Seven Heroes Redux

It could only be her. Who else would call him by that name? Yuto slowly turned around.

Black long hair, red eyes, black scholar uniform. Something was off. Her skin was much paler than normal, her aura was darker and her smile was not the same. She was hiding behind Haji, holding her arms to her back, almost breaking them.

— Ka... Kataki...?

— You're right, Yu-chan! I'm so happy you recognized me after so much time...

Haji finally realized someone was behind her.

How did I not see her before? Or even feel her holding my arms?

She finally broke Haji's arms by forcing them back. She screamed in pain.

— Kataki... Is that really you?

— Yes, Yu-chan! Why are you so tense? Aren't you happy to see me?

— I... I don't know... What are you doing?

— Just a side quest! You loved playing games, right? I need to give this specimen to my former master. I'm not saying you're less important than him, okay? Pleased don't be sad.

— I'm not sad... Wait, what do you mean by "specimen"?

— He really needs her now, as a precaution! He promised me he would let me be with you forever after that, so don't worry!

— What are you saying, Kataki? Please stop hurting Haji, she's not a specimen...

— You seem confused, Yu-chan... I will end this quickly, so we can be together forever!

— Wait, please release her... You don't have to do this...

— You're right, I don't... But I promised him I would do one last favor. I'm sorry, Yu-chan. I'll be right back!

Slade jumped towards the roof of a building, running with Haji on her back. Yuto, confused, flew along with her.

— Wait, Kataki, please! Why are you doing this?

— I just said it, Yu-chan! I can't break a promise with the Boss, he will provide everything for our empire!

— Empire? What are you even saying?

— We will be together forever, but we need a supplier first! He will give us everything we'll ever need! Our paradise is near, my love!

— I don't understand... Why are you saying we will be together forever?

Slade stopped running. She slowly turned around. Her smile was gone. A sinister aura surrounded her.

— Yu-chan, did someone brainwash you? I will make them pay. They won't steal you from me. Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable...

— N-No, nobody brainwashed me! Kataki, there's something wrong with you. Did something happen in those years?

— I won't let them take you from me... this is unforgivable... Yu-chan, please say you still love me. I am the only one you need. Nobody should touch you. You're mine.

— What? You weren't like this before... Please tell me what's wrong! I can fix you!

— Fix me? Yu-chan, I can't believe they changed you this much... but don't worry, I will make them pay, I swear... I will kill them all...

Slade had two katanas. One red, another black. They were both a bit demoniac, different from when she was a kid. After she swore revenge, a black liquid materialized from her back. After a few seconds, it transformed into a clone of her. It took her black katana and Haji and started running away.

— What is happening? Wait, come back here!

Yuto started running towards the clone. It took the black katana from its back and swung it towards him. A giant black slash came in his direction. He jumped and looked back to see where it would go. It became larger the further it traveled, until it cut through a few dozen buildings, destroying them.

What is this?! Wait, I can still save them! But Haji will be taken away! What do I do?

Yuto looked at where the clone was and saw nothing. He had already disappeared into the city.

Shit! She's fast!

Yuto tried his sensory gravity to localize the clone, but the real Kataki hugged him from behind, distracting him.

— I can't believe they've tarnished you so much, Yu-chan... these people's lives were meaningless! If you didn't care about ants, you would have captured my clone.

Yuto turned around, pushing Slade away agressively.

— You are the one dirty here, not me! What did they do to you, Kataki? You weren't like this!

Slade didn't expect to be reprimanded. She looked down, disappointed.

— I didn't want to make you mad. I'm sorry... Please forgive me... forgive me... forgive me...

Yuto remembered of his sister begging for his forgiveness right before she died. He couldn't bear the regret.

— W-Wait, don't be like that...

If I push her further, she may destroy everything!

— Please calm down... What about we fight, like in the old times?

— Really?!

Slade finally smiled again. A wide and sinister smile, but still a smile. She took the red katana from her back.

— If you manage to dodge my attacks, it will mean that you have evolved since we fought in the dojo.

Slade swung her katana. A red slash came towards Yuto's head. She didn't want to kill him, but she did trust him enough to do that. It was so fast that a hair string of his was hit while he dodged.

It's too fast! Faster than the sound, maybe? This is her holding back?

He turned his head to see where the slash would go. Slade got annoyed that he cared more about meaningless lives than her attacks.

— Don't distract yourself, Yu-chan!

She slashed the air again. And again. And again... Yuto was dodging them at the last second, but he wanted to test something.

What if I catch the slashes?

He used his power in one of the slashes while dodging everything. He managed to make it stop in the air. But it got stronger and left his control. Not only did it get stronger and bigger as it went, it also got faster.

I better dodge them...

Slade stopped the attacks and clapped proudly.

— You have evolved, Yu-chan! I'm so proud of you!

Yuto immediately looked back to see the destruction. Slade was already blocking his view, staring into his soul.

— Please don't waste your precious time caring about ants, Yu-chan! Our empire is much more important!

She's even faster than I thought! She could have killed me without me noticing! Wait, that means she wants me alive! I can test her abilities!

Yuto punched Slade in the stomach. He expected her to go flying or dodge it, but she just took it.

— Ara, Yu-chan... do you want to fight a little more seriously? We can finally have fun together!

Yuto looked at his arm. It had pierced her body effortlessly. A black liquid that looked like blood was dripping from it. He pulled his hand away and was disgusted by the sight.

— Don't worry, Yu-chan! I can heal myself, so you don't have to hold back!

Her stomach was healing quickly. But the black liquid didn't disappear. He looked at his hand full of it.

— This is just my blood, don't worry! You won't be burned or poisoned by it while it's outside of you!

"While it's ouside of me"? That means it can infect me from inside?

— Yu-chan, you go first. Don't hold back, please. We can have as much fun as we want!

Yuto took the offer and used his gravity forward, launching Slade away. He flew towards her and kicked her from the side, slashing her body in two pieces. She swung her katana two times, sending an "X" shaped attack.

Yuto catched it with his power just enough to dodge it. It was even faster than before, so he couldn't risk being hit. Once he released it, he looked back quickly. Luckily for him, the level 7 alarm had already sounded. So the building and the people were safe. At least that was what he thought.

Slade fell to the street, already healed. She launched more attacks. After one, she changed her position and launched another.

Great! If she keeps attacking me while I'm in the air, she won't hit anybody!

The attacks were even faster. The huge distance between them didn't matter anything to her. They arrived at him in less than half of a second. He tried reflecting them back, but they didn't change direction. Once they were released, they would resume the trajetory. They cut through the clouds.

He dodged them almost easily, so Slade increased her attack speed. She started running so fast that the air was forming a tornado. The slashes changed the trajetory a bit, enough to close the distance between Yuto and them.

She was throwing slashes 10 times a second. Then, 60 times. After a moment, she was attacking faster than a high-end monitor could refresh its image. She reached almost one thousand slashes in one second.

Yuto used her power to dispel the tornado. She ran even faster, fast enough to break any fragile object or person on the ground. The clouds began to form a circle. She wasn't just running in circles, but also at top speed.