Chapter 6. The End Of The Ward Part 3

Warily eyeing the man before him, Yami stood tall with his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword. "Even at your age, you still managed to kill that fat blob," Father said in a cold, emotionless tone as he stepped over Dr. 0020's lifeless body. "Why do you all care so much about my vessel anyways?" Father asked, devoid of any empathy. "Because no one should have to be the plaything of another," Yami replied with conviction.

Before Father could reach him, Yami vanished and reappeared in front of him, swiftly sheathing his sword and unleashing a flurry of slashes with his 'Five-Point Slashes,' technique, Father activated his quirk, 'Dark Limbs,' and a swarm of black arms sprouted from his back, absorbing the impact of the slashes. Father retaliated with unorthodox and ruthless attacks using his black arms, but Yami skillfully evaded them with his superior speed. Father then fired laser beams at Yami with his 'Lazer Gaze' quirk, but Yami dodged them with ease, increasing his own strength and launching rapid slashes at Father. Dodging, Father smirked and recalled his black arms.

"Yami, for a seventy-year-old man, you still have some moves. Unfortunately, for your friends the same couldn't be said for them," he taunted. Seeing that Yami was unperturbed, he added, "Well, how about I let you meet your comrades?" Opening a portal much larger than before, three figures emerged with only the whites of them eyes visible. Yami recognized them as Dave, Nanami, and Seven, but their lifeless bodies made him feel uneasy. Father paraded them in front of Yami, laughing maniacally. "Well, Yami, what do you think?" he asked.

Yami gritted his teeth and got into an offensive stance. He dashed towards Father, but the trio ran towards him instead, sloppily attempting to block his path. Yami quickly dodged Dave's attack by sliding under him, keeping his eyes on Father. Seeing Yami easily evade the trio, Father realized the quirk was much worse on dead people. However, he only needed them to tire Yami out. Father used Seven to activate her quirk, shooting multiple 'Frost Bullets' that froze the area where Yami was last. Despite feeling exhausted, Yami pushed through it.

The safety of Kazuki meant more to him than his own well-being, But why did he care so much? It was because he saw his past self in Kazuki, Yami was widely recognized as the greatest swordsman of his era, but to him, it was a hollow title. He had lived his life as a mere puppet, trained by his clan to be an emotionless killer with no regard for his victims, let alone his own family. As the years went by, he couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness inside him, a void that nothing seemed to fill. He knew he was too broken, but it was too late to fix anything.

Then came Kazuki, a young child whose face resembled a blank canvas, wearing the same emotionless expression that Yami himself once bore in his youth. At first, Yami felt only pity for the boy, knowing all too well the fate that awaited him on this cursed island. But as he trained Kazuki and watched him grow, he began to feel something he had long forgotten: a fatherly love. He wanted Kazuki to escape this place, to have a chance at a better life, free from the chains that had bound Yami for so long.

Pushing himself to his limit, Yami tore through his dead comrades, determined to take down Father. But Father was prepared, activating his 'Dark Limbs' and unleashing multiple vicious arms to attack Yami. Yami parried and dodged as many attacks as he could, but he could feel his body slowing down as fatigue set in. He knew he needed to finish this quickly. Summoning more of his strength, Yami attacked relentlessly, fighting through the pain.

But Father was too skilled, blocking every attack with his black arms. Yami's body was soon covered in slashes, blood gushing out of every wound. Despite the pain, Yami refused to give up. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to dodge the black arms for much longer. With a curse, Yami gathered the last of his strength and unleashed his final attack: 'Dimensional Slash', a powerful strike that broke through the black arms and landed squarely on Father's chest. Father coughed up blood, but he managed to wipe his lip and watch as Yami's body fell to the ground. A deep slash stretched from Yami's chest to his abdomen, and Father couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "You fought well, Yami," he said. "But in the end, you were no match for me."

His face filled with shock and confusion as he struggled to comprehend the events that had unfolded. He had calculated that they would all die, but he couldn't understand the purpose behind the attack on the Ward or why they were trying to get him to escape. A million questions raced through his mind, all beginning with the same desperate word: why. Why did they do it? Why did they risk their lives for him? Why…why…why? Since his birth, he had been aware of his fate as a vessel for his Father, but he never knew the reason for it and had accepted it without resistance.

However, the kindness and care he had received from them were incomprehensible to him. But now, as he looked upon the lifeless bodies of those who had shown him compassion, he felt something stirring within him, and tears slowly began to stream down his face. "Why…why…" His questions now carried more anger than sadness. Something had changed in him. He wanted to stop this pain, a pain like he never felt before. It was much worse than the physical and mental strain he had endured his entire life. This was different. Seeing the man he truly regarded as his father lying unconscious, Kazuki slowly walked towards Yami's body, his eyes not allowing him to believe what he saw. He plopped on the ground next to his sensei, looking at the unconscious man. Another snap in his mind occurred.

As Father spoke, Kazuki felt a seething anger rising inside him. This man was the reason for all the pain and suffering he and his comrades had endured. Kazuki slowly rose to his feet, his eyes locked on Father. "I'll come to you, Father." He said through gritted teeth. "But only to finish this once and for all." With that, Kazuki channeled his 'Overdrive' quirk's 'Power 2' aspect, which triggered red vein-like lines to spread throughout his right arm, infusing it with a massive surge of power by 5%.

Father focused his eyes as he saw the change in Kazuki's demeanor. For the first time, he saw the boy's true emotions, and they were filled with anger and hatred. As Kazuki disappeared from sight, Father prepared himself for the incoming attack. But when Kazuki reappeared in front of him, he was surprised by the speed and force of the punch that came at him. He managed to block it with his quirk, but the impact still sent him flying back.

As they faced each other, Father taunted Kazuki, asking if this was the path he wanted to take. Kazuki's response was firm and resolute. "They fought for a reason, Father. And I'm going to finished what they started." With those words, Kazuki's body radiated with a red glow as vein-like lines coursed through every inch of his being, his raw power surging to an incredible 10%. With a fierce determination, he charged towards Father, ready to unleash his full strength.