Atonement [Bakugo Katsuki]

🤍 Chapter 102 🤍

"Run ahead of me, Nightshade!"

Kimitsuki had not wanted to do it but the command in Mirko's voice had prompted her to focus her entire energy on running ahead. She hurtled through the dark corridors glowing purple until she suddenly came to the other side – and she saw a sight that froze in her steps no matter how much she had believed herself to be stronger.

It was the sight of Shigaraki Tomura.

It was the sight of Shigaraki Tomura, yet he could look any more different since the last time Kimitsuki had encountered him. He was still the same man-child with sallow, crippled skin but he was much, much bulkier now. His body looked larger and bulkier, and his long grey hair were now as pure white as Kimitsuki's. He was encased in a capsule, floating in the liquid as he glowed as purple as the colour of her Quirk, and his eyes were slightly open, albeit unconscious, and they glowed purple with an ominous smile on his lips.

The sight of him was something that Kimitsuki never wanted to see again. She did not want to see him alive. She did not want to see him dead. She wanted to exist in a reality where he had no influence over her life. Kimitsuki snapped out of her shock upon seeing him so suddenly and in such unexpected circumstances.

Kimitsuki pursed her lips and allowed herself to snap out of this fear, pushing herself to deal with the Nomu that were present in the room. She allowed them to come close to her and they were nowhere close to the High-Ends. Kimitsuki took the small Nomus down, expelling her intensely hot Black Flames to burn them to crisp before she smashed through their regeneration.

"Let me deal with him!"

Mirko arrived swiftly after Kimitsuki, going straight for the capsule containing Shigaraki Tomura. The younger girl quickly turned to deal with Doctor Garaki but was interrupted by the loud splatter of blood – before Mirko could smash the capsule with her leg, she was stopped by the arrival of the Ribby, who used its long antennae to stab right into her leg to stop her.

Ribby readied itself to pull its antennae with Mirko still attached to it but Kimitsuki reacted quicker, moving in a flash of black and white as she brandished her flame-engulfed Katana, slicing right through the extension and releasing Mirko – and before Ribby could do anything further, Endeavor arrived upon the scene.

Endeavor slammed his fists down upon Ribby, using his Flames and his physical strength to reach right down to the layers of bone beneath the skin that were meant to protect against the shock. Mirko left the Nomu to the two Flame Heroes as she continued on toward Shigaraki Tomura's containment pod.

"Endeavor! Hurry up and deal the finishing blow!"

That was the sound of her homeroom teacher and mentor, Aizawa, and Kimitsuki turned to look at him for a moment. He had arrived upon the scene, using his Erasure Quirk to put a stop to the Nomus. Kimitsuki was just relieved to see that he was doing well. That they all were – aside from Mirko, unfortunately.

However, Aizawa was soon distracted away from them and back to the three other High-Ends that were causing havoc all around the facility. And taking advantage of Endeavor's own distraction, the Ribby reactivated its Quirk, sending more of his antenna to pierce Mirko's arm and leg again.

Kimitsuki had found her way to the computer system connected to the containment pod withholding Shigaraki Tomura. The system was at about 75% completion and Kimitsuki wanted to end it there – until she was distracted by the arrival of the High-Ends upon the scene.

Taking with her Flame-encrusted sword, Kimitsuki managed to slash her way through Ribby's antenna that was holding back Mirko – and as soon as the girl managed to cut it down, Mirko was able to successfully administer her ultimate move: Luna Arc.