— This is your 57,777th kill, YV! You're doing great! 20 thousands left!
I can't take this anymore... I have seen blood since day one. I'm familiar with murdering innocent siblings since day one. Why can't I be a normal girl like the others?
— Kagame, the association has sent us a message. If we don't surrender YV now, the level 7's will raid the lab.
— Wait, what?! Did the Boss really die? I can't belive it... Who's in charge now?
— Ria e Unizard are the main heroes running the association now.
— They're the strongest that remained after that boy killed the others. The new level 7's were just the remaining level 6's.
— I know, but they're still pretty strong.
— We can fight them. The battle bots will finally have an use now.
— Sir, we don't stand a chance. If we surrender her, everything will be fine. This lab costed us millions.
— I'm not going to throw away everything we spent on this experiment! Never! Do you know how much we sacrificed? We will never get the years of progress back! The money is nothing compared to the effort we put into this!
— I'm just saying we'll die with no purpose. And we can't get our lives back either.
They were two scientists arguing about a certain experiment named YV. She had purple long hair and green eyes. One of the scientists was a black-haired guy. His boss was the other one, a guy with straight light brown hair and glasses.
What are they talking about? The level 7's are here?
YV had special abilities, such as her power and a 7-Up. That's why she could hear the researchers from afar.
— Masters, I have a proposal.
The boss looked at her, surprised that she was able to hear through the armored window.
— Huh?
— I make clones with my power. We can surrender one, while the original stays here.
— That's a wonderful idea, YV! You would never abandon your creator, right? The association can't say we didn't surrender you if they get a replica instead! Rikoche, you said the level 7's are outside, right?
— Yes. They'll breach the door if we don't answer quickly.
— Tell them we surrender! They will suspect it at first, but they won't be able to deny it if they have physical evidence.
— Understood.
I'm finally getting out of this shithole. My clone will stay here instead. I'll be able to breath fresh air for the first time.
— Oh, YV, I forgot to ask something. How can you hear us from down there?
— Master, my 7-Up has gotten significantly stronger after the countless battles I had.
That's true, but I could hear them a long time ago. I just hid my potential to catch them by surprise someday. But I guess I won't have to kill them anymore.
— I knew you were still getting stronger! That's why we can't lose you. You'll be a level 7 in no time!
I don't care about the level 7's. I just want to be free. At least I can use my battle skills against this kind of person.
— Yes, master. I won't disappoint you.
At the reinforced door.
— I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! Our experiment is right here.
The boss was holding her shoulders like she was his daughter.
— Wait, just like that? I thought you two were really close...
— We are! But we don't have a choice, right? You would simply kill us to retrieve her.
— Yeah, you're not wrong. I would try to talk before resorting to violence, though. By the way, I'm one of the new level 7's, Shentong.
Shentong was a level 6 before the recent events. Now, he was the 5th level 7. He had his eyes closed and wore a black and yellow tunic with dragon designs. He had a medium-sized black hair with multiple braids and a quiff. He was buff and tall.
— It's a honor to meet you. We're lucky to have the level 7 heroes to protect us.
— No, you shouldn't idolize anyone like that. Everyone has a dark secret. If they don't, they are just a cog in the system.
— But I like to think there's more than just evil in this world.
The scientist lightly pushed YV.
— You may be right. I respect the scientists for finding new ways for everything. Just don't use that for your own benefit and you're good.
Shentong grabbed YV's little hand.
— Let's go, little one?
She nodded her head.
— Alright, goodbye to you two. I hope you aren't doing another secret experiment.
— We're not! Goodbye!
Shentong hugged her body and jumped, disappearing instantly.
— ... and never come back.
— Boss, we should stop the other experiments too. They're keeping an eye on us.
— Rikoche, there was only one level 7 at our door. You said there were many.
— The association's message said so. They probably didn't want to waste the other heroes' time.
— We could have simply fought him, smartass!
— And waste our money? He could probably destroy the entire lab with one punch.
— Ugh, whatever! At least we still have our precious YV.
The clone looked at them and smiled.
Idiots. You became so intimate with me that you believed that lie.
YV and Shentong were at a train station now.
— Your name's YV, right?
— Yes.
— I'm gonna escort you to the association's main building by train. I could simply jump with you like I did earlier, but Ria told me to use this specific train.
— Understood.
— Unfortunately, I'll have to handcuff you in the back. I'll be in the passenger car. Scream if anyone manages to break the metal doors.
This is sketchy... It's like they want me to be captured.
— Alright.
— You don't speak much, huh... Well, I guess living in a lab was not good for you. I hope you get to enjoy the outside world now.
— Thank you. I know the real world concepts because of my genes, but I have never experienced them.
— Everything has its first time.
They were now in the storage car. Shentong used special handcuffs to seal her power.
— Done. Good luck, YV. And don't forget to remember: call me if anything happens.
— Sure. Thank you, Shentong.
He smiled and waved at her, closing the reinforced door. He went to the passenger car and sat down on a seat. Everyone recognized him immediately. The girls approached him.
— E-Excuse me, are you Shentong, the new level 7?
— You're damn right I am! Ladies, one at a time, please.
They took countless selfies.
Why are they ignoring the other two level 7's here?
There were a very young girl and an old butler looking at him.
The girl is above me in rank. The old man is basically her slave. Ria told me to keep an eye on them.
The old man had a brown suit, glasses, grey tied hair, like a short ponytail and grey beard. He got up and walked towards Shentong, in a gentleman's way.
— It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Shentong.
The old man extended his hand. Shentong got up and looked at him for a second, even though his eyes were closed.
What is this, a distraction?
— Oh, hi, Mr. Quincy! The association has changed a lot lately, due to the Boss's death.
— For sure. I'm glad to be on the same level as you.
— I can say the same. Also, your power has always intrigued me. Creating walls and tossing them around? That doesn't sound too eco-friendly, haha.
— Well, you're right. But I can also create walls from thin air, so it doesn't waste the place's materials.
— They're still not eco-friendly. Unless you use wood veneers or galvanized square steel, they'll just pollute the ambient.
Shentong looked at where the rich girl was. She was gone.
Shit! She's up to something. But this old man is on my way.
— Yeah, I'll take notes. I don't use wood, because it's too fragile.
— Everything has its first time, no? It was a pleasure meeting you here suddenly, Mr. Quincy. But I have to use the bathroom.
— The bathroom? I think this car's is occupied right now. Why not use the front car's?
He's stalling up for time. Don't play with fire, old man.
Even when I'm free, people want to use me for something. The chinese guy could simply escort me personally, but no. It's all that Ria's plan.
The door's lock suddenly broke. A small hole was made on it. It opened and the girl from before entered.
She had yellow hair, twintail, pink eyes and barely any bangs. She wore a purple dress to match her spoiled kid appearance.
She turned on the light to see what she was dealing with.
— There are 3 level 7's just on this train, so something valuable is hiding on the storage room, as always. Let's see... lots of boxes and...
She spotted YV.
— ... a girl, like I expected. What's more valuable than money or power? A powerful specimen. Say hello to your savior, girl.
— Who are you?
— Do you live on the same planet as me? I'm Kara, the fourth level 7, even though I'm probably stronger than the top 3.
— Unfortunately, I don't live on the same planet as you. A life full of ease, huh? You're not even a decade old and you've already experienced a lot more good things than I have.
— Watch your mouth, kid. I may be younger than you, but age is just a number. I could kill you if I wanted to.
— Why don't you try? Do you want me alive, perhaps?
The girl walked towards her and broke the handcuffs with her bare hands. They were weaker to other people, since its purpose was to seal only the prisoner's powers.
YV was kneeling as she had no reason to stand. Kara grabbed her cheeks forcefully and brought her face closer to hers.
— I'll just say this once. You have three options. 1: surrender to me and become my slave permanently; 2: surrender and I'll sell you; 3: die by my hands.
— What determines the choice between the first two?
— If you prove yourself loyal, I'll let you become my slave. If you don't, I'll knock you out and sell you. If you fight back, I'll kill you.
— What is the loyalty test?
The girl released YV's face. She then took off her heels and approached her tiny foot to her face.
— Lick my precious foot and I'll consider you loyal.
YV grabbed her foot and stared at it.
It's soft. Too soft to deserve my attention. This girl has never stepped foot on a battlefield.
She pushed her foot up to make the spoiled girl lose her balance. She fell backwards, surprised by her last minute rebellion.
YV got up and stared at her with utter disdain.
— I'm not afraid of you, brat. But you should be afraid of me. Just a piece of advice.
The girl looked at her, with a neutral face. It was hard to know what she was thinking. She took a coin from her pocket and placed it in front of her eye.
— Do you know what this is?
— A circle.
— What is its purpose?
— I don't know. I never used one before.
— You never fought for money. You had it easier.
Kara released the coin from her hand and it disappeared. Instantly after, a hole was made in YV's leg. Less than a second after, a loud sound echoed in the room. The hole had a circular shape. It started to bleed, like she was shot.
What happened?! Did she throw the coin? I couldn't see anything!
Kara got up and grabbed her missing heel. She used the pointy part to hit YV in the forehead. She went flying, breaking boxes in the way.
Ouch... Everything's spinning...
Her head was bleeding so much that she didn't know how she was still conscious. Kara released her heel and it disappeared. A huge hole was made in YV's chest. It had the shape of a heel.
— I gave you three options. You chose the third one.
The girl grabbed her other heel and approached her. She used the pointy part again, but to pierce YV's eye instead. It went through easily. YV had an extreme pain tolerance, but it was still unbearable. She cried and screamed.
— You're doing great, specimen. Beg for my mercy. You'll have to use your power if you want to survive.
She hasn't killed me yet because she wants to see my power! I won't use it... but what if I die? I'm already losing consciousness... I guess this is my end...
— Mr. Quincy, it was great talking to you, but I do need to get going, you know? The world is harsh, so is my schedule.
— Oh, wait just a little more! Let me take a selfie with you and immortalize this moment! After all, it's not everyday I get to meet with THE Shentong.
You know you can't just resort to violence, young man. The girls will get scared if you do so. Your image will be tarnished.
My patience is wearing thin, old man. You know I can break your fragile bones here and know. But what about the girls? The media will be full of this...
That's it, keep worrying about your status. This is why the younger generation is doomed.
You're a boomer, but you're not dumb.
Shentong walked past the old man, who tried to grab him forcefully. He used this chance to push him back, with more force than needed. Quincy fell into a sitting position. He quickly got up and grabbed his tunic to stop him.
Not my clothes, coward...
Then, a cry of pain echoed in the car.
That's YV! Alright, I won't hold back anymore.
Shentong grabbed Quincy's suit and kicked him in the stomach. The impact was so powerful that the entire train vibrated a bit. The old man fell down unconscious. The girls stared at him incredulously.
Oh my god, he's so hot! I wish I got to be kicked like that!
— My life was way harder than yours, brat. You don't even know what's the meaning behind a coin. Because of a tiny circle, everyone wants to use me.
Kara continued to hit YV's body with her heel.
That's it, this is my end... I guess I deserve it. Everything I did my whole life was to kill clones of someone I don't even know...
Suddenly, the hits stopped. Kara was struggling to breath. Shentong was behind her, squeezing her neck. She dropped her heel, which disappeared. A hole appeared in the man's shoulder.
He didn't even flinch. He turned her body to face him and punched her face multiple times, until her teeth dropped. He threw her body violently on the floor.
— YV, I'll take you by air.
He turned around and kneeled, expecting her to ride on his back. She was bleeding profusely but could still walk. She approached the spoiled kid's body and grabbed her neck. Suddenly, the two girls disappeared. A human-shaped hole was made in the wall.
YV somehow became so powerful that she could simply run through the walls of the cars at supersonic speed. Everyone in the way died instantly.
The train was now running on a floating track. It was more convenient, because it ignored the topography of the region. YV finally ran through the driver's wagon and fell onto the track.
She got up and kicked Kara's body towards the sky. She waited for the train to get closer and grabbed it, stopping it forcefully. Then, she threw the entire train towards the girl.
Many people died at the same time, but Shentong used his maximum speed to evacuate the passengers. He grabbed as many people as he could, jumped and landed safely on the ground. He did this at least 50 times. All of this happened in less than 5 seconds.
The train couldn't be saved, however. Even if Shentong minimized the damaged, it was now unusable. He landed next to YV, who was still on the floating track. He stared at her in disbelief. But not because she killed a lot of people with no remorse.
— Is that your power?
— Huh...?
— Why didn't you use it earlier?
— I don't know... my power is not super strength...
That's weird...
— Is your power at least related to what you just did?
— No... not at all. I can make clones of myself, that's my power.
— Have you ever overdosed on 7-Up?
— Maybe... but I've never done anything like this before.
Is she perhaps like me? Her compability is insane, if this really has nothing to do with her power.
— You're discovering your true potential, YV. I understand you. It took me a while to realize I was special.
Shentong smiled at her. She was bleeding real bad, struggling to stay standing. But he was mesmerized, not concerned.
— You're like me! You're blessed with compatibility!
— Compatibility?
— If your power didn't do this, your 7-Up did. But training is not enough to reach this level. You're extremely compatible with it.
Really? Is that why I managed to kill tens of thousands of my clones? Is that why I was the only one who remained?
— That may be true, but I need some rest...
YV fell down, almost dead. Shentong approached her, still smiling in a menacing way.
— Rest well, YV. I'll take you to a safe place.
He placed her arms on his shoulders, like a cape. He then jumped high enough to view the association's building. Suddenly, two concrete walls crushed him and broke upon impact. He instantly protected YV with his body. They fell into a square.
— You're still alive, Quincy...
— You left me to die there, Mr. Shentong. What if the media knows you're a subjective hero?
— They won't know anything if the last witness disappears.
He sat YV's body on a bench. He then jumped towards the old man, who quickly summoned a glass wall. He broke it easily, but another wall came from the top. Well, it was actually a ceiling, but made of titanium. It smashed his body against the ground. The ceiling, however, bent to the shape of his body.
— You're underestimating me, old man.
Shentong destroyed the ceiling and ran so quickly that Quincy had no time to react. He punched the old man multiple times, while moving so fast that no naked eye coud see or predict where he would be.
Quincy summoned a omnidirectional cylindrical wall and expanded it to hit Shentong. He also made another cylindrical external wall and began to attract it towards the other. He tried to punch it, but the impact was distributed in the form of waves. Their material was a super elastic pink rubber.
Really? Rubber? I would just stand here and wait for the soft squeeze, but he can probably change the material.
The ground and ceiling were also made of rubber, trapping him. He bit the wall closer to the old man and pulled it, tearing it apart. He kicked Quincy in the stomach. His body went flying towards the rubber wall behind him, throwing him back. Shentong punched him multiple times, like he was a punching bag.
Finally, the rubber was gone, just like the old man. He was not dead yet, but Shentong pondered if he should finish him or not.
Well, Ria told me to keep an eye on them. If he tells that brat that I beat the shit out of him, she can cause me a little trouble. It's for the greater of good.
He grabbed the old man's neck and lifted him up, ready to snap it. Suddenly, a shot could be heard. Shentong's ear slipped out of his head.
— I told you to escort her, not this.
He dropped Quincy's body and turned around. Ria was aiming her revolver at his head.
— Well, I'm sorry, Ria-sama. But she's special, I need to know more about her.
— You're in no right to defy my orders, hero. You're a level 7, you know better than this.
— Y-You're right... You'll investigate everything about her, right? Can you tell me about her 7-Up compatibility?
— You already know everything about that. Everything you have is thanks to your 7-Up.
— But she's different, like me. I want to know if she's the same kind of different.
— If she's really that compatible, it's nothing to worry about. You're not the only one with that quirk.
Ria grabbed YV's head and lifted her up. She pointed the revolver at the back of her head and fired. Her body was sent towards the association's rooftop. It was so fast that it looked like she disappeared.
— One more thing, Shentong. Thank you for your collaboration. I'll punish both the kid and her butler. But if you step out of line, the next will be you.
Ria shot herself in the head, disappearing.
— They traded a dictator for another dictator...
Ria shot YV's body with a regeneration bullet. She then carried her over to her office. She sat her down on a chair. Then, she sat down on her translucent chair. Behind her, the wall was made of glass, showing a beautiful view of the city at night. She put her elbows on the table, like she owned the place. Well, she kind of did. YV woke up.
— We have a lot to discuss, YV.
— Who are you...?
— I'm Ria, the one who rescued you.
— You're lying... you sent people to rescue me.
— Indirect deeds are still deeds. I wanted to test you and the heroes there.
— You almost got me killed... A lot of passengers died because of you.
— Are you feeling guilty? I thought you killed people like it was drinking water.
— They were not people... I had no other choice besides killing them. You had, but you refused to spare them.
— They're only a drop in the ocean of blood. You, however, killed cities worth of clones.
— Small cities... You killed large ones.
— Typical behavior of someone who feels guilty. Keep putting your blame on me, I don't care. I have seen it all.
YV stood up angrily. She placed her hands on the desk, staring into Ria's empty eyes.
— You're so hypocritical... how can people like you run a country?
— Wow, you know what a country is. Do you prefer the Boss? He would let you complete the experiment and then use you.
— Bad people always get replaced by bad people... You may not be worse than him, but you're not better either.
— Bad leaders exist because of bad followers.
— You threaten even your allies to keep controlling them... you're disgusting... The only thing you fight for is yourself.
— Are you the one to make the sacrifice play? You sacrificed clones your entire life, now you're trying to lecture a professional hero.
— I had no other choice! You have plenty, specially now that you run the association. You know, you may not be a threat, but you should stop pretending to be a hero.
— A hero? What is a hero to you?
— Shentong is a hero... He saved a lot of people I would have killed by accident.
— I wouldn't call that an accident, he could have stopped you. But heroes make sacrifices all the time. You can't save everyone, nor should everyone be saved.
YV jumped over the table, furious. Her head and body ricocheted back.
— What is this, a barrier?
— I don't have the weakness most leaders do. Snipers are useless against me.
— A coward power for a coward hero... Take that off, what are you?
— Assassin, hero, leader, billionaire, philanthropist, dead shot-
— Alright, shut your fucking mouth! What do you want from me?
— I want you to live a normal life.
— Wait, what?
— Starting tomorrow, you'll be a student. Make friends, you'll need them. Also, take this.
Ria threw a phone for her to catch. It fell down, because she was not quick enough.
— Did you really expect me to catch it like it was a scripted event?
— Do you know what a script is? Also, I thought killing thousands would sharpen your aim.
— I'm not like you, idiot. And I know some movies, because of my base memories...
— You're one of the clones whose memories they decided to keep. I don't know at which age Yuto got his genes stolen, but I think that doesn't really matter. They tried every single option, until they found you. A perfect clone, a perfect assassin.
— Yeah, and I'm tired of seeing his older sister. He loved her, not only as family.
— I thought he didn't reciprocate the feeling... I guess he hid it because it was a taboo.
YV picked up the phone. There was a list of things to do, plus lots of useful information.
— Call me when you need me, YV. Also, what do you think of getting a real name?
— A real name? Isn't mine enough?
— Maybe it is to you, a killer machine. But normal humans will suspect you.
— Uh... I don't know. Do I really need to blend in?
— Of course. You have wanted a peaceful life since you were born. Now is your chance.
The door behind YV opened. A huge silhouette entered.
— Does anyone need a name here?
Ria smiled.
— You heard everything. Typical of you, Unizard.
She was now wearing a white shirt. It was so short that it didn't cover her belly. Her bra was visible, since the shirt didn't cover her shoulders either. The jean shorts she had were pretty seducing, because her large and long legs could be seen at their full glory. YV was looking up at her, terrified.
— What's the matter, kid?
— What did you drink when you were younger...?
— Water.
— You gotta be shitting me. Yuto's memories are making me flustered. Why did he have to like big girls?
— Oh, you have his old memories, alright. I can transfer the new ones if you want. Maybe he changed his preferences.
— No way... his sister left a scar.
— Anyway, how about "Yuna"?
— What?
— Your name. Half "Yuto" and half... I don't know. It just sounds nice.
— It does sound nice, I'll give that to you.
Ria nodded to Unizard, approving her suggestion.
— Are you sure about that? I'll fill in your name on your documentation.
— Yeah... yeah, I'm sure. I like that name.
— Welcome home, Yuna. Always call me or Unizard when you're in trouble. We're the top 2 level 7's now.
— Um... t-thank... you...
Unizard hugged her from behind and lifted her body.
— Can you say that again, little one?
— S-Stop! Yuto's curse is attacking me!
— Lucky for you, I do love cuties like you.
Yuna was waving her arms like a child. Unizard left her on the ground. She pouted, embarassed.
— A-Anyway... before I go, may I ask something?
Ria responded promptly:
— Sure.
— I made a clone to get here, otherwise the scientists would never surrender me. To make it self-aware, I gave it a portion of my "soul", so I'm slightly dumber and weaker now.
— Do you want to know if it's safe to kill the clone now?
— Yes.
— You're on our custody, you know that. If they try to capture you, just call me or Unizard.
— But what if I can't call you in time?
— Unizard can track you at anytime. Just scream or anything, she will hear it.
— Really? I hope that stays true...
— We don't lie. We need you, not only as a person. Of course we'll protect you.
— Why do you need me? I'm just Yuto's clone...
— That's exactly why. You have a fair amount of quirks we've never seen before. And we want to show him his daughter.
— I'm not his daughter! Wait, why don't you call him here?
Unizard answered:
— He's not in this dimension.
— Wait, what?
— He got teleported somehow.
— If you know that, why don't you go after him?
— We can, but he can also take care of himself. We are needed here to maintain order for some time.
— If you two are that important, I feel like I am some sort of government secret...
Ria said:
— You are. The Boss kept funding your project to kill 77,777 Yuto clones. But now that he's gone, everything has come to a head.
— Alright, I feel a little overwhelmed... Only in a few hours, so many things happened...
— You're not adjusted to changes yet, but your adaptability is insane. Go to sleep and we talk more about your school tomorrow.
— I think I'll do that. And... thanks for everything, you two.
Yuna left the office. Unizard stood next to Ria.
— Unizard, about that...
— Yep, it's a modified 7-Up. Part of the experiment included that.
— That's why the Boss saw potential. And that's also why we need to keep her close.
— I'll tell Tsuna about the 7-Ex. She'll find something.
— I think Kiseki should ask her that. She sees her like an angel.
— I mean, she's not wrong...