Chapter Text
After a long 18-hour flight, a miniature plane safely touches down on the runway, the wheels touching down on the ground causing the interior of the aircraft to shake a little. After a few beats, the plane slows down and eventually comes to a stop in the back of three brown buildings made out of hardwood, constructed in a triangle formation. In front of those buildings, two lines of foxtail palm trees are planted on full display with a walkway to the entrance in between. Beyond that, a large parking lot.
Back on the ramp, the door to the airliner opens up, and a woman walks out with her traveling bag, a big hat to block out the blazing sun, and sunglasses to cover her eyes. Walking down the three-story steps, the lady watches as the airport workers who were on the flight with her also get out and go to the compartment in the back of the plane to get her luggage. A tan man wearing an aloha shirt and shorts comes to greet her and tells her that her ride is here to pick her up as she gets handed said luggage. Thanking those workers, she follows the man to enter the center building. Walking through the building to the front entrance after passing by a few wealthy-looking tourists, the lady and the man goes outside again before said lady glances at the board that's displayed for anybody wishing to come in.
' Welcome to Kauai Airport!'
Phew... Julia turns back around and continues to follow the man as she wipes a bead of sweat off her face, already beginning to suffer from the strong humidity even though it's still the crack of dawn. l know it's obvious since it's summer in Hawaii, but it's still so freaking hot!
After walking on the pathway and onto the parking lot, the man guides her to where a convertible is parked. Opening the door for the passenger seat, the man waits until Julia sits down and has her seatbelt on before getting her luggage and putting it in the back of the car. Afterward, he closes the door and rounds the vehicle to get in the driver's seat. Once he puts on his seatbelt and turns on the engine, he hums a soft tune as he drives out of the parking lot and onto the empty streets of Kauai Island.
Julia researched this place before coming here. Kauai Island is an island in Kauai County, Hawaii. Out of all of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is the sixth largest and is the smallest in terms of being publicly assessable. So in terms of isolation, it's very closed off. 98% of the island is owned by an American Businessman and Entrepreneur, and this island is known for its delicious pineapples, granting its nickname the Pineapple Island. There are no traffic lights, the total population is just above 3,000, and the only settlement in the whole island is a small town called Kauai City, located right dab in the middle of the island when one examines where it is on a map. There's only one school in the town, Kauai High and Elementary School, serving grades K-12. Finally, there's also a single hospital, Kauai Community Hospital.
But back to how it's rarely accessible to the public. It's one of those places where one needs special permission to enter, which begs the question...
How is Julia here? Where is she going?
Thinking about how that particular story came to be, Julia smiles as they pass by countless of tall tropical trees, watching the animals chilling in their respectable habitats. The direction they're going is to the south, while the town is up north, so there aren't any natives around either. Just animals and beautiful wildlife.
Well, it is called Hawaii's hidden gem for a reason.
About 45 minutes later, they reached the end of the street where the entrance of Hulopoe Beach is. When the car stops, they both get out of the car before the man gives Julia her luggage. After paying the driver and waving her goodbye, she watches the retreating car before turning back to the beach, noticing a very few tourists vlogging what they're doing and showing the rest of the world what's out here. After all, again, not many people know about this place.
Walking over the sand and passing them once she grabs her luggage, Julia thinks back to how she came here. After the Elite Class left campus to go on their mission to retrieve their leader, Julia stayed inside her home on the school grounds, waiting anxiously and worrying about her niece Avery Smith. However, when Ms.Holbrooke came over after some time had passed and broke the sad news to her that they failed, she understandably panicked since she truly didn't know if Avery was okay or not. It didn't help matters that when she walked out of campus, the world changed for the worse. She heard of what was going on around her: The major disaster that destroyed most countries and their communities. It was mind-boggling. When she heard and saw the devastation herself, she couldn't help but wonder what the hell happened. She was inside campus, which the university created in a separate dimension, so she didn't have a clue what made the whole world change the way it did. The point is the unknown. It's the unknown factor of her niece's status from there on that was getting to her. If something were to happen to her, forget how Julia would've taken such a thing. What would she say to Avery's parents?
But just when Julia decided that she needed to have a talk with them about potentially filing a missing person's report, Avery contacted her out of the blue, confirming she was in a safe location and requesting her assistance in helping Akko. While Julia gave Avery a mouthful of how reckless she was and lectured her, she ultimately gave in, and now here she is, going to where Avery is.
According to my niece's instructions... Julia takes out her phone and checks Google Maps as she glances around, knowing that where she needs to go is near. Once l get to the beach, l need to walk for a few miles before some grassy clearing to the left of where the forest appears.
Finding that little clearing, Julia sighs in relief at knowing she's going in the right direction. Next to the grassy pathway is a wooden picnic table under a tree that provides much-needed shade. Julia would've taken a break there, but she knows it's not much longer to get to her destination now. She can tough it out a little longer.
But just before she walks back into nature, she turns to view the sea and the coast as a whole, admiring the stunning tropical sight.
Julia smiles as she adjusts her backpack. At least Avery is in a beautiful place.
Before she can turn and walk into the pathway, a little dot can be seen from the sky. It catches Julia's eye, and as the dot grows larger and larger, she realizes with surprise that it's a hawk. But what shocks her is that the hawk is flying directly towards her.
"Oh? And what do we have here? A hawk?" Sensing that the hawk isn't going to harm her, Julia puts out her forearm for the hawk to land on and the animal does just that. The therapist smiles at the creature, obviously appearing captivated as she uses a finger to gently rub the top of his head. "Hello, friend. Usually, your kind lives in a more forestry terrain, not the tropical kind."
The hawk makes its iconic sound, successfully conveying his message.
Julia's eyes widen as she gets the memo. Looking back at the grassy pathway behind her, she gazes back at the hawk in shock a second later. "You want to come along with me?"
The hawk screeches again, affirming her suspicions.
Julia gazes at the hawk right in his eyes. The animal and human stare each other down for a long moment before the hawk comically tilts his head to the side.
"Hm... I don't see why not." At that, Julia can't help but burst out a chuckle. "I have a gut feeling that you're going to be very important. I don't know how, but I'm usually right," She guides the hawk to be patched on top of her head. "So l won't shoo a cutie like you away."
Once the hawk is properly settled with satisfaction, Julia shakes her head with a smile as she turns and starts walking. This one certainly has character.
With that, they're off. Heading out of the beach and into the tropical forest, Julia heads straight as was instructed. The deeper she goes, the thicker the trees get, and soon enough she sees the wildlife once again, with the animals in their natural habitats. Judging by her surroundings, if she didn't know where to go, she would've been lost and panicked. It's that kind of environment.
That said, the change in scenery isn't the only thing that's changed. The deeper she walks in, the more pressure she feels as the air gets more dense.
And she knows precisely why that is.
These two auras... I recognize them anywhere... Beads of sweat run down her face as a faint red and golden glow breezes over the therapist and her surroundings like a powerful gust of wind. They're...
It's more than enough to completely crush her where she stands. With that in mind, she forces a smile at the absurdity of it all. Well, at least l know I'm going in the right direction. She enters another grassy clearing with notable difficulty walking, as one can guess why. This time, a large traditional Japanese house is right in the middle of it, with gardens of various plants on each side and at the back of said house.
In front of that house at the base of the stairs are the owners of the two auras. There stands Chariot and Alice, standing side by side and wearing matching pitch-black kendo uniforms (kendogi and hakama). Spotting Julia, Alice shows off a smile as Chariot breathes a visible sigh of relief, both shutting off their auras instantly which makes the climate as a whole go back to normal. They probably tried to show Julia the way here by discharging their strength.
Giving them a grateful smile at shutting the immense pressure off, Julia walks normally again as she goes to them.
"Shiny Chariot, Alice Synthesis Thirty." Julia shakes both of their hands in greeting. "The former and the current number 1 in the world in the same place and time? Count my blessings." She grins as she co*cks her hip to one side. "Surely l must've done something in a past life that would reward me this incredible and rare sight."
"Oh come on now, it’s not that big of a deal." Chariot sheepishly responds as she rubs the back of her neck. She then smiles and bows her head to Julia before effortlessly picking up the heavy luggage with one hand over her shoulder. "Thank you for coming."
"Yes, thank you for coming all this way." Alice also expresses her gratitude as she gives the therapist a questioning gaze between her and the hawk on her head. Chariot also lifts a brow in amusem*nt. Julia lifts a hand and shakes her head, signifying to them it's a long story. Nodding at that, Alice turns her back as she goes up the stairs. "Now we can finally get started."
"Thank you for having me." Julia strolls up the stairs after her, looking around the surroundings and remembering how she got here as Chariot follows from behind. "Such an isolated location..."
Sliding the door open and walking inside, Julia can see three pathways. The one on the left leads to the hallways which Julia believes leads to the outside of one of the side gardens, the one on the right leads to a hallway which Julia guesses leads to the rooms of its residence, and in the middle shows the spiral stairs that leads upstairs. The interior walls, ceiling, and floor are what one would expect from a traditional Asian Minka home: timber and clay. The design has that old rustic feel to it.
As Julia finishes inspecting the place, Chariot walks past her to where Julia's room must be. As the redhead disappears into the hallway, Julia turns to Alice curiously as Alice notices her attention on her.
"Where's the others?"
Julia was there when Ms.Holbrooke talked to the Elite Class as a whole in her office, so she knew Akko and Avery weren't alone when they made their escape. There was one other in that video footage that was shared that day and she highly doubted Akko would've had the galls to face all of her friends at once. When Julia first met her, she discovered firsthand that Akko was a sweetheart. Still is. And yet, Diana and everyone else failed. Akko was more than fast enough to outrun them, but considering Avery and that other unknown assailant that was with her, Julia can easily imagine Akko having to keep the two of them in mind and hold back on the speed of their travel.
Therefore, the Elite Class must've run into some trouble on their way to catch up to Akko, and what other plausible explanation is there than having a strong group capable of handling the heroes-in-training back the brunette up?
Alice gives Julia a knowing smile as Chariot comes back, the blonde already figuring out that she's talking about the Golden Lotus. "Except for Bianca, they've been heavily injured in their fight against the Elite Class. They're recovering in their rooms, with Croix and Lilith, my maid, looking after them."
Nodding, Julia thins her eyes. "Before we get to Akko, l need to see my niece first."
"Of course." Alice nods at her back before gesturing both her and Chariot to the hallway the redhead just came out from. "Follow me."
As the trio enters the wooden footpath, Julia asks them how Avery is faring.
"She's doing fine," Alice says as she and Chariot exchange concerning looks before gazing down at the floor. "But me and Chariot are a little bit concerned."
Julia didn't miss the way they looked at each other, nor the unsure tone in the blonde's voice. To say alarm bells are raging inside her head is a major understatement. "Concerned?"
Hearing and seeing how apprehensive she is, they all stop at where Avery's room is assumed to be as Chariot sweeps in to alleviate Julia's worries.
"We have a theory about something." The redhead gently tells her as she puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's only between us," She gestures to Alice and herself. "But as her aunt, we think you should look at her with your own eyes and make your judgment before we tell you about it."
After saying that, Chariot nods towards the door in front of them.
Julia grimaces. "Alright. This theory of yours..." She turns to Alice, visibly skeptical. "Is it bad?"
At that, Alice turns to Chariot, clearly seeking for assistance. "Well..."
"Depends on who you ask." Both ladies's gazes are now on the redhead. "If you know, as an aunt, you might not think it'd be bad at all.If in an alternate universe, you're her mother however..." Her expression becomes unreadable as she looks at Julia. "You're more likely to think it's a bad thing, and will feel like it'll cause a whole chunk of problems, that's for sure."
Grimacing even more, Julia slides the door open and heads inside, tired of all of these seemingly important clues they're bouncing around back and forth and treating her as if she's the monkey in the middle.
However, the moment she walks through the threshold into the spacious room, when she sees a tired-looking Avery playing a video game on the bed with a blonde girl who looks just like Akko on the cushions on the floor in front of a flat-screen television, all of what Chariot and Alice said to her or was trying to tell her all made sense right then and there.
The window in the room makes the sunlight shine inside, and upon hearing someone come in, the two girls pause their game and turn to the newcomer.
Atsumi's eyes widen upon recognizing Julia as Avery beams at her. At record time, she gets up from the mattress. "Aunty..."
But what made them confused is the way Julia peered at Avery's lower abdomen, as if she had just found something so unexpected she would've fallen on her ass if not for quickly placing her hand on the wall next to the door to steady herself.
To say she has an expression of utter shock would be an understatement. Nevertheless...
"Avery." As fast as it came, the fierce expression the therapist had on disappeared, making anyone who saw it doubt it was even there in the first place. She raises her arms, looking for a hug. "Come here."
Avery didn't hesitate for a second. She goes right in, hugging her tight as Atsumi waves hi to the therapist with a warm welcoming smile before resuming the game they were playing.
Julia hugs her niece back tightly. "You had me worried sick you know."
"I'm sorry." Avery pulls away to gaze up at her in the eyes. "Things just happened and... I just want to be there for Akko." They pull away as Avery laughs nervously. "But l called you, didn't l?"
Julia shakes her head with a sigh, apparently tired of Avery's sh*t. "I'm just glad you're safe and okay." She flicks her niece's forehead, making Avery yelp. "Call your parents. l imagine they're worried sick as well considering the catastrophe that happened back in Britain."
Avery rubs the spot where she got hit. "Note taken." She looks up with emotion. "You're here, so you'll really..."
At the implication of Avery's words, Atsumi pauses the game again and looks straight at Julia with hope in her gaze. This involves her twin, so of course Atsumi is going to be invested.
"Yes. Chariot and Alice will take me to where she is." Julia confirms with a smile as she rubs the top of Avery's head.
Avery nods resolutely as she turns serious. "I'm coming with you."
Atsumi gets up and puts the gaming controller on Avery's bed. "Me too."
Julia looks at the two girls with a frown, knowing this will be a very dangerous task she's about to embark on. It's Akko, after all, and she knew from her last encounter with her that she is extremely powerful. However, seeing that these two won't take no for an answer and not even thinking about putting up much of a fight (she has to save her energy for when she's dealing with Akko, after all), Julia sighs as she nods in understanding.
"Fine, but don't stray too far, and always be close to us. As you already know, it's going to be dangerous." Gesturing for them to come outside, Julia walks out of the room with Avery and Atsumi in tow, meeting back up with Chariot and Alice. All in all, the total amount of people in the hallway is now 5. "Now change your clothes." Julia grins at her niece in a teasing manner, looking up and down Avery's pajamas. "You wouldn't want to show the person you're crushing on to see you in your homeware, would you?"
It might've been weird at first glance why Julia made Avery and Atsumi come out of the room just to make her go back in to change. However, if someone smart peeks deeper into it, one would realize it's to indirectly let Chariot and Alice know Avery and Atsumi will come along with them. The two understand immediately, if their nods are anything to go by.
Avery blushes at her aunt's comment as Atsumi snickers. "Alright Alright! Be right back!" She tugs the blonde to come along with her back into her room as she glances up at the top of Julia's head, flabbergasted. "Also..."
She points at the top of her head as Atsumi just now noticed the hawk as well, her expression conveying how in the hell she didn't notice the animal until now. "What's with the-"
The hawk raises one of his wings as if to say 'hello!' as Julia shows them a poker face. "Don't even ask."
With a shrug, Avery decides to let it go as she and Atsumi go back inside her room, sliding the door shut as they start talking to each other. Right as the door closes-
...
The air becomes cold and intense, as if a switch had been flipped. After a few seconds of increasingly tense silence, Julia turns to the two adults with an expression full of immense fury. "I demand an explanation."
Alice frowns as she crosses her arms, not intimidated but looking grim at just how angry the lady in front of her is. "So you've confirmed it."
"She looked like she was going to throw up, of course I've confirmed it!" She hisses at them as she gestures towards her face which is meant to express Avery's, whispering so that their conversation can't be heard. "From the very moment l walked in, I could smell the heavy amount of soft milk aroma she's letting out! If it wasn't for her room which traps in the smell, l would've already figured it out the instant l entered this house! I'm guessing your theory has to do with this. Explain." She clenches her fists, glowering at them. "Now."
"We don't know." Beads of sweat ran down Chariot's face as she crossed her arms and laid her back on the wall on the other side of the hallway, visibly more impacted by Julia's anger than Alice. She may be number 1, but there's no winning in a vocal match against a pissed-off family member. "She just came to us saying she didn't feel well and that she couldn't transform into her werewolf form." She shrugs while giving Julia a deeply apologetic look. "We know nothing more than that I'm afraid."
"Of course she can't transform! She's... tabarnak-" Cursing in Canadian French, Julia clasps her hands together in front of her face, covering her nose, mouth, and chin as she closes her eyes and hangs her head as the anger leaves her system. One glance at her expression, and anyone can tell how stressed out she is. "Oh my goodness... I didn't expect this first thing in the morning. How the f*ck do l break this to her mother and father?..."
At that, the air turns even colder at the thought.
"Well that settles it, right?" After a moment, Alice breaks the silence as she chooses to not even answer such a question. The blonde turns to Chariot. "The girl is..."
"As l said before, we need confirmation from Ms.Marie." Chariot responds as she shrugs again. "She'll be here in about a week. Once we're 100% certain, that's when we'll have to figure out what to do from there."
Julia presses her palm against her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Does Avery herself know?" Sighing heavily, she looks at the redhead with coldness in her gaze. "Judging by how carefree she was when we greeted each other rather than looking at me with fear in her eyes, l can safely assume she doesn't."
"No, she doesn't." Chariot repeats her, confirming it as she nods. "That's one part of the figuring out portion. How to tell her. At the very least, we'll have to ask her if she'd been... close to anyone back in college." The number one hero grimaces as she looks down at the floor. "If it's as we feared, we need to at least know what happened."
There's total silence again. A grim one that just adds to the seriousness of it all as Julia shakes her head in dismay.
My niece isn't the type to play around. Julia clenches her jaw as she starts to get deep into the thought of what could've possibly transpired. However, only Avery knows. It's pointless to speculate, but Julia can't help it. She's serious in her studies and is a good girl. What happened indeed... As far as l know, she never disclosed being close to anyone other than Akko, so who could of possibly-
"Ready!"
Master of tactical change, the three adults immediately shift to a neutral mood as Avery and Atsumi come out of the room. The former wears a white peplum top and jean shorts, coupled with purple and white colored sneakers to match. As for the latter, she's wearing a yellow blouse that matches the color of her hair while also wearing tight jeans and leather sneakers.
With the signal that there's nothing else to do but to proceed, Alice's blue irises start glowing a faint blue as she walks back to the entrance. "I'll show you where Ms.Kagari is chained up."
As they climb up the spiral stairs, Julia finally asks Avery what has happened to the world. She knows her niece knows, but it's something that, to her at least, needs to be explained in person rather than by text or on the phone. When Avery tells her that the destruction of the world is actually collateral damage from Akko's fight with Diana Cavendish, Julia is unable to believe it. She knows Akko is strong, but not that strong. Same for Diana. It just can't be true. If they, especially Akko, have the power to destroy the world at their fingertips, then that means they far surpass Chariot, who's the strongest hero in the world. And for Julia, that's such a high bar to reach that she might've believed Avery if Akko was an adult.
But she's only 20...
Sparing a glance at her aunt's disbelieving stare, Avery smiles nervously as she shrugs. "l don't know what else l can tell you. I've seen the devastation for myself. It's up to you whether or not you believe me."
Julia frowns at that as they all reach the large double doors.
The last time we were here, we chained her up inside while she was unconscious. Alice takes a deep breath before turning to everyone. It's been a while since then. She has to be awake now.
"Be prepared."
Avery, Chariot, and Atsumi nod with resolute expressions on their faces. Julia looks doubtful for a second before nodding as well. Alice opens the doors, and the moment she does-
"MHHHHH!!!!!!"
Julia gets sent back with absolute force, but before she can be blown away to fall all the way down the first floor and possibly die, Chariot catches her mid-air and holds her close as she activates her aura, digging her feet into the ground and causing major cracks to form under her as the redhead wills herself to stay in place. Alice does the same with Avery in her arms as Atsumi transforms her arms into gold titanium, making herself stay in place as she desperately clings to the doorframe.
This... Julia can barely keep her eyes open as they get hit with winds more powerful than any hurricane could ever produce. She focuses her gaze on the source. This is...
On top of the Mesoamerican pyramid, Akko is desperately trying to break free. With her mouth sealed because of the bronze muzzle and with a blindfold on, her gray hair is glowing white as she continues to let out a demonic-like sound, said sound muffled by said muzzle.
Julia is not only in shock of Akko's draconic appearance, but also the amount of power the white-haired girl is letting out without any restrictions.
Getting exposed to this monstrous strength, Julia can't help but believe Avery now. The therapist furrows her brows in dismay as the realization kicks in that having Alice and Chariot here doesn't mean sh*t in terms of their safety. If it weren't for those chains sealing her movements, they'd be dead by now, not to mention the aura the gray-haired girl is letting out makes Chariot and Alice's from earlier look like nothing. That's why they decided to put her in another dimension altogether, because if she was back outside in this state then she would've already caused destructive damage on an already damaged Earth with just her aura alone. Just the reality that both Alice and Chariot together with their full power can't stop Akko (or no longer can) in a scenario where they'd have to fight her hits her like a truck, and with that, Julia can't help but ask herself: Just how powerful did Akko become?
Seeing Akko suffering this much, Avery chokes back a sob as she holds on to Alice tightly. Akko...
"Come on! Let's see if you can talk to her with your mind!" Desperate to help her daughter, Chariot takes it one step at a time, slowly getting to the pyramid while fighting against the trajectory of the ferocious winds. Damn... This is like fighting against quicksand! Alice, Avery, and Atsumi are right behind her as the redhead yells. "With your powers, you can do it, right!?"
"I can see the mental state of my patient via touch!" Julia forces out as they all climb up the stairs. The closer they are to her, the harder it gets to move, breathe, and speak. It's already suffocating enough to barely breathe the moment they came in. Now it's just unbearable. "It has nothing to do with telepathy! But I'll certainly try to talk to her!"
Chariot glances down at her, and Julia can see the obvious plea and frustration in her gaze. The plea to help her daughter through this since she can't on her own, which is also the cause of her frustration.
"Don't worry." Julia nods with determination. "I will."
Chariot gives her an emotional little smile before focusing all her concentration on moving forward.
Eventually, they get to the top of the pyramid and in front of Akko. Julia gestures for Chariot to place her down in front of the girl while still holding onto her. The redhead obliges, placing her down in front of the raging girl as Julia stares straight at a screaming Akko.
Julia grits her teeth as she reaches out with her hand. I need to calm her down!
The moment she touches Akko's forehead, a burst of electricity stings her, forcing her hand back. "Ah!"
Seeing what just happened, Avery calls out to her aunt with concern. "Aunty!"
"You okay!?" Chariot asks her in alarm as Alice and Atsumi watches with a grimace.
"I'm alright!" Julia grunts out. "Just caught by surprise! It's like a furnace in there!" She looks up at the three people that are with her. "Not only is her mind out of control, but she's also deathly afraid of something! Something nobody but her can see! It's like she's going through a horrible nightmare, but she's clearly awake!"
Chariot, Avery, Alice, and Atsumi all exchange worrying glances before turning back to Julia, who's reaching out to touch Akko's forehead again. The moment she does, bursts of electricity stings her again, causing immense pain to shoot up from her hand to her arm.
However, Julia isn't backing down this time. She keeps her hand there, gritting her teeth as the electricity goes up from her hand up to her arm, looking like it's about to fry her brain and her heart simultaneously when it miraculously stops in it's tracks. All of this happened in a fraction of a nanosecond by the way, and it looked as though it was about to kill Julia right then and there within that astronomically small timeframe. Julia most likely wouldn't have ever seen it coming, and would already be in heaven by now, wondering what the hell just happened. However, the electricity stopped as if recognizing who Julia is before it could go in for the kill, and with that, disappears as it's owner screams in the therapist's head.
DON'T TOUCH ME!
Julia's eyes widen as she hears the girl's petrified voice in her head. "Akko!"
"Huh!?" Everyone rose to attention at that as Avery yells. "What's happening to Akko!?"
Ignoring her niece, Julia closes her eyes as she gets over her surprise. She's using telepathy to communicate with me, so it's not like she's shutting me out completely like the first time. Good. She smiles. The hard part was trying to establish a line of communication, but now that that's over and done with, she can handle this. Julia has always had her way with words. She's initiating. Akko, it's only me.She starts off in a calm and reassuring tone. I'm Julia, Avery's aunt. We met once before, remember?
It becomes quiet in the other end, but Julia isn't discouraged by that in the slightest. She powers on, knowing Akko is listening. You crashed face first into a warehouse! Haha... Thinking back, that was pretty funny, but at the time we didn't even know what happened. Your like the Flash! And Quincy and Isabella loves the Flash!
DON'T COME CLOSE TO ME! Akko bellows in pure fear. THE OTHERS... THE OTHERS ARE GOING TO COME AFTER YOU TOO!
Others? At the mention of 'others', Julia frowns. What others Akko?
MY FRIENDS! Akko yells out in her mind as the winds get even stronger, her voice becoming even louder if that's even possible. THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU! OVER OVER AND OVER AGAIN, JUST LIKE THEY HOW THEY'RE DOING IT WITH ME RIGHT NOW! NO! HANNAH! PLEASE! I'M SORRY!
Julia realizes with the information Akko had just given her that she's fighting something that's clearly there in her eyes, but not to anybody else's. But the fact that Akko is still able to talk to her despite what she's going through right now offers hope that Akko will be able to fight off whatever is harming her.
Akko! Akko listen to me! What that hope, Julia yells at her back. It's not really ideal in calming people down, but she now understands that in this case, for Akko to listen to her, she needs to equal her, no, surpass her, in the strength of wills. They're not real! Whatever your experiencing is just in your head sweetie!
HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!?
Chariot and Alice grit their teeth, finding it more difficult to stay in place as the winds becomes even stronger. Little by little, they both move back, losing the battle against the currents as Atsumi resorts to crawling, piercing the ground below as she slams her hands underneath to keep her in place. Avery closes her eyes now, not able to see or hear a thing now due to the breeze.
YOU'RE NOT BEING KILLED EVERY SINGLE SECOND BY THOSE YOU LOVE WHILE THEY'RE SAYING sh*tTY THINGS ABOUT YOU THAT MAKE YOU HURT! OH GOD, IT HURTS SO BAD! Her voice shows she's in deep agony as she begins to sob. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP... URGH...
Julia frowns as she grimaces, now understanding Akko is really in pain. The type of pain that it's so bad, one can barely focus on what's around them. Emphasis on barely.Bumping into a little trouble, she wonders what she should do to distract Akko of her suffering to talk to her properly when-
Kaw! Kaw!
The hawk, the animal everybody forgot is on top of Julia's head, starting screeching loudly behind the sound of the currents.
S-SEBASTIAN?...
Immediately recognizing that Akko and the hawk named Sebastian are acquainted, Julia eyes widen as she remembers her earlier words.
I have a gut feeling that you're going to be very important. I don't know how, but I'm usually right, so l won't shoo a cutie like you away.
Akko and Sebastian has meet before, and judging by the way Akko called out to him just now, she seems to adore and love the animal to bits.
Yes! Julia smiles as she looks back to Akko, now knowing what to do. She needs to use Akko's love for the hawk as leverage. Not just that, but her love for the people that are here, namely Chariot, Atsumi and Avery! He flew all this way to meet you! He's really worried about you! Not only him either! She gestures towards the others, catching their attention. But
Chariot, Atsumi and Avery too!
...
A moment later, Alice starts to feel her muscles getting just a little bit lighter, the deafening noise the currents are producing are getting less loud, and she realizes with hope that the winds and the pressure is slowly but surely decreasing.
The others are feeling the effects too. They all train their attention back to Julia and Akko. Both quiet, but without a doubt speaking to each other.
And judging by their surroundings, it's working.
OKAASAN, ATSUMI AND... AVERY?... Akko's voice is starting to get less scared. Very much still in pain, but now most if not all of her attention is now on what Julia is saying. R-REALLY?...
"Yes! Avery, Atsumi, Chariot!" Yelling, Julia looks over her shoulder at them, her expression serious as she calls the three out. "Touch my back! Tell Akko you're here for her!"
Chariot, Avery, and Atsumi immediately complies, with Alice helping the alpha get to her as Atsumi gets up with great exertion to stand. She walks over to get behind Julia as Avery and Chariot reaches out to touch Julia's back, with Atsumi herself following right after.
Akko!!! The Alpha shouts in her mind.
Heya sis! Atsumi's voice is emotional as she finally gets to talk to her sister again. Everything is going to be okay!
Akko, honey... Chariot smiles as tears prickles at the end of her eyes. I'm here.
YOU GUYS... Tears runs down Akko's cheeks more than ever, her voice cracking as she continues to sob. IT HURTS SO MUCH...
Akko, it's okay! Avery reaches out and cradles Akko's cheek, now knowing it's okay to touch them since it's safe to do so. Wherever you are, you are not alone! I don't know what's happening inside your head, but we're here for you! The alpha shows off a sentimental smile. And we'll keep calling out to you to make sure you know that you're loved!
AVERY...
The force of the winds along with the pressure from Akko's aura continues to slowly decrease. The atmosphere begins to get less heavy, and the girl's monstrous aura starts to thin out.
Akko... Well aware of her ever-changing surroundings, Chariot talks to her daughter, deciding to get to the real fear that's plaguing her child. No matter what you've done up until now, no matter how bad it must be, please know that l know you didn't do it on purpose. I'm your mother first and foremost before being a professional superhero. Taking her hand off Julia's back, she goes and straight up hugs the girl. I love you.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Alice had put her hand on Julia's back too, so she's hearing everything that's being said right now. And at Chariot's statement...
I'm your mother first and foremost before being a professional superhero.
Alice grimaces.
Okaasan... Akko begins to physically sob now. Even if l... even if l killed countless people?...
Yes. I'll carry that burden along with you. I know your a good girl at heart Akko. Chariot hugs her tighter. Please, always remember that I'm with you. Me, Avery, Julia, the Golden Lotus, and Alice too.
The wind and pressure completely stops as the aura Akko had been letting out finally vanishes, leaving silence amongst all of the destruction she caused to the dimension.
But my friends... My family... Akko starts shaking violently as she cries even harder. They hate me...
Do they really? Chariot responds fervently. Akko, do you really believe that?
...
Chariot smiles, as if she had just won a battle. Figuratively, she might as well did. The lack of response tells me otherwise dear.
What Shiny Chariot said, Onee-san. Atsumi goes and makes room to hug Akko as well, holding her tightly. They wouldn't have came after you the way they did otherwise. They wouldn't have fought so hard, even though it must've been so emotionally painful for them because losing you had been at stake. Even now somewhere in this world, knowing that they failed, it must be unbearably painful for them right at this moment... They. Don't. Hate. You. And they could never. Heheh... Grinning cheekily, Atsumi pats the top of Akko's head between her draconic horns. Wouldn't they be hella mad if they find out that that's how you feel about them? That you don't trust and believe in them enough to feel the love they have for you?
...
It hurts... Akko concedes as she continues to tremble and cry, burying her face with the limited movement she has on Chariot's shoulder. How can l make it stop?...
Akko.
Underneath the blindfold, Akko's damaged and pained eyes widen as she recognizes the voice. Alice-Senpai...
Seeing that Akko is able to remember her from their fight back at the mall all those months ago, Alice shows of a little smile of contentment. The power that you have, it's called Olethros. I'll explain all of what's happening to you afterwards, but for now, just know this. Her voice and expression turns as serious as it's ever been, wanting to make the message to Akko loud and clear for her to understand. The people in your head is not really them. True to Julia's words, they're all in your head. They're not real. It order to eliminate the heavy cost of having Olethros for good, to take the first steps into fully mastering your biological powers, you need to eliminate those that are currently hurting you. The nightmares, the hallucinations, the torture. Everything will stop if you beat them down.
Beat. Them. Down.
As those key words spirals around Akko's mind, the last person shouts with enthusiasm, catching Akko's complete attention.
We'll be here every step of the way Akko! Avery grins as she's the last to hug Akko tightly. I know you can do it!
...
After a long moment, Akko's glowing white hair bangs covers her face completely as her head moves downwards, her dragon horns eerily pointing towards everyone as they pull away from their hugs and sees the movement.
Avery frowns in concern. "Akko?"
"Shhh!"
Everyone looks back towards Julia, who has her index finger on her lip with a serious expression, silently telling her niece and the others to be quiet.
Avery knits her brows in confusion.
"She's doing it." Julia whispers at her niece's bewilderment, showing them a smile as she takes her hand off Akko's forehead. "She's going to fight her inner demons. We did our part, now the rest is up to her."
Chariot, Avery, Atsumi, and Alice all exchange hopeful looks and nods at what Julia said before closing their eyes, praying on their own that Akko will come out alright.
That Akko will come out victorious and win.
Back in the terrifyingly dark void, Akko clenches her chest in pain as she curls in a fetal position, a pretty serious stab wound in the middle of her chest as golden blood oozes out of it. The devastating result of Diana's Excalibur as Diana stabs her through the side of her lower abdomen, making the girl scream in pain as Amanda, Jasminka, Barbara, Hannah, and Sucy opt to just kick her very hard.
"Hahahahaha! How does it feel huh!?" Hannah starts laughing as she intensifies her attacks. "To get your ass handed to you by those you consider family!? You deserve to be get beaten up by us for eternity, you little sh*t!" She goes straight for Akko's head, stomping on it with all her might as she hisses at her. "Do us a favor! Kill yourself and die so we don't have see you anymore!"
Taking Excalibur out of Akko's body, Diana takes a few steps back and raises her hand, commanding everyone to stop attacking her and also take a step back for the girl to breathe. They do so, but with great reluctance.
After a long moment, Diana narrows her eyes. "Are you ready to continue with your punishment?"
Total silence ensues as they all glare at Akko, who's still vehemently shaking from the intense abuse she had endured for so long up until this moment. After a brief few seconds, she started to mumble something. "R-real..."
"Huh?" Barbara leans in with a growl, her tone mocking. "What was that? I can't hear your jibberish!"
Amanda clicks her tongue in annoyance, her leg bursting into flames as she goes to her and lifts her foot to stomp on her again. "Why don't you just shut up and die like Hannah said?"
"You're..." Akko tightly clenches her fists as she snaps her head up to look up at them with vigor. "ALL NOT REAL!"
Just as Amanda stomps on Akko, the girl catches her foot and, with speeds that makes the flash look like a turtle in comparison, grabs her ankle as she backspins. She drags Amanda with her before getting back up on her feet with that same move and throws the American like the world's fastest pitcher, sending her crashing into Hannah and Barbara with a large boom before all three of them get sent flying a great distance from the power behind that one singular throw.
At that sudden move, Diana's eyes widen in surprise for a quick second before her expression goes back to neutral as Jasminka unleashes her large clay hammer and Constanze enters the fray after watching what was going on with Lotte, her iron man body armor covering her whole body as Lotte continues to watch, but this time in quiet anger.
"Tch." Sucy clicks her tongue and grits her shark-like teeth as she brings out her long claws from her costume. "She was just taking all of our hits." She growls as she glances at Diana. "Thought getting rid of her was going to be easy, but since she's starting to fight back, l guess not."
Hearing a scream of utter outrage, everyone turns to the source as Amanda, Barbara, and Hannah, the one who screamed, rushes towards Akko to attack.
"What do you mean we're not real!?" Amanda bellows in rage as her fists catches on fire, ready for battle. "We're very real! Even now, you're saying we don't even mean anything to you!? How cruel can you get!?"
"It's pointless asking Amanda!" Hannah glares right at Akko. "There's no limit to show much of how heartless she is! Hey Diana!" She then glares at the blonde as the trio gets closer to the others. "We should just kill her now and be done with it! I get that we need to make her suffer, but why are we still prolonging this!?"
Diana closes her eyes for a long moment before opening them to stare right at Akko with an unreadable expression. Seeing the vitality in those crimson eyes as they lock gazes, Diana's expression shifts to one of annoyance.
"Take her down." She points at Akko as everyone, even Lotte herself now, goes in for the attack as Hannah, Barbara, and Amanda rushes past Diana. "Don't ever leave her standing up ever again."
With that command, everyone gets into high gear as they seperate. Hannah turns invisible and Amanda's hair, eyebrows, and feet gets covered in flames. Jasminka dashes towards their target. Constanze bursts into the air using green beams from her feet, Lotte starts to sing in order to restrict the brunette from moving, and Barbara summons millions of clones to also go after Akko.
Seeing them coming from all directions, Akko closes her eyes as she heals herself from her stab wounds and physical injuries, taking a deep shuddering breath as she remembers the words from those outside of this mind space.
Alice...
Julia...
Avery...
Okaasan...
"Everyone l know in the real world are with me." Opening her eyes, Akko just stands there as Amanda goes in for a punch, being the first one to reach her. "The Golden Lotus who fought so hard with me..."
In rapid succession, Amanda keeps throwing in powerful punches with flames surrounding her fists as Akko breaks free from Lotte's singing with her strong-willed mind, dodging the attacks with perfect precision as the Finnish girls looks on in shock. After dodging another punch, Akko vanishes and reappears behind Amanda. However, the American predicts that move and turns as she goes in for a 360 kick, only for Akko to vanish again back to where she originally was and slaps Amanda's head with the back of her hand, sending her packing somewhere as Jasminka throws down her hammer like playing whack-a-mole. The Russian girl feels her attack connect as she grits her teeth to put more power into it, only to see Akko lifting it up with only her finger before twirling and kicking Jasminka right in the stomach, sending her flying as well as Sucy pounces at her. The chemist slashes down with her claws, and Akko catches them. She makes them teleport as she also makes them swirl, reappearing in the air right above Constanze as the German girl prepares a massive beam attack. The brunette throws Sucy onto her, making them both crash into the ground instantly.
Akko lands, and goes straight to where Hannah is, grabbing her head as the Brit gets caught off guard from getting caught so quickly and bashes her face with her knee. Blood bursts from Hannah's nose as she collapses as the Barbara clones goes in to gang up on Akko. Of course, Akko is in no mood to entertain Barbara, so she teleports straight to the real one and punches her straight in the face, the power behind it so large that Barbara's clones disappear due to the amount of pain the original is feeling. After getting sent flying due to the punch and crashing onto the ground, Barbara rolls a couple of times before eventually stopping as she grabs her face in distress, screaming in pain from having her nose broken.
Akko looks around, seeing them gradually recovering as a sad smile takes over her features. She thinks about her time with the Elite Class as she goes in for the kill one by one. She teleports to Constanze, who's currently getting up from the crash as green electricity speaks around her armor, a testament to Akko's strength as it looks as though its already damaged.
"Constanze, who always showed me her creations with a bright gleam in her eyes..."
Without any mercy, Akko stomps on Constanze's head, smashing it with the necessary power as the girl's body disintegrates into black smoke, disappearing into nothingness.
She then teleports to Jasminka, who's still holding her stomach while still feeling the pain from that kick.
"Jasminka, who gets happy when l eat her meals and seconds and thirds every day while l tell her that the food she makes are the best in the world..."
The Russian girl can only stand there and watch as Akko effortlessly pierces her through the chest, making her the second to get defeated. Jasminka disappears as Akko then sets her eyes on a frightened but pissed-off Amanda. The American brings her hands together and screams as unleashes a powerful flamethrower from her palms.
However, Akko doesn't even attempt to dodge. She takes it head-on. With temperatures between 1,300 and 2,200 (it's as hot as lava), Akko walks through it like it's nothing, getting closer to Amanda as the American gives everything she's got into the blast. Once Akko gets to her, she reaches out and roughly grabs the girl's face. Amanda stops her attack in a panic and tries in vain to free herself from Akko's grasp by setting the brunette's hand on fire.
"Amanda, who's my best bro and is one of the most greatest drinking partners and competitors anyone could ever ask for..."
With those words spoken, Akko then turns and throws Amanda down, crushing the back of her head onto the ground which causes the American to disappear along with her flames.
Akko then turns to Lotte, who flinches at being spotted. The brunette teleports behind her and hits her neck with a simple light hand chop, hitting her pressure point. She falls as she disappears, leaving Akko with sadness in her heart as she thinks about the most gentle one of them all.
"Lotte, who showed me the books she reads with a passion. And even though l'd get bored of it sometimes, those times were nevertheless precious."
She dashes to Sucy, who's on the ground nearby, and stomps her foot onto the Filipino's chest. Sucy screams out in pain and curses at the brunette as Akko grabs the Chemist's wrists and pulls them, ripping Sucy's arms off from her body before she disappears as well. Akko watches her go with an expression that clearly shows she's just in much pain as Sucy was.
"Sucy," Tears starts flowing down Akko's cheeks as she turns to gaze at Barbara, who's still in agony from the punch. "Who even though she has a tough exterior, cares about me just like everyone else."
Teleporting to her, Akko summons her Ruby Rose Sword and pierces the Brit's chest and through the heart.
"Barbara, who used to be a bully to me but warmed up to me to the point of inviting me how to hang out with the blue team sometimes."
As she watches Barbara disappear, she glances at Hannah, who's shakingly standing up after getting kneed in the face. As they lock gazes, Hannah hisses as she starts to cry. Not bearing to look at that, Akko teleports in front of her and grabs her by the neck, peering into hazel eyes that are so full of pain from betrayal.
From the betrayal of Akko leaving.
"Hannah, who grew to love and care about me even though l hurt her with my indecisiveness."
She squeezes the Brit's neck, decapitating her as she disappears.
Once everyone is gone, Akko turns to Diana, who hadn't moved a muscle since handing out her command.
"And you Diana," Akko walks to her. "Who became such a special person to me and me to you."
Once they stand in front of each other face to face, Diana's expression goes from annoyance to anger. She lifts Excalibur up and makes the motion of slicing Akko's head off, only to stop right as the sword touches her neck.
Akko didn't flinch or panic at the Brit's move. Tears just flows down her face as she shows off a small sad smile. "You said l didn't trust and believe in you guys enough to tell you what's going on with myself and my goals.You're right. I'm sorry." Her lips starts squivering as she looks even sadder, her voice cracking with emotion. "You didn't really want to hurt me, but you were hurt by my action of leaving even more. You guys could've killed me here in this void from the start, but you didn't let them because you wanted and was hoping to give me a small chance of getting back on my feet."
After Akko reveals the meaningful and touching revelation, a long silence ensues. Finally, Excalibur, which is on Akko's neck, starts to shake. The source of that shaking comes from the arm that wields the legendary weapon, followed by it's owner. Diana's expression shifts again, from anger to trying not to burst into tears. Looking at Akko with that heartbreaking expression, Diana closes her eyes to keep the tears in.
She fails anyways. The tears runs down her cheeks as she puts Excalibur down, making it disappear as she pinches the bridge of her nose and knits her quivering brows. Slumping her shoulders, she opens her eyes again and focuses her tear-filled gaze straight at Akko with such intensity it could make anyone shrink in on themselves where they stand.
"When you meet them again," Diana chokes out as she clenches her fists. "Get on your knees and apologize with all your heart. If you don't..." For the first time in the void, the blonde smiles at her, the type of smile that clearly expresses one's relief, as if the very long nightmare is all finally over. "I'll come back and really haunt you again. I'm serious, do you understand?"
The environment begins to gradually change as the black endless void Akko had been in for so long now starts turning a little bit lighter. From pitch black, to dark gray, as if they're now inside a thundercloud. Stars from the cosmos starts appearing everywhere around them as the color of the beautiful universe as a whole mixes in with the dark gray of said thundercloud, making a magical combination and a unique habitat. After that, lightning starts crackling everywhere. Not large and threatening, but calming and serene.
A perfect combination, or rather, a perfect representation, of Akko's two godly powers mixing together despite being opposing counterparts: Shiny Galia and Olethros.
And with that, a new chapter has begun.
Sniffling, Akko grins that loving toothy grin. The grin she used to always show back when she was really truly okay as she answers Diana. "I do."
Seemingly satisfied with Akko's answer and the light she sees in those crimson irises, the determination of wanting to get emotionally and mentally better that's there for all to see, Diana walks to her and hugs her tightly, wrapping both of her arms around the brunette's waist as she whispers against Akko's shoulder. Her tone emotional as she whispers to her, "I love you."
And that was the moment. Akko didn't know how, but in her heart, she just knew right then and there, that the person who she would truly give her all to, the person who she would give her heart to completely and without any hesitation, would be Diana. She has always been there for Akko from day 1. The Brit has always been by her side the most. Akko just didn't let her stay there. She pushed Diana away, but she always knew deep inside that the blonde would always come back one way or another no matter how much she would push her away. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have gone after Akko. She wouldn't have fought so hard to bring her back, wouldn't have gotten so powerful when she never got that much strength before (she wouldn't have awakened basically) and finally, she wouldn't have given up when so many others would've. Granted and in all fairness, everybody in the Elite Class hadn't given up either but...
Letting out a soft sigh, Akko hugs her back as she lays her chin on top of Diana's head, closing her eyes. If and when she meets Hannah again, she'll have to have a serious heart to heart talk with her. Something she should've done a long time ago.
And as for Avery...
...
Opening her eyes again, Akko hugs Diana tighter as she whispers back to her with equal amounts of emotion. "I love you too."
At that, Diana genuinely smiles as she squeezes Akko one more time before pulling away, looking up at her with that same smile still in place. "Don't worry about Akiyoshi Kagari harming us. You should definitely know by now not to underestimate us. Just like what Avery said, we'll all find a way to find and beat him, together."
Seeing Akko nod and show off a sad smile in acceptance, the blonde starts to glow. Not darkly like the others, but with a white radiance.
"But before anything else, make sure your okay first and foremost," Chuckling in Akko's arms, Diana flicks the brunette's forehead as she lightly scolds her. "Is that understood?"
Akko nods with quivering lips, trying not to burst into tears she watches Diana go. Her arms seperates, as if letting the blonde go as the girl turns into white light itself and scatter, disappearing into nothingness. Not even 5 seconds in-
"WHYYY!?"
Recognizing that demonic voice, Akko wipes away the few tears that escaped and looks on with an expression of indifference as the environment starts shaking. The ghostly evil version of herself who had been been mentally torturing her and Akiyoshi Kagari who had been with her appears in front of her.
And the sweet yet devious smile evil Akko always had in place is long gone, replaced by an expression of pure anger and frustration.
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SUFFER!" She yells at her counterpart straight in the face, stomping her feet in pure irritation, her expression dissatisfied. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT YOUR FRIENDS DON'T LOVE YOU IN THIS WORLD! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DIE FROM DEPRESSION, SO HOW!?"
The evil Akko absorps Akiyoshi, letting out a dark devastating aura as she appears more powerful. She keeps stomping her feet like a little child not getting what they want, demanding an explanation from the brunette as she yells even louder. "HOW CAN YOU REGAIN THAT LIGHT AND VIGOR IN YOUR EYES!?"
Seeing this... thing in a pitiful state like this, Akko wonders how in the hell had she let this entity take over her mind in the way that it did and for as long as it had. It's honestly embarrassing.
"I admit, I'm not really okay." Akko looks down, her expression still one of impassiveness before looking down at her open palm. "I'm still depressed. Thanks to you and this..." She gestures with her hands in front of her, in a typical way that shows she doesn't know what to hold onto or what to do. "Olethros power thingy, l lost my smile, l hurt and..." At these next words, her expression quickly changes to one of anger, hurt, and sadness as her voice rises with intensity. She clenches her fist tightly, wanting to punch this entity hard in the face. "Might've possibly lost Diana and everyone else out there in the real world for good, kicked them out of my life because of my stupidity and my insanity, but..." Gathering her composure, Akko looks at herself (the entity) straight in the eyes, defiance written all over her now red glowing irises as she puts out her hand, her voice now in complete control again. "At least l can get rid of you, who was the cause of it all. I'll get better. I'll become the Akko Kagari that l used to be. And for that to happen..."
Sensing what's about to happen, panic surges within evil Akko as she yells out in anger, flying right at Akko with her head in an attempt to pierce through her. If she can win, she can make Akko mentally unstable again. She can make her crazy again, she can-
Akko doesn't budge an inch as she slams her hand on the entity's head to stop it in its tracks. Even when evil Akko increases the power in her flight, even when the dark aura gets stronger to the point of evil Akko looking like a rocket flying high in the sky, even when the air around them gets so intense skyscrapers would collapse...
Akko doesn't move. Not even the slightest bit. A testament to her newfound resolve on living.
She puts her hands on the entity's shoulders and effortlessly stops it from trying to bore through her by pushing it back and still it in place with her grip, trapping it with her hands as it's dark aura disappears completely, the air seizing. The shape of Akko's pupils changes to that of a dragon, and evil Akko can only watch in horror as her crimson irises glows a chilling dark red, her face completely dark which makes her scary as all living hell.
"You need to go."
And within a second, Akko takes a deep breath, meager dark red flames that matches the color of her eyes appearing in the air to slither into her mouth as if being sucked in before closing her mouth and-
BOOM!
Akko lets out an authoritarian-like burst of flames as it skyrockets out of her mouth and through the entity as a huge blast, pushing it back as the colossal-sized flamethrower pierces through the dark thunderous clouds and stars of the cosmos. Within the flamethrower, with degrees Amanda and frankly anything else out there that's hot can't ever hope to match, the entity slowly disintegrates as it shouts-
"NOOO!!!"
BOOM!!!
After an unspecified length of distance, Akko watches as a secondary explosion takes place. The power and force of this explosion is more than enough to destroy Earth 100 times over and thensome, a bead of sweat running down Akko's temple as she lifts one of her hands and stare down at it.
Jeez... l didn't even give it my all either. 10 percent out of 100 at best... Winds much more ferocious than the ones back in the real world from the explosion just now hits her and her surroundings hard, yet Akko is still standing in place like it's nothing. Granted, my attack just now a decently weaker than my Special Move Stellar Destructor, but still... I got even more powerful, haven't l? I need to control my powers more than anything else, much less master them.
A long road is ahead for the Japanese girl, but she's all for it.
Once her surroundings settle down, 8 figures appears in the distance. All of them are showing various forms of praise, from a smile to a thumbs up. She recognizes some of them. Ryan Haley... Sebastian Michaelis...
And the founder Galicia, smiling at her like a proud family member and nodding her assent.
Realizing that they're all of her predecessors, the brunette thinks about talking to them before immediate shaking off that thought. She just won against her inner demons and is completely exhausted. She can talk to them anytime, but now isn't that time.
Akko nods at her back before turning and, with that same intimidating dragon eyes, lift up her index finger as a micro-sized luminous dark red orb appears at the very tip. She brings her finger from above her head down to her feet, swiftly cutting space itself before it opens up. As the orb disappears, Akko looks over her shoulder and waves at them before walking through the threshold.
Galicia's eyes widen in shock at what Akko just did, watching the brunette as she leaves.
"Omni and Universal Manipulation, something one can achieve at the Absolute Level of Telekinesis. The highest level..." Ryan looks flabbergasted before scratching the back of his head in awe. "You've got to be kidding me..."
The founder glances at him and registers what he said in her mind before her thoughts spirals out of control with anticipation.
She didn't even know she could do that with Ryan's powers, and yet she did it unconsciously and with such ease... She's more than a prodigy... Galicia clenches her fists as a bead of sweat runs down her temple. Like l've stated before, she's continuinously evolving. At her current pace, if this keeps up... Not only will she complete her mission of taking down Akiyoshi Kagari with flying colors, though she can do that already, she'll be able to fight against all of us Olympians solo and actually win. Most would tremble in fear and wouldn't want that to happen, but it will indeed happen. And on that day... when that day comes... I'll be the happiest Goddess out there. That being said...
She crosses her arms as the others behind her disappears, her expression turning into one of exasperation as she shakes her head with a disbelieving smile.
I can't have the other gods and goddesses know, except for dear sister, just how strong Akko became in the emergency meeting that'll be held very soon on Olympus. If they know about her, they'll definitely see her as a threat and go after her to try to get rid of her before she reaches her full potential.
...
Wait.
Galicia's eyes widen as Akko side-glances back at her as she disappears through the threshold, her bloody mary crimson irises glinting with power.
Does her potential even have a limit?
At that, the founder disappears too, excitingly waiting for the day Akko comes to her to talk and get some answers. At the same time though, dreading the answer to the question she had just asked herself.
For now though, the goddess will just have to be patient.
Meanwhile, Akko crosses the threshold as she turns back around, entering light itself as she thinks about everyone.
"When l apologize to them, and if they don't forgive and accept an asshole like me back, then so be it. But I'll at least say sorry to them. I owe that much to them. Yeah..."
Getting enguled in that white light, Akko closes her eyes as a few tears rolls down her face.
"Once l get completely better and meet them again when I'm ready, I'll say sorry, with all my heart."
Avery, Chariot, Julia, Atsumi, and Alice watches on as a very still and quiet Akko just kneels there, the tears that's been shed all but gone now from her pale cheeks.
Whoosh...
Chariot's eyes widen at the uptick of the wind again. But this time instead of stormy and ferocious, it's calm and soothing. She looks around as the others does the same, apperantly also feeling it. What is...
The air all around the dimension turns a thick gray, like a fog but more thick. In one swift movement, it begins to thin out as it goes into Akko in a circular motion like getting sucked in a whirlpool, her body glowing a faint white as the longer this goes on, the more intense and faster it goes into Akko. The black intimidating horns that sprouted out of each side of her forehead in her battle with Diana slowly retreats into Akko's head, the large wings and long tail likewise withdraws back inside Akko's back and lower tail bone as the pure black dragonic scales covering each side of her face shifts back to it's normal pale skin color. Her sharp claws turns back to nails, and her sharp teeth akin to a dragon turns back to that of a human.
Everyone watches the transformation in awe, and then watch with mixed reactions as Akko effortlessly breaks free from the chains that were binding her down with force alone, burning the muzzle and blindfold out of existence with her mouth and eyes unleashing the fire necessary to make that happen as Chariot, Julia, and Alice stand up in alarm by her being now free. Avery and Atsumi, though the latter is also uneasy, observes what's happening in awe as Akko slightly floats up, the gray air that's been getting into her in waves getting slower in its pacing again.
This girl's power is... Alice's eyes grows wide like a crazy person as beads of sweat runs down her face, looking on helplessly as Akko's hair stops glowing, its color darkening from a high energy electric white to a luminous and stormy gray. The process finishes up as the gray air that's been spiraling into Akko disappears completely, all of it in the girl now as a prominently gray aura surrounds her. It has...
Floating back down, Akko sits on her knees now, her head tilting upwards as she opens her eyes. Her scaleras are pitch black and her irises, which has no pupils due to her blindness, is gray as well, exactly matching the color of her hair.
After a long moment, Akko's lips quivers as she opens her mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. She closes her mouth again and opens it, only for the same result to come about. Gritting her teeth, she clenches her severely weakened fists as she finally speaks with great effort, her voice hoarse and incredibly frail from all the screaming.
"H-Hi... e-everyone..."
"Akko..." Avery tears up as the realization that finally, finally, Akko is back hits her. "Akko!"
As Avery goes to hug her, Atsumi busts into tears as she also goes to hug her sister. "Onee-san!"
Chariot stares at Akko as Akko turns to where the redhead must be. She smiles a little. A tired smile, but also one that conveys just how happy she is to be in her mom's presence again.
"O-Okaa... san..."
That did it. Tears rolls down Chariot's face as she walks over to her, collapses onto her knees, and joins in on the hug as she quietly cries on her, causing Akko to quietly cry too as all of them sheds happy tears.
She won... Julia breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes her shoulders as she watches the touching and emotional scene in front of her, observing Akko's physical condition as she gets up from kneeling. Sebastian flaps his wings and screeches in victory before flying off her head and landing on the ground next to her. Her body is in a very weakened state thanks to her rampage, and it'll take a very very long time to fully recover from that. She's obviously not okay at all mentally speaking, her PTSD is still there and at an all time high, but at least she's back with us when it comes to the mind. Her disorder can be properly managable now too. Thank goodness...
Alice, for her part, surveys their surroundings. The clean water below that serves as the floor is rippling as the clouds above is now completely gone, leaving only clear blue skies above. The various types of Mesoamerican structures that seems to span infinitely, including the main pyramid they're standing on top from, looks about ready to collapse, mostly destroyed while major debris litter the water below which is why the floor is rippling in the first place.
All of this destruction... from just her aura alone... and now... In complete disbelief, Alice turns back to the others. Chariot may not notice it just yet because she had just gotten her daughter back, but...
Akko had gotten stronger. Again.
Atsuko Kagari hasn't mastered her powers by any means yet, but fully controlling it now in and of itself has made her become even more powerful. If she faced a full powered Diana Cavendish right now, she'll win handily now instead of just barely like it had been. This dimension was created by Criox specifically to handle Akko at her full power, but now this girl can destroy it should she chooses to. And now, she's about to come out. Turning back towards the open door behind them that leads to the outside, Alice grimaces. The world isn't ready for her.
Yeah. I also think that.
Turning quickly back to the source of the voice in her head, Alice sees Akko, still openly crying and looking exhausted, having her face in the direction of where Alice is standing.
Alice looks down sadly as she clenches her fists. I... l don't want to tie you down, it's just...
I know. I can see it for what it is. Thanks for being honest, Alice-Senpai. Akko once again shows off a little smile as she rests her head on top of Chariot's shoulder, settling her face on the crook of the redhead's neck as she nuzzles herself there with the little energy she has left. I rather have that than for you or anybody else here to be scared of me. I want to master my powers step by step, and I'm looking forward to having you guide me.
Alice closes her eyes and huffs out a breath with a smile before walking over to Akko, who has her eyes still open, but it's starting to flutter closed as drowsiness starts to consume her at a rapid pace.
Of course. Alice responds as she kneels in front of her. But first, you need to get better here... Akko can somehow sense and feel, rather than see, the swordswoman tapping her temple, signifying her head. And in here. She then taps her chest where her heart is.
With that, Akko closes her eyes with a mini smile at that before frowning, feeling empty inside as she reaches the state of unconsciousness, wondering what she should exactly do to start walking on the path of becoming herself again.
