The world on the other side

The battle between the two inventors was about to end. The young Ano had only one goal in mind during the whole fight: to find out the truth behind it all. To find out what happened to Hana, his master, and his suit. However, due to that last blow, he could not trust his opponent's words. Ano stood covered in blood in front of Yu, ready to end the battle before he lost consciousness.

"Yu... I'm going to put an end to our battle!!! It's up to you how it ends!!! So tell me the whole truth!!!"

"You are naive, Mi-kun!!!! Naive and stupid!!! I've told you the whole truth! Just because someone doesn't tell you what you want to hear doesn't mean it's a lie!!!"

Ano stopped. The blood he was losing was making him weaker and weaker. He was on the verge of passing out.

"I have audios of you from the days when my friend and my master passed away. You were talking about taking down a spy and teaching him a lesson. Tell me, the spy you suspected was me, right?"

"Ah!!! It’s impressive that you managed to hack my office mics. Congrats on that!!”

“SHUT UP AND ANSWER ME!!!”

“We found it strange that just the day you entered the company, our system became unstable. We investigated you thoroughly, and all you were doing was stealing stuff and extorting criminals on the street to buy food for your stupid friends. We were also aware of your hacking attempts, but you never succeeded. You were no bother at all. Just a mouse that we let eat more cheese than he should have."

"Then how is it possible that the date of those audios coincides with the death of my loved ones??!!"

"I see. I was unaware of that detail. Our first suspect was a former company employee. A hairless man with a cranial memory modification. Unfortunately, we found him in a bar with a gunshot wound to the chest two years ago. His memory had been altered, so we couldn't find out anything."

Was that... the man I shot that night? Someone altered his memory?? Bullshit!! "What about last week?"

"Dr. Tsukino. We had suspicions that he was a Stay faction infiltrator. He came to our company years ago with a strange drug that made people see the future. He was a traitor from the Stay faction. He came with his wife years ago and raised a family under our protection. However, you decided to kill him by yourself, Mi-kun!!!"

That Dr. Tsukino belonged to the Stay faction?? "Explain yourself!!!"

"You did us a great favor by taking down Dr. Tsukino. After all, we had suspicions that he was a Stay faction spy. However, it was as if someone had brainwashed him."

"And what does that have to do with the death of my teacher and Hana??!!"

"Don't get impatient, Mi-kun. We knew Tsukino was coming from the other side of the wall. She brought us a miraculous gift, capable of making us see the future for a short period of time. That pink substance you're so obsessed with would allow us to anticipate Stay's actions."

"So you're insinuating that it was Dr. Tsukino who was responsible for Hana's death?! You're trying to take advantage of a dead man to blame him for your crimes?! Do you have no conscience, Yu??!!"

"I can guarantee you that our company never put anyone's life at risk by researching with this substance. I don't know what Dr. Tsukino did in secret. But you are obsessed with finding a culprit, so I have no choice but to theorize about it."

"And how do you explain that they saw people from your company burn down my master's workshop?!"

"Do you have proof that it really happened?"

"Children never lie!!!" Damn you, Yu!!! I'll make you pay very soon!!!

"I'm not saying he lied. But children are naive. He probably saw what someone wanted him to see. Appearances can be deceiving. Everything is not what it seems, Mi-kun."

"This is the last time you'll disrespect my friends, Yu!!!! Prepare to die!!!" Sorry Mai… I don't keep my promises...

*CREAK*

*BANG*

A metal slab broke loose from the ceiling and fell on young Ano's head as he approached his opponent. Bloodied and bruised, the young boy lost consciousness but did not collapse due to the blow. In fact, as if he were a puppet, his body slowly advanced towards Yu, who remained inert in front of Ano.

****

"Ahhh... where am I? What happened? I was approaching Yu to end all of this and suddenly I found myself in this dark place..."

*Is useless, Mi-kun. I've seen the future thanks to the [Frey Substance].*

Eh? Yu's voice? It's like he's far away! Where am I?

The young inventor's body automatically advanced towards his superb rival, while his mind was trapped inside himself.

*When you came through the door, I told you so. I was waiting for you, for I was sure of my victory. I have seen everything that has happened so far! In a few seconds, you will fall to the ground, and I will walk away victorious towards the exit!*

Ano's body, permeated by the evil purple aura that dwelled within him, continued to advance toward the billionaire inventor.

*The Unity project will be executed! I will be the one to unify the planet after ending the threat posed by Stay humans!!! Your work in this world is finished! I will perfect the suit you gave us, and we, Neo Humans, will dominate the world and lead humanity into a new era of glory. Our species will conquer the stars, and we will be feared throughout the universe!*

Even though the young inventor was unconscious, his body was still moving towards Yu. His body was being controlled like a puppet by the demon within him. However, inside his mind, something strange began to happen.

Ano’s mind was dark. It seemed like a dream. In the distance, the young boy saw a purple figure made of plasma. Without thinking, he started running towards it while he was trapped inside his own dark mind.

"Welcome, Mi-kun."

"Who are you!!! Where are we?!!!!" The boy asked in fright.

"Have you already forgotten me, Mi-kun? I'm your master."

The purple figure turned around. That figure, his height, his hair, his face... was identical to master Akira's appearance.

"It can't be true... Master Akira died."

"That's right. You killed me. If you hadn't spent so much time obsessed over your battlesuit and Hana-chan's death, you would have saved me." Said the purple figure with the voice and appearance of master Akira.

"It's not true... I... I did it all for the people I loved!!!! I... It's not true!!! Although... If I hadn't been obsessed with revenge, I could have avoided everything..."

As the purple figure looked at the confused boy and smiled viciously, his figure began to distort into Hana's form.

"You don't remember me anymore, Ano-kun?"

"Hana-chan..."

"If you hadn't entered that company, we could have married and been happy in our world. But you became obsessed with Yu and the idea that you were robbed and you let them kill me."

Ano fell to his knees against the floor of that dark space. The young boy, shocked, disconsolate and dejected, contemplated that being composed of purple-colored plasma that resembled his deceased friend.

"It's true... I... if I hadn't been so obsessed with my suit, she would still..."

"That's right, Ano-kun. Abandon your dreams and let the hatred consume you." The shadowy figure said as he watched the young boy tremble.

The young boy was startled to hear those words. "You are not Hana! She would never have said something like that!!!"

Ano stood up and came face to face with that plasmic entity. As he stared into the eyes of what looked like his deceased friend, she looked back at him and smiled.

*GRIN*

*"That's right."*

The purple being began to change forms uncontrollably while it laughed loudly. Gunner, Inui, Yuki, Tom, Kaboom, Coyote, Yu. Finally, it took the form of young Ano.

*”I'm you, Ano."*

The young boy, looking shocked and terrified, took a worried step back. He didn't know what was happening. A few weeks ago, he felt the same sensation when he went to Yamada's house. As if he were a mere spectator inside his own body. As if someone else was controlling him from the inside.

This is... The same feeling I had every time my hatred increased. This has to be the other me, the one who was controlling my body while I was losing my mind. He is the one who controlled my actions when hatred blinded me!!! I must make him go away from here!!! I must expel him from my life!!!

The young boy was right. That purple presence was the one who had been controlling his body since the day Hana was killed. It was present in all the moments when his levels of hatred and despair reached the limit.

Every time the young boy's hatred increased, this demon that lived inside him gained more control over his actions in the real world. However, each time his heart was filled with the love of his friends, the demon’s power faded. However, his battle against Yu and the words he spoke to him completely charged the power of the shadowy entity.

"Go away!!! This place does not belong to you!!!"

*"MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I was born here. The day you buried Hana, you created me inside of yourself. I was born from your dream of annihilating this rotten world. This is my home."*

The plasma being that resembled the young inventor smiled as he saw a young Ano. The mental manifestation of the young inventor's body became smaller; it was as if he was 16 years old again.

"That dream does not represent me! You are not me!!! GET AWAY!!!"

"Let's create a world where everyone is happy, Ano-kun."

Hana-chan...

The young Ano fell to his knees again, as the purple presence changed form again. This time, his form changed to the same as the demon that had been manifesting in the moments when his hatred reached its limit.

*"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Let yourself be controlled, Ano. With your body and my mind, I can create the world you want. A world reduced to ashes where everyone will be happy."*

The demon's smile instilled so much terror that a single glimpse would make any child have nightmares for the rest of his life; even until the end of his days.

"You know, Ano-kun, the brave do not fear fate."

Hana... "I won't let you do whatever you want, demon!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Ano stood up in front of the creepy entity standing in front of him. He threw several punches that pierced the demon's plasmatic body. However, these had no effect. With a single blow, the demon that lived inside Ano ended the young boy's offensive.

*BAM*

“UGH!!” He’s… too powerful…

*”You stay here quietly and watch. I'll take care of killing Yu Asu and controlling this stinking world!"*

"aaaah..."

After exhausting all his energy, the boy fell to his knees on the ground for the last time, exhausted. Panting, he looked up and observed the demon laughing at him.

*"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Useless, useless, useless... Fall into despair, Ano!!!"*

The young boy clenched his fist tightly because of the helplessness he felt for not being able to harm that being.

I can’t do it alone!!! My dreams… I won’t be able to make them true!!! I failed!!! I couldn’t keep my promise!!! I won’t be able to look at Hana’s face after I meet her in the afterlife… I FAILED!!

Suddenly, a yellow light began to glow in the boy's hand. A small object materialized inside his fist while he heard a familiar voice that gave him an order.

*Use it, Ano-kun. Save yourself!*

The voice of… Hana??!!

"Hear me, my faithful soldiers!!!! This star in my hair is the symbol that all crooks fear!!!! If anything ever happens to me, the next leader will have to take it and wear it proudly!!!! That's you, Mi!!!!”

The young boy opened his hand. What was on his palm was the same star he has on his pendant. The star on Hana's scrunchie had materialized and began to shine so brightly that it illuminated that dark place in an instant. The purple demonic figure was frightened and took a step back as it screamed in anguish.

*”GUAAAAAAHH!!!”*

Hana… Please!! Help me to create the world we dreamed of!!!

Ano, while holding her friend's beloved star, rose for the last time with the little energy he had left. As multiple beams of golden light projected from his hand, he advanced towards the demon, pounced on it, and thrusted his hand, along with the star, into the dark chest of the dark being.

*“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”* Shouted the demon brutally.

"DISAPPEAR FROM MY HEART, MONSTER!!! aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

The plasma body began to crack as multiple beams of golden light bounced around inside it.

*"Your heart belongs to me, Ano!!!! You won't be able to get rid of me!!!!! One day you will need me again and I will be reborn!!!"*

"I’m the one..."

"Marry me!!!"

"...who decides..."

"Someday you'll find friends you can call family."

"...THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”*

*Vanish*

The demon disappeared from the young boy's heart along with the darkness of that space. Ano, exhausted after the mental battle he just had with his dark side, fell to the floor of that pearl-bright mental space he was in.

*Huhu.*

****

Back in Yu's office, the murderous forces that seemed to control the young Ano's body faded away, and his body fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Pathetic... Mi-kun..." The billionaire said exhaustedly. "A few more seconds and it would have been me ending up on the ground... aaah... aaah..."

The exhausted young Yu set course for the exit again. This time his sister and Ano were out of combat. That was his final victory. The vision he had after consuming the [Frey Substance] came true. But at that moment, a shiver ran through his body from head to toe and back.

"Where is my sister...?" He said with a terrified expression on his face.

His sister's unconscious body was no longer where it was supposed to be. Yu, in desperation, began to search for his sister in the darkened room, and the moment he turned around.

*PUM*

Mai hit her brother's stomach so hard that he fainted after spitting blood mixed with saliva that gathered in his mouth. Mai Asu finally defeated her hated brother.

"Now it's your turn to sleep, little brother."