Kuroko absentmindedly hacked away, the familiar movements of swinging the pickaxe was strangely comforting.

The group of strong demigods weren't here today.

Of course, this elated the human guard and the lesser demigods were all made to work harder than before.

Kuroko's mind felt a little hazy.

He wanted to meet with the odd group again, yet he did not want to meet them as well.

How strange.

A part of him screamed that meeting them would help him.

But why would it help him?

Kuroko was fine, he did not need help.

He was situated a little further away from the rest today, and since the human guard was taking out his anger on them, all the other lesser demigods were busy, unable to pay attention to those around them.

There was only the rhythmic sounds of metal, no one was talking or even making eye contact.

But it was good, that was the way it should be.

Because Kuroko has to be alone.

Kuroko blinked.

…Alone? Why did Kuroko have to be alone?

(Alone…or hurt…)

….Kuroko has to be alone…must…

The sharp sound of a whistle startled Kuroko.

Suddenly, an arm swung around his shoulders.

"Hurry, hurry! Let's grab some water, Kuroko-kun!"

Kuroko turned his head to the side, and stared blankly at the person next to him. Who was he? Did Kuroko know him?

"Kuuuuroko-kun?"

The young man blinked at Kuroko, confused at his reaction.

"…Kusame-san."

"Hm? What's wrong? Is the heat getting to you?"

Kuroko blinked multiple times. Ah, this man was Kusame. Why did Kuroko forget?

"Kusame, Kuroko. Here, water. Hurry and drink. The guard is not going to give us a long break, you know."

Ryuu...this middle aged man was Ryuu.

That's right.

Kuroko thanked Ryuu and hurriedly drank the water. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kusame doing the same.

When the whistle sounded again, Kusame ruffled his hair roughly and then laughed as he ran away from Kuroko's death glare.

Ryuu smiled, lightly patting Kuroko's head.

"Just a while more until dinner time. Hold on a little longer, okay?"

Kuroko smiled gratefully at Ryuu. He nodded.

Kuroko lightly jogged back to his spot.

Kusame and Ryuu, and all the other lesser demigods were important to him.

So he won't forget them. He would not allow himself to.

(..must...al..one...)

Kuroko's eyes flashed with determination. He would not forget again.

"Aka-chin, do we really have to leave?"

"Yes, we finally managed to receive a hint from Kuroko. So we have to track down every single human or demigod with the hint given to us."

"Demigod, Akashicchi? Is that really necessary?"

"Yes, Kise. I will not overlook anything. Neither will I disregard the possibility of a betrayal among demigods."

"Oh... Alright."

"But what about Kuroko then? Do we leave him behind here?"

"It will be fine, Midorima. Kuroko has managed to survive many years here. But don't worry, I do not plan to stay away for long."

"But Aka-chin, your curse. Kuro-chin still did not remove it. Won't you be in constant pain?"

"No, I'm fine. As long as Kuroko does not give an order for us to meet, then the very first order: 'stay away' will remain in effect."

"In that case, let's hurry with our search. Before Kuroko unknowingly causes you more pain."

"Yes. Come, let us leave."

"Yes!"

Kuroko was confused.

He laid in his bed, restlessly tossing and turning.

Earlier, when he had heard the news of how the colourful group of strong demigods had left, his heart had squeezed painfully.

An overwhelming feeling of sadness had taken over him for a moment before disappearing without a trace.

Why had he felt sad? He was not close to them, and did not interact with them personally as well. So why?

Kuroko sighed, and buried his face into his pillow.

Was there something wrong with him? Every now and then, he would see flashes of colour; sometimes grey, sometimes red. But he had no idea what they were supposed to mean. Perhaps, has he fallen ill?

Even though he was covered with wounds, but thanks to Ryuu, they were all healing well with no signs of infections. So it was not possible for them to be the cause.

Maybe it was an illness that only humans had? Kuroko knew that humans would fall sick with a cold, but Kuroko was a demigod. A strong demigod. And demigods do not fall ill.

Kuroko frowned.

Have his powers weakened so much that it actually became possible for him to be ill?

His seals…should he remove them all and do a thorough check?

"But it is still my power. For me to not know that I had such powers is my fault. I was not thorough enough when I had last checked through my powers."

Kuroko froze, eyes going wide.

What was that? A memory? Why...

Kuroko trembled.

That was his voice, for sure. But who was he talking to?

Check…

When was the last time he had checked through all of his abilities and measured the strength of his powers?

Kuroko has been here ever since he was seven years old. By then, he had already sealed himself. And he was sixteen now. Kuroko did not remember ever releasing his seals during his time here.

No, wait. Something was strange.

How did he seal himself at seven years old?

It's impossible! Even though he may be a demigod child then, but a child is still a child! Something like sealing himself was absolutely impossible. After all, a demigod's full power only surfaced after they reached two hundred years of age. Only then would they be able to achieve something as complicated as sealing.

But Kuroko…he was sixteen.

What if… What if, Kuroko was not sixteen?

While he may have the appearance of a teenage boy, his true age may not be the same!

Then, why? What made him think himself as sixteen?

Why did he never question himself like this before? That's right, something… Something was stopping him from doing so. Then, why did he start now? Could it be, that a trigger was pulled? What exactly happened?

"Tetsuya…our Tetsuya…tell me. Who…controlling you?"

Kuroko's vision spun, and he felt himself losing grip on his consciousness.

No! He can't give in to the darkness rushing up to meet him!

He wanted – needed – to remember!

That voice was similar to Akashi's. Was he talking to Akashi?

Akashi…

Akashi would know, he would tell him!

But he's not here, he had left yesterday.

Kuroko wanted to meet with Akashi. He wanted to know what happened. Surely, something that he just could not remember had taken place.

"Akashi…"

Unknowingly, Kuroko whispered Akashi's name.

I have to see you.

Kuroko struggled, but eventually lost to the darkness and he fainted.

"Akashi? What's wrong?"

"…No, it's nothing. Just that, for a very brief moment, the cursed scar had throbbed."

"The scar? Could it be Tetsu?"

"Eh? Did Kurokocchi give an order?!"

"No, I don't think so. It might just be a thought. If it was an order, the pain would not be this mild."

"Then, do we go back?"

"No. Not yet. We have to finish our search with results. I do not want to head back now and end up unprepared."

"…Understood. But you must promise to inform us if Kuroko issues you an order."

"…"

"Akashi, you are too overprotective. Don't bear such heavy burdens on your own. We are here, and we have been together for thousands of years. Are you unable to trust us?"

"No, that's not it. I apologise, Midorima. Thank you, I promise to inform you if anything happens."

"I'm happy Aka-chin trusts us."

"I am glad as well, Akashicchi!"

"Is that so? Then, Kise, please do your job. The target has arrived."

"Uwah. Akashicchi is so mean. But I will still give it my all so that I can help Kurokocchi!"

"…Then, hurry up and go."

"Midorimacchi! You're being mean as well!"

"Just go quickly!"

"Uwaaaah! Don't kick me, Aominecchi!"

Kuroko coughed, sweat dripping down his face as he panted.

Recently, he had been feeling constantly tired.

His mind would be hazy on good days. However, on bad days, Kuroko lost large parts of his memory. He would remember eating breakfast, and then the next thing he knew, night had already fallen and he was back in his bed.

There was something pressing down on his mind, making it hard for Kuroko to even think. Speaking was difficult too.

Kusame and Ryuu were deeply worried, even the other lesser demigods were. They would offer their precious water to Kuroko, urging him to drink more. And they gave up their food to him as well.

Kuroko felt extremely guilty, he was fine, just that he was spacing out a little. Food and water were all very important for the slaves, they did not have to give them up to Kuroko. So he refused to accept them, telling them to have it for themselves instead.

It was weird. Kuroko would be filled with guilt one moment, and then all those feelings would disappear the next second.

Apparently, Kuroko had been dragged off to the training (torture) room many times. But he did not recall it, though the wounds on his body continued to increase. A brief thought of healing himself was washed away before it could fully form.

He excelled in healing; it would be easy to heal all the wounds on his body. Ryuu must surely be exhausted from using his power every day.

No, he shouldn't heal. To heal his wounds would mean that his seals would be released. He was not allowed to release them.

Kuroko was extremely confused. But all those emotions would disappear quickly.

Kuroko was losing his ability to feel emotions.

Kusame and Ryuu, he remembered that they were important. But why?

Kuroko did not need anyone else, he alone was sufficient. Things like companions were all unnecessary.

It would be fine to cut off everything.

Kuroko…

Kuroko will be fine, alone.

Akashi frowned, nearly glaring at the shaking man before him.

They did not manage to find the mastermind, but they did acquire a subordinate, who was kneeling at Akashi's feet. The subordinate's mind games were impressive.

After getting caught, he had put up a remarkable fight. After having lost, the subordinate did the most detestable thing, that is; begging Akashi to spare him, said that he would serve Akashi loyally for the rest of his life. Really, who would even believe this man? This man, who readily threw away his previous master just to spare his own life.

But what Akashi could not get out of this man was the identity of the mastermind.

At first, Akashi had tracked down the mastermind, and was even confident about who the mastermind was. But then, another hint suddenly popped up, shaking Akashi's confidence. Because, what if there was not one, but two masterminds?

If they were working together, that must mean that Kuroko was being controlled by two people. Just how much pressure did Kuroko have to bear? Akashi was extremely impressed that Kuroko had kept himself together for so long, but what if Kuroko could no longer protect himself and end up breaking?

"Aka-chin, can't we just kill him? If he's not willing to tell us anything, then isn't it better to kill him quickly and search for another subordinate?"

Akashi sighed.

At least there was one thing that was certain; the ones controlling Kuroko are demigods, not the humans.

"Alright then. Deal with him as you like, Murasakibara. I will start the search for the others."

"Okaaay!"

"See ya, Murasakibaracchi. Make sure you catch up to us quickly!"

"Kuroko-kun! What's going on?" Kusame was frantic.

"What do you mean, Kusame-san?" Kuroko asked innocently.

"Why are you distancing yourself from others? You barely even respond when someone talks to you!"

"Oh, I…I don't know? Have I really been that rude?"

"Who cares if you're rude! What I'm worried about is how you are turning yourself into a loner. Is there something bothering you?"

"No, there isn't. I'm perfectly fine."

"…Bullshit. Come on, Kuroko-kun. Don't lie to me, okay?"

"I'm not lying, Kusame-san. I am fine. Really."

Kuroko paused, blinking his eyes.

"Ah, but. My mind seems to be a bit hazy. It's nothing, please don't worry."

"Kuroko-kun, are you ill?"

"No, no. I'm not."

Kuroko smiled, turning away from Kusame.

"I am fine. Perfectly…fine."

"Tell me…Tetsuya. …Tell me!"

Kuroko stumbled. That voice was so familiar, who did it belong to? What did it want from Kuroko? It told him to 'tell', but what did it want to know?

"Kuroko-kun?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya, who is controlling you?"

Kuroko knees buckled and he fell, coughing painfully.

"Kuroko-kun! What's wrong?!"

Kuroko coughed over and over again. There was something lodged in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He shoved his fingers into his mouth, reaching as far back as possible. Kuroko's body jerked, trembled and shook violently. Almost...just a little more…

A sudden hard slap to his back had him coughing out dark gray fluids.

A large puddle soon spread out all around him, but Kuroko's coughing did not ease.

As more of the strange liquid left his body, Kuroko realised that the haze around his mind was clearing up. One by one, his forgotten memories began to return.

Finally, after dry-heaving a couple more times, Kuroko stopped throwing up.

His body went slack and only then did he notice the horror on Kusame's face.

"You...Kuroko-kun? What…"

Kuroko stared at the mini flood he had made. The hallway to the rooms was completely covered in gray liquid. Ah, really. How did Kuroko even managed to contain that much into his body? Kuroko was rather impressed with himself.

He pushed himself up from the ground, a little unsteady on his feet.

"Kuroko-kun?"

"Sorry, Kusame-san. I have made you and the rest all worry about me. I am fine now." Kuroko wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, cleaning off the remaining traces of the liquid.

"…Are you sure? You know, I don't think that coughing up any kind of strange liquid is considered as being 'fine'. Especially not this horrifying amount!"

Kuroko smiled at Kusame.

"Kusame-san, I will be leaving for a while. I have to go catch up with Akashi-kun and the rest."

"…What?" Kusame blinked dumbly at Kuroko.

"I don't remember everything, but I do know that I am close with that group. And I also know who the people are on the other side of me."

"I can't understand you at all."

"Have you ever heard of a technique called Marionette? It is a dreadful technique used to make someone obey you. I was under the influence of something similar, something that is stronger by a hundredfold. Because I am really strong, just that was not enough, they had to place something physical inside me to control me." Kuroko gestured to the water. "That is what is controlling me. Well, one part of it. I have to find out what else is affecting me."

Kuroko fiddle with his hair. Black hair, huh.

He watched a very confused Kusame looking back and forth between him and the gray water.

"I have to go warn Akashi-kun. If he encounters the enemy while unprepared, it would be terrible. And I am sure that by now, the fool who used that gray water to control me would have realised that I have broken free."

Kuroko frowned.

"I have to go now. I need to hurry. If the other one hears of this, there would surely be trouble for me. Because that person is much harder to deal with, since that one is very cunning and likes to lay traps."

Kuroko glanced at Kusame, and then asked, "Could I trouble you to help me clean up this mess?"

Without waiting for a reply, Kuroko smiled and continued, "Thank you, Kusame-san, for taking care of me all this time. Goodbye."

Kuroko rushed out of the demigod slaves' dorm, leaving behind a flabbergasted Kusame.

Akashi-kun.

Kuroko could not call for him. He did not know Akashi's current situation, and the curse would only impede him if he was caught up in something dangerous.

Kuroko wanted to remove the seals he had placed on his powers, but he was afraid to. What if the traps ahead were for his unsealed self? Kuroko did not know if he would be able to win against that fool. But if he did not release his seals, would he be too weak to fight against whatever that will be in his way?

Kuroko glanced down at his arm. The wounds were barely closed. He was sure some have started bleeding once more.

Akashi-kun…

Kuroko hissed.

Dammit.

Hurry, he had to hurry.