Memories - Maki Otsuki (One Piece Ending 1)

A repeated song from Part 1, yet an important song nonetheless.


Happy three year anniversary to this story! As a special commemoration, here is the chapter earlier than usual! Ending on a high note as a specific relationship is brought back into play! The relationship that made me write this story out to begin with - You'll know exactly which two people I'm talking about. After all, it's a decisive collision...


"I will never change what's in my soul,

That will always be the same, no matter what happens."


Chapter

Sixty

Two

'Unfathomed Force'


Yozora's Quirk.

It was something Nanao, Tokage and I had spoken a lot about before our 'trio' broke up for good, and then I left U.A. Nanao had told us how impossibly strong Yozora's Quirk was, and back then, I had agreed with her statement. His Quirk was freakishly strong, yet Yozora himself was also so intense and creative that he was able to use his Quirk to its fullest.

If there was one person that I knew I wouldn't be able to beat in a straight-up fight - It would be Yozora.

We called his Quik 'Eyes of the Storm.'

Because his eyes were a storm.

Whatever colours or symbols flashed in his eyes allowed him to do very different things, and back then we had counted three. If his eyes were flashing blue and yellow, it meant that he was applying force on something. If that was a human or a piece of rubble in front of him, he'd be able to crush it with ease. His second set of 'eyes' were pure white with a purple cross sign as his iris, which meant that he had increased speed and strength.

And finally - The most dangerous of them all - If his eyes flashed orange, it meant that he could produce a clone for as long as he held those eyes. A clone that could change its set of eyes and infinitely become more dangerous. While Yozora couldn't mix and match his sets of eyes, that didn't mean that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with.

He could be beaten.

The only question was if I was willing to sacrifice my life to beat him.

At least that was the question I was forced to ask myself back then, but now it was different. As I faced Yozora and Stain down, I held my blade steadily, waiting for Midoriya and Iida to nod at me. If we worked together, victory could be in sight. Because Yozora's main weakness was how strong his Quirk was, it was suited for one-on-one combat. The second he went up against more than one person, that advantage would be lost.

And he'd be forced to rely on his clones.

He was leaving his main body vulnerable.

At least, that was the prevailing strategy I had in mind to beat him back then. Of course, I never would have accepted help in fighting Yozora back then. With a mixture of my pride and unwillingness to accept defeat, I would have stupidly lost many times against Yozora. But I wasn't the same person as I was back then, and everyone on the battlefield knew it.

"Aozora?" Stain whispered in confusion. "Isn't he supposed to be dead?"

"He is dead," Yozora clarified. "After all, Sora Yamazaki isn't Aozora. It was just another one of his masks that he ditched. Isn't that right, Sora-chan?"

Tch.

"C'mon, I'd love for us to sit down and have a chat with some tea, but that ain't gonna work, is it?" I asked as I grinned at him, circling Yozora, tapping the sword Yaoyorozu had made for me against the floor. "You don't seem like the type to enjoy a nice sit down. We could even watch the telly, have some footy on in the background, how's that?"

To his credit, Yozora also circled me as despite his cheerful demeanour, even without his Quirk activated, his eyes were sharp and focused. Yozora already thought of me as a threat, someone who could defeat him.

"Hm, why not? I could bring some alcohol for us too!" Yozora replied cheerfully. "...maybe we could invite some cute girls, ne? Nanao, Setsuna, even Kyoka Jiro-," At Jiro's name being mentioned, Midoriya growled, and I sighed.. "Oh, I see. You're not on good terms with her, are you? Lovers spat?"

"We broke a while ago," I returned. "Why are you here? Daddy issues?"

"To spread the word of course. Change is coming," Yozora sang loudly. "You and I both know how dangerous and exciting change can be. After all, you're the blue sky while I'm the night sky! But I don't like that self-assured look in your eyes, especially after you were so lost back then. Have you really accepted yourself-,"

SLASH!

I launched myself at Yozora before he could finish his sentence and I watched as his eyes turned white with a purple cross. He was faster and stronger than your average human. Even using my Nimbus to propel my movements, I was having a hard time catching up with Yozora. Each time I reached out to slash him, I missed as he stepped aside and tried to kick me from behind.

I blocked his kick with my sword.

"Wow, bloodthirsty. It's almost like you're aiming to kill me," Yozora observed playfully. "Don't tell me you're taking this fight seriously? Is that what you've learnt? To fight? My, my, maybe taking another sabbatical could make you learn something new? How about self-love next?"

I grit my teeth in response as I push him back, aiming another slash across his torso that managed to cut some of his suit blazers, smirking at his shocked expression.

"You won't die from a few of my slashes. You're stronger than that, aren't you?" I mocked him, picking up a piece of his tattered clothing. "I thought my blade would never reach you in a million years. Don't tell me that I've reached you already? Or do you just have a shite tailor?"

Yozora madly grinned at that.

"That look in your eyes, Sora! You're enjoying this, AREN'T YOU?!" Yozora yelled madly. "You've accepted that part of you that loves fighting, you lucky bastard. I see how it is, how you've grown since then. How interesting."

I grinned as I launched another set of attacks at Yozora, who could only dodge and try to counter-attack. My grin widened as he threw a punch at me. The very essence of Hiten-Rishin Ryu was this.

I ducked under his fist as it scratched my cheek before I pierced his stomach.

The world stood still as Yozora peered down at me, pulling out my blade from his stomach before he threw it back at me. I caught it before it landed on the ground as I readied myself once again for another bout. This wasn't a fight. This was a duel. The two of us knew that as we had matching grins on our faces, reading up for another round.

This time his eyes changed.

Blue and Yellow.

Immediately, I could feel like a bunch of weights had been placed on my shoulders as Yozora initiated the attack this time. Pulling out a knife from his suit, he expertly wielded it as he aimed to tear my throat out with ease, but I deflected each of his strikes. Even with my movements slowed down, it couldn't stop the speed of my reactions. Even when Yozora's knife managed to claw itself into my side, I summoned my Nimbus into a swirling ball in my left hand, digging it into Yozora's gut that I had stabbed.

"Rasengan."

It was simple but effective.

Yozora was blown back with such force that blood began to cover his face while I grabbed his knife and pulled it out. That was nothing. It hadn't even gone deep into my body.

"You've improved," Yozora complimented me. "But that's not enough."

I watched as his eyes turned orange, that last of the sets and I couldn't help but laugh. This was it - my victory was in sight!

"Why are you smiling?" Yozora asked as three of his clones appeared, much to my shock. He-, "Would you like my clones to use the sets of eyes you've seen before, or new ones?"

Black eyes.

For a second, I saw my reflection as I jumped out of the way.

Where I once stood was a crater the size of a room. It was surreal to see Yozora chuckle at me, almost as if he expected I'd dodge it. But that wasn't a set of eyes I was familiar with him using.

"These black eyes represent the inside, Sora," Yozora told me calmly. "It allows me to implode humans or even objects. You would have been imploded from the inside. An instant death, so I'm told. You should have seen what I did to Wash with these eyes, it was so funny he just-,"

"You're insane."

"Yet that grin on your face tells me that you love it," Yozora replied. "The chaos, the destruction - The danger! You love this. Fighting to the death, knowing that one move could spell the end of your existence. I love it too! Our old mundane lives could never compare to this thrill, the loss of blood making our heads pound even harder compared to before! You've even forgotten about your allies in pursuit of me-,"

…!

I turned my head to see Stain fighting against Izuku and Iida, but I didn't have enough time to even look for more than a second as Yozora pounced on me once more. One of his clones tried attacking me with his extra strength and speed, but a quick slash across the neck eliminated that clone - I watched it disappear into nothing.

The second clone, the one with the black eyes, tried to make me implode once again, but I managed to dodge it once more. Tch. I couldn't even get close or else I'd die. The real Yozora smirked as he studied me from afar, that was before his eyes changed colours again.

Yet his clone stayed despite that.

From orange to a set of gold eyes with white irises.

Without even thinking, I stood in front of the clone and watched as Yozora's clone was ripped in half, cleanly.

"How curious," Yozora stated. "You avoided my most powerful set of eyes. The ability to deconstruct anything. You have grown strong, Sora. Much stronger than I'd ever thought. And you still have improvements to be made. How curious."

"What's curious about it? I grew strong so I'd never be weak again," I responded, stabbing my blade into the ground. "Don't tell me you've given up? What? Realised that you would never beat me?"

"This fight is over," Yozora told me. "We both know I'd win right now. And we also know that in the future, the winner won't be as clear cut. In that game I once mentioned over and over, I'm starting to see that you aren't just a player. You're the main star of it, just like me."

"...Tch," I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Fine."

Yozora smirked in response as he moved fast, but I was faster.

Surprising even him, I raised my blade to stop right before his throat, taking pleasure in the genuine shock radiating from the villain. I couldn't win, I wasn't strong enough yet, but Yozora wasn't a goal that was so far away for me.

"I never said you could jump in on their fight," I told him, slowly lowering my blade. "You haven't answered any of my questions yet. Who the hell told you that the funeral would be here?"

"...I don't answer to you," Yozora returned playfully. "But I'll throw you a little bone. I didn't hear about the raid, the Yakuza did. I just followed them here and used the situation to my advantage. Maybe it was someone high up who leaked the information?"

Tch.

That didn't narrow it down one bit. I didn't have enough time to ask Yozora another question as Stain headed right for us, with Midoriya and Iida not far behind.

I deftly dodged a strike from Stain that would have cut me into sashimi.

"You dodged that… but can you dodge this?!"

Left.

RIght.

Left.

Left.

Right.

Centre-,

It was easy to block all of Stain's attacks with my sword, something that annoyed him greatly judging by the sneer on his face. It was clear to see that Stain hadn't ever trained properly with a sword. Much like me before I met and trained with Megumi to learn the Hiten-Rishin Ryu, Stain had self-learned everything. That was why he was so strong, yet his blade was dull.

I took a page out of Kaminari's book as I stepped forward and swiped Stain's legs from under him. For Midoriya and Iida, even with all their strength and experience now, Stain was still a tricky opponent due to his Quirk - Something that his skills greatly benefited. It meant that they had avoided every blow and had to focus more on defence but I was a bad matchup for Stain, and he knew it.

His blade would never reach me.

And so, his strengths were his greatest weakness against me.

Jumping backwards to stand next to Yozora, Stain cowered away from me as I cockily grinned at the bastard.

"What's wrong? Found someone who's a better swordsman than you and suddenly you've gotten cold feet?" I taunted him. "Pathetic. You might be strong against anyone else, but I could stop your attacks with my eyes closed. What good is your weapon when I can use it against you? I'm a bad match-up for you, so why don't we stop this-,"

I blinked in surprise as Midoriya zoomed past me.

"You dare?!" Midoriya yelled angrily, ignoring the weight that Yozora had put on his body as he slammed his fist into the ground, chunks of rock flying everywhere as Midoriya used his Black Whip Quirk to hurl them at the villains. "You come here on this day, preaching about your ideals?! How many people have you killed today? For what?! To prove a point?!"

"...This society needs cleansing," Stain muttered. "I don't expect you, stuck in your ivory tower, to understand. You call my group a 'cult' but we have all been failed by this society. By the so-called Heroes who stand by and protect a flawed system. You call us the villains because we want change, we want things to be better! I don't care how many people have to die for that dream to come to a reality-,"

I had to physically push Midoriya out of the way before he launched another set of attacks at him.

"Get a hold of yourself!" I shouted at him. "Come on. Now isn't the time and place to lose control-,"

"He's killed so many people!" Midoroya screamed at me "Today was supposed to be All Might's funeral. He represented so much to us. Peace, and justice, and these people want to take that away! All Might didn't die so he could be treated this way! I-, I didn't swear to surpass All Might my own way so that I would have to throw it away!"

"...Let it go, Midoriya," Iida whispered angrily. "Just let it go."

"That's rich coming from you. I saw the way you were trying to pulverise Stain, Iida," I chided him, watching as he stared at the ground guiltily. "The two of you are right twats, you know that. Some Heroes you are. The entire time everyone was trying to save as many lives as possible and stop this madness, you two were fighting your own anger. Tch."

"Detective, surely you understand what I'm talking about?" Stain asked me. "This world is corrupt. It needs-,"

"Oh, I agree with you," I cut him off coldly. "This world is bullshit. But why the hell do you think that you're right? Change isn't something that can be accomplished by slamming your head against the wall and slowly breaking it down. You don't even understand what enemy you are fighting against, Stain. You're just lashing out at a world that rejected you. You're no better than the rotten system you're fighting against."

Stain glared at me furiously, but Yozora clapped his hands at me.

"You're right, Sora," Yozora grinned. "We live in a world filled with hypocrites. Always trying to find a higher purpose in life, something they should dedicate their lives to - And they'll pursue that goal without understanding why. Why does it make them drive forward in life? Because as I said before, humans still reject their true desires. So I have to wonder, what is your true desire? To fight? To save?"

"..."

"Don't look at me like that," Yozora replied, twirling around to face the carnage. The piles of dead bodies and blood, the torn parts of what were once humans. "This chaos is beautiful! Death and rebirth, life and destruction - Two sides of the same coin! Deku, you believe to be carrying All Might's will and legacy, one of failure and incompetence. Ingenium, you fight to avenge his brother only to fail at every turn. Stain, isn't it clear to see that this world has led us astray? That All Might himself was the villain holding us back from something greater?"

I could see as Stain processed what he was saying.

"Yozora. What do you want?"

"I told you once, Sora. I won't stop until society itself finally accepts that chaos and destruction is our very nature," Yozora responded, flinging his arms in the air wildly as if he were a music conductor. "I am the culmination of the sins of our society. The past, the present and the future. The Karma created by our society - A system of checks and balances, and here I am making sure that everything is balanced. As your class is now, you have no hope of defeating me."

"You-,"

"Shut up, boy," Yozora coldly cut Midoriya off. "The system you so desperately protect like your flawed mentor has led to so many villains. Stain, Tomura Shigaraki and even Aozora - The Hero that desperately 'died' trying to save everyone. You will never defeat me because you aren't a Hero, not a traditional one. A Hero to defeat the 'big bad' threatening the world. But I don't threaten this world, I don't want to tear it apart. I'm not the villain you desperately want to believe I am, and that's why you'll never defeat me."

"...How dare you-,"

Yozora's eyes activated, and I had to kick Iida out of the way before he got torn in half.

"You still think you represent the system?" I asked Yozora, brushing the dirt off my coat. "After all this time, you're nothing but an idiot lashing out at the world. You don't represent anything, you're a pathetic psychopath begging for attention. I'm going to beat you, and then you're going to spend the rest of your miserable life locked up in a cell. I'll forget you, this world will forget you. You'll be a nobody-,"

Crack.

Yozora's facade cracked, as did the Earth beneath my feet as I jumped to the side to avoid his attack. The ever-constant smirk on Yozora's face was wiped off as he glared a me hatefully,

Yet he couldn't do a single thing as a warning shot was fired in the air.

Bang.

"Stand down," Holding her gun at Yozora, I watched as Nanao and Monoma slowly made their way to us. Stain growled in response as Yozora's smile reformed on his face as he stared at Nanao. "Surprised to see me?"

"Nanao… I didn't think that you'd be here."

"I'm here to finally bring you in," Nanao replied, walking forward fearlessly as Monoma helped Midoriya and Iida get up from the floor. They were more injured than I thought. "You've escaped capture for too long. I refuse to let anyone else get caught up in your deranged and pathetic attempts to live. If you don't listen to what I'm saying, I will shoot. Not even your Quirk is strong or fast enough to stop a bullet from piercing your head."

"...You're right," Yozora conceded. "I suppose we should wrap things up here. Stain?"

Stain sneered as he clapped his hands loudly.

Within seconds, some remaining Cultists showed up dragging a body behind them.

"Thats-," Midoriya's eyes widened as he recognised the man.

"Kamui Woods," Iida whispered in shock. My mind blanked as I stared at the mangled corpse that the Cultists were dragging across the floor with little care. He had been stabbed, crushed and horribly tortured before he had died, with his costume barely clinging to his corpse. His mask was completely ruined, with parts of it being stuck in his face, one which showed tons of swelling and blood. "You killed him."

"Filmed it too," Yozora laughed. "We came here today to formally introduce the 'Cult of Stain' to the world. Videos of Heroes using excessive force and murdering criminals without even caring about the damage, death and destruction caused by the Yakuza and the failings of our illustrious heroes. To top it off with a confession from Kamui Woods of the crimes and bribes he had taken under his tenure as a 'Hero'."

"Don't you move a damn muscle!" Nanao snarled as she aimed her pistol right at Yozora's head. "I swear I'll shoot-,"

"You don't get it, do you? I know you won't shoot me," Yozora provoked. "The truth is out there for everyone to see. Call us terrorists, but we're going to make sure that the world knows exactly what kinds of 'Heroes' they worship. As I said, I'm not the villain you so desperately want me to believe. I do think that Stain can change this world for the better-,"

"You're just manipulating him and his followers for your own benefit," I cut him off. "Stain, do you really think that Yozora gives a shit about you or your ideals? To him, this is all just one big game. He's willing to sacrifice you any time so long as he gets what he wants. That's the madman you want to work with?"

"...I understand. Yet, I disagree," Stain replied. "This world is corrupt. Yozora is scum, yet he has also helped to open my eyes. He is my partner in all this, and for that, I respect his bravery. I will change this world - No matter the cost. You, the Heroes, think of us as villains for wanting to stand up against your unfair system. How many people have you failed today? How many people will you continue to fail before something changes? And I'm not talking about a vague 'system.' This day has finally made me understand what I need to do."

Yozora smirked at that.

"Oh?"

"I will get rid of all Heroes in this world," Stain passionately told us. "Each and every one of you will be stripped from your positions and forced to become a normal person, forced to live in a world without Heroes. That's not just my conviction talking; that's a promise. All Might may have been a Hero who tried to do good, but his legacy and what he stood for will always be remembered as the wrong side of history when I'm done with this world. How's that for a memorial."

Bang.

Stain's blade shattered into pieces as Nanao shot her pistol at it.

"Don't move! You're all under arrest for murder, terrorism, and multiple counts of-,"

Danger.

Danger.

Danger.

It was a feeling I hadn't experienced before in a while as my head pulsated with pain. Time seemed to slow down as I tilted my head to the ceiling and pushed Nanao out of the way, a flying thing coming down to nearly crush her to pieces. Nanao herself couldn't believe it as a Nomu with wings stood in front of us, blocking our path to Stain and Yozora. Yet, the two villains jumped on the Nomu's back, its wings flapping as it gained altitude.

"I'm not warning you anymore-,"

"Don't fight, Nanao. I told you, I always knew you were never going to shoot me," Yozora said from above. I watched as Nanao's hands couldn't keep steady as she fired multiple bullets in the air, each one missing her target. Click. She sighed as her gun ran out of ammo and could only fall to the floor in anger and disappointment. "...Sora. You make sure you get stronger. Next time I won't go so easy on you."

"The next time we fight, I'm going to beat you," I raised my sword in the air to point it at him. "I made a promise. That one day, I'm going to wipe that arrogant smirk off your face. You fucking lunatic."

Yozora cackled as he and Stain flew away on the Nomu, leaving their men behind who didn't waste any time in swallowing pills. Within seconds, their mouths frothed as they fell to the floor and didn't get back up again.

Tch.

It was a total failure…

"Nanao," I comforted the senior detective. "We're gonna get him. Next time. But we have to focus on saving as many people as possible. It's over."

"Over?" Monoma shook his head at me. "Sora, we came here to tell you that it's not over."

W-what?

"The League," Nanao started as she got up from the floor. "The League of Villains appeared. We came here to tell you that, and to tell us where the royal family is. They haven't been seen at all."

Oh.

Fuck.

"The League of Villains?!" Izuku yelled. "They haven't been seen in over a year. What the hell are they doing here? How are they here? When did they come?"

"Calm down," Monoma raised his hands defensively. "We were just told it now. Uraraka's fighting Toga as we speak, Endeavour and Todoroki are fighting Dabi and Aizawa-sensei ran off to fight Kurogiri. Twice basically got rid of all of our backup. We need to get everyone and run."

Tch.

I gripped my sword as I walked away from them.

"Sora-,?"

"I need to go," I told them. "If the League of Villains is here, I need to fight."

"Sorry, what?" Nanao screamed at me incredulously. "You're a detective, not a Hero. Stand down, now! If you go after them, you can be stripped of your licence! As your commanding officer, I'm telling you to stand down-,"

"I can't do that."

"Why the hell not? Look at you! You look half dead," Nanao scoffed at me. "The League of Villains will slaughter you. We have to cut our losses and make sure we can save as many lives as possible, that's our job. Petty rivalries won't get you anywhere in life other than an early grave-,"

"I don't care about that!" I snapped at her, not only getting a reaction from her but everyone else too. "Shigaraki isn't accounted for. And neither is Zero. I'm not running away from either of those fights, especially when you said the royal family hasn't been seen since. Jiro and Tokage were the ones escorting them to safety, which means that something happened to them."

"We have to go-,"

I turned to scoff at Midoriya.

"You're not doing anything," I told him plainly. "After getting so angry you nearly killed yourself, you stay put. Monoma, I'm gonna need your help."

Monoma gulped in fear as he nodded at me.

"Anger-,?"

Midoriya was cut off as Iida snuck up from behind him and chopped his neck, knocking him out easily. I flashed a small smile at Iida as I summoned my Nimbus, jumping on it with Monoma.

"Sora," Iida began slowly. "...Is he worth it? Truly, is fighting him worth more than anything? Even us? Even your duty as a detective? I understand that you share a deep bond with him, one cultivated over the numerous clashes you have had. But… Truly, do you really care that much about fighting him?"

"...Yeah. More than anything," I replied honestly. "I refuse to lose to him more than anyone in the world, Iida. You can call me stupid all you want, but he's the one person I want to prove my strength to. The one person I can call my rival. The one person I'll ever use my blade to…"

"You're an idiot," Nanao clicked her tongue in annoyance. "How the hell are you going to achieve what you want to achieve if you die here? Didn't you make promises to Yukari? I ain't gonna tell your family that you died because you wanted to fight a villain-,"

"It's not that, Nanao," I paused as I stared at my sword. "For so long I was chasing after him. Trying to outsmart and beat someone I was convinced was a villain, but then he helped me. When I just wanted to be left alone, he gave me a choice. And then even months after that, he respected my decisions and stuck to his promise. He's no more a villain than I am a hero, that's all there is to it. Don't you desperately want to catch Yozora?"

"Thats-,"

"It's the same thing. Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine," I smiled warmly at Nanao and Iida. "I'll be just fine. See you soon, that's a promise."

I didn't wait for their reply as I flew above the hall, trying to find the entrance that led to the parking lot. Monoma clutched onto me as we flew through the air.

"..."

"Spit it out," I said, landing right in front of the entrance to the narrow hallway. "If you're afraid, don't be."

"We're going up against two of the strongest members of the League of Villains."

"I'm here," I told him, resting my blade on my shoulders as I felt a smirk form on my face. It had been so long since I had dealt with the League of Villains, but I still couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of fighting him. Zero. "And let me tell you, there is no greater security than that."


Momo Yaoyorozu POV

"Here," Momo sighed, wiping some sweat off her face. "I made a large-scale voice amplifier for you."

Her sister smiled at her gratefully, patting her head.

"Thanks. I'm really proud of you," Hachi Yamaguchi, the Prime Minister of Japan, told her. "You've grown a lot from that little girl who was afraid of her mother and father's laboratory."

Momo flushed red at that, ignoring Mineta's snickers.

"T-That was over twelve years ago!"

"It doesn't change the fact that you've grown immensely. Your father would be proud of you," Hachi told her. "And even if she has a hard time showing it, so does your mother. Will the device work throughout the building?"

Momo nodded.

"Yeah. Everyone in the area will be able to hear you perfectly."

Hachi smiled as she cleared her throat, before speaking into the microphone.

"Hello!" Hachi tested out. "It works. Good. Everyone, listen up! Please! This is Hachi Yamaguchi, the current Prime Minister of Japan! I know today has been a whirlwind of emotions and scenes, but please! Cease this endless fighting! Today was meant to be a memorial for a great hero, and instead, it was turned into a bloodbath. But we can still change it!"

Momo nodded in agreement with her sister.

"It may be hard to lay down your weapons and give up, but that's not what I'm asking you to do! So many people have died today. I'm here to end this senseless violence! Both heroes and criminals. To go on fighting after everything that's happened will only lead to more losses on both sides. I can't promise immunity for your actions if you stop, so if you want to retreat I won't stop you," Momo's eyes widened as the Prime Minister gripped the microphone tightly. "There is nothing I can do if you run away. Nothing any Hero will do either."

Hachi paused, smiling at Momo and Mineta before she continued her speech.

"But if any of you want to continue fighting. Then come on and find me on the top floor, I'll be waiting for you," Momo watched as Mineta's eyes comically launched themselves from his sockets, snot running down his nose as his jaw hit the floor in shock. "Please, withdraw and allow me to save face for you all. That's the least I can do. And I'll personally see to the burial of everyone who has died today, I refuse to let their deaths be a mockery of their brave sacrifices."

"Why the hell did you goad terrorists into coming here?! Didn't we just get news that the League of Villains arrived?! Why are you so calm?!" Mineta yelled, terrified out of his mind as he paced around the room. "Oh my fucking God, this is it. This is the end of my life because of a crazy person!"

"Because you two are here," Hachi replied with a genuine smile. The worst kind. "I'm already safe. There is nothing that you two can't handle."

Mineta sighed heavily, slamming his head against the door while Momo blushed under the praise from her older sister.

"I-I-I'll try my best, sis."

Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, but as Momo tried to listen in to the commotion from downstairs, she couldn't hear a thing. It was as if all the fighting had ceased altogether.

"Sis, I think you-,"

"Of course, it worked," Hachi cut her off. "As I said, this battle is over. My words were the final push needed to stop all this. That's all my words can ever amount to. All I can do as the Prime Minister of this country - Yet I refuse to stand aside and let you all take care of the situation. Even if it's just words, I have plenty of them to say! And I won't stop until my throat is dry."

Momo giggled at her sister as Mineta chuckled in response.

"You're pretty headstrong for a Prime Minister, I thought you'd be more meek and unwilling to be in the thick of it," Mineta said. "Guess you have a pretty amazing sister, Yaoyorozu. I can see where you get all your bravery from."

"Hah. You should have seen Momo when she was a lot younger. She gave everyone a headache when she wanted to go to the toilet," Hachi grinned. "Instead of telling us, she'd run under the bed and-,"

"Ahem," Momo coughed, interrupting Hachi's story. "I think it's about time we escort you to safety, sis."

"That won't be necessary," Hachi waved her off. "Like I said, I won't rest until everyone that died here today is properly buried and memorised. I refuse to settle for anything less. Even with my limited strength, if that's the best I can do then so be it."

Momo rolled her eyes at her sister.

She was always the same.

"Save your idealism and kindness for another day. We are still under attack," Momo reminded her. "Villains could come here at any moment. And while I'm flattered that you think that Mineta and I are strong enough to defend you, I must say that-,"

"It doesn't matter. This world already has so much unkindness and despair that I won't budge until I change it slightly," Hachi cut her off with a grin. "I know you're just worried for me, but it's that idealism and kindness that got me this position. It's that idealism and kindness that your generation should carry every day that will help make this world a better place. If you can't stand your ground, how else will things change?"

"Change?" Mineta asked in confusion.

Hachi nodded her head in response.

"Yes. I understand that many of the opponents we have fought against today have been campaigning for change, from the Cult of Stain to the League of Villains," Hachi explained. "And they do have a valid reason for campaigning for change. Our world isn't as kind as I'd want it to be, and there are so many victims that fall under the radar. A mixture of the failure of our systems and the dichotomy between heroes and villains - Yet as the Prime Minister of this country, I have the power to change that. As a human, I have a moral duty to try and change that."

"...Why?"

"Because, once upon a time ago, before I met Momo and her family, I was alone and hurt," Hachi said with a sad smile. "This world didn't even try to help me. And in turn, I always wondered why that was the case. I wanted to hate those at the top, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. It's easy to sprout ideals of change when you have no power, and now that I have that power I have a responsibility. Not just to those being failed like I was, but to everyone - Living or dead. To change this country around, to change our world into something much kinder so no child has to suffer again."

"That's some dream," Mineta admitted. "Hell, that's probably the best dream I've ever heard."

"She's been saying this since I was a kid," Momo told him. "I always said that her dream of hers would land her in a lot of trouble. I'm not naive enough to think that everyone wants this world to be a kinder place."

"That's why I have you guys," Hachi replied. "You're not Heroes in my eyes, or kids trying to uphold the law. You are my little sister's friend, and so you're my friend too. So is everyone in that school of yours. And I know that you guys are as thick headed as Momo, so you'll probably want things to change for the better too. Today was a tragedy, but no tragedy is an event that we can't learn from."

Momo exhaled loudly as she stared at her sister in surprise.

"So many lives were lost today, but there was nothing we could have done. A raid from three separate parties with three very different goals, that's something not even All Might could have prevented," Hachi said. "I can only carry the weight of their lives on my shoulders and strive to make sure that their sacrifices weren't in vain. As I said, I understand my enemies very well. So I'll create a world where they don't need to strive for change, and that's a world ruled by idealism and kindness."

Mineta whistled in response.

"Sounds like a carefree tomorrow," Momo whispered. A carefree tomorrow. They were words that Sora had spoken a lot about when he was still in Class A with them, words etched onto her very mind. It was the same for everyone in that class. Because they all understood their enemy back then too, more so when Sora had left. "...Haha."

Perhaps that was why a carefree tomorrow was something the entire class was trying to work towards. Even if they hadn't intended to do it, Sora's simple and foolish goal had been transferred over to them when he couldn't fulfil it any more.

As such, Momo laughed.

She laughed so hard that tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I see now. Why in the first place he fought so hard for us," Momo said, wiping her tears away. "I can't believe no one in our class understood him. He just wanted us to be idealistic and kind for the rest of our lives, not bitter individuals. Even when hating himself, he still wanted to help us in his own way."

"..."

Hachi smiled sadly at them.

"Sora Yamazaki is someone I consider to be a good person. It's clear he cares for you all, no matter how much time has passed," Hachi said fondly. "And if there is one person that I think carries that idealism and kindness, it's him. No matter what selfish dressing he may use to cover up how he really feels, why he really fights, I think it's a much simpler reason than any of us think."

"It is," Mineta agreed with a wet smile. "He just wants us to be the best people we can."

A carefree tomorrow.

Even as Momo Yaoyorozu stared across this hellish landscape, she could understand why Sora changed irrevocably after the Shie Hassakai raid. This wasn't something one could shrug off. Yet her class was naive in thinking that Sora would wake up and be the same person he was before the raid, it was a failure on their behalf not to be there for Sora.

That was the ultimate truth.

They were so focused on Sora waking up and being their friend again, that they simply forgot to be his friend. When broken down like that; Momo had to laugh. She had no doubt that everyone in their Class was starting to feel the same way after today, that it was their choice to cling to their memories that forced Sora to move away. They weren't gazing at his back - The entire time it was the opposite way around.

Sora was someone who had suffered.

And here he was, still fighting.

"Momo," Mineta's voice snapped her away from her thoughts. "...we're going to talk to everyone about him, right?"

Momo nodded in response, wiping the last of her tears away. They had messed up before, much like Sora, but just like him, they weren't going to give up. Even if it took a lot of effort, they were all going to change, just like him.

It was stupid, perhaps, but Momo couldn't care.

That was going to be their carefree tomorrow.


Shota Aizawa POV

Even with his shadowy form, Shota still couldn't help but think back to Oboro Shirakumo's body as he stood before Kurogiri. It was eerily similar to how Kurogiri's mist moved the same way as Oboro's Quirk, though considering that they were one and the same, Shota reasoned that it was probably the one link tying the two.

"Eraserhead," Kurogiri politely greeted.

"Oboro," Shota nodded his head at him. "Or would you like me to call you Kurogiri? Who are you, truly?"

"...Does it matter?" Kuro-, Oboro returned. "I am a Villain, and you are a Hero. That should be enough to fight me without holding back because of the possibility that I may or may not be your friend-,"

Slam.

Shota didn't hesitate in kicking Oboro as hard as he could.

"Clearly, you don't remember anything. If you remember your life as Oboro or not doesn't matter, I'm not someone that gives a shit," Shota said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm going to fight you until you stop being a Villain and turn yourself in. As a friend, or as a so-called Hero capturing a villain. That's never going to change."

"...Impressive."

"You have your son to thank for that," Shota said with a ghost of a smirk on his face. "Something he's taught me over time. A lesson that I've reflected on for so long, but one I can finally put into practice. Whoever you are, I refuse to give up on you. Oboro, Kurogiri, a villain or my friend - It doesn't matter."

Oboro simply floated in response.

"Maybe it's foolish. I'm in my mid-thirties talking about saving a friend, if Sora heard me say that I already know what jokes he'd make," Shota smiled as he raised his fist to his opponent. "But I don't care. Call it your shitty son rubbing off on me more than I'd care to admit. And back then, you claimed you'd never have a child. You said it was too much work, so guess what, Oboro. We all had to pick up the slack while you were absent."

"...son…" Oboro whispered. "You know, Shota. I was a virgin when I died. But you're right, he is my child. Even the impossible can happen thanks to Quirks and science, and Sora is living proof of it. You know, I haven't forgotten the promise you made me on that roof.""

Shota's shoulders relaxed at that.

"...Oboro?"

"I am Oboro, the same way I am Kurogiri. His - or my - memories came back to me, bit by bit ever since I first met you, Eraserhead," The villain admitted. "That's why I asked. And I'm glad I know your answer, that you won't falter despite my decision to stick with the League of Villains. No matter what, I don't have a son. Sora Yamazaki was merely a test subject, a way to punish one selfless woman. But you knew that, didn't you-,"

Shota shut him up, pummeling him into the ground.

"You can call it whatever you want. But Sora Yamazaki isn't just your son, Oboro. He was raised by good people, and he's growing into a good man. He's better than you, me and even Hizashi," Shota told him. "And I'm going to make sure it stays that way. I thought I failed him once, but I didn't. I never will in his eyes. But I'll try my hardest to make sure he won't fail against the likes of you or your League of Villains."

Oboro laughed in response.

"We'll see about that. After all, I'm not the one holding all the cards."

"It doesn't matter," Shota Aizawa replied confidently. "Sora's not going to fail either. It's not blind faith in him, really. He's a lot like you, Oboro. Headstrong and tenacious to a fault. Somehow, he's also ended up like me too. He's a great kid who's already grown up to be a great adult too, better than you or me to be frank."

"..."

"After everything he's been through, I can't even imagine Sora losing."


Kyoka Jiro POV

"Let me kill the Royal family, and I'll let you go."

Shigaraki's demands were simple, he didn't even sound irritated as Tokage stood in front of Kyoka and the royal family, determined to defend them with her life. Shigaraki seemed bored as he scratched his neck, tilting his head not to study Kyoka and Tokage, but as if he was waiting for a response.

"How about we make a different deal? You can go fuck yourself, and we'll be on our merry way," Tokage replied, flipping him off. "How's that? You stupid prick. Did you seriously think I'd let you kill innocents just to save my own skin? I may be selfish, but I'm not a coward."

"Aren't you a pragmatic individual, Setsuna Tokage?" Shigaraki asked. "I know all about you. Your mother, those poor experiments you were involved in, how she died in front of your eyes. That turns someone cold. Why should you risk your life for the Royal family who couldn't give a rat's ass about you?"

Tokage smirked at that.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'd love to be the one to kill these rich arseholes," She admitted freely. "To say that I'm not completely jealous of their free lives, filled with luxury and everything every woman could ever want is a lie. I do envy them and their freedom. But I also value the fact that I'm not a complete and utter spineless bastard who'll step aside and condemn children to death. In my own opinion, that matters more to me than any hatred I hold towards them."

Kyoka felt a bead of sweat run down her face.

R-Really? Kyoka asked herself. That's why you aren't going to let Shigaraki kill them?

Shigraki laughed in response.

"That's not a Heroic thing to say," He replied. "However, it is refreshing. Most of you Heroes would lie to my face and say that you will never give up, that you'll protect them because it's the right thing to do. But we both know that they're scum, undeserving of your protection."

"You can try to kill the adults. Just leave the children outta' it," Tokage replied. "But you won't do that. More of a pride thing for you, isn't it? Killing kids? I bet you get a kick out of it, seeing the child you killed out of spite because Daddy and Mummy never loved you, Tenko."

Shigaraki's temper flared, but he surprisingly managed to get it under control.

"I was told that you'd try to get under my skin, but consider me surprised," Shigaraki stretched his fingers as he disintegrated the wall next to him. "I suppose knowing what you really are, it makes sense after all. That doesn't mean I won't disintegrate your tongue first, however."

"I bet this isn't the first time you've forced a gal to feel threatened about their body, is it?," Tokage cheekily replied, readying herself for a fight. "Though I guess it makes sense. With a face and personality like that, it's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend. Spent all day inside fantasising about your dead sister, ne? It's funny how she's the closest you'll ever get to a girl saying she loves you. And even then, it was you who killed her. Funny that."

Shigaraki screeched in anger as he launched himself at Tokage, who split her body to avoid his attacks. If she hadn't, Kyoka didn't need much imagination to imagine what would have happened to her.

"Go!" Tokage screamed at her, knocking down another wall to try and draw Shigaraki away from the royal family. "Get them to safety then come back to me! You got this, Earphone Jack!"

Right.

"Come! It's not far from here!"

Kyoka led the Royal family away from their fight as she sprinted down the hallway. She had to trust in Tokage and her strength. She kicked the last door down, leading the royal family down yet another hallway until she finally reached the room Yaoyorozu told her about. It was lit well enough, yet her information was wrong. It wasn't a prayer room, though considering Sora didn't believe in any religion, it made sense that he wouldn't have understood what the room was for.

Yet, kneeling before the statue was him.

Dressed in sleek black armour, and his helmet with a red reflective lens, Zero faced the statue. It had three heads and right arms, and Kyoka also was stumped on what the God depicted was.

It wasn't as if she was religious either.

"So, you arrived," Zero's monotone and robotic voice called out. He still used the same voice modifier compared to before. "And you brought the Royal family here. The door to the parking lot is just beyond here, Kyoka Jiro."

"...let me guess, you won't let us go?"

Zero surprisingly shook his head.

"You and the kids can go," Zero replied. "I won't allow the Crown Prince and his wife to leave this room alive."

"H-How dare you threaten me?!" The Prince howled in anger. "Do you even know who-,"

"You're scum who participates in crimes across the country without remorse," Zero cut him off coldly, snapping his fingers as a double-sided sword appeared from thin air. "You use your wealth and your power to take children and women away from their families, drug them up and sell them to your friends who are just as rich as you. And then you cover it up by bribing whoever you can, because no one wants that little fact about you to reach the public eye.

Kyoka turned back to look at the Prince who shook his head in shock.

It was the truth.

Kyoka felt disgusted at that very moment.

"How did you-,"

"Accept your death quietly. You and your wife have committed so many crimes, did you really think that you would be able to live a peaceful life?" Zero asked. "I'm granting a swift and painless death, compared to my other friends, I'm giving you mercy."

"H-hero! Kill him!" The Prince ordered.

Kyoka couldn't even move as Zero's killing intent multiplied.

"Don't you dare order her around, you bastard!" Zero roared, his voice modifier cracking at that as he launched forward with such speed that Kyoka couldn't even react. She tried - she genuinely tried reaching out to save the Prince before he was decapitated, but she failed. The Prince's fiance screamed in horror as she was covered by her lover's blood, but even then, her screams quietened as Zero took care of her too. "...Tch."

Kyoka shielded the two youngest girls.

They were just kids.

No older than twelve.

"...Why?" Kyoka swallowed her vomit. "Why the hell did you execute them? If you had all this evidence, why didn't you come to us Heroes? To the police? To anyone?!"

Zero wiped the blood off his blade as he stared at her, yet Kyoka still didn't know who it was underneath the mask, despite that he turned to face the Buddhist statue in the prayer room.

The kids behind Kyoka were convulsing, tears running down their faces.

Tsk.

"...That statue represents Marishiten. A deity that many people believed in would lead to self-enlightenment, that selflessness and compassion would come through devotion to Marishiten," Zero explained to her. "Many others saw Marishiten as a protector. Someone who gave them enough strength to protect not just their loved ones, but the world itself. Something Heroes are supposed to represent in this society. But that isn't the case, is it?"

"So what? You killed them because you want to be a vigilante?!" Kyoka yelled angrily. "You killed them in front of two innocent kids. Do you really think that their nightmares are going to go away because they're scum?!"

"...I don't expect you to understand," Zero replied. "That door over there is the parking lot. Take the two girls there and run. I won't chase after you, I won't try and fight you, I'm letting you leave. I've already accomplished what we set out to do."

"Then why aren't you running?"

Zero didn't reply as he brandished his sword, staring at the entrance to the room intently.

Patiently.

Waiting for someone to appear.

"...You two. I know it's hard, but go through that door and don't look back, I promise you I'll come and get you," Kyoka whispered. The two girls looked conflicted but they followed her orders as Kyoka got up from the ground and cleared her throat. "The first time we met, you tried to kill me. You nearly did. Ever since then, I have been chasing an illusion of strength, hoping to one day surpass you."

Zero didn't react to her words.

"But I don't need any of that to beat you!" Kyoka screamed, running at the villain as she threw a punch at him. Zero dodged easily, sweeping her legs out from under her. Yet before Kyoka hit the ground, she plugged her earjacks into the ground and sent out a low rumble, unbalancing Zero.

He didn't react in time as she kicked him in his chest, sending him tumbling backwards.

Kyoka didn't give him any time to rest as he pounced on him yet again, drawing from all her experience as she slammed both her hands against his helmet, using the weight of his armour against him, even dodging his sword strikes.

Using the sharpness of her earjacks, she couldn't help but grin as a long scratch appeared across Zero's torso.

"I'm not the same weak girl who couldn't protect a single thing!" Kyoka yelled. "I'm never going to be helpless against you or anyone else ever again! I don't care what happens, I'll make a carefree tomorrow for everyone with my own hands!"

Not like that time at the USJ, or when the villains attacked the summer camp - Or when Sora left her and everyone else's life.

Kyoka Jiro was tired of being weak!

"...You've grown strong, Kyoka," Zero admitted, slowly standing up using his sword as a crutch. "Very strong. But I'm afraid you are still too early to beat me-,"

Kyoka's eyes widened as Zero zoomed past her eyesight, a dull thud reached her ears after the impact on the back of her head as she was sent crashing to the floor. She couldn't even stand up in time as Zero kicked her across the room, Kyoka's body failing her as she coughed out blood.

"I understand why you've grown strong very well, but that doesn't mean you are stronger than me," Zero told her. "I gave you the chance to run. And I'm still offering you that chance. I won't kill you, but I can't promise a fight against me won't hurt. Don't make me do this."

"Make you do this?! You're the villain, I'm the Hero," Kyoka yelled in response, shakily getting up from the floor as she ignored all the pain in her body. "That's all this is about, Zero!"

Kyoka stopped before she could launch another attack at him-,

Or rather, she couldn't.

Her body collapsed as she fell forward in shock, right before someone caught her.

"Kyoka," Sora's voice whispered as he held her up. "Thanks. But this isn't your fight."

"S-Sora?"

He nodded, smiling at her warmly.

"It's me, yeah," Sora replied before he stared at the bodies of the Prince and his fiance. Tears welled up in Kyoka's eyes as Sora carried her to the corner of the room and placed her down gently. "I'm sorry I didn't come here sooner. I should have been here. You shouldn't have dealt with this all alone."

"Sora, Tokage-,"

"She's fine," Sora replied. "Monoma helped her escape Shigaraki, who's being dealt with by Hawks, Edgeshot and a few other heroes. She's safe. Everyone's safe, Kyoka. So you can just rest for now - I'll deal with this."

As Sora turned around, Kyoka couldn't help but sob as he faced Zero head-on.

"Sora Yamazaki… you came back after all," Zero drawled out. "A detective. I must say, that badge suits you more than a silly costume and mask ever did. You're standing tall, and that look in your eyes. Are you resolved for what's to come? For the thorny path you're willing to walk down upon?"

Sora nodded in response, calmly raising his sword to ready himself.

"I am," Sora replied. "I know our deal is broken, but I was wrong to take that deal anyway. Class A are strong enough to protect themselves. I didn't need you to protect them in my stead, 'cause I was never protecting them. Not really. But that doesn't matter, I'm here to fight you, Zero."

Zero bent his knees as he gripped his sword tightly.

"You do know what this means, right?"

Sora nodded his head once again, and for a brief second, Kyoka's heart dropped as she stared at Sora. Long gone were the warm eyes that reminded her of the friend she once had, instead fierce determination radiated from him and Zero. It was like they had completely resigned themselves to this battle as if this was the highlight of their long days.

The clash to determine who was right after all.

"I do," Sora said. "When I got my powers back, I was forced to accept so many things about me. Some things I still haven't accepted, but the very first thing I thought about was you. The entire time you were trying to help me, even though you're on the opposite side. Even though you're supposed to be a villain, I never once treated you with respect."

"Respect?"

"Whenever I fought not just you, but anyone, I was always so afraid of killing anyone," Sora admitted. "It was my own weakness. I didn't want anyone to die, so I didn't want to lead to anyone's death. But after the Shie Hassakai raid, after everything I went through while being powerless, I sorta' understood the real reason why. Because it wasn't true, there is someone I wouldn't mind killing. Because of the respect they had shown me throughout my time as Aozora."

"..."

Sora grinned as he leapt forward, Zero doing the exact same as their blades clashed, sparks flying in all directions, and in that moment Kyoka could see how they directly paralleled each other.

It was like destiny pulled them together.

And Kyoka could only stare in horror at the two of them colliding.

"If there's one person I have to kill, it's going to be you!"


Sora v Zero.

The two most important characters in this story. The next chapter is completely obvious now, so I won't go into detail about what happens other than I really enjoyed writing out their fight.

This chapter was also the start of a few things.

A)The threat of Stain and his Cult. It's less of a number of things and more of a 'he has radicalised people' thing, something that Yozora capitalises on. Stain and Yozora are great to write for me because while I do have many plans for them, their dialogue is largely just written on the spot.

Not even I know what they say, the words just come out.

B)Class A and the beginning of change. Naturally, since this arc is called Reflection, many characters have reflected on their actions - past and present. None more so than Class A, who still have some development left to do. But this is the start of Class A's own arc, one of change.

Again, there are a few steps that both Sora and Class A need to take before they can be buddy buddy again, and even then not everyone in the class will go back to being Sora's best friend.

Some bonds will never be healed.

C)Aizawa v Oboro is basically a knock-off of Kakashi v Obito. I mean that's what I wanted it to be in canon, and I didn't get that. Nothing against Horikoshi doing that route, but I really like where my Aizawa v Oboro arc is going to go in the future.

And finally

D) Sora v Zero's rivalry.

The three most important characters in the story are Sora, Jiro and Zero. Specifically Sora and Zero, because they are active protagonists that cause the events of the plot. Their goals and even personalities lead them into conflict, with everything else being extra.

They are rivals.

And this next chapter will reiterate that.

Overall, I'm pleased with this chapter.

See you soon for the climax of this arc!