Burnt to Ashes - Kenichi Todoroki

But I Will Win the War

Kenichi's POV:

Sotsui put his hand up in the air. No distinguishable sign, just lifted an arm. But I saw someone in the distance come towards me.

I assumed it'd be a brother. Hell, it could've been Zay, that would've made sense. If he died once and came back, it would happen again.

Maybe even Shinju. But I made sure he was out of commission, even for the Shirokage's healing quirk users.

But no. It was worse. Way, way worse.

"It seems your memory is jogging, but if not, let me explain further who you're seeing," Sotsui said. "Your gang, Kenichi, a lot of bad came out of it. But there was one boy that I sought out almost more than you..."

Aaron.

"Meet, Aaron.ai, the new and improved—"

"You monster," I breathed. "You're more of a villain then them all..."

Aaron looked stripped of humanity. His eyes were glazed over, his body was that of an avian man, he looked pathetic. I thought for sure he was dead for good, and if he wasn't, the Shirokage's would've used him earlier.

This just told me they were planning this for longer than I thought.

This was a war waiting to happen.

"We're not villains, Kenichi," Sotsui said, slowly walking toward me, "we're human. You'd know that if you were."

I scowled, feeling my blood boil inside of me.

With one swift hand motion, he sent Aaron after me.

I didn't expect this. I didn't want to fight Aaron. I had a level of respect for him back then that, somewhere inside me, I still had. He did so much for me...

I turned my body into lava.

I blasted lava upwards above him, forcing him to move to the side. Simultaneously, I tried one tactic that I used in my fight with Shinju; through my shoes, channeling lava underground and blasting it up. I was confident that this would work.

Unfortunately, Aaron was no dull fighter.

His moves were agile, much more focused than he was when he was alive. He fluttered and flew in rapid directions, unpredictable to me, and his strikes were when I least expected it.

I wasn't being outmatched... not today.

"Aaron, snap out of it!" I hissed under my breath, avoiding a swipe, then another, another past my ear, another right near my forehead, and multiple more after that.

But it was like he couldn't register a thing I was saying. He was on permanent attack mode. It was only in slight-second intervals where he would pause, perhaps thinking of a next move, before attacking again.

I could track these movements, attacking when he was pausing, but he was too quick. I felt near idiotic for not being able to obliterate him instantly.

Maybe I was letting my feelings catch up to me.

Aaron's relentless assault continued, each strike a stark reminder of what he once was—before Sotsui turned him into this twisted creature. I could feel the searing heat of my lava coursing through my veins, ready to erupt, but something held me back. Maybe it was the ghost of our past, the faint memories of a boy who had once fought by my side, who had believed in something more than just survival.

But this wasn't Aaron anymore, not at all.

He was gone, replaced by a hollow shell, a weapon wielded by Sotsui's cruel hands.