"…when I want to move into another host, the host must contain karma strong enough for my technique. If the host doesn't have karma, I'll lose all my previous techniques, and if the host does have karma but is too weak, the host dies. Now, isn't that a powerful technique? A great technique fits a great person like me. And one day, one day, I'll be able to use all the techniques in this world!" Tomura yelled, striking a dramatic pose, arms outstretched as if ascending to heaven.
"That's impossible! A human body is only strong enough to have two karma types!" Ayaka retorted. "The body you possessed isn't even a supernatural; how are you still able to use your technique?!"
"That's because this body is special," Tomura replied without hesitation. "It was able to withstand my blood. Normally, the human dies, but my blood turned him into a demon! That way, he was able to manifest his own dark karma, which let me easily take control of it!"
"I think we've heard enough; we're here to dispatch you anyway," Kanade interrupted, her tone cold and resolute.
"And do you really…" Tomura began, but Kanade cut him off with a swift, iron-clad punch to the jaw, followed by a precise kick from Ayaka to the jugular. He crashed into a nearby trash can.
_I can't fight both of them,_ Tomura thought, especially with Kanade's enhanced strength. He noticed something unusual about Ayaka—her tail. It was clear Kanade was stronger, and he knew nothing about Ayaka's abilities. It was best to gather more information before engaging in direct combat.
Tomura's body began to contort, his head splitting to reveal another face, arms sprouting from his back. Someone else was trying to force their way out.
I will divide my karma; thirty percent to the brat with a cat tail and the rest seventy percent to Kanade. He decided.
Even if he couldn't defeat Kanade with only seventy percent of his power, he could separate them, kill Ayaka, and then unleash his full strength. But he needed more—more karma.
"He separated into two!" Ayaka yelled, pointing at the now-duplicated Tomura.
Kanade understood his strategy. "He wants to fight us separately."
Tomura and his clone grinned. "Catch me if you can!~" they yelled, one fleeing down into the subway, the other smashing through a glass door into a building.
"Ayaka, follow the clone. I'll follow the main body," Kanade ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" Ayaka yelled, chasing after the clone.
"Ma'am? I'll have you know I'm just twenty-four… Wait, now is not the time," Kanade muttered, pursuing Tomura into the subway.
As Kanade jumped down, she realized her mistake. She shouldn't have sent Ayaka after the clone; not because she feared the clone overpowering Ayaka, but because she feared Tomura overpowering her. There must be a reason he chose the subway.
Kanade landed and threw a punch, but Tomura dodged by opening his head, allowing her hand to pass through.
Why? He isn't using his ability to the fullest. Is there something wrong with him, or is he just underestimating me? How dare he!
Kanade, always striving for excellence, expected the same from others, particularly those fighting alongside her. Being underestimated was unacceptable.
"Come on! Are you going to keep dodging like a coward?!" Kanade yelled, landing a punch that sent Tomura crashing into a pillar.
Kanade ensured her body was completely covered in iron, preventing Tomura from touching her.
"I've been longing to see you," Tomura said, rising. "Looks like you learned something new when I wasn't around."
"What are you talking about?!" Kanade threw a punch, but Tomura dodged, causing her hand to transform into a blade. He anticipated her attack, separating his head from his body and rejoining them.
"I taught you that move," Tomura said, a hint of pride in his voice.
Kanade angrily punched the ground, aiming for Tomura, who attempted to evade by melting his body.
"Don't talk like you know me, demon!!" Kanade yelled, charging. Tomura remained still, his face peeling away, revealing a different face beneath.
Kanade paused, her attack faltering.
"T…Thomas?" she whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.
"Long time, no see, Kanade…"
Spiky flesh fell from the ceiling, and Kanade reinforced her hand with iron. Instead of piercing her, it spread, wrapping around her, trapping her. More flesh fell, covering the area, adhering to the pillars, creating a barrier.
"Soul Transfiguration: Human Barrier," Tomura announced.
"So, this is your plan?" Kanade asked, realizing his strategy. The transfigured humans Tomura had planted underground were still there, only one having been used when Ayaka attacked. Tomura had lured her into the subway to trap her. "To trap me? But using the face of my friend?"
"You've changed since the last time I saw you, Kanade. Or maybe Yaze's talkativeness has rubbed off on you," Tomura laughed. "A few years ago, you couldn't even talk to me with your face up. I remembered how you looked to the ground and cried as if you were being forced to talk."
"Thomas? Is that you?" Kanade asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "I thought you were dead; Yaze said you were dead."
"Don't call me that!" Tomura yelled. "I'm not Thomas!"
"…What happened to you?" Kanade asked softly.
"I turned into the monster you wanted me to be," Tomura replied. "I was about to die; I called out to you guys for help, but you didn't come to my rescue. You were all glad that I died; you all hate me. I won't forgive you for that; I will never forgive you."
"But I didn't! Yaze didn't! None of us despised you! We love you! Didn't we promise ourselves that we'll be there for you? What more do you need? I…lo…love you," Kanade confessed, her voice choked with emotion.
"Don't give me that shit!" Tomura yelled. "Thomas is not here anymore; now it's Tomura!"
Tomura approached Kanade. "It pains me to end it like this. I knew you loved me all along, but you fell in love with the wrong guy. At least, I'm the last person you're going to see before you die."
Tomura reached out to touch Kanade's cheek when he felt a sharp pain in his hand.