(Hinata POV)
My life has always been easy. My parents were rich, I grew up spoiled, and I was the only child in my household; there were no brothers or sisters, just me.
There was so much to look forward to, so much freedom, so many paths open to me that I never once stopped to think about other people's paths. I went to school like everyone else, and I laughed with friends, joined clubs, and lived a normal life from the outside. But that's not what I was known for.
Back at Hoshin High, I was an annoying, narcissistic, egotistical bitch. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, nor even excuse it. That's just the truth; I believed I was better than everyone else.
Prettier. Smarter. More important. I thought the world naturally revolved around me, and everyone else existed either to admire me... or to be ignored. If someone challenged me, I crushed them socially, or if someone annoyed me, I mocked them until they learned their place, like that one girl, Keiko Sasaki.
If someone was weaker or awkward... I treated them like background noise, hell, sometimes even worse.
I told myself they deserved it, but the truth was I liked the power I had over them. I liked knowing my words could make people feel less than what they really were. I liked watching people laugh nervously, desperate for my approval. I liked being untouchable.
Teachers overlooked it because my grades were good. My parents dismissed it as a teenage attitude, and my friends either encouraged me or were just like me; no one ever told me to stop, so I didn't.
There were people I bullied who never fought back. People whose names I barely remember now, even though I probably made their lives hell. I remember the looks they gave me; some with forced smiles and clenched fists.
Then came the day everything ended—my classmates and I were shot dead—killed by the one person I bullied the most, Hiroshi Sato.
It's all my fault... I was the one who got everyone killed because of how much of an asshole I was. And now, I'm paying the price, bringing everyone else into my problems.
Koji and Itsuki don't deserve this fate.
They don't deserve to be brought into this world and risk their lives just because Zeus said so!
That should be my responsibility, not theirs.
I'm the one who's supposed to atone for my sins, so why were they brought here alongside me?!
But here we are, alive and breathing. I was standing in another world, holding a divine sword, surrounded by monsters and gods and war, like my sins weren't worse enough already.
Koji was reckless, loud, and stubborn, but he threw himself into danger without hesitation to protect others. I realized he pushes himself past his limits every time he fights, smiling through the pain like it's nothing. He was brave, no doubt.
Itsuki was scared. Anyone with eyes can see it. His hands shake and yet he still stands between people and death, pouring out his mana until there's nothing left. He was also the smartest in our group, knowing more than I and Koji.
These guys didn't hurt anyone, nor did they ruin lives as I did. So why were they dragged into this hell with me?
I couldn't let them die.
(Third Person)
Hinata snapped out of her thoughts as the darkness around her started to swirl together, manifesting shadowy figures.
"...Shit, what the hell is it doing now?" Koji finally rose to his feet, holding onto his blade as he slouched over, watching countless humanoid shadow people manifest.
They were humanoid in shape, but devoid of human physiology with bodies made of condensed darkness, warped faces, and eyes glowing red or hollow white.
Some even carried weapons while others had magic and skills.
"…What is this?!" Itsuki said with wide eyes. "All these shadow figures?"
The Keres spread her arms as the shadows stretched endlessly behind her like an abyss without a bottom.
"This is my domain!" She declared as her voice reverberated through the darkness. "All is under my control. All Otherworlders I have slain now stand before you—bearing the power they once wielded in life."
The shadows shifted all prepared for battle in sync as their aura flared around their bodies.
"You now stand before millions of my undead legion!"
Koji clenched his teeth, gripping his sword tighter as sweat ran down his face.
"Millions…?" He laughed weakly. "Hahaha… shit. I wonder if the Greek Gods ever granted any miracles in their mythology. But I never studied theology to know." He closed his eyes as if accepting his fate.
Though Hinata didn't laugh, nor give up. She stared at the shadows with furrowed brows.
"H-Hinata…" Itsuki swallowed, forcing himself to sit upright despite his shaking limbs. "I'll do what I can… to help!"
"No, Itsuki. You're all out of mana. Rest."
"Denying help, are you?" Said the Keres, laughing. "How foolish. Allow me to show you true despair, mortal!" She lifted her hands, gesturing to her army. "Destroy them, painfully! Make them scream, my legion!"
"Here they come!" Koji shouted as he tried manifesting flames around his body despite the drain gnawing at him.
Hinata stepped forward without hesitation, placing herself between the legion and her friends. Asterion glowed with a divine light in her hands as its holy glow flared brighter while it reacted to the overwhelming darkness.
"I won't let them through!" She said with a frown, swinging forward.
Thus, a wide arc of light tore through the front line, cleaving shadowy bodies in half. The severed forms dissolved into black mist, but Hinata barely had time to breathe before the next wave closed in.
Some of them were simply too fast, catching her off guard.
"Gah—!" She deflected a blade aimed at her neck from one of the shadows as sparks of holy light scattered. "Haaah!" Twisting on one foot, she decapitated the shadowy figure, turning it into mist.
Meanwhile, the Spirit of Death simply smiled.
"Even if you destroy my legion, they will return as long as the concept of darkness exists." She erected a magic circle, attempting to summon her army again—but to her surprise—nothing came about. "…What?" She widened her crimson eyes, realizing something profound. "They've been destroyed, permanently?"
Asterion, the Holy Blade, the Smiter of all Evil, destroyed the shadows' immortal bodies
All evil and darkness would be absolutely destroyed in front of its almighty power, regardless of its complexity.
"Impossible!" Shouted the Keres.
Hinata didn't stop moving even if she was being drained of her mana and stamina. She wouldn't dare give the Keres time to process what was happening. Asterion was connected to her and her righteous heart.
Every swing of the blade carved clean paths through the darkness, and every shadow it touched was erased from existence.
At this point, the legion began to hesitate. Some shadows started to slow down mid-charge while others backed away instinctively, as if afraid of death, despite them already being dead themselves.
Koji noticed it at first.
"…They're scared!" He shouted weakly in disbelief. "Hinata… they're actually afraid! Whatever you're doing, keep it up!" He lifted his fist, taking a step forward before stumbling to his hands and knees.
Hinata exhaled with sweat rolling down her cheek as she dashed forward again.
"Hyaaaaahhhhh!" She spun low, cleaving through a cluster of shadows at the knees before reversing her grip and cutting upward; holy light erupted as several figures were erased at once.
The ground beneath her feet cracked from the sheer force of divine power being unleashed repeatedly in one place.
Itsuki couldn't help but stare with wide eyes.
"The domain is still active, but the legion stands no chance. Hinata might actually do this!"
The Keres' expression twisted in disbelief that slowly turned into fury.
"No, no, that's impossible!" She shouted. "My domain is absolute! Death obeys me! Darkness obeys me!"
She raised her hand, erecting another dark magic circle.
"Funeral Domain: Stage Three!"
All of a sudden, the darkness sputtered, destabilizing as Asterion's light flared brighter in response to her using her magic.
"…No!" Shouted the spirit in disbelief.
Hinata looked up, meeting the spirit's gaze head-on.
"You said despair feeds you, right?" Asked the hero despite her labored breathing. "Then you should know something."
She stepped forward, walking slowly to the spirit as the light of Asterion started to crumble the darkness around them, bit by bit.
"I'm done giving you mine."
"CURSE YOUUUUUUU!!!"
The Keres screamed in rage as her voice echoed unnaturally.
"You dare deny inevitability?! You are nothing but a sinner swinging borrowed light! You don't deserve such a weapon!"
"Maybe that is true…" Hinata replied, gripping Asterion tighter than ever. "But even borrowed light can still cut through darkness! Even if this weapon isn't mine, I'll use its power to save everyone!"
She stood still and focused her breathing, prepared to unleash her true power.
Hinata Amane has finally awakened its true potential—and now—she could use its technique.
[[TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED — HEAVENREND]]
Hinata thrust Asterion forward as the divine blade erupted. Thus, a vertical line of blinding light tore through the Funeral Domain as the darkness split apart like paper.
Out came a radiant fissure that stretched from beneath Hinata's feet all the way into the endless sky above, shattering the Funeral Domain and its laws entirely.
The Keres' eyes widened in pure horror, finally realizing she was outmatched.
"No—WAIT!"
It was too late as Heavenrend descended.
The beam of light crashed down upon the Spirit of Death, engulfing her form completely.
Shadow soldiers around her evaporated instantly as their bodies started cracking with lines of holy radiance before shattering into nothingness.
The ground ruptured beneath the impact as a massive chasm was carved through the battlefield while divine light surged outward in a shockwave.
Koji was thrown back, slamming into the ground hard.
"GAAH!! Holy shit!"
Itsuki barely managed to raise his arm as the light washed over him.
All of them could hear the Keres scream in pain as Heavenrend was the Absolute Law of Holiness. All things that were evil, be it evil laws, concepts, and beings, would be eradicated without resistance.
That was the true power of Asterion, the Holy Blade.