Well, we're over halfway through this series and still have so much to go! It's going to just keep building up and getting more intense with every update as of now, so hold on to your seats and join me on an emotional roller-coaster! ;)

Akakocat – I'm so happy you like it! And yes, Kaori is very scary when she's being mean, haha! As for our beloved Saru and Keirsten, we shall see if that was a goodbye or not!

Halloween Witch – Haha yes! This black aura is a very tricky thing, isn't it! As for possible deaths, I'm not going to say a word but as this story is categorized under "tragedy", I can't make any promises! ;)

MissAnimeMiss – Well, you won't have much longer to wait for the fight scenes, because it starts very soon! ;)

Mrs.1DJessup – Well, good that I'm figuratively killing you slowly! ;P

So, ya'll be happy to know that I've already written three chapters to my Nagare x OC miniseries. LOOL I can't leave anything alone when I get ideas in my head, however I will only be posting it the week of Christmas. Think of it as a Christmas gift to all of you from me! :)

BREAKING POINT – 9

Temptation – Part I

It had been near two weeks since the plan to capture Kaori and the Green clan's successful mission to obtain the slates. During that time, a slew of incidents followed as the month continued to near its closing while the slates drew nearer and nearer to being fully released. Citizens were setting things on fire, causing explosions and creating the chaos that Hisui Nagare was striving so hard to create.

Having had enough, Blake finally walked into the viewing room where she could watch the camera situated in the far corner to Kaori's room and sat down in front of the screen with her lips pulled into a grim line. Shiro had followed her in, sitting down beside her and looked at her seriously.

"She's been pacing the wall like that ever since the incidents have become more frequent," Blake sighed, "Do you think she can sense the slates Weissman levels increasing?"

Shiro nodded, "Most likely. She's connected to them by being a Queen and even more so now that she's declared herself a King, so there's no telling what's going through her mind right now."

"I think I'm going to take her up on her offer and have her help us kill Nagare," Blake suddenly said with a monotone voice, "We're running out time and this is our only option at this point."

Shiro frowned and turned his chair so he was facing her fully, "Are you sure you want to risk her possibly turning against us at the last minute?"

"I can handle Nagare if it comes to that, and we know Kaori can't absorb more than one aura at a time so we'll have Munakata and Mikoto incapacitate her."

He shook his head, "We don't know if that will work should the slates be fully released. She sounded extremely confident that we wouldn't be able to stop her if that happened."

"Then we have her fight with us," Blake looked at him, "What if it's true, and the only thing that presence inside of Kaori wants is to be released? We kill Nagare, return the slates to their resting place and get her back."

"That sounds almost too good to be true," He sat back and crossed his arms, "But, if you really feel like it could work, I'll stand behind you."

Blake smiled small, "At least you will. The minute Munakata hears we're letting her loose, he's going to lose his mind."

"He'll come around once he sees that we were right to have faith in Kaori," Shiro looked at the monitor and watched her as she finally sat down and leaned back against the wall, "She's still in there and she's still got fight left in her."

Blake nodded, "That's what I'm counting on."

. . .

"Understood, Shiro," Kusanagi cut the call after saying his goodbyes to the Silver King and took a moment to compose his words in his mind as he watched all of the Red clan lounging around his bar, "Everyone, listen up."

All eyes fell on Kusanagi as he folded his arms across his chest, "I just heard from Shiro. They've made a decision," His eyes landed on Mikoto, who had been sitting in his usual spot on the leather sofa with both kids while holding Alani as she had her nap and letting Kaen play with the fingers of his other hand, "They're going to release Kaori and take her up on her offer to help us kill Nagare."

"What?!" Several of the members turned and whispered to each other while Yata stood up with a fist clenched, "But, what happens if that thing inside of her decides to turn against us?! How do we stop something that can take away our powers?!"

Kusanagi sighed, "Blake seriously believes she's being genuine," He paused and shifted his weight onto one leg, "That, and we've officially run out of options."

"It said it wanted to kill Nagare," Mikoto looked at him, "After it does just that is when we'll have to worry about our own safety."

The bartender nodded, "Yeah, I agree."

Tatara looked at Mikoto before looking to Kusanagi, "When do they plan on letting her out?"

"Today," Kusanagi heard a round of gasps at the revelation, "When I was talking to Shiro, Blake had already gone to settle the negotiations with that thing inside of Kaori."

"That soon, eh?" Mikoto looked down at Alani.

Tatara frowned, "What happens after the Green King is killed?"

"I guess we'll find out when that time comes," Kusanagi sighed, rubbing his temples for a minute before grabbing his phone again to call Shiro back.

. . .

"B-But, why?!" Hidaka hollered loudly after Awashima had revealed the exact information having already been given to the Red clan, "We can't trust the Red Queen!"

Munakata sat silently as his eyes narrowed slightly. From beside him, Eri had begun to watch his aura and noticed that it was circulating rapidly. She frowned, knowing this was making him excessively angry when it could have been avoided.

"We have no choice now but to trust that the Gold King has made the right decision," Awashima crossed her arms under her bust, "In all honesty, she's right. We really have run out of options, and if the creature inside of Kaori Suoh really is truthful in wanting to help us eliminate Hisui Nagare and retrieve the slates, we couldn't ask for a more convenient player on the board."

Akiyama frowned, "But there's always a risk that she could turn on us."

"Shiro and Blake have already discussed that," Awashima turned to Akiyama and gave him an understanding look, "The Red clan has already been informed and have no objections. The only stipulation we are all under is that when the time comes to decide what happens to Kaori, Mikoto will be the one to kill her should it come down to that."

Munakata looked at her, "He's prepared to die," He stood up and brought his hands behind his back, allowing his fingers to close around one of his wrists, "However, I'm curious to see if what she said that day was true."

"Sir?" All eyes fell on him.

"The black presence inside of Kaori Suoh told both the Gold and Red King's that it wished for freedom, and that by having one of them kill it's host it would obtain said freedom," Munakata looked out the window, "Something in that doesn't make sense."

Awashima nodded, "It also asked for their son."

"Yes, another unanswered question to add to the many already up in the air," Munakata narrowed his eyes slightly, "There's also something in the way she was speaking..."

Awashima watched her captain and frowned, "What do you mean, sir?"

"I have a bold assumption about what's going on with Kaori Suoh, but I will keep it to myself until the time comes," He turned to look at Awashima, "If I know Suoh as well as I think I do, I'm sure he's also thinking the same as me."

. . .

"So, finally decided to come have a chit-chat with me?" Kaori mused as Blake entered the room and sat down on the chair Mikoto had brought to the middle of the room the day she was captured, "Took you all long enough to finally see through reason."

Blake frowned, "I'll get right to the point; we don't trust you as far as we can throw you. I'll also be quite frank and tell you that should you turn on us during this fight, I'll personally see to it that you're ripped out of Kaori's body and locked away so you'll never gain your freedom."

"Harsh words boldly spoken by a pacifist," Kaori grinned, "However, I don't plan on deceiving you. I want out of this body and to have my freedom. There's only so many naughty memories or gushy, romantic scenes playing in this shared mind that I can take before it becomes too much. It sickens me how in love this woman is with that King."

Blake sat back against the back of the chair, "It's a thing that you obviously don't understand, or else you'd know why she feels the way she does."

A smirk suddenly broke out on Kaori's face, "Oh, I understand perfectly."

Could there be two personalities? Blake's eyes narrowed, "Let me ask you something," Kaori's eyes blinked as Blake watched her intensely, "You wouldn't happen to know where the Colorless King is hiding, would you? You seem like someone he would work alongside with."

Kaori shrugged, "He's the only King I haven't come into contact with but from what the rumors suggest about him, I'd like to stay far away from someone who could hijack this body and fight both Kaori and myself for possession. With the unfinished business we both have, having interference from him would cause a stitch in all of our plans."

"I see," Blake nodded slowly, "Getting back to the topic at hand, I want to know that I have your full cooperation when I let you out of this cage. You will help us eliminate Hisui Nagare only after we've secured the slates."

"Correction," Kaori's eyes narrowed to match the Gold King's, "I will eliminate Hisui Nagare while you all reclaim the slates. No one will end that bastards life but me."

"Why is that?"

Kaori sat back, "It is a request from this lovely lady that we be the ones to kill him so that he darling husband does not have to take on the burden of killing a King. As a way to thank her for being a gracious host, I've decided I want to help her achieve that goal. However, she won't have any part in it either."

"How considerate of you," Blake mused, "I don't think she'll be around long enough to appreciate the favor you'll be doing for her, so what's the point?"

Kaori looked at her, "Like I said, I want a new start. If I'm given freedom by your hands, she will lose her memory and become a blank slate. However, if we die by Mikoto Suoh's hands, then she retains her memory and I'll still be given freedom. That is where Kaen Suoh comes into this all."

"So you weren't just asking for her son for the shits and giggles of it all?" Blake's eyebrow rose, "What part does he have to play in this all?"

Kaori smiled, "I'd rather not say."

Blake narrowed her eyes but knew she wouldn't get an answer from the woman in front of her, "Fine."

Kaori watched as Blake stood up and walked to the locking mechanism on the door to her cell. When she stood up to walk over to meet the Gold King, she received a warning look before Blake released the bind she'd put on the cell herself and opened the key.

"We're all going after the Green's tomorrow, so I hope you're ready."

Kaori smirked, stepping out of the containment unit and watched as her shackles fell to the ground, "Of course, Gold King."

- x -

"So this is what everyone has been fussing about?" Fushimi's eyes narrowed down at the slates, watching as they glowed a vibrant mint color that grew brighter and brighter with each passing moment.

"Mm," Sukuna nodded before looking up at him, "Not getting cold feet, are you?"

Fushimi eyed the younger boy beside him with narrowed eyes, noticing the smug grin on his face as he stared up at him waiting for his answer, "Of course not."

"Want to spar until then?" Sukuna faced him and held his weapon out, "I promise I won't kill you, since we're "comrades" and all that junk. I'll even wager a hefty amount of points if that sweetens the deal."

"Not interested," Fushimi looked back at the slates, not noticing someone approaching from behind.

Sukuna smirked, "Afraid I'll humiliate you in front of our King?"

"Would you two knock it off?!"

Both Fushimi and Sukuna landed on the floor with their hands holding their heads as Yukari towered over both of them, "What the hell, Yukari?!"

"We're days away from the total release of the slates, and you two find time to argue?" He sighed, "Really, there's much more productive ways to occupy your time."

Fushimi muttered under his breath before slowly rising to his feet, not bothering to turn and look at the taller male behind him.

"I'm so bored, though!" Sukuna whined, "Why can't we go outside and start picking off the Blue and Red clansmen one-by-one already?!"

"We wait until the right time, Sukuna," Yukari crossed his arms, watching the boy narrow his eyes and scoff before running over to Nagare and Tenkei, "Forgive him. He has no self-control, nor does he understand that sometimes waiting for the right moment gives a better outcome."

Fushimi snorted, "He's a child, so of course he'll act like one."

"Oh, but to me you're also quite young," Yukari mused, ignoring the glare shot at him from Fushimi, "In any case, I would strongly recommend declining an invitation to fight against Sukuna in the future. He may not seem it, but he rivals even my own strength and is considered my equal."

Fushimi's brow rose, "He's so young?"

"Mm," Yukari let his hands drop to his sides, "He may be young, but he's incredibly strong."

Fushimi looked forward and nodded slowly, not bothering to answer him back.

"The slates will blossom shortly, so we must be prepared for everything," Yukari smiled.

- x -

"This is bad," Blake frowned and crossed her arms, "Munakata's not returning my calls so I don't know if we can count on the Blue's for support."

Kusanagi smiled, "To be honest, I don't think we'll need them," His eyes landed on Kaori, who was standing off to the side staring out a window and then to Mikoto, who had been watching her the entire time, "We have enough man-power with all of HOMRA and with you Kings, so I think we can do this."

Blake nodded slowly and sighed with a smile, "You're right. We also have Kuroh, Neko and Kaori, who will be our key players here."

"What of Mishakuji Yukari and Gojo Sukuna?"

Shiro walked into the room, followed by Kuroh and Neko, "Kuroh has requested we let him deal with Yukari on his own, and I'm honoring his wishes. As for Sukuna, we need to have someone agile to take him on so I think perhaps Yata would be a fitting opponent."

"Heh! I'll squash that little bastard with the tip of my pipe!" Yata boasted with a smirk.

Neko looked around and blinked, "Where are all the girls?"

"They're all back at HOMRA," Kusanagi looked at her, "We asked each and every one of them to guard the three babies and Anna. Reina wasn't too thrilled to be missing the action, but we needed someone with some bronze to stand guard there."

"I also sent some of the Usagi there to guard the surrounding area, so if anyone gets in they'll have to go through them first," Blake smiled.

Shiro looked at Blake, "I just heard from lieutenant Awashima," All eyes were on him, "It seems the Prime Minister has relieved Munakata of all duties."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed slightly as everyone stood there slightly shocked.

Kamamoto's brows furrowed, "What? Did she say why?"

"Only that he no longer felt Munakata was right for the job," Shiro frowned, "Also, there was mention of the Green's being involved so maybe they feel that with the Green clan's growing strength that he can rely on them now."

Kaori scoffed, "As if that would ever be an appropriate solution."

"I agree," Shiro nodded, "So, even without the Blue clan's help, you all still want to do this?"

All of the Red clan nodded as Kusanagi smiled, however all of their attention was directed towards a certain woman, "We're going to see this through to the end."

Blake followed his gaze over to Kaori and nodded in understanding, "Alright."

"We'll attack tomorrow," Shiro looked at everyone, "But first, we need to move fast and get to my airship without being too conspicuous."

Kusanagi's brow rose, "Why?"

"We're taking my airship to visit Nagare," Shiro said with a smile.

. . .

"Lieutenant," Akiyama looked back at Awashima, after having been the supervising officer when she went on a call to meet with the Prime Minister, "Any word as to why our captain was dismissed?"

Awashima looked worse for wear, "He was promised protection by the Green clan and after foolishly letting our guard down for the slates to be stolen, he no longer felt the need to have the captain in charge," Her face twisted in anger, "He's been waiting for an opportunity like this to get rid of captain Munakata."

Akiyama frowned, "It seems this entire country is turning towards the Green's."

She nodded, "Our orders are to stay here and wait for further instruction," She sighed and crossed her arms under her bust, looking passed the shocked look on Akiyama's face, "When the Silver, Gold and Red Kings make their move, we're going to have to sit back and watch."

"That's ridiculous!" Akiyama threw his hand to the side, "There has to be something we can do?"

Awashima gave him an understanding nod, "I wish there was, Akiyama... But we have no choice other than to follow the Prime Minister's orders as of right now."

Angered, Akiyama silently followed Awashima to the main meeting room as she prepared to tell all of the other Special Unit members of their new predicament. As she suspected and just like Akiyama, all of the others gave her the same outraged reaction and demanded to know why their captain was wrongfully dismissed.

Off to the side, Zenjo silently excused himself and walked out of the room after carefully listening to Awashima's words. In that instant, he recalled the private conversation shared between him and the Blue King, meaning his assignment was now coming to its start.

- x -

It was late in the evening when all of the party going against Nagare had boarded the airship and were now looking down on Shizume City. One person in particular stood by the fancy marble railing, leaning over to take in the sights with a rather calm, Zen demeanor surrounding her.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people," Kaori said as she finally had enough of the familiar presence idly standing behind her, "Even more so if you're sneaking up on a woman. Come join me."

Yata slowly emerged from behind one of the perfectly shaped spruce trees and slowly made his way over, leaning on the rail a few feet away from her with his eyes looking outward. Despite the warnings that had been given to all of HOMRA by Blake, Yata felt that same pull like he normally did after being so close to the woman he looked up to as a mother figure.

Even now, he felt a sense of calm wash over him just by standing beside her even though he knew this thing inside his clan's Queen was manipulative and a very good actress.

The two stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Yata finally inhaled deeply before turning his gaze towards her, "Is she really in there?"

"She's in here, yes," Kaori answered honestly, "However, I am suppressing her so she will not have to witness what it is we're about to do. I believe deep down, even though Nagare had caused her pain in many aspects, she harbors a sense of respect for him."

Yata's brows shot up, "But, why?"

"He showed her a great deal of kindness and hospitality while she was in his care," She looked at him with black eyes, mildly surprised when Yata did not shy away from her gaze, "Perhaps that's why she feels the way she does. She knows what has to be done, but she's a kind soul that fights to see the good in people."

The vanguard nodded with a small smile, "Yeah, she's amazing like that."

"You hold a great respect for this woman," She pointed out, "Why?"

Yata looked at her before looking out to the great expanse in front of them, "She accepted me even though I was fresh out of high school and had a reputation for being a fighter. Although all I wanted to do when Saruhiko and I first joined HOMRA was fight, she taught me many things and helped me build myself up so that I could really be the best that I could for Mikoto and his clan."

"I see," She looked forward, "She thinks of you as a son. Often, when she has fallen asleep, she dreams of her life back in the Red clan. I've seen moments shared between her and the Red King, as well as times when there were smiles on all of your faces."

"She sleeps while you're in her body?" Yata's brows furrowed.

Kaori nodded, "We are one in the same, however I am seen as a threat. The truth behind why I am in Kaori's body is something that would take far too long to explain, but I meant what I said when I told your King and the Gold King that I wanted my freedom."

"Won't Kaori lose her memory if you two are separated?" Yata frowned.

She looked at him, "If we are killed by Blake Tadashi's hand, yes. However, if we are struck down by Mikoto Suoh, she will retain all of her memories."

"What's the difference between the two?"

She smiled, "A King can bring back his Queen, but it's for a price he has to be willing to pay," There was a moment where it looked as though she'd shuddered, when she suddenly grinned and winked, "I'm betting on the fact that he'll do it anyway, not caring about the risks!"

Yata's mouth opened to reply, when Kaori cut him off again.

"Besides, I have every right to be jealous of what she'll have once we're separated," Her voice was indifferent, "I may gain my freedom, yes, but she'll return to the loving arms of a man who would give her the world. I feel it would only be fair for Blake to kill us so that Kaori experiences a new beginning, just like me."

With that, Kaori pushed herself off the railing and turned on her heel. Yata watched her with a shocked expression as she disappeared into the elegantly designed chamber where all of the others would be, having been left with so many questions floating around him.

What did she mean by that?

Yata frowned, "What the fuck is going to happen?"

. . .

All eyes watched as Kaori entered the bar with Blake and Shiro following right behind her. Kyra and Akira stood off to the side and anchored themselves down, fighting the urge to run over and envelop their friend in tight hug. There was a stale, tense air that quickly took over the atmosphere in the bar as everyone watched Kaori cross the room over to where Mikoto waited for her at the stairs.

It had taken some convincing, but he reluctantly agreed to allow Kaori to see Kaen and Alani. It was under the consensus that should he feel she threatened their lives, he would be the one to act as they were going to be alone in the room without the other Kings there to supervise.

She looked up at him and nodded her greeting, not at all insulted by the way he brushed it off and turned to the stairs. She followed close behind him until they reached the very first door off to the right of the stairs, walking into the room when he'd opened the door for her. With her eyes closed and her breath hitched, she fought against the visions that passed rapidly through her mind at the sight of the familiar king sized bed across the room that looked as though it hadn't been slept in for ages.

Mikoto grunted and pulled her attention back to the task at hand, motioning for her to follow him towards the couch where he'd pulled the crib to. As she neared the couch, she watched the two inside trying desperately to reach up for her.

"Do whatever it is you need to do and get it done fast," His voice was gruff and monotone, "This is cruel enough just letting them see their mother's face without knowing it's not really her."

Kaori looked at him, noticing he'd crossed his arms over his chest and was coiled like a tightly wound spring, "I suppose you're right," She walked to the edge of the crib and reached her hand down towards her son's stomach, "She's struggling against me at the moment."

"Why not extend your kindness like you did before?" His brow rose.

She smiled small, "Perhaps I will," With her palm facing down, she gently placed her hand on Kaen's chest, "This may seem like it will hurt him, but I'm only activating the black aura so he can express it himself."

Mikoto watched intensely as Kaen's body lit up in a black haze, watching for any signs of pain on his son's face but was thankful when he continued to look up at his mother's face without any change in expression.

"That's it?"

Kaori nodded, "I can't tell you why this was important, but you'll know soon enough."

"I can only guess it has something to do with me killing you both," Mikoto eyed her, slightly annoyed when he didn't get a reaction out of her.

She looked at him, "I'll give you a few minutes of privacy, but this is the last of my show of kindness until this is all said and done. I can't have Kaori ruining my plans for the Green King."

Mikoto narrowed his eyes at her words, but felt all resentment and anger towards the entity inside of his wife when his amber orbs were met with those beautiful chocolate ones he'd fallen in love with.

Without a word, Kaori rounded the crib and jumped into the opened-arm embrace that had been waiting for her. She smiled softly against his chest as he held her close, enjoying the heat that she'd been refused for so long.

"She's not giving you long, is she?" Mikoto frowned, looking down at his wife while she looked up to meet his eye, "I thought as much."

Kaori smiled small, reaching up to grip the back of his head gently as he fingers slid through his soft red tresses, "It'll have to be long enough."

When their lips met, it felt as though it was their first kiss all over again. Mikoto practically fell apart as his body surged with all of the pent up friction he'd experienced in the absence of her touch. Kaori, too, felt her knees buckle as he held her tightly against his chest. When they finally broke apart, he pressed his forehead against her own and enjoyed the way her cheeks were flushed and her lips were stretched in a soft smile.

"I've missed you," She whispered, stroking the back of his neck with her fingertips.

Mikoto nodded, "And I've missed you," He sighed and reluctantly released her, knowing she would want to hold their twins, "Too damn much."

Kaori giggled despite their situation and turned to see Alani was beginning to cry, "Oh, my babies," She frowned and reached down, quickly picking up Alani to hold in her left arm before skillfully picking Kaen up to hold in her right, "Shh, it's okay."

The two children hugged their mother's neck tightly and clung to her like she'd disappear if they didn't, making Mikoto's heart wrench. He hated doing this, knowing seeing their mother would only make things worse when she wouldn't return to them after this meeting but it was long overdue.

Walking up behind her, he carefully wrapped his arms around her to embrace his family. He could feel her relax significantly in his hold and smiled when she leaned back against him.

"She said you'd lose your memories if you two were to be taken down by the Gold King," Mikoto looked down at her, "Is that true?"

Kaori nodded slowly, "That's why it needs to be you. Only a King can bring back his Queen, but I have a feeling she's going to try and keep us apart when it comes down to that."

"Mm," He nodded in agreement, "Why does she need Kaen?"

"If I tell you, she's threatened to take back control and try to harm the kids," Kaori frowned and sighed, "So I can't tell you."

"What you said to me the other day," His brows furrowed, "I understand what you're asking me to do, but what I don't get it why?"

Kaori looked back at him after soothing her two children, "I told you to release the beast, right?" He nodded, "She's not the beast inside of me."

Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "What?"

I'm SO SORRY this is so late! I have horsey friends that just got back from their trip to go see their family in Alberta so I've been practically living at their house taking care of their three dogs and ten horses. Not going to complain though, I got to take advantage of their indoor riding ring and work the pants of my own horse (he's fat and lazy) as well as three of her own, so it was all in good fun! ;)

Anywhoo! In story-related news, I'm sad to say that there's only going to be three or four more chapters left to the series! Boo! Although, the last chapter will be hella fucking long. I've already written the final chapter out, and it's huge. A lot is going to happen within the last few pieces of this sequel, so I hope you all will join me to very end of an amazing journey! :)

I just wanted to mention as well, this is where the original story line and my story come together. I'm not going to follow Return of King's to a straight T for obvious reasons, but as far as it stands it'll be similar.

Also, I'm pretty sure someone is going to figure out what's going on towards the end of it, but I'm hoping to surprise at least some of you! ;)

I'd also like to point out, it was much fucking needed to have a moment of reprieve for Kaori and Mikoto, don't you think? ;D

Next chapter is being written as this one is being posted, so I should have it up sometime either today or tomorrow!

~ Kayori, out!