"Is that so?" Akashi softly murmured.
His eyes had returned to their normal red, and Kuroko's body finally relaxed.
"To think a unicorn would attempt something like that. And you are… over a thousand years old?" Akashi raised his eyebrows at Kuroko, his amusement was so clear that Kuroko felt mildly irritated.
Kuroko nodded. "But I have only lived for twenty-three years. I do not recall anything at all while I was asleep for those one thousand years."
"How interesting." Akashi smiled.
Akashi turned his head, looking out the window.
The afternoon sun was steadily fading, replaced with the light of early evening. The soft light casted half the room into shadows, filling the place with a strangely cold atmosphere.
"It's not quite dinner time yet, but you have been talking for a while, so you must be tired, right?" Akashi said, glancing at the door.
As though a silent command was issued, a soft knock came.
"Enter."
The door creaked open, and the same dwarf that Kuroko saw earlier appeared again, carrying a tray. The tray was gently set down onto the table, and Kuroko was served a cup of warm tea.
With a soft murmur of thanks, Kuroko accepted the tea.
The dwarf left without a word after setting another cup on the table, closing the door quietly.
Under the urging of Akashi's stare, Kuroko drank the offered tea. He doubted that Akashi would do something trivial like poisoning it. Kuroko did not know why, but he felt that Akashi was the type to pierce a sword straight through a person rather than kill them in a roundabout way.
Akashi seemed satisfied as he watched Kuroko drink without hesitation.
Kuroko lowered the cup, fiddling with it.
"…Akashi-kun."
"Yes?"
"May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Akashi-kun, what are you?"
Kuroko did not lift his gaze from the cup, staring at it in determination to not look at Akashi.
He missed Akashi's little smirk and the way his eye colours changed momentarily.
"I suppose it is alright to tell you. You had been honest with me, so I shall do the same." Akashi said, reaching forward to pick up the other cup of tea.
He took a few sips from it, and when Kuroko did not hear anything else, he raised his head curiously.
Akashi met his eyes. He had been waiting for Kuroko to lift his head.
"You know of the history behind the Dark Creatures and the Dragons, but there is one thing that you still are not aware of." Akashi said.
"What is it?"
"You were raised by humans, so I assumed you have heard of strange beings who live on other's blood?"
"…Vampires? Like in the legends?"
Akashi smiled.
"I suppose you can say that I am related to those things, though it does not please me to admit that at all."
"You are a vampire, Akashi-kun?"
Akashi shook his head.
"No. Vampires are fallen beings who are descended from my people. My people are known to humans as 'Cleaners'."
"…Cleaners?"
"Yes, not a pleasant name. However, that is only what humans that know of us label us as. Humans are beings who do not know their place, and they hate it when there exists a being they can never win against. In any way possible, they try to bring them down. Therefore, among those humans, we are given such an unpleasant name. Have you ever heard of Cleaners, Kuroko?"
Kuroko blinked, slowly shaking his head.
Akashi smiled.
"Good. Then I would like to make a request of you to never remember that name. Instead, please remember the name that Dark Creatures and Dragons use for us. We are the 'Sleeping Gods'."
"Sleeping Gods? You are a God?" Kuroko gasped.
"No, we are not like Gods. What we do are different. We are beings that maintain the balance of the world. Most of the time, we are asleep. But when the world is in turmoil, we will awaken and be tasked with eliminating the things that are causing problems.
"Do you understand why humans refer to us as Cleaners rather than Gods? It's because we erase everything, be it Humans, Dark Creatures or Dragons. Things that are the source of disturbance, we will remove them all, no matter who it is."
"That's…" Kuroko flinched, shrinking back away from Akashi.
Akashi waved his hand at Kuroko, as though to brush his fears away.
"Relax, though you are also a key role in destroying this world's balance, your presence is not as potent as what the human emperor is planning to do. So I will not be killing you."
Kuroko did not relax though, warily watching Akashi.
Akashi did not seem to mind, continuing to explain, "There are not many of us, and we do not wake at the same time. Once someone is 'awakened', the rest will continue to remain in sleep, hidden away. When we sleep, our existence disappears from the world. We cannot be found no matter how hard one tries to search. That's why we are something of a myth.
"When we awaken, we appear randomly. Some would come into existence within the forests, others will appear right in the middle of a city. Of course, since this world is overflowing with magic, the people do not suspect anything. They only assumed that it's a magic trick."
Kuroko had finally settled down somewhat, but he was still slightly tensed. He finally understood why he wanted to run away when he first sensed the magic in the cuffs around his wrists. He may carry the blood of a strong Dark Creature, but how can a simple creature like that win against a being known as a God?
Even though the blood in him crave for power and fights, it's not so foolish as to challenge a person like Akashi.
And Kuroko had felt it instinctively.
Akashi chuckled suddenly.
"Kuroko, you say that you are over a thousand years old, but I too, am an old being. Us 'Sleeping Gods' are almost immortal. There is no one who can match our strength and power. However, as one burdened with such a heavy responsibility, we are given the choice to decide when to end our own lives. I would say that I am even older than the dragon within you."
Kuroko jolted in shock, hand flying to his chest.
It was only now that he realised that there was an unsettling silence within him. The white dragon would not always speak, but he could still distinctly feel her presence. Now, however, the white dragon's presence was faint.
"What happened? Why is she…?" Kuroko gasped softly, eyes wide with worry.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Akashi asked.
"The dragon's presence is faint… It has never happened before." Kuroko quickly explained.
"Oh? That's all? There's no need to worry so. She is simply in a deep sleep. Since she was within you when you went insane, she must have tried hard to stop you. Her strength is exhausted now, but she will be fine after a while."
Kuroko breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Akashi-kun, you knew? That a dragon was within me?"
Akashi nodded, "Of course."
"Did Midorima-kun or the rest tell you?" Kuroko asked.
Akashi chuckled.
"Even if they did not inform me, I would still be able to tell. Though she is weak now, her presence is something that is easy to pick up on."
"I see."
"And I also know that it is because of her that you did not cause as much damage as you could have."
Kuroko stared at Akashi. "What do you mean?"
"With a divine being like a dragon within you, it contradicted the unicorn's blood flowing in your veins. Therefore, the unicorn's powerful magic was suppressed to a certain extent. Without that dragon in you, you would have surely killed hundreds – both humans and Dark Creatures – in an instant with just the resonance of your magic."
"…Oh." Kuroko breathed.
His fingers tightened on the cup he was holding as he directed his gaze to the floor.
"But that did not happen, so you have no need to feel guilty. It is also one of the reasons why I chose not to kill you right away." Akashi said.
Kuroko closed his eyes momentarily. He blinked, and then slowly exhaled.
He raised the cup to his lips, drinking down the tea.
"Akashi-kun?"
"Yes, Kuroko?"
"What about the vampires you mentioned earlier? You said that you had some relations to them."
"That's true. Vampires are known as Fallen Beings. They were once part of us Sleeping Gods, but they became corrupted and so they fell. The vampires as told in human legends are accurate. Because of their fallen status, even their diet changes. They devour the blood of humans to sustain their lives."
"Then… You do not drink blood?"
"No, I don't. While 'Sleeping Gods' do enjoy eating actual food, it won't fill our hunger much. What we need for survival is essence, from any creature."
"What does that mean?"
"To put it simply, we eat souls. Whether it's Humans, Dark Creatures, or Dragons, we will eat anything. Of course, each of us are different and we all like different things. Some Sleeping Gods would only go for those who have committed crimes, or those that are strong. But there are also those who prefer the pure and naïve ones. It differs for every one of us."
"Do the creatures whom you have eaten from die?"
"Of course."
Kuroko blinked, shifting his gaze onto the teapot on the table to avoid those red eyes.
Akashi sipped at his tea.
"…I may be asking too many questions, but if it's alright, I would like you to answer one more." Kuroko softly said after a moment, turning his gaze back onto Akashi.
Akashi nodded.
"Why are you trying to fight against the emperor?"
Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kuroko did not avert his eyes this time.
Akashi's eyes flickered, and Kuroko thought he saw approval in those eyes.
But he couldn't be sure.
"Kuroko, why do you want to know? Do you wish to fight against the emperor?"
Kuroko froze.
He watched Akashi's eyes closely, at the calm yet sharp gaze patiently awaiting an answer.
…He would not be able to lie. Not to this man.
So Kuroko took a deep breath, and told Akashi of the promise between him and the white dragon.
Akashi listened quietly, never interrupting.
When Kuroko finally finished talking, Akashi spoke.
"I understand. Though your reasons are not the same, the result you want will still be the same as us."
Kuroko was taken aback.
"The same result?"
"Did you think you can stop the spell the dragons are tied to without erasing the emperor?"
"If possible, I would like to try."
But Akashi only shook his head.
"That will not happen. Kuroko, do you know that there are two emperors involved in this?" Akashi asked.
Kuroko's eyes widened.
"Two emperors? What do you mean?"
"There is the current emperor who the people see now, but there is also the First Emperor. The First Emperor is the human man who forcefully tied his own life to the dragons. Do you understand what that means?"
Kuroko blinked, and slowly uttered, "…The First Emperor is very first man to become the ruler of the humans?"
Akashi smiled in approval.
"Yes. And the current emperor on the throne is a descendant of the First Emperor. The First Emperor has thrown away his body, he is no longer here as a physical being. Only his 'life' and power remains behind. Because he can't rule like that, he needed a 'face' and a 'body' that the humans can see. In other words, the First Emperor is using the current emperor's body to rule."
"That's… Does that mean the current emperor is completely unaware of what is happening? That his ancestor is actually using him in such a way?" Kuroko questioned, astonished.
"I can't say for sure that he is completely oblivious, that man is quite the sly one after all. The current emperor did rule the humans independently for a time, until the First Emperor decided to take control of him."
Kuroko blinked, speechless.
"Do you understand why the method you want to use to free the dragons will not work? To break the spell that ties the dragons to the First Emperor, you need to destroy him. Which also means that you will be killing the emperor, Kuroko."
"…" Kuroko was silent for a moment before he finally said, "I have suspected as much but…" He sighed then, "If possible, I would not want to kill anyone."
Akashi hummed thoughtfully.
"Well, you can leave that to me." He said. "I was awakened to eliminate the First Emperor, after all."
Kuroko nodded, relieved.
"Does the First Emperor you speak of know about what you are, Akashi-kun?"
"I suppose so. From what I see, that First Emperor is simply refusing to believe in the existence of us Sleeping Gods. I have told you, haven't I? That humans only see us as myths and not actual beings. The First Emperor may have all the facts laid out before him, but he adamantly refuses to acknowledge them. However, the fear is always at the back of his mind, so the First Emperor is obsessed about becoming stronger by any means necessary."
Kuroko blinked. "Is that so?" He softly murmured.
He set his gaze on the cup in his hands, face devoid of emotions.
Akashi slowly raised the cup to his lips, sipping at the tea.
…Ah!
Kuroko suddenly remembered something. He lifted his head, staring at Akashi.
"Akashi-kun!"
"What is it?"
"Back then, when the First Emperor was creating the spell, and during the Great War between the Dark Creatures and Dragons, why didn't a Sleeping God awake to put an end to it?"
Akashi's face hardened.
He frowned, turning his head to stare out the window.
Kuroko tensed up.
Did he unknowingly asked something that shouldn't have been asked? …Was he going to be killed? Even if this Akashi didn't feel like killing him, but the other Akashi might want to. The frightening man with the yellow eye.
Akashi did not move for long moments.
The room slowly turned dark.
As the room became pitch-black, a row of torches along the wall lit up. A soft glow lightened the creeping darkness. There was a soft crackle as the dying blue fire in the fireplace blazed brightly and slowly became orange. The temperature increased, and a soothing warmth filled the room.
Eventually, Akashi turned back to Kuroko.
He began to speak in a soft tone, "There are ranks even among us Sleeping Gods. The ones who fall and become vampires are those who are not ranked highly. That was why it did not matter even if they roam freely, because once fallen, their powers are mostly revoked. They become weak enough for a Dark Creature or Dragon to take on, but they are still stronger than humans.
"During the war, because it was a very dangerous situation, a highly ranked Sleeping God was awakened to take care of it. We do not know how it came about, but that Sleeping God became corrupted. Not only that, but the Sleeping God did not immediately fall to being a vampire. Because the Sleeping God did not fall, none of us noticed that the Sleeping God had become horribly corrupted.
"By the time we realised something was dreadfully wrong, it was too late. The Great War came and went, then the humans had their own war. And eventually, the balance of this world tilted into the humans' favour. It all went according to the corrupted Sleeping God plans; which is having humans be the ruling race of this world."
Akashi paused, staring into his teacup.
"Why did the Sleeping God want humans to rule?" Kuroko softly murmured the question.
"We do not know. Perhaps it was just on a whim." Akashi replied.
With a small voice, Kuroko dared to ask, "What happened to the Sleeping God after?"
"Killed. By other Sleeping Gods."
"…You had a fight as well?"
"How nice of you to put it that way. No, it's not a fight. It was a carnage. The fallen Sleeping God that somehow did not become a vampire was still incredibly strong. There were many, many deaths during the attempt to kill that corrupted Sleeping God."
"…Oh." Kuroko breathed.
Akashi continued, "Our war took place in a severed space, where it would not affect anything in this world. After all, our war is not like the Great War of Dark Creatures and Dragons. Because ours was too powerful, this world would have perished if we had fought here."
Kuroko fiddled with his empty cup.
"Your people have such strong powers? Enough to create a severed space rather than a temporary barrier?"
Akashi slowly shook his head.
"It was not a power by my people. It was by the Higher Calling; the creator of this world. We are also awakened by the Higher Calling. No one else can wake us."
"Then why didn't the creator stop the war instead of relying on the Sleeping Gods?"
"Because it is not possible. The Higher Calling is never allowed to intervene personally with whatever happens to this world."
Kuroko blinked.
"Oh."
Akashi stared at Kuroko for a while.
"…What is it, Akashi-kun?"
"Even though you are so clearly curious, you are not going to ask, are you? Then I shall just tell you."
"Eh?"
"The highly ranked Sleeping God who became corrupted, that person was my father."
Kuroko gasped.
"I – I didn't mean to make you tell me! I'm sorry, please forgive me." Kuroko quickly apologised, bowing his head.
"It's fine. I told you because I wanted to. I could have ignored that silent question you were screaming at me." Akashi lightly chuckled.
"Kuroko." Akashi called.
Kuroko lifted his head.
"Yes?"
"It's already quite late, so shall we go have dinner? We can continue this chat once dinner is over. It seems like Kise is turning into a mess, so it would be best for you to head out now."
"Kise-kun? A mess?"
"Yes. He's making a ruckus in his mind. The members in this group are all connected to me with a simple magic. Have you seen the jewellery they wear? While it allows them to easily carry their weapons everywhere, those are also what connects me to them. I can sense their emotions when the jewellery remains in contact with them."
"…" Kuroko did not know what to say. He had actually, for a moment, felt that Akashi's magic was similar to the ones the First Emperor used to control others.
"Are you afraid, Kuroko? Do not worry. Though I can sense their emotions, I do not control their minds."
Kuroko flinched.
"…I'm sorry for even suspecting such a thing." He whispered.
"It's alright. It's a natural reaction for anyone who has just learned about my true self. Even the rebel group members have reacted the same way as you. By the way, those cuffs on you also functions in a similar manner." Akashi smirked.
Kuroko jerked, bolting up from his seat.
He stared blankly down at his wrists.
Akashi slowly stood up, plucking the teacup out of Kuroko's slack hands. He placed both Kuroko's and his own cup onto the table and then moved towards the door.
"Come quickly, Kuroko. Kise's so worried about you that it's giving me a mild headache."
Kuroko blinked, jolted out of his thoughts. "Yes," he answered.
And then he quickly followed after Akashi.
x
"Kurokocchi!"
Kise came flying at Kuroko, enclosing him in a tight hug.
"Kise-kun, it hurts."
Kise only tightened his hold on Kuroko.
"Kurokocchi!"
Kuroko sighed softly.
Akashi had disappeared somewhere, and left Kuroko with precise instructions to head to the dining room.
"Kise-kun, I'm hungry. Shall we go eat?" Kuroko asked, lightly patting Kise's back.
Kise released Kuroko, beaming at him.
"Okay! I will guide you there! You must be confused about where everything is! I will show you around later, okay?"
"Thank you, Kise-kun."
Kise slung his arm around Kuroko's shoulder, pulling him along.
Upon reaching the dining room, Kuroko was directed into the same seat as before. He had a strange feeling of dread. Was this seat now his? …Having to seat directly opposite Akashi at every meal really did not sound too pleasant. And he probably would not be able to change seats at all.
Midorima and Murasakibara came into the room, and Kuroko saw how Midorima subtly let out a heavy breath when he saw Kuroko.
…Was Midorima worried as well?
Seeing as how Kuroko was with Akashi of all people, there was a chance that he might have been killed while alone with him.
Kuroko nodded towards Midorima, and Midorima responded with a soft grunt.
Murasakibara came forward, ruffling Kuroko's hair as he made his way to his seat. Kuroko stared after him. That was an affectionate gesture that Kuroko was not expecting at all.
He blinked.
Just as they took their seats, the door slammed open.
Kuroko's head whipped to the door.
A girl stood in the doorway, with flowing pink hair and a very ample chest. She wore a simple shirt and a skirt, with a mid-long robe that reached till her thighs.
"Where is he?" She demanded.
"Eh? Momocchi!" Kise exclaimed, shooting up from his seat.
"Ah. Ki-chan! Hey, Ki-chan, where's the new guy Akashi-kun mentioned?"
"Eh, Kurokocchi? He's here." Kise gestured to Kuroko.
"…I don't see him?"
"Here, here. Look closer, Momocchi!"
"…Ah!" She cried out in shock.
Kuroko blinked.
He stood up, giving the girl a polite bow.
"Ah… Are you Kuroko Tetsuya?" She asked.
Kuroko nodded. "Yes, I am."
"I'm Momoi Satsuki! I'm a spy for the rebel group! It's nice to meet you!" Momoi cheerfully reported.
"A spy?" Kuroko questioned.
"Akashi-kun didn't tell you? Because the human emperor likes to spy on us, we decided to do the same!" Momoi giggled.
"Kurokocchi, Momocchi is a really scary spy. Be careful or she'll know all your secrets!"
"That's mean, Ki-chan! Just because you were shy when I found out that you wore that tight, neon-coloured underwear that time, you don't ha –"
"Uwaaah!"
Kise did an impressive jump, vaulting over the dining table and clamping his hands over Momoi's mouth.
Kuroko stared at Kise blankly, as did Midorima.
Midorima coughed, pushing up his glasses. "While I won't say anything about your choice of clothes, but I do think you need to pick them carefully, Kise."
"Uwah, Midorimacchi! That's not it! It was a magic accident! I don't go out and buy things like that!"
"It's noisy here." Akashi strolled into the dining room then, raising an eyebrow at Kise's burning red face.
"Akashi-kun!" Momoi happily greeted.
"Ah, you're here, Momoi."
"Yes. I'm back from scouting the palace."
"Well done. Have you eaten? Would you like to join us?"
"Eh? Is that alright?"
"It's fine."
And they had dinner with an additional person.
Kuroko would catch Momoi glancing at him every now and then, though he didn't comment on it.
She was seated to his left, beside Midorima.
The table was lively with bright conversation between Kise and Momoi, with some comments from Midorima. Kuroko simply watched their interactions, a feeling of contentment bubbling within him. He had never experienced such a joyous dinner like this before, not even with his parents.
There had always been a tension in the air that young Kuroko could clearly pick up on, though he had pushed it away, refusing to accept it.
As Kuroko looked around, he noticed that there was an empty seat to his right.
Kise was seated one seat after like he had during lunch, as though it was a natural thing to do. Was there someone else that had yet to return to the group?
Kuroko stared at the empty seat, wondering who it could be.
His attention was drawn away from it when a small bowl of soup appeared before him. Kuroko blinked at it.
"Finish that, Kuroko. It's a soup made with ingredients to increase a person's vitality. You are still recovering, so be sure to drink it all." Akashi said, nodding towards the bowl of soup.
"Oh... I will. Thank you, Akashi-kun."
Akashi hummed, focusing back on his own meal.
Midorima, Kise, and Momoi had all stopped eating halfway, frozen, as their gazes shifted from Akashi to Kuroko and back again. Murasakibara on the other hand, was simply continuing to attack his own food.
"Eh… Kurokocchi?" Kise leaned forward, whispering to Kuroko.
"Yes, Kise-kun?" Kuroko returned, equally soft.
"Did something happen? How did you get Akashicchi to accept you so quickly?"
Kuroko tilted his head, blinking at Kise in silent question.
Kise continued, "Akashicchi would only show such outright concern to those he approves of! And besides, that bowl of soup is Akashicchi's! He always has it at every meal; I think there's some special ingredient mixed in there or something. I've never seen him offering it to someone else."
"Is that so?" Kuroko stared at the bowl of soup.
"Isn't it a good thing, Kurokocchi?"
"…Yes. Yes, it is."