Blossoms of the Dark Continued

CCXXV Shouto: Second

Trigger Warning:

- burns

- graphic injuries

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There are particular moments in life where you wish nothing more than to erase a memory forever.

Where you want to rewind time and rewrite history.

Now is one of those moments.

No one will never know what transpired through my mind, so what reason is there to be embarrassed or ashamed? Still, it is a thought so revolting that I wish to get rid of it forever.

The angel of death I wished to thank is no angel. It is a devil in disguise. It never cared about saving my life or Dad's or Bakugou's. There was some ulterior agenda behind that. I know that from what it is doing now.

She. What she is doing now.

I have been watching the devil for long enough to notice that it is a girl. Black peacock wings. Long, black hair tied up. Black mask. Black everything. Except for her shirt, where it once was white but is now stained all shades of red. Right up to the collar. And her sword. The shaft gleams silver, but the end drips with blood.

Her aesthetic reminds me too much of Selene. But there is no way it can be her. She is back at the dormitory, and she would never side with the villains.

The resemblance is unnerving, nonetheless.

I set Dad and Bakugou down, quickly launching myself back into the air to catch a falling and immobile Midoriya. As I get closer, I can see what the devil is up to.

Shigaraki is completely knocked out. She wraps her arms around his waist, preventing his descent. Her wings flap with so much ferocity, I can feel the gusts all the way from here. But that is all she does. She was doing the same thing earlier when she flew back up. I have no idea what happened between him, her, and Midoriya hundreds of feet into the air. The three of them had been hovering, saying nothing, doing nothing. And then a flash of light. So bright that someone could have told me that a nuclear bomb blasted, and I would believe them.

I couldn't do anything earlier. But I can do something now.

Shigaraki is vulnerable. This is the best opportunity I will get to take him down. To take both of them down. I have no reason to feel gratitude for a villain who tries to save the villain of villains. Grabbing Midoriya with my right hand, I aim my left at the devil. A perfect arrow of fire hits those goddamned wings straight in the back.

The devil shrieks. Good. Suffer, you witch! I brace myself for a counterattack. Surely, she wouldn't hesitate to hurt the very guy she saved after I backstabbed her. But she does nothing of the sort. Instead, she glances behind to give me a brief look before she moves those singed wings up higher. Why? Why is she not retaliating?

I don't like her reaction one bit.

I speed to get Midoriya to safety. Dad and Bakugou still haven't recovered consciousness. "They're still alive! Hang in there, you guys. I'll take care of this."

For the third time today, I propel myself like a rocket. Higher and higher. Whatever it is you are trying to do, I won't let you do it. The determination is enough to send bursts of courage through my nerves. It becomes easier to forget the growing distance between me and the ground. Between me and a chance for help. My vision tunnels. All I can see is the narrowing gap between me and the two demons.

And finally, the devil does something.

First the sounds hit me. Screams. Screams so high. So loud. Enough to damage vocal cords and make ears bleed. Her shrieks are so horrifying that they are hellish. If hell is real, then I imagine that is the sound that souls make as they suffer in hellfire for eternity.