SSSS GRIDMAN: DYSTOPIA

Ch.16-The Broken Hero

Nidaime?

Junk Shop Aya

I stared at Hibiki with an intense glare, raising Knight's sword into the air and aiming for his chest. I was prepared to end his life, to end this once and for all.

"This ends now..."

As I lowered the sword to stab him, Junk suddenly turned on. "Nidaime!"

"...!" I stopped myself. The sword was close, and had I not frozen, I would've killed him instantly.

"You...what do you think you're doing...?"

"..." I kept my head down, unable to look at Gridman in the face. "I'm ending this...once and for all..."

He shook his head. "This is not the way. Doing this will not fix anything. It won't bring them back."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE!"

"...!"

"Do you know how long I've suffered...? How long I had to live alone...?" I frowned and slowly began tearing up.

"Nidaime..."

"Ever since I came here...everyone around me keeps getting hurt...everything keeps getting worse and worse. I can't...I can't stand here and watch as everything crumbles away...I can't stand being weak, knowing that I could do something to stop it!" I raised the sword back up and regained my confidence. "This...needs to end! And it ends...by him dying!"

"Nidaime!"

Again, I froze. The tip of the blade had just gently touched the surface of his chest, but I stopped myself after hearing that familiar voice. My hands shook and I turned around. "Knight-kun..."

Knight stared at me with his eyes. By just looking at his face, I could tell how serious and concerned he was, seeing me in this state and doing such a thing. "This is where you were..." Knight looks at Hibiki. "..."

I gripped onto the sword tightly and turned back around. "I...I won't stop...you can't stop me...Knight-kun..."

Knight was silent for a moment, then took a step forward towards me. "You saw him, didn't you? The other Knight."

"..." I remembered the corrupted and resurrected Knight, fighting against this Knight in front of me. I remembered how hideous he looked, and how much pain he was going through, fighting for Mad Origin. "So what...?"

"He gave me a message. Right before he disappeared. He wanted to tell you something."

"...!"

Knight

Earlier...

"G-Gridknight...tell her...tell Nidaime...that I'm sorry..."

"...!"

"I'm sorry...that I was weak...and...that I failed her... and everyone else..." Gridknight groaned. "And most of all...tell her I'm sorry...for not being there for her when she needed me most..."

"Knight..."

"Ggh...!" Gridknight groaned. "From now on...she's on her own...and she needs to be strong to face what's coming..." Gridknight looked at me. "Should she ever blame herself...share her burden..."

I stared at him for a moment, then nodded silently.

"Ggh...!" Gridknight groaned again. "Nidaime's smile...and her laugh..." Gridknight chuckled painfully. "Tell her...to be happy once in a while...for me..."