Yuha gritted his teeth. He'd blacked out for a second there.
Still, it's not like he could be blamed for it.
The muscles on his legs swelled and trembled. Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand.
He failed.
"Gkh!"
Crushing back down on his knees, his remaining arm reflexively rose and clutched the gaping hole in his gut and the sensation of something rising caused him to reflexively open his mouth and cough out dark orbs of coagulated blood.
Panting, dizzy, he just about managed to throw his arm in front and against the ground, catching himself from crushing headfirst on the ruined tarmac.
His eyes fell on the pale hand pushing against the ground.
Good. At least the bleeding stopped.
Not quite up to his progenitor's level, but his choice back then, and the accompanying regeneration, was proving its worth, nonetheless.
Screams reached his superhuman ears. Screams of agony, of fear, and defiance.
And then the gales of wind, caused by the fighting behind him, reached and slammed into him. Threatening to lift him in the air and carry him away.
Something averted by a quick application of Ki, strengthening his form and rooting him on the spot.
Well, on the one hand, nobody was paying attention to him for the moment. On the other, this state of affairs wouldn't last. So, it would be best if he bowed out of this fight.
After all, by this point, it was more or less certain that he'd achieved his goal in this hellhole and could leave whenever he wanted. In fact—
Pushing away from the ground and flexing his no longer trembling legs, he rose on green feet, and with a small exertion of energy hovered an inch above the ground as his arm, not the one in the process of regrowing mind you, reached in the way he'd been taught and an instant later, in his grip an unassuming smart-phone manifested.
He nodded. He'd been right after all. The result of his actions this past few weeks stared back at him in the form of an almost cheery looking filled bar.
"Good," he said with a low growl, before blinking and frowning, and focusing, his throat bulged again as he spat another globule of blood. "Sheesh," he mumbled as he rubbed his throat. "Yeah, I'm done. They can clean up this mess themselves," he said, nodding to himself and behind him, a pair of dark wings flexed as he prepared to fly away, eyes fixed towards the moon.
But, just before he did, a glint of sunlight, reflecting off a piece of silver caught his eye. And lowering his gaze, a warped rusted pendant gazed back at him, in an almost accusatory manner.
"This mess is not my fault and I have no obligation to fix it," he growled.
He was done. He'd done his time and was at last free! Or as free as he could be in his circumstances. So…
The phantom sounds of feminine laughter and the image of a brilliant, loving smile flashed through his mind.
Outside, a familiar voice and the person behind said smile screamed in pain.
"Fine!" he snarled.
…And waving his arm, the shining pendant rose and landed in his open palm, and with his eyes narrowing, followed by a pair of thin white lances flying from them and slamming into the pendant, the twin torn halves of the chain became one once more.
Green threads of energy danced around Yuha's headless body.
"This is stupid, utterly stupid!" he said, and yet fastened the jewelry around his neck once more before a white aura of Ki exploded around him as he rose like a rocket…a rocket aiming away from the Moon, and the emptiness of Space, rather, his trajectory aimed towards where the fight was the thickest.
"Hey ugly!" he called out in a Ki enhanced voice. "You missed!"
And then, with a burst of energy from his shins, he transformed into a spinning ball, followed by his ankle slamming downwards against the asshole's face.
"Gkh!"
The sight of the idiot coughing blood, did make him feel better about this.
"Is that so? I assure you, I won't make that mistake again."
His confident grin started to falter.
How had it come to this?
"Argh!"
Blown away and through another building and into the guts of the one behind it, in the few tenths of a second it took him to recover and push the rubble covering his form away he had his answer.
Ah right. That's why, he thought as he pushed through concrete with the same ease an adult could tear a sheet of paper, creating a new hole in the side of the building and flying away. It was because I was thinking with my dick. Fuck you past me!
Flying towards—
He paused.
'Voomp!'
And blinked around him. The world seeming…hazy, the faces of those fighting alongside him and his enemy both, indistinct, amorphous.
Just like the rest of the buildings and structures away from him.
Indistinct.
Like a…like a dream.
His memories rushed back, and he growled, his pale right hand snapping upwards, grasping the pendant whose glow had dimmed.
I don't have time for this! Tatsu and the girls need me!
Whatever the reason, he could wield Spiral Power with far more ease in this in between space.
He focused and pitted his will against the thing holding him back.
He roared.
The dream faded, the tentacles trembled and for an instant he could see, could feel—
He blacked out.
Metal Bat, trepidation filling his heart at the esper's words, watched as Gouketsu's shoulders slumped, and the man sent him an almost apologetic look.
"Yes, my lady…"
[Seal thirteen…Decision, start]
The wind carried a whisper as if from far away.
"Hah! I'll take great joy in dealing with you worthless sluts, the grandma looking monster gloated, jumping to her feet and patting down her clothes. "You've proven entirely useless after all! It's time to make a new batch! Perhaps they'll prove a hair more useful than you lot."
Shit. Fighting against a Dragon tier threat and…whatever the granny here is? Bat licked his lips and smothered the tremble his limbs threatened to erupt into, opting instead to firm his grip on his weapon, over whose surface cracks could be seen. Aaand I'll need to look into getting a sturdier bat afterwards. Sorry, old friend. You've been a stalwart companion, but it seems, it's time for you to retire.
It might've been Metal Bat's idea and a mere trick of the light, but the glint on his weapon seemed to convey that his old friend minded not, happy to have stood by his side for so long and content to relax amidst Bat's collection consisting of his previous…Bats.
He licked dry lips.
That is…if we make it out of here alive.
"You…you've already killed my husband, and now you intend to kill us too?!" the Maiko monster that'd been previously sitting seiza jumped to her feet, making him blink, the woman no longer grasping her very much still broken arm. "What will it take to satisfy you, you…monster?"
[Sacred Lance, removing restraints.]
The hag sniffed.
"Toys like you should mind their manners and just die!"
Maiko roared and with a pained grunt transformed back into what Bat had heard her dub 'High Voltage Mode', her attire changing, her kimono growing shorter and the tomoe bearing drums floating free.
The woman clenched her teeth but before she could move.
[Rhongomyniad!] the voice of the subterranean princess rang out, the woman's shout mixed with otherworldly echoes and a terrible blast of brilliant gold slammed into Goketsu.
"Gkh!"
Causing Metal Bat to fall on his ass as the terrible power shook the foundations of the earth itself, blinding all and the very world around them seeming to tremble and waver for an instant.
Before the beam vanished as quick as it'd come revealing but a pair of smoking legs stopping at the knee where Goketsu had been and Bat, gulping, felt thankful that the princess had taken the time to aim her weapon up and away from the crowd.
Fubuki barely had time to catch her breath before Kuku moved, vanishing and appearing right in front of her.
"Oof!"
The long-haired beauty grunting as she stood in front of Fubuki.
"Oho?"
A terrible bass voice said. "You managed to intercept that? Impressive," the creature said, inclining its head and Fubuki, gulping, scrambled towards Lily, her heart threatening to leap out of her chest for the creature against which Kuku struggled…
Images flashed through her mind, images of playbacks she'd seen on video, of Yuha struggling against this creature or something like it.
Only this one…
This one seemed larger and…shinier?
In any case, judging by how even the woman who'd just saved them from the hag had to strain against it…Well, she and Lily needed to get out of here, fast—
"Gkh!" Kuku grunted, gazing at her. "Go! Take the little one and go help the others! Leave this one to me!"
"Grrr! I'm not little!" Lily shouted before Fubuki, with a nod and shame filling her heart, jumped down, towards Metal Bat and the others and not towards Tatsumaki and Yuha. After all, with her strength, or rather lack of, she could help her sister and her l-l-love more by helping the other heroes win quickly and then, together, defeat Psykos.
"Oh ho~?" the nearly eight feet tall figure drew its fist back. "Instead of cowering and running away from I, Shining Sperm, you instead chose to remain and try and fight I, the Great Sperm?"
Kuku grinned and nodded as she settled into a fighting stance, hopping from foot to foot, small gusts of wind escaping her soles as she did.
"Yeap~! After all, I can't beat your face if I run away! Dechi!"
Sperm snorted and crossed his massive arms. "Hmf! Then—"
"Although…" Kuku frowned and, stopping her hopping for a moment, tapped her finger on her chin. "How can sperm be mighty, or shining? After all, you're mostly black and look nothing like momma said sperm does."
The monster froze and uncrossed its arms, clenching its hands, veins popping all over.
"Are you…are you making fun of me? Are you looking down on me, you bitch?!"
"Oops. Dechi?"
Metal Bat scrambled to his feet with a grin.
Well, that's one threat down, and with Grayfia keeping the other one occupied—
A sonic boom sounded from somewhere above him and the woman slammed down into the dirt a few feet from him, groaning and struggling to stand, bruises, cuts, and blood covering the beauty's form as she struggled, and failed to power up again.
'Clack.'
While with his arms crossed, the latex wearing monster landed next to Goketsu's remains.
"I take it back, you were an opponent most impressive, lady," the monster said, inclining his head.
And Bat gulped as Grayfia, growling, panting, still settled into another fighting stance, this one rather reminiscent of Yuha's and Bang's own, if one with glaring mistakes in it.
Ok…Ok! You got this Bat, it's simply you against two probable Dragon level threats.
His fingers tightened around the leather bound shaft of his bat.
You, with one ally. An ally of questionable ability to help.
Grayfia, with a scream of rage and betrayal, collapsed back down on the ground, roaring against her traitorous body and flailing impotently in the dirt.
Ok. Make that no allies and—
"You, Mr Hero," Maiko said, gazing at him under the corner of her black eyes, her focus remaining upon the two monsters.
"Yeah, what is it?"
He had no time for whatever the monster woman wanted and—
"Fight with me."
"Pardon?"
"Fight with me," the woman repeated, a look of venomous hatred flashing across her face as she glared at the hag.
Is it my idea or do I sense a lot of bad blood between those two?
"Let us help each other with our foes," the woman's fist clenched and her remaining good arm shook. "After all, it seems we've suddenly found ourselves…unemployed."
Well, that's certainly one way to put it.
Kisha panted. Her limbs trembled, and the golden lance lost its laster, falling from numb fingers and sinking back into the ground, rotating as it did and Kisha crushing down on her knees barely an instant after.
"By Mother Earth's bosom!" her sister's voice rang from further up ahead, the woman still fighting with Kisha's previous opponent and the reptile woman's sister both. Supported by that A-ranker. "You lack staying power, you lack stamina! You really need to work on that. After all, what good is a one pump champ to anyone?"
Kisha flushed.
Yes. Her sister had a point. But, did she have to phrase it like that?
"S-s-shut up!" she shouted, cheeks flaming.
"Yeah, sure, why not," Metal Bat said, nodding towards Maiko, whose tense shoulders seemed to relax slightly, and, from out of the corner of his eye he caught Blizzard with her aid in tow, the duo flying towards them.
Maiko opened her mouth but then, the ninja moved and with wide-eyes and a curse on his lips, Bat pushed his body to its utmost limits, managing to make it just in time, bating away the numerous kunai thrown by the monster and about to pierce Maiko.
"Gkh!"
Most of them, at least. For one had slipped past his guard and lodged itself into his thigh.
"Aaa!"
"Eek!"
"Fuck!" but the twin screams coming from above made him realize that he hadn't been the man's true target after all, for the ninja jumped scarcely a heartbeat after having thrown his kunai and now. Now…
Fubuki, clutching her stomach, flew and landed near Charanko and the Bdsm fetishist, the hag tracking her flight, while Lily…
"Oof!" the girl fell down next to him and Maiko both.
"…thank you," Maiko murmured behind him.
And Bat grinned. "Don't mention it. We're supposed to be allies, if temporary ones, are we not?"
"…Mmh. Indeed."
The hag chuckled even as the ninja offered him a tiny nod of respect and Bat felt his stomach drop out from him.
For he had a sinking suspicion that this had been but a test from the monster's part.
"Be ready, he warned and Maiko stepping into view from his left, nodded.
"Yes."
"Come on, little piggie~ Surely you can do better than that, no~" asked the woman who made his heart beat into a maddened rhythm both due to exhaustion and…other reasons. Blinking coquettishly at him and even playfully snapping her whip against the ground, causing Charanko to shudder.
"Y-yes," he stammered.
"After all, you wouldn't want to disappoint me and—" the woman's gaze sharpened. "What was that?"
"Y-yes, mistress," he hastened to add, the smile on the masked woman's face returning if her creased eyes were any indication. The woman having made it clear through her actions, that proper address ensured her blows came at a slower pace, hurting less as they did, with Charanko even managing to block and divert some.
Did he feel shame and like scum for enjoying himself while everyone else was fighting for their life?
Yes. Yes, he did.
But then again, despite what no doubt everyone else thought. Charanko knew his kouhai. Knew the man well enough to be all but certain that he'd survive this too and soon climb back on his feet and save everyone.
So, no, he saw little reason to worry.
"Good little piggie~ I think…I think I might keep you~ Tee~hee~!"
Still.
If the man could hurry it up, that would be nice!
"So, piggie, what do you say? Want to come home. With. Me~?" the woman asked, winking and trailing a hand down her shapely sides in a suggestive manner.
No! Resist, you idiot! Don't let the horni distract you! Stand tall like Zero!
He slouched.
Look her straight in the eye like a man should.
Charanko's eyes remained fixed a bit…lower.
And firmly but politely refuse. Say it. Say the words. No! Say it!
Gulping, sweating, he opened his mouth.
"Y-y—"
The sudden appearance of Blizzard rolling into view, coming to a groaning stop close to mistress Do-s caused them both to blink.
"Eh?" and the blonde monster to tilt her head.
"Yes~! You two bitches will do as an appetizer!" a cackling voice crowed and then, before Charanko could blink a hag of terrifying power seemed to slip into existence, the old monster moving faster than Charanko could perceive, kicking at Blizzard and then slapping Do-s down to the ground.
"Eek!"
Charanko roared and jumped, ki exploding behind him even as his heart trembled at the sheer power he could feel radiating from the monster, throwing a ki blast at the woman, the orb exploding and hiding her from view as he brought down his right leg in a kick and—
Froze in the air.
"Gkh!"
For once again, faster than he could see, the creature had moved and with her left hand held his leg while with her other, the fingers and their sharp nails digging enough to draw blood, she held his throat, making him choke.
"You wait your turn, boy," the creature snarled.
'Snap'
With her grip on his throat, Charanko could not scream but he certainly could feel the agony of the bones in his leg snapping, could certainly hear frail human bones giving way before inhuman might, his vision going white for an instant before with a careless shrug the monster threw him away like yesterday's trash, the agony of rolling atop his broke limb making him black out only for the pain to immediately bring him back.
Leaving him there, a few meters away from Fubuki and Do-s both, sweating, groaning, staring and unable to do anything. Again. Just like that time when Garou had all but destroyed his Master's legacy.
A muffled growl of pain and rage escaped his lips as he glared at the monster who started kicking at Do-s and Fubuki in an alternating pattern.
"Kiyaaa!"
"Kiyaaa!"
"Yes~! You two bitches will do as an appetizer!"
Sneck ducked his head under Reptera's swing, her blade harmlessly sailing past where his head had been and slammed a fist into the woman's exposed gut, driving her back with a grunt.
He chanced a glance to the side, and he froze.
"Kiyaaa!"
"Kiyaaa!"
Eyes wide as he saw Tornado's sister next to the Bdsm fetishist, both of them under the mercy of an old hag.
"Blizzard!"
"Princess!"
Blinking, he glanced back at Reptera, and found the scowling woman returning his look.
"Kiyaaa!"
"Kiyaaa!"
He gritted his teeth. Sneck had a suspicion that simple and blunt would work best with the woman.
"Will you stand in my way?"
"Will you?"
"Temporary truce?"
She growled. "Fine. Don't slow me down," the woman spat and started running towards Blizzard and the…'princess' and Sneck grinned as the fact that he could keep up with her seemed to aggravate the woman who run faster before he blinked for…Nisha? And Reptera's own sister seemed to join them and with a shrug, he let it go. They could go back to killing one another after saving their respective friends from the monster.
Psykos giggled with glee as below her, Tatsumaki's heavily bruised form gasped for breath.
Smirking, she brought down her leg on the woman's hand. Making her howl in agony.
"Mmh~ Mmh~" and humming, she repeated the process on the limb's twin, followed by a couple of good kicks to the bitch's ribs, drawing a couple more howls as she did.
Panting with elation and flicking a few drops of sweat away from her brow, Psykos grinned down.
"Phew! That was fun~" she said, and despite it all, the bitch continued to glare at her, causing her smile to dim. "But, I'm afraid our time together is growing short, and—"
"Kiyaaa!"
At the sound of the familiar voice screaming, both of them glanced, or in Tatsumaki's case, managed to barely turn her head towards the origin of the sound.
"That pest," Psykos hissed, forming a trembling fist, before with a fake smile, glanced at Tatsumaki. "Well, I'm afraid I must leave you, but, before that…" she knew she shouldn't, but notheless… she couldn't help herself and so, she landed a couple more kicks and punches, hitting and hitting and hitting the bitch. After all, much as it pained her to hear Fubuki scream in agony, the pest wouldn't kill her quickly and so she'd make it up to her later. Besides, she could enjoy killing the bitch only once!
A couple seconds later she paused, huffed, and, stretched out her left arm, a green field of psychic energy coating the limb. "Goodbye, Tatsumaki~" she sing-songed and her arm fell towards the woman's neck.
Lily standing on shaking feet and huddling next to a groaning Grayfia, the bigger woman throwing an arm around her protectively, could do nothing but feel despair threatening to overwhelm her.
For Metal Bat, fighting alongside that geisha woman could scarcely touch the ninja monster.
While some few dozen meters away, that monster kept torturing her mistress, a spark of hope entered her chest as she watched a group of hero and monster alike rush the hag before the woman dispatched them all with ease, going back to her slow execution of Fubuki and the Bdsm fetishist.
And as her eyes fell on the cackling esper whose shining arm descended towards her mistress sister, Lily turned panicked eyes towards Yuha's headless body.
P-please! Y-yuha! Help us!
Watching both hero and monster be dispatched in short order, Charanko's heart fell.
"Tsk."
The hag shook her head in disappointment as Fubuki fell unconscious before focusing her efforts back on Do-s.
"Kiyaaa!"
And even though he had little doubts that this would amount to anything, Charanko stood, using Ki and grit to endure the pain of his broken limb and, raising his right arm touched the middle of his temple with two fingers.
Focusing.
Concentrating.
Gritting his teeth and using the pain as fuel.
"Mmh~ Only now, at the end, do you understand," the hag cooed down at the sobbing Do-s. "Time to die, dearie~"
He wouldn't make it in time. He needed more time and yet, that was the one thing he didn't have! Unless…
Letting out a wordless curse, he reached deep within him, pulling and forcibly trying at a technique he'd yet to make work.
And yet, praying, growling, and forcing it.
A red aura sprang into existence, blossoming into a scarlet bloom all around him at the same time as pain unlike anything he'd ever experienced coursed through his limbs.
Is this…What Yuha experiences every time he uses this?!
His respect for the crazy bastard grew.
But Charanko had more important things to worry about.
And as the hag's fist descended towards the wide-eyed Do-s and her exposed, beautiful face, the mask having flown off after the hag's…ministrations. Charanko's arm shot forward.
"Special Beam Cannon!" and a brilliant beam with a spear like tip and a second beam coiling around it in a spiraling pattern slammed into the monster's shoulder just as the hag started to turn.
"Argh!" Blowing the limb clean off.
"Hehe…" Charanko, the world swimming and with his vision gone from the right side of his face. Swayed and then crushed into the ground.
"W-why…" Do-s whispered, facing him.
"Couldn't bear to see a beauty like you cry…" he murmured, the words flowing past his mental filter as a result of the pain on his everything.
"Oh…how sweet," a furious voice hissed, and Charanko blinked as the hag seemed to materialize above him. "Chivalry…Well, worry not my dears, you can die togethaaa!" the monster raised its foot and brought it down towards Charanko's face and he smiled.
Heh…for once, I wasn't useless. Are you proud of me, Master?
"Yuha!"
He perked up, coming to at the sound of the familiar voice.
"Dinner's ready, dear!"
Opening his eyes, a yawn escaping past his lips, he pushed himself to his feet with a chuckle and away from the well worn, if slightly rough log, that'd served as a seat for many a year now.
Making to step towards the small house nearby, he paused, and as the apple tree swayed in the wind, its fragrance mixing with that of the wind and the smell of dirt contained within the gust, he smiled, and underneath the moving shades, courtesy of the sun peeking through the shifting leaves, stared at the endless fields of grass stretching far beyond his little farm and climbing the small hills in the distance, swaying with a soft 'wooshing' sound while from somewhere behind him, the calm muted waves of the sea reached him. He closed his eyes and took in the distant faint taste of salt carried by the wind, enjoying it alongside the summer sun's heat.
"Papa, papa!"
"Come, come!"
"Food time, food time!"
"Dear!" His wife shouted again, somewhat exasperated, but the fondness in her voice unmistakable. "They're jumping about! If you take too long, they'll make a mess again!"
"Coming!" he shouted with a chuckle, and reaching up above him with a calloused arm, his gray button-up shirt's sleeve's pulled all the way back to his forearm, plucked a couple of apples for the wife and kids.
Patting his old friend on its trunk before making for the house.
His well worn if simple dark boots thumping against the dirt, the path familiar, comforting, and one he'd trod on so many times before.
A simple life, a quiet life, a fulfilling life.
Yes, they didn't have all the latest gadgets and toys or all the luxuries.
But.
Just like his old and worn clothes, covered in dirt and patched here and there by his wife's skillful hand, they didn't need to.
For they had enough to do make due and, most importantly, they had one another.
Family.
His family.
What more could a man ask for?
What more could he ask for?
What more did he need?
Pushing open the wooden door, one he'd carved alongside his wife over a couple of days, for every-time she'd show him with his tongue hanging out as he carved, she'd start giggling, and then he'd start teasing and then they'd…
Well, they had three kids for a reason…
And considering her recent coquettish glances and tiny blushing smiles as she stared out of the kitchen's window rubbing her belly when she thought he wasn't looking…
Well…
He might need to start thinking about building another room to the house.
"Papa! Papa!"
"Hey there! What's my little princess been up to?" he asked, kneeling down and sweeping his little girl off her feet, spinning her around before setting the giggling girl back down.
"Supervising!" she declared, hands on her hips, in a similar manner to her mother.
"Oho? Is that right?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Yeah! Dumb and dumber almost made a mess again!"
"Oh, my! Good job then!" he said, ruffling the girl's hair, earning a giggle in return. "But, why don't we go find your mother and your brothers then, unless you're not hungry…"
The little girl's eyes widened.
"Nuh uh! I'm hungry. I'm hungry!"
He ruffled her hair again and rose to his feet, taking her tiny hand and walking towards the kitchen.
"Let's go then."
Passing through the living room, his eyes fell on the old pendant resting on the mantle above the fireplace.
Worn, with a hole in the middle and rusted to all hell and back.
Perhaps…perhaps the time had come to throw it out. After all, the kids might get cut playing with it…
I'll think about it after the meal.
Opening the door they stepped into the kitchen, and Yuha smiled as he approached his wife, taking her hands into his as they set the table and ate. The whole family. Together.
And a couple of minutes later, he sighed as he relaxed with his back against the wide brown couch, his wife settling next to him, tucking her legs close to her body.
His eyes fell on the pendant as he patted his well stuffed belly.
"Have I ever told you that you cook like a goddess?"
She giggled and pushed his shoulder. "Only each and every day, you dork."
"What can I say? It's the truth!" he said with a shrug. And she giggled again before, with a few rustling motions, the old couch complaining, she settled next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Allowing him to feel her warmth, to hear her soft breath, and to almost listen to her heartbeat.
"Yuha…I…I'm—"
"I know."
She fidgeted.
"How?"
Causing him to snort. "Why, unless I'm even worse at math than I thought, this would make it…oh, I don't know, tyke number four? I know I might be a bit…dense normally."
"Try like a rock."
"Buuut," he said with a mock glare, making her giggle. "Even I can wisen up with time, you're not as subtle as you think, dear."
"Or, perhaps, you've grown more perceptive," she said and kissed his cheek before setting her head back down.
"Mmh…maybe," he said, and with a sigh leaned further back against the comfortable couch. His eyes beginning to drop, darkness at the edges of his vision, and, for some reason, the already faded glow of the pendant seemed to be almost gone.
Eh, probably a trick of the light. He mused. Not important, not right…now. I'll check it once I get up…
This indeed was a good life.
His heartbeat slowed.
His eyes almost closed.
But then.
A pained scream reached his ears.
"What was that!" he asked, jumping to his feet, wide awake once more and staring left and right, arms clenching and unclenching.
"D-dear?" his wife asked, staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. "W-what's wrong?"
He blinked. "Did you not hear that?"
"H-hear what?"
"A woman, screaming. In pain."
His wife sighed. "Oh dear, you probably fell asleep and saw a nightmare, after all, we're alone out here, you know that right?"
Yuha's brows furrowed.
Y-yes, she's probably right and I'm simply overacting and—
The agonized scream came again.
The voice familiar.
Tatsumaki…
And again.
And with a chance glance at the nearly spent pendant, everything clicked into place, and his memories returned.
"D-dear?" his wife asked, his wife whose name he did not know. His beloved children who before today did not exist.
Bitting back a sob, he knelt down and hugged her.
"D-dear?"
"Thank you…" he whispered. "For this wonderful dream and, know that I love you."
"What are you—dear?"
He stood up, grasped the pendant, and as she stretched her arm towards him, the other on her belly, her eyes terrified, Yuha closed his eyes, bit back a sob, and with pendant in hand focused.
For in the land of dreams and may-never-have-been even a useless idiot like him could wield Spiral Power with ease.
So—
He paused.
"Papa!"
"Papa!"
"Papa!"
The voices of the children, his children, the ones that he knew were tucked in their beds, sleeping, made him waver.
A dream. A mere dream. Did it really matter?
No.
And yes.
For people depended on him.
But, he'd tried this before, hadn't he?
With a sigh, he opened his eyes and gazed at what he could never have.
He knew how to end this.
There were two ways.
One of which…
He smiled.
That he could never do, but this?
"I love you."
'Voomp!'
Yuha's arms rose, grasped the sides of his head and—
'Crack'
And the dream.
The wonderful, horrible dream.
Faded.
Leaving him in a familiar bright void, one he'd been in a couple of times before and one he'd forgotten everything about each time he woke up.
"Well, it's about time you made it, dumbass!"
A headless body bent down and reached for its head.
Grasping and tearing off the squealing starfish, crushing it an instant later.
A kaleidoscopic void surrounded him. Yuha blinked, taking in his surroundings for a moment and then stared at the figure standing in front of where the white glow seemed to be coming the strongest.
"Before you ask," the figure said. "Of course this is taking place inside your mind, Harry, but why would that make it any less real?"
Yuha snorted. "Smartass."
"Baby, you know it!
The smirk slipped off his face.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
He had an inkling as to the answer to both questions. But, he wanted to be certain.
The humanoid figure smirked and crossed its arms, the cape bathed in white, casting the front of the figure in shadow.
"Ware wa nanji, naji wa ware."
"What?"
"I'm thou…thou art I…From the sea of thy soul, I come—"
Irritated, he waved an arm.
"Cut it out with the persona crap. Be serious."
The figure chuckled and took a few steps away from the light.
"Oh, I don't know~ I could make a few Sirius joke but I'm more Sirius than that~" the figure said and Yuha sighed as the entity seemed to walk on empty space, akin to what Yuha floated in it and a gasp left Yuha's lips for the belt around the figure's waist unfurled, revealing itself to be no belt at all, but instead—
"A tail?"
"Got it in one," the figure said with a nod and as the figure became visible once more, Yuha gasped a second time.
"You're—"
Unlike what he'd been expecting, staring back at him was neither Kamina nor Simon, but instead his own face.
Said face being attached to a pretty human, or saiyan, looking body, if one garbed in Simon the Digger's clothing.
"I wasn't joking dumbass," this other…him said, raising his right arm and jabbing his index finger in the middle of Yuha's chest. "I'm you, or rather your unconscious, your dark image, whatever you want to call it."
"But, how?"
"Fuck you, that's how!" the figure said with a grin before the finger let go and pointed at the heavens…the sky…up and away from them at least. "You're a Spiral Warrior, what is our motto?"
"Row row, fight the power?"
The figure grinned. "Bingo. That, followed by 'do the impossible' and all that jazz."
"Still, even if that answers the who, it doesn't answer the—"
This…'dark Yuha' or Duha, snorted and reached over and—
Gave him a dope slap.
"Hey!" he said, rubbing his head.
"If I'm you, your unconscious whatever you want to call it, where do you think we are, you smoothbrain retard?"
Heh, an asshole even to himself, eh? Just like old times…
"My soul?"
"Got it in one Captain Genius," Duha said, before his smile dimmed and his shoulders seemed to slump.
Frowning, Yuha gazed behind the figure with a blink.
"Hey, wasn't there usually—"
"She won't be coming," Duha said, shaking his head.
"She?"
Duha nodded. "She. And worry not. You're not as close this time. So, she has little reason to show up, but leaving that aside, this is goodbye, chief."
The finality in Duha's words coupled with his sad smile made Yuha's eyes widen.
"Wait, what do you—"
"I've expended the last of my strength trying to help you through this. So, I'm afraid I have to go now."
At Duha's words he swallowed and even though he scarcely interacted with this other him, he still felt as if he'd be losing someone he'd known for a long time.
Duha slapped him again.
"Cheer up, dumbass. You no longer need me, you're nearly there in accessing Spiral Power by yourself and I doubt Illusions will work on you ever again, hell, with time you should be able to escape even from something like the Multiverse Labyrinth. So." Duha's left hand rose, and he jammed his thump against his chest. "Believe in me who you believes in you and so, believe in you who believe in yourself, neh?"
And before Yuha could do more than blink, the figure took another step and touched him, glowing green as it did.
"Wait!" he managed to shout.
I have so many questions! Chief amongst them how to access Spiral Power, the rest and whatever this was? He could ponder about it later.
You already know, dumbass… a voice that was his whispered. Goodbye…
And then Yuha gasped and blinked awake.
Tatsumaki closed her eyes. She had no fear of death and yet, she didn't need to spend her last moments staring at the bitch's face, now did she?
Instead, she much preferred to spend her last few moments reminiscing over happier memories. Memories of her sister and Yuha both.
Fubuki…Yuha…I'm so sorry—
A power unlike anything she'd felt before smashed into her. The rage and sorrow within it matched by the compassion Tatsumaki felt radiating from said power before it vanished from her senses, but the pressure the warm feeling at the edges of her senses remained.
Suffusing the whole of the stadium and she had little doubt the whole of A-city.
Lily, eyes closed, and tears streaming down, continued to pray within her mind.
Please, Yuha! I l-l-love you, so hurry on and get up! Please!
She gasped. For but an instant, she could feel the most wonderful energy she'd ever felt before it vanished from her senses but something still seemed to be hugging her.
Yuha let out a breath and stared at his hand. His slimmer hand around which a radiant red glow gently flowed.
Not perfect.
Still, as he stood amidst a practically frozen world, his ki dense and ignited, he found he really didn't care over how shoddy his control over this new stage was.
And even as the already smaller than should be multiplier continued to slowly drift downwards he knew he had time enough.
Casting his eyes all over the practically frozen world he saw, and saw that it was bad.
Kuku. Poor innocent Kuku held aloft by her neck by yet another Sperm.
Metal Bat and a monster woman he did not know about to be skewered by a grinning ninja monster that he recognized with a blink.
So, that's what happened to you.
While nearby, Charanko faced imminent death at the hands of granny, whose foot hovered scarcely half an inch from his face.
And Tatsu…
Yuha's heart raged and his aura flared a tad as he struggled to control himself at his girlfriend's predicament.
"Psykos…" he growled and sighed. Putting the grinning woman out of his mind for now. He'd deal with her soon enough…
Continuing to scan with both his eyes and his senses, and finding all the monsters scattered in the midst of the crowd, both hidden and revealed, he nodded.
He knew what to do.
The churning space ceased.
"A God? A survivor? If so, quite a weak one, but no. Unimportant in the end. What is important is the appearance of yet another three heaven defying fists! This is irritating." The being glanced at one of its attendants. "I'll open the way for you. Deal with them."
"Ah~ah~" the tiny seemingly human figure with yellow eyes, short green hair which curled at the edges and with floral patterns covering both her hair, her black gloves and peeking black bra as well as her pink thighhighs nodded.
Rubbing her legs, hints of lace peeking from underneath her short green pencil skirt, the same color as her short-sleeved suit.
"Ah~Ah~ Thy will be done, my lord~!"
Sonic's perceptions, even before he'd received his…gift, had always been faster than even his body.
So he could do nothing as he barely caught a fast moving blur, one heading for his head and then…
He knew nothing.
Metal Bat blinked and blinked again as in front of him…
A sudden groaning gaggle of people had appeared.
Some of them monsters, some of them heroes, and standing behind them all, his arms crossed.
"Y-yuha?" he gasped, for around the Rookie a calming red aura flowed and as for the man himself, he seemed…thinner, less intense. As for his power…
Bat could feel not a hint of it, and yet, his instincts, the ones that had never led him wrong all this time. Said instincts all but screamed that the Rookie was now more dangerous than ever!
"Protect them for me?" the man asked, as nearby and in the stands around them, fountains of blood erupted from where monsters had been. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"S-sure…" he offered and Yuha vanished.
"Eh?"
Psykos' hand slammed down, her energy coated fist digging into the ground.
The ground and not Tatsumaki's head!
"Eh?"
She made to rise, to turn around and find whatever the hell was going on, but then, a hand slapped down on her shoulder.
"You and I should have a talk," a baritone voice said, and despite feeling no power. Nothing coming from the figure, Psykos shuddered.
Turning her head and glancing behind her, she gasped. "You!"
And received a nod. "Me. Now, let's go somewhere a bit more private, shall we?"
"Hrk!" and before Psykos could blink, they were floating in the sky. The stadium and A-city far, far below them as furious winds buffeted their forms.
"Now—"
Roaring, her aura igniting anew, she batted the arm away, kicking with the back of her leg against the figure and floating several meters away as she spun, her heartbeat drumming madly in her chest.
For an instant she blinked in confusion, for the bug seemed…slimmer, an evident red aura of power flowing around him even if she could feel nothing as well as…
Is that a tail?
Indeed, swaying behind him, a red furry tail could be seen.
No matter, I'll just deal with him and then—
"I can see it in your eyes," Yuha said, voice calm, soothing, making her tense as he spoke. "No doubt you're thinking something along the lines of how you'll get out of here and try again later."
Shit!
Yuha shook his head. "No. I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you, Psykos. There will be no 'next time' whether you survive this or not, one way or another, you won't be a problem. Not again. Never again."
Furrowing her brows, she scowled at him with confusion as she prepared for the fight of her life and—
"Gkh!" her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, spittle flying out of her mouth and on her tongue she tasted a characteristic metallic taste as before she could move, before she could see the man had crossed the distance, burying his fist in her gut, shattering her barrier and stopping just short of spearing through her.
Raising her head, she glared at the man only for her hate to falter, for the sheer fury contained behind the eyes of an otherwise placid face made her gulp and worry that she wouldn't make it out of here after all.
I…I just need to go all out, and screw the consequences and—
'Tap'
She blinked, for once again, before she could see him, Yuha had moved. Or rather, his left arm had, pressing down a stamp off all things on her collarbone. Making her goggle in confusion before, with a nod the man removed it and floated an inch backwards, his right arm hovering in front of her belly, three fingers extended and the curled index finger stopped by the man's thump.
Her instincts screamed at her, and in over a thousand thousand futures she saw her death.
With desperation unlike any she'd felt before, she strengthened herself and layered barrier after barrier in front of the finger's path as well as moving and diving towards the future where she had a chance of survival.
"Now," the man murmured. "Whether you survive, or not, is up to you and the fates."
The monster flicked his finger and Psykos knew pain unlike any before, blacking out before she even slammed into a mountain a couple hundred kilometers away from A-city.
With a sigh, he touched back down about the same time as his vi informed him that the multiplier from his [Unknown] transformation had dropped down to a measly ten.
Heh. I have a long way to go before I can use the full form. He clenched a fist. Still, even imperfect it's…impressive.
"Y-yuha…" a weak voice croaked and in a blink, he appeared next to Tatsumaki, cradling her in his arms. "You're…you're safe."
Tears streamed down his eyes as he saw that even if wounded, his girls and most everyone else were safe.
"Yes, I just had the most horrible, wonderful dream…Now, what say we get you all to a hospital, eh?""
"Mmh…" Tatsumaki mumbled, eyes struggling to remain open. "Sounds…sounds good," she said, before letting out a tiny giggle. "Red suits you…pretty…"
He grinned. "If you say so, but that's probably no doubt some sort of concussion talking." his eyes flashed.
"Eh?"
"Eeep!"
And with those who were conscious, letting out surprised squeaks, the entire group of monsters and heroes floated courtesy of his telekinesis and they flew towards the Association's headquarters.
Fuck, but that last dream segment...yeah, let's just say it hit a bit too close to home and picked at scars and wounds I thought healed.
Anyway.
powerlevels and crap.
Base hit 1k.
Imperfect God multiplier: ?