The night started all so normal for Midoriya, just a long but simple patrol. It was nice to hang out with Uraraka again, catching up on what’s been going on. He didn’t let Alice be a third wheel either; he made sure to keep her in the conversation.
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For a moment, he wanted to call Ida and see if they could meet up. That way he can make sure he’s alright and maybe cheer him up with familiar and new faces.
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But that all changed when there were reports of a villain attack nearby. No problem, the three of them could handle it. However, that wasn’t the only thing happening.
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Izuku: “Wha-”
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The sky was on fire, the city was under attack, and screams of terror filled the air.
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Uraraka: “Look!”
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In the sky, a Nomu, similar but different to the one from the villain attack. It couldn’t be, but there it was. Worse, it was in the opposite direction of the villain. Before Izuku’s mind was torn apart by indecision, Uraraka made the call.
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Uraraka: “You handle the villain, Midoriya! You’re the strongest here, and we don’t know if anyone else knows about it. There will be other heroes fighting the Nomu; we’ll be fine.”
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Izuku: “But-”
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Uraraka: “Trust me, I’ve gotten much stronger. And I have Emory here with me.”
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Alice: “R-Right! But don’t worry, we’ll focus on saving people.”
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Izuku: “Are you sure?”
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Uraraka: “Yeah, so get going!”
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Reluctantly, he listened to her and blasted off in the other direction. He swore to get this over quick and come back. But things kept getting in his way.
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Not that he minded; it was simply helping people evacuate, calm down, or escape some rubble. But deep down, he was… angry. Something he refused to fully acknowledge, but it was there. For every second he uses on people he doesn’t know, the more danger Uraraka and Emory will be in.
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But that’s not how a hero is supposed to think. So he doesn’t think it.
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However, his fears are made real when he finally makes it to the battlefield.
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Hero Killer was seemingly knocked out.
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Some muscular man was burnt to a crisp.
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But the most shocking, the most soul-crushing, was the villain standing over Ida. A friend missing a leg…
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A familiar rage erupts from within, but he holds it down in fear of becoming what he’s about to face. Using all the control he can, he uses his quirk to stop the villain’s arm from piercing Ida’s chest.
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Izuku: “GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!”
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The angel of green glares at the angel of death. An explosion of emerald meets a flash of azure. At last, they meet.
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Azrael: “Midoriya…”
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Using another hand, Izuku flings Azrael away from Ida. He doesn’t notice Azrael letting it happen and landing safely away. Thinking the threat is buried in a building, the boy teleports to Ida and inspects him.
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Izuku: “Ida… ”
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Ida: “Midoriya… I’m sorry… this is… all my fault… ”
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Izuku: “No! It’s-”
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Azrael: “He’s right. None of this would have happened if-”
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The man quickly pulled his head back to dodge a psi-sword swipe.
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Azrael: “Curious, All Might’s successor is so quick to kill? How… villainous.”
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Izuku’s eyes widen at what he instinctively tried to do. But he couldn’t dwell on it long, for he had to block a powerful kick with the sword. He’s sent rolling back but swiftly counters by destroying concrete and flinging it at the true villain.
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The angel simply raises his hand to create a golden air shield that blocks the storm.
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Righting himself, Izuku’s eyes glow and the ground quakes. Several spikes of earth explode out of the ground and hammer into Azrael’s location.
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But nothing pierces the shield; in fact, it only glows brighter. A second later, an air cannon erupts from the shield. But Izuku saw this coming and teleported behind Azrael. Making sure to hold back enough to not bisect him, the boy unleashed another swipe.
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Azrael did a backflip to dodge and then countered with a kick to the back of the head.
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So what?
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A psychic shield blocked the attack, and a glare later, the man’s foot was caught. Using that chance, Izuku threw Azrael into a nearby building. But he didn’t stop at one. He dragged him through multiple buildings, making sure to slam into the ground a few times just for-
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Izuku: “Heh… hehe… haha…”
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Catching himself, the boy covered his mouth.
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Izuku: ‘No! I can’t, not right-’
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A flash of light and the boy’s body was lit up like a Christmas tree. His body is burned and healed in the span of a second. The downpour of rain only makes it worse. Fighting against the pain, Izuku focused on the lightning striking him.
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His forehead bulges as he takes hold of the natural element, condensing it into his hands. Unable to contain the power long, he unleashed it at where Azrael is. The remains of the building were blown into pieces by the sheer force of the blast.
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Green flame envelops Izuku’s body, healing him from the burns. But that took a lot out of him, enough to force him on one knee.
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Azrael: “Yes, laugh, Midoriya. For you were blessed with a powerful quirk.”
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Despite everything, Azrael was hardly damaged. He exited the flaming building and dusted off his suit. As he walks forward, fog slowly covers the area.
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Izuku: “You know nothing about me!”
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Azrael: “Apotheosis did his research; I know more than enough. I know that All Might chose you and that you were quirkless until fate seemingly handed you one. I know you, like many of us, admired All Might, am I right?”
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Izuku doesn’t answer; instead he focuses on regaining his strength and making a new strategy. The first step of which is sending his location to all his contacts quickly and secretly with his phone. Just in case… he fails… they can save Ida.
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Azrael: “You probably asked him if you could be a hero, didn’t you?”
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Focus broken, Izuku looks up at the approaching angel.
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Azrael: “Let me guess, he rejected you in your time of need. When you desperately needed comfort and acknowledgment. Only when you got a quirk did you finally find worth in his eyes.”
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The implication is clear.
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Izuku: “Y-You’re wrong! All Might would have chosen me regardless! I ran to save Kacchan with no quirk!”
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Azrael: “And yet you awakened your quirk because of it. Curious.”
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Izuku: “What are you-”
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Azrael: “Do you think they would have praised and accepted you for being so reckless if you didn’t have a quirk? You think yourself special, some pure-of-heart hero? Is that what you tell yourself? But does a hero enjoy inflicting pain or give in to anger so readily? What hero forgets to save the hostage?”
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Azrael points a finger at the still-down Ida and fires a purple beam. Izuku teleports in front of it and blocks with a shield. But the beam was powerful enough to pierce the hastily made defense and punched a hole clean through his shoulder.
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Izuku: “GAAAH!”
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Ida: “Midoriya!”
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Despite the pain, Izuku can feel the flames healing the wound slowly.
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Azrael: “You sicken me. You are no hero. None of you are. But perhaps… that’s why he chose you instead. You fit in with them better.”
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Izuku: “I… don’t care what you say. All I want to do… is save Ida!!”
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For an instant, his hair stands up as green horns. The sight and words makes Azreal smile, and the grin widens when Izuku bursts forward with sword raised.
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Azreal tries to dodge, but his body is drawn to the coming blade. Exerting more strength, he escapes the psychic hold and grabs the blade.
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The two of them use their free hand to punch each other’s faces. The force of the blow was enough to blow away the surrounding rain and fog. With his fist still on Azrael’s face, Izuku focused on a mental command.
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Izuku: “Sleep!”
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Azreal’s body limps for a second due to the mental command, but he doesn’t fall. Did he resist it or force his body to wake up through sheer will? Regardless, the opening allowed Izuku to quickly open and close his fist. The result is the fog and water condensing around Azrael’s head.
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Letting the blade go and stumbling back, Izuku saw his chance. Wrapping the tie around his fists, the boy began battering Azrael’s body with realm-shaking blows.
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Each attack rattles Azrael and shakes loose Izuku’s control. His fist steadily glows green as the assault speeds up.
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A hero is one who saves people and does the right thing.
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If so, what is the best way to make sure a villain never hurts anyone again? How do you save the most people?
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Izuku: “Haaa!”
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Instinctively, Izuku focuses on the atoms within the man’s stomach and-
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Boom!
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Punches him, utterly destroying that part of his body, creating a large hole.
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Izuku: “… What?”
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Is this the right thing to do?
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Before the boy can fully grasp the situation, he hears laughter. That’s when he notices the hole closing.
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Azrael: “I knew it.”
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The man grabs Izuku’s neck and lifts him up. Focus long broken and overtaxed, the water and fog fall from Azrael’s face.
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Azrael: “You are no different than me! The only difference? I don’t lie to myself.”
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Holding a hand to Izuku’s stomach, he creates an air shield, and a second later, he unleashes an air cannon. Izuku is blasted back, crashing into one of the buildings. Green flames emerge to heal the heavily damaged stomach area, but not fast enough.
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Azrael jumps down onto Izuku, putting his foot on his stomach, grinding it into his wound.
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Izuku: “GAAAH!!”
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The boy glares and grunts, commanding the wind to knock Azrael off of him. But the angel doesn’t budge, using his own strength to push back and dig his boots further into the bleeding wound.
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Azrael: “Save Ida, you said? Lair.”
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Izuku: “Guh… ”
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Azrael: “If you really wanted to save him, you could have teleported away with him. There are no more civilians here; it would have been the more heroic thing to do.”
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Izuku doesn’t want to listen; he tries harder to get Azrael’s foot off him.
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Azrael: “But no, you did what all heroes do: punch the problem. You all think being the hero is beating the villain. That somehow, the world will be made better when they are gone. But all you’re doing is keeping the system that births them alive.”
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Stomping his foot, Azrael lets loose an electric shock into Izuku’s body.
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Azrael: “This is your punishment.”
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The man activates something in his pocket, and then Izuku feels it, a familiar buzzing in his head. He can’t focus, and his quirk is made nearly useless. His eyes stop glowing, and his strength gives out.
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Worst of all, the green flames shrink and the wounds grow.
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Azrael: “I’ve seen enough. He chooses you not because you’re different, but because you are powerful. No different from the rest.”
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He raises a finger and points at Izuku’s head.
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Azrael: “Goodbye, Izuku Midoriya.”
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Momo: “Izuku! Catch!”
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Azrael turns around and fires the beam. Luckily, the fog worked both ways. Momo was able to dodge out of the way and throw the package. Something she has been working on for a while.
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Izuku doesn’t know what it is, but he knows if it’s from Momo, it has to help. He focuses the best he can and feels for the thrown object.
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Izuku: ‘There!’
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His forehead bulges as the weapon is summoned to his hand. Smiling when he feels the cylinder hilt, he turns it on.
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Sensing the danger and seeing the sudden green light, Azrael dodges the blade to his leg.
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Azrael: “No way… ”
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Momo: “I’ll take care of Ida! Don’t give up, Izuku!”
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The boy gets up and grasps his weapon with both hands.
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Izuku: “Thank you, Momo.”
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Azrael: “Tch. Not only do you avoid the moral problem, but you get to hold something like that.”
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Emerald light emits from Momo’s proudest creation, the lightsaber.
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Azrael: “I really do hate you.”
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Izuku: “The feeling is mutual.”
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Azrael: “At least you admit it.”
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Izuku charges, not caring about anything else but dealing with this living attack on his life. Azrael dodges the rapid but sloppy attacks.
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Just because he has a powerful weapon now doesn’t mean the wounds have gone away. Seeing a chance to have some fun, Azrael uses another one of the quirks given to him.
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A bone spear erupts out of his arm and catches it midair before twirling around for a thrust to Izuku’s face. Dodging out of the way, the boy counters with a downward slice, aiming for the spear itself.
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It works, but Azrael just makes another aimed at Izuku’s chest. Rolling out of the way, the boy rights himself in time to block a purple whip of energy.
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Azrael creates another bone spear while whipping around his purple whip. Izuku uses the lightsaber to deflect the beams while closing the distance.
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Again, the two clash, and the bone is sliced through. But in return the whip hits Izuku’s side. He doesn’t care; he continues the assault.
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Nothing else mattered now, just this fateful duel. With just swordplay to focus on and Ida’s life not in danger, Izuku can lose himself in the tempo.
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Emerald and magenta lights flash in the fog as the two clash again and again. The sound of lightsaber swings, energy beams, and wind being cut by bone echo throughout the darkness.
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Azrael: “Enjoying this, I see.”
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Only then did Izuku notice the growing smile on his face. Every time his blade sunk into Azrael, offering a glimpse at victory, the smile grew.
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Izuku: ‘Again? Why!?’
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A clear opening in conviction was noticed and capitalized on. A simple twitch of the finger and the lightsaber was ripped from Izuku’s grasp.
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Izuku: “No!”
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Azrael: “I always wanted one of these. Thanks for the gift.”
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Powerless and with no weapon, Izuku couldn’t do much to stop the incoming blade. But he didn’t need to, for suddenly the air stilled and Azrael stopped.
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Azrael: “… Oh no.”
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Within the fog, Izuku saw two intense and eerie green eyes behind Azrael. The next moment, the fog is blown away to reveal an angry chibi version of his big sister grasping the shoulder of the villain.
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Tatsumaki: “Hey.”
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And just like that, the two of them were pulled into the sky in an explosion of air.
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He was saved… again.
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Was he wrong for repressing his other half? Look what it cost him and others.
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Was Azrael right about him? Look at what he has done.
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The adrenaline abates, and complete exhaustion sets in. The young esper, tired of it all, becomes silent and falls.
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