the team."
"You are more crucial to the Shie Hassaikai!" Kai snapped."You and I are needed if we want the Yakuza to be on the top again."
"No. You are way more experience and valueble than me. If the heroes get to you, I'll have no idea what to do." Taichi removed his mask momentarily."This is your plan. You are the only one who can make our dream become true and save the world. We can't afford to make mistakes. I'll go with the others and hold the heroes and the police off. I'll catch up to you guys, I promise."
Kai remained speechless, sighing in exasperation."I suppose I'm not changing your mind, huh? You've always been stubborn. You better come on time. I won't wait for you. You know that, right?"
"I don't need your pity." Taichi smirked, putting his mask back on."See you around, brother." Taichi broke into a sprint running in the opposite direction.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to let him go?" Chrono asked Overhaul.
"Kid knows how to take care of himself. He's a fighter." Overhaul closed his eyes resuming his walk."Let's go."
Unbeknown to Taichi, a figure emerged from the wall he had just passed by, heading for Overhaul and Eri.
Shie Hassaikai Compound, Underground Tunnels, Morning
Darby and Matsuda were hiding behind a barrier created by the latter as they kept receiving rounds of bullets at their direction. They waited patiently until the robot either had to reload its ammunition or simply ran out of bullets. Either way, Darby jumped on top of a barrier created by Hoshi, launching himself in the air where he placed his 10 spheres in front of him.
"Imperial Onyx Canon: 20%" Darby shot a beam of white energy with white lightning from his spheres, combining them into one.
Lust grinding his teeth, blocking the beam, and slapping it away with the robot's arm.
"No way!" Darby cried out in shock, seeing his attack hit a wall. Before he could land on the floor, Lust jumped and hit him at outstanding speeds back to the ground.
"Shinjitsu!" Exo ran up to him but was intercepted by Lust who used the robot's tail to slap him away.
"I can feel my confidence slowly build up..." Lust muttered to himself, a grin creeping its way onto his face."The young boss will surely praise me if I get rid of these scum! So be good and die for me! So I can feel the ultimate ecstasy!"
Darby sent two spheres at his back, causing the robot to recoil and wobble forward. He then said spheres and shapeshifted them into Black Batons. He used them to block the tail whipping itself at him.
"This damn piece of junk is pretty strong." Darby felt his feet buried themselves on the ground upon impact. He then used the other 8 Spheres and combined them into two Black Claws, mimicking that of Lust's robot. The claws slashed down at their target, denting the mechanical being as Lust began typing madly into the keyboard.
"Damn him! I wasn't expecting him to be able to recreate any type of weapon." He hissed as he examined the damage on the mecha."Good. I can still fight. Huh?!"
He watched in horror as Darby had formed a Black Drill and was inches away from him. The mecha only managed to move slightly to the right as Darby obliterated its right arm.
"In that case!" Lust rotated the robot 180 degrees, aiming at Darby with its canon. As he fired, a green barrier engulfed it and caused it to explode on itself.
The mecha destabilized itself, falling on one knee.
'Shinjitsu was right.' Exo noted as he heard the pilot hyperventilate in the cockpit.'He's probably not used to being in battle like this and losing. He relies on that robot's mechanism and artillery to fend off against his enemies, but against people like us, who specialize in shielding, he's hopeless.'
He watched as Darby sent his ten spheres at the mecha, making holes in various parts of it and subsequently forcing it on its knees. Lust panicked as he saw the red light go off in his control panel.
"It sustained damage enough that it can't move! It can't be! I blocked one of his attacks with ease! What is going on?!"
"I figured that using something similar to you would do the trick." Darby commented as he slowly walked towards him."So I used my spheres to make the type of weapons you've shown us. There's nothing my Black Spheres can't face. It's over."
Lust shrieked, attempting to move the mecha's last arm only for it to be pierced by a Black Sphere, making it crash on the ground.'T-t-t-this can't be happening! I can't lose like t-t-t-this! The young boss programmed this m-m-mecha to be impervious! A wall! He entrusted me with it!'
He watched as Darby tried punching the crystal protecting him to no avail.
"The fuck?" Darby narrowed his eyes, trying to use a Black Spheres to break it but no results."I guess it makes sense the area protecting him is even tougher than the robot itself. Though with no arms and its legs malfunctioning, it has no way to move or escape. He's trapped."
"I guess. And if his Quirk is really related to mind-controlling of sorts, then as long as he's inside, he's not a threat." Hoshi smiled, giving Darby a thumbs up."We make a pretty good team, don't we? So, what do we do with him?"
"You better answer our questions." Darby demanded as he jumped back to the ground."Though, seeing as the way you've been fighting us, I take it you're not going to answer, right?"
"Nope." Lust replied defiantly, lowering his gaze.
Darby sighed, shaking his head."All right then. Well, my partner and I are going to discuss how to get you out of there without hurting you. Don't try anything stupid until we're done."
Lust watched as Darby walked over to where Hoshi was waiting for him."You want to stop our goals...why? Why do you fight for this horrible world? You are so lucky to be a normal teenager with dreams and aspirations. A will to live. But I...I was unlucky enough to be born into the darkness. Because of my Quirk. If you truly want to be heroes, you should just give up and let us do our thing. We can save this world to prevent more victims like me!"
Darby stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder."You stop being a victim the moment you used your past as an excuse to do crimes. The means don't justify the ends. How many people suffered at the hands of your group? Hell, how many people suffered because of the Shie Hassaikai in general? You tore families apart. All because of this utopic world you envision. Selling drugs for profit than using the excuse of "wanting to save the world" as you do so...I'm sorry, but it's bullshit. Crime is still a crime, no matter the reason. And your group is going down."
"Is that so...?" Lust chuckled as he looked up at the ceiling."I guess this is it for me...I only wished to have gotten praised by you again, young boss...but I hope you have escaped far from here already. I won't let any harm come your way" He pushed a red button as the mecha began emitting a loud siren.
"SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 90 SECONDS!"
"The fuck?!" Darby and Hoshi turned to the sound of the sirens."What did you do?!"
"I know there's no hope for me...I'd given up on wanting to live for a long time now. It's too bad I won't get to see the new world that the young boss will create...But, as long as I can be of use to him to the bitter end, I will die happily. This explosion will cover five miles and will have the power of multiple tons of TNT. Even if you start running now, you won't be able to evacuate all the heroes and the police outside. It's finished."
"Damn you!" Darby hissed as he placed his spheres in front of him.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." He wagged his finger."If you attack me now and the robot suffers more damage, the bomb will detonate immediately. You're finished!"
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 65 SECONDS!"
"N-no way..." Darby fell on his knees, banging the ground."Even if I shield us or the entrance with my Black Spheres, they won't be able to withstand the explosion. It'll destroy this whole hideout, including the people around it. I..." He felt his body shake, his confidence draining by the second."I don't want to die...I don't want to die..."
"It's unfortunate..." Lust was bowling inside the cockpit."At the end of the day, I won't be praised by the boss anymore...but at least...hopefully, my sacrifice will be a stepping stone for his success. For a better world. But will he...remember me? Will I be remembered? I know for sure I will since I'll be causing mass genocide...but...will they really remember me as who I was? Or just as a mere tool...I suppose it's too late for that. I've made peace with myself that I'm unwanted and unrememberable. I will die without anyone ever knowing."
Hoshi stared at them with a blank expression, hearing the alarm alerting them there were 50 seconds remaining. He then walked over to Darby, who was hitting the ground in frustration.
"Fuck! Everyone here is going to die! Because we were too stupid to alert them we were coming! Because we wanted to take matters into our own hands! Now there's nothing we can do to stop it! Fuck!" He held his head in his hands."Mom...dad...Ashe-san...Yui...I'm sorry...looks like this is it for me..."
Hoshi sighed, a small smile on his face."It's weird. For someone so strong like you, even you can't put on a brave face in dire situations, huh? I guess we're still young after all." He walked over to where the robot was, standing a few inches in front of it.
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 40 SECONDS!
"Well, guess there's no other way, huh?"
"What?"
All of a sudden, Hoshi created a barrier surrounding him and Lust, then created a barrier outside of it, surrounding them.
"What are you doing?!" Darby cried out, afraid of the answer.
"Nishikawi, I need you to take us to the surface and launch us really really far into the sky. There's no time, hurry!"
"You are crazy!" Lust bang the glass protecting him."You'll die too!"
"Then we'll both die together." Hoshi responded with a smirk."But at least I'll give the others another chance to live."
"You don't have to do this!" Darby tried to convince him, desperate to persuade him."Shiozaki wouldn't want you to do this! There has to be another way!"
"There's about 30 seconds left." He pointed out, his voice dreadfully calm."Besides, I want to do this. There is no other choice. For once, this is a decision that I made on my own. Now hurry up and take us to the surface!"
"Damn it!" Darby clenched his fists. He aimed his Spheres at the ceiling, firing an Imperial Onyx Canon that was powerful enough to make a hole to the surface. He combined his spheres and made them into two Black Arms, grabbing the barrier and jumping on top of a Black Disk, flying up the hole.
"Even if he takes us far in the sky, the explosion will cover 5 miles!" Lust argued, trying to break their spirits."No matter how you slice it, you can't outrun it!"
"Hey, it's fine." Hoshi smiled at Nishikawi."I have no regrets, so I don't want you to have them either. There was no other way."
Once they got to the surface, they found a rather scenario before them.
"Huh? Nishikawi?" Uraraka cried out in shock as Darby flew nearby.
"Darby Nishikawi? What is the meaning of this?"
Darby recognized the dragon lady to be the number 9 hero, Ryukyu. However, he had no time to dwell on the matter.
"Katsukame!" Lust screamed from his prison.
The muscular villain glanced up, taken back at what just happened.
"Uraraka-san! Touch me and the barrier, quick!" Darby landed in front of her."I have no time to explain. This guy has a bomb and it will cover a radius of five miles! There's no much tim-"
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 15 SECONDS!"
"Oh, no..." Ryukyu's eyes widened at the news."Uravity, use your Quirk on him to decrease his gravity!"
"R-right!" Uravity hesitantly touched the barrier and Darby's body."Nishikawi...Yasukage..."
"Take care, Uraraka." Hoshi muttered, closing his etes as Darby jumped on top of the Black Disk and used it to fly up in the sky."
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 10 SECONDS
"Shit, I'm not going to make it!" Darby began to panic as he saw the first barrier crack."Hoshi!"
"Looks like I'm out of time." Hoshi lamented, chuckling."Do it, Darby! It's up to you! Please make sure everyone makes it home!"
Darby used all of his strength and threw the barrier as hard as he could using his Black Arms before turning them back to spheres.
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 5 SECONDS!
"I'm not going to make it in time!"
All of a sudden, a familiar blue-haired girl flew over to his side.
"Hado-senpai?!" Darby was flabbergasted to see his senior with him."Why are yo-"
"Don't hold back! Remember what's at stake!" She told him as she prepared to launch her attack.
Darby swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded."I'm sorry...Hoshi. IMPERIAL ONYX CANON: 60%!"
"Full Charge: Output Level 50! Spyral Surge! Gring Wave!"
Both attacks combined into one, essentially boosting their attack potency to new levels as they clashed against the barrier and shot up higher into the sky at outstanding speed.
SELF DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! COMMENCING TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS 3 SECONDS
"Well, this is it." Hoshi took out the cross pendant he had under his custom."Sorry, Ibara. Seems like I'll have to guard you against heaven...as your guardian angel."
2!
"As for you." Hoshi gave Lust a sincere smile, tears streaming down his face."Don worry. I will never forget you. And I don't mean that in a bad way. We'll die together and we'll live on together. As people who lived in this world."
1!
Lust removed his mask, allowing his own tears to betray his emotions."You...are not like I had thought. To die with your enemy...you are a foolish hero."
"Yeah...maybe...but at least I will die under my own terms. Not because someone told me to."
0!
The robot finally exploded, vaporizing both young men in an instant. The first barrier finally broke, the explosion trapping itself in the last barrier. Since Hoshi was no longer alive, his Quirk deactivated as did the barrier, releasing the explosion that engulfed the sky and covered the sun.
Nejire grabbed Darby and pulled him out of danger since the shockwave of the explosion threatened to catch them. Even the people below them had to brace themselves for it. Several windows from various buildings and houses broke down, car alarms began to go off and the sun momentarily darkened the day.
Once they were safe, Nejire released Darby who took cautious steps, never daring to take his eyes off of the smoke in the sky."It can't be...this can't be happening...he can't be dead...I...he was right here, Hado-senpai!" He desperately grabbed her shoulders."I had him next to me! This can't be happening!"
Nejire could only look at him, distraught at his current situation. She only did the best thing she knew what to do. She pulled him in for a hug, embracing him tightly as she let his head rest on her shoulder."It's okay. You can cry. I'll be here for you. I'm not sure what exactly happened but..."
Darby felt his eyes continuing to water. Once he felt a hand rubbing his back, he could no longer hold back. His friend, his classmate, had just died in front of his eyes. Hee remembered all the times he'd spent with Hoshi. How he had helped him finally speak to Shiozaki and how they went to church together. Him contributing in their fight against Ryuji and Salazar.
"I have no regrets, so I don't want you to have them either. There was no other way."
"I couldn't save him..." He muttered on Nejire's shoulder."Again...I let someone died..."
Again. He had felt the same when he wasn't there to save Haru and Yuri. He had promised to help them, and in the end, he couldn't save them either.
'When a man does something, he has to go through it to the bitter end. For the sake of his people!'
"Haru...Ryuji..."
And of course, his mind went back to Ashe. Seeing her body in the coffin was a traumatic event in his life. Her once sarcastic, reserved but wise nature gone. Along with everything that she had to stand for.
Darby pulled back away from Nejire, grabbing his head and falling on his knees."I keep failing them! I can't save anyone...I can't even fight...I'm scared...I'm so scared...what if...what if I fail again and someone else dies?"
"Nishikawi-kun..." Nejire tried to reach for his arm but he recoiled back.
"Stop! Leaving me alone!" He stood up, tears unable to stop streaming down his cheeks."I...Why...why did he...this is all my fault! If only I had thought of another way...But there was no time! The bomb was going to blow up in 90 seconds and it was going to cover a radius of 5 miles! I...I didn't have a choice! If I didn't do it...everyone would have died...everyone would have...if I didn't..."
Darby felt his chest condense as if he needed more oxygen. He was hyperventilating.'I'm a coward! I gave up! I just accepted dead when Hoshi was the one to stand up and give his life...for a coward like me! For m-"
A slap brought him back to his senses.
"Calm down." Nejire said sternly to him."Panicking right now is not going to solve anything. I understand how you feel, but it's not your fault. I'm sorry, Nishikawi-kun...but...sometimes stuff like this happens in our line of work. Unfortunately, there will be times where we can't save everyone. And it's going to hurt and make us question if we're doing the right thing. But that's just how it is. That's why we try our best to save the ones we can. Even if some are out of our reach, we can at least protect the people who are in front of us. You couldn't have saved your friend. He probably knew there was no other way around it. If what you said is true, then he saved all of us. Because of his sacrifice, everyone here will continue living. People will return to their families, jobs, friends, and hobbies."
She knelt down in front of him, wiping the tears off of his eyes."I want you to tell me the whole thing. I thought you guys wouldn't show up, so you can imagine our surprise when you suddenly blasted your way from the ground."
Darby lowered his head, accepting the hug and allow his mind to calm down.'He did it for us...huh?'