Beyond the Gods - The Strongest Hinokami

With Outer Shadow Aaron "Dainsleif" Hope choosing to take Auxiliary Shadow Sarah Ultear in an attempt to recover both Inner Shadow Jun Gasket and Auxiliary Shadow Sigurd, Auxiliary Shadows Yeling "Tidalflame" Mah and Bryce "Hellsing" Jones have been assigned the task of checking up on Outer Shadow Shosuke Shiki, The Devil Monk, who developed a new technique in response to the growing threat of Demon Lord Loyce Hal.

However, when one fateful move causes Yeling and Bryce to end up in a home away from home, Yeling faces his past once more. Old demons along with new begin to haunt the newly minted Auxiliary Shadow, and Yeling begins to question whether his crusade to end Vala and bring true fairness is truly justified.

The Thirteenth Hinokami

I watched the last offering go up in flames in the shrine at Arii.

"Rest in peace, all of you," I muttered, as I turned my back at the keepsakes that I had given to Squad Four.

My second family, that I had lost.

I made my way across the town, gazing at the distance.

"Hey! Old Man Yeling! Hello? Are you listening?" A girl's voice called out to me.

My gaze darted around passively, as my subconsciousness created an image of a young high schooler with unique purple hair who was waving, trying to get my attention.

"What are you spacing out for?" Shia pouted, crossing her arms.

"We're supposed to be picking out groceries for tonight, you wanted to eat curry, right? I can't make curry with only rice you know!"

I slowly raised my hand to the hallucination of Shia Megumi, one of my closest friends, only for her to disappear in the blink of an eye.

The image of my friend was replaced by another girl who was calling out to her boyfriend, as he rushed to her location.

The girl began scolding him for taking too long at a nearby shop and that they would be late for the coach.

I ignored the stabbing sensation that was welling up in my chest.

Forget her, Yeling. Forget them all.

They're all gone.

You need to forget about them.

This is your life. You're not someone who belongs anywhere anymore.

This is what it means to be liberated.

I continued walking down the trail until I reached a spot in the corner, the Shadows were huddled around, concealing a Mercedes-AMG sports car.

I was about to open the door but hesitated.

Last Son? Are you not returning to Lady Harriet's residence? The Shadows whispered in my head.

"No... there's something I need to do. Give me a few minutes."

Very well.

I turned around, following a wispy blue trail up a hill.

As I continued walking, the more my body was telling me to stay away, as if the Hinokami inside me was instinctively telling me to run away.

But there's no outrunning her. She wanted to talk. If she wanted to, she could slaughter me instantly as I was now.

I needed to play it safe.

I continued walking up the hill, the sounds of the village echoing like a drone in the background.

Until I reached the top, to see a ghostly blue apparition of a woman sitting on a bench.

She looked exactly like Anna, but I knew it couldn't possibly be her.

She manifested in the form I would expect: someone who would fill me with hope.

"First it was Loyce, now it's you. I don't understand what the point is for two of the Black Legion's biggest enemies to try and do a one-on-one when we're going to end up slaughtering each other in the end," I said to the apparition.

Vala smiled, turning around and resting her chin on her hand.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions, Hinokami. I wish to destroy you as much as I say. However, you are vital in Demon Lord Loyce's personal agenda. And with me being incomplete, I must rely on his intervention as my Vessels have yet to acquire the reasonable strength in bringing about my revival."

This was bad.

Vala had now manifested to the point where she could take physical form.

"Why are you here, then?" I asked, cautiously.

Vala tilted her head.

"You have gotten far stronger. Mahyako's blood runs prominently in your veins, much more than your sister's."

A surge of rage flooded my chest.

"Are you gonna attack me like you did with Hakah?"

"No. That fight against your sister and Outer Shadow Dainsleif was simply to gauge the strength of the enemy. As it stands, Loyce alone will be enough to crush you all. My intervention was never needed."

Vala spread her hands.

"After all, my purest nature is not to harm. I am Hope. To hurt others would go against what I stand for."

What you stood for?

The "hope" you stood for caused the divide between people who were blessed by things they didn't deserve and true, kind people to be punished to the point where they gave up, and became the scum that society despised.

I kept this to myself, but there was no hiding what I felt in front of someone like Vala.

"You believe you stand for something complex, but in reality, what you stand for is very simple. Your psychology is very simple, Yeling. In the end, you want to be accepted. Am I wrong?" Vala asked.

I made a fist.

Don't tell me...

Don't you dare tell me what I want and what I...

Vala's smile dripped with vile sympathy.

"My dearest Yeling. I want to see you destroyed. But that's the thing... as a Spirit of Hope, I don't need to worry,"

Level 1 Hinokami

Don't let your emotions overwhelm you... Yeling!

This isn't like any enemy you've faced before!

"There's no need to try and fight someone..."

Inverse

Don't do it!

"...who's already destroying himself..."

I lifted my hand at the ghostly figure of Anna.

Tsunami Rele-

"After all," Vala whispered in my ear, as my eye went wide in shock.

Vala had suddenly disappeared from my line of sight, appearing behind me.

"You were always correct, Yeling. My greatest enemy has always been one who stands opposite to Hope. Opposite to kindness. Opposite to warmth. But what can you do? When you yourself are burdened with insurmountable levels of depression, loneliness, trauma, and jealousy? Twenty-six years old and counting, you've never been loved by a woman. Every group of friends you've ever made abandoned you. And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain. You cannot do ANYTHING."

"VALA!!!" I roared, spinning around in a feral rage, my hand inches away from incinerating a man wearing a hunter's uniform.

"Vala?!" Carlton yelped, causing the two of us to stumble and trip.

"Gah!" I grumbled, catching myself, but Twilight Bolt was not so lucky, immediately faceplanting.

Carlton Coleson.

Otherwise known as Twilight Bolt, was an Olympic athlete specializing in marksmanship with his bow. On one fateful encounter, he had found his calling to be a superhero when he saved a civilian using his abilities. Since then, he had become a well-renowned superhero in Millennium City.

And later on, the first Auxiliary Shadow of our boss, Vicki Harriet.

"You saw Vala? Where?" Carlton asked.

I hesitated.

"No. It was my imagination."

"Going on a Hinokami fit doesn't seem like an imagination, Yeling."

"Regardless of what it was, no one got hurt, so it doesn't matter."

Carl didn't look convinced, but he took my hand and got to his feet.

"Paid your respects to your fallen allies?"

I glanced at the memorial building.

Squad Four.

The only family that I truly felt I belonged.

Even if every single person had some disturbing quirk, it was not as if I was condemned for not being as psychopathic as they were.

Whether it was having an incel of a best friend who could shoot lasers out of his eyes or a gambling addict of an older brother figure, or a mentor who communicated in only scowls and grunts.

Or a hot-girl stereotype who had a fetish of literally devouring her victims or a relentless party addict of a senior.

It was a group of misfits who gave me a reason to live. And whose lives were lost because of me.

"Come with me to get some supplies for Miss Harriet?" Carl asked.

I nodded, opening the door to my car. The Shadows surrounded us, taking us to Millennium City to get a grocery run for Vicki, who was still recovering from Grond's attack.

An attack that, once again, was because of me.

It seemed like a lot of the hardships that had befallen this particular group of allies were because of my antics.

"You know, we've known each other for a while now, but I never really got to really know you," Carl commented.

"What is it that you want to know about?" I asked.

"Well, I mean. You're middle-aged, right?"

I bit back my lip.

Here it comes.

"So did you ever have a girl-"

I swerved the car, causing Carlton Coleson to slam into the window.

"FWAHHH!"

I glanced at my fellow Auxiliary Shadow with a look of irritation.

"Every woman we have come across has avoided me. Do you think I have the luxury of something like that?"

Carl's face turned pale.

"Sorry, didn't mean to pry."

We arrived at a pharmaceutical store, which was pretty barren. As expected, considering the majority of Millennium City, no. The residents of this realm had evacuated following Inner Shadow Gasket's orders. The place was doomed to collapse due to Aran's influence. I had momentarily halted the anti-narrative using Hinokami in my big clash with Aaron, but the damage had already been done.

It wouldn't take long for the entire reality to be destroyed, but many of the residents chose to stay, either believing that everything that was said was a pile of bullshit, or were stubborn enough to adhere to the world and home they had spent years living in.