Unknown Confidence - Desecration Arc

For the first time in the fight, Number Two was getting nervous. The presence coming from Hiroshi was completely different now. It was as if he had turned into a separate person. In a way, he had. He was half himself. The other half, on the other hand, shook Number Two to his robotic core.

"You..." Number Two almost gasped trying to get his words out. "Well, finally making this a challenge! I like it!"

"Stop pretending," Hiroshi smirked. "I can feel your presence. You're scared. Petrified, even. Kneel, and I can make your death quick."

Number Two took a step back. He ran his attached hand through his slick, black hair. If he wasn't a robot, he would be sweating in fear. He had no idea what kind of monster he was dealing with.

Hiroshi dashed forward. He was so fast, Number Two could hardly blink his eyes before he was thrown through the wall of the city, landing in a heap on the ground outside. Concrete exploded everywhere, flying high up into the sky. Bibi covered her head, waiting for the inevitable moment where she was crushed by the concrete. Everything was happening too fast for her. The way that the Desecrater spoke shook her to her core. 

A gust of wind flew past her. In a split second, she was outside the gates of Sunchel, almost faster than the speed of light. It was as if she had been grabbed and taken there. She looked up, just to see Hiroshi carrying her in his arms. The black aura that covered the left hand side of his body was solid while being touched, but almost seemed transparent when looking at it with the naked eye. 

Like a demon. A twist of nature.

Bibi yelped out in fright. At that moment, the black aura went away, dissipating into nothing, and Hiroshi became whole again. Bibi sat down on the grass as Hiroshi let her down.

"W-what was that, Hiroshi?! You looked like a monster!" She yelped out again, putting her hand over her mouth. It was a side of Hiroshi she had never seen before. What was Kuro-Yami doing to him? Sometimes, he seemed just as violent and destructive as the Ardor of Darkness truly was.

"It's fine, Bibi. I have it under control," he gave her as small smile as he got on one knee and examined her. "Are you hurt at all?"

"N-no i'm alright," Bibi whimpered, a small tear rolling down her cheek. She looked up at him, just to see Number Two standing up, leaning his body towards Hiroshi, and preparing to dash forward.

"Watch out, Hiroshi!" Bibi yelled, pointing in the robot's direction. With a smirk, Number Two dashed forward, using his only arm left as a blade. 

"If I go fast enough, I'll take your head clean off!" The Desecrator yelled out in triumph. He got so close to Hiroshi, he could feel the hair on the back of his neck. It would for sure kill him in a millisecond.

Another arm flew through the air. 

Number Two yelled out in frustration with a blood-curdling scream. He was completely de-limbed. His other arm was flung near the gates, and his legs were separated perfectly from the thigh down. His body laid face down on the grass, hardly able to look up.

"H-how?! Where did you get this power?! Y-you cheated didn't you!? That's not fair!" Number Two screamed at Hiroshi, the lights in his eyes fading.

"No..." Hiroshi started. "I realised that I needed to get stronger. Going up against the Heroes of Lodestown all those months ago made me realise how weak I actually am. I wanted to get stronger, to protect the five people that mean something to me. I made a deal with Kuro-Yami. I can gain access to half his power, only if he can fill my soul with a little bit of darkness. It makes me even stronger, and gives me this unknown confidence that I have never felt before."

"Y-you...how?! You made a deal with the Ardor of Darkness! How did you manage that!?" The Desecrator yelped out. "How how how how how?!"

"Shut up, you are annoying me. Just die already," Hiroshi sighed. "Don't mind him, Bibi. Focus on me, alright?"

Bibi looked up in shock. Even though Hiroshi was at his most violent since his fight with Grant, he still showed compassion and sympathy towards her, making her feel warm and safe. With Number Two, however, he almost couldn't be bothered to look at him. It was almost as if he felt pity for him.

Wisteria and Tomokazu managed to exist through the hole in the wall that Number Two had created by accident. They stood by in horror. Hiroshi's body was now back to being covered in dark aura. Chills launched up their spines. It was like watching a monster in a horror movie. It was as if they didn't know what the creature was.

"Well done, Hiroshi. I couldn't be more proud of your power," Kuro-Yami smiled, bouncing up and down in Hiroshi's mind. "Just splendid!"

"So...unfair..." Number Two spoke up, just as the lights in his eyes faded and stopped working. His detached arm twitched slightly, but other than that, the body was completely still.

"Sorry you had to protect me, Hiroshi," Bibi stood up, brushing off her clothes.

"Don't apologize," Hiroshi replied bluntly. "You would have done the same thing for me. Now come on, let's go. We needed to find these over powered swords or whoever that makes them."

Hiroshi began walking back to the hole in the wall. Bibi sighed and looked at her feet, covered in concrete dust. Nobody else had heard what Number Two had told her. What did he mean? Replacement? It made no sense. Her father was too old to marry and have another child. 

The new information spun around her head like a carousel on fire.