Zero #6: To Slay A Serpent

On the next day, Alfredo decided to find and destroy the mastermind behind the deaths of his parents, and the notorious Blood Gear gang. Christie and her henchmen are dead, yet he felt that there's someone pulling the strings behind them. However, this won't be very easy since he still need to discover who the mastermind is. He went to Marika's room and used her PC to browse through the files, hoping to find anything regarding his parents' and grandparents' deaths and the perpetrators aside from Christie and the Blood Gear gang. He clicked on a folder and his memories flashed. He saw a video of Marika pleading to Takeru and Mizuki not to sign a partnership with the Kamiyama clan.

"Dear God…"

He delved deeper as he scrolled around the folder, and he saw various lawsuits that were meant for the Kamiyama clan and their company, Kamiyama Industries. From that folder he also saw that Natsume is actually the son of the head of the clan, Shinzo Kamiyama. Not only that, he also found hidden camera footages from the Futaba residence and the Takahitsuji residence. He witnessed his grandparents' and parents' deaths on the computer's monitor, and he could saw the woman he killed conducting the assassination on the heads of Futaba and Takahitsuji clans, who turned out to be no one else but Christie. He pieced things up and found out that Blood Gear was nothing but a bunch of Deviant thugs hired by Shinzo as a cover-up to his dirty plans.

Alfredo became even more enraged after discovering it, and he swore that he will eventually get his hands on Shinzo and rip his head off from his body for what he did to his parents and grandparents, as well to his life that used to be happy and cheerful. His rage and hatred overtook him and he suddenly became his Hijack Raven persona once again. The black-haired Esper jumped off the room's window and flew with his pair of black raven-like wings. Marika entered her room and saw the window already broken by her younger brother. She looked upon her computer's monitor and saw that Alfredo left the confidental folder upon.

"Oh my… where's my younger brother going this time? I hope he's not doing anything dangerous again like before.. I'm kinda worried"

After he flew out of the tower, Alfredo went to the tower basement and rode out of it with a motorcycle running on his Sigil named Takemikazuchi. He raced his way through the night to the Krait Energies HQ, located not too far from what used to be Blood Gear's HQ. He rammed his motorcycle through the door, propelled himself into the building's gate with his wings and slain 2 Krait Energies guards with his sword. Other guards tried to fire on the black-haired Esper, but he repelled the bullets using an electromagnetic shield. He quickly teleported behind the armed guards and killed them one by one by electrocution. He kept fighting and fighting his way through the HQ, and as a result, he felt pressure inside him. Dark Nightmare wanted him to kill and kill, but he only wanted to avenge his dead parents.

"Come on, kill some more… Don't be a coward…"

"I… just want to… put my parents' killer… to rest…"

As Alfredo struggled under Dark Nightmare's control, he suddenly got a phone call from Marika. She said that Yurika has gone missing from tower after a rather elusive Deviant snuck into the tower. She described it as a Deviant with the powers of a cuttlefish, enabling him to become invisible as if it changed its color to its surroundings. After hearing the bad news, Alfredo screamed loudly in rage. Dark Nightmare took the chance and took over not only 80% of his body, but rather 90% of his body. His eyes became pitch black with scarlet dots as its pupils. His body became stronger than ever, and black blood began to drip from his lower jaw. He felt as if he became a monster, no longer an Esper.

After fighting through countless Krait Energies guards and slaughtering them one by one, Alfredo finally reached the top of the HQ. He forcefully kicked the door and saw Yurika inside an electric cage, this time guarded by the same person he saw in the files. It was none other than Shinzo Kamiyama himself, head of Krait Energies and current patriarch of the infamous Kamiyama clan. He smirked after seeing the black-haired Esper, and congratulated him for making it into his place. Yurika felt scared as she saw his boyfriend slowly mutating into a monster, as Dark Nightmare took over his body.

"Well.. if it isn't the son of that stubborn bastard Takeru. I see he has grown into quite the man, eh? And what do we have here? A fine yet beautiful girl that you adored since childhood? I know everything about you"

"Give… back… Yurishii…."

"Oh, is that so? How foolish of you to plead for your girl's freedom. Well, I ain't releasing her! Not until this island's free from those disgusting Espers like you! You see, Espers are nothing but a bunch of pests, seeking to take our place and become the peak of human evolution. And after that, they'll wage war and destroy each other with their supernatural powers, also known as Sigils, thus resulting the destruction of this very world and the extinction of all living beings. What I do is the right thing, to exterminate them before they reproduce and overtake the human population, which is currently declining due to diseases, hunger, wars and crime. Not to mention, the birth rate in this very land is also declining as well, for humans of course. That's why I want to wipe all Espers, especially their higher-ups. The four strongest Esper clans must perish first, before the others can perish"

"You mean… you want… to kill us? Kill Yurishii? Kill Marika?"

"Yes, just like what my puppet Christie did to your parents. And I don't want to kill you, I want to create you as the perfect Esper hunter. That's why I've been conducting experiments to find the perfect Esper hunter, the one compatible with the ancient being known as Dark Nightmare. However, my experiments ended up into a disaster, turning the local criminal gang into a horde of savage mutants known as Deviants. However, it wasn't a disaster for me. I used them, brainwashed them and weaponized them as my own army, aside from my own men that helped me protect this building and with my research. And as a result of Dark Nightmare breaking free from me, I found the perfect candidate. And it's you!"

"M…me? Why?"

"You see, somehow Dark Nightmare is a bit close to the Futaba clan. The genetic material of the clansmen and clanswomen allows it to possess and become one with a host them. That's why I wanted to capture you alive, as my experiment to create the perfect Esper hunter. However, because of my personal hatred towards Takeru and his whore he called his own wife Mizuki, who decided to end up with that imbecile instead of me back in high school, and not to mention they committed treason against me and they even protected you back when you were still a helpless Esper that I could've kidnapped easily, I decided to dispose of them first. Then, my next plan is to use your beloved girlfriend as a bait, and it was a success. Now, I just need to send some of my personal assassins to deal wit-"

"I… destroyed Blood Gear.. Christie… they're no more… You… have no chance… Die…"

"You foolish brat! I won't die just because I lost FUCKING EVERYTHING to you!! My gang, my Deviants and my arsenal, all destroyed! That's it, time for you to die instead because screw my original plan to kidnap you! It is you that doesn't have any chance on this pathetic world! You'll be joining Takeru and Mizuki, as well as their stupid parents and elders!!"

"You disrespect… Futaba… Yakumo… Takahitsuji… Die…"

"So what?! I'll trample on their graves and desecrate them if I have to! Those trash clans doesn't deserve to-"

Suddenly, a claw of darkness tore through Shinzo's chest. The CEO of Krait Energies fell limp as Dark Nightmare released itself out of Alfredo's body. Shinzo was quickly disposed by it as he writhed in pain on the floor. His life is no more as he lied on his own pool of blood and guts. The black clawed smog revealed itself as a woman resembling Christie in shape and voice, claiming herself as the true form of Dark Nightmare. After the evil being released itself out of Alfredo, he reverted back to his Scarlet Raven persona, but he felt powerless after losing Dark Nightmare as if he was betrayed by the thing who helped him avenge his parents, though the one that has orchestrated everything has been killed by it.

"Shinzo and his company are just merely puppets to me. I used them to carry out my plan to wipe out all Espers in the world but you, the one I am looking for. The one that is perfect for my new physical body, unlike my previous one. Your Sigil, your genetic materials.. That time when I used you to dispose of my puppets felt like a victory for me. Come here, so I can possess you completely…"

"Stay back! I only agreed with you because I wanted to kill the ones who killed my parents, not to offer myself to you!"

"Hahahaha… You know who killed your parents and took away the happiness from your life? It was me! I orchestrated everything ever since I was freed from that seal placed by that cursed Juno. All from the rivalry of the Futaba and Kamiyama clans, the deaths of your parents and the eventual destruction and extinction of all Espers but you. You will be the only one left in this planet. Once it's all done, your body's all mine! And I can finally lay waste upon this world and claim it for myself!"

"So you killed my parents huh… You treacherous motherfucking WHORE!! YOU DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THAT SCUM SHINZO OVER THERE!! FUCKING DIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Suddenly, Alfredo's Scarlet Raven persona split off from his body as a figment of Dark Nightmare trying to stop its main body. It sacrificed itself in order to stop Dark Nightmare, and absorbed by her as a result. He felt anger and pain as he saw his own figment of the evil being, the one who gave him the power to slay the Blood Gear gang and their leader. His own partner, destroyed single-handedly.

"Partner!! Why? Why did you do this for me?"

"Idiot.. I did it so you wouldn't.. It's.. all up to you now.. My other self.. goodbye…"

"Partner.."

Meanwhile inside the cage, Yurika felt fear and despair as she saw her boyfriend, angry and powerless against the monster who massacred his family and conspired behind him, destroying his life. She prayed to Juno for help, hoping that she could help Alfredo in his final quest for vengeance.

"Juno my Lord.. please save my boyfriend Aru-kun… I'm begging you!!"

"Hahahah.. you're powerless without your partner! Now that I've caught you in your weakest state, I can hijack you even more than before! I will drive your senses to the max, overwhelm every single part of your neural and immune system, course through your veins and taint your blood like venom, manipulate your mental state, unleash your inner rage and hatred and I shall pull all the stops to exhaust you as I slowly use you as my new and improved physical form! That bitch Juno got nothing on me as she watched this very world she created brought to ruin one by one!"

"I won't lose to my own inner demon, after what you done to my life, my family, my everything…"

"If I am a demon… therefore you are a demon too… Why don't you become one with me FOREVER!!"

Dark Nightmare hijacked Alfredo once again, this time without Scarlet Raven inside him. His body feels as if they were pushed to the limit even more, and he became feral. He tore the cage that held Yurika inside, pounced on her and straddled her on the floor. He began to hurt Yurika with his own bare hands, but before he managed to kill the helpless Esper girl, a bright flash of light sparkled from above, piercing through his body. Dark Nightmare suddenly felt immense pain and was ejected from his body for the second time. Suddenly Alfredo felt as if he could fight back once again, after losing Scarlet Raven.

"Get.. out.. OF MY BODY!!"

His hair turned white, his dark, blood-soaked clothes became clean and bright and his eyes sparkled like a pair of freshly-polished amethyst. His sword suddenly fused with Tsubaki's White Order, becoming a longer yet much powerful sword known as Heaven and Earth, with the white side representing Heaven and the black side representing Earth. His meteorite pendant glowed as well as he morphed into a newer and stronger persona: Lumino Nova. Yurika couldn't believe her eyes as she saw her boyfriend turning into a something divine and heavenly, all thanks to her prayers.

"I am Lumino Nova, defender of Sunshine City and heir of the Futaba Clan. Now, I shall vanquish you for good, Dark Nightmare. You will never wipe out all Espers in this very world!"

"UNBELIEVABLE… THAT BASTARD JUNO GAVE YOU POWERS?!! THAT'S IT.. TIME FOR YOU TO DIE LIKE THE REST OF YOUR PATHETIC CLAN!!"

"If my fate is to end here, then I'll change that fate!"

The angelic Esper boy and the dark goddess clashed against each other. He used his sword to parry Dark Nightmare's sharp claws and tentacles made of shadows. He remembered that Dark Nightmare's attack pattern and appearance is similar to Christie, he used the same tactics he used to defeat the Blood Gear leader to fight against Juno's immortal nemesis. Yurika watched in happiness as she saw her boyfriend fighting against the monster that ruined his life and almost killed all of the Espers of Sunshine City. After a long battle, the Esper boy thrusted his sword into the evil being's chest. Dark Nightmare screamed in pain and bled out black blood as a result.

"WHA.. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Your reign of terror ends now.. By the orders of Juno, you are going to be sealed once again!"

"NEVER!! I WILL NEVER BE SEALED AGAIN!! CURSE YOU!! FUCK YOU!! AND MAY YOUR LIFE CRUMBLE ONCE AGAIN!!"

"Yeah, no thanks! Now be gone! Final Nova!!"

Alfredo delivered the finisher to the evil being. Pure white wings grew on his back and he flew towards Dark Nightmare like a flash of vermilion lightning. He pierced through Dark Nightmare's chest and grabbed his sword. His wings are coated in black blood and he landed behind the demon. While the evil being is weakened, he cut down Yurika's cage using his sword and told her to seal Dark Nightmare. Yurika performed a prayer to Juno as she kneeled in front of the screaming demon. A yellow circle of light surrounded her and Dark Nightmare as the pinkette Esper girl sealed it with her prayers. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck through the tower ceiling, zapping Dark Nightmare and disintegrating it. With the help of Yurika, Juno sealed Dark Nightmare once again. The skies outside turned from night to day, as if the darkness that covered Sunshine City dissipated.

"Thank you, Yurishii. You helped me defeated Dark Nightmare.. However, I cannot bring back the things that I lost. All of my vengeance felt as if they were useless.. There's no turning back anymore.."

"Cheer up, Aru-kun! Besides, now that this city's back to normal again and the Blood Gear gang's no more, we can have fun together, right?"

"I wish it was as easy as that, but bringing back my bright and happy life isn't an easy thing. Even if Juno helped me awakening my inner potential and made me into an angelic being like this, I still feel empty inside. As if something or someone missing from my life"

"Well, on the bright side you still have me and Marika, and your friends are waiting for you too!"

"You're right, but I still need to repent myself in order to move on from my dark past."

Alfredo then took off his pendant and gave it to Yurika as he wears it on her..

"Keep it safe for me.. I'll see you again, Yurika.."

"Aru-kun… Don't go…"

Alfredo flew out of the Krait Energies tower with his pair of wings to his birthplace in Aomori. Meanwhile, a team of Lazuline personnel escorted Yurika out of the tower before they activated the self-destruct protocol. The tower was brought to ruin and the traces of Shinzo and his reign of terror slowly disappeared as time passes. Back in the Lazuline HQ, Yurika waited for Alfredo to go back to Sunshine City, but weeks has passed. She felt worried about him as she lied in his room, crying and weeping. Before he left, Alfredo left a note to Marika to look after his girlfriend while he's away. She saved the note and went to the city's graveyard to check out Mizuki and Takeru's graves.

"Mom, Dad, my lil' bro has already avenged you two. You can rest in peace now, along with Grandma and Grandpa. I hope Juno has a better place for you out there, and may we meet again someday.."