Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 35 ~ Part 4||

I'm back! Sorry, I forgot to say I was taking Thanksgiving weekend off, hopefully, you all had an amazing holiday. :)  By the way, who can't believe it's December already?! Jeez this year flew by!

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Shouto tensed. "Act one?"

Atsuhiro turned towards Shigaraki and bowed. "May we move to the next act?"

Shigaraki's yellow teeth clenched in a vicious grin behind his cracked lips as his mouth widened into a victorious smile. "Of course."

"Jin," Atsuhiro said.

"You got it!" Jin dropped to his knees and pressed his palms to the ice again.

"Like I'd let you!" Shouto shouted. He darted forward as the mud morphed, twisting up into another golem.

Jin yelped and slid back behind the forming mud. Shigaraki and the magi didn't move. They were staring at him with a look of pure enjoyment.

Something was off, Shouto realized, but he didn't have time to consider it. Shouto flicked Endeavor up towards the golem's throat and froze. His sword pressed against a delicate pale neck. And all the air in Shouto's lungs seemed to solidify as onyx eyes stared up at him with a look of fear.

"Todoroki?"

Shouto couldn't speak. His grip upon Endeavor trembled. He didn't understand. "Yaoyorozu?"

A piercing pain slammed into Shouto's side, and he staggered backwards. A second Yaoyorozu spun her spear around. The tip of the weapon was copper.

Shouto let out an unsteady breath. He pressed a hand against his stomach. His chiton was wet. He looked down. His hand was coated in blood.

"How do you like this twist of the tale, Shouto Todoroki?" The magi asked with a high-pitched laugh of accomplishment.

Shouto jerked his head up, as Atsuhiro continued with pride. "This is the culmination of all our work. Although I must give credit where credit is due. Jin was the one who had the idea to get close enough to copy the woman's details."

Shouto's breath was short and painful as his gaze darted back towards the two golems. Dark black hair was swept back into a high ponytail with a few strands falling out to frame a dignified feminine face. Unlike the golems he had fought before, these were perfect copies of a human. Even the weapon in its long fingers was the spear Shouto recognized as the one he had purchased. The golems were exact replicas of Momo Yaoyorozu.

"Now, hero," Shigiraki said, breaking through Shouto's paralysis. His yellow eyes glinted maliciously. "The fun begins."

Yaoyorozu's doppelgangers charged forward. Shouto brought Endeavor up to parry the first golem's spear. She stepped back and whipped her spear towards Shouto's injured side.

Shouto pivoted. His sword arched up. The doppelganger of Yaoyorozu cried out. Its face morphed into terror, and it was as though Shouto had been frozen by his own magic. Endeavor stilled, pressed once again to the doppelganger's neck.

It wasn't Yaoyorozu. It wasn't Yaoyorozu. He had to kill the doppelganger. He had to...

The second doppelganger's spear flickered to his left. Shouto twisted. There was a loud ringing as the metals clashed, and Shouto was pushed back.

Shouto's fingers quivered. He hissed and drew in a deep breath. He needed to get a hold of himself. This wasn't Yaoyorozu. The real Yaoyorozu was back at the cabin, perhaps fighting for her life against the empusa. He needed to get back to her. He didn't have the time to hesitate here.