As their friends no doubt fought valiantly, Kairi and Aqua did their best too. Surrounded by a vast ocean of Heartless, ready to swallow them up at any moment, they held their ground, unwilling to give in.
"Hyah!" Aqua shouted, enveloping the area in a flash. Lightning bolts rained down from all over, destroying all manner of Heartless in an instant. The attack gave them a solid degree of space, but already, more Heartless moved into the void Aqua made.
"Nice job, Aqua," Kairi said, "You're making it pretty tough to catch up though." Aqua grinned. "Did I say I'd make it easy?"
From the corner of her eyes, toward the sky, was a flash of light. Looking up, she spotted Mickey, Donald, and Roxas pelting Shigaraki with a flurry of magic spells, with Terra about to join them. Kairi soon followed her gaze. "Ah! Good! Looks like they have him on the ropes."
"Yeah," Aqua said, "but I think they'll need one more person."
Kairi was in disbelief hearing those words. She was stunned momentarily before even getting the chance to respond. "Are… are you sure?"
Aqua nodded. "You're ready for this. You've got something special only you and Sora have. What we need now isn't combat experience. It's someone with a special heart. Plus, you'll be with friends." She placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "No matter what happens, always believe in yourself. Got that, student?"
Kairi's uncertainty faded, leaving behind a soft smile. "Yes, Master." She flies upward as Aqua prepares to take on the incoming Heartless.
Left to herself for the time being, Kairi's mind wandered to Aqua. (Aqua… I've always felt like I've been a screw up, weaker than everyone around me. But, I feel so much more confident now, thanks to you. You always encourage me, lift me up, tell me I can do it. Sometimes I wonder if you say all that just to be positive, but I know you're not like that.)
She thought back to a particular thing Aqua said. ("You're not quite a Keyblade Master yet, that's true, but I know that we'll pull through this fight because of you.") Kairi placed a hand over her chest. (I'm not sure how I will, but I promise, I won't let you down. I'll make you all proud.)
Her gaze was attracted to a set of figures next to her. Nearby, she saw Strelitzia, Xion, and Sora flying up, their sights all set on Shigaraki too. Kairi smiled and began moving toward them.
A deafening boom snatched her attention, choking it fiercely. Leaving Sora, she saw Tomura Shigaraki surrounded by visible white spirals of air, balled up like a cannonball facing Mickey, Donald, Roxas, and Terra. (No! It's this again!) Kairi thought back to the first time she saw this move, where moments later, Shigaraki glitched through the air at incomprehensible speeds. Her heart rate sky-rocketed as her speed picked up, gliding with an intense fervor now. (They need my help now! If Shigaraki touches even one of them, they'll be-)
Shigaraki, faster than a blink, shifted his body. He was no longer looking at the four of them. Kairi felt lightning strike her heart as Shigaraki's wicked glare fell directly on her. It felt like time came to a total halt. She was surrounded by seven friends, yet fear pumped through her veins, aching her body to its core.
Hardly a moment later, Shigaraki shot forward. In a split second, he closed the mile-long distance, and delivered an open armed clothesline into her gut. The seven Warriors of Light grew horrified expressions, helpless to save Kairi from the Omen of Death.
"Staring with you!"
"What do you mean it's not working anymore?!" Lea shouted in desperation, voice strained, teeth grit fiercely. "He had a breakthrough." Namine said, "When I showed him his family, his emotions spiked, and now I can't show him memories anymore! He's refusing to see any memories I show him so strongly, I can't get through to him now!" Namine writes down some notes on the page with his family. 'Father. All For One. He hates them so much.'
"You can't show him memories?" Riku asked, "Is that all you can't do?" Namine nodded. "He's single-mindedly blocking that, and it doesn't seem like he can control it. It's driven purely by his heart."
Riku looked out the window frame into the battlefield before him. Although appearing as a spec, Riku saw Shigaraki surrounded by three white, visible spirals of air. Moments later, he blinked forward within burst of speed, landing a devastating clothesline on Kairi.
He grew cold at the sight, his expression morphing from calculated concentration into hopeless fear. For a moment, he thought of his and Sora's promise. ("But, I want you to promise me something. If this guy is really beyond help, then give up on that idea once you realize it. I don't want to lose any of you for this guy, no matter how much good he might have inside him.")
("I… I promise.") Riku nodded. ("Good. Until that happens, I promise not to destroy him.")
A sharp, cold glare cut through Riku's face as he cast out that thought. "Good. Continue destroying his heart."
Namine and Lea gasp. "But… what about Sora's-"
"That doesn't matter now!" Riku snapped back, "He's about to end Kairi! If we do what Sora wants, we're going to lose her! Do you really want that to happen?!"
"But Sora always pulls through!" Namine replied, "We've gotten through everything because of him! If we go against his word, we could be dooming Kairi, maybe all of us!"
Riku's eyes flared with anger as he stomped the ground. "I know what I'm asking you to do! But Sora's only gotten this far because of us! We can make our own decisions too!"
The two faced off unwaveringly, but realized they were at an impasse. Instinctually, their eyes both locked onto the tiebreaker of this situation. They both looked at Lea. His distracted, tight expression was proof he was thinking about the situation already, struggling to find an answer. (Namine's right. Out of all of us, Sora is usually the one to get us out of situations. Somehow, he just knows what to do.)
Lea thought of all of Sora's accomplishments. (He's done so many things, beaten people I thought were impossible to take down, and he never betrayed his ideals the whole time.) The thing that stuck out to Lea most, however, was Sora's sacrifice for Kairi. His reckless abandon for his own friends. His willingness to destroy himself for those he cares about. It took everybody to fix that. One person less, and Sora would've been gone forever.
Now, however… things were different. Xehanort, even Luxu were nothing compared to Shigaraki. Lea clung to that fact, losing any one of them forever, and felt an emotion rise out of him.
He felt afraid.
"Listen to Riku," Lea said while gritting his teeth. Realizing what this meant, Namine started shaking, overcome by fear. "But… but Axel-"
"But nothing! We tried playing nice, but he's not returning the favor! We can't afford to try Sora's way any more." Small flames sprouted over Lea's coat and hair. "If we gotta be heartless to survive, then so be it."
Hearing their words, seeing their expressions, and knowing what was at stake, Namine nodded. She turned the page back to the sketch of Shigaraki surrounded by a circle of White Blood Cells, the circle about seventy-five percent filled with scratches.
High in the sky, Kairi recoiled in agony from Shigaraki's clothesline. It was one attack, but the pain was so overwhelming, her mind was overloaded. Unable to even think, Shigaraki flings her down, sending her crashing into the ocean below. Heartless erupted by the dozens, flying into the air like steam from a geyser.
Kairi laid trapped, firmly planted into the concrete of a building. Only now could she even process the unbearable pain consuming her. Physically, she appeared fine, but her gut burned, tearing away at itself like an animal devouring a meal.
Although a fair distance away, Aqua spotted the eruption and subsequent Heartless billowing into the air. Its source was obscured by a multitude of buildings, but she found herself fixated on it, unsure but enraptured. As Heartless moved in around her, a feeling raced through her heart, and her eyes shot open.
"Kairi!"
Aqua blasted herself into the air with Aeroga, and flew toward the explosion site with haste.
As Kairi sat helplessly planted in the wall, Shigaraki popped into existence before her. The look in Shigaraki's eyes was animalistic, pupils tiny but eyes massive, as if he was running on instinct. For a brief moment, what she saw terrified her like few things had before, before he kicked her in the gut. Another explosion like bang erupted from them, and the building began to collapse. Kairi popped out of the opposite end, flying into the sky like a speeding bullet against her will.
Aqua and Sora's group all recoiled seeing the building crumble, and their fear only heightened seeing Kairi launched into the sky. The four quickly pursued, keeping one close eye on Shigaraki as he crouched down.
Kairi's mind was a horrible blur of agony. She could feel her body was on the verge of collapse, her insides desperate to escape, her brain begging to shut down… yet, she could still deduce something off about all this. (Why? Why does this hurt so much?)
Next thing she knew, a booming blast blared out from below. It was Shigaraki, launching himself right at her with an outstretched arm. Faced with her impending doom, Kairi's pain was brushed aside in place of Sora. He overtook her mind, giving her the strength to gain her composure and dodge.
Shigaraki stopped just shy of soaring past her, remaining a close distance to her. His cape blew up and over him, covering him like a kid wearing a sheet as a ghost costume. "Am I going crazy, or did you get faster?" He brushed the cape off his head. "Thought for sure I had you there."
That sentence, Shigaraki openly confessing that Kairi was faster than he expected, brought her courage. Although still engrossed by pain, she still managed to smile.
That was when a bizarre idea hit her. Her face scrunched inward in confusion, forehead squished, eyes narrowed. (Wait… He did have me.) She thought back to his two attacks, a clothesline using his arm, and a kick. (Why didn't he just grab me? That would have been it for me… so, what is he-)
She doubled over in pain, unable to retain her thought. At the same time, Shigaraki doubled over in pain too. He squeezed his chest, sinking his fingers in deep and drawing blood. (This again. They're ripping apart my insides again.) Realizing this, Shigaraki grinned. (I knew they'd give up on me.)
"Nah, that was just a fluke," he continued, "we both know you're way out of your league here. I don't need foresight to know that if you stay in this fight, your incompetence is gonna get someone killed."
Kairi grit her teeth and angrily stared back, but said nothing. "You're just holding everyone back. You don't have what it takes to swing with the big boys, so just run away and hide before you screw up again!"
Hearing those words, Kairi remained silent. Part of her admitted that he was right. Letting everyone down, or even getting someone hurt because she was weak. The very thought of it pained her.
Yet, she thought about why she got as far as she had. She thought about Aqua's encouragement. (As long as you always get back up when you fall down, you'll get through any darkness you face.) She thought about Sora's reassurance. (I won't disappear, not while you're all still with me.) She remembered her own promise to herself. (It's not enough that Sora protects me. I'll protect myself, and everyone else!)
It was then that she had a realization. (If Sora and everyone just ran away when they got scared, they wouldn't be as strong as they are now. They're strong because they don't run away when they're scared. Sora was so scared he'd never see me and Riku again, but that never stopped him.)
She gripped her Keyblade. (And it won't stop me either.)
Kairi confidently brought her keyblade to her side, taking a battle ready stance as she glared down Shigaraki. "I'm not afraid of you! I'll be right alongside my friends when we beat you together!"
Shigaraki and Kairi came to a stop, the two paused mid-air. Shigaraki appeared motionless, his eyes staring through her absentmindedly. Kairi stared back, eyes narrowed, battle ready posture.
After some time in silence, Shigaraki began laughing. He poisoned the air with a sick, insidious laughter. All of Kairi's confidence began to waver. Her stance became shaky, and she could feel sweat dripping down her face.
"I can't believe that worked," Shigaraki said, "If there's one thing you can count on, it's a hero to make a defiant speech to the villain when their back is against the wall." Kairi appeared hesitant, or rather, confused at his words. From that blissful moment to the next, a feeling in her chest the weight of a skyscraper formed. Her eyes became wide and ghastly with fear. She felt every beat of her heart bang like a gong. Her vision began to blur as her head became heavier and heavier.
"You have no idea…" Shigaraki moved his cape, uncovering his chest. Sitting squarely over where his heart rests was a small, white light. "How much you screwed up!"
(No…) Kairi thought, (Sora told me about this. He told me this guy learns about us by talking to us. He told me… but I… what did I do?)
Shigaraki received a beautiful, magnificent vision. After blasting through what seemed to be a wall of orange and red, he entered an open airspace above the city, spotting Riku gliding away with Namine in his arms. The two looked back at Shigaraki, gasping in fright at the sight of him while he barreled toward them. Shigaraki was far faster, and quickly closed the distance. As he came within grabbing distance and reached a hand out to Namine, the vision ended.
Namine came to a halt mid-sketch. Riku and Lea went from confused to concerned when she began shaking in fear, dropping the crayon from her hand. "How…" Her voice trembled with the strength of an earthquake, her body soon matching. To Riku and Lea, she appeared to be possessed. They were completely clueless.
"How does he know what I look like?" That brief, simple sentence sent the same horrifying terror coursing through their beings.
Chapter 7: Namine
"You guys put up a good fight," Shigaraki said to Kairi in a low, raspy tone, "but I have my win condition now." He activated Search. Although he never tagged Namine or Lea, far away in the distance, one lone cyan dot shined in a sea of nothingness.
(How could he know?) Riku asked, pleading with his mind to make sense of the situation, (It's a memory. Even if someone described what she looks like, this isn't the same. How could he have-) and then it clicked. He remembered Sora's description of Network too.
He bit his lip. "No…" He spoke breathily, struggling, fighting to get the words out. "He knows who to look for, but he can't find us. We're way too far out, and we blend in. There's no way he could-"
His words came to a screeching halt when he locked eyes with Namine. He saw a black, bottomless abyss gazing back at him, and could feel his insides dismantling themselves from the inside out.
Aqua, Xion, Strelitzia, and Sora drew close to Shigaraki and Kairi. Their goal managed to bring them together, allowing them to reconvene.
"Hey, Aqua. Good to see you're alright."
Aqua nodded. "Same here." She focused on Shigaraki. "Now all of you, slow him down the best you can. I'll go in and-"
Her words were interrupted as the ground beneath Shigaraki trembled. All of them were blown back by a great force as three spiraling trails of white air formed around Shigaraki.
"Time to kill Namine."
Everyone present felt a disturbing terror overtake them. Hearing that sentence and realizing what it meant made them all grow cold with fear.
(This is bad. We're still too far away!) Aqua thought. She took a deep breath, then screamed with all her strength. "KAIRI! STOP HIM!"
Aqua's words reached Kairi, echoing in her mind. She tried composing herself, but was still physically reeling. Her body was in agonizing pain. (I have to stop him… This is all my fault…) Her thoughts were clear, yet it was difficult to focus. Her gut tormented her, trying to drag her down under. (I have to stop him. Have to stop him.) Yet despite that, she could feel her grip on her keyblade tighten. (Stop him…)
Shigaraki's gaze swapped to Kairi, swiftly jerking her keyblade overhead and bringing it down on him. "STOP!"
In a moment of panic, Shigaraki's heart skipped a beat. (The hell is that spell?!)
He launched himself into the sky with two bursts of air cannon shots. Moments later, projections of clocks surrounded Shigaraki's previous position. A dust cloud kicked up, and while most of it blew in the air as one would expect, in the area around Kairi's spell, part of the dust cloud remained totally frozen.
"Shoot!" Kairi shouted in frustration, "I was too slow!"
Taking stock of the sight below, Shigaraki was left agape, mouth hung open in disbelief. (WHAT THE HELL?! These people were holding back magic like THAT this whole time?! Time Stopping Magic?!) It had been eight seconds, and only then did the spell finally end, the dust cloud continuing to blow like normal. (I can't let that hit me. I'm fucking dead if it does.)
This battlefield was quickly collapsing for all sides. Things continued to spiral for everyone, Namine especially. Surrounded on both sides by Riku and Lea, she had never felt more alone. All she could do, all she could think about, was Shigaraki. His image haunted her mind, shrouding that of her friends with purple smoke.
But she felt at ease feeling the soft touch of Riku and Lea's hands on her shoulders. Comforted by them, the crayon she held slowly hit the paper, making another line over the circle around the sketch of Shigaraki.
Shigaraki felt a tidal wave of pain crash into his being, striking him at a single point before spreading out across his body. The area of his chest where his heart resided swiftly turned purple, nor did it revert back to normal. His body jolted back, bending like a child snapping a toy into place. (Shit. Shit! My head… It hurts so bad. Like, someone split it open.) The whites of his eyes slowly began changing to red. (Everywhere… it hurts everywhere… Hurry… I have to hurry, before I pass out.)
As Shigaraki considered his next move, the three white spirals around him slowly began fading, growing transparent, the force they exuded weakening. His air cannon shots got him away from Kairi, but the distance he traveled was significantly smaller than the built up energy would've given him.
"Not those again!" Sora shouted. "Last time he did that, he moved insanely fast! We have to stop him before he launches himself or he'll get to Namine!"
Strelitzia, understanding the severity of the situation, held her Keyblade tight. "If we need to outspeed him, I have just the spell!" She thrust her Keyblade up. "Hastza!" An orange bubble quickly enveloped the four of them, along with various clocks, their two hands speeding leftward briefly before disappearing. Their flying speeds all suddenly tripled as an orange aura persisted around them.
Although this was Xion and Aqua's first time experiencing the Haste spell, it didn't take long for them to understand its effect, or what they had to do with it.
Aqua rushed forward, blitzing through the air like a shooting star. (If he's serious about ending Namine, I can't afford to hold back anymore!)
Shigaraki spotted the four figures zipping across the sky at him. Once he locked eyes with them, Aqua was already dangerously close. (Crap! They're so fast!) His adrenaline spiked seeing her so close, priming up a spell. He imagined one worst case scenario, himself trapped in time, frozen and at his enemy's mercy. Even if it was just the worst case, even if he didn't have a vision for what she was going to do, he was not going to risk it.
"Screw this!" He shoved his feet forward. Surprisingly, his feet came to a full stop and two white rings shot out of their bottoms, their momentum halting entirely as if he hit a solid surface. (I don't need solid ground, I just need something to stand on, and Airwalk is giving me just that.) The three white spirals around him regained their color, shooting out a burst of air.
Shigaraki bent down. Seeing him winding up a jump, Aqua reacted fast. (Darn. I don't think I'm close enough, but this'll have to do!)
She thrust her Keyblade up. "Stopza!"
Shigaraki propelled himself backwards the same moment Aqua casted Stopza. A massive light-blue dome swiftly surrounded her and her friends, giving chase to a blindingly fast Shigaraki. The white air trails Shigaraki kicked up from launching himself were all visibly frozen in place, any force they created totally halted.
It all happened in barely a second.
Eventually, the Stopza bubble stopped expanding.
But Shigaraki kept moving.
Aqua and the others could only look on in horror as Shigaraki flew further and further away, vastly out of their range. "Darn it!" Xion shouted, "What do we do now?"
"This is bad," Strelitzia fearfully said, "He's so fast. If he can avoid Stopza, how can we slow him down?"
The two faced Aqua, who also struggled to find a solution. "I…"
As Shigaraki continued soaring at fighter jet speeds, he realized something bizarre about his body. Although his body was blistering in pain moments ago, and still was, his legs weren't in an ounce of pain.
(The hell? My legs don't hurt… wait, this isn't right. I don't feel them at all!)
When he checked his legs, he was met with a horrifying reality. He couldn't move his legs at all, nor did they didn't blow in the wind. They were completely frozen in time.
(God DAMN IT! My legs have the bulk of my mobility.) He used Search to check Riku's location. After panicking and bolting away from Aqua, he was an incredible distance away from him now. (This can't be happening. I'm not seriously gonna die because my legs got time stopped. Of all the damn ways to go, what a stupid one!)
He gave it a moment of thought, then his eyes flashed with brilliance. (Guess that'll have to do.)
Shigaraki flipped upside-down and did a handstand, two white rings bursting from around his hands as he planted them firmly against air. Even though he was still in terrible pain, and his body shook as if it would collapse at any moment, he held the pose. The three white trails that circled his body came back in full force, a burst of air releasing from him.
He locked onto the lone, faraway cyan dot. Just before the two white rings from his hands faded, he bent his arms and pushed off the air. An incredible boom roared from his location and he rocketed through the sky at breakneck speeds.
Xion, Strelitzia, Aqua, and Sora hardly had a moment before he was rushing by them. Any plans they attempted to formulate at that point were suddenly rendered worthless. There was nothing they could do to stop him. But knowing what was on the line, knowing what he would do if he slipped past them, their bodies simply forced them to move.
Strelitzia, Aqua, and Sora all focused on Shigaraki and Airstepped to him. Xion, who didn't even have access to focus, didn't stand a chance.
The two women, moving on instinct, couldn't form a coherent plan. He was so fast, even when focusing, he appeared to be moving at normal speed. It caught them off guard, but they still managed to catch him, and they weren't going to waste their chance.
Strelitzia spun her keyblade, attempting to summon projectiles around Shigaraki. Aqua meanwhile, went to cast Stopza again.
But even their best efforts were not good enough. In that absolutely tiny moment where Aqua went to put Shigaraki in his place, her state of focus wore off. (No! I know focus wears off when I cast magic, but I didn't think he'd be so fast!)
Strelitzia maintained her focus and summoned a plethora of light spears around Shigaraki. Yet as they homed in on him, he was simply too fast, and they all disappeared while following him.
Against any normal foe, this would be child's play. But it was only now, as this thing barreled forward toward their friends with a sinister intent, they began to understand the threat they faced.
Mickey, Roxas, Donald, and Terra, even after repeated Curaga casting, could only seethe in pain as Shigaraki rushed by them as well.
None of them had any hope of stopping him now. It was out of all their hands. But that wasn't going to stop them from trying. Every single one of them began flying to Shigaraki, to Namine, with all the speed they could muster. Aqua and Roxas both took out their gummiphones and began typing a message.
"What is he doing?" The two asked aloud.
As they typed away, everyone around them, and Kairi who wasn't far behind, all had their eyes on Shigaraki, or rather, his legs. Firmly wrapped around them was a keychain, one that extended a few feet to a Keyblade.
To Sora. He held on for dear life, his eye sockets flapping wildly from the insane speeds he traveled, but his grip remained true. He flew forward with Shigaraki.
Riku observed the events unfold, and felt himself grow deathly cold realizing Shigaraki was barreling right at him. At Namine. He could scarcely process it, the unmistakable fear of death, helpless to watch as it came at him. At Namine.
His thoughts became a horrible mess, only recognizing his heartbeat thumping in his head ad nauseam. His breathing matched his heart rate, growing faster than he could control, only serving to suffocate him further.
(No,) began to break through. (No,) echoed louder. (No no no no no,) continued on repeat. He wanted so badly to deny it, to just pretend it wasn't real, that he was about to wake up surrounded by his friends and be told Shigaraki was gone.
That Shigaraki was…
Shigaraki was…
Lea's Gummiphone dinged twice. Still standing next to Namine observing her sketch, he pulled it out. "Huh. Aqua and Roxas messaged me…"
Inspecting their messages, his heart too began to freeze. They were both brief messages, stating just one word.
Riku rushed past him, picking up Namine in one arm.
"RUN!"
He shot a Firaga at the wall, blasting a hole in the building.
"Axel! Keep him busy!" He kicked off the ground and began flying away.
"Wait!" Lea shouted, "We can't-"
Riku was already out of earshot. Lea snapped his fingers and grunted in frustration. "Fine! Guess this is a trial by fire!"
"Keep going," Riku said as he flew further with Namine. "Please…" His eyes lowered, landing on the sketchpad and crayon Namine still held. "Keep going."
Namine weakly held the two items. As she placed the crayon over the sketch, she showed little urgency or concern over the situation. Unlike the panicking and desperate Riku, she was still, the life she still possessed rapidly fading.
Shigaraki was firmly locked onto a lone cyan dot, and although moving, now rapidly grew in size as he closed in on it. (Looks like he's running, probably with Namine. Poor kid, if only he knew how Search worked, she might have survived all this.)
His attention went to a man in a black coat with spiky, red hair, flying into the air between him and Namine. The man's body was quickly ignited by flames, and a colossal dome of fire appeared over him, one spanning an incredible distance.
A wicked grin sprouted over Shigaraki's face. (Was that supposed to be a sneak attack? It's big, but I can go around it easy.) Barely after finishing that thought, Shigaraki's eyes bulged as he lurched over reflectively, coughing up blood and some mass of flesh resembling part of an organ. He smashed a hand against his chest, the purple spots around his heart expanding.
(What… the hell… Was that a goddamn kidney?!) His breaths were large and desperate, pained and struggling like an old man's. His gaze returned to the dome of fire before him. (Screw this, I have to go for it!) A thick layer of ice grew over his right side, and he held an icy hand over his face.
Lea floated in the center of the fire dome, Keyblade in hand. He had a tense, battle ready stance, sweating amongst all this heat. (I don't like this plan, but I'll buy as much time as I can.)
A slim figure barreled in through the fire, holding a hand over its face. (There he is!) Lea thought. (Is he insane?! Just rushing right in?!) From one moment to the next, Lea could feel his heart drop, clanging against the floor of his stomach. All the air in his lungs jumped ship for dear life, leaving him a wide mouthed, wide eyed, gasping victim.
Shigaraki pierced into the dome. "Nice try, Axel…" He lowered his hand, revealing a deformed abomination. His skin was burnt down to the muscle, even his right side. His hair was now charred black with few white spots, red and black cinders trailing off what remained of his hair. His combat suit was somehow fine, although Beast's cape was about half gone in a flash, a long, black singe line at its end.
And his face, dear god his face. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows were all gone, and so much of his nose was gone, bone was visible. The only recognizable parts of his face were his glowing, multi-colored pupils, and a sickening, demonic smile. "But I was never afraid of fire!"
Lea grit his teeth and spun his keyblade, gathering a stream of fire from the dome and sending it at Shigaraki. He simply held his hand up, and blocked every bit of it with an unflinching yellow barrier. By the time Lea realized it hadn't so much as slowed him down, Shigaraki was already on top of him.
(If they're all as similar to Sora as Search tells me, this guy probably has a thing that lets him survive otherwise lethal blows too. Decay should bypass that, but he's not worth wasting time on now.) He aimed his hand at Lea, the dark red, charring mess compressing as air was quickly sucked in the palm in his hand. "I'll be back for you later, Axel."
He fired an especially powerful Air Cannon blast, one that pierced a massive hole in the bottom of the dome.
Riku and Namine, still flying away, saw the dome burst, and Lea slamming into the ground at a violent speed. Dust and debris quickly erupted, obscuring him.
"No way," Riku gasped, "I think that was Axel hitting the ground."
Riku felt Namine's grip on him tighten fiercely. She squeezed his shirt with the fervor of a drowning human holding on for dear life, so tightly it seemed she'd tear pieces off.
"It… It's about to happen," she muttered fearfully. "He's going to grab me. Reach out to me, and… and…"
A massive boom blared out right before them. A figure blasted through the dome, ripping it to shreds with a colossal burst of air.
"Namine!" The figure shouted, his voice blaring through the wind like a megaphone. Riku and Namine both grew icy cold with fear, gasping in shock as a hideously deformed Shigaraki finally laid eyes on them.
The Omen of Death extended a hand, the hole in its palm glowing red as his multi-colored eyes locked onto Namine, a cyan dot appearing over her as well. "Time to die!"
Namine felt lightning pierce her spine with that shout. She let out a horrific, bloodcurdling shriek, one that, even in open air, seemed to echo. The situation had long since sunken in, but now, it was undeniable. Namine knew she was going to die.
This time, Riku's grip on her tightened. "He's not gonna touch you! I'll disappear myself before that happens!" He held Namine in one hand and summoned his Keyblade with the other. A glass barrier appeared around them, one Shigaraki slammed face first into. The barrier shone a moment as his body smashed against it, compressed like an accordion. From inside, his bang against the glass reverberated, but the barrier held true.
(Agh! God damn, I thought for sure he'd dodge.)
A bright circle of light formed over where Shigaraki crashed. "Refleza!" Riku shouted. A thick, white laser shot out of the barrier, blasting Shigaraki away from them. It persisted for about a second before it, and the glass barrier, faded.
(*Haaa*. Okay. Don't remember seeing that one. Kinda telegraphed it by not moving.)
Shigaraki felt a rush of pain slam into his legs as they dangled in the air. (Agh! Damn, this again! Guess the pain was building up, even while they were frozen.) His pain soon made way for a smirk. (But that means the Time Stop wore off.) He moved his legs, happy to feel them once again. (Bout time, now there's no question I'll-)
That thought came to an abrupt halt. (The hell? What's wrapped around my legs?)
His eyes trailed down, landing on a Keyblade, its chain wrapped around his legs. This Keyblade with a tower design and sun on its tip made the Omen of Death's heart stop dead in its tracks.
The Keyblade vanished in a flash of light, teleporting directly behind him into Sora's hand. Shigaraki couldn't even finish turning around before Sora slammed the Keyblade into his face, smacking him away like a baseball. "Hey guys!" He cheerily greeted Riku and Namine while floating between them and Shigaraki. "I know. Cutting it kinda close."
Although it already was after Riku's counterattack, Namine's fear and terror began to subside seeing Sora. The color finally returned to her eyes. (But… I saw it. Shigaraki… Had a vision of me.) Riku and Sora protecting her just now played back in her head. (I… I thought for sure it was over… but they saved me.)
"Sora. Riku." They looked to her. "He had a vision, of grabbing me. I was really scared. I thought… I thought I was done for." She shed a tear. "Sorry. I should have believed in you guys. As long as we're together, we can beat anyone." Sora and Riku smiled.
Namine gripped the crayon and sketch pad. "Alright! I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna finish the sketch!"
"Awesome!" Sora and Riku said in unison. Namine no longer hesitated. With a fire in her eyes and renewed confidence, she made another line across the circle around Shigaraki.
What happened next, took place in an instant. Shigaraki felt something spawn within him, an intense force appeared within his chest. It felt comparable to gravity suddenly multiplying, a huge weight crushing him, suffocating him.
Then, the right side of his chest exploded.
Sora felt time around him slow to a crawl as shock consumed him, watching as gallons of a red liquid, red and pink… flesh? And small white objects burst forth from Tomura, rushing out of him like goodies in a piñata. Through all the… confetti… Sora spotted a huge hole in the right side of his chest. There was an exposed opening leading directly into his insides, to the spot where the heart resided.
His heart was gone.
Sora could only helplessly watch the light leave Tomura's eyes, paralyzed by the reality of the situation.
Shigaraki's corpse began to free fall. Riku gazed on at the result of his actions, letting out a relieved sigh. "Finally."
"Riku…" Sora uttered weakly, "Why?"
"We had no choice," he responded swiftly and assuredly, "he came real close to taking out Namine. I wasn't gonna risk hers, or anyone's life forhim." The air around them grew thick. "Sorry for not keeping my promise, but we lost too many friends as is. If you're upset at me though, I understand."
Sora didn't respond. He slouched despondently while floating silently in place.
From far below on the surface of the world, Lea laid flat, pressed into the concrete. He winced in pain while clutching his gut, but smiled seeing Shigaraki falling lifelessly. "Good job, Namine. We all owe ya one."
Riku exhaled, then looked down at Namine. "Don't feel bad about this. I was the one who asked you to do it."
"I'm confused," Namine said, "He had a power that was protecting him, so I was slowly disabling it." Riku's eyes went to the sketch pad, landing on a circle surrounding the sketch of Shigaraki. The circle had a multitude of scratches, almost going around it completely.
"But I didn't finish."
Almost.
Fear crept into Riku's being. His eyes ever so slightly shook, and his breathing became just a tad stronger. "It doesn't matter," he swiftly denied, "his heart is gone, I saw it myself. Nobodies can replace them, but losing it like this, there's no way it can-"
Riku, Namine, and Sora were all blown back by a yellow sound wave, and an absolutely feral scream. The three spiraled wildly for a moment before catching their balance and covering their ears against the sound wave.
(Jeez! It's so loud!) Sora thought, (but, there's no way it's…)
Following the sound wave back to its source confirmed the impossible. It was Shigaraki. He was alive, shrieking like a dying animal as the wave boomed from his mouth. The yellow sound wave wasn't the yellow air he'd been previously using. This was more akin to feedback from a boombox, or perhaps a powerful microphone.
(This can't be happening!) Riku thought, (Not this fast! His heart was-)
He stopped dead in his tracks seeing the impossible. Through the yellow sound waves, within the gaping hole in Shigaraki's chest was once again his heart. It was back and beating as one would, albeit with a purple tint.
Watching on from down below, Lea was baffled and in shock. (No way! How could his heart be replaced so fast?!)
Spotting the yellow sound waves from the great distance they were, Aqua, Xion and Strelitzia dashed toward the light, an orange aura surrounding them. "I don't like this," Xion said, "Please stay safe, we're on our way!"
Kairi, Donald, Roxas, Terra, and Mickey were all a ways behind those three. They seethed in pain to varying degrees, their gliding stumbled and messy as they occasionally lost control for a moment. "That doesn't look good," Donald said, "Your Majesty, what should we do?" Donald looked to Mickey, who in return, simply grit his teeth. "Keep moving forward."
Unbeknownst to the flying group of eight, a colossal tsunami of grounded Heartless pursued them, ripping through the landscape to give chase, carving up the streets and plowing holes through buildings.
Amidst a clash with various Heartless, Goofy and Ventus spotted the waves. "Hey Goofy," Ventus said, "I'm pretty sure that's where the King told Namine to go." Goofy looked on at the yellow sound wave with a tight gaze, gulping back saliva.
(It can't be helped,) Isa thought as he held back the Dark Inferno, (I must trust my friends to protect her. If there is one thing I know too well, it is that I can depend on them.)
Although Isa was separated from Ventus and Goofy, the three shared the same sentiment. (Keep her safe, everyone.)
(I can't believe it,) Shigaraki thought, still shrieking in agony, (My heart actually burst, but I'm still alive. I felt every god damn thing, even after blacking out.) He remembered the excruciating torture of feeling his heart pop in an instant, and then, his body continuing to function. (The combination of Super Regen and White Cell Program must have done this.)
He felt many strands, so many cells from within coming back together. Part of him couldn't believe this, the conclusion he came to was asinine, yet feeling his heart beating inside him confirmed it as fact.
(Those quirks regrew my heart.)
His screams finally ceased, and he began taking heavy, exhausted breaths. (So that's what Namine was doing. Ripping my insides apart wasn't too far off after all.)
One of his hands moved to the hole in his chest. (Elasticity.) The opening gained a brief sheen, light momentarily reflecting off it as if something was there, but quickly faded and didn't appear any different. (Her attacks on me have been scaling in damage. The next one might blow up my entire torso. I don't know if even I can come back from that kind of attack.)
He lowered his hand and focused his gaze on Namine. (That doesn't change anything.) He launched himself at her with Air Cannon shots. (She still has to die!)
Riku took up a defensive stance while Namine trembled. As they prepared for the worst, Sora came between the three. "I'll stop them for you, Tomura!" he declared.
"What?!" Riku shouted, "Are you nuts?!"
As insane as the statement seemed, Shigaraki's speed continued to decrease until he came to a full stop. The gentle breeze of air coming from small tornadoes under his feet was the only break in a momentary silence. "Seriously? That's stupid even for someone as naive as you." A light appeared within his heart. Reflecting past what appeared to be a reflective surface over the hole in his chest, it shined like a star. "But I guess I'll humor you if you mean it. You'll really fight your friends forme?"
"Don't talk to him!" Riku shouted, "It's that Network quirk! You know we can't talk to him when he has that light! If he wants to compromise with us, he shouldn't be pulling underhanded stuff like that!"
"It's fine, Riku." Sora takes a deep breath and exhales. "I'm not gonna turn down someone that just wants to talk. Listening to people and understanding their viewpoints is the only way to reason with others… That's what I learned from Xehanort."
Riku found himself taken aback with a gasp, as if he remembered something. Memories began to flood his mind.
(Sora…) Riku thought back to him and Sora closing Kingdom Hearts, him on one side, Sora on the other. (When we were kids, you always looked up to me. I was the winner, I was the one you aspired to be… So why have I always been the screw up?)
He thought back to facing Roxas, and having to give in to the darkness to win. (I've always had to struggle, things have always been so hard for me. But you… things just seem to come so easy to you.)
He thought about his bruised, wounded body being carried away by Sora after facing Xemnas. (You've always been there to pick me up. No matter how much I faltered, no matter how many times I screwed up, you were always there for me.)
He thought back to Sora, after defeating Xehanort, vowing to bring back Kairi. (He's always been so much better than me.)
These memories all had one thing in common. Sora's strength. His ability to overcome anything, to never give in to the darkness, and his unwavering spirit.
Yet, at the same time, as these thoughts filled his head, there was a sensation in his heart, nagging at him. What should have been an accepting smile was instead a hesitant stare.
"Sora," Riku was shaken back to reality by Namine's voice, "you mean the world to me. After everything I did to you, all the hurt I put you through, you were still able to smile at me and want to be my friend."
"Huh?" Sora said, "Everything you did to me? We've only talked a couple of times. You haven't hurt me at all."
Namine sniffed. "Oh, that's right. You don't remember."
"And I don't need to," Sora said with a smile, "I may not remember the details, but I know my mind hasn't changed. Once this is all over, we'll be great friends."
Tears rolled down Namine's cheeks. "Sora… We're all so lucky to have you. You really are amazing." Namine lingered on that thought. She held on dearly to her feelings for Sora. How important he was, how much she cared, how happy she made him.
That was contrasted by Shigaraki. Thoughts of what he had already done, what he might do to everyone, and what he might do to Sora. They ran rampant through her mind, flashing sporadically, uncontrollably. Yen Sid, Ansem the Wise, Radiant Garden. All of them, gone forever. She began tensing up in Riku's arms, her throat closing in on itself. Yet she unquestionably found the strength to speak this next sentence.
"I'd never forgive myself if we lost you."
Sora's head tilted back in confusion while a smirk sprouted on Shigaraki's face. "We're all finally back together, we can all finally be happy. I may not have a keyblade, but I'll do whatever I can to keep us together. I'll do what I can to uphold your promise."
The hand she held the crayon in began trembling as she focused on the sketch of Shigaraki. Only two more scratches, and the circle would be scratched out. "You've done so much for us, the least we can do is help you in return. Sora… just keep on smiling, don't ever change."
For a moment, she lifted the crayon. Clarity washed over her. She closed her eyes and felt the tension and nervousness leave her body, and her thoughts focusing on one thing.
Saving everybody.
She brought the crayon down. "I'll embrace this darkness for you!"
"No! Stop it!" Sora shouted. He glided to her in a panicked frenzy. (I knew it.) Shigaraki meanwhile, opened his mouth. (Voice, plus Air Burst). He screamed, a deafening roar echoing through the sky. Riku moved Namine behind him, shielding her with his body, but the three failed to notice a thick ball of air traveling through the sound wave. It slammed right into Riku, knocking them off balance.
Namine's grip loosened. Her crayon and sketch pad fell from her hands, plummeting to the world below. "No!" She cried out in desperation. Riku went from zero to a hundred, gliding down toward the items. Sora followed without hesitation.
"I understand you all now." Shigaraki propelled himself with an Air Cannon shot, putting himself in front of the items. The three warriors stopped in place, gritting their teeth and shaking nervously. "You can try all you want, Sora, but it's clear your friends don't feel the same way as you. Your heart might be in the right place, but your friends aren't anything like you."
"It's not like that!" Sora said, "Even then, can you really blame her?! You're not making this any easier on us!"
"That's not the point. If your friends were as strong as you think they are, they wouldn't be turning their backs on your request just because things are getting out of their control. It's time to face the music, Sora. You say your friends are your power, but that just means you draw your strength from a bunch of cowards!"
"Shut up," Riku scathed back, "We aren't cowards." Sora grinned hearing his retort. "Ha! That's right, you tell him, Riku!"
"And we aren't turning our backs on Sora, either." Although not noticing before, Sora felt his heart drop hearing the intense, cold anger in Riku's voice. He looked at his friend, and saw nothing but hate in his eyes. "The only thing that's changed, is we realized you don't deserve mercy."
Sora was at a loss for words. Namine appeared to be a mirror reflection of Riku. The two glared at Shigaraki with the same intense hate in their eyes. Sora wanted to find the words to retort, to alleviate both their worries, but Shigaraki didn't let him.
With a smirk, he began to monologue.
"You guys probably don't know what Japan is, but it's basically your equivalent of a world. It was a beautiful land full of people who went above and beyond, people who fought for the weak and represented the strongest society had to offer. It was a world full of heroes."
His gaze drooped, falling to the world below. "At least, that's what it seemed like. In reality, that world was broken and rotten to its core. People were so carefree and oblivious, they let problems grow and fester under their noses, leaving human beings to rot on the streets just because they didn't fit their idea of normal."
A glint appeared in Shigaraki's eyes as he smirked. "That's why I destroyed it all."
"That society of shallow, selfish liars, the complacent idiots who let people suffer around them, and the heroes that screwed me into ending up with Shigaraki. They've all caused so much suffering, they all deserved to die. And you know what I see when I look at you guys?I see history repeating itself."
"You can't be serious," Sora said, "You're sentencing so many people to death, but not all of them are uncaring like you say. How is that fair to them?"
Tomura paused at that question. His gaze lowered as he found himself in an empty, black void, isolated and alone. He walked through his void, searching for an answer. Sora's question repeated, echoing across the void as he walked endlessly.
(Sora.)
Tomura heard another voice. It echoed distantly, and sounded familiar. Tomura followed the voice, Sora's growing quieter as it grew louder. (Sora… I…) When he reached it, he saw a massive conglomerate of hands holding onto a boy.
Holding onto Tenko Shimura.
(Sora. Please help me. I need you.)
Faced with this boy, Tomura reached a hand out to him. It was an open palmed hand, where the fingers were pointed like claws, and the hole in his palm shone red.
Then, his hand bunched into a fist, and the red glow vanished. "Why won't you stop talking? Don't you remember Midoriya? This is all pointless."
(It's not too late,) Tenko said. Memories flashed in Tomura's mind. He saw a bloodied Izuku, standing a short distance away from Aizawa, the teacher's own knife plunged into his throat. Izuku's expression was stoic as he held a hand out to him. (We can still talk. We have to, before things get worse.)
For a moment, Tomura himself lingered on these words, on this thought. He was locked in this moment in time. Izuku's hand, his offer. It was blissful.
Then the illusion was broken by what came next. Scattered memories that hurt to recall. All Might and Bakugo. The swelling anger inside him. Charging at the two as they and Izuku looked on in horror. Then, Izuku lunging at him, and a horrible pain enveloping him.
(You monster! I'll kill you for that!)Izuku's ferocious screams blared out across the black void, overwhelming Tomura. He strained his teeth and clutched his body.
"No… You're wrong…" Tenko grew more distant, shrinking into the horizon. His pleas for Sora faded with him.
Finally, Shigaraki erupted into furious shouts against Sora, Riku, and Namine. "It's too late for that! They're all dead!"
Shigaraki huffed and puffed in exhaustion. "Why would I want forgiveness or compromise? I am the Omen of Death. My arrival brings about the end of others. To get in my way, even if it's to "help", is to die. You guys may not have accepted it, but I have." Shigaraki placed a hand over his face. "It's too late to change who I am."
"That's not true!" Sora shouted, "It's never too late!"
"Just stop," Riku coldly said, "I read his message loud and clear." He pointed his Keyblade at Shigaraki. "He's pure evil, and needs to be taken down for good."
"Yeah," Namine added, "I'm sorry, Sora, but we've done our best. I have to stay alive to protect you all from him, it's our best chance!"
"No!" Sora defiantly shouted, "We haven't failed, we just haven't tried hard enough yet! Please! I need you-"
"Shut up." Shigaraki blinked, then redirected a cold, sinister glare at Namine and Riku. "You two aren't the only ones sick of all this. It's clear we're just talking in circles. We both know there's only one way this is ending."
Shigaraki, Riku, and Namine all had the same thought. (By destroying you!) Sora stuttered in fear as the three around him steeled themselves.
Time around the four slowed to a crawl. They all entered an intense state of focus, planning out what was to come, running dozens of simulations in their heads. Namine held Riku tightly as he hoisted his keyblade back, assuming a neutral position. Shigaraki floated in the air, his tornadoes underfoot quietly humming. There was no doubt in any of their minds, this next exchange would be decisive.
"It's nice to finally know. To you guys…" Shigaraki blasted himself at Riku and Namine. "I'm just something to put down!"
As Riku braced himself, Sora dashed in the way. He aimed his Keyblade at Shigaraki, blasting a fireball at him. "I won't let you touch them! I'll stop you both if that's what it takes!"
"You naïve child." Shigaraki held a hand out. An incredible tornado came forth, consuming Sora in intense, shrapnel-like wind. The fireball he launched was blown back, instead slamming into Sora, exploding on contact. "You're out of your league now."
Cinders from the explosion blew around the tornado, turning the white cyclone partially red and brown. Riku and Namine covered their faces. "Ah!" Riku said, "Why'd it get so hot all of a sudden?!" The tornado finally faded, leaving Sora to free fall. Half of his shirt was burnt clean off, the skin around that area black and bubbling, with the exposed skin on his face and arms sporting various red blisters.
(This pain…) He found his gaze wandering to Shigaraki. (Is unbearable.)
Namine and Riku looked on in wide-eyed shock. (What was that?!) Riku thought, (He blew his Firaga back, and it didthatto Sora?! How?!) Although faintly, he spotted Sora tilting his head up. (Good, he's still conscious.) Riku reached into his pocket, pulling out an Elixir. (We can't afford to give Shigaraki an opening. We need Sora, we need everyone!)
"Where're you looking, kid!?" Rivet Stabs extended from Shigaraki's fingers toward Riku. "Healing's only a free action for me!" Riku swapped focus to his Keyblade. He casted Aeroza, creating a thick wind barrier that obliterated the incoming tendrils.
"Riku, you focus on Shigaraki!" Namine grabbed his Elixir and threw it in the air, healing Sora's injuries and restoring his magic. "I can handle everything else!" The Rivet Stab tendrils kept expanding as Shigaraki flew toward them. "Riku! Let's go for my sketch pad!" Namine pointed to the ground where the sketch pad and crayon laid. "That's our only chance of winning this!"
Riku nodded. "Yeah, we have to now." Still protected by the wind barrier, Riku began gliding to the sketch pad and crayon. Shigaraki snapped off the remaining tendrils and pursued them. (Going after the paper, huh? Guess I was right, that is the source of her power.) Shigaraki cocked a hand back, aiming at the sketch pad. (I'll probably be in the clear if I destroy it!)
His attention was snatched by a chain wrapping around his leg, a familiar one. Sure enough, behind him was Sora, his Keyblade's keychain wrapped around him again. (You again? How did you bounce back so quickly? My last attack put you out of commission for a while, and this one looked like it hurt too.)
Sora squeezed his Keyblade with all his might, his expression admonished by pain. It was clear as day, he was badly hurt, but he persisted regardless. (I have to… push past the hurt.) His keychain began shortening, pulling Sora closer to Shigaraki. (I'll take on everyone's hurt!)
Shigaraki grimaced, but his annoyance turned to shock seeing what was behind Sora. He could make out three figures, but Search revealed that they were three more combatants rapidly approaching. Xion, Strelitzia, and Aqua. His shock was focused purely on the frontmost fighter. (You again. The Time Stopper.)
The three, still surrounded by an orange aura, had closed the gap significantly, and felt a rush of confidence clearly seeing Shigaraki's horribly burnt and battered body. "Alright, looks like Namine and everyone has him on the ropes." Xion and Strelitzia were a tad distressed seeing Shigaraki in that state. Even for an enemy, they knew what he'd been through was horrible.
"Both of you!" They were snapped to attention by Aqua. "Grab my legs!" The two took hold of one leg, squeezing them securely. "Once I'm in Airstep range, we'll pop in on top of him. At that point, I can hold him in place with Stopza, while you two feed me all of your magic-restoring items. That way, Namine should be able to destroy his heart no problem." She grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing. "I just need to reach him. All I need to do is get in range, and we'll win this!"
Seeing Riku and Namine fleeing, Aqua closing in on him, and Sora ready to pounce him, Shigaraki felt adrenaline spike through his body. His chest convulsed, jolting outward violently. (My body… I can tell I'm under immense pain. It's unbearable pain.)
(But…) He placed a hand over his heart. (I don't feel any of it.)
An incredible burst of air shot out from Shigaraki as three white spirals circled him. Sora was blown back from the sheer power of the burst, while Riku briefly lost control. Those three, no, all six of them were consumed wholly by fear seeing this move, and knowing what would come next. "MY STORY WON'T END HERE! I WON'T LET YOU BASTARDS KILL ME!"
Still clutching his back, Riku held Namine with one hand and readied his Keyblade with the other. "He won't touch you, Namine. I'll turn to dust before that happens!" The pain Riku felt from the Dark Inferno was nothing compared to now. His entire being pulsed uncontrollably, every muscle in his body aching in agony. His throat was strained, his face was pale, and his heart felt ready to explode itself.
His gaze shifted to Aqua, who still appeared quite far. (Even with Airstep, Aqua won't make it in time.) His eyes went to Sora, who although slowed by the Air Force, was still rushing in. (Sora… no, him too. Neither of them will make it in time.) He could feel Namine's grip tighten. (I need to buy time, I have to stall him for just one attack.
(But what should I do? He knows about Reflect now, so he'll anticipate that. I can't Dark Roll away with Namine, that only affects me. And with the speed from this, he'll break out of Magneza. Darn it! Even if I had Stop, he's just out of range! It's like he accounted for everything!)
Riku's eyes widened, a small shine appearing within. (Wait! Aeroza plus Reflect! That's it! When he charges me, I'll use Refleza, and the wind barrier will shred him! He's getting desperate, so he might panic and act rash!)
His eyes ever so slightly narrowed. (What? Why do I feel… so uncertain?) Just as Riku concluded that thought, Shigaraki smirked. Riku's wind barrier faded. The shine disappeared from his eyes as he felt himself grow deathly sick from the inside out.(W- Wh- What…? I forgot it was running out? How could I screw up so badly?
(… No. How did Shigaraki know? It doesn't make sense, he never saw us use Aero-) It wasn't on his mind in the heat of the moment, but now, it all came sprinting back. (Donald used it. It was so long ago, it slipped my mind. And… this monster, he somehow figured out its duration, based on a single use?)
Glaring ferociously, Shigaraki tilted his body and curled up his legs, locked and loaded like a missile. Riku felt helpless, paralyzed by fear as he faced down death itself. But, faced with a fate he could no longer prevent, he steeled himself. (Fine, I'm not gonna back out now. I swore I'd turn to dust before letting him touch Namine, and I will.)
All sounds except his heartbeat faded out. It was the sole thing echoing in his head. (Sora… please don't blame yourself for this. Don't change who you are because of one person. You're better than that. I wish… this went your way… I wish…)
Riku felt the grip on his shirt scrunch. "I won't let you… Riku." Riku felt his body moving on its own, against his will. The moment was disorienting, confusing, but eventually, his mind made sense of it when he saw the person responsible.
Namine threw Riku out of the way.
All eyes fell on Namine. Everyone reached a hand out to her. Sora, Aqua, Xion, Strelitzia, Riku, and Shigaraki. They all wanted to reach her first, but Namine knew what she had done. (Riku… We both know what's coming next. There was so much that led us here, but… please, don't blame yourself.)
She closed her eyes, and thought of somebody close to her. (I'm sorry, we never got to keep our promise. I mean, I know you don't remember it, but I'm sure it's still real to you. I know it is to me.)
Thinking of her friends, Namine softly smiled. (I'm glad I got to meet you. Sora, everyone. Of all the things we've been through, there's only one thing I'd change.) As Namine sat in bliss, surrounded by her friends, the image of Shigaraki swooped in, overtaking them in a shroud of purple mist.
Moments later, a sonic boom erupted from Shigaraki's location, and she felt a hot, crispy hand crash into her face.
From that moment to the next, the two were already on the ground, a massive explosion erupting beneath them. A long, booming blast echoed from that location, traveling across The World That Never Was. As Mickey, Donald, Roxas, and Terra flew in silence, from a great distance away, they saw a massive ring of white and cloud of debris form in the air. Seconds later, they heard that same boom. They all exchanged petrified glances, seemingly coming to the same conclusion.
The five present warriors all descended, each wracked with fears and concerns. (Please…) Riku's eyes were watery, ready to burst at any moment. (Please be okay.) The five of them floated just a few feet off the ground, spotting a dark figure through the debris cloud. From that figure, a light emerged. It was a small pink, red, and white, circle, gently floating upwards. Soon, its image became more clear. It was a heart.
A black, charred hand reached out from the smoke, grabbing hold of the heart. "Do you guys finally get it now? All your determination, those 'never give up' attitudes. Against me, all they'll do is get you killed. Just like her."
Before their eyes, the black hand slowly began taking a new form, its blisters and missing skin healing. The debris cloud soon cleared, revealing Tomura Shigaraki, his combat uniform and cape still ruined, but his skin stitching itself back together good as new.
The hole to his heart disappeared as the heart Shigaraki held decayed into dust. "Sora. Your friends are gonna join Namine real soon. Just watch me."
To be continued