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Kuroko was aware of the figure behind her. She could sense his stare boring unto her back as she dipped her hands in the cold water coming from the waterfall. She turned to him and glared her almighty stare. Her cerulean eyes clashed with a lone bright red; her eyes weren't visible to the man under the veil. Nonetheless, the red-haired Scion can feel its intensity. The man had his other eye closed once more. This time, it was with a spark of interest, unlike the last time that she saw him do that.

"You can call me Sei," he whispered breathlessly into her ear. His grip tightened into her waist and he pulled her close. "Can you tell me your name, or will I have to call you princess?" this time, he purred to her in a very low voice.

That did it for Kuroko. She looked at the man straight at his amused heterochromatic eyes and lifted her knee. She was thankful for the extra tips her dearest Aniue gave her concerning men. Coupled with her physical talent and swiftness, she was able to land a blow at the guy.

She looked him over and saw him closing his golden orb and gazed at her with an indifferent expression. But the queen knew otherwise, he was trying to conceal it, yet it was still there. Even if his body did not respond to her well-aimed kick, his eye told another thing. He gripped her wrist even as he took a step back.

The man called Sei looked at her with appraising eyes, as if she was a foreign being that he had only encountered for the first time and only having heard about. To this, Tetsumi could only grit her teeth silently and curse the offending creature that dared to disturb her sleep.

So, here she is now, with the water as her 'only' company and the stony floor underneath the surface as her view. She had long averted her eyes after she had quite pleasingly recalled the event. She looked down at the water and slowly put her dainty feet inside the cool liquid. She released a breath, a content one and basked in the sun's rays.

Akashi looked at the ravishing creature that tried to put an end to his man-hood. She looked ethereal under the sun as the wind blew her long light blue locks and swayed in synch to the wind. It was still a mystery to him on how she could actually ignore his dominating presence. The glare that she sent his way a little while ago was not counted.

He decided to speak up after a moment of silence.

"As I said before, can you tell me your name?" he asked in a polite way.

She turned to him but didn't say a word.

"Well, princess, I'm not really that much of a patient person. What are you doing here in the human world?" he inquired to her after he received no reply to his previous question.

"Hn, che." Kuroko didn't know why she acted this way with the man. She had always been polite and considering to others. Unfortunately for her, she did not know how the long haired man could bring out her hidden personality like this.

She opted to give the man a chance to redeem himself.

"I could say the same for you," she told him calmly as she continued to stare at him. Trying to decipher his emotions and failing miserably. He, like her, was also hiding behind a mask. Hers is more literal though, but behind the veil, she was actually the very same.

"Well, I decided to have a stroll," he answered to her question.

"Honestly, I never thought that the human world was a park," there it goes, her blunt personality that many people in her realm were aware of.

"Haha, I guess you have a point there." She kind of liked that laugh, unlike Kagami-kun's it was light but it still held a sophisticated aura around it. "I was not kidding when I said that the weather is fine. Look, isn't the sun's warmth a good feeling?"

"Yes, I guess you're right."

"Must you always answer me very short? I feel as if this conversation is turning into a one-sided one."

"I you continue trying to converse with me with baloneys then I don't want to talk with you."

"I have the feeling that you're a very blunt person."

"And I have the feeling that you are a very dominating one. What are you? Some kind of obocchama?"

At this, he smirked at her. Somehow, Tetsumi found this a little unnerving. She had the feeling that he was about to show his true colors. Without a doubt in her mind, she knew that it was very dark.

"I might be." His enigmatic countenance was strange for the maiden. He introduced himself like a very kind gentleman with a bit of a perverted side, but this time, he was very scary in a way that could make anyone shiver.

"Hnn..." thankfully, even under immense pressure, she could still remain her cool facade.

The Queen Regnant seemed to be a little light on her guard that moment that is why she seemed to blurt out the next set of words. "You know, you are much more interesting if you interact with me in your true personality."

"I am honoured to hear that from a maiden such as yourself." His sharp and calculating eyes were trained to her even more so than before.

"Being nice and gentlemanly suits your looks, but your attitude right now is more appealing than before." She told him earnestly, and that was when she saw his lips curl up into his 'annoying' smirk.

"Ah,"

At this, Akashi perked up and silently watched her as she seemed to almost want to say something.

"About the maiden thing... are you sure that I still am?" she decided to play along with the flow.

"You aren't anymore, princess?" he asked her with a very sadistic smile.

"Maybe..."

Kuroko almost fell on her face when she saw absolutely no changes at the man. She waited for his response as patiently as she could.

"You still are." He stated as if he knew something that she doesn't know. The way that he told her that suggests that he can see her, physically and mentally like an open book that he could very much recite at the moment.

"Che."

"I hate that veil." He said with total sincerity in his face.

She was confused but also curious to his statement. "Why? Because you can't see my face?" she decided to guess.

"Yes...but also the fact that I can't see the outline of your figure this way. Frankly, that thing is too long."

She blushed a deep red that rivalled Kagami's hair. She was very tempted to smack him in the face and kick him again. She was about to use her speed and do just that, but then, he suddenly said something.

"Hmm, princess, what are you?" he finally asked, the question that has been nagging him from the very start. This sudden change of mood allowed her to regain her composure and think of her response.

"I'm not sure that I can relate to you." She admitted to the man.

"You're not like most. You exert a certain aura that tells me you're dangerous and strong. I am determined to unravel the mysteries of your being."

"Huh, is that so? If you ask me, I'm not much different from others of our kind. I am a person from the Upper realm. Humans call me and our kind in many different kinds. The most common one are angels, based on our abilities, they made an effort to actually sort us out." She can't help but tell him. She knows that the man is already knowledgeable; he was a well balanced character. The way he stands, stares and moves are ready made signs for her to be wary because he seems to be really powerful. Only her training and natural talent were preventing her from cowering and submitting to the man in front of her.

He was in an entirely different level than the Uncrowned Kings. They are one of her strongest Scions and she had no doubt that when Hana-chan actually saw him, he would no doubt try to 'break' him.

She decided to change the topic, "I haven't been in the mortal world for long. This is actually my second time here."

"I would be delighted if you'll allow me to show you around." He went along to her sudden change.

That's good. She went for the safe route and said, "No thanks. I hope that I am not offending you."

"Not at all, princess." With this, he slyly smirked her way and walked to the shadows. "I'm sorry for the short time that we had talked. I doubt that we will meet again. But I have some urgent business to attend to."

"Of course..." Deep down, she felt a strange feeling, something akin to... disappointment? Somehow, no matter how sadistic the man seems to be, she enjoyed their time together.

Akashi was irritated. He was plotting ways to kill the bastard of an intruder that put an end to his meeting with a decent female for once, one that did not go head over heels with him. He had a feeling that they would meet again, but it seems so impossible. With his knowledge of the Upper realm, he had never heard of someone like her that fits the description of someone from a high rank. He was sure that she was one though.

He might know when the ball comes. For once, he was actually excited over a petty thing such as a ball.

Akashi was known to be very interested with unique things. Maybe that was what led all of the Generation of Miracles to each other. They had similar traits of being attracted to strong people after all.

He finally arrived to the destination that the person wanted him to go. He concealed his aura so as to not be identified by the man. He, like the trained predator that he is, nimbly went to the blonde that was situated at the top of a cliff.

"Ryota..." he greeted the Scion.

"Ehh! Akashicchi! I didn't sense you there.

The emperor did not respond to that and turned away and made his own portal and went through. He felt the king of Kaijo following him. "Uwaah, Akashicchi, everyone's going crazy trying to find you! I was so worried...really, I'm glad that Midorimacchi was able to predict where you're going."

"Is that so?" he inclined his head to look at the blond.

They proceeded to walk at the palace and went to his study. It was large and grand. The ceiling was high and carved with stunning reliefs. The large double doors that served as an opening were casted with a spell that prevented others to hear what is inside and also stops others from coming inside. Unless you are very gifted with strong powers, you won't be able to come inside without permission from the owner.

Inside the room stood shelves of books full of information and history that would cost a fortune. The marble floor was a shining gold and the table at the center was flanked with three other people. Why they did not use the plush chairs that Daiki requested to have, the large and soft sofa that Shintaro kindly said that would bring luck, the stylish hammock at the corner that Ryota said would make the place more comely and the small table with 5 big chairs, courtesy of Atsushi, Akashi did not know.

Why he actually put them inside was still a mystery to him. Perhaps at that time, he decided to humor them, or maybe it was because he had nothing else to do.

The other three had different expressions on their faces. But Akashi knew that they were worried. Never, not once, had he been away for so long that the others have actually noticed. The other four members of the Miracles were now talking like they usually do. They did not need to express their worries for Akashi because they already knew that he was alright.

Akashi was in deep thought. Still, he remembered their last conversation before he finally left.

"Not at all, princess." he slyly smirked her way and walked to the shadows. "I'm sorry for the short time that we had talked. I doubt that we will meet again. But I have some urgent business to attend to."

"Of course..." he saw her nod at his direction as a farewell. She had a strange tone in her last sentence. Akashi thought that it was something like disappointment. He felt the same.

But before he turned to disappear fully, he asked one last question. "What is your name, princess?"

"By name, what do you mean?" she asked with a well made smirk.

He chuckled at her antics and said, "A name is something that others call a person. It is what you call yourself, it is your identity."

"Something that other people call me... my identity... what I call myself..." she said her thoughts out loud.

"Yes, princess" he chuckled again as he was amused by her.

"Call me...Phantom."

Akashi laughed out loud. The other occupants of the room silently shuddered after hearing it. Akashi thinking then laughing? That was not a good sign. Whoever caught Akashi's attention, they pity the person right now.

The emperor was known to always get what he wants. He will obtain it, whatever it is, they were absolutely sure. Oh, great Creator, please keep us safe during that time! They thought simultaneously.

Yay! Finished with the chapter! Reviews, people, reviews! Thank you for the follows and favs. .

I hope that you will all continue to support this fanfic... ^v^ ahaha so much drama...

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