Over the Top

by papireaz

When I died, I expected a few manga volumes. Maybe to learn what the One Piece is. Instead, I found myself in a world that I recognised, a story I had read and what's worse was that it was a story I had no interest in wanting to involve myself in! Then and again, the offer to become a Hero is far too tempting...

70. Issue 68

Some Like It Hot (Samurai Heart) - SPYAIR.

---

"I reject you,

So I accept this world."

---

It was a sunny day in March.

Too sunny.

If I didn't know that a gang war was supposed to erupt on the streets on this very day, perhaps I would have been enjoying my cigarette far more than I currently was. Ryutaro's letter was safely tucked away in my pocket, and I wore my normal detective outfit with my badge that Nanao had thankfully given back to me. After I had to embarrassingly explain to her that I was an idiot.

Tehee.

"Sora!" Nejire called out my name as she wore her hero costume, twirling around trying to find me as we camped at our office. "How do I look? I tried a new foundation, do you think it matches my skin?"

"You're trying out new makeup on a day like this?!"

Nejire pouted at me.

"I have to look good for the cameras."

"Oh, really? Do you think you have some foundation left over for me then? I want to make sure the paparazzi get my good side," I sarcastically replied. "Hey, are you two idiots hearing what I'm hearing?"

Jiro and Kaminari scoffed at me as they sat near my desk.

"It's nine AM. Why the hell are you smoking?" Jiro asked me with an exasperated sigh. "Tell me you ate at the very least."

"I had some milk."

"Milk?!"

"I warmed it up and added some honey," I defended. "Oh, and a granola bar. Milk chocolate. Sorry I didn't have time to wake up and cook rice and soup, I was a bit preoccupied with making sure everyone understood the plan. Plus I had to tell my parents that I was fine, that I was going to be safe, then I had to do the same with Miwa and then Aizawa and-, Why the fuck are you laughing?!"

"Sorry, sorry," Jiro apologised in between giggles. "It's just I can't believe your original plan was to do this all alone. I think even you know how stupid that plan was. There's too many unknown variables for us."

"Yeah, well, I can be a bit stupid sometimes."

Nejire chopped the back of my neck.

"Hyah! I'm glad you're not being a cunt anymore!"

"Oi," I glared at her, kicking her chair slightly. "I wasn't a cunt."

"Were too!"

"It's way too fucking early in the morning to deal with this," I muttered under my breath, passing my cigarette to Kaminari who happily finished it off for me as I checked my phone. We were Team A, the most important team that had the hardest task to do. "Midoriya's team is at the hospital making sure that Miwa and everyone else there is safe in case of an attack. And is… Ah, shit. I think Monoma and Bakugo's team is just stalking the streets."

"To be fair, you made those two in charge of most of Class A and B, the two most egotistical people around," Kaminari said with a grin. "Did you think that they weren't going to let the power get to their heads? I'm sure their idea of being subtle is doing an aggressive stop and search on any bastard that looks like they're a part of the Yakuza."

I sighed at that.

"You aren't wrong. At least Monoma burst into tears as I gave him the important job of leading most of Class B into battle. Said that the fact that I trusted him means that he's gone up the job ladder or some other tripe," I explained to them. "I was far too busy being berated by his girlfriend in Hokkaido. Yui doesn't know how to keep her voice down even on the phone."

"Well, she was berating you for being an idiot."

"Jiro. We're all idiots."

"Well, you're an even bigger idiot than the rest of us," Jiro replied, sticking her tongue out at me. "So, just suck it up. And you're so lucky that Tokage didn't give less of a shit about what happened. And that she was in Kanazawa."

I shook my head at her.

"No, no. She does care, she just pretends she doesn't so that when he comes back home from her investigation in Kanazawa she can get her slow revenge on me," I correct Jiro. "Tokage's probably seething with rage that she wasn't here to kick me in the balls. Not out of encouragement, I think she just wanted to kick me when I was down for fun. Like a psychopath kicking a lost puppy."

"Is Tokage a psychopath?" Nejire asked in concern.

I shrugged my shoulders at her.

"To be completely honest, only on Tuesdays. Something to do with the fact that she has to go to school and then work with Midnight right after without a break until two in the morning, and then she comes to my room and forces me to order pizza for us," I answered Nejire's question. "Although, she does thrive on seeing people get hurt. But I don't know if that makes her a psychopath or because it's such a Tokage thing to enjoy seeing people get hurt."

"That sounds psychotic."

"Nah, I think she's just jealous."

"So she's a secret sadist?!"

"Aren't we all?" Kaminari asked.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Really? Sora, don't you fucking act innocent, I've seen your porn search history!"

I flushed hotly at that.

"S-shut up! That was over a year ago!"

"I don't think you being into hardcore bondage has changed in that time-,"

"Ew!"

"What the actual fuck-,"

I sighed, massaging my temples. Great. Kaminari's grin was wiped away as Jiro hit him on the back of his head, and Nejire turned to kick my chair. However, that was less out of discussion and more so to make sure that my head was in the game for our plan.

"So… the plan."

I nodded at her.

"Right, while Midoriya and his group protect the hospital, Bakugo and Monoma's group patrol the streets to protect any civilians, our group will enter the Millenium Spiral and arrest Ryuji and Natsuki. And then when I see Ryuukei, I'll leave you guys to it so I can go have a friendly chat with him," I told them. "Oh, and I'll use Ryutaro's letter as help. Yuuya and the rest of the Tatsuya Clan are gonna' help us up with breaking in."

"Why's that?" Nejire asked me.

"Ryuji and his men thought it would be a good idea to try and take over the tower," I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "What a greedy bastard. It's not even been a full day and he thinks he owns this city. Seriously. It reminds me of a fat child taking another kid's lollipop."

"That's bullying."

I snorted at that, leaning back on my chair.

"Well, I used to bully the bullies."

"No, you used to bully anyone that looked at you for more than two seconds," Jiro 'corrected' me, but she was severely misinformed. "This isn't history. You aren't a revisionist rewriting your past, that's not how this works! I saw you break someone's nose with their desk because they tried to give you birthday beats! When we were twelve!"

"Who wants to be punched twelve times?"

"He was a foot shorter than you!"

"Nu-uh."

"Fuck you mean 'nu-uh'?!"

Our argument died down rather quickly as suddenly everything became too quiet. I peered out of the nearby window, looking over the skyline of the city. It's not like our office building was tall, but there wasn't anything taller than it in the surrounding area which made it easy to look across the city. At the centre was our target, the Millenium Spire which reached up to the Heavens.

"Sora?"

I didn't reply, squinting my eyes as a large cloud of smoke suddenly appeared across the city. Was that near Miwa's hospital? It didn't matter as I swallowed down my feelings and turned around, grabbing Nejire's car keys.

"I guess we got the signal."

If the fighting had started then it meant that it was our turn to truly end this once and for all. Jiro and Nejire's faces grew serious as Kaminari sniggered at the situation. I couldn't help but trip him up as we descended the stairs and made our way to Nejire's yellow beetle.

"I'm driving."

"Huh? It's my car?!"

"Yeah, but I know these streets better than you do," I reasoned, getting in the car as I turned it on. "And time is of the essence, Nejire. Holy shit, do you drive an automatic?! Wait, this is a new car?!"

Nejire flushed red at that, putting on her seatbelt.

"I never learnt how to use a clutch."

"You bought a manual car before and never learnt how to use it?! That's not the point actually, how the fuck did you manage to afford this?" I asked her as I drove off our parking zone into the main road, accelerating as fast as I could. "This is a brand new car! I know for a fact you can't earn this with the money you're paid with from the police!"

"...Swimsuit modelling. You know, calendar pictures."

"You're a secret model?" I asked, swerving from the left-hand side of the road to the right to avoid a vehicle before I went back to the proper lane. "Why the fuck don't you give me any of your pictures? You know, you could damage our reputation with those pictures!"

"Just admit that you want the pictures for yourself!"

It wasn't long until I was hitting seventy on the quiet main road avoiding the few cars that were driving at this time and the situation with an ease that only an experienced driver could pull off. Even if I could see Jiro hold on to Kaminari's hand from the rearview mirror, I knew that we would all be fine.

The drive to the Millennium Tower didn't take all that long as the sound of bullets and yells overpowered Nejire's car. The sight of men and women wearing three different coloured suits all fighting with each other, black, red and white, made it easier to differentiate who was on our side and not.

But, the road was still blocked off.

I pulled to an emergency stop right next to Yuuya's group who still hadn't been able to enter the fortified building. I rolled down the window, lighting up my cigarette as I waved at him as he ducked behind some cover to avoid some gunfire. Some of the Yakuza with more powerful Quirks were already engaged with each other or were providing support in the case of the guy who could put up a protective barrier.

"Need a lift?" I asked him as Kaminari opened the back door for Yuuya to jump in. He looked at the rest of his gang before nodding at them, Yuuya trusted them to hold down this part of the plan. I turned to look forward, taking a long drag from my cigarette as I revved the engine.

"There's about forty people ahead of us. All with guns. How the hell are we going to get past them into the building?" Yuuya asked me. "Not to mention the statue of the globe right in front of the entrance, you're going to have to drive around it and be directly met with Ryuji's men. And let me tell you, I don't think they're friendly."

I scoffed at his words, amused at them as I revved the engine some more.

"Hey Nejire," I turned around to look at her with a grin on my face. "Have you ever lied to your insurance company?"

"Er, no?"

"Cool."

The car shot forward as I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal, driving straight toward the statue. The yells and screams for me to stop from Nejire, Yuuya and Jiro were cute as I focused as much as I could, closing my eyes. My Quirk - Nimbus - its maximum range was one metre. That was the new stipulation I was forced to deal with once I got my Nimbus back, but the old stipulation was now gone.

Before, I had a set limit of Nimbus I could use.

A small cloud that I summoned and could mould to whatever range I wanted, albeit with some difficulties now and then. A lack of concentration meant that I couldn't just theoretically snipe people from across the map, and with how my Quirk had currently developed that was now impossible. But, instead of that small cloud, I now had boundless amounts of Nimbus I could create.

So long as they didn't surpass within a one-metre radius of my body, I could use as much as I wanted. In a sense, I could use infinite amounts of Nimbus within my domain. But for most cases, it was unwarranted, something far too hard and long to use with minimal payoffs.

Sure, I had started to use my Nimbus to set up traps.

But I could also use it for this.

It was only possible because Nejire's new car was so small, if it wasn't for that I was sure that my plan wouldn't have worked. Summoning my Nimbus, our car suddenly stopped before it continued to accelerate, speeding toward the statue.

"Sora!" Nejire's panic was evident as I saw from the corner of my eyes that she closed her eyes, expecting us to crash horribly into the statue. Only that wasn't the case. Our attitude changed as a small silver ramp made of my Nimbus lifted us higher and higher, taking us over the statue with ease. As the back two wheels disconnected with the ramp I had made, for a brief second, the five of us in this car were flying.

Soaring through the air.

Until I realised we needed to land.

"Shit."

I summoned my Nimbus once more, creating a shield within the car as we crashed through the windows on the third floor with a slam, our car flipping over to its side as we skidded to a halt. On second thought, maybe that wasn't the best idea I've ever had. Thick smoke alerted us to the fact that while we were fine, the car wasn't.

I kicked my door open as thankfully it wasn't my side that was facing the floor.

Pulling Nejire up, I helped Kaminari pull Jiro and Yuuya out from what remained of Nejire's Beetle, and I felt bad as Nejire dramatically dropped to her knees at the ruined sight of her car. There was no chance that once this was all said and done her car wasn't going to be written off, and I placed a supportive hand on her shoulder as she grieved the life of her first car.

"Well, it could be worse."

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The sound of machine gun bullets ripped through the air, burrowing themselves into the remains of Nejire's car as it erupted into fire. Ah. I shouldn't have spoken so soon. A large group of Ryuji's Yakuza holding weapons entered our floor with shock and anger on their faces, I suppose they didn't appreciate our entrance.

I reached out for my swords, but Nejire stopped me.

"You need to keep on moving, Sora," Nejire told me, slamming her fist into the palm of her hand. "I assume Ryuji and Ryuukei are probably on the floor where the Tatsuya Clan used to reside. You have your job, and so do I. Go. I'll protect you, so you just go and complete the job we've all entrusted to you, detective."

"...Right," I nodded at her, grabbing Yuuya's arm as Nejire gave us enough time to run to the emergency stairs, with Kaminari and Jiro following closely behind. "Yuuya, what are the floors Ryuji and Ryuukei are gonna be at? Because… it says that there are over seventy here."

Yuuya sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Er… they're going to be on the sixty-fifth floor."

…

I sighed, running up the stairs two steps at a time as everyone followed me, the sounds of gunfire and Nejire's fighting slowly fading out as we ascended the tower. It wasn't long after that one of the doors on the emergency stairs was kicked open as Ryuji's men and women carrying weapons of all times in red suits began to attack us.

Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid someone's Quirk when they stretched their hand to punch me in the face, sending me tumbling down a few steps. Luckily, Yuuya and Jiro caught me before I fell even further down. After a grateful nod, I leapt on the railing and pulled on both of my swords - The plain Chokuto I was used to using and the sword I had found by Chiemi Hayate's memorial, the one with the beautiful golden dragon guard that wrapped itself around the blade.

With both blades in both hands, I fought alongside Kaminari.

He shocked most of the Yakuza that attacked us, and I swept in to finish them up. I didn't waste any time as Kaminari took the fight further inside that floor, with Jiro and Yuuya following me up the stairs. Come on, Denki, you got this. No words needed to be said to each other as I continued to sprint up the stairs with Jiro and Yuuya not far behind. He was providing us with enough time to go all the way up!

"Why… don't... we take… the elevator?" Jiro asked in between pants as she tried to keep up with me. "Surely… it would be… easier. Can we take a… moment to catch our… breath? Sora?"

I nodded, resting my head against the railing as I took a good look down.

We were on the thirtieth floor.

Nearly halfway.

"I'm sure the elevators are going to be monitored by them," Yuuya replied.

"And these aren't?"

Yuuya shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"There's no way we are taking the stairs to the top floor," I replied. "We're just not going to have enough energy for the fights up there. Elevator it is, even if it's a trap. We'll have a better chance at ending this sooner, even if we have to fight a few idiots that try to stop us on the way there."

Jiro and Yuuya nodded at me as we slowly opened the door to the floor we were on.

The elevator wasn't that far away from us.

And it looked like no one was on this floor.

"Go on, Sora. Take the elevator," Sitting on an office chair, I could see Natsuki was drinking a cup of coffee as he grinned at me. "Ryuji's on the top floor with Ryuukei and a few other hired help. Maybe the fighting has already started? Who knows. But the elevator is right there."

"...Who the hell is this guy?" Jiro asked me in confusion. "And how does he know you?"

"It's a long story," I sighed, resting slightly. "You aren't going to stop me?"

Natsuki shook his head.

"Just like the Shie Hassakai, I was simply using Ryuji and his little plan for my benefit. I already achieved what I wanted to achieve, which was to acquire certain information," Natsuki answered smugly. "Now I have it, I couldn't care less about him or his plans. If anything, taking him down just aids me even further. But, wouldn't you like to know about the stolen money~! It's a very interesting tale… Perhaps even someone like you would open a case for."

Ah.

I frowned at him but didn't respond as I stared at his eyes.

He wasn't lying.

"...Fine. I'll go up. But that still doesn't mean I won't arrest you after."

Natsuki's grin had a sharp edge to it as I took a step toward him, my grip around my swords tightening. I didn't trust him not to do anything, and watching his reaction as I approached him made me more nervous.

What did he have up his sleeve-,

Slap.

Jiro smacked the back of my head, huffing at me in annoyance.

"Go. If you remember, I'm not a piece of decoration. I'm a Hero and if he does something using his Quirk or even just a crime in front of me, I can and will take him down," Jiro assured me. "You have something far more important to deal with than him. You can leave him to me, I promise I'll be fine."

…I nodded at her as Yuuya and I called for the elevator and entered it.

As the doors shut, I couldn't help but nod at Jiro.

"Alright, I'll trust you."

...

"Sora… is this alright?" Yuuya asked me. "I mean everyone on your team was forced to leave. Are they gonna be fine? I don't mind going to check on them, they mean something to you."

I watched as Yuuya brandished a gun and I shook my head at him.

"I do trust them. So put that gun away, Yuuya. No one is dying today, neither on our side or the enemy's side, so don't try and force yourself to become a murderer for anyone's sake - Ryutaro wouldn't have wanted that for you," I told Yuuya, who nodded his head in response. But as the elevator stopped on the sixty-fifth floor, I sighed. "Oh, fucking hell-,"

"Sixty-fifth floor."

Three of the biggest and burliest men I had ever seen awaited us on the other side of the door, dragging both Yuuya and me out of the elevator as we were thrown to the floor. Of fucking course.

"You aren't supposed to be here," One of the men told me as he cracked his knuckles. "Are you prepared to get hurt?"

I could only sigh, yawning at how stupid this all was. Seriously, this was such a cliche.

I didn't even respond as I summoned my Nimbus to create a massive fist, slamming one of them against the elevator so hard his body pressed the buttons to go down to the first floor. In response, both of them tried to attack me with knives but I simply concentrated my Quirk inwards before it spiked out all around me, slicing them up as they were flung through the walls.

"...I thought the walls would be stronger than that," I told Yuuya as we stepped into the hall meeting I had sat in just two days ago. Ryuji and around twelve of his men with weapons and dangerous Quirks looked at me in a mixture of shock and surprise. Ryuukei was standing all alone, refusing to even look at me. Tsk. "I'm glad I'm just in time for the meeting. Ha, maybe we can talk things out for a bit before we get to the fighting?"

Yuuya looked at me in confusion.

"Huh? Ryutaro's dead, Sora. There can't be a meeting."

"T-the brat is right!" Ryuji sneered at me. "No one currently resides over the position of Chairmen for the Tatsuya Clan. This is now my building. This is now my city. So, detective, I think you should back off before you regret it. I run the rules now, so if you plead nicely while kneeling to your superior, maybe I'll let you live."

I merely chuckled at his confidence.

"...Hm. So you did come," Ryuukei said to me as he still faced Ryuji and his men head-on. "Fool. If you allow your head to be clouded with emotions you'll never be able to achieve anything."

"Yeah, yeah, shut the fuck up old man," I replied, pulling out both of my swords. Even for the briefest moment, I saw Ryuukei's eyes widen at the katana with the dragon guard. "I guess I have to thank you, you made me lose a lot of blood. It made me think a lot better to be fair. It certainly led to me making the right decisions. So, I'm stopping this little war before it even starts, and then I'm arresting you both."

But that was when Ryuji snapped.

"Argh! You're both nuisances to my plans! I'll crush you the same way I crushed the Tatsuya Clan-,"

"Actually," I cut Ryuji off with a smirk, reaching inside my pockets for Ryutaro's letter. It was signed by him using his blood, and as I unfolded it to show everyone in the room what it said, I ginned at their shocked expressions. "Reports of the Tatsuya Clan's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Just because you killed the previous chairman, it doesn't mean that they're gone."

"Y-you!"

"Me," I smirked at Ryuji, throwing the letter on the ground. It was a decree Ryutaro had written just before he died, and I could only thank the crafty bastard for being able to do this before he croaked. "I'm now the acting Chairman of the Tatsuya Clan, which means that my gang is still here. This is still my building. So don't mind me kicking you pests out of my city, I'm just doing what's required of me."

Ryuukei's bark of laughter stole my attention, however.

"Even in death, the old bastard still doesn't mind changing things up for the better. I guess that freakin' Hero kid Aozora really did warm his heart," Ryuukei said, his left arm turning into a blade. "Ryuji Fujou - I will kill you for threatening the peace of this country. Put your foolish ambitions to rest before your life is taken away."

"Grr! I had to sacrifice so much just to get where I am! If you think some snot-nosed brat is going to change the fact that this city is mine, then you're wrong!" Ryuji screamed in frustration, his men moving toward me as he wagged his sausage-like finger towards my direction. "I'm gonna kill you, boy! And then I'm going to kill everyone you've ever loved! You'll regret making an enemy out of me!"

Hm.

I stood in front of Yuuya, who had slowly backed away at how intense everything had gotten.

"Stay back, Yuuya. Go help the rest of your-, our gang," I told him with a smile. "You can trust me from here on out. You can trust the man whom Ryutaro trusted to make things right because I promise you by the end of today things will change. Because I do know one thing, I'm gonna be killing the old man and the fat bastard. And we're all going to be killing each other!"

"Alright, Boss!"

As Yuuya waddled away, I could only sigh.

"Boss. That's going to get annoying quickly," I lamented.

"Kid, are you ready for this?" Ryuukei asked me.

"Ready? I've been ready ever since you beat the shit out of me and left your daughter for dead, so let's get this fucking party started you annoying pricks!" I yelled, jumping straight into the trial by fire, my swords raised as I made one final promise.

I was going to win.

---

Chapter

Sixty

Eight

'It has been an honour!'

---

Kyoka Jiro POV

"So, you're Kyoka Jiro?"

Kyoka narrowed her eyes on him, the man was smartly dressed despite his messy appearance. And yet she vividly remembered Sora's reaction and reluctance to trust this man. So naturally, Kyoka was on guard as she stiffly jerked her head in response to the question asked by the man known as 'Natsuki'.

"And you are Natsuki? You know, that's a very feminine name."

He grinned at that.

"Who says I'm not a female?"

"Oh, er, I didn't mean to be rude or anything-,"

"Haha, it's fine. I used to be a woman, but you know it's far easier to be a man. More people respect you, and it's easier to get others to listen to you about important issues," Natsuki replied. "But those important issues are ignored no matter who you are. To be frank, I've spent more time as a man than a woman, so I see myself more as a man. Yet, I've always been quite impartial to the name Natsuki. It was something my parents did name me after all."

Kyoka nodded at that.

"So, you worked with the Shie Hassakai?"

"Mmh. I was their chief scientist along with Overhaul. You know the dangerous drug he used that killed him? My invention," Natsuki declared proudly with a smile plastered across his face. "I enjoyed seeing that prideful piece of shit get what was coming to him. A shame that innocents had to die along the way, but that's one villain destroyed for this world. Though I suppose you don't agree that the ends justify the means, do you?"

Kyoka's body shook in anger as she glared at him.

"Fifty-nine people died that day. Because of you, I lost one friend and nearly lost another, and you think that it was worth it? That the ends justify the means? Who are you to think that you can deliver justice?" Kyoka yelled angrily. "You're just another loser in a long line of arseholes to think that what they're doing is right because you have some sob story. And just like the rest of them, you'll be quickly forgotten, just like yesterday's trash."

Natsuki grinned at that, pressing his glasses up.

"Oh? Now that's interesting, I was under the impression you had no backbone but that's clearly not the case. You truly want to discuss the ethics of this world with me, especially when you know so little?" Natsuki asked her, but it was less of a question as he gave her no time to respond. "You and your friends claim to be Heroes, protecting the same corrupt system that led to people like Overhaul and Tomura Shigaraki gaining power. This is the same system you want to call justice? At least Sora knows what he wants, what do you want, Kyoka Jiro?"

She bristled at that but stood tall nonetheless.

"...I want a carefree tomorrow. One where we can all stand side by side without wearing any masks, a world where we can all live our lives to the fullest," Kyoka answered. "Is there a problem with that?"

Natsuki shot her a nasty grin.

"Isn't that one step away from anarchy?" Natsuki asked her, leaving Kyoka's jaw slack as she tried to think of a response. "What you're essentially suggesting is a world without Heroes and Villains. Isn't that interesting? You actively believe in something that results in your job becoming obsolete; a dichotomy between what you want and who you are. You see, that's not far off what I want too."

"What do you want?"

"It's quite simple, you see. I just want the corruption in this world to end," Natsuki answered nonchalantly. "I'm not barbaric like that Yozora fella' who seems to want to cause destruction for the sake of it. This world is corrupt. I've worked with many organisations in this life, and I've seen first-hand what the existence of 'Heroes' and 'Villains' actively causes. It's ironic you place the death of those who died during the Shie Hassakai raid on me when truthfully, wasn't it a Hero who caused it?"

Kyoka's blood froze.

"That's not true!"

"Look at you defending the height of corruption. Every single one of you defended a single boy's poor decisions because he had 'suffered enough', making him a martyr while you all allowed the victims of Overhaul's rampage to languish behind in life. Now that's not very fair in my opinion," Natsuki spat out. "...How many times do you think this has happened? How many times have you Heroes covered up tragic events because you wanted to protect your friends and loved ones? It's all corruption from the lowest level to the top, that's what none of you seems to grasp."

"Grasp? Right, because your hands are so clean," Kyoka replied incredulously. "Sora was a sixteen-year-old boy trapped in a tough situation. It wasn't his fault. A lot of factors led to what happened that day, so don't try and boil it down to one. If you want to talk about Heroes then how about I talk about the fact that you are a Villain? If you want to take out this corruption you despise so much, how is this the better way?"

Natsuki sniggered at that from his chair.

"You haven't nearly seen what 'my way' entails. It's as I told Sora, I used the Shie Hassakai and now Ryuji and the Osakan Yakuza for my own benefit. I've gained valuable information that I can now use to take out this corruption, and it all ties into this city of sin and crime," Natsuki told her. "And I will expose every last drop of corruption that this cursed country has to offer. I'll make all of it known for the public to learn how their systems have failed them. The U.N. aren't wrong in saying Japan needs to change. I just want this world to be better. Where children don't die because of corrupt officials. Isn't that your carefree tomorrow?"

'Ah-,'

Kyoka was at a loss for words.

Ultimately, she understood what he was saying, and to some extent, she even agreed. There were far too many shady dealings across the country, especially in her home city of Musutafu that needed to be brought to light - There were far too many people protected because of the power they could afford, and there was nothing any Hero could do to persecute them. They now didn't even have the legal power to launch an investigation into them.

And sitting in front of Kyoka was someone who could break that.

Someone with no principles.

A vigilante.

Kyoka wanted to reject him, but she couldn't even explain why she felt like that.

"That's a carefree tomorrow based upon the very corruption you have claimed to want to destroy, Natsuki," A voice from behind Kyoka called out. It was comforting that Kyoka recognised the voice modifier because Zero stood tall alongside Kyoka as they faced Natsuki head-on. "You will just be trading one form of corruption for another. You're not a Hero, you're someone who experimented on children. All you'll do is prove that Heroes do need to exist. And isn't that ironic coming from a Villain? How about we cease this stupid tirade and I get on to killing you."

Natsuki pivoted around on his chair, clapping wildly at Zero.

"Bravo. Is our fellow kin-slayer giving me advice? If only Sora were here to appreciate the bitter irony, but I reject what you are saying. I achieved part of my goals. I learnt the truth of a situation that led me to be the way I am. No matter what era, people at the top will always be greedy and they need to be punished because those of us at the bottom are forced to suffer because of them," Natsuki told the two of them. "As a Hero, you can either choose to ignore what went wrong, or move past it and improve. I know what I must do. I cannot and will not stop until this world understands the corrupt systems and people that they employ and the damage they have done."

Zero laughed.

"Like who?"

"Like the very mayor of this city! Mayor Daguchi!"

Kyoka scoffed at that.

"You're not even making sense right now, Natsuki."

Yet he merely laughed at her.

"Maybe not right now. But soon? Hm. Soon, this world will understand," Natsuki replied. "And I won't be looking for thank yous or anything. I just want you all to get rid of the rot and be better for those who rely on you. I just want people to finally leave peacefully without the embers of rage and anger pushing them to extremes. I know what I'm doing is the wrong thing, but if I go do down the 'right' route how many more people will suffer?"

"I reject that. I reject you. Rot can only exist because people believe in punishment, and punishment can only exist because of the rot we humans allow. How can you move past what we cause? We'll be doomed to repeat it, haven't you learnt anything from history, Natsuki?" Zero asked amused. "We have to accept this rot, our sins, and forgive ourselves, that's what gives us the chance to improve the land on which the foundation of society is built. That's how it's worked and how it will always work, all your actions will do is upset the establishment. All it will do is slow down real progress."

"And is there anything wrong with that so long as even one child lives?"

"Don't try and claim your personal vendetta against the world that's wronged you in your life before as a noble cause, because I shall be there to strike you down each time you dare to claim so," Zero replied calmly, summoning his sword with a click of his fingers. "And don't think that I'll be the only one. There's a more stubborn man than me who won't take you and your ideals lying down without punching you once in the face. Sora Yamazaki spits in the face of everything you represent; someone trying to change their very nature."

"..."

Kyoka watched as Natsuki's face twisted in anger and fury, slamming his chair to the ground. But she didn't take a step back. The man clenched his teeth as he kept on kicking his broken chair to pieces.

It was much like a child throwing a temper tantrum, unable to control their anger.

"Damn you! You know, you are lucky Thirteen that I don't know who you are under that mask of yours," Natsuki growled in anger. "Because if I did, I'd make your life a living hell. But you won't kill me today."

"Oh?"

"Mmh. Because I know a little secret~" Natsuki sang. "You can hide it all you'd like, but I know just exactly what your real Quirk is. So unless you want me to reveal that piece of information to her, I'll shut up for now."

"And pray tell, what is my real Quirk?"

Natsuki simply raised his eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want me to shock you? I was a scientist under All For One, I know many things. Things that even you, his little lapdog, don't know," Natsuki replied. "You can call my journey one of stupidity. After all, I'm choosing to make myself a target. Do you think it's a coincidence that the Osakan Yakuza gained enough funds to launch an attack like this? See there's only one way for them to have gained that money - The Missing Ten Billion Yen! The same investigation that Death Arms couldn't solve led to that pesky law restricting what Heroes can investigate to be passed. I know far more to the story than any of you, and that's the very case Sora is working on right now."

Kyoka's eyes widened.

"What do you mean by that?"

Zero growled.

"...I don't understand. What are you getting at, Natsuki?" Zero asked. "What does a missing ten billion Yen from a year ago have to do with anything? Unless… Oh. I see."

Natsuki laughed.

"You get it, right? How sad this city really is."

But Kyoka could only look between them in confusion.

"What the hell is going on? And why the hell do the two of you know each other so well?!"

"You'll find out soon enough," Natsuki grinned at her, breaking the glass window behind him. "And you should tell her the truth, Zero. Because God knows that Sora won't. Or are you just afraid as he is at telling others the little truth about our true selves? After all, aren't you the one who killed All For One? A delayed heart attack, that's what killed the villain in the official reports. Not All Might, although the hole in All For One's chest certainly helped. I know what you did, Zero. I know exactly what Quirk you used too~ I'm surprised Sora hasn't caught on, you-,"

Zero simply froze, raising his sword.

He was prepared to kill.

"You tricked the entire world, but you couldn't trick me. Or perhaps does Sora know? Yes, judging by your silence he knows. Haha! Why are you so surprised that I figured out the truth? After all, I'm a scientist. As much as I wish I could stick around and talk, I must bid you both a farewell, but fret not. You will see me again soon. After all, I have a world to save."

Kyoka watched as Natsuki tugged on his coat, a parachute exploding into the air as he jumped out of the broken window to safety. She sighed, clicking her teeth in annoyance before she turned around to face the still Zero.

"Why are you here?"

The villain didn't reply.

"Is what he said true?"

"...Partly. But he was off by a small part too. I didn't just kill All For One, I was the one who led to All Might's coma and eventual demise. I think Sora has suspected that, but whether you reveal that to him or not is of no concern to me," Zero revealed, causing Kyoka's eyes to widen. "And yes, Sora, myself, Natsuki, Yozora, Nanao Iori, Setsuna Tokage and so many more are intrinsically linked. But that's not my story to tell. Should Sora tell you the truth one day, perhaps you will understand the bond we share."

"It has something to do with Yukari Aotsuki, doesn't it?" Kyoka asked, thinking back to a conversation she had with Sora over the woman. "Sora's biological mother. She's the reason why you're all linked - Why Sora's even chasing after his brother. The same brother you claimed you killed."

"I did."

"Then why is he convinced Raiden is alive!?" Kyoka yelled angrily. "Either he is chasing a phantom, or you are the one that's lying! But I don't get it, why would you lie about something like this? You've helped Sora before so maybe…"

Zero didn't reply as he pressed a button, and within seconds Kurogiri appeared.

"Raiden Aotsuki is dead... I pierced him in the heart and killed him, that is a fact and not a statement. What Sora chooses to believe isn't my concern, I can only pray that he doesn't waste his time chasing phantoms when he is on borrowed time," Zero told her. "...But I suppose that not even he told you that. Just as I'm a mystery, Sora is still a mystery to you. And I pray it remains that way, for Sora and I are two sides of the same coin. If you look deep within, all you'll find is monsters burdened by sin."

Kyoka exhaled loudly at that.

"Borrowed time? Answer me! What do you mean by that?!"

Even as Zero left through the portal without giving her an answer, she couldn't help but disagree.

Perhaps that was true in the past.

But she had belief in Sora Yamazaki, that he wouldn't be burdened by his 'sins' anymore. After all, it was Sora that was the one leading this operation. It was Sora who was trusting everyone to do their job, the same Sora that once upon a time ago couldn't accept help from anyone. The same Sora that tried to do everything alone and failed contrasted heavily with the Sora that wasn't burdened by anything.

And so, in Kyoka's eyes, Zero was wrong.

Sora Yamazaki was the furthest thing from a monster, and he was going to prove it.

Like he always did.

---

"Ready? I've been ready ever since you beat the shit out of me and left your daughter for dead, so let's get this fucking party started you annoying pricks!" I yelled running straight into the group of Ryuji's men, both of my swords held high as I slashed and cut my way through them.

Beside me, I could see Ryuukei do the exact same thing with his arms turned into blades, and we inevitably clashed in the middle of the group, our blades dancing against each other as sparks flew everywhere.

"I'll take this side, boy."

"Heh, has old age addled your brains? I'm picking whatever side I want," I replied. "Don't get in my way. I want to save the best bastard to cut down for last."

"Then don't blame me if you get cut down."

"You try not to die until then, you old geezer. Your life is mine to take."

"You too, brat."

That was the extent of our exchange before we went back to fighting Ryuji's men. I summoned my Numbus and moulded it into the ground around me. Even as two men approached me, as soon as they stepped within my range my Quirk pounced on them - They couldn't even move as their bodies were restricted and my swords cut them down with ease.

Even when the walls around us collapsed with more of Ryuji's soldiers joining the fray, it didn't matter to me as I turned around and faced the next big group with a grin on my face. One of the men swung his sword dangerously close to my neck, but it was far too easy to dodge his attack and punish. Even worse was when three of the soldiers tried jumping me at once.

Their suits were shredded as they grew into three lions, circling around me before pouncing at the same time. While one of the lions bit into my Chokuto, I summoned my Nimbus yet again to make thin but sturdy spikes that impaled the three lions in non-vital spots. They were quickly taken care of.

"Inferno," I whispered, turning around to face the cowering Ryuji Fujou. This was his plan. His gang. His men. And they weren't even worth a single Yen when compared to me, no matter what he thought would happen, there was one person he didn't count on. One person he never knew existed. "You know, it's a shame. Everyone says that under your leadership the Osakan Yakuza reached unexpected heights. But that's because you never had to deal with me."

I watched as another one of his men tried to rush me with a knife, but I easily stepped to the side and slashed him across his back, a spray of blood painting the tatami mats a new colour as I stalked Ryuji.

It was pathetic how he was crawling across the floor.

"Get away from me! Monster!"

"I'm the monster? That's ironic. You hired thugs to kill two men to take control of a city and all you managed to do was kill one man and injure an innocent girl. Who's the monster now?" I taunted, kicking Ryuji for extra measure. Ryuukei stood next to me having 'beaten' his group of men as all Ryuji had to show for his 'ambition' were piles of unconscious and beaten men. "This is the dream you worked so hard for? Well guess what, it all came crumbling down because of your own greed. How does it feel to lose because you were unable to plan ahead properly?"

"Ho-how dare you-, ARGH!"

Ryuji screamed in terror as he reached for a pistol on the floor, but I impaled his hand with my sword before he could touch the gun in time. It was pathetic how he thrashed around, tears streaming down his face.

"This is over. You're under arrest for so many crimes, but the biggest one of them is because you pissed me off, you fat fuck," I told him angrily. "So when you're in your jail cell next week in Tartarus, eating your shitty stew made with the pubes of the warden who hasn't shaved in nine years, I hope you'll remember who it was that put you there. It was me. Sora Yamazaki."

Ryuji's high-pitched cry for help was stamped out by my boot.

…

It was finally over.

It didn't take long for me to cuff Ryuji and his men.

A quick message to Midoriya, Bakugo and Monoma's groups revealed to me that they had no difficulty in completing their tasks. The day was essentially saved, and that brought a small smile to my lips, but…

"Where did you get that sword?"

Ryuukei's right arm was pointed right at me, his Quirk having transformed his right arm into a sharp blade. I only stared at the sword I was holding with my right hand, the one with the golden ornate dragon guard wrapped around it.

Just a little longer.

It was just a little longer until I could finish this day completely.

"...Your wife and daughter entrusted it to me," I replied. "I made them a promise. That I would protect what they value most, and sadly that means I can't stab you in the throat for allowing my sister to get hurt. Even if I want to."

Ryuukei scoffed at that.

"You couldn't even kill Ryuji, what makes you think you could kill me?"

"Because while I'm pissed off at that fucker for causing all this, looking at you makes me want to stab you to death," I joked, circling the man. "You're even more pathetic than he is. At the very least his ambitions got the best of him; you are just a man that can't accept the fact that your daughter still loves you. And that's pathetic in all the worst ways possible."

"She has nothing to do with this-,"

"Miwa has everything to do with this!" I roared angrily, gripping my swords tightly. "I… She just wanted to know why the father she still has good memories of left her when she needed you the most. When you abandoned her. Why the father she has spent her entire life looking for, asking why he left, came back to this city only to ignore her. Miwa just wants the truth from you."

"So? I abandoned her, like you said. She has no ties to me-,"

"You're wrong," I cut him off, shaking my head at Ryuukei. Looking at the man angered me not because he had hurt Miwa, it was because I saw a mirror of myself. How pathetic I had really been these past three months of being at U.A. "Just because you abandon someone doesn't mean your responsibility to them goes away. The real reason you don't want to meet with Miwa isn't because you abandoned her, the real reason is because you still think you aren't good enough for her."

Ryuukei's eyes slightly widened at that, smirking at me.

"And? She may be your adopted sister, but that is of no concern to me. There is no need for someone like me to be in Miwa's life. She has Hinata and Gekko, two of the greatest people I know. And she has you, by all accounts a good brother who cares. Miwa is protected and loved, so I don't matter," Ryuukei told me. "I'm not good enough for her. I'm a Yakuza boss who let her get injured because I couldn't care less about the life of a civilian-,"

"Stop lying!" I yelled at him. "You're trying so hard to make it seem like you don't care about her, but that's just the bullshit you're feeding yourself. I get it now. I get why for so long I was wrong. Hearing you say those words has made me realise how stupid I was for ever thinking that protecting and loving someone means that I have to be away from them, because all you're doing is hurting yourself. I promised your wife that I'd protect the people she cares about the most, and that includes you."

Ryuukei hummed at me, his eyes trailing toward the sword in my right hand.

"And when you made that promise, is that when you picked that blade up?" He asked me. I nodded in response, and Ryuukei simply laughed in response. "My wife gave me that blade when Miwa was born. Did you know that my nickname was the Dragon of Musutafu? Apparently, and these aren't my words, my sheer presence wrapped this city in a protective bubble much like a fierce dragon. I protected so many people here. But then I failed."

My eyes fell to the floor as I stared at the blood painting the tatami matts.

Yeah.

I knew all about failure.

"So you punished yourself?"

"My wife died because of my sins. Because I was a Yakuza, a no-good criminal who thought he was strong enough that he could protect everything he ever cared about," Ryuukei told me. "It's easier if Miwa doesn't want me in her life. Easier if she just accepts that this is my punishment for being so weak. But she still wants to seek me out because she thinks I'm a good person. If I hurt you badly, then I hurt Miwa badly. Maybe she'll get the message to move on. To be better than me."

…

My fists clenched tightly with my swords in both hands as I stared at the man.

"I can see the hatred in your eyes, brat. It's a hatred I find myself recognising in the mirror all the time," Ryuukei said. "Don't think that Ryutaro didn't talk to you about me, Aozora. I know all about you. It's easy to see how we fall into comparison, but don't get it twisted. I'm nothing like you-,"

"You are wrong," I laughed at his stupidity. At my stupidity. "And I'm going to prove it to you."

I raised my swords, preparing for a fight as a cigarette was hanging from my mouth.

Ryuukei did the same as we stopped circling each other, his pipe lit as he held it with one hand.

The brief seconds before a fight between swordsmen is one of respect, it's also the brief moment that decides the victor. That was something Megumi had taught me in one of my very first lessons at her dojo, and the only inclination that we were going to fight was the fact that our swords were raised against one another. If someone was just dropped in here, they'd probably think we were just smoking together.

But this wasn't a fight.

This wasn't even a scrap.

This was a duel.

Yet again, sparks flew in the air as our swords collided. Both of mine wavered slightly while his right arm slid off from my two swords aiming to slice my head off completely. I had to summon my Quirk quickly to put pressure on my body, shoving me to the ground as I narrowly brushed with death. But Ryuukei didn't leave me much time to breathe as he turned around and aimed to stab my head.

I rolled around the floor, using my swords to deflect his strikes before I used my Quirk to launch me up at Ryuukei, my swords raised high as we clashed once again, this time Ryuukei was forced to rely on turning his other arm into a sword lest he was the one who was impaled.

While Ryuukei struggled to keep me in one place, I remembered Megumi's training as I shifted my weight and leaned back, allowing Ryuukei to think he had a chance. The grin on his face proved to me that he had fallen for my trap as he swung downwards, aiming to end my life with one blow.

Slam.

Instantly, his arms reverted back to normal instead of their bladed counterparts as I landed a swift kick to his stomach powered by my Quirk as he was sent tumbling behind. I heard Ryuukei growling in anger as he spat out blood and charged at me more furiously this time, even if he had no skill with using a sword, the fact was that he knew how to use his momentum well.

I was the more skilled swordsman, yet I could barely keep up with Ryuukei.

Trading blows left us more mangled than before, my jacket was shredded up finely and I could barely hold my swords with the cuts and scrapes littered across not just my arms, but my entire body. Ryuukei was fairing the same, with some of his orange hair that Miwa had inherited being stained red due to the blows I had landed on him, as well as his white robes now coloured red.

"Yamazaki. This is your last battle," Ryuukei breathed out, smoking from his pipe as we circled around each other. We weren't evenly matched, there was a clear victor in the sense - But we were both too stubborn to admit who was better. "Are you prepared for it?"

"Are you crazy, old man? I was gonna' ask you if you're ready for your retirement,'' I sniggered, lighting up the final cigarette in my packet, grinning at him. "Are you fighting me because you want to continue down your path, or because you want to prove me wrong? Either way, why don't we settle this one last time, Ryuukei Hayate. They used to call you a dragon… So why don't I test out if you really are as tough as one."

We both launched ourselves at each other, my swords raised as his arm-sword sliced cleanly through both blades, and I watched in shock as they neatly fell on the tatami floor beneath us. A thin cut appeared across my jacket as a small amount of blood appeared from my new wound, drops of blood dripping down on the floor below.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

"The victor has been decided," Ryuukei whispered. "It's clear to see that my sins weigh heavier than your responsibility. You're about one-hundred years too early to try and fight me, brat."

We both stood proudly, turning to face each other. I grinned at him, taking a drag from my cigarette as his pipe was sliced in half. I watched as Ryuukei's face turned to shock as he looked down at his arm and saw that it was shattered. The sword that had replaced his right arm had shards falling to the floor along with blood and tissue as slowly, his sword turned back into his arm that was horrifically mutilated.

"...How…?"

"I'm not a one trick pony. Unlike you who only relies on your Quirk to win fights, I learnt my lesson a long time ago," I told him with a smirk. "Call me cocky, but unlike you I'm a trained swordsman. I didn't even need my Quirk to beat you becauseyou leave your body open all the time. The only reason you were ever considered strong was because you never faced someone like me. That fight at the graveyard? Consider yourself lucky that I wasn't able to fight you while remaining calm. That's how most fights are won. Maybe if you weren't so angry and desperate to prove to me that you were right, maybe you'd have stood a chance."

I watched as Ryuukei fell down on one knee.

"So what if you won? I still refuse to meet with Miwa. You winning doesn't mean a single thing, boy," Ryuukei told me angrily. "I'm still me, and you're still you. Congratulations on your new path but by all means don't expect me to follow, I have no intention of becoming responsible for the daughter I left fifteen years ago. She's lived a great life without me, and she can live an even greater life without a bastard like me trying to interfere."

I shook my head at him, walking toward him.

It was unfair how life was at times.

How similar Ryuukei and I were, how our guilt ate us up every living moment. How it impacted our relationships with everyone around us. But it was only thanks to everyone in my life that I was able to stand here with enough clarity to explain it to him, it was because of everyone that I was able to swallow my pride and my guilt and lift my head. Because of everyone, I was the victor here.

It was because of everyone that even though my swords had shattered, I was the one left standing.

That the words I've wanted to say to myself for so long were finally coming out.

Now, I couldn't even feel hatred for myself.

All of it seemed so silly.

"I'm you. I wanted to reject it in my mind, because for so long I've been convinced that no one can understand me. But that was my own selfishness talking. It doesn't matter what reason I have, I'm still going to protect whoever I want. I'm going to do what I want, no matter the consequences. I've always done that - And I've always ignored the trail of pain I left because of my decisions. I tried to be responsible, but responsibility isn't admitting that you caused a problem, it's about fixing it."

Ryuukei's face scrunched up in anger as his other arm transformed into a sword and he swung wildly at me, even managing to cut and stab me in the side. It was like a wounded rabbit trying to run away from a wolf, and inevitability. A last ditch effort. But I didn't falter as I stared down at him, pity in my eyes.

I hated pity.

Pity from others made me feel ashamed of my own life. It made the source of regrets in my life more visceral, more real, as if they truly were haunting me. It was feeding into my own cycles of self-hatred, of wanting to do better but limiting myself at the last moment - It was that sense of overwhelming pity that kept me from Class A, kept me from truly making things right with them.

But they didn't pity me, they wanted to understand and empathise with me.

You get pitied by someone who you don't know.

You get understood by someone who cares about you.

I didn't know the difference, and that was my own inability to accept their love that led me down this path, the same path Ryuukei went down. Because he also hated pity just like me. And he couldn't differentiate the difference between understanding and pity because he thought he didn't deserve the love from Gekko, Hinata and even Miwa. Just like me, we were burdened by our own sins that we created.

I ran away from my loved ones to punish myself for them.

And so did Ryuukei.

Just like him, I hid away from Class A for so long because I thought they were better off without me. Because I wanted them to be better. But that was because I wanted to be punished for the sins I was convinced were my fault, because I wasn't strong enough to protect so many people that I had once failed. Despite Class A wanting to reach out to me, all I did was prove to them that their efforts were useless.

So they gave up.

Even when I came back to U.A., most had given up on thinking that I could change and admit I was wrong even when I knew and regretted what I had done. No, I had always regretted the fact that I hurt them, but I was so convinced it was for the better that I tricked myself into believing it was for the best. And Ryuukei was just like me. His wife died due to no fault of his own, but because he was the Dragon of Musutafu he blamed his own weakness.

He was convinced it was his sin and he needed to be punished for it.

So he gave up his daughter.

And he became the bad guy he had convinced himself that he was.

"I thought I could protect my friends by running away from them. By using the fact that I have sins that meant I needed to be punished as a shield from their love to further cement my self-hatred, but I forgive myself," I told Ryuukei, or maybe I was finally admitting it to myself. "I hurt everyone and ran away from that fact, and I kept on running because it's easier to blame these 'sins' than accept that I can do better. It's easy to say I don't deserve love, it's much harder to try and accept and return it when I'm scared of hurting others again."

"You-,"

"I am you, Ryuukei. I wanted to reject it because you hurt Miwa, but I understand you completely. I also understand why our way of thinking is wrong, because if I punish myself for my sins I'll never be able to achieve what I want to achieve," I told him truthfully. "And neither will you. Because you still have someone you have to protect even if your wife isn't here anymore. There isn't a place for punishment or sins in our lives when it's our duty to carry the hopes and dreams of those we loved that aren't here with us anymore."

His eyes widened at that.

"..."

"It's hard. The hardest thing we've ever had to do by far. To let go of the guilt that fuels us, but it's for the better. Because despite everything, we still have idiots that love us and it's our responsibility to love and protect those idiots back," I explained with a grin on my face. "Even if they don't need protecting, it's our very nature to try and protect them because we grew up with nothing. We grew up alone. And so it's easy for us to be alone again, to force ourselves into isolation because for us it's a comforting friend. But it's also the most numbing and painful sensation ever."

Ryuukei looked down at what remained of his arm and the Yakuza robes he wore.

His decisions.

"I'm going to let go of my sins, because they were never mine to begin with. They were just an excuse I used to justify my own hatred. I think I've punished myself long enough, and so have you," I said confidently, staring at the sky. The smoke from the fighting had finally cleared up. "I want to live carrying the hope of everyone around me, not my sins. It's a heavier burden. But… I'm a protector. It's the path I chose for myself, so I can't be beholden to those thoughts. So what's your choice, Ryuukei?"

What's your choice, Sora?

Ryuukei's face scrunched up in agony as he was deep in thought, or perhaps that was the pain from our fight reminding him that I was still here. That even if our physical fighting had stopped, our fight was still going on.

"What… what if I fail…"

"You won't," I reassured him. "Because even if you do, I'm going to protect Miwa as well. And I won't fail, because I have so many people protecting what I care about too. You have the suffering of your wife, lamenting her loss and the fact that she'll never see Miwa grow up. But you also have her hope, the health and happiness of Miwa's future where she can do whatever she wants freely. And it's the same for me."

Perhaps I was hallucinating after losing so much blood.

But I could see them.

Denji, Eri, Mirio and Nighteye.

Their bright smiles on their faces, even if they weren't alive. I could see them in the distance finally and not in my nightmares. They looked peaceful for once, and not the rotting corpses I was used to seeing. And I was able to stand up straight and stare at them as they waved goodbye to me, fading away from my sight completely.

Now I know I was completely loony.

But the fact remaining was that I stood tall, albeit heavily wounded.

This was my answer.

My dream.

A reason for me to carry on down my path.

"I see now. The reason why Ryutaro chose you, the reason why Miwa calls you her brother," Ryuukei whispered, smiling directly at me. "It's because you're the real deal. Musutafu no Ryu. The Dragon of Musutafu. A Dragon who protects this city and the ones who live within it. Despite the losses you have experienced in this city, you never ran away. Not like me. You still love this city to the bottom of your heart. You still love this life from the bottom of your heart."

"I do," I replied honestly, grinning at him as I too buckled down to one knee. "And so can you, again. We were wrong this entire time… We thought that we couldn't accept anyone else's love when all we wanted was to do exactly that. I guess it's our fault as shitty men. For caring so much that it hurts. So why don't we share that with everyone else? Why are we running away from our responsibility when we're the only idiots who can carry it in the first place."

Ryuukei barked a laugh.

"Heh. I guess you're right…"

Ryuukei slumped over, unconscious.

I smiled.

It was over.

I kept my promise.

I won.

And for the first time in a while, even as sleep gnawed at me, I felt content.

Yeah.

It all felt right.

I could still protect, and that was alright with me.

---

Some more growth for Sora but also a bookend to a part of his character arc. This sense of punishment is something Sora has always believed in, I mean in Part 1 he did punish himself unfairly for a lot of things, but not to an extreme extent.

I do believe that you can only help yourself when you've helped others, and that's what Sora does. It's something he has always done. Help others. And he helps a mirror of himself to move past what was detrimental in their life moving forward, their own 'sins' and 'punishment'.

Sora got over another barrier mentally, but that doesn't mean all is well. After all, he has to put into practice what he's preached. And so does Ryuukei. It's not easy trying to change, but after you make the first step it becomes easier.

And as such, this Change Arc has come to a close… somewhat. We still have one final chapter to conclude this arc and the first Act of Part 1. A conclusion of sorts, yet the beginning of a new journey.

So I'll see you all next time!