Kuroko stayed back as Akashi led the group down to the ground.
He did not stay too far away from them, so that he could listen to the conversation between Akashi and Hanamiya.
"I see that the curse on you is gone." Hanamiya commented lightly.
Akashi did not reply, only staring down Hanamiya.
"Ooh, scary indeed. Of course, a leader of the strongest group of demigods must be impressive." Hanamiya nodded, not reacting to the painful, crippling aura coming from Akashi. "And what about him? Not joining?"
Hanamiya gestured towards Kuroko.
"I am sufficient." Akashi said.
Hanamiya looked away from Akashi, and stared straight at Kuroko. And Kuroko was happy enough to send a glare towards Hanamiya.
A slight raise to Hanamiya's eyebrow had everyone tensing.
"Hm," Hanamiya hummed softly.
The sound he made was not one of acceptance to Akashi's challenge, but rather, one that told of secrets. Secrets that have been exposed completely.
A jolt of alarm ran through everyone.
But Hanamiya did not do anything else, and turned back to face Akashi.
"Alright then. Do you know, Akashi Seijuurou, I have always wanted to see you kneel at the feet of others. Excluding the one up there, you were the next strongest of all the demigods." Hanamiya smirked, his eyes taking on a manic light. "This time, give me a good fight, yeah?"
Kuroko frowned as Hanamiya began to attack Akashi.
Hanamiya was alone, while Akashi had Midorima, Aomine, Kise and Murasakibara all aiding in the fight.
In a five versus one match, the winner was obvious.
But yet, what was with the scene right now?
Why did Hanamiya not fall, in fact, he was even holding his own against his opponents without much trouble. Could it be because everyone else were already fighting earlier? Were they tired? But, Kuroko's healing abilities should have gone deeper, beyond healing physical wounds. Their stamina should have been replenished as though they have just entered the fight.
So how was it possible that Hanamiya was not losing?
Kuroko's eyes widened with horror as Kise was thrown back, slamming against the wall. The skin of his stomach had been blown apart by a black spider. The black spider was the form of Hanamiya's power; it could move and slip into clothes undetected, and then when it unleashed its attack, the victim would be completely vulnerable.
No, Kise-kun!
Kuroko's mind screamed at him to quickly tend to Kise's wounds.
But…
Kuroko could not. The consequence for removing a deadly curse was still in effect. Kuroko was absolutely powerless right now, worse than a baby demigod!
Kise glanced up at Kuroko.
"Kurokocchi?" Kise murmured softly, confused.
Kuroko could not hear what Kise said, but he could read Kise's lips and he knew that Kise had called for him. Kise was confused about why Kuroko did not immediately heal him.
Kuroko flinched.
"Oh? What's this? Interesting, interesting!" Hanamiya laughed loudly and Kuroko barely dodge the dozen black spiders thrown at him.
"What's wrong with Tetsu?" Aomine hissed lowly to Akashi who was frowning at Kuroko.
It couldn't be…
Was this the reason why Kuroko did not want to fight?
Akashi caught Kuroko's gaze, and he did not let Kuroko look away.
Guilt, pain, helplessness… Was that hatred that Akashi saw in Kuroko's eyes as well?
Hatred for his own lack of power?
Akashi growled, and began to attack Hanamiya fiercely. He would not allow Hanamiya to take advantage of Kuroko's current state!
Hanamiya's attention was no longer on Kuroko, he could not divide his attention when a furious prey was attacking him.
Hanamiya smiled.
He exchanged blows with Akashi, cackling gleefully.
They were a lot more careful now, because there was no one to heal their wounds or to provide endless stamina recovery. Hanamiya could not help but laugh.
Akashi snarled at him.
"Do you want to kill me?" Hanamiya asked, looking to be rather relaxed.
"I will kill you, that is absolute." Akashi returned.
"That's too bad. See, I don't have any plans to die so early. Honestly though, I didn't think I would have to bring them out but you are quite a troublesome pest." Hanamiya huffed. Hanamiya raised his left hand, and snapped his fingers.
The ground suddenly trembled hard, and sounds of explosion from the distance rapidly came nearer and nearer.
"Why don't you try fighting them?" Hanamiya chuckled.
Otroks twice the usual size appeared from all sides. They quickly closed in on Akashi and the rest.
"These are special. I have been doing many experiments, during my time in the human world. After many, many failures and endless amount of effort, I successfully managed to create these few Otroks that are not only of superior strength, but they are also similar in power to that little boy high up in the sky."
"What?" Aomine roared.
"To create them, I just piled power over power, again and again, as much as I can without them exploding on me. Because that boy is strong, I wanted to create something that could give him some trouble, keep him busy for a bit. It took quite some time, but they turned out fine. Isn't it amazing?" Hanamiya laughed.
"Now then, shall we see how long you guys can last against them?"
And then he clapped his hands twice, a signal for the Otrok to begin attacking.
Kuroko cried out in distress as he watched them begin the fight against the modified Otrok.
"Heeey! Over here, over here!"
Kuroko raised his head, glaring at Hanamiya who was floating in front of him.
"Don't glare at me like that. It makes me want to break you." Hanamiya snarled.
"How dare you, using such things to fight. Do you have no shame?"
"Shame? Who needs that? I only need power. With power, you can do anything you want, right? Stop acting like a good boy, I know about you. You have killed many with that vast power of yours, what right do you have to say anything to me?"
"I have killed many, yes. But those were fair fights!"
"What rubbish are you sprouting? You picked on the demigods who were obviously weaker than you. How is that fair? You, you are just like me."
Kuroko's hands curled into fists.
"Hm? A physical fight? Can't use your powers so that's the next best thing? Hahaha! You really are hilarious!"
"Shut up." Kuroko glowered at Hanamiya.
"Why don't you think this through? Even if you kill me, do you really think all this will end? Demigods will still be tied to the humans as slaves. To change the current world, we need to reset it!" Hanamiya's eyes widened with greed.
"You…Was this your goal all along?" Kuroko stared at Hanamiya, shocked.
"Of course! That is why you are needed, Kuroko Tetsuya. You are the Key. Using you, I will create a new world!"
"Do you really know what you are talking about, you fool? You want to use the Key, are you crazy? Even you will be affected!""
"Hah? Of course. That is what I want. Within you lies the Key; the power created by the gods with the ability to erase this world!"
Key.
The Key is not an actual key, but rather, a gem filled with power. This gem is what kept the existence of the Demigod's Kingdom, high up in the skies, hidden from the humans. It glows so bright that just a momentary glance can blind a demigod. And this gem had one special ability.
To Reset.
Depending on how it is used, the form of 'reset' can be changed. The known ability of the Reset was to erase every single trace of demigod from the world. The history in the human's books will be changed, their memories would be replaced. But it was not only the humans, the demigods too, will be affected. They, just like the humans, would be stripped of everything.
With no knowledge and power, there will no longer be any difference between the demigods and humans.
But such dreadful power could not be used by anyone.
There are three conditions in attaining the Key.
1. Strength
The user has to be strong, with powers that no one else could match up to. How that power is obtained does not matter. Hanamiya's power came from the creation of all the Otroks, and with every one created, his power grew. As for Kuroko, his powers were natural, inherited.
Both Kuroko and Hanamiya had passed the first test.
2. Greed
The user must have an unstoppable greed for power, more and more. Only then can their bodies change and accept the Key into themselves. But to obtain this 'greed' criteria, the user first has to betray. Let the greed for power drive the user to things that would cause discord.
Kill your brethren, forsake your own blood.
Kuroko had killed other demigods while he was running away from the grief of losing his parents, and Hanamiya had killed countless demigods during the war. Their reasons may differ, but the enjoyment of killing was the same.
And they both passed the second test.
3. Life
The Key is nothing more than a tool of destruction for the user. The world will change according to the will of the user, but at the cost of the user's life. Kuroko had things important things to him in this current world, things that he would not – could not – give up. And Hanamiya had fallen too deep into greed, he would not give up his life for a world that he would not be in.
Neither Kuroko nor Hanamiya passed the last test.
"Hanamiya, you know that you will not be able to use the Key." Kuroko frowned.
"Yes, I know. That's why I found a way around it." Hanamiya smirked.
"What?"
"I will use you. I will use your life to fulfill the last condition."
Hanamiya shot forward, grabbing hold of Kuroko's shirt.
"How perfect it is. You are completely powerless now, can't even defend yourself. How pathetic. This must be fate, you were meant to be my sacrifice. After all, you had stolen the Key from me!" Hanamiya snarled, eyes alight with madness.
"The Key is not yours."
"It is! It is mine. How dare you take it from me!"
Kuroko wrapped his fingers around Hanamiya's hands, trying hard to pry him off.
"Because of you, I spent many years finding a way to work around the last condition. Yes, I must thank you. If you had not forcibly hidden the Key into your body at that time, I would have hesitated about using the Key and not thought about the way to fill in the third condition."
Hanamiya laughed, loud and hard.
"If you want to blame someone for this turn of events, then you should just blame yourself! If you had not done what you did, would things have reached this stage? You understand, don't you? It's all your own fault."
Hanamiya raised his hand, a large black spider sitting on his palm.
"Well then, Kuroko Tetsuya, goodbye."
As Kuroko was struggling with all his might, Hanamiya was looking at him in pity, but the mad grin never felt his face.
Tetsuya, no matter what happens, you can never touch this seal, alright? Even when you are in a position where you have no power, or when there is something that distresses you greatly, no matter what, you cannot touch this seal. Do you understand? This is a seal that your father and I have placed on you.
Because you are strong Tetsuya, too strong. You will be consumed by your own power without this bind on you. That is something that I never want to see happen to you.
Kuroko stared at the spider which was slowly starting to crawl up his arm, step-by-step, like a predator on the hunt. Kuroko even thought that he heard the spider laughing at him, deep and rough, as though mocking his useless, powerless, self right now.
Then his vision was abruptly replaced with the chains within himself. There, in the deepest part of him, lay a large silver lock, connected to pure white chains. The lock and chains were holding something down, something thick, black and ominous.
Kuroko reached out, brushing against the lock with his mind.
A static shock burst from the lock, rejecting Kuroko's presence.
And the darkness behind the lock stirred, shifted, stretching out towards Kuroko. It was formless at first, but then it steadily changed into a hand, a large black hand with sharp claws, calling for Kuroko to free it.
Kuroko blinked, and the vision was gone. In front of his eyes was the outside world and the spider was now near his shoulder. Kuroko stared at it.
Okay, Tetsuya?
"…Mother…"
The spider stopped, and Hanamiya froze. Then he roared with laughter.
"What? Are you so scared that you're calling for mummy now?"
"…Mother…Father…" Kuroko paid no attention to Hanamiya.
It's a promise, Tetsuya.
Steeling himself, Kuroko reached out and grabbed onto the black hand. Immediately, the hand snapped shut around his body, constricting him tightly, as though it had gained a treasured prize. But Kuroko paid no attention to that, he threw himself against the lock. Grabbing hold it, Kuroko began to force it open. The static barrier from the lock ripped through Kuroko's mind, slowly tearing it apart.
His body went slack, and his eyes glazed over.
Hanamiya caught his body instinctively.
"What, did you faint?" Hanamiya frowned. "So weak? You're no fun at all."
Just then, Kuroko's body started to emit a slow glow. It steadily increased, glowing brighter and brighter.
Hanamiya's eyes widened with alarm. "You! What are you planning! Stop that right now!" Hanamiya roared at him, but Kuroko remain unresponsive to his words. Once he realised that Kuroko wasn't paying attention, Hanamiya immediately stopped his yelling and took action instead.
"No, no matter what it is I will not let you!" He slammed his spider down onto Kuroko's chest. Piercing through the skin and bones in order to crush Kuroko's heart.
Mom. Dad. I'm sorry.
Kuroko ripped the lock open.