6 Years Ago
Octo Village
This is… Home…
A group of octoling kids that are all humanoid are laughing as they added ink and bugs on her bento box of lunch, knowing how she can't say a single word, Serika is watching the humiliation that is coming to her.
Serika knows about stripping in front of her classmates and bow to her knees just to get her head stepped on, being used as a target practice for other inklings to spread different ink on her, drowning her in the toilet and more, life in Elementary school is never good for her and she missed the inkling she's friends with.
"What's wrong, Serika? Are you going to eat it?" One octoling girl laughs.
"She's too scared to take a bite!" Another hollered.
Before Serika makes a decision, she shoves ink and bugs along with her lunch into her own mouth to prove that she's not a coward.
But it backfired.
"UEEEEH!"
"Ugh!" All the kids exclaimed as they saw her puking out as the bugs were released and her throat burned.
"Vomit girl!" An octoling girl hollered out laughter as many children were joining in the laughter, leading Serika to cover herself.
BANG! A door slams from the behind as a young octoling girl storms her way towards a bunch.
"HEY! That's my big sister! Stop it right now!" Shouting is none other than Shiki, Serika's younger sister, who appears to be more talkative.
Serika gasps as the children turn with disgust.
"Come on, Shiki, we're just playing with vomit girl here. Scram." The octoling boy hisses.
"Never! Until you stop hurting her, then I'll leave!" Shiki growls.
"You and what army!?" The octoling girl asked.
"The teacher will tell you off for hurting her!" Shiki smirks as she's about to save her sister from her bully classmates.
The children stopped as they heard what Shiki said which intimidated them.
"Tch! You win this time. Oi, vomit girl, you're free to do whatever you want." Said the octoling girl.
"Stop calling her a vomit girl! Her name is Serika!" Shiki snapped and then helped Serika up. "Big sister, are you okay?"
"Tch!"
Unfortunately, Serika slaps Shiki's hand and then leaves the classroom at a hasty pace, leading Shiki to watch her older sister running away.
This doesn't stop Shiki from trying to help her as she follows.
Later, Serika is staring at her own hand, thinking she's too weak to fight, especially that she'll be liable for those in the future turf wars.
As the leaves fall from the trees, the pink blossom is what Serika sees in front of her brown eyes.
"Serika! There you are!" Shiki appears as she pants
"Ah. Mm…" Serika covers herself by cocooning and looks away from her younger sister Shiki.
"I know you're scared of failing me, but I'll never be angry at you."
'But why? I'm already a freak and a scaredy catfish. Unlike you, I can't speak.' Serika gestures a sign.
"It's okay. I'm scared like you. Also, you don't need to talk to make a difference. It's what dad and auntie said to us, 'Action speaks louder than words. Let your action do the talking.' You wanted to be the big sister I need, but not the big sister I wanted. You're perfect the way you are." Shiki expressed her honesty to Serika with a cheerful smile.
Serika halts after seeing her little sister hugging her like that.
"I love you, big sister. Always have and always will." Said Shiki.
"Mm." Serika nods and pats Shiki's head with a smile.
Both octoling sisters then embrace each other at a garden that is raising sakura blossoms, only for Shiki to think about what to do.
Weeks have passed…
Inside a hospital room, groaning, Serika mumbles as she's opening her eyes and looking left and right in bed.
"What's… Going on? Huh!? Wha!?" Serika exclaims after speaking, knowing that voice isn't hers. "Why I sound like her?" Her speech is not clear, but her tone and voice is actually clear.
As the door opens, arriving with the octoling doctor is Shiki that appears with a scar on her neck.
"Shi-... Shiki." Serika stops and then approaches her little sister. "You are okay?"
Shiki nods and points at her own neck and Serika's, leading Serika to panic as she gasps.
"What did you done!?" Serika shouts as she grabs Shiki's shoulders.
'You talk weird, big sis.' Shiki writes a clipboard as Serika slowly backs away and falls onto her knees.
"Why? Why give me your voice?" Serika, or Shiki's former voice, trembles after hearing a soft tone coming out of someone like her.
'Because it's sad that you can't talk. I told the doctors to give my voice to you.' Shiki wrote.
"Idiot…" Serika weeps as Shiki hugs her older sister.
"Ish ohay… I'll pe jus liche you." Shiki whispers as her speech is no longer normal as Serika has her own sister's voice.
"You can't… I was weak… I am a coward."
As Serika still breaks down in tears, Shiki shakes her head with disagreement.
"Mm." 'You're stronger than that. I'll teach you how to speak properly and you'll teach me sign language.' Shiki writes on a note.
"Shiki…"
Finally, Shiki is able to accept her choice as she's cheering Serika up.
But Shiki is saddened that she chose that decision.
Subject 10008
Takaoki Shiki
Octozon Agent, Agent 8
BZZT!
I am Sin… Serika's inner demon and…
Her little sister…
BZZT!
I will save her!
I will save my friends!
Boss!
Takaoka!
Callie!
Marie!
Dedf1sh!
Sheldon!
Mirai!
Ryu…
Rei…
Zero…
Mama Marina…
Papa Hime…
Frye…
Shiver…
Big sister… Serika…
Serika!
Please! Don't kill her!
"Then accept your fate, little one."
Wait… Who are you?
"I am you from another world. Big sister Serika's inner demon, Sin."
Sin. Please, let me use you!
"And why is that?"
Because… I have no purpose… Like Rei, Ryu, big sis and Mirai… I don't know why I'm fighting. But I want Zero to save us all.
"Zero… That name… Senpai. He's always my idol. I always looked up to him. Anyway, are you going to accept rejecting your humanity as an octoling, to become a demon?"
If that's the fate I'm going for… Then yes. If Gramps is no longer around, then I'm coming with him. He's like a grandfather to me…
"Oh?"
I sold my own voice to Serika and I want to repay her… She always protected me in exchange for her own life… I want to become a demon with the cost of my own life.
"Just like before… Hehehe! Okay! I'll leave Serika for the time being! Just a caution, Commander Tartar is no ordinary enemy and he's the most dangerous opponent aside from the inklings and salmonids. I faced him myself and in my world, he's just a pushover until he becomes more and more deadly."
I know. But if it's worth the risk… Then let me join my comrades, no… Let me join Zero and others!
"Heh! Reminds me of how I feel! Shiki! Let's go and Splatdown that false inkling!"
Yeah!
SPLASH!
Present
14017 August 5th
Mount Nantai
In an ink filled forest, the inklings and octolings are fatally injured as the sky starts to go muddy brown.
The only one up is Rei that has her limbs and her torso slowly pulling away as she's yelling out in pain.
"Your scream is something I've been waiting for for eight timelines. How pitiful, struggling to fight back against your very own target. I remember you're reprogrammed as my soldier that was unfortunately beaten by 10008. You should've accepted me as my vessel." Frye sighs out of disappointment as she's done with Rei and Zero.
"Ngh… You're nothing like mama… My real mama was a horrible inkling and at least she respects other people, unlike you. I think mama is far more superior to a fake inkling like you." Rei chuckles as she grunts.
"Don't compare me to your fellow vermin. Now prepare to die, Kurohana Rei."
"Kurohana… I never heard of that name in years…" Rei giggles as she lowers her head. "You know, inner demons are souls, but as for you… You have no soul."
After Rei's call-out, a wave of blue ink is covering Hachi's body as she's finally covered in a barrier of blue ink.
"Shiki!?" Rei gasps.
"What!? Impossible!" Frye exclaims.
What the duo are seeing is Hachi's eyes twisting itself as it becomes a number 8 which is now glowing blue, giving Hachi something similar to Serika.
Sin has finally revealed her true form.
"S- Sin!? Why!? You're even manifesting another octoling's body!?"
"Of course. Even if I do, I'll die for the sake of my big sister!" Hachi and Sin's voice are synchronised as Hachi is able to speak again after years of taking her voice away.
"Shiki? Sin?" Serika took a glance towards her own sister standing in front of Frye.
Before the battle begins, clones if Hachi appears and becomes a jet of ink by tearing off the tentacles by freeing Rei, leading Frye's rage to fume.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU!" Frye screams out as eels are bursting everywhere as they dive down like missiles.
"Sin! Okay!" Hachi then creates a roller that is spinning, creating a mini tornado that is an automatic roller, leading Hachi to wield it like a sword and a scythe. "Come on, Commander Tartar!"
An explosion of blue ink has splatted the eels as Hachi zooms through at mach speed, leading both Hachi and Frye to morph and clash their weapons in their humanoid forms.
"Because if you, I have to repeat the same event EVERY SINGLE TIME!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I think Sin is doing a good job stopping your mass murders!" Hachi swings her leg as Frye uses her Tri-Stinger to block and punch Hachi's face.
As the duo crash through many trees, the group pick each other up as they follow Hachi and Frye before things get messier.
Hachi coughs out ink and blood as she's shivering, struggling to handle that much power.
"Shiki… I'm fine, Sin, focus on Tartar for now. Right… Gah!"
"Struggling too, huh? Damn crystals… Always getting in my way… This time it'll be your downfall, Hachi!" Frye shouted as she pointed her Tri-Stinger at Hachi.
Then SPLAT! As Frye successfully shoots Hachi's dying body.
"Heh. So weak."
"Are you sure about that?" Hachi's voice called, leading Frye to gasp, witnessing that her kill is useless.
"Seven lives left. Then let's keep going!"
"Talking to yourself!? You're insane!" Frye shrieks as more eels are covering her like a shield.
"I'm not insane, just focused!" Hachi chuckles as Frye yells out of fear and rage.
And this is the first time Commander Tartar actually feels fear and dread.
No matter how many clones Hachi sends out, they'll end up getting splat as Hachi is also splatted down.
"Six lives left!"
Unfortunately, Tartar is facing a living creature that's been hunting him down directly for a long time which is something Frye tried to avoid.
"Stay back! STAY BACK, YOU MONSTER!"
SPLAT!
"Five… Lives… Left… Shiki… You're… On your own… Thank you, Sin."
The memories are flashing inside Hachi's mind as she can actually see Zero's true face and Tartar's original form and the NILS Statue that she faced in the past.
SPLAT!
"Four lives left! HAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Hachi yells as she manages to hit Frye and the eels with a massive swing and slams her down to the ground until…
SPLAT!
"Three lives left… Not yet…"
"What are you!?" Frye pants while backing herself away from Hachi.
"I'm Agent 8. And I'll put a stop to your evil deeds." Hachi proudly introduces herself with a grin.
"Evil!? Me!? YOU'RE THE EVIL ONE AROUND HE-" Abruptly getting kicked to the face, Frye can't tell if it's human, an octoling or a literal demon that she tried to kill until the bomb detonated.
SPLAT!
"Two… Lives… Left! It's over, Tartar…" Hachi pants as she's leaking so much ink that is black and blood is dropping all over her body.
"I can't… Two kills left and I'll win." Frye also pants as she's losing her mind.
"Don't be so sure. This time, this world will be your grave." Said Hachi.
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!"
Finally, both Frye and Hachi blast each other with most of their inks as they SPLAT! Leading Frye's body to fall to the ground, losing her movement.
"One… Life… Leff" Hach is no longer a demon as her tone is no longer normal.
Her body is drying up as much as Frye's and their inks won't be able to recover anymore.
"No… I lost… NILS Avatar… Why? Why won't you grant my wish!? WHY!?" Frye let out a wail as she knew that Tartar himself failed to succeed. "Why professor? Why can't I live with humans? I want to change the future…"
Approaching Frye's dying crystal covered body, Hachi too is dying as her blood is coming out of her eyes, her nose, her mouth and her ears, causing her to not only lose ink, but she's now standing on death's door.
Raising her Octo Roller 0, Hachi is done with Tartar's despair.
You took everything from me.
You put Marina through hell.
You killed 10007 of my comrades.
You killed my sister.
You tried to take Three and Captain Cuttlefish away from their homes.
You…
You're the real monster.
Goodbye…
Tartar Sauce
Click.
In the end…
Hachi has won.
Later.
Rei, Zero, Serika, Ryu, Neku, Aori and DJ Octavio are marching together after seeing a massive brawl between an inkling and an octoling.
With the group stopping, they witness. A silhouette approaches them during a sunrise as the sky slowly goes from brown to yellow.
"Shiki!? Shiki!" Serika yells as she rushes forward, followed by Rei and Ryu.
As Serika arrives, Hachi collapses on the ground as Serika picks her sister up.
"Shiki!? What happened earlier!? Tell me!" Serika exclaims while seeing her little sister dying.
"Seritha… I sids ith…" Shiki is able to poorly speak as she never forget how she gave her voice to Serika.
"Don't talk! Please! You did it! You beat the very thing we're after!"
"Seri… Shiki's not going to make it at this rate. Look at her." Ryu grunts as he pat Serika's shoulder, only for Serika to realise that Hachi had sacrificed herself to save everyone.
"Huh!? No… Please don't!" Serika's voice trembles as she fears what's about to happen.
"Ngh… And here I thought we're gonna be happy together… Why, Shiki?" Ryu went to his knees as he's trying not to cry.
"Shiki…" Rei gasps as she remembers who's next in line to leave her.
"Iths noth yor faulth… I was sthuphids enouf thoo fights Tharthar with Sin…" Hachi said with a very raspy tone.
"Sin!? Why?" Serika's tears are dropping as well as Rei's after hearing what Hachi did.
"I shose ith… Becchauth I luv you, bigth siss…" Hachi giggles as she's slowly losing consciousness.
"You… Chose it?" Serika halts in shock.
"No! Not like this, Shiki! Please don't go! I don't want you to join Dai, Saki and Sayaka! Please!" Rei snapped as she sobbed.
Hachi then pats Rei's head while pulling a warm smile.
"Iths occhay, Rei… If Mirai ith a pharth of us, then…"
"Then we'll be a happy family together." Rei concludes as she sniffles.
"Ryu… I with we hath a happhy family…" Hachi said while holding Ryu's face.
"Yeah…" Ryu lowers his head and then grunts as tears come out of him. "Damn it!"
"Seritha…"
"What is it, Shiki!?" Serika looks straight into Hachi's eyes.
"I revret nothin… I luv you… Bigth sisther…"
'I love all of you.' Hachi's weak gestures are hardly noticeable, but it's saying something to them.
"Goodbye…"
"No! Shiki! SHIKI!" Serika shrieks as she sees Hachi's body melting, desperately trying to catch her sister's remaining purple ink.
In the end, Hachi… No, Shiki is not only the next victim to Tartar's murders, but was the saviour of sea kind.
Finally, her body melts as she's smiling to her friends.
"I may not see you, big sis. But I'll see you when Zero changes our past. See ya later, big sister Serika."
"SHIKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Serika let's out a scream and a wail after watching her own sister's fall.
Even Rei is sobbing and Ryu grunts out of grief.
"No…" Aori gasps, knowing it's too much.
"Another one of my children has fallen, but this time, it ain't an inkling. Here lies Shiki, she fought as a true hero." DJ Octavio mourns for Shiki's passing as he and Aori watch Shiki's soul disappear from existence.
"Yeah… I guess Eight is prepared for this." Zero closes her eyes and then looks at her own palm. "We won… Thank god." Zero then smiles as she's relieved, but sulks after seeing the grievances that are Rei, Ryu and Serika. "They were so close. So close that it's… Damn it!"
"Huh? Zero?" Aori turns around out of confusion.
Aori and DJ Octavio approach Zero as Zero herself hyperventilates in shock as it gives her flashbacks of many different deaths of her friends.
"Why!? Shiki, you idiot! You're supposed to live! You let Sin choose you for this!" Zero growls and then crouches down as she cries.
"Zero…" Aori then leans down and pat Zero's back, even Octavio pities Zero's anger towards Tartar and those around her.
I always believed in you guys… Why didn't you save yourselves?