"You won't win, Hina."
He gritted his teeth, hands crushing the bricks beneath his red-hot glowing hands as he propelled himself out of the massive hole in the building.
She sighed, body fluidly dodging his attempted fist.
She weaved.
He stepped on the edge, body out of balance—or so it seemed.
His foot crashed right up into her chin, her head snapping up as she staggered two steps back.
["Guess other me must've done something wrong to piss him off this much—"]
Her head snapped back into her field of view, ahead of her.
He was gone.
No, he was just barely out her sight
Her eyes slid to the corner of her peripheral vision just a second too late.
"...he's fast—"
His right hook blasted her clean into the city's streets, her body colliding with a stationary semi truck.
The collision sparked a massive panic immediately. Pedestrians ran away from the scene, the cars just beside the pretzel of metal, sped off immediately. Akira groaned as she shook her head, her jaw loose, "Man, since when did he start throwing those kinds of blows?"
She stumbled out of the destroyed vehicle, a few daring onlookers recording the scene from alleyways as she stood beside the car, "Man, hope no one was inside."
But there was...
A middle aged man's body. A massive shard of the window penetrated through the back of his skull and out through the side. His head slumped against the airbag that was deflating slowly.
He was dead. And she killed him.
Her eyes softened for just a fraction of a second before she looked away, glanced up at the buildings she'd been punched through and glared at Hinasuke, who only stared back.
"I don't know what I said...but whatever it is, this isn't funny, Hinasuke." She muttered, her eyes flashing a bright violet for just a brief moment before—
A loud voice from the holographic speaker suddenly spoke:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
" WARNING TO ALL CITIZENS IN THE AREA: STAY CLEAR OF THE RED ZONE. "
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Akira's eyes darted around the buildings. They were all red. She looked at the alleyway with the people that were recording—except they were all gone.
Hinasuke muttered beneath his breath, "No...Akira."
Akira looked around, confused, "The hell—?"
Without warning, a hot red beam struck her from above, burning her skin as she screamed in pain, the ground beneath her feet melting into molten magma as she curled up, the smell of burning meat flooding her senses as she screamed in agony.
Her hair fell off. Her eyes gouged out of their sockets as they liquefied into the floor as the burning floor swallowed her hands. When she removed them, only the melting bone remained.
The beam then suddenly stopped, vanishing into thin air as if it never happened and yet—the damage was palpable.
Half of the buildings that were the red zone had been liquidated into nothing but molten magma.
The buildings that had holes in them were nothing but piles of hot bricks and burning cement as the entire 300 meter radius of that specific spot was nothing but a pool of hot orange, white hot lava and burning buildings.
And in the center was a pool of a half disintegrated thing.
It was Akira.
Or at least whatever it was that was left of her.
Then the loud voice said again:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
" Threat has been neutralized. "
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The air was filled with the smell of hot mortar and burnt metal. And from it all, Hinasuke stared in absolute horror at the girl he loved.
The girl he swore to protect.
The girl he cared about.
Lying dead in a pool of hellish water.
His heart was pounding.
He felt nauseous.
He couldn't breathe, his lungs were on fire as he collapsed to his knees, "A-Akira..."
His body couldn't stop shaking, his eyes were watering.
Sure it wasn't her, but that wasn't the point. In his eyes, regardless of the truth, he just witnessed Akira or whatever that was pretending to be her, get absolutely obliterated to a mess.
He could barely feel his hands, his mind was blank except for the screams of agony that his ears had been cursed to hear.
The beam came without warning. He'd never seen it in action before, only its aftermath. And yet, it was terrifying.
No warning, no countdown.
No sound.
Just a sudden quiet beam, melting and destroying the earth and the screams coming from someone who wore the face of the only woman he loved.
"No, no, no, no, no."
"Y-You can't. Akira, you can't!"
He clawed at his head, and with a loud cry, "NO, YOU CAAAN'T!!!"
He shut his eyes, his mind reeling with nothing but torturous memories:
( "Oh come on, Hina. It'll be fun~" )
( "I care about you, y'know? More than I...like to show..." )
( "I only need you guys by my side. That's all I need in life. Nothing more." )
"STOP IT!!"
( "Hina! Could you buy me some Ohagi on your way back?" )
( "Akira, I'm busy—" )
( "I'll repay you with something hand-made!" )
( "Fine...jeez you're so annoying sometimes." )
"NOO, ENOUGH!!"
( "Hehe! I love you too~" )
"ENOUUUGH!!"
...
He was gasping for air. Eyes wide now, hands clawing at his chest as his body shuddered deeper into the floorboard of the destroyed building he was in.
His tears began to well, "A-Akira..." his voice cracked.
...
The molten magma continued to sink down into the crater that the beam had made in its wake. The smell getting more pungent.
She was gone.
Akira was gone.
He beat his chest once, "GAAAH!!!" he screamed. Then again, louder.
And then again, but on the third smack of his chest, the air rumbled for a split second.
Hina's head flung up.
Then suddenly—
A purple spark of light ignited from the epicenter of the crater, small and fragile.
Then without warning, the molten lava stopped falling.
A bird flying past him slowed for just a tiny fraction and then—
A loud, bright streak of violet lightning struck the crater hard, sending debris flying everywhere, the magma rose like water, splashing in waves every which way.
A massive wave was headed towards Hinasuke when suddenly it split into two, the sides of the building encased in heat and melting
"I thought we'd made it clear that you should've stayed away from trouble, Mr Dangerous-in-bed."
Hina's eyes slid to the side.
Straw hat.
Gray long robes.
And a smile that knew too much.
"Dacchi..." Hinasuke whispered under his breath.
"Ahhh, Dacchi, looks like we'll miss buzzkill's meeting—OH!? HELLO THERE, DANGEROUS!"
Hina turned behind him, his eyes widened...he knew that giant smile anywhere, "Genju."
The air sizzled as purple sparks flew in and out of the crater before a loud, audible gasp for air was heard.
Dacchi steeled his gaze below, "Seems like you're in quite the predicament, huh?"
Genju laughed, "We heard you screaming a mile away!" He rumbled.
Hinasuke got up to his feet, "M-My friend, sh-she's dead." He whispered.
Dacchi adjusted the toothpick in his mouth, staff forming in his hand, "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Hashibira..."
"Yes...seems like that strong girl is getting stronger now!" Genju said, his face leaning forward.
Hina turned around to see what they were seeing and then...
His heart faltered.
There she was.
Hair messy, naked, gasping for air, standing on the now molten free rock.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
She was vaporized a second ago how is she—?
"Big man, let the Ayanaki handle this, yes?" Genju said, his hand heavy on Hinasuke as his serious tone rumbled in his chest.
"Something tells me there's a whole lot more to this Hybrid girl than meets the eye." Dacchi said, eyes serious now, glowing faintly.
Hinasuke blinked once, shaking off his jitters, "No. That's my friend or at least, whatever she is, knows where she really is. And I'm not gonna let her replace her without facing the consequences."
Both Ayanaki fighters glanced at each other, "You sure you can handle this action, young man?" Genju said, eyes never leaving the girl who was now standing on both feet, steam rising from her body.
Hinasuke looked down at Akira, his eyes glued to her as she hung her head in exhaustion. His brows dug into his face as his irises ignited into a bright red, crimson gauntlets forming around his arms as he took up a stance, his voice returning, "You're not having all the fun to yourselves now."
Dacchi chuckled spinning his staff, "I like this kid."
Genju huffed, steam rising from his back as it touched the fragile ceiling, "Da. He's interesting, isn't he?"
Dacchi's eyes narrowed in excitement as Akira's head slowly rose, "No freaking doubt about it."
Down below, Akira's body was done steaming.
She slowly rose her head, eyes hollowed out into nothing but whites as her violet pupils rolled back into view.
She took a deep breath, staring at the sky, "What the hell...happened?"
She then looked forward again.
[ "Oh yeah, that's right...I died, didn't I?" ]
She scratched her bare chest, eyes locking with the trio of men ahead.
[ "Well then, seems like I'm still in the game now, aren't I..." ]
She chuckled, "Man...Talk about a memorable breakup." she muttered to herself, leaning back into a fighting stance.
"She's getting ready."
"Here it comes."
"Da. Don't let your guard down."
Akira slowly smiled at herself, "I had no idea you guys were okay with fighting naked women, but hey..."
Her hands began to glow a deep violet before the air stilled...
Before her body was suddenly already throwing a massive uppercut to Genju.
Hinasuke could barely react.
Daachi smirked as he spun his metal rod around and deflected her assault on the juggernaut.
"...I don't judge."