Chapter 49
Behind The Mask
"Neon..." Ayushi immediately snapped out of her trance and glared daggers at his hand."Why do you have that?!"
"Could it be The Nature?" Darby asked Takashi, hoping to get an answer.
"I don't know...The Nutrient basically awakens one's second Quirk. I doubt this guy is related to us, so there has to be something else entirely."
"Maybe he's like the Nomus." Darby theorized."I mean, maybe he was experimented on or something?"
"Why I have the Quirk of Neon is none of your concern. The truth is sometimes better left unknown." He eyed Darby carefully."There might be a time where you come to understand, boy."
"Leave him out of this. I'm your opponent." Ayushi growled at the thought of being ignored.
"Sure." The Baron sighed."Regardless, now that I'm taking things seriously, I should probably give you an offer that it's best that you take up."
"An offer?" Takashi parroted, skeptical.
"Give me your Neon Stones. Both of you. If you do, I can guarantee you a swift, painless death. You see, I require the stones for my project to come to fruition. The thing that will save the world."
"What the hell are you talking about? Our stones?" She reached for her pouch, taking out a small golden piece of gem."These are worthless. They're just decorative."
"Is that so?" The Baron asked."You never even bothered to ask why you never found your father's Neon Stone?" He chuckled once he noticed their shook expressions."That's right. I took it once I killed him. It's of utmost importance to me, and the fact that you children brought them here to me makes everything much easier."
"Why do you even need the stones anyway?" Takashi demanded."What are they useful to you for?!"
"I suppose there's no harm in telling you since my plan is almost complete. Besides, I owe it to you for making my job a lot easier. You see, the Neon Stones themselves are worthless. Not worth anything. But from what I understand, only those with great potential and that are members of the main family are born with them. So naturally, there is a way to harness their power."
"You don't mean...!"
"Oh, I do. It seems you are somewhat aware, Ayushi. Of the Crown."
"What's he talking about?" Darby turned to Takashi, who had a puzzled expression on his face."So you don't know?"
"The Crown. I read something about that in one of Dad's notes he kept on his night table. I only learned that whoever managed to get its powers would rule over the family and have great power."
"Precisely." The Baron nodded."I'm surprised you are well informed, even though Noburo wasn't the one who told you. I suppose he didn't tell you because he never knew I was aware of that. You see, legend says the Crown has the power to give its user unlimited and supreme power. Basically, it grants them whatever wish they may have. The Crown itself is an old artifact found in Egypt a long time ago. However, it turns out your grandfather, being as greedy as he was, made it seem that it was your ancestors the ones who created it. The Ultimate Weapon."
"Ultimate Weapon?" Darby repeated, feeling cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck.
"That's correct. The Crown needs a certain amount of Neon Stones. Unfortunately, at the time, only two people held such stones. Your grandfather was no fool. He knew he'd need more of them in order to make the Crown work. That is why he made so many family regulations. He needed pure-blooded Kachidoki children, ones who could be born with Neon Stones. And he came so close too. But I killed him after he crossed the line. And I took it upon myself to finish his project for him. If the Crown indeed works and fulfills my wish, I will be able to help Overhaul complete his goal. And we will form a world without Quirks. We'll reset it to zero."
"I've heard enough out of you." Ayushi grimaced."I won't let you get your hands on our stones. And to do that..." She grabbed her stone and shoved it in her mouth, swallowing it.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Both Takashi and Darby screamed in unison, running over to her as she fell on her knees, holding her throat.
"What are you doing, Nee-san! Spit it out!" Takashi slapped her back.
Darby watched in horror as the lump in her throat disappeared along with the choking sounds.
"Phew...tasted like crap." She coughed, cleaning her mouth with her glove."I took a breath as I swallowed it, and it almost got stuck in my windpipe. That could have been a horrible way to go out."
"You're insane..." Darby could feel his heart rate start to slow down.
"You don't know have of it." Takashi sighed, giving his sister a disapproving look."That's...going to be bad when it comes out..."
"It's a pity." They all tensed up, observing at The Baron had his hands behind his back now."I was hoping to do things nicely. Have you get a decent and painless death. But now I suppose I'll have to tear you open. Alive."
"Assuming you even win." She shot him a condescending smirk."Don't get cocky because you stole our Quirk. Just because you can use Neon, doesn't mean we're similar. You two, stay back and observe. I'll take care of things now."
"Right."
Darby, however, looked trouble.'Why is she insisting on not having us fight with her? Not only that, if she didn't want us to interfere, why not send us to help the others? Why keep us watching?'
A battle cry from Ayushi snapped him from his thoughts. She had leaped over to The Baron, forming a neon dagger in her hand, she slashed at his throat, only for him to jump to the side."You can't run from me!" She blasted herself over to the wall he was waiting at. She threw a punch, only for her fist to crush the hard stone. She glared viciously at her opponent and proceeded to continue her relentless assault. Punch after punch, Baron used his forearms to stop each of them.
"Yeah, keep going, sis!" Takashi cheered on while Darby remained stoic."Hey, what's with the long face, man? We're so close to finishing this."
"It's just..." Darby bit his lower lip."She might seem that she has the upper hand, but look closely."
Takashi shifted his gaze back at the battle. Ayushi was running circles trying to land a hit on the Baron but the latter blocked, seemingly effortlessly.
"She hasn't landed a single attack ever since The Baron started taking things seriously. He just...blocking everything. It'll wear her out like that if she keeps going. He's toying with her."
"You...you're wrong. My sister...she's tough."
Ayushi gritted her teeth as she punched The Baron's arm, sending him crashing against the wall. She stood there quietly, her expression serious. She suddenly jumped over, her arm clad in neon, however, The Baron grabbed her arm and slammed her against the wall, switching places with him.
'He's gotten so fast.' She thought, her confidence faltering.'How is this possible? The difference is our strengths can't be this big!'
Baron suddenly went in for a punch, almost catching her in the face had she not moved her head slightly. Taken back, she stared back at the eye holes of his mask. She felt a sudden burst of energy from him, taking a look at the arm stuck in the wall and noticing he was shooting a neon stream inside of it, subsequently breaking the wall into pieces.
She could feel his smile from behind his mask, irritating her further. She growled, crossing her harms in front of her as she began to power up."She splayed her arms apart, shooting a volley of neon spheres at him.
The Baron graciously blocked them with his weapon, slapping the spheres away from him. Ayushi put her hands together, aiming at him with her index fingers."Havoc Cannon!" She fired a blast from her fingers, quick enough that force The Baron to use his Quirk before it connected with him. The neon energy dispersed into the air, leaving small particles behind.
She began firing more rounds, but this time, she was aiming around him. Her attacks might have missed, but they had created a curtain of smoke. The leader of the Sins stood there, patiently waiting.
'I have 20 seconds.' Ayushi thought as she sprinted around her enemy, firing neon balls at him from every direction.'First, I'll have to make a small distraction with this. It's going too smoothly for my liking, but he must be underestimating me.' She then leaped in the air, her left hand turning into a blade as her whole bodying began covering itself in neon.'I have 10 more seconds! It's over! I didn't fire those Havoc Canons in vain. When they land somewhere, they leave a trace of neon on the floor. If someone were to step on them, it'll cause a chain reaction of explosions. And if he jumps now...I'll slash his fucking head off!'
As she began descending back to the ground, she noticed The Baron hadn't made any moves.'What is he waiting for? Is he not going to try and dodge? It's been 12 seconds!' She sneered in pure hatred, readying her blade to attack."THEN FUCKING DIE!"
"Null Inertia!" The Baron cried out as the blade was just an inch away from his mask. The now flabbergasted Ayushi was sent flying towards the wall, crashing into it and falling harshly on the floor.
"NEE-SAN!" Takashi screamed upon seeing his sister on the floor.
"I don't understand. It's only been 12 seconds since he used his Quirk. I thought the limit was 20?!" Darby grabbed his head, trying to find a solution."No way...you're telling me his Quirk has an even smaller cooldown?!"
"But that means..." Takashi didn't want to finish that sentence. He had a feeling. No, he knew that things weren't supposed to go this easy. He was the one who killed a person as strong as his father, after all. They had yet to see what kind of strength he had to do such a thing. But he wasn't expecting for the gap to be as noticeable. Even in her Starlight transformation, Nebula hadn't done any noticeable damage."I can't take this anymore, Darby. I have to jump in and help her. I refuse to just stand aside and watch my sister die!"
Darby tensed up at his choice of words."Hey, what happened to all that confidence? Come on, it;'s too early to start losing hope. Your sister is strong, right? I believe in her strength. She wouldn't have told us to stand aside if that weren't the case." He stopped rambling once he noticed it wasn't having a reaction."Listen, I want to jump in as much as you do. But we have to wait. She told us to stay here for a reason, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I had a feeling. But what kind of reason would she have?" Takashi bit his thumb."If she doesn't hurry this up, she'll..."
Ayushi was still on the offensive, her constant attacks forcing The Baron to either dodge or block.'This doesn't make any sense. I should at least be able to land a few hits! But...' She went for a right hook, only for her wrist to be caught. She decided to go for another one, but it was the same result. She stared intensely at her opponent while trying to wrestle her wrists out of his grasp, but it proved to be futile. Having enough, she jumped and proceeded to try and land a double kick, only for her wrists to be released and ultimately falling on her rear."Fucker..."
The Baron beckoned her to come at him with his finger, infuriating her further. She created two neon blades in hand and lunged at him from the air. He pulled out another black rod from his cape and blocked them with ease. But what he wasn't expecting was for them to break on him.
"What the..." The Baron was forced to create a neon blade of his own, blocking both of the attacks. He smirked, manipulating his neon at will and shooting a beam from the blade that cut part of Ayushi's cheek and a bit of her ear. The heiress of the Kachidoki family hissed in pain, grabbing her wounded her.
'How is he manipulating his neon so easily?' She pondered, wincing as drops of blood fell on the floor.'He did that so easily like it was second nature. But...he couldn't have trained that stolen Quirk and maximized it like that!'
Two quick neon blasts hit her knees, forcing her to the ground. The Baron was already next to her, grabbing her hands and pinning them on the floor as she laid on her stomach with the black rods he had. She let out a screech of pain, worrying the two young heroes watching."Don't come! Don't you dare!"
"Still acting like this tough, reliable person that everyone can count on?" The Baron knelt in front of her."I must admit, I am impressed by your determination. I suppose it only makes sense, given to home you've come this far."
"Damn you..." She tried using neon, but for some reason she wasn't able to shoot any from her hands. In fact, her hands were dry of any neon energy, unlike the rest of her body."What did you do?!"
"Those black rods are capable of neutralizing someone's Quirk, depending on where they're pierced. Nevertheless, Ayushi, I'm highly disappointed as well. One thing is lying to yourself, but another one is lying to your subordinates."
"Lying...?"
"You boys came here thinking you were going to help stop a criminal organization. And maybe it makes sense to you since you're still naive and inexperienced to know what's what."
"Get to the fucking point!" Takashi hissed, gritting his teeth.
"Truth is, your sister here came with the intention of dying." He responded, dropping the bomb on them.
"Shut up..." Ayushi muttered, glaring at the ground.
The Baron had a smirk under his mask and decided to push on."Don't believe me? Think about how she's been acting. I'm sure she was hellbent on coming here without the help from the other heroes. That is why she chose to come from a different entrance. I know this because I was tracking Salazar and I noticed his erratic movements in my tracker. Truth is, she's here for revenge. And I'm sure you all feel the same way towards me. After all, I did kill very important people in your lives. But there's a fine line between you and her."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Takashi demanded."You're making shit up! My sister wouldn't even consider doing something like that! It's stupid! What's the point of revenge if you're just going to die afterward. I know that all too well. I learned the hard way."
"Sadly, your sister doesn't seem to think the same as you. She wants to go through this all the way, just to get the satisfaction of killing me."
"Obviously, you bastard!" Takashi exploded."You ruined our fucking lives! Because of you, our father..."
"I liberated you from that hell, Takashi." The Baron calmly talked to him."You were suffering when I picked you up. I offered you a chance and gave you the power you desired."
"You were trying to use me-No, you used me. Just to get close to my dad and kill him." Takashi shot back without missing a beat."Relieve my suffering my fucking ass! I was just a pawn!"
"And you've performed admirably. But I did it all for the greater good, see. The Kachidoki family is doomed to be drowned in the cycle of hatred and lust for power. Overconfidence, ego, superiority, selfishness, you are guilty of all those charges. And your sister here is no better. She wanted to usurp your father from his position by hard work alone. But when she wasn't able to do that, she must have fallen into despair. Because I killed him before she could prove herself to him."
"Shut the fuck up..." Ayushi grumbled, biting her lip and drawing blood.
"Your family knows hate but not love. Do you not find it better to die loving than living hating?"
"I still have yet to see what kind of point you're trying to make." Takashi snarled, getting impatient.
"I suppose mere words won't work. So, how about we get her to confess?" He glared down at Ayushi."Your sister knew the consequences of this plan. She didn't care whether any of you died. In fact, you already have two casualties. Possibly more. And all because she wanted to get revenge with her own two hands. She came prepared to die, and she would not bat an eye if someone else died as well."
"He's lying!" Darby found himself screaming after a moment of silence."Right, Ayushi-san?! You're not that type of person!"
"Oh, she's not? Darby Nishikawi. The boy who's been causing me so much trouble recently. Can you say for certain what type of person she is after spending such a short time with her? Can you safely say you know what her intentions are?"
"I...I believe in her!" Darby stated with a matter-of-fact tone."I believe in every one of my teammates! I know she tells nothing but the truth, unlike you! You are someone surrounded by deceit and lies! How can you expect us to believe you?!"
"I see. Stubborn children. Naive to what they're told." The Baron sighed."I believe I've said this before, but sometimes it's better to not know the truth, Nishikawi-kun. You said you fight for the truth, right? It's pathetic that you can't even comprehend the truth in front of you. Then, allow me to bring a little reality to you. See if it makes you change your mind. Have you noticed what Ayushi did whenever I would try to punch her in the stomach? She would turn her back on me. At first, I thought it was to keep damage-intake as low as possible. But then..."
He chuckled briefly as if he were laughing at a joke that no one understood."I realized something very interesting. You see, your sister would take hits meant for her stomach with her back, however, she was perfectly capable of blocking other attacks to different parts of her body. The only explanation I found plausible...is that your sister here is pregnant."
"What..." Takashi deflated, his eyes widening to the point where they almost bulged out of their sockets."Pregnant?"
"Yes. But I could be wrong." He rubbed the edge of his mask."It's just my hypothesis. Of course, she's been meaning to throw her life away. I'm sure she knows very well she can't defeat me and yet, she came here with two kids and no backup. Have you noticed her eating a little extra lately? Though that could also be due to stress. I'm sure the poor girl must be suffering from having to fix her daddy's mistakes. So, why don't you tell them? Or are you going to continue lying to them? Lying that their sacrifice would mean something."
"She can't be pregnant. She doesn't even put out!" Takashi protested. His heart almost stopped when his sister closed her eyes, staring at the floor."Ayushi...?"
"Poor her. She brought her siblings to certain death and is going to cause the deaths of the rest of the fools who decided to follow her dreams of revenge. But, such is life. I too hold that sentiment close to me. You see, I also represent a sin. I represent the sin of Wrath. You couldn't phantom what lies within my heart. You think you feel pain? You feel nothing. And you will die like nothing. What you're feeling right now, I've also felt. The wrath that moved me into reaching for something greater. The Kachidoki family will pay for their sins and will be the catalyst to a new world."
"We have to jump in, Ayushi!" Takashi cried out in desperation."Please, let us help you! I can't just stand here and-"
"Takashi." Ayushi cut him off, a smile gracing her lips."I was a lousy sister, wasn't I? I tried too hard to spare you from becoming the heir of the family and to get Hisashi to get treated equally. I tried to be strong and prove myself to my father. That despite me being a woman, I could carry that burden. But look at what happened...You fell into darkness and got tainted by the devil...Hisashi was hurt and fell abandoned...I'm such a damn disappointment."
"Ayushi..." Takashi found himself forcing his tears back."S-shut up! Tell me that when we're done here! We still have so much to fix, right?! We have to reach out to our relatives and fix things with them! You won't do it alone! We'll help you! As siblings!"
Darby ran his hand through his hair. He knew what Ayushi was up to. He fought the urge to lunge at Baron. She had a plan. A very risky plan and the outcome would be determined by them both.
'What are you doing? You are supposed to be their guide.'
Ayushi glanced slightly to the left, seeing herself when she was a child. Her usual blonde-dyed hair was brown and she was wearing her favorite dress that her dad had bought for her. "I'm trying..."
"Well, you need to try harder." Her younger self squatted down in front of her."You took them here knowing full well the consequences. The least you can do is guide them out of this mess. I understand how you feel. You wanted to do this yourself, right?"
Ayushi sighed, closing her eyes."I thought I was the beacon of hope in our family. That was I fit to be the heiress and fit to represent us. But deep down I knew I wasn't. The Baron is right...I am as selfish as my predecessors. My grandfather and my dad...I'm no different than them. And it scares me to think that even Hisashi and Takashi are. It would mean that our family...really is corrupted by desire and lust for power."
"And what's wrong with being selfish?" The younger Ayushi tilted her head."I think everyone is entitled to be a little selfish. Especially under these circumstances. What matters is how you go about it. The death of those two boys...it's not on you, regardless of how it may seem. They wanted to help on their own free will, and you even were prepared to die for them instead. This was bound to happen. What you can do is make sure no one else dies. Those two over there are the only hope of ever escaping this alive, even if you don't make it. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, distribute the weight of the burden with your subordinates. They are counting on you."
With that, the young Ayushi dissipated into the air.'You're right...I have to take them to victory.' She slowly opened up her eyes again, seeing herself on the floor just like before.
"Baron. You're right. The Kachidoki family has been corrupted by the years. I can see that not even I was safe from that. I gave everything to see your defeat. Two of my subordinates perished because of me and my lack of leadership. Because I was obsessed with killing you. So now, I have no right to decide whether I should live or die anymore. But I at least wanted to do something right with my life. I wanted to do some good." She said, rubbing her belly."I suppose I won't get to do that... But let me make something clear to you right now..." She rose her head and cracked her mouth open, shooting a neon beam from inside and blasting Baron in the face, forcing him to jump back. She bit the black rods pinning her to the ground and removed them."You don't either! I'll bring you down, even if it's the last thing I do! Takashi, Darby, get behind cover and watch my final fireworks. Dedicated to you. Please, use it. No matter what happens next, keep going. No matter what."
Darby grabbed Takashi and jumped back, making a Black Shield using his six spheres.
"What are you planning to do, Ayushi? Do you believe any of your attacks are enough to defeat me? I'm still not using my maximum power, you see?"
"And you won't get to either!" Ayushi screamed as she began powering up, raising her hands in the air."Big Bang Explosion!" A golden ball of neon began enlarging itself in her hands, giving the whole area a yellow tint.
"That's a lot of neon." Darby muttered as he felt the energy in the air."What is your sister planning?"
"Might want to make this shield bigger." Takashi snarled as he concentrated part of his neon, creating an extra layer of barrier around them."This whole place is going to go to shit. Big Bang Explosion is Ayushi's ultimate ace in the hole. She barely uses it, since it leaves nasty scars on the land around her. It's omnidirectional. She will continue attacking until she runs out of neon. Once she begins, she won't be able to stop."
"BIG BANG EXPLOSION! FIRE!" Ayushi screamed at the top of her lungs as various balls of neon began firing from within the large sphere. The Baron rose his hand, activating his Quirk.
"Null Inertia!" The neon balls around him stopped within a few inches from him. He then was forced to jump back as more kept coming his way. Darby and Takashi stayed close to each other, feeling as the attacks were also colliding with the Black Shield. Small cracks began appearing around it the more attacks it received.
"Holy shit...your sister is actually cracking my Black Shield...I've never had anyone even break through my Black Spheres before!" Darby gasped as he covered his eyes from his shield cracking and letting fragments on the floor.
Ayushi continued screaming, releasing more of her power.'Come on, you bastard! Use your Quirk! You won't have any other choice but to use it!'
'Very clever of her.' Teema thought in amusement, running around as he felt the neon spheres right behind him. He also had to jump to the sides, due to them coming from literally anywhere. He pulled out another Black Rod, using it to hit a neon sphere back at her, only for his weapon to break."What?!"
He barely had time to dodge the neon ball hitting his back, forcing him forward to meet another one in the front. He winced at the impact of the attacks, not expecting them to have been as heavy. He pulled his hands to the side.'No choice then.' As the balls closed in on him, they suddenly went back flying to various parts of the room."Null Inertia!"
'There it is...' Ayushi smirked, her objective complete.'I hope you two get this...Darby...Takashi...'
The Baron grimaced behind his mask, creating neon attacks from his fingers and shooting them at Ayushi's.
"And now, to finish it!" She suddenly threw the giant ball of neon at the Baron, who was caught off guard and was forced to meet it using his hands. He tried pushing it back, but it was him being pushed.
"BIG BANG!"
The sphere began glowing more and more until it eventually exploded, creating a blinding light. The Black SHield gave out, forcing the high schoolers to covered themselves as best as they could.
As the smoke began to clear out, Ayushi was still standing, panting. Her belt had reached 1%, indicating her neon reserves were nearly finished. She stumbled, nearly losing her footing as smoke came out of her body. Her visor fell to the floor, shattering to pieces and her pigtails became undone, her long hair reaching her waist.
"Even after all that, it wasn't enough. But at least...I discovered how your Quirk works..."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
All of a sudden, Ayushi felt a sharp pain in her back and something going through her stomach. She glanced down, noticing the Neon Stone she had swallowed was rolling on the ground. And to make matters worse, she saw a black rod sticking out of her belly. Her eyes widened, tears coming out of her eyes as her worse fear had become a reality. Before she could scream, she felt a hand grab her face.
"A valiant effort. But just like your father, you are destined to fail. Such is the curse of your family. I guess you were right. The stone coming out of your body is pretty bad." The Baron grabbed her utility belt, snatching two out of the three neon cubes she had, and charged neon in his hand before releasing the energy, sending Ayushi flying towards the far wall.
She weakly rose her arm, firing a total of five neon blasts at him, which he easily blocked with a black rod."GO! GO! KEEP GOING!"
"AYUSHI!" Both Takashi and Darby shouted upon seeing the body of their leader crash against the wall, falling on the floor and being covered by the crumble of debris.
Darby broke into a sprint, but a disk made of neon passed near his nose, lightly scratching him and startling him.
"Is there any point in you checking whether she's dead or alive? Either way, the baby she's carrying is probably dead and she will die from blood loss soon." The Baron asked as he picked up Ayushi's Neon Stone. He took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped it off of blood and a bit of intestine."I had to stall for a bit since I had to calculate how long it would take for the stone to reach her stomach. As expected, my calculations went smoothly. Now...I have two more left. Well, I suppose I should say one. There is absolutely no way your brother can put up a fight against Megumi, my second in command. You see, she is second in terms of power, but out of all of us, she is the most dangerous." He rambled on, as he put Ayushi's utility belt around him, checking his neon percentage."Seems like I have two ways to recharge my neon. Not too shabby. I'll do it right now." He touched the neon cube attached to the belt and absorbed the light from within, restocking his neon reserves.
However, the boys were ignoring his words. Their emotions were raw and their anger and fear had risen.
"Takashi...we have to go help your sister out!" Darby begged."I can't...I can't let someone else die in front of me!"
"We don't have a choice." Takashi was breathing hard, his eyes fueled with hatred."We have to stand our ground and fight."
"Are you crazy?" Darby glared at him as if he were demented."You saw what he did to your sister. He'll kill us! Besides, if we don't help her now, she'll die!"
"Don't you think I know about that?!" Takashi snapped at him, neon sparking through his body."I knew from the moment we stepped into this room that Ayushi had no chance of winning. And she knew as well. She...she knew she couldn't win. We had no information on our opponent and we didn't know what his Quirk was capable of. But Ayushi fought nonetheless. She told us to watch because she wanted to expose The Baron's tricks. And we got plenty of information out of that. As her brother, I can't step down. I can't let her sacrifice be in vain and neither should you! For those who died; for Yasukage and Hoshi! We owe it to them to fight and live! Live for this chance they gave us! We can mourn and cry for them later. Once we're out of this nightmare."
Darby remained silent, his mouth gaped like a fish upon hearing his passionate words.
"I'm done hiding. I'm not letting people fix my mistakes. I am the one who once worked for this piece of garbage. Because of that, a lot of people got hurt. My father died protecting me and because of that, now I also have to see people I hold dear die. I'm not going to run. I want to cry so badly right. I want to run away and not have to do with this anymore. But I'm going to confront my problems right here, right now. Because if I turn my back on this and accept death, I will be insulting everyone who gave me the chance to live. Either you're with me or you can leave, Darby. I won't force you. This is a Kachidoki problem, after all. He wants me dead, not you."
Darby sighed, a sad smile on his face."You really have changed ever since that night, huh? You act all tough, but...I know you're hurting deep inside. But just like you said, we have to make sure our friends' deaths weren't in vain. And that is by living our lives to the fullest." Darby walked up to Takashi, standing side to side to him.
"We're settling this right now," Takashi stated with a solemn look on his face. He grabbed his own visor and tossed it on the floor. Darby tied his headband properly, his eyes portraying determination.
'I'm going to pay back for every family member of my family you've murdered!'
'I'm going to pay you back for every person you've got killed by your schemes!'
The Baron stood and waited patiently for their move. The first one to begin powering up was Takashi, who had his arms crossed in front of him as he screamed. A purple aura surrounded him and grew exponentially bigger.
Darby didn't need to scream to go into his next mode, but the adrenaline was getting to his head and the thrill took over. He mimicked Takashi, the only difference that he has his arms splayed out as he began screaming, concentrating his Neko essence and mixing it with his own energy. A red aura engulfed him, and both auras began mixing together at the top.
"CHAOS MODE!" Darby cried out as his hair turned red like his eyes. His sweater went from black to red and his robe changed color as well, turning to light blue with black flames.
Takashi clenched his teeth tightly, his fists curling up as he lowered his torso down slightly as he activated his Overclock Stage.'I have to put out more neon. More power! But I have to condense it. I have to keep it in place! I have to do it! For them!' His eyes shot open, letting out a roar and causing his neon to unleash a shockwave. The neon covering his body was mostly gone. However, his skin had a taint of purple, including his clothes. His hair was replaced by flame-like neon that moved as if it were actual fire. His fists were covered in neon in the shape of knuckle brass knuckles. His feet were also engulfed in neon, covering his boots with an extra layer of armor. To top it all, he had a small purple cape that reaches the middle of his back. He now had black markings around his eyes.
'He's evolved?' The Baron noted, astonished at the power the two youths were giving out.
"So, that's what you were hiding." Darby eyed him from top to bottom."You're concentrating your neon in specific parts of your body, unlike your Overclock Stage, where the neon covered your entire body."
"Yeah. But this form doesn't waste nearly as much neon but it's still stronger. I'll call it Juggernut Stage." He examined his body carefully.'I'll have to do some modifications to my costume. Even though this form doesn't waste a lot of neon, the neon in my hair, fists, and legs is dispersing in the air.
"Neko Essence: Chaos Mode!"
"Neon Control: Juggernaut Stage!"
Without saying another word, Takashi began marching forward, followed by Darby right behind him. Both young heroes walked in silence, their target: The Baron.
"It's been a while since we've fought together, hasn't it?" Takashi spoke to Darby without meeting his gaze."The last time we did was during our exam."
"Yeah. Although it wasn't exactly a teamwork effort until the end." Darby chuckled upon recalling that memory."But we might not be totally in sync."
"Come on, we fought each other." Takashi smashed his fist into his palm."I'd say we're in sync enough."
The Baron rose his hand, challenging them to approach."Come."
Darby and Takashi lunged at The Baron, both trying to connect their attacks. However, The Baron evaded them easily, despite their speed.
They attacked him simultaneously. A rain of punches coming down. Four arms meeting two. The Baron was beginning to struggle. He had underestimated their speed and was paying the price. Punches would slip through his defense, and land on his body, causing him to grunt in pain.
The Baron kicked Darby's right foot, causing him to lose his balance. Takashi splayed his right arm for him, pushing his body back and helping him back on his feet while punching his enemy. Once Darby was back on track, he jumped in the air, spinning around and delivering a kick to The Baron's forearm, sending him skidding back a few meters.
"Null Inertia!"
Touching their fists, The Baron sent both boys flying in the opposite direction. Takashi dug his heels on the ground and Darby used his ten spheres, five in each arm, to create to Black Arms and used them to stop his momentum. Once the Quirk was deactivated, both of them leaped over to their opponent, retracting their fists before punching The Baron in the chest, causing him to be sent across the area and into the wall.
Both boys jumped back, watching the smoke created by the rocks and dust crumbling on the floor. Upon noticing movement inside, they gasped. The Baron walked out of the most, dusting his clothes off casually.
"I guess it won't be as easy as I thought." Darby gulped down, forcing a nervous smile.
"Whoever said this would be easy?" Takashi shot back.
'Very impressive.' The Baron hummed to himself.'It seems that their lack of synchronization is what's throwing me off. Their attacks are relentless, and they've figured out how my Quirk works, thanks to Ayushi. But even so, I still have another Quirk.'
Baron aimed at them with both of his arms, manifesting two green orbs of neon. Both boys began running opposite to each other, dodging the volley of attacks coming their way.
Darby hopped on a Black Disk, flying up in the air while Takashi kicked the floor, shooting himself upwards.
"NOW!" Both of them lunged at him at top speed, delivering a solid kick to his forearms. The Baron tried using Null Inertia, but he had miscalculated the timing and tossed it against the floor.
"We're really doing it..." Darby muttered, a goofy smile appearing on his face."Hey, Takashi! We-what the hell are you doing?!"
Takashi was flooring, maintaining himself in the air by kicking it and firing some neon to act as a propulsor."I figured out a way to fly without having to waste a ton of neon. All I have to do is fire some neon from my feet every time I'm going down to stay in the air. Though it's annoying since now I have to move my legs as if I'm walking or running in the air."
"That's pretty cool." Darby offered his opinion before glaring back at his opponent."But it looks like..."
"Yeah." Takashi nodded, kicking the air and circling around The Baron before landing next to Darby."We'll need more than that to defeat him."
"It goes without saying." Darby agreed."Just punches and kicks aren't going to cut it. But...if we start firing powerful attacks without a plan, we'll run out of steam before we get anywhere. I can't gather more nature energy this deep underground, so if I run out of Chaos Mode, I'll have to switch to Neko Mode. And if that happens, I won't be as useful due to the power boost difference. Not to mention if I run out of that too, I'm toast."
"I hear ya. I have some neon left to replenish my reserves, but my regular stamina is also a factor. And this guy..."
The Baron cracked his neck, moving his arms around as if he were stretching.
"He's still not taking us seriously."
"So, what do we do?" Darby asked him, hoping for him to have a plan.
Takashi responded with a smirk."I do. Remember our fight against my dad during our exam? Let's go with that. It's our best move when it comes to a combination attack. Plus, it's the only thing that comes to mind that might work."
"Oh, yeah! Like last time." Darby reminisced the time they fought Vermillion Ray."Alright. Let's do it!"
"What could they be plotting now?" The Baron narrowed his eyes, watching attentively as Darby manifested his ten Black Spheres, lining them up in front of Takashi as his arms increased the neon coursing through them.
"Black Neon Rain!" Both boys shouted, surprising The Baron as he pulled out two black rods. Takashi touched the first two Black Spheres, charging them with neon as these turned red."FIRE" The spheres shot over to The Baron at an incredible speed.
The Sin of Wrath moved his head to the side, feeling the power of the powered-up Black Sphere as it brushed his mask. He didn't have time to reflect on this, since more of them were coming his way. He tried blocking on with his black rods, but they were shattered to pieces and hit his body.
'If I use Null Inertia now, I'll be exposed to attacks and they'll take advantage of it." The Baron analyzed the information at hand while dodging the Black Spheres.'I'll have to calculate the precise moment to use it to cancel their combo out.'
"We're not done yet, you bastard!" Takashi grabbed Darby by the shirt, who was being pulled over by the gravitational force of his Black Spheres. The American teenager grabbed Takashi and threw him over to The Baron as he covered himself in neon, mimicking a meteor. Takashi grabbed The Baron's hands, keeping him in place as he tried to push him back by kicking the air.
'If I use my Quirk now while he has me grabbed like this, I'll be affected as well.' The Baron grimaced underneath his mask.'Wait, where is the other one?'
"GO BEYOND! PLUS! ULTRA!"
The Baron gasped as he glanced up and watched as Darby reunited all his Black Spheres charged with neon on his right leg, creating a Black Leg. Baron pulled Takashi in and kneed him in the stomach and rose his arms to activate his Quirk. But it was too late. Baron felt the giant kick to his face, feeling the impact of it and how it was cracking his mask. He was sent flying across the area, skidding on the floor before crashing into a wall. To finish it off, Takashi fired a huge neon blast at his direction, creating an explosion of light.
Darby landed on the floor, recalling his Spheres Back."Did we get him?!"
Takashi coughed for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath after the kick."Maybe...but that attack should have done some sort of damage to him." The youngest Kachidoki stood up and walked over his friend, offering a hand."We definitely make a good team. See, I told you we're in sync."
"I'm more impressed of that new form of yours," Darby admitted as he scanned his body.
"Yup. Now you're no longer stronger than me. I am." Takashi said confidently, allowing himself a smirk.
"Probably, you are." Darby shrugged, not really having the energy to start competing. However, he frowned upon seeing Takashi's expression.'He must be hurting really bad right now. All of us are. But...I'm scared to think that he'll go berserk like last time if he's pushed over the edge...'
The Baron used the wall as support to stand up, grabbing his mask as it began to fall off to pieces on the ground. His cape fell off of him and his hat was gone. His armor had dents on it as well.
'To think they did all this because of the information they got from Ayushi.' He smiled, his lips visible due to his mask already in pieces. He walked up to the smoke, catching the two youths by surprise."I'll admit, you are more capable than what I've remembered. You've gotten stronger. You are indeed both formidable young heroes and I admit that you had me there for a second. If I didn't use Null Inertia during that last second, I would have been in trouble. A shame that I have to put you down. If only you had listened to my words and joined my side to create a new world. You could have gotten so far." He removed his hand, allowing what remained of his mask to fall to the floor.
"Hey, that's...his face?" Darby looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"I've...never seen it before. He looks young and serene...I never thought a psycho like him would look like that."
The Baron had curly red hair with uneven bangs that almost covered his eyes. He had fair skin, almost pale. He also had sharp eyebrows and had amber eyes. He looked calm, almost to the point of showing no emotion.
"From now on, though, I will recognize you two as worthy opponents. As such, I will not hold back as much power. You're close to making me go full power, but not quite there yet. And considering I'm close to activating the Crown, you will never see that happening. Regardless, as a gift to you for entertaining me and also exposing my face...I suppose I can allow myself to tell you the truth. That and because you won't live long to tell the tale."
"The truth...?" Darby muttered under his breath."What truth?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you face to face, Darby Nishikawi, Takashi Kachidoki." The Baron bowed down slightly."I go by many names. The Baron, Wrath, and Teema. But I also have a name that I left behind years ago. Make sure you remember it clearly. My name is..."
He stood straight again, a small smile gracing his features."Satoshi Kachidoki."
To be continued...