In The Middle Of Two Sides

Sanae (from a distance):

—Kouta… please! There's no danger anymore! You've already won!

But he didn't respond.

He only gasped.

The aura consumed him.

And if they didn't stop it… it could break everything.

And so, as the mist returned,

and the demons hid…

the true enemy was now none other than their own leader…

(Beginning)

Chapter 19 – Reditus Mentis (The Return of the Mind)

the true enemy was now none other than their own leader… he was there, on his knees… but trembling. Not from weakness, but from lack of control.

Kouta was trapped in his own abyss.

Inside his mind…

An empty, dark place, skyless. Only a cracked glass floor and a horizon that split into violet and black lights.

In front of him... his other self.

The embodiment of his power, his rage, his traumas from when he was alive.

He had his face... but no humanity in his eyes. He smiled mockingly. The aura he released was blood red, like that of a demon...

Kouta (looking at him):

—…I knew you'd come back.

Akuya (Other Kouta):

—And I knew you'd fail. That's why I exist.

You want to protect them...

I want to annihilate the one who broke us... I want pure and simple revenge...

Kouta:

—Why would I give you the benefit of fulfilling your wishes?...

Akuya (advancing):

—Because if you don't do it the easy way, I'll take control away from you the hard way!...

The fight began.

Strength against strength. Both fought for what they wanted... control...

Meanwhile, outside...

Kouta screamed harrowingly, still with his eyes closed, convulsing from the excess of power. His body released violent blasts that broke trees and lifted boulders from the ground.

Riko (sweating, with both hands facing Kouta):

"I can't... contain it much longer... the power... is tearing him apart!"

Sanae (breathing heavily, creating a titanic healing spell):

"Hold on! Hold on, please!"

A protective sphere rose above them. Tama, Sera, and Naoya had created a containment sphere to prevent the surroundings from continuing to affect them, only them, the entire team. They remained inside in the face of such a catastrophe.

But the ground burned beneath Kouta's feet. Pieces of the earth itself levitated and shattered, the ground trembled. It's not that Kouta's power was that much, the problem is how quickly it is released.

And that was when the others arrived.

Beaten. Exhausted. But steadfast.

Yui (screaming):

"Kouta!" Don't you dare leave!! You said we'd be in this together!! You said we'd take down Gares together!!

Kaede (panting):

—You're an idiot. But you're our idiot! Come back!

Haruto:

—Listen to our voices...

We're not here because you're strong.

We're here... because you brought us together.

Tetsuya (looking up at the sky):

—Don't leave us now, kid... I trust you...

Kaede (looking up at the sky, tears of despair filling her face):

—Don't die now...

Not after I've opened up to you...

Masaki (clenching her fists):

—Prove you're not the monster I feared!

Souta (resigned, eyes lowered):

—If you die... then maybe... you were only power...

Naoya (cold):

—Do it... if not for yourself, then for them. Inside his mind…

The Other Kouta had him pinned to the ground.

Akuya (with a deep laugh):

"No one loves you anymore… no one trusts you anymore… you're just a liability."

Kouta (panting):

"No…"

Akuya (raising his fist):

"Goodbye, coward."

But then…

The voices.

One by one, they began to be heard in that abyss.

Their names. Their phrases. Their emotions.

Kouta screamed. A scream of fury… not at the enemy, but at the pain.

And when he opened his eyes in his mind…

his body glowed.

Phantom Ascension.

Ultimate Augmentation.

Combined.

Kouta (looking determinedly at his other self):

"You don't decide who I am."

With monstrous speed, he punched him.

And kept punching him. Once… twice… five… ten times.

Akuya (spitting blood):

"Why…?" Why do you insist on continuing…?

Kouta (rolling his eyes):

—Because they believe in me.

And that's enough.

She grabbed him by the neck… and threw him into the dark abyss of his mind,

where he slowly faded away until nothing else could be seen.

Outside.

Kouta collapsed. His body released one last burst. Then, stillness…

Silence…

Too much silence…

Yui (trembling):

—Kouta…?

Sanae approached. She touched him. His aura was stable…

but his eyes were closed.

He wasn't breathing…

He wasn't responding…

Everyone surrounded him.

The wind blew, carrying ashes of aura… his body was slowly beginning to disintegrate… Could this be the end?...

To be continued…?

Message from the writer:

Aight, this is literally as far as I got—I been up all night writin’ ‘cause I had zero ideas the whole damn week XD. Sooo the next one might take a minute, stay tuned...

THAT IS... IF THERE IS A NEXT ONE.

(News on Wattpad)

(Mcsample on Wattpad) (There it is on spanish, so you might need a translator for that) (i would appreciate if you leave a comment telling me what would you like to see in the story, i'm running out of ideas.)

Current Powers:

Kota: 1400

Haruto: 750

Yui: 540

Tetsuya: 670

Sanae Hoshizuki: 370

Kiyomi: 6800

Soldiers:

Attack team:

(Attack Leader) Kaede Minazuki: 560

Reiji Tsukino 2: 435

Souta Amagai: 480

Defense equipment:

(Defense Leader) Naoya Kirishima: 380

Tama Kudo: 300

Sera Yuzuki: 350

Support team:

(Support Leader) Riko Hanekawa: 255

Hajime Igarashi: 210

Variable Tactic Unit

Masaki Dojima: 315

Asuka Renji: 240