Chapter Text
Admiral Mori stumbled into the bridge of his destroyer. “Full speed! Proceed North and circle around the storm!” The seas, which had been insanely choppy when Miruko jumped from orbit, were now growing even more tumultuous. Even the masterpieces of technology that was the Japanese fleet were getting tossed around. Mori had never been seasick in his life, but he was starting to feel a little shaken.
“What about the plan?!” His second-in-command asked.
“Nine’s forcing our hand. We either deal with him here and now, or lose the entire fleet…”
“Nine? As in…”
Mori scowled. “Yeah.”
“Admiral! We’ve got radar signatures to the North! Russian ships!”
“Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us as well… Let’s make sure the Empress and her Shadows aren’t bothered during their fight.” Mori looked to Loren and Ryukyu, standing on the bridge. “No mercy.”
*******
“Kaisel… evolve.”
[Shadow: Kaisel, is being augmented by the Shadow Empress.]
*******
[Machine Goddess - Kaisel:]
Grade: Commander
Type: Luxian Mechana Exo
Skills: Lightspeed, Divine Retribution, Target Lock, Configuration
*******
If possible, Momo would have tried to evolve Igris or Beru further, but there was a significant limit on the amount of power she could output in order to augment a Shadow based on her and Izuku’s Level. Essentially, Beru and Igris were already so potent in strength that she couldn’t augment them until she got stronger herself. If that hadn’t been the case, pushing a single Shadow into continuous evolution would’ve been the prime strategy.
As it was, she settled for Kaisel. She needed a strong flying Shadow to carry her up to those clouds. Rather than changing her form or abilities, Momo decided to increase Kaisel’s size and raw power, as the transforming dragon already had a good skill set.
“Let’s go,” She said, jumping to Kaisel, followed by Miruko and Kaina. “Right to Nine.”
Kaisel growled in affirmative, feeling her animalistic side after such an increase in size and power. Emitting powerful streams of energy from her wings, she shot up into the air, not bothered even slightly by the rough winds. She was regulating her energy output like a spaceship stabilizing itself in the vacuum of space, letting out tiny bursts in all directions to balance.
All the girls had to do was hold onto the many jutting pieces of Kaisel’s body and they were fine, at least… until they started getting close to the eye of the storm.
“Speed’s picking up!” Kaina shouted, having to hold tighter and tighter to Kaisel.
“What?” Momo responded in disbelief. “It feels the same to me!”
“What are you talking about, girlie?!” Miruko was now straining to hold on, and she was likely the strongest physical Hero there. “This must be… the strongest storm… in the history of mankind…”
In the blink of an eye the girls were torn off the back of Kaisel. Miruko vanished into the dark clouds almost instantly, but Kaina managed to use Omni-Movement to try and steady herself, but each time she adjusted against the direction of the winds, they would change, throwing her around again and again until she was gone just like Miruko.
“I've been wanting to meet you…” The voice danced through the thunderclouds, echoing from every direction. “The Empress.” Momo was prepared for an attack, but instead saw the man’s figure drift gently out of the haze.
“I was worried your power was exaggerated. But I’m delighted to see that they were correct.”
“They?”
“I do apologize for splitting up you and your friends, but the rabbit is a rampaging fool, and the sniper is an unknown. I wanted to talk to you, and you alone.” He waved his hands through the air nonchalantly, indicating no threat. “Of course, the Shadows will always be here, but they follow your lead, I believe I can speak freely in their presence and yours.”
“Why would I listen to anything Nine has to say?” Momo asked in return.
“Ah, so you know me? Although, I’m sure you only know what our motherland wants you to know.”
“I know you tried to start a war.”
Nine chuckled, his mask muffling the sound. “I tried to unite the South Korean and Japanese people, and I tried to topple the dictatorial North Korea.”
“Again, why should I believe you?”
“You think your country tells you everything?” Momo winced at that. She knew that there was always more beneath the surface. “What about Unit 731? Japan still hides from the shame of those psychopaths. We still pretend that we don’t work our people to death in stifling offices and we act as if we aren’t xenophobic. We are beautiful, but only when you ignore our blemishes. You’ve seen that just as I have.”
“And that justifies killing innocent people?”
Nine shook his head. “No. I will never escape that guilt. Nor will I claim my actions as righteous, or justified. It was a necessary evil… and I accept that by committing them, I am also evil.”
“So it was you that put those things in the soldiers’ heads.”
“That was the work of my Mistress, but yes, I was complicit in her actions.”
Momo scoffed. “You must be insane to think this is all necessary.”
“On the contrary, I know more than humanity could possibly imagine. All I ask is that you give me a moment of your time.” By looking through the Shadows, Momo could tell that the Admiral’s fight was going well thanks to Ryukyu. This wasn’t a distraction, it was a genuine approach. Momo’s stance must have changed, because Nine bowed his head in thanks.
“Make it quick,” She threatened.
“21 years ago, I was the strongest man in Japan. I was proud, arrogant, and nationalistic. But then I met my wife. She was Ainu.” Momo couldn’t help but cringe inwardly. She was well aware of the problems that indigenous people faced in almost every country. The Ainu were no different. “As soon as I met her, my eyes were opened to the world. My government, which paraded me around as a Hero, only did so because it was beneficial to them. Once I started pushing for the rights of Ainu people, as well as the Buraku, they cast me aside. They started rumors, they hid my achievements however possible. It was then when I realized how flawed our leaders are, how broken our system was. Democracy these days is a sham. All you need to do is look upon America, or our own country.”
“So you’re gonna destroy them to teach them a lesson?” Momo asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
“No. I will unite them. The Americans had it right, they just implemented it poorly. ‘One nation, under God.’” Nine suddenly clutched at his chest, groaning in pain.
“Are you okay?” Momo said instinctively. It was hard to feel sympathy for him, but it was a reflex to ask.
Nine coughed, pressing a button on his sci-fi looking armor. The sound of hissing could be heard, with some sort of fluid injected into himself. He ignored Momo’s concerns. “It is the weak-minded fools who populate senates and high ranking positions. We need strength, we need someone who will push ahead beyond all of those petty societal concerns. We who have strength ought to be the ones to use it. They guide us, Gods amongst men, as if they have any right.” He took a heavy breath. “I do not wish to destroy anyone, I wish to lead them into the future, alongside powerful people like yourself.”
“Survival of the fittest… no…” Momo spoke, but immediately retracted her statement. The man cared about the disadvantaged, the disproportionately treated. “But then, why not just run for office?”
Nine scoffed. “The system itself is flawed. Humanity has become too set in their ways. But we are the next generation, the next step in the evolution of our species. And evolution is a brutal thing. We must burn what dilapidated customs stand in order to build a brighter future. Even if I have to subjugate the world myself, I will do so for the fate of our future, our children, and their children. I may sound like a dictator, but I do not take this task upon myself for power or control.”
“No,” Momo agreed reluctantly. She could tell the man was genuine, but it was still a tough sell.
“We’re all pushing in different directions. Wouldn’t it be nice if our power could help humanity push in one direction?” Nine outstretched his hand to Momo. “We cannot lead this planet without first dominating it. Help me. Help me make this world a better place.”
Momo’s hand twitched in response. She couldn’t help it, this was the very ideal that both her and Izuku believed in. “Your wife… she was treated as less than, and now you wish to do the same. Whether or not you mean to, you’re being hypocritical.”
“That’s why I’m asking for your help,” He said, still reaching out to her. “My wife… she died in childbirth, and my son was stillborn,” His voice cracked. “She was the one who kept me in check. I can’t do this without help. And I know you care. I saw you save the Jeju Raid, without care for borders or petty personal gain. Please…”
“What if they resist? Thomas Andre, Star, the rest of the world?” Nine’s hand pulled back ever so slightly. “What if the Shadow Monarch disapproves? What will you do?”
Nine’s shoulders slumped. “You know what has to be done. Every generation must spill blood for the sake of freedom and the future. We are ugly creatures, but we can become better.”
Momo took a deep breath. “I know… but this isn’t the way to go about it.” She stuck her own hand out. “Surrender. Stop this war, and together, we will make that future, peacefully. We are not executioners, we can’t decide what path humanity takes. If we do so by force, they will resist us, now and forever. You mentioned Unit 731. You know as well as I do that they worked with the Nazis. They believed they were doing the right things. And now we look back on them as the most disgusting creatures.” Momo shook her head. “If you continue on this path, you’ll end up like them.”
Nine’s eyes were downcast. “I told you already… I’m not doing this for power or control. I’m not going to persecute an entire people. I will kill, and I will shoulder that burden… You have the power, but unlike me, you don’t have the will to see it through!”
Like a curtain, the clouds collapsed in on Momo, lightning flashing. Igris and Beru jumped from Momo’s Shadow, blades and claws flashing, taking the blasts of lightning for their Lady.
“You’re outnumbered,” Momo said into the cover of the clouds as Kaina and Miruko rose from the storm, both riding on one of the Wyvern jets.
“All Might was the one to stop my ambitions. Let me relay something he told me in our battle. ‘A true Hero fights beyond their limits,’” Nine’s voice echoed around them. “For the sake of our world’s future… I’LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!”
Beams of light raced through the sky, cutting off the wings of Kaisel and Igris. Momo just barely jumped in time to land on the third Wyvern jet before Kaisel fell.
Lightning rushed for Wyvern 1-2 and 1-3, forcing Kaina to use Omni-Movement and leap away from the impending voltage, but Miruko just stood there, gritting her teeth as the purple electricity exploded against her skin. The Divine Armor wasn’t going to let her be damaged so easily.
“Let’s go- umf!” Miruko shouted in defiance, only for herself and her entire plane to get dive-bombed by an azure dragon, which tackled her all the way down to the ocean’s surface. Another one jumped at Beru, the two entering a dance through the sky, claws and teeth flashing.
Underneath her mask, Momo created an eyepiece that saw through the storm, right to Nine. His back had two blue tails emerging from it, leading to the sapphire dragons. His hand flicked to the side, five beams of energy emerging. One from each finger tip.
Momo held up her hand, creating a wall of shadows. Her creations had only gotten stronger with time, so the beams deflected with little trouble. And Kaina barely needed to move in order to dodge. She could maneuver freely through the air. Finding the gap between two of the lasers was a piece of cake for someone with her eyesight.
“Do you recognize it?”
Kaina clicked her tongue. “No. The finger lasers could be Energy Magic, the storm may be Weather and/or Lightning Magic, and the shields might be Barrier Magic, but the Dragons aren’t any form of Summoning Magic I’ve seen before.”
“Oi! I don’t like being thrown aside like that!” Miruko shot up from beneath the clouds, but she wasn’t riding on anything. “But on the plus side, it forced me to figure this out!” The Divine Armor on her legs was letting out bursts of pressurized air. Of course, it wasn’t exactly the armor’s doing, but it was granting her the ability to do it herself. Miruko was imperceptibly flexing her muscles with enough force to shove air out of the way. Essentially, she was flying by kicking the air.
“You have neither the composure nor the intelligence to be worthy of your power,” Nine muttered, extending his hand once more. Like a spring, the rainbow-colored shields erupted in mid-air. They moved through the sky like a missile, but even still, they missed.
Miruko was suddenly behind Nine. “I’ll admit, you got me pretty good, but I’m still getting used to these new legs of mine! I’ve got the big movements down, but as soon as I get the hang of the fine adjustments… I’ll be unstoppable!” Swinging like an axe, her leg aimed to take off Nine’s head.
The impact parted the clouds, dissipating a good deal of the storm with a single blow. But the attack accomplished nothing. All it hit was another set of layered shields. “Not bad!”
In that moment, Momo saw something, something beyond mere letter-Rankings.
At the heart of all Awakened Humans, there was a standard. Mana, Magic, and Skills. Their usage varied between wielders. Two Mages with Earth Magic could use it identically, or infuse it with their own flair. Skills were no different. And Mana was the simplest of all, just a power source for Magic and Skills, or for the human body itself.
Quirks should have been the same. Just extra utility, extra specialization for an Awakened Human. The ability to grow larger, to create objects, to enhance already existing powers.
At that moment, part of Nine’s philosophy clicked into place within Momo’s mind.
She could feel the people around her, all Awakened Humans, all powerful beyond belief. And down below, far away, she felt Admiral Mori, standing on the bridge. She couldn’t recognize him, not as the same species as her, or Nine, or Rumi, or Kaina. Even the Awakened Humans on the battleships were unrecognizable.
“The manifestation of the next species to rule this planet…” Nine breathed in sync with the storm clouds, his lungs moving with the winds. “We are the ones with true Souls. Quirks… just a silly word… for superior lifeforms. Something beyond…”
“EVAD-!”
Miruko’s warning was in time, and Momo and Kaina’s senses picked up on it before it even happened, but this time, they couldn’t dodge. They didn’t do anything differently, and yet, the lightning struck them. It was as if the process occurred faster than before.
“But that’s impossible…” Momo thought to herself as her smoking body was flung from the top of the Wyvern jet. The strike hit right between her shoulder blades, breaking through the Shadow Empress outfit, which had the same durability that she did, and burning the flesh underneath. “A lightning strike should have an average time that we can all anticipate and dodge.”
Kaina was partially correct, the blue dragons weren’t Summoning Magic, but she was wrong about the possibility that the rest was Magic. In fact, none of them were Skills either. This man was fundamentally altering the properties of physics, essentially; creating shields beyond what most Mages were capable of; building storms that were close to the raw power of Apex Magic; summoning dragons that were approaching National-Rank; and making beams of energy shoot from his fingers that absolutely outclassed Energy Magic itself.
Momo landed on both her feet, atop the recovered Kaisel who dove beneath to catch her Mistress. Drinking a healing potion, she winced as the burnt flesh pulled itself back together.
“Before this, I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to have more than one Quirk outside of the System.”
“The only reason I lost to All Might was because I hadn’t acquired my last few Quirks. Just a little more time, and I would’ve faced him with the same power I hold now.” Nine’s purple eyes shone through the darkness of the clouds. “You probably thought this would be some easy battle with a National-Rank huh? You thought I’d be no different than that ant. Strong, but outclassed and outnumbered. You thought I spoke a big game, but was just another fish in the pond. Trust me Empress, I have the power to back up my conviction! Do you?!”
*******
[Quirk: Nine]
- Quirk Class: National-Rank
- Cost: Mana must be mixed with a part of the user’s Soul in order to create new Quirks. This loss of their Soul is permanent, and weakens it. Because the Soul is a fixed size, there is a limit of eight Quirks that can be created with this Quirk. Quirks cannot be created that heal or increase the size of the Soul. Recovering from the loss of part of the user’s Soul takes about a month. Requiring the user to limit their creation to one Quirk a month.
- Description: By sacrificing a piece of their Soul permanently, as well as a small Mana cost, the User can create and imbue themselves with eight other Quirks of their choosing. Once created, the Quirk cannot be changed or removed. This means that all eight are permanent, and that the User must choose carefully. The created Quirks must obey the laws of Mana and Magic. Nothing impossible can be created.