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A young man floated within the furthest reaches of space, with infinite power at his fingertips.
He was still bathing in the afterglow of victory over his greatest nemesis — a man named ’Sou Hiyori,’ — and had seized his godlike power for his own. It was power beyond anything else. Power to grant all of his wishes, no matter how dark.
And yet, as he looked upon the solar system, the planets scrambled and tossed here and there, he realised that he held only a single wish above all else.
He just wanted to… go back.
Back to before he met Hiyori. Before he got a foothold in programming. And before he, you know, attained godhood and suddenly started wielding far more power than any man should bear.
Shin looked to the solar system as he stretched his fingers, each of the planets gently careening back into their regular orbital paths around the Sun, which unfortunately now seemed to be permanently replaced by a golden, shimmering basketball. Should still do the job, at least.
He was especially careful with the Earth, treating it as though it was a Fabergé egg, that it would shatter into a million hopeless pieces if he were to loosen his telekinetic grip even slightly.
Thankfully, the Earth did not break so easily. And everything was right again.
…Er, no. This wasn’t right at all. Everyone on Earth must’ve seen what just happened, and there was no way the planet being moved in and out of orbit at once thought impossible speeds didn’t cause catastrophic damage to, like, everything.
Shin focused as his eyes closed and the cosmos seemed to swirl around him. He had to take everyone back. Had to hit the proverbial rewind button on his proverbial Blu-ray player that he bought online a couple months ago because it just seemed like it would be cool and ‘rustic,’ and had to give everyone another chance.
It was with these thoughts that Shin swirled his arms counter-clockwise, and turned back time.
That was a while ago. Well, relatively speaking — it’s always tricky when time travel’s involved, but it shouldn’t be too important. What mattered is that, as far as Shin was concerned, he had perceived many months since he had his ultimate showdown with Hiyori on the Ultimate Trouble Court.
He now lived peacefully in the universe that he had righted, but to his chagrin, his godly power had never truly left. He could still feel it waiting beneath his soul, burning faintly as it slumbered, ready to pop up whenever he willed it to.
Not that he ever planned on willing it to, Shin thought as he sat up in bed, his sheets crumpling over his limbs. He’d used it once to fix everything, and he was never going to use it again.
He didn’t have the ’With Great Power Comes Great Insanity’ TvTropes page on his browser’s bookmark bar for nothing. He was gonna play this smart, which is to say, he wasn’t going to play at all.
He rose from bed, not bothering to stretch or otherwise prepare for the day in ways other than pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt before leaving his room and plodding down the staircase.
He stumbled into the kitchen, still blinking the last of his tiredness from his eyes as he considered his myriad of breakfast options: bland cereal, something or other on toast, nothing, — he truly had it all laid out for him.
He spied the small, green figure of his younger sister Kanna pouring cereal into a bowl by the counter. She spared a quick glance towards Shin before quickly looking back to the cereal to monitor the grain-to-air ratio carefully, and Shin only managed a nod of recognition after she had already looked away.
“Hey, Kanna.” Shin tiredly said, finally getting around to that stretch. “Mind pouring me a bowl as well?” he asked, a neutral ‘mm-hm’ being all he received in response as Kanna hurried to fetch a second bowl.
Kanna was already dressed in her school uniform, set to leave in just under an hour or so. On the other hand, Shin had long since graduated from school and simply had work to look forward to later that day.
Shin lazily walked over to the living room where he threw himself down onto a chair with a sigh, fumbling for the remote to turn on the small TV for a little bit of white noise that wasn’t just faint milk trickling from the kitchen.
Kanna walked in from the kitchen, dutifully holding a bowl of cereal in each hand. She handed the one with a lower milk-to-cereal ratio to Shin, who muttered his gratitudes to her.
She sat beside him to watch whatever show had already been on the TV, the two siblings staring blankly into the screen without truly registering anything other than the lack of taste of the cereal they listlessly spooned.
“…Hey, Kanna.” Shin said, careful not to spit too much grain about the place. “You know, my paycheck came in recently.” he said, hoping to spark some form of conversation.
Kanna’s head did turn to look at him, to her credit, but she still didn’t say anything.
“…So like, if you… wanted something. I could buy it, maybe. Early Christmas present.” he offered, and Kanna couldn’t do much but stare at her cereal in contemplation.
“…Dunno.” she finally said, spooning more grain into her mouth. Well, he tried.
Shin chewed his cereal as he turned back to the screen, sinking slightly into his seat cushion. “…Well, uh… think it over. Just don’t milk me dry now.” he said, Kanna responding with a non-committal ‘mm.’
The two spent the rest of their breakfast accompanied by nothing but the din of assorted voices on the TV, though Shin eventually got up to clean out his emptied bowl.
Sooner rather than later, Shin thought while water careened around the curves of the bowl, Kanna had to head to school — and that meant Shin had to actually get dressed. He set his bowl aside on the kitchen counter before heading upstairs and back into his room, trying to ignore the building mound of garbage in the corner.
He had to get dressed, but that didn’t mean he had to be well dressed. He simply pulled on a pair of socks, grabbed his favourite purple jacket, and picked out a beanie and scarf to combat the cold — he always did like how green and blue went together.
He trotted back down to see Kanna waiting by the door, wearing a scarf and a coat to help with the winter chill.
Shin grabbed a pair of battered looking brown shoes from the ground, slipping his feet into them with only a bit of a struggle — this time he didn’t throw himself to the floor, so he was definitely improving.
“What happened to your shoes?” Kanna asked, Shin glancing towards her. With him leaning down like this, the two were almost eye level.
“I… fell down a skate ramp.” Shin admitted, somewhat shamefully. Thankfully, Kanna’s respect for her brother had eroded a long time ago.
“…You have a skateboard?” Kanna asked, and Shin shook his head.
“Uh, no. I kinda just got lost.” he said as he stood up straight, his shoes secure enough in their leather prisons. “And, well, it was dark and there’s that sudden dip, and-” he gestured, trying to illustrate his point by showing his index finger taking a humiliating fall down his other palm. “You know how it is.”
Kanna shrugged, skate park injuries apparently not so relatable to her — well, maybe once she was older.
The two left the house, walking to Shin’s car. Shin situated himself in the front seat, which wasn’t a position he was used to thanks to you know who always making him sit in the back, while Kanna buckled herself in behind him.
They drove to Kanna’s school mostly in silence to begin with, only the purr of the engine to keep the siblings company. Shin knew that it’d drive him mad sooner rather than later though, and thought it best to make conversation.
“It’s a good thing it hasn’t snowed yet.” he said, and he noticed that Kanna perked up in the rear view mirror.
“Really? Kanna thinks it would be nice if it snowed.” she said, and Shin shrugged.
“Well, it’s nice when you’re a kid,” he admitted. “But when you’re an adult, suddenly you’re the one who has to scrape all the ice off the windshield. And then I wouldn’t be able to get you to school on time.”
“Kanna wouldn’t mind being late.” Kanna confidently said, “It’s less busy outside then.” she explained, but soon wavered with a frown. “Oh, but Kanna wouldn’t want to get in trouble…”
Shin’s arms stiffened and his breath caught in his throat.
“Shin?” Kanna said, snapping her brother back to reality. Shin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened nonetheless as he gently made a turn that he failed to remember to indicate.
“…Huh? Uh, sorry Kanna, what did you say?” he asked.
“…Nothing.” she said, turning her head to stare out of the window.
Shin frowned, but didn’t press the subject. The two spent the rest of the drive plunged into silence once again. This time however, Shin wasn’t so eager to start chatting.
Once they’d arrived, Shin pulled to a stop and waved a brief goodbye to Kanna through his window as she joined the swaths of children that attended her school, disappearing into the distance.
Shin sighed, leaning back in the driver’s seat and revelling in the feeling that sitting in it gave him. He had the rest of the day to himself now until he had to take the night shift, so he might as well make it count.
The battered skate park victims beneath his ankles were starting to cramp his feet by this point, and if he took an extended walk in them he would definitely get a blister. Perhaps it was finally time to do away with those.
Shin carefully extracted his car from the side of the road and took off at an incredibly gentle five miles per hour, knowing exactly where he had to go — and exactly where he would spend that paycheck.
The automatic doors slid open in a highly inviting manner as a new patron arrived at the proverbial gates.
Warm air blew against Shin’s frame as he entered the shoe store, the heat and musty smell of new shoes bothering his nose. He stifled a sneeze however, walking bravely into the land of the sneakers.
He meandered through the aisles, surrounded by tones ranging from drab and uninspired greys to neon greens and pinks that were nothing short of attacks on the senses. Now, Shin was a fan of unorthodox colours, but these shoes had to fit a variety of situations. He’d rather something less garish… but couldn’t bring himself to go for something so monochrome, either.
Let’s see. Shin glanced around the aisle he was in, surrounded by sneakers and sporty shoes, many of them marketed with hyper masculine imagery. Not exactly Shin’s style… but shoes were shoes, hey?
Shin took a pair of black sneakers, weighing them carefully in his hands. They seemed about the right size, but… no, these were velcro. He hated the sound they made when he peeled the velcro off, especially when he was in public.
He put the shoes back, dusting his hands off. Laces, then! Shin was too prone to cartoon injuries to wear slip ons since they’d just go flying all the time, making laces the perfect balance of convenience and subtlety.
With his new criteria in mind, Shin wandered about the aisles for a couple minutes longer, leering almost perversely at every laced pair of sports shoes he passed by. Just as he was wondering if he’d be stuck wandering in the shoe labyrinth for aeons as punishment for his indecision, Shin found exactly what he was looking for.
The perfect pair. Mostly black, which was par for the course, but there was a bold cyan streak through the middle that matched the colour of the laces — and one look at Shin would tell you just how much he loved that particular colour.
He took them to the counter, paying for the shoes and watching them get packaged for him, almost giddy with veiled excitement. He carried the box to his car and drove home with the utmost pride, content with the knowledge that this was the last day his feet would ever have to put up with these shoddy old skate park shoes.
He unlocked the front door, walking in with his sacred treasure tucked beneath one arm. He quickly placed the box onto a table, kicking his old shoes off and lifting the lid to behold his shoe store bounty.
However, as the lid was set aside and the shoes were allowed to breathe, Shin’s smile gradually faded as his heart began descending into his stomach.
Not all was right here. Shin hadn’t noticed it before — maybe it was the change of light, whatever, — but these weren’t just any regular trainers.
The anatomy of the heel. The ventilation holes lined up along the bottom. The cushioning on the outsole, built especially for jumping.
Shin’s teeth gritted in tension, hands frozen precariously over the open box.
Basketball shoes.
Shin quickly grabbed the lid, slamming it onto the box and carrying it into the kitchen. He practically threw open the back door, darting outside where he opened a garbage can and slammed the shoes, box and all into their new metal tomb.
He shoved the lid of the can back on, rushing back inside as though the shoes were about to burst out and attack him, gasping for air when he finally allowed himself to lean against the counter.
He’d… done it. He had defeated the shoes.
It was… fine, Shin convinced himself as he closed the door. He’d keep wearing those old shoes a little while longer, and he could just buy… another pair! The kind that runners wore, preferably. Not jumpers.
Yeah. He’d do that tomorrow — he was far too dejected to go right back to the shoe store just to buy a second pair.
And he’d certainly never think about the pair he’d just banished ever again.
No. For the time being, he really had to get to sleep. It was still very early in the day, but he’d need his energy for the long shift he had that night. And though he usually hated thinking about his job, in the moment it provided a small measure of comfort.
After all, it was sure to take his mind off things.
Shin rapped his fingers impatiently on the convenience store counter he was sitting behind, watching the very few customers that showed up this late meander the aisles.
It was hardly a glamorous job. Sit behind this counter in an ill-fitting uniform and give a big smile to anyone trying to buy hot dogs at 3 AM — what a load of nonsense.
…But, it paid nicely and required absolutely no measure of aptitude. Those just so happened to be two particularly attractive attributes.
A customer came by, so Shin quickly sat up and beamed the fakest smile he could at them while he processed their shopping and internally judged their every purchase.
With a ‘thank you for shopping with us’ and a ‘please come back again!’ the customer was driven off, leaving Shin to slump back down again. Spitefully, he wore the darkest frown he could muster while no one was allowed to see it. That’ll show them.
If there was one benefit to the job, it was that it gave Shin quite the different perspective on all the shop clerks he’d neglected to even glance at over the years. It almost made him feel bad for pulling one over on shop staff all the way back in-
Shin lightly slapped the side of his face, willing that thought to not return. He was in different days now. No use dwelling on the past. Or… alternate present? God, time travel was confusing.
He heard someone clear their throat and he snapped to attention, not having noticed that a customer was waiting for him. He mustered a half smile for the customer, but didn’t see any bags or anything — suppose they were only here for something they could hold.
They placed the mystery object in front of Shin and he instinctively reached to grab it, but would soon sincerely wish he hadn’t.
He clasped his hand around the plastic bottle and brought it before his eyes, feeling every muscle in his body tense all at once once he saw what it was. The customer said something, but all Shin could hear anymore was a faint ringing.
His teeth clenched and wouldn’t relent, rendering it impossible to even explain himself. The blood in his face cooled and the edges of his vision turned blurry as there was only one absolute fact he could face.
Held in his hand was a bottle of sriracha.
He suddenly recovered from his paralysis, yelping and flailing as he tossed the bottle aside. It burst open on impact, spreading a thin layer of red sauce across the polished tiles to the shock of other customers and employees.
The customer began to raise their voice, but Shin wasn’t going to stick around to hear any of it. He sprinted away from the entire world, barrelling past the staff door as fast as his legs could take him.
Disgruntled co-workers tried to stop him or ask what was wrong, but he charged forward non-stop until he reached a final set of doors, arriving outside and behind the store. He took in a lungful of fresh air as he slumped against the wall and slid down into a sitting position, dejected and alone.
Well. He was definitely getting fired.
As he was basking in his failure and working on terminating his flight response, a screeching sound similar to nails on a chalkboard sounded from nearby.
Shin sat up straight, glancing back and forth for any signs of a disturbance. At first, he didn’t notice anything — just a toppled tandem bicycle here, an expected amount of broken glass there. But then Shin looked at the dumpster.
Something was behind the dumpster. Something with a long, pitch black, wicked and clawed hand. It reached around the side of the dumpster and rested menacingly against the metal before, as if sensing that it was being watched, suddenly darting back out of sight.
Shin warily stood to his feet, staring at the dumpster in case whatever was behind it came back out. A solid minute of having a standoff with an inanimate object however, and Shin realised he had to make the first move.
Perhaps it was because his addled mind was still in shock, but Shin recklessly decided to approach the beast behind the dumpster. He tiptoed carefully, trying not to make any sound even as the gravel crunched beneath his feet.
A metal thump. Shin froze, staring and waiting for even the slightest movement in the dumpster’s direction.
…
…False alarm. He kept going, creeping step by step until he finally reached the dumpster. This was a terrible idea, he recognized, but if this thing wanted him dead he was already in its clutches. The only thing he could do now is look.
Shin peered around the side of the dumpster, looking into the complete, all-encompassing, dark nothingness.
He breathed a sigh of relief — nothing was there after all. It must’ve just been a trick of the light, or Shin’s eyes flat-out screwing with him.
Shadow monster or not, Shin sincerely felt like he was done here. He could hardly walk back inside and face his co-workers anymore, and even if he could, knuckling down for another few hours of customer support didn’t exactly sound like a party anymore.
…Yeah, forget this. He was going home. In the second greatest act of rebellion of Shin’s life, he grabbed the brim of his company-issued hat and tossed it aside, watching it careen into the dark of the night, never to be seen again.
His soul liberated and feeling as though he could do anything — though, mostly just sulking and going back to sleep — Shin marched to his car and drove back home.
Had he not left so hastily, Shin may have noticed a set of jagged claw marks embedded in the side of the dumpster, and perhaps he wouldn’t have written off his fright as a mere illusion.
He shouldn’t be fully discredited though, for Shin was correct about one thing.
Nothing was there after all.
Nothing watched Shin leave.
And Nothing smiled.
The front door of Shin’s home creaked open, its owner stumbling in tiredly and closing the heavy door behind him. He’d gotten many hours of sleep just before he headed to work, but he inexplicably still felt exhausted.
At the same time though, it was the kind of tiredness where he knew if he tried to go to sleep he’d just be laying there until the sun came up, and so instead he decided to throw himself down in front of the TV for a while.
Kanna was already in bed by now, so he bumped down the volume a few notches for courtesy’s sake. Not everyone got paid for being nocturnal, after all.
…Well, come to think of it, he didn’t either now. Man, this hadn’t been a good day.
Now was the time to relax though, Shin thought as he picked a channel at random. Now was the time to relax.
But alas, fate didn’t want Shin to relax. Immediately, Shin was met by a sharply dressed man sitting behind a light blue desk discussing results of a recent sports match, and when it showed footage of the game, Shin involuntarily winced.
A team of men on each side of a court, competing for control of an orange ball.
Shin quickly changed the channel, but the exact same programming was shown. He changed the channel upwards of ten times in a row, but at the end of his journey he found only the logo of the NBA.
Ugh. If — and only if — Shin was ever to use his powers, he’d erase that god damned association for good.
…Wait, hold on. The NBA?
Shin had gotten so used to living with Hiyori in America that he almost forgot — there’s no way results from the NBA should be airing on Japanese television, and especially not on this many channels.
Shin quickly turned off the TV, the screen clicking to an uncomfortable nothingness. He had a terrible feeling about this.
Bad things had been happening all day, and these strange reminders gave him the exact sinking feeling he had the morning of his NBA ‘debut,’ if you could call it that.
It was a feeling that Shin didn’t like one bit, but it burrowed in his stomach and refused to tunnel back out. It was the same feeling that prickled at his skin whenever Hiyori snuck up on him, scolded him for something that wasn’t his fault, or any number of other awful things that man did while Shin was under his control.
But he wasn’t anymore. Hiyori was dead, and Shin had made sure of that. At least, he was fairly sure that being bludgeoned by the Sun was pretty hard to come back from, anyway.
Shin let out a wavering, shivering sigh. Forget the TV, he was going back to his original plan.
Leaning most of his weight on the bannister, Shin stumbled his way upstairs and into his room. He failed to even think to change into something more comfortable before he collapsed face up into bed, sprawled out on the mattress.
That was more like it. Now he just had to leave this day behind, and everything would be better tomorrow.
As soon as he closed his eyes, an ominous red glow started seeping through his window as if someone suddenly turned on a light. Shin groaned as he rose to his feet to shut the curtains, rationalising that it must be a neighbour’s security system or something.
He pulled the curtains closed, and decided that if he was already up, he might as well change into something else after all. Though, as he walked over to his closet and threw open the doors, he was petrified by the sight of a certain article of clothing tumbling out — one that he knew he didn’t put there.
Because from Shin’s closet came a pink and red polka dotted scarf.
Shin gasped for the cold winter air as he ran, having burst from his home’s back door moments after discovering Hiyori’s scarf. To an outside observer it would seem as though Shin had finally descended into true lunacy, but truthfully, he couldn’t be any more lucid.
He leapt over a fence, in no small part thanks to the athletic ability Hiyori once forced him to hone, and charged away into the foliage and trees behind his home. All he needed was to get some distance for now. Kanna didn’t need to know about this.
The trees passed him by as he gradually lost speed, his bare feet raw from his mad dash into the woods. It was fine though, Shin thought even as he doubled over and grabbed his knees. He’d made it.
Shin took a deep breath, standing up straight and clenching his fists at his sides as he stared into the dark abyss of the woods, the only source of light being the faint glow from the moon above.
“Hiyori.” Shin said to the nothingness. The man’s name was bitter on his tongue. “I know you’re here.”
A beat of silence passed before the crinkling of leaves and the snapping of branches was heard from ahead. Two ominous red glows shined from between the trees as a towering facsimile of a man approached.
His height had more than doubled, but his torso and limbs were just as thin as before. His arms, legs and neck were freakishly long, his hands bearing massive claws that dragged along the woodland ground.
Most strikingly though, his entire body seemed to be nothing but a featureless black void, no longer even having most facial features. The only colour that remained was the red that shone from his eyes — other than that, he was a husk of what he once was.
”Shin.” Hiyori spoke, his voice cracked and garbled. It was a mystery that he could speak without a mouth.
The sight of what Hiyori had become was enough to root Shin to the spot, but he couldn’t afford to show any inch of fear.
“I killed you.” Shin said, memories of the moment having never left his mind. And yet, with Hiyori towering over him once again, it all felt pointless now.
“You did.” Hiyori recognized. “But then you went back.” he said before his neck suddenly snapped to the side, making Shin flinch. His messy hair, now little more than a congealed mass of writhing void tendrils drooped towards the ground. “Why did you go back, Shin?”
“That’s… none of your business.” Shin said.
“Everything about this is my business.” Hiyori said, his neck snapping to the other side. “Look at me, Shin. Look what you’ve done to your best friend.”
Shin grit his teeth. “Are you expecting an apology?”
“I think you misunderstand.” Hiyori clarified. “I’m not upset, Shin. I’m not upset. Really, I’m not.” he said, his back bending to allow him to lean closer to Shin. “I was very proud of you and your little stunt.”
“…Really now.”
“Oh, yes.” Hiyori said, bending back again, though this time just a little too far. “Killing me with the Sun as your weapon? Taking my power for your own?” His neck and back snapped back to normal — or at least whatever passed for normal for Hiyori now. “Were I not instantly obliterated, I would’ve given you a standing ovation.”
“That’s not how I remember it.” Shin scoffed, remembering exactly the way Hiyori pleaded for him to stop.
“I’m talking, Shin.” Hiyori said, lifting a clawed and twisted finger. “We really need to get back to working on that, but for now, please wait your turn.” the finger came back down as Hiyori resumed. “As I was saying, I was proud of you. But then you un-did it. Now that whole stunt is no longer canon.”
“…Ca- canon?”
“That’s right.” Hiyori nodded, a creaking sound emitting from his elongated neck. “You’ve splintered the timeline into one where I existed but was obliterated, and one in which I was intended not to exist at all. But clearly someone doesn’t know how timeline divergence works. Because now you’ve left me in this state of… nothingness.”
“Quit talking nonsense, Hiyori.” Shin snapped. “Just tell me what you came for, already.”
“It’s not nonsense, Shin, it’s lore. It’s very interesting.” His elbows cracked and spun, throwing the leaves beneath him around until they snapped his arms into a shrugging pose. “But if you insist. I came here so that we could conclude your little reboot once and for all.”
“If you’re looking for another fight, I’m not interested.” Shin said. “Go home. Wallow in your own misery for once.”
“Your words sting, Shin.” Hiyori said, completely deadpan. “You think you’re over me, but you’re not. I’m doing this for both of us. You do want closure, don’t you, Shin? Everyone does. It’s only natural.”
Hiyori lifted his iniquitous arms disarmingly, bearing his body for Shin. “So go ahead, Shin. I’ll allow you the first move. You turned the Sun into your weapon when you were just a mortal, so how about you show me what a god can do!?” Despite his fragmented voice, Hiyori sounded giddy at the prospect. Ugh.
Hiyori’s glowing eyes slightly squashed as Shin took a step forward, as though he was smiling without a mouth. Shin would never admit it outloud, but today had been decisive proof that he was still haunted by Hiyori — if standing before his wretched, demonic-adjacent form wasn’t evidence enough, that is.
So fine. Shin took a deep breath and pulled his fist back, scrunching his eyes up tight as he threw a solid punch. If Hiyori wanted to play, he’d play.
…Though this time, by his own rules. His fist tapped pathetically against Hiyori’s torso, his ‘skin’ as cold and as hard as polished marble. Hiyori’s glowing eyes stared blankly down at Shin, his expression unreadable.
“What was that?” he asked, prompting Shin to fold his arms.
“That was my power. I didn’t ask for any of yours.” Shin said, standing firm.
Hiyori’s red eyes narrowed. “Oh. I see. Ha. Ha.” His elbows spun into a shrug again — god, Shin wished he would stop doing that — “You won’t even use the strength I graciously let you borrow? Just imagine what a grand finale we could have together, Shin!” Hiyori shouted, finally raising his voice. “God versus demon! Planet destroying attacks, perfect choreography in a climactic battle between good and evil! And you’re still throwing… punches?”
Shin didn’t say anything. He simply glared into the eyes of the beast in front of him, and wound back another punch.
“Very funny.” Hiyori said, completely flat as Shin’s fist clonked against his form once again. “Anyway, my turn.”
Hiyori’s clawed hands suddenly swung forth, Shin barely avoiding the blow by ducking beneath it and rolling backwards. Two trees by Hiyori’s side were completely severed by the attack, two hefty slams sending vibrations through Shin’s body as they hit the ground.
”Oh, I forgot how this felt, Shin!” Hiyori ecstatically cried as he stretched grotesquely to warm himself up. “We should really play more often.”
Shin took the chance to swing at Hiyori’s left ankle with his foot, managing a soft tap before one of Hiyori’s claws came swinging in for his leg.
Shin hopped on his other foot, gaining enough height to move over the claw and bash it from behind with his heel — though his blow was so weak that he failed to even chip a claw.
Hiyori opened his other hand wide as he attempted to deliver a sweeping grapple, but a well-timed roll to the right caused the attack to miss and Hiyori to grip a tree instead, cracks forming in the trunk.
“How boring.” Hiyori said, uprooting the tree and tossing it behind him to free up his hand. “I enjoy a little back and forth, but I’d really like it if you could do something more interesting.”
“I don’t care.” Shin growled, throwing another punch right into Hiyori’s chest.
“Not your best quip.” Hiyori criticised, his eyes shining as though he was smiling. “But it’ll do.”
Suddenly, Hiyori’s grotesque foot caught Shin’s legs from behind, sending him toppling face up to the ground and knocking the wind out of his lungs.
An inky claw quickly descended onto Shin, but he managed to catch it with both hands, his entire reserve of strength only barely enough to keep it from tearing him asunder.
“You can’t hold on forever, Shin.” Hiyori taunted as his hand strained against Shin’s arms. “There’s only one way out. Do it, Shin, and make me proud! Unleash the god that slumbers inside of you!”
Shin took a deep breath, the pressure of Hiyori’s clawed hand on the verge of becoming too much to bear. He was at his physical limits… but maybe, just maybe, there was another form of strength boiling deep inside of him, waiting to bubble and rise to the top. Shin closed his eyes tight, allowing his resolve to burn true, and-
”No.” Shin firmly said, making Hiyori’s glowing eyes widen in equal parts shock and frustration.
”Excuse me?” Hiyori growled, leaning down inches from Shin’s face. ”What did you just say?”
“I said no, Hiyori.” Shin repeated.
Hiyori stared blankly at Shin for a moment, the pressure from the claw briefly stopping while he processed Shin’s sheer insubordination.
A deep, horrid laugh bubbled and spewed from the void, a rumbling cackle that permeated the air like a poison gas and threatened to corrupt any and all that sensed it.
“Shin.” Hiyori said once he’d finally stopped laughing, his tone caring and sweet. “I don’t think you understand.”
Without warning, Hiyori’s second claw swooped down, swiping Shin straight from the ground and brutally slamming him against a thick tree with both hands. Cracks formed in the wood, and all Shin could do was hold back a shriek of pain.
”I wasn’t asking.”
Hiyori’s claws tightened around Shin’s body, constricting his breathing. And yet even still, even while cornered by the horrific monster that Hiyori had become, Shin did not succumb to his demands.
“Why won’t you let yourself loose!?” Hiyori probed angrily, pulling and pushing Shin forcefully back against the tree’s damaged trunk. “Still you stand against me! Still you insist on the worst possible avenue for yourself! What must I do to get you to finally face me as my equal!?”
“…I’m not like you.” Shin muttered, his voice barely audible.
“…What?”
“I’m nothing like you.” Shin said, looking Hiyori in the eye. His teeth were grit in pain, but his eyes burned with a spirit brighter than Hiyori had ever seen Shin embody.
“Apparently not.” Hiyori spat. “Are you not a god at all? Are you just a pathetic mortal who doesn’t know when he’s been beat!?”
“I’d take the latter in a heartbeat.” Shin said, no ounce of hesitation in his voice. Shocks of pain coursed through his body, but he didn’t waver. “You used your power, this power, to torment me for years. Don’t you understand?” Shin raised his voice, pushing against the claws with all of his waning might. “I will never be this monster you became.”
Shin’s words echoed throughout the woods as silence fell over Hiyori, his eyes going blank in contemplation. His entire body seemed to shrink a small amount in all dimensions, the claws around Shin’s torso suddenly becoming even tighter.
Thankfully, Hiyori released Shin from his grasp, allowing him to skid against the trunk of the tree as he fell at its roots, gasping for air and holding a hand to his ribs.
Hiyori chuckled as he suddenly stood up straight, his spine snapping in multiple places. “I had no idea you felt that way, Shin. It breaks my heart to know you think of me like that. But it’s no issue.”
Hiyori snapped his claws on his right hand, darkness spreading from him and engulfing their surroundings completely. “We can just play a different game, Shin.” he said as crimson, glowing lines drew themselves on the pitch-black floor. “One you know very well.”
Shin looked above his head, realising that the tree he was leaning against had been replaced by a glowing red basketball hoop. He made no move to get up though, simply allowing his gaze to fall back on Hiyori, the beast’s smug expression evident from his eyes alone.
Though, once it was clear that Shin didn’t intend on getting into position, Hiyori’s eyes dropped impatiently. “Come on, Shin. Don’t be intimidated by the height advantage, you won last time. I deserve a handicap.”
A crimson basketball with black stripes formed in Hiyori’s hand, and he bounced it against the floor impatiently, the sound of crinkling leaves present with every bounce. “Besides, you said it yourself, Shin! You’re balling, remember!? Come on, just humour me for a little bit! I-”
“…I’m not playing.” Shin said, causing Hiyori’s hand to freeze as the basketball rolled a short distance away.
“…You’re being such a troublemaker today, Shin.” Hiyori said. “Do I need to issue another challenge?” he threatened, taking a step towards Shin. “Because I seem to remember you and I have some unfinished busine-”
“Be quiet.” Shin interrupted, stopping Hiyori in his tracks. “All you’ve ever done is issue trouble challenges.”
Hiyori scoffed, kicking an invisible pile of leaves in indignation. “I wouldn’t need to if you would just behave. I’ve always just been trying to help you, Shin. Why can’t you see that?”
“I don’t… need help…” Shin groaned, pulling himself to his feet and leaning against the tree-turned-hoop for support.
“Look at yourself. You can barely even stand up anymore. How are you going to survive in the real world without me, Shin? It’s not too late. You have the power to bring me back.”
Shin stomped his foot, invisible leaves being crushed under his bare heel. “I don’t ne-”
“You’d be useless without me!” Hiyori interrupted. “Every trouble challenge, every punishment, it was all for your benefit, Shin! It was all just to troubleshoot your every flaw, so you’d be ready for the real-”
“I don’t need troubleshooting!” Shin cried, making Hiyori flinch and shrink another couple inches.
“…Shin, that’s-” Hiyori started, but Shin insisted on interrupting again.
“The entire time we’ve known each other, all you’ve done is try to fix me! Because you want to control me! Because you think you know best!”
Every time Shin took a breath, Hiyori shrunk in size just a little more. His glowing eyes were wide, at a complete loss for words.
Shin continued, stepping towards the shrinking demon. “Ever since I met Kanna, I’ve been the happiest I’ve ever been. We don’t have many luxuries. I don’t have a job anymore. But you know what’s most important?” Shin asked, not waiting for an answer. “We don’t have you.”
“Shin, that’s ridi-” Hiyori started, having shrunk to the point that he was now shorter than Shin.
“I don’t need your challenges.” Shin interrupted. “I don’t need fixing. And I don’t need your power.” He pointed a finger firmly at the shrinking figure of Hiyori and scrunched his eyes closed. “I don’t need you in a life that’s all my own!”
When Shin opened his eyes, he was no longer in the trouble court. He was instead standing in a forest, surrounded by fallen trees, and pointing at the puddle of melted void essence that was once Sou Hiyori.
The orange light of the Sun began to cleanse the night skies above them, signifying that dawn had finally arrived. And even as Shin panted for air, even as his lungs and throat burned raw from shouting, he finally, truly, felt free.
He breathed a sigh of relief, the rising sun beginning to stave away the night chill that seeped right through his bones. Shin turned away from the puddle, and began to walk home.
“…Shin…” the defeated, garbled voice of Sou Hiyori said, barely louder than a whisper. “…Please. I’m sorry. Come back…”
Shin looked over his shoulder, seeing that Hiyori’s head was trying to reform from the puddle, only one of his glowing eyes visible.
“…This… isn’t a satisfying ending.” he gurgled, sounding as though he was drowning in his own essence. ”This wasn’t… how you were supposed to defeat me…”
Shin had heard enough. He looked back to his home again, and continued to walk away.
”Wait! Please…” Hiyori pleaded. ”I don’t know… what to do without you, Shin. You can’t leave me. Please, come back…”
Shin stopped walking, but did not turn around. “You’re not my responsibility.” he simply said. “I was never meant to be yours, either.”
Shin continued walking away, disappearing into the trees and foliage as he left Hiyori behind for good.
“…Shi…n…” Hiyori pathetically gurgled one final time before the puddle sank away from view entirely, fated never to be seen again.
Shin’s eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the bright and bold sunlight that shone in through his window. In his blurred vision he could see Kanna standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed in indignation.
“Finally! You’re awake!” Kanna said, angry for some reason or another.
“Kan- Kanna?” Shin sleepily muttered as he sat up, his ribs and spine aching in pain as he did — right, that all still happened.
“You’ve been asleep all day!” Kanna said. “Kanna missed school because of you!”
Shin stared blankly at her for a moment before laughing quietly, which she didn’t seem to appreciate. “Sorry, Kanna. I’ve just been… really tired.”
“Kanna couldn’t wake you up at all.” she said. “Kanna even tried shaking you and taking your pillows! You didn’t wake up!”
Shin glanced at where his head was a moment ago — huh, there weren’t any pillows there.
“Yeah…” he muttered, adjusting to sit on the side of his bed and noticing that he was still wearing his work uniform, more than a bit dirty from his fight with Hiyori. “I was just… having a nightmare.”
Kanna’s demeanour immediately and suddenly softened. “Oh. Are you okay?”
Shin laughed, smiled and nodded. “I’m fine now, Kanna.”
He looked to the window, the sunlight announcing it was time to face a new day.
“I’m… awake.”