Chapter 53
Truth or Lie
Ayushi groaned as she continued pulling on the neon string she had formed, pulling on Hisashi's body and getting him closer to her.
"Sorry..." He muttered, his body deprived of energy."Even if he reduced the power of his attack at the last second, The Baron still did major damage to me..."
"Are you okay?" Ayushi rubbed her brother's hair, wincing in pain as she felt her wounds throbbing.
"I should be asking you that...I...is it true, sis? About the...you know..."
"Yes." She answered, shifting her gaze to Takashi, who was laying on the floor further away."I did all of this...I'm sorry...What kind of mentor am I? Leaving such responsibilities to my young subordinates..."
"It's not time to think about that, sis." Hisashi laid on the wall next to her."Right now, I think Darby-kun is the only one standing. It's up to him to either buy time or beat him. Though probably the former is more likely..."
"Right..." Ayushi chose to remain quiet. Any word she said caused her unbelievable pain in her abdomen. Nero pulling her out of the rubble wasn't as gentle as she thought it'd be. And cauterizing the wound was near impossible due to the next to zero level of neon she had. Thankfully, she had one neon cube with her, but she couldn't waste it. Both of them were injured and exhausted, so the best choice was Takashi, but he was unconscious.'How frustrating. To not be able to do anything...and have someone else fight for you. Sorry, Darby...'
Shie Hassaikai Compound, Underground Tunnels, Noon
Darby, powered up by the Crown, flew above Satoshi, glaring at him with disdain. The oldest Kachidoki's eyes twitched as he was going through a roller coaster of feelings.
"The real battle? Don't make me laugh." His voice was raspy."This battle is over. You have no chance against me. With or without that crown."
Darby squinted his eyes as they began changing. His whole sclera had changed. Now his eyes were as if one was staring into space, full of stars and planets. In the blink of an eye, Darby flew past Satoshi, breaking through the wall and going into the next room.
"What?!" Satoshi felt something grace his cheek. He slowly rubbed his palm, noticing his fingers drenched in blood. Growling, he turned back to face his foe.'I didn't even see him coming!" He wiped the blood off his cheek, sneering.
Darby glanced at him, a look of indifference on his face.
"Don't think you're tough shit because you've powered up. That crown belongs to me! You won't be having it for long!" Satoshi jumped in the air, raising his leg and delivering a back-kick that missed its target. Darby had taken a step back, sidestepping and nearly tripping Satoshi as he lunged at him. Before he could turn around, he felt a hand pushing him forward, tripping him down to his knees. Hissing in anger, Satoshi dashed to him and went for a roundhouse kick, but Darby jumped away, dodging it easily. He waited patiently, watching in slow motion as Satoshi ran up to him and tried a barrage of punches.
Satoshi was growling as every punch he threw was dodged. No matter how hard he tried or how fast he attacked, Darby was dodging them as though he were a child. All of a sudden, Darby elbowed him in the chin, quickly going for a kick in his stomach that sent him skidding away.
Satoshi screamed at the intense pain he felt, but he didn't have time to dwell on that matter. He used his momentum to backflip away, jumping high in the air and creating his Ultima Bow and three Apollo's Arrow, concentrating a tremendous amount of neon in them. He took aim, and with a feral scream, he shot the arrows at his opponent.
Darby calmly rose his hand, passing a Black Sphere through his hand and creating a Black Umbrella, dispersing the arrows upon contact in different directions of the area. He lowered his hand, his space-like eyes staring into Satoshi's own.
"He deflected them?! That's impossible!" Satoshi's eyes widened upon seeing Darby flying over to him. He crossed his arms in front of him, blocking the kick that nearly snapped his arms. Now it was Darby's turn to attack. The Baron winced as he felt the impact of Darby's punches against his arms. He wasn't able to dodge, so he was forced to block as much as he could. It took great effort to block, since the attacks were incredibly fast, even he wasn't keeping up. A miscalculated mistake was all it took to receive a punch in the gut, knocking the wind out of him followed by a nudge in the chin and a kick to the side of the face.
Satoshi yelled in frustration, hands in the air as he began firing multiple neon blasts at the wielder of the Crown. Nishikawi didn't bat an eye and proceeded to jump around, evading being hit by the relentless attacks. He slid down on the floor, pushing himself upwards by punching the ground, and spun around, graciously escaping the incoming blasts. He grabbed two of them with his bare hands and threw them around Satoshi's feet. He then supported himself with his arms, kicking two more behind him, creating a smokescreen of colors.
'He blocked my view!' Satoshi created a neon blade in his hand and went for it, going outside of the smoke only to realize he had missed his target by mere inches. Darby held onto his right arm and watched the neon sparkle on his left. He released his arm, and Satoshi immediately jumped back, only to feel something behind him. Before he could turn around, Darby kneed him on the back of the head.
He nearly lost consciousness but bit the insider of his mouth to the point where he broke skin to avoid passing out. Another knee to the skull forced him to keep looking forward. Having enough, Satoshi turned around, only to be kicked in the chin and sent flying into a wall.
The Sin of Wrath grumbled, removing the debris that had fallen on him."This can't be happening...It has to be a nightmare. He wasn't even putting up a fight earlier when he was fighting me together with the other two. Not to mention he was at death's door!" He grabbed his head, shaking it."No...this is perfect. If the Crown was able to power him up to this extend, then I can not even phantom how much stronger I'll be when I get it. I just have to bide my time until I see the chance..."
"Uh..." Darby moaned as he opened his eyes and was met with a blinding light. He squinted his eyes, covering them slightly to provide himself some sort of shade. He groggily sat up, gasping upon seeing his body in perfect shape."Huh? What? I'm healed? Or wait...did I die? Is this heaven?!"
"Not exactly."
Darby glanced to his left, noticing a girl squatting down next to him. She had long brown hair that cascade past her hips. Freckles adorned the middle of her face and a pair of amber eyes stared back at him. She was wearing a long brown skirt that reached past her knees along with a white dressing shirt and a brown coat. She had a small physique, and she stood about 5'3.
"Hello there." She waved, a friendly smile on her face.
"Hi...?" Darby waved back slowly."Excuse me, but who are you?"
"I should be asking you that." The girl stood up, folding her arms."Who are you, exactly? I wasn't expecting an outsider to be here, at all. But I guess it's a relief is someone like you."
"I'm Darby Nishikawi...little girl, are you an angel?"
"You're not dead, dummy." The girl chopped him on the head."How do you not know where you are? I mean, you are wearing the Crown, right?"
"I think? I don't know. I don't remember much. All I know is that I was hurt pretty bad while fighting off Satoshi."
"I see. Well, that makes sense. Actually, to be perfectly frank with you, you sort of died." She rubbed her arm.
Darby yelped in surprise."What?!"
"Well, that's to be expected." She rose a finger."You sustained fatal wounds. If you hadn't put that Crown, I wouldn't have been able to restore your body. And you most definitely would have perished. You are one lucky kid."
"Kid? You look like you're at least twelve." He pointed out, lacking ill intend.
"That's what you're concerned about? I'll have you know I'm 22, thank you very much!" She pouted, avoiding his gaze."Anyway, I guess this is a good thing. Yes...definitely the best-case scenario. Good. All right then, Nishikawi-chan. It's time I explain to you what's happening. First and foremost, my name is Kaori Kachidoki. As to where you are inside the realm of the Crown. Right now, the battle between you and Satoshi is taking place."
"If that's the case, then I have to go." Darby got back on his feet."I can't waste time here. I'm sorry, but I have to go settle things."
"Relax." She grabbed his shoulders and sat him back down. Despite her size, she was quite strong."Listen. Time for you isn't passing in regular time. Meaning that no matter how long you stay here, no time will pass in the real world. Not to mention, I am currently piloting your body. Meaning that the one who is doing all the work is me. So, calm down and take it easy. I have much to explain."
Darby nodded, getting comfortable in the floor and deciding to hear her out.
"You're taking this rather well." Kaori pointed out."I thought you'd be freaking out right now, asking tons of questions."
"Well, if I freaked out, I wouldn't solve anything. Not to mention we were riding all of our hopes into getting the Crown. At this point, I'll do whatever it takes to bring Satoshi down."
"I like your attitude. Very interesting. Anyway, as you know, you are inside of the Crown. I mentioned I was 22, but the fact of the matter is, I'm actually 122 years old!"
"Wait, what?!" Darby cried out."You're that old?! But you look young as hell!"
"Shut up!" She snapped, annoyed at him commenting about her age."I was born 122 years ago but I've been in this place as an astral being, where I haven't aged a day. You see, back during my times, I was one of the first people to develop a Quirk. Quirks happened spontaneously and were beginning to spread like wildfire. I was the only one in my family who had one. Or so I thought."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll get to that in a minute. At first, I was praised and adored by those around me. They thought of me as some sort of a goddess that blessed the Kachidoki family. Our family, back then, was having financial problems. I remember living in poverty for the most part, in contrast to how they live nowadays. But soon enough, there came rumors of a man capable of stealing and giving Quirks to other people. My family grew worried, afraid of losing the fame and prestige they had acquired thanks to me. So, desperate times call for desperate measures. We didn't have any time to search for a husband for me...so I was thrown with a partner after partner when I was just 16..."
"Oh, God." Darby covered his mouth in disbelief."I'm so sorry that happened to you..."
"It's fine. I've had 100 years to reflect on that and get over it. I can joke about fucking like rabbits now without a care in the world." She chuckled upon seeing his baffled expression."But back then, it was the worst time of my life. I was kept in a basement, locked up for my own "security". But in reality, they kept me locked as if I was a prize to keep safe. Just a trophy. My father became greedy and began establishing rules for our future generations, in order to keep the Quirk alive for as long as possible. They planned this without my consent. Of course, they didn't care much about it."
She rubbed her belly, a soft smile on her face."But I was naive and desperate. All I wanted was for the baby I was carrying to live a good life. Even if it meant to be indoctrinated by my parents. To my surprise, I ended up having twins. I named the oldest Sakunosuke and the youngest Terunosuke. I...I was never able to see them. Only when I fed was I allowed seeing my children. I never even learned who the father was. Regardless, now we had to wait and see if they would develop a Quirk similar to mine."
"However, even I couldn't live in such a state for long. Every day was torture for me. Seeing nothing as a breeding machine in order to produce strong children. My father used different males to mate with me. This time, we tried ones that had powers. We thought that perhaps two parents having different Quirks would affect the end result. I ended up having...gosh, I don't even remember all of them. Out of all the children I was forced to give birth to, only the first two were successful matches. The rest...well, my father outcasted them. Said we only needed pure Kachidokis if we wanted to preserve our family's name."
She sat down on the floor, hugging her knees."I hinted at this before, but I wasn't the only one in my family who had developed a Quirk. My sister had a Quirk as well."
Darby pursed his lips."I'm sorry I'm interrupting you, but you haven't mentioned anything about the Crown. Who found it?"
"It was a treasure. Passed down from generation to generation. It looked like it was made out of gold, but our family never dared to sell it. My father often said it brought good fortune. So we always brought it along in whatever small apartment we could afford. He firmly believed that the Crown was magical and it would grant his wish one day. So...I always prayed at night. But not for my well-being. I was beyond repair. I would never bounce back from all the trauma of being treated as a breeding machine. So I prayed for my children. I wanted them to grow strong and kind. To always go on the right path and be different than what we were."
She reached for her breast pocket, pulling out a pink stone."This is what started everything. Neon Stones. It all started with me. My father hypothesized that the Crown needed something to power it up. Once we had amassed a good amount of wealth, he began to experiment with jewels. Until one day I came up with the idea of trying my Neon Stone. Of course, we couldn't tell for certain whether it worked or not. We thought that it needed more. A total of ten Neon Stones, since the Crown had ten available slots. And I knew what that meant."
"Your dad would try to get more children out of you." Darby grimly stated.
"Yeah..." She sighed, chewing on the inside of her cheek."I couldn't live like that anymore. As extreme as it sounded, I was ready to die. It wasn't a life. I couldn't live with the thought of just being used to create more children. And even if I did that, the ones who were no good would just be discarded. So I...I think the Crown granted my wish."
"Your wish?" Darby tilted his head."What do you mean? I thought you said you needed all stones reunited for it to grant your wish."
"I thought so too. But it's strange...When I..." She paused."I...should probably mention that I committed suicide." She waited for Darby's initial shock to go by, raising a hand to silence him."It's okay. I told you, I had about a hundred years to think about things. Though...it never got any easier. It still haunts me to this day...all that pain I've felt."
"But why are you here then? I mean, surely there is something in the afterlife, right?" Darby asked, concerned about her wellbeing.
"There is." She replied after a few seconds."It's just I was put in here as my wish. At first, I thought I was destined to suffer in this void forever, alone. Trapped in the failures of my own life. But then I noticed. I could see outside just perfectly. From generation to generation, I observed by descendants grow and develop. As well as new Neon Stones being created. But I also saw my other relatives being tossed away simply because they weren't considered powerful. Sometime after that, the Crown...spoke to me, so to speak."
"It spoke to you?"
"Yes. Well, kind of. I felt like memories starting going into my head, as well as information. I learned that the Crown has a mind of its own. It decides who will wield its power based on their motives. I also learned that I was here because I needed to see things through. To guide the person who would eventually get the power of the Crown. But as a price, I had to watch as my family tore itself apart. As they fought against each other for the sake of power. I came to the conclusion that my family wasn't going to be able to save itself. That it needed something else. That's when you came."
She extender her arm, caressing his cheek."I never expected someone other than a Kachidoki to come here. I believed my dad or at least, my son, would be the ones to get it done. But two surprises came unannounced."
"Me and...Satoshi, right?"
"Correct. Satoshi...he was a victim as well. I'm sorry for saying this, considering he killed so many people, including some of your friends. But he went down the wrong path because of things that couldn't be avoided. He came this close to completing the Crown. Had he done so, the world would have changed entirely. A before and after. But your perseverance pushed through and proved to rival his thirst for change. You fought for my family so much, even though you could have just looked the other way. You are the person I always believed in. You, who is no a Kachidoki, are the key to change everything."
"If that's the case..."Darby stood up, a tender smile gracing his features."I'll take over this fight. You said my body was on autopilot, right? Then let me take over."
"Are...are you sure? I mean, I haven't finished telling you the specifics! Plus, your mind isn't used to this much power. It could be dangerous. You will be far less efficient than me controlling your body."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take. After coming this far, it has to be me the one who puts a stop to this. It just wouldn't feel right, you know. Just go ahead and tell me what's different."
"Well...if you insist." She sighed, standing up and walking up to him."For starters, the Neon Stones are powering the Crown, which is giving you a massive boost in power. Your speed and senses are enhanced to levels far beyond your capabilities. Secondly, your wish was granted. "I wish to expose the lies and bring forth the truth." Your wish was granted in the form of a new Quirk. One that you can only use as long as you have the Crown on you. Before you ask me what that is, I have no idea. It's supposed to manifest in the way that your heart desires and needs. So only you can draw out that power."
"Works for me." Darby nodded, grabbing his headband and adjusting it."I'll be fine. Once I beat him, I'll find a way to make sure you rest in peace. Along with all of the people who died. I'll put an end to this hundred-year family dispute."
"Well, go along then." She urged him, pushing him slightly."You are my last hope, so I pray that you can actually keep your promise."
"You got it." Darby nodded, giving her a thumbs up."I'll be going now. Please, wait just a bit longer."
Just then, Darby's ethereal body disappeared, leaving the Kachidoki progenitor all on her own."Please, I've been waiting for a hundred years. I can wait a couple of minutes. Still..." She rose her head, glancing at the huge black cloud in the white void of a sky."It's a good thing he didn't notice that. But now...I'm worried. Just what does this mean?"
Shie Hassaikai Compound, Underground Tunnels, Noon
Darby's eyes went back to being golden as his sclera returned to their original shade of white. He took a deep breath, analyzing the situation. He was levitating, which was already an odd feeling. He had flown before, but on top of his Black Disk. He also felt an overwhelming strength inside of him. To the point where it felt it was leaking out. He slowly began to descend back to the ground, making sure he was going at a considerable pace.
Satoshi was vivid. He removed himself off of the wall holding him."Don't think for a second this has changed anything...I'm still above you. Crown or no crown, you will never stop me."
Darby chose to remain quiet, which only seemed to piss him off."Say something, you brat!"
More silence."You think just because the Crown chose you that you won?! I'm still standing and ready to fight. No matter what you do, your friends are still dead. I win no matter what."
Darby didn't even frown upon hearing this and continued to stare with indifference.
"Don't look down on me!" Satoshi lunged at him, his neon flaring. He fired a volley of neon blasts, which Darby decided to tank. He rose his arm, manifesting a Black SPhere up in the air above Satoshi.
"What the?!" Satoshi fired a neon blast to get himself out of the white beam of light that came out of the Balck Sphere. He crashed against something behind him, and before he could see what it was, a kick to the back sent him back to the ground. The Baron rolled on the floor before recovering his footing, waving his hand horizontally as Darby flew towards him.
"Savage Slicer!"
Darby halted his march, stopping in front of the huge slash of neon that cut through the ground. He looked over the hole in the ground, noting how deep it seemed to be. Looking up, he met Satoshi's gaze, glaring daggers at him. The Kachidoki dashed at him, a neon blade in his hand while Darby continued to dodge. In one instance, Darby chopped him in the throat, causing him to choke. He took this opportunity to punch him in the gut followed placing his hand on his stomach, passing a Balck Sphere through his palm, and ejecting him away with a Black Umbrella.
'I can't beat him...' Satoshi hissed, wiping the blood off his mouth as he clad his legs with neon, forcing himself to a stop.'I have to get back to the Boss and get him out of here! Screw getting the Crown. If I fight him head-on, I'll die, leaving Overhaul exposed!'
He gasped, noticing that Darby was flying right towards him.
"You're not getting out of this cave, you hear me?!" Satoshi rose a ball of neon in the air, smashing it against the ground and creating a wall of smoke.
'He's running away?' Darby pondered in his mind, dispersing the smoke after raising his hands. He wasted no time to follow suit, going through the empty halls of the underground system.
"He's catching up." Satoshi sneered, manifesting a neon blade and piercing the wall next to him as he ran. He created a new neon blade, doing the same thing but against the ceiling. With a scream, he swung the blades and proceeded to fire multiple neon blasts at the ceiling. Darby glanced up, watching as the ceiling fell on him, creating a mountain of debris and blocking the tunnel.
Satisfied with his work, Satoshi used his neon to propel himself in the air and blasting away."This has gotten way out of hand. At this rate, I'll be defeated and he'll go and find the Boss. I can't let that happen! Our plan is so close to becoming a reality. I can't let these damn children get the better of us! Years of progress for what?! And to make matters worse, my head will be on a silver platter if I don't get out of here. I'm sure that they've discovered my plans of betrayal and are going to come for me." He shook his head."It matters not. As long as I can get Kai and Taichi out of here, I-"
He stopped, landing on the ground."What am I doing? If I take him to where Overhaul is, he'll just go ahead and take him out as soon as he defeats me." He clenched his fists to the point that his nails cut through his skin inside of his glove."What's more...if I run now...all that work and pain I had to go through to get my wish granted will be for naught. I can't run. I am The Baron, the Sin of Wrath! I left all that weakness behind!"
Neon began sparking through his hands."I left Satoshi Kachidoki behind that horrible day! I'm not weak anymore! I am the only one! The only one that can change this world! And you..." His eyes fixated on the white light coming down the tunnel."ARE NOT GOING TO STOP ME!" He nearly passed out as he took a punch to the forehead."NULL INERTIA!"
Darby cringed as his body was tossed back without control, crashing against a wall.
"What was that?" Ayushi gasped after hearing the noise.
"I...don't know." Hisashi blinked as he stared at the cloud of dust that came from a tunnel. Satoshi emerged from the cloud of dust, dusting his clothes off."It's him..."
"So...that's what he looks like. It's nice to finally put a face to that monster." Ayushi muttered under her breath, wincing in pain as her lower half ached in insufferable agony.
"Come out, Darby Nishikawi!" Satoshi ran to the middle of the room, reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a strange. He grinned from ear to ear as he watched the white-haired teen land far from him.
"That's...Darby-kun?" Hisashi gasped in awe."He looks so different. And even from here...I can feel that overwhelming presence he's letting off."
Ayushi covered her mouth in shock, pointing shakily at him."Look at his head...that's the Crown!"
"He has it?!" Hisashi rose his voice, bewildered."But how can that be? Just what happened?!"
Mixed feelings went through her head, but Ayushi knew she was glad he was alive."I don't know...but that glow...and this overwhelming power I'm feeling. He managed to unlock the powers of the Crown...he must have had his wish granted...Darby-kun! Stop him! Don't let him inject himself with that! It's most likely a Trigger!"
Darby said nothing, merely observing as the red-haired Kachidoki injected himself with the syringe as he laughed maniacally.
"Darby-kun!" Ayushi screamed, wincing in agony after forcing her body upwards."Listen to me! That's an order!"
'You're not going to stop him?' Kaori asked from inside his head. Satoshi began screaming, neon erupting from his body like magma, and started spiraling around like a tornado around him.
'I wouldn't be satisfied unless I take him down at his maximum.' Darby scowled, ignoring Ayushi's pleas. The neon intensified more, creating gusts of wind that knock the Kachidoki siblings back. But Darby stood still, waiting patiently for his transformation to finish."I want to bring him down at his peak, to destroy him mentally and make him suffer the same way those he murdered did. I won't let him have any hope."
The neon ascended towards the air before coming down like a meteor at Satoshi. The emerald-colored neon shined brightly, almost blindingly while the wind died down. Clicking his tongue, Darby observed his surroundings. Ayushi and Hisashi were cuddled together against the wall. Thankfully, the debris hadn't managed to get to them. And above all, Takashi's body was with them. The only one unaccounted for was Nero, but he trusted in his durability to survive this. Flames of neon were spread out through the area, almost making the place look like some sort of hellish landscape. From the middle of the flames, a bulky figure walked menacingly.
Darby swallowed the lump in his throat, adjusting the Crown in his head. Satoshi emerged from the flames, clad in armor. It mimicked that of a samurai along with a tengu-like nose-shaped mask, wings for flight, and is clad with robes and ornate armor. A sword was sheathed in its sheath on his right hip. Piercing amber eyes could be seen through the mask, staring into Darby's soul.
'This is it. The final fight.' Darby took a deep breath before exhaling.'Whatever happens now will decide our future...'
"I thank you for allowing me to power up, Nishikawi." Satoshi bowed down slightly, his expression hidden by his new mask."Don't worry. I said that once I put the mask on, I am The Baron. But right now, I am Satoshi Kachidoki. And right now, I'll fight you as who I am."
"Good to hear it." Darby simply said. Both fighters had their arms on their sides, watching each other carefully. They smirked simultaneously, genuine excitement bubbling inside their core. As if sharing the same mind, both of them flew towards each other, clashing with their arms. In a matter of seconds, they took off in the air, blasting through the ceiling out into the surface. Satoshi flapped his wings while Darby floated up, both of them going about the height of buildings and leaving trials of energy behind.
The police on the ground watched in awe as the two beings of light clashed in mid-air, creating a shockwave that threatened to knock them off their feet.
"What's going on?!" Nejire cried out, grabbing onto a lamp post.
"It started..." She heard a faint grow to her left. Taichi cracked an eye open, weakly trying to get the handcuff tied to the lamppost to no avail."It's better if you just get out of here while you can...he's resort to that...which means, everyone here is screwed."
"Who are you talking about?" Nejire knelt beside him, grabbing his shoulder."Also, don't push yourself. You are in no condition to move. I can't just leave you here."
"Heh...wouldn't you like to know, girlie?" He chuckled before breaking in a coughing fit."It's too bad...Guess this is as far as I go..." He lowered his voice, closing his eyes."It's too bad...Never got to go to my favorite idol group concert."
"Why are you talking this way?" Nejire inquired as the tremors grew stronger."No one is going to die. Just stay with me. I'll keep everyone up here safe."
Taichi decided not to answer further. Instead, he turned to where they kept his partner. Megumi was passed out in the back of a cop car, fully restrained."A loser has no right to demand anything. That's how we Yakuza work."
Meanwhile, Darby and Satoshi continued clashing. Their fists released huge levels of power that even began to crack the windows of the buildings nearby. Darby winded his arm, creating a Black Baton as he went for a thrust.
Satoshi disappeared from in front, using his speed to appear behind him and kick him in the back of the head back to the ground. He laughed sadistically, firing a neon ball at him which exploded upon impact. But that didn't keep the wielder of the crown down for long. Darby launched himself back in the air, tackling Satoshi before delivering a garage of punches in his stomach.
Unable to respond, Satoshi was reduced to only being able to grunt in pain as each punch felt like it was devastating him. Darby couldn't help but smile, feeling satisfaction after every punch he gave seemed to damage his opponent. Deciding that his torment had only begun, he spun in the air, planting both of his feet on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing against the Shie Hassaikai Compound. Darby landed on top of a building, swiping his hand to the right and firing a black blast, destroying the upper floors of the building.
He glanced down at the ground, noting that they were finishing things up with Overhaul underground.'I'm assuming that's where all the heroes went since only Hado-senpai is up here. Which means I have to finish this before Overhaul and him come into contact.'
Satoshi grumbled, removing the wall that was on top of him by blasting him. He removed his mask, letting out blood on the floor."How the hell did things end up this way?! I can't be losing like this!" His eyes were bloodshot as his sclera had turned black due to the Trigger. He put his mask back on, standing tall."Erika...Mother...I swore to you that I would see things to the end. Kai...We made an oath. That we would triumph together. I will keep my promises. No matter what, I'm not letting all of our work go to waste!"
With a flap of his wings, Satoshi went up to the skies once more. "Storm Finale!" He rose his hands, manifesting countless neon spheres that covered the clear sky. Darby gasped, flying in between the buildings as the rain of blasts chased after him. He sunk his fingers on the edge of a building, stopping his momentum while the balls chasing him overlooked him.
"If I don't stop them, countless innocent people will be hurt!" Darby was facing the sky, clapping his hands."Alright! Let's test out these new powers! Black Umbrella: Infinite Revolt!"
Darby manifested a huge black sphere that began producing black spheres that chased after the neon blasts. Once they caught up to them, they engulfed the neon and canceled them out.
'He's doing all of this...?' Kaori observed in surprise.'What tremendous concentration. He's protecting every building and every house. While also evading the ones chasing him.'
He had to admit, he was getting used to flying. He maneuvered in the air, dodging the blasts coming towards him. He shot Black Spheres at the attacks gracefully, never missing his target. "Heh!" Darby grinned, pointing at the blasts coming to him."Black Trigger!" He shot smaller Black Spheres with his index fingers as if they were guns.
'Now!' Satoshi prepared to kick him from behind, but wasn't expecting Darby to grab his leg and tossed him back to the ground.'Impossible! He couldn't have deflected all those blasts! Alright...Let's see how you do on close quarters, Nishikawi!' He gripped the handle of his sword, unsheathing it in one swift motion, revealing a Japanese katana. He flapped his wings, flying at max speed as he swung his blade. Darby merely moved his head slightly, causing Satoshi to go over him.
The last Deadly Sin used a building to stop his fall and also as footing to go at Darby while he wasn't facing him. He gripped his sword rightly, going for the swing, but Darby moved his body forward, leaving him upside down.
"Just stay still!" Takashi continued trying to slash at him yet his attacks proved ineffective. In neglect, Darby winded his left fist before slamming it against his face, knocking him back on a rooftop. Growling in frustration, he created a second katana, flapping his wings upwards and going for a double slash. He swung his weapons, however, they were both caught by Darby's hands, which were surrounded by blue light. With a grunt, he broke the katanas apart like glass, shocking Satoshi.
'How the hell did he do that?!' His eyes shot open before biting his lower lip, snapping out of it. He grabbed Darby's shoulder and slammed his right fist into his gut, causing him to lower his head."A point-blank attack. Not even you can come out of that unscathed."
Much to his dismay, Darby rose his head, slightly towering over him and glaring in disdain. Before he could move away, he received a punch in the kidney, giving him excruciating pain. The wielder of the Crown rose his hands, hammering him back down to the hole they had come from.
Satoshi rolled on the ground, hissing in pain."Preposterous...You..." He sat up as he saw Darby walking slowly to him. His body was shaking uncontrollably, taking steps back until he hit a wall."I'm not..."
'You know what I really want, Satoshi-kun?'
He remembered those words clearly. The night the tragedy happen. The night his life ended.
'I would really like for people to find a place where they belong. Regardless of who they are, everyone deserves to be comfortable in one place, don't you think? So I think it would be nice if everyone could find that comfortable place as you did.'
'Yeah...I would like that too. We've all suffered enough.' Satoshi grimaced, lunging at Darby in desperation. He went for a punch but Darby sidestepped. Both of them stared at each other's eyes at that moment, as if they were in slow motion.
Without remorse, Darby punched him in the chest, shattering part of his neon armor and sending him crashing through the wall into another room. But the young hero wasn't done. He continued punching Satoshi through walls, unleashing his rage with each attack.
Satoshi slammed his foot on the ground, jumping high in the air before taking off as fast as a rocket. He went higher and higher, taking a look at his surroundings.
"Fine then. Fuck it all! As long as I can get rid of you, no price is too high!" He rose a hand in the air, immediately creating a neon ball that grew larger and larger by the second. Eight more neon spheres appeared, almost matching the size of the original one as they began orbiting around it.
"That's not good." Adamas grabbed Toga in his arms and squatted down."Hurry up, Twice! We have to get out of here!"
"Huh? What's going on?" Himiko asked, tilting her head.
"You want me to get on your back? Sure, no problem! No way! Get away from me!" Twice hastily jumped on his back causing Adamas' body to sparkle in red lightning as he began running away.
"He's going to blow the whole area up. With that much power, we'll get caught in the blast!"
Nejire could only state in disbelief at the giant attack in the sky, trying to think of ways of how to save as many people as possible.'What can I do? I don't know if I can even repel something like that! And everyone is down there with Overhaul. If only Eraserhead were up here...'
"Well, it was nice being your hostage." Taichi sighed, accepting his fate."Can't say it was a pleasure. You're a babe, but you talk too much. You took all of my energy in that short conversation that we had."
"Well, that's just rude-"
A white light emerged from the ground, landing in the middle of the street. Darby eyed Hado, giving her a nod."It's fine. I got this, Senpai."
"Hey, that's that squirt from earlier." Taichi's eyes snapped open."Don't tell me he's fighting Teema..."
"You mean The Baron?... But he looks really different. And that crown he has on is...pretty. Is he perhaps a prince?"
"I doubt that's the case..." Taichi deadpanned.
Darby spayed his hands to the side before putting them together, creating a white ball of concentrated energy.
"You can do all you want! It's pointless!" Satoshi proclaimed as he stared down at his foe."This attack is my strongest. No other neon ability has come even close to its power potency! No matter if you have the Crown or not, you're dead! THE UNIVERSE!" He swung his arm down, firing the massive blasts at the ground.
"Myriad of Truths!" A potent white beam was shot from Darby's hands."And that's not all! The people who made this possible still have something to say! Rainbow Extension!"
A total of ten multicolored neon balls appear behind Darby before letting out a string of energy connecting to his attack. The white beam began changing colors until it was looking like a rainbow. The blast collided with Satoshi's Universe, immediately evaporating it and pushing it towards him.
Satoshi gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face while he outputted all of his power. But it proved to be in vain once he noticed the attack coming closer and closer to him. He screamed, flying away from the path of the attack and following it with his gaze as it was sent off into the sky, exploding in a colorful light show that could be seen from miles away.
The oldest Kachidoki could only stare in disbelief in the sky.'It can't be...' He shifted his gaze down to the ground, only to receive an uppercut to the face with a fist clad with blue energy. He stumbled down on a rooftop, his wings dissipating.
Darby floated in the sky, looking down at him like he did at the beginning of their fight.
"Not yet...I'm not done yet..." Satoshi grabbed his side, standing firm once again. He grunted, trying to recreate his wings again. But nothing happened. He struggled a bit more, but his wings weren't regenerating."What? What's going on?!" He looked down at his chest and stomach. The spots where Darby had punched him in weren't regenerating either."What did you do to me?!"
"Aside from your neon reserves dropping like a fly, I used the gift that was given to me by the Crown. I could have ended the fight a long while ago by using it easier. My wish was granted. My desire to expose all lies and bring about truth. It came in the form of my new Quirk...Origin Zero."
"Origin Zero?!" Satoshi hissed, glancing down at the belt he stole from Ayushi and noticing his Neon reserved were under 20% and dropping fast."What is going on?! I'm losing power just by standing?!"
"Origin Zero allows me to expose the truth. Basically, I revert anything my fists touch with this..." He rose his two hands, blue-like energy surrounding them."When I make contact with what I want to revert, I return it to its original state. The state it naturally started. I can use it with objects and humans. I've been slowly returning you back. First, I got rid of the effect of the Trigger. Now, I'm going for your Neon Quirk."
"Bastard!"
Both of them were now on the rooftop, a few inches from one another, waiting patiently for who would make the first move. Satoshi grimaced, feeling the neon abandoning his body at a rapid fast. As he expected, he didn't feel the adrenaline boost he had received from the Trigger. If he was going to make a move, this was his last chance.
'I have to close the distance and end him with one attack. But if I make my Nogoro Katana, it'll take at least three seconds. At that point, I'd be toast. In that case...' He quickly created two neon daggers in his hands and lunged at Darby."DIE ALREADY!"
Darby ducked, hitting his forearms and slapping his hands away before delivering a quick right jab to the side of his face, breaking part of his mask. Satoshi recoiled in pain, nearly falling to the ground.
"Damn you!" He winded his fist back, throwing a punch that was slapped away harshly, nearly dislocating his shoulder in the process. Before he could do anything else, Darby punched his biceps, shattering the armor covering his arms."N-no way!"
"This is it!" Darby shouted, stepping forward as he retracted his fist back.
"I'm going to be defeated! I, The Baron, leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, am going to be defeated by a mere child!"
Without mercy, Darby slammed his fist against his cheek, shattering the upper part of his armor and revealing his bloody face.
"You're not going anywhere. You've come far enough and devastated everything on your path." Darby drawled as he sunk his fist into his cheek, moving it around."A person whose life is built upon lies...will never realize who they are. Or their dreams."
Satoshi swatted the arm off of him, creating a neon javelin in his hand."YOU LITTLE FUCKING SHI-"
A barrage of punches was proven to be effective when it came to silencing the oldest Kachidoki. Each blow broke apart his neon armor and destroyed whatever hope of winning he had. Darby punched him in the gut before raising his leg up. With a loud cry, he slammed his leg against his back, nearly breaking his spine and sending him back to the ground into the tunnels.
Satoshi picked himself off, parts of his armor coming off entirely as he was left exposed again. He coughed up blood, feeling agonizing pain everywhere in his body. He felt someone grab his right hand and twisting it behind his back.
"It's over." Darby roughly pulled on his arm, nearly twisting it."I'm turning you in. Your game is over."
Satoshi grumbled in response, raising his left finger up to his chest and channeling the leftover neon he had.
"You can try that if you want. It will be your last shot, from the looks of things. But with my speed and reaction time, I will be able to dodge it as long as I see it coming."
"As long as you see it coming, eh...?" Satoshi's eyes widened maniacally as a grin appears on his face. He put his neon-charged finger against the right side of his chest pointing upwards and shot his attack. The beam went clean through his body and into the Crown, breaking it in half.
'Kaori-san!' Darby cried out as he could feel the power abandon his body.
'I guess this is the end. I'm glad I met someone like you. Someone who can save my family from destruction. You are at the finish line. I'll be rooting from you...from the other side.'
Her presence became nonexistent, indicating she was no longer in the Crown. Darby bit his lower lip, punching Satoshi across the room and manifesting a single Black ball of energy, which became smaller and smaller as he was losing power."Myriad of-" His appearance went back to normal. Before he could fall on the floor, he fired a miniature version of the blast he used earlier."TRUTHS!"
Nevertheless, the attack created an explosion upon contact, causing the underground to shake. The blonde-haired teen fell on his back, gasping for air."I can't...move anymore...But at least I...don't have any mortal wounds...Thanks to Kaori-san..." He closed his eyes, allowing himself a small smile."I did it...I fulfilled that promise I made to you...with this, the Kachidoki family can finally be at peace..."
"Don't count on it..."
The Baron emerged from the smoke, holding his right side as he broke one of his black rods."If I didn't stab myself with this...I would have bled to death..." He removed his chest plate off, leaving himself only with a sleeveless shirt. His gloves were gone as well, and his pants were torn in some parts."Did you forget about my Null Inertia? I used it during the last moment...a little too late but..." He cracked his neck, taking out another rod from his back."I'll shoot the word right back at you. This is it."
Darby tried to sit up, but he no energy left in his body.'Crap...I...damn it...How is he still standing after all of that?!'
"I'm going to slaughter you, kid...you...you destroyed my dreams and my goal. All that work for nothing. But you taught me something valuable." He stood meters away from him, a smile plastered on his face."When you fight for your life...the real you comes out. I suppose we are all honest to ourselves the moment we stare death right in its face. For that reason, show me how honest you can be...DARBY NISHIKAWI!"
Darby shut his eyes, prepared for the worst.
"What the fu-" Satoshi tried blocking an incoming attack from the left, but was taken by surprise again. His assailant, Nero. The demon-Quirk user threw him away, rolling for several meters.
"Nero-san..." Darby was shocked to see one of his mentors alive.
"You screwed up, brat. You did a sloppy job, but thankfully, he's weak enough to be taken down. Unfortunately, the same goes for me. My wounds are severe enough that I can't regenerate properly. Even now, I'm fighting between falling unconscious and just barely able to stand up. Thankfully, our gamble paid off..."
"Yeah, it did."
Takashi landed next to Nero, glancing back at Darby."You did great. I knew I could count on you. Don't worry. Leave the rest to us. I didn't die. Don't give me that look. Ayushi gave me the little bit of neon she had as did Hisashi. I have about 7%, so not much. Hisashi will be our backup."
Darby moved his head to where Hisashi was laying, next to a well and beside Ayushi."They're okay..."
"I wouldn't say we're "okay". But we're alive."
Satoshi hissed, grinding his teeth in frustration."ANd now I'm just being reminded of my failures. I guess Karma is a cruel thing...Nevertheless, I might be wounded, but so are you. The difference is, my power outclasses yours In every scenario!"
"Here he comes!" Nero grabbed his blade and dashed at Satoshi. Their weapons clashed, but Nero's grip loosened due to his internal wounds. Satoshi rose his fist, ready to strike, but a kick to the face sent him skidding away.
He fired a single neon blast, which Satoshi managed to brush off with his rod.
Meanwhile, Hisashi helped Darby over his shoulder and carried him to where Ayushi was along with the broken Crown.
"Ayushi-san...you're..."
"Severely wounded..." She finished for him."Internal bleeding...my stomach has a hole in it, broken bones, can't feel my lower half...but regardless, we are at the finishing of this whole shit show...I...I don't want those deaths to be in vain...Darby-kun...during your interview with me...you told me all of your moves and techniques. You mentioned one that particularly caught my interest. Take the Neon Stones out of the Crown. There's something I'd like you to try..."
Darby nodded, sparing a worried glance at his friends fighting off the fearsome Baron."I think I know what you're planning but...I cant gather energy in here. Even with all those holes leading to the surface, it will take a long time. And-"
"Just do it." She ordered, her voice low."It's our only option left."
Satoshi was holding them both off simultaneously. Due to his wound in his chest, he wasn't able to block some attacks, receiving them without any choice. Satoshi clad a finger with neon, creating a claw while Nero swung his sword down.
"NULL INERTIA!"
Both of them were launched against the walls, their bodies rocketing due to the impact.
"We got five seconds!" Takashi reminded his brother-in-law."It doesn't matter what you have to do, we have to hit him now!" Satoshi used his remaining neon to blast himself in the air.
Nero forced a wing to grow on his back, hearing his bones crack inside of his torso. The pain was excruciating, flooding poured down his mouth due to one of his ribs possibly having pierced a lung. Both of them leaped in the air, attacking in unison. Two powerful punches connected against Satoshi's face, knocking a few teeth out.
"Zero."
Once again, both heroes were sent flying away. Only this time, they had hit their limit.
Satoshi coughed up blood, some of his teeth falling on the ground."You damn ingrates! Look at what you have done to me!" He looked like a feral beast at them, pointing at the group in question."I gave you a choice! A simple choice! To allow me to complete my plan to make a world without Quirks! To liberate all of you from this torment! I wanted to liberate you! Free future generations from going through the same pain as us! Like me! But no! You preferred to keep this damn reality intact! You're happy?! Surrounded by society's demands on heroes?! By being chained to act according to what they dictate you?! To let villains keep forming on the streets?! To judge someone's worth based on their Quirk?! You chose the path of the ignorant! The path to damnation! You chose to-"
"We chose to be free! And we chose to be who we are!" Takashi cried out."You didn't give us a choice. You tried to force your damn agenda just so you could rule over the world along with the Shie Hassaikai, shaping it as you saw fit! Well, sorry to say, that wont happen. It's over!"
"The only thing that's over is you-" He stopped, his eyes widening in realization. Among them, Darby was nowhere to be seen. He looked up and down, but that couldn't be possible. He had no energy, last time he'd seen him. He then turned around, coming face to face with the blonde-haired teenager, holding a rainbow-colored sphere of energy in his hand.
"IS YOU! VORTEX ERUPTION..." His mind went to Crimson Ray, Ashe, Yasukage, Hoshi, Haru, and Yuri. He felt Kaori's presence behind him, along with the fallen Kachidokis of previous generations."Impending Paragon!"
Satoshi couldn't even let out a scream as the attack hit him in the stomach, launching him up in the air and into the outside. He flew past the many cops, cars and buildings, unable to move as the attack was shattering him. Darby waved his hand, controlling the attack and forcing it up, letting go of Satoshi who crashed into a wall. The attack continued going upwards before exploding into colors, a blinding light covering the area momentarily.
Darby puffed and huffed, letting go of the Neon Stones that broke into pieces on the floor.
"It's finally over." Nero grunted, smiling."Took him long enough..."
"Fuck's sakes." Takashi collapsed, welcoming the comfort of not having to stand up anymore.
Ayushi stared at Darby, who still had an arm up and looking at the rays of sunlight coming through the hole he had made.'You saved us and our family...who would have thought we had it all wrong. We stood stronger when together, with all of you. The Kachidoki family...what it was missing was...trust in others...Thank you, Darby-kun...' Hisashi knelt next to his sister, alarmed that she had passed out.
"We did it..." Darby muttered, tears streaming down his face."But at what cost...we sacrificed too much to bring the Seven Deadly Sins down..." He covered his eyes as he sobbed silently."At least...you guys will be able to rest in peace, right...? Thank you..."
He looked up, staring at the images of Hoshi, Ashe, Yasukage, and Vermillion Ray."All of you...please, rest easy now..." With those words, Darby collapsed on the ground. He was long knocked out before he hit the floor and was unaware of the heroes beginning to come in. Unbeknown to him, a battle had just taken place on the surface, bringing an official end to the Shie Hassaikai.
At last, we came to the conclusion of the Shie Hassaikai Arc. I know I didn't go over the events of Overhaul and everyone else, but honestly, in my opinion, I wouldn't want to go over things that everyone already saw/read in the show. That, and the main objective wasn't Overhaul himself, as Ayushi stated a couple of chapters ago. Regardless, I want to thank everyone who stuck around this long in the series. Every little follow and favorite has been fuel for me to continue this series. I enjoyed writing these past few chapters as well as putting pieces of the puzzle together. I have one more chapter coming up that will pretty much be the ending of this arc before I go on a break. Hope you all have a nice week and don't forget to leave your reviews. See you all next time.