Chapter 34: High-End: Part 3: Obliterator
'… I love you. I love you so much. If you don't believe me, that's okay. If you don't feel the same way, that's okay too. But it's because I love you that I'll always be on your side no matter what. Even if it means everyone hates me too. So, please hang in there. I don't want to see someone that I love so sad. It breaks my heart. I hope to see you at school tomorrow. From, Airi Sakura.' I recalled those words once more as the person who wrote them fell six feet under in front of my eyes. And I couldn't do…
… A single thing to save her.
'Yes! That look! I've been waiting to see it for so so long! That look of utter hopelessness! And what will come next certainly will be- Doctor Garaki spoke with a sadistic smile of pleasure on his face as he looked at what was going on through the monitor in his lair. But Garaki stopped mid thought as even though he couldn't hear what was going on (The security camera footage didn't come with extra benefit of sound.) he knew that he would be answered with a-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!" I let out a scream of anger, sadness, and most of all, pain. Yet again, I failed to save someone that I cared about. Yet again, I failed because of my innate powerlessness. Yet again, one of those utter abominations took someone precious away from me. I lost Sakura the same way I lost All Might. But the difference this time was that I had the power to change things. And even though things should have been different this time…
… It ended exactly the same way. Because I haven't changed in any shape or form. I've always been the Quirkless kid who always needed to rely on others to solve my problems. And when the going gets tough, I can't do a single thing by myself. I knew that already. And that's why I can't ignore that part of me any longer. But in the midst of realizing that, cold, hard, and bitter truth about me-
"So disappointing. It looks like that girl was telling the truth when she said she wasn't strong. I'm not satisfied at all. She was so very WEAK." The High-End Nomu declared as my eyes shot wide open upon hearing him say those words that made me burn with rage. And before I knew it, my body was moving without my brain sending commands as if it had a mind of its own. And then…
"Huh? What the hell did you just say?!" I snapped back with a shout as through sheer willpower I was able to stand back up onto my two feet again all while glaring daggers at the creature. Witnessing this made the monster smile with glee.
"YeS! i KnEw It! I kNeW iF i KiLlEd HeR yOu WoUlD gEt StRoNgEr!" The High-End Nomu declared with his usual screeching voice that made me want to slice off my ears every time I heard it!
"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!" I snapped back at the top of my lungs as the metaphorical bottle that contained all of my rage was smashed to pieces by this abomination the moment he killed Sakura. I felt so much unrelenting white-hot anger toward this monster that I didn't know what to do with it. In that moment I remembered that I do have the power…
… To utterly obliterate him off the face of the earth. And that is exactly what I'm going to do. But even though I wanted nothing more than to see that abomination die for killing someone so precious to me, I didn't want to kill him. I've already taken the lives of Tomura Shigaraki and AFO, as much as I want to see that bastard die… I don't want to kill anyone else. I only ever wanted to save people, not take their lives. If only someone else can kill him for me. But as soon as I had realization-
'If that's what you wish, then allow me to help you with that.' Jokata spoke and before I knew it, I felt raw power coursing through my veins as the green energy that had been coming off of me every time I used Obliterator up to this point became the color of black as it ensnarled me completely.
'WHOOOSH!' In the midst of that, a heavy wind came out of nowhere as a vortex of air swirled around me and blew everything away from me. (This included Sakura's corpse that had been split in two by the monster along with her internal organs.) However, The High-End Nomu was the only exception as he maintained where he was standing by planting his feet into the ground. But even then, he struggled to not be blown away by the onslaught of wind. However, this was being seen by not just the Nomu but everyone in the auditorium. And particularly by-
'What? … What is this?' Doctor Garaki thought internally with a speechless look on his face as the person he declared as his arch nemesis was changing before his eyes. Not in a physical manner but it seemed like he was undergoing a metamorphosis internally! That was the vibe that Garaki was getting by seeing this unfold! All the while he noticed that Izuku Midoriya's eyes were completely open as his green eyes flickered with black darkness until they became completely and utterly black like a doll's eyes.
"I don't care… if this is the end… I can see the 'future' … you don't live to see tomorrow." 'Deku' said while he was replaced by something, no. Someone else who was inside of him. A being that held so much anger that it far surpassed anything and everything that Izuku Midoriya had felt over the course of his life. That's because the man who replaced him had lived for over a century feeling an unrelenting amount of rage toward the person who took everything and everyone away from him. And that person was now finally able to act on those desires after all of that time. But before that-
'WHOOOSH!' The winds became even more violent as they pushed the hood of skin back onto The High-End Nomu's head. He then pulled it back off of him as he stared at the person his enemy Izuku Midoriya was becoming. And this made him smile wider and wider as he realized that he, (like the person taking over Deku's body) was also going to get exactly what he wanted.
"If you really don't mind… then I'll use everything." Jokata declared with an expression that was full of immense rage as he was now in control of Izuku Midoriya's body while staring at his hand that was twitching with power. But at the same time, Izuku Midoriya's 'hair' was now completely and utterly black. And to the person overlooking this transformation in the safety of his home, it reminded him of-
'No matter how long it takes… I will KILL you Garaki!' That declaration was the stuff of nightmares for the man named Kyudai Garaki. But even though he couldn't hear him speak, the way 'Izuku Midoriya' looked, it was just like-
"T-That's not possible! It can't be him! He's dead! I'm sure of it!" Garaki yelled out with an increasingly panicked look on his face but as much as he tried to come up with possible answers that explained everything without 'him' still being alive… he couldn't escape the sinking feeling that 'monster' was somehow still alive after he was killed. In the mist of this, Kiyotaka watched this as he wondered what was about to happen next. And not even a second later-
'SNAP!' Jokata snapped his arm back into place as he began moving it over and over while feeling an excruciating amount of pain. But that wasn't anything new for the man who has felt that emotion over the course of his century long lifespan. That's why he was able to resist the temptation to scream in pain and instead chose to scream in-
"I'LL KILL YOU! HIGH-END!" Jokata declared at the top of his lungs with a tone that made clear how much rage he was feeling and a face that matched it as he glared daggers with his black eyes at the monstrosity in front of him. And not even a second later-
'BAAAAAAAM!' He ripped off The High-End Nomu's arms in an instant! Jokata had moved so fast that the monster didn't even have any time to blink before his arms had been ripped off of his body! It all happened so fast that he didn't realize it after the damage had already been done. And that's when the Nomu realized-
'I knew it… that power… his power… now completely dwarfs mine.' The High-End Nomu realized internally as his look of surprise reverted back to his smile from before as his arms regenerated in an instant! And then…
"YeAh! LeT's KiLl EaCh OtHeR!" The High-End Nomu declared with a shout as he began charging forward at the merciless fight in the distance with a look of ecstasy on his face as he was about to land a blow onto him! But before the monster could do anything-
"You first." Jokata declared as not even a second later in a rapid succession of attacks that was invisible to the naked eyes he tore The High-End Nomu into mincemeat as the monster's blood rained onto him further staining Deku's costume red. But as some of the creature's internal organs had survived the flurry of attack, it regenerated an instant after the damage had been delivered!
"YeAh! MaKe Me HuRt!" The High-End Nomu declared with a hideous smile on its revolting face before it was sent crashing into the pavement while Jokata shredded it against the concrete all while running until there was nothing left of the creature's face. And then…
"No. I'll do much more than make you hurt." Jokata declared before picking the monster up by its head with a single hand before-
'POW!' Sending it shooting into the sky like a rocket! And not even a moment after the monster was launched into the sky, Jokata appeared right behind him by using the Air Force ability that Izuku Midoriya had thought of with one hundred percent of Obliterator's power. He then put his hands onto the creature's shoulders while the latter's Quirk Shoulder Mounted Jets began disappearing. The Nomu noticed this and attempted to attack Izuku Midoriya but before he could-
'SLICE!' Jokata sliced off The High-End Nomu's arm! But it grew back in an instant! So, he cut it off again, and again, and again until, the Quirk Shoulder Mounted Jets ceased to exist. The monster knew this internally but couldn't understand why his foe had chosen to erase his mobility Quirk and not the one that allowed him to regenerate from any and every attack. But the answer became clear to him only a moment later-
"I'm not going to let you escape. So, don't tucker out yet, we're just getting started." Jokata declared with a voice full of unrelenting hatred that was unlike how Izuku Midoriya used to speak. Just hearing those words made The High-End Nomu smile even wider than before.
'WHAM! POW!' Jokata then punched the monster again and again as he sent the utter abomination flying away from him at insane speeds before closing the distance and punching him again and again and again! This was exactly what the High-End Nomu wanted. To be mercilessly beaten to a pulp. But before he could say any words of appreciation-
'BAM!' And before he knew it, the High-End Nomu came crashing back down to the earth! But after being ruthlessly beaten, there was only some intestines left, but that was enough to bring him back from the brink of death! He was so close to being killed that it gave him a second wind. And as he looked back at the blood-stained man in the sky he let out what he had been holding in all this time! Which was-
"YEAH! MORE! GIVE ME MORE! MAKE ME SUFFER!" The High-End Nomu declared with a shout at the top of his lungs as the windows of several buildings shattered to pieces in the distance! The noise was felt by Jokata who was way above the buildings but even he was affected by it as the harsh screeching noise made his ears bleed! This resulted in Jokata unleashing an air bullet with Obliterator's full power that sent him shooting toward the monster like a comet! And then…
"YOU'RE SO DAMN LOUD! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!" Jokata snapped back at the top of his lungs before smashing the creature into the pavement! But even though all that was left of the monster was small chunks of his internal organs, he regenerated in an instant! Only to be-
'SMASH!' Smashed back into the ground as his entire body was destroyed again! This process repeated as he came back only to be crushed into mincemeat again and again and again! Each time he felt that he was getting ever so closer to the sweet release of death that he longed for. That's right. Ever since he could remember, he wanted to be ruthlessly beaten and killed by a worthy opponent-
It had been many years since The High-End Nomu was a 'human.' Back then he was just a unnoteworthy boxer who had won all of his fights in an underground ring run by the black market, where he was allowed to kill his opponents. However, in all of his fights, the boxer never came close to death, the people who had all fought against him had been weak and had fallen in the span of a few punches. (Due to his 'Power' Quirk, that allowed him to use immense strength to beat anyone and everyone into submission.) That was how he spent his time, until-
"That's enough! This is over!" Suddenly a person declared those words one day along with several other people behind him. The boxer recognized the person as a police officer and the people behind him as fellow members of law enforcement, but he wasn't alone. Right behind them was the titular Flame Hero Endeavor, the Number Two Hero. Just seeing someone that had been touted as strong made him feel an emotion that the boxer hadn't felt for so long in his monotonous life.
'BAM!' Not even an instant later, he cracked the police officer's (That was at the very front) skull to pieces by smashing it into the ground below him. He then leaped forward at Endeavor with a twisted grin on his face-
'FWOOOSH!' Before being burnt to a crisp as his black charred body fell to the ground unceremoniously. But that outcome was disappointing for the boxer. Because what he really wanted was not to die but to be- But he couldn't finish that thought of his as his life was extinguished forevermore…
… Or so he thought. Because what felt like only seconds later, he opened his eyes to see his reflection in the glass of the test chamber he was in before noticing the person who had resurrected him from the brink of death. This person smiled upon realizing that he had awakened from his deep slumber.
"Oh, you're awake. That's good. Though I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news but it's going to be a little while before you get to see some action again. You see, I'm saving you for a very special occasion in the event that my mortal enemy prevails against my only friend. I don't want to admit it, but those incessant heroes have turned the tables on my allies many times in the past, and I have no doubt they will find some way to defeat them again. If only my friend chose more capable successor, then I wouldn't have to hide you away like this." Doctor Garaki explained.
The boxer who was now The High-End Nomu was forced to stay within his test chamber as events unfolded before his eyes, The League of Villains meeting with the Doctor in his lab, Mirko finding the Doctor's secret hideout in Jaku Hospital, and the eventual defeat of the villains by the hands of the heroes. (Though that last part was information that was given to him by the Doctor himself.) But even still, he believed in his savior's words and patiently awaited the promised day until it arrived.
'My memories? Why am I remembering these now?' The High-End Nomu thought internally as nothing made sense while being beaten again and again into submission by Jokata. However, everything finally clicked when he realized that seeing his entire life flash before his eyes meant that he was finally going to die. But that wasn't enough for him. What he really wanted even more than death taking him at last, was to fight someone that was stronger than him. That's all he ever wanted, he instinctively wanted to fight people who were 'strong' but only now did he realize why he felt that way.
Because that thrill of the possibility of fighting with someone stronger than him was the reason why he kept coming back to those underground fights. All in order to feed that insatiable drive to fight someone that could match him in terms of strength. And now, he's got it. The monster has everything he could ever wish for. Which is why he-
'I'M GONNA DIE!' The High-End Nomu screamed internally before rising back up from the brink of death once more as he used all of power granted to him by his Power Quirk combined with his Transforming Arms Quirk combined with his Muscle Augmentation Quirk! He used all three of these Quirks at once as he was completely ready for the end of this long and eventful fight! In an instant his body bulked up as creature's chest and muscles became doubled no tripled in size due to Muscle Augmentation and Transforming Arms!
'WHOOOSH!' Jokata used an air bullet to gain some distance between him and the monster. But while doing this, he noticed the look on the creature's face as the former eyes went wide.
'He's deranged.' Jokata thought internally while The High-End Nomu smiled as wide as possible while gleefully looking at him with eyes that were also wide open, and his arms spread wide. To Jokata, the monster looked completely insane. But to the Nomu who had long since lost all form of sanity, he was having the time of his life. After all his time in suspended animation, waiting for the promised day, here it was. And to him it was well worth the wait, because he was finally having the fight of his life.
'STOMP! STOMP!' The monster cracked the ground below him as he was now even bigger than All Might was in his prime! Not only that but he held raw strength that was comparable to the USJ Nomu that gave All Might a hard time! No! He was even stronger than that creature! Far stronger in fact! Jokata Nauji realized all of this by accessing Izuku Midoriya's memories as the monster slowly crept up on him while the former charged up for his final attack! And then…
"LET'S FINISH THIS IZUKU MIDORIYA!" The High-End Nomu declared with a shout at the top of its lungs as he charged forward at the person he deemed as Izuku Midoriya all while feeling the same emotion of knowing that he was about to face a person far stronger than him for one last bout of strength! The same exact emotion that he felt before being obliterated by Endeavor! And that emotion was…
… HAPPINESS!
'BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!' The fists of the two combatants colliding with each other broke the earth below them and sent shockwave after shockwave that destroyed whatever was in the distance! But that didn't matter to them! Because in that moment, it was as if they were the only two people on this planet! And their sole purpose was to kill each other! At least, that's what The High-End Nomu believed as he used everything, he had to fight off the enemy that was stronger than him, but even knowing that fact-
"Ow! … What's wrong?!" The High-End Nomu asked as his raw power began overpowering his opponent. But his foe stood his ground even while being pushed back. And before he could say anything-
"THAT WAS WEAKER THAN BEFORE!" The High-End Nomu snapped back as he overpowered his opponent and brought him to his knees. In that moment, the smile vanished from the monster's face, as he thought this fight was about to end exactly how all the others did in the past. But then…
"Shut up." Jokata replied as against all odds he stood back up much to the monster's utmost surprise. This made the smile return back to the creature's face as he was brimming with ecstasy as he was proven wrong! The High-End Nomu thought 'This kid…' to himself before his yellow eyes became completely red as if they were on fire!
"MAN, YOU'RE THE BEST!" The High-End Nomu declared at the top of his lungs as his fist and Jokata's fist collided with each other as black sparks of energy were released from Izuku Midoriya's body before-
"SHUT UP! DAMN IT!" Jokata snapped back at the top of his lungs as he began pushing back the monster in front of him until the tables were completely turned in the former's favor to the point that he was completely overpowering the creature!
"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The High-End Nomu let out one final shout of excitement!
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" And Jokata let out a mighty roar that overshadowed his enemy's yell before he-
'SMAAAAAASH!' Smashed through The High-End Nomu's arm as Jokata's arm literally went through the arm of the creature until coming out of the other end of its arm! Jokata's fist then made contact with the monster's mouth before smashing his jagged teeth to pieces! In the process Jokata sent the monstrosity back into the concrete! But he wasn't done yet! He used every bit of his strength to beat him into submission again and again and again! Until there were only small itty-bitty chunks left of the creature! But he knew that this would only bring the monster back, so he obliterated those small pieces that were left of the monster!
'WHAM! POW! BAM!' Jokata used his fists and feet in quick succession as he smashed both against the ground! Punch after the punch after blood stained-
'SMASH!' Each attack further obliterated the monster's body until there was nothing left of the monster. It had literally been wiped off the face of the earth. But even though every remnant of the creature had been destroyed, (Except for its blood, but even that wasn't enough to bring him back from death.) Jokata kept smashing his fists against the concrete in a gratuitous display of white-hot anger. This went on for several minutes until he was left satisfied by the result and he let Izuku Midoriya take back the reins of his body.
"Haah… haah… haah…" I breathed in and out as all my eyes could see was the blood around me that was the only reminder to me of the carnage that took place here before my eyes closed and I lost my balance.
'BAM!' I then plummeted back onto the ground as I blacked out immediately. But as I was rendered unconscious, I then came face to face with the same person that took over my body just moments prior and I had become acquainted with over the course of the past few months. And as we stared at each other, I was about to say something but before I could, he beat me to the punch.
"I think it's time… that I tell you my origin, Izuku Midoriya." The man named Jokata Nauji declared as I did nothing to resist his proposal. It wouldn't be long after that that I learned who the person that was within my mind really was as well as the secrets that he had been hiding from me.
However, the result would be the final blow, that would mark a turning point for my life as I would soon gain a new outlook on everything that happened before. Because once again, everything was about to change for me, I just didn't know it yet.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Jokata Nauji: Origin
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