Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Suggested Listening: Dancing with the Devil by Alter.
Contradiction
"Stay away, you villain!"
Kagome glanced at the ground. Pieces of trash and rotten fruit slapped against the whites of her slippers—staining the once pure color with its filth.
She gripped the strap of her book bag a little harder.
"I'm not a villain!" Her voice became a few pitches higher.
The boy thumbed his nose at her, "Yeah? That's what they all say!" He picked up another tray of food from the table next to him. "You're trash, just like your dad! Now get out of my sight, villain!"
It was always like this.
She was always the villain, never the hero.
More trays were thrown at her.
What was she supposed to do?
What could she do?
Her lips trembled as tears filled her eyes.
"Oh look, the villain is crying!" The boy stepped close to her. "What's the matter, can't handle it? Maybe you should've thought about that before!" His palm slapped against the side of her head. "How many people did your old man murder? Did you ever stop to cry over them?"
No.
How could she?
She hadn't known a damn thing about it.
Kagome lowered her head.
It wasn't her fault.
None of this was her fault!
She lifted her book bag, slamming it against the boy's face as hard as she could. Spinning on her heel, she tried to take off as fast as her legs would carry her. However hands grabbed at her arms and shoulders—holding her still long enough for the others to surround her.
"You're gonna regret that..." The boy rose to his feet. A trail of blood trickled from his nose down to his chin. He wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "Hold her still!"
Kagome closed her eyes.
In the next instant, all she knew was pain.
Chisaki glanced at the woman lying beside him. Her face was flushed and her breath came in shallow pants. Her temp had yet to go down.
He scratched at his chin curiously.
They'd been so focused on simply capturing her earlier that they hadn't taken the chance to see if she possessed any health issues. It was entirely possible that her quirk came with a huge drawback. After using it this morning, this in itself could be one of its side effects of overuse. Especially in combination with the stress of being kidnapped.
"She's stable for the moment but it'd be best if we kept her under a twenty-four hour watch." Kurono stepped into the room. He passed a clipboard into his awaiting hands, "Also I took that blood sample like you suggested. Your assumption was correct. Her quirk is infiltrating her immune system. It's hard to say if this is a result of stress or her using it, but thus far the damage appears to be minimal."
Chisaki glanced at the numbers across the paper.
Clearly they needed to discuss a few things once she woke up. He needed to clarify which was causing the issue. If it was her quirk then that would limit their ability to produce shards.
"I'll keep an eye on her for now. Just keep the kid from escaping again." His tone was calm as he spoke. "We were fortunate Eri ran into someone that we could use. It'd be a hassle if she managed to reach a pro hero next time."
Kurono offered a short bow, "I'll see to it personally."
In the next instant his subordinate was gone.
Chisaki glanced at the girl beside him. Her face was still flushed and her breathing ragged.
Looked like it would take some time yet for her to recover.
He pulled at the latex gloves that covered his fingers.
There was one way to speed up the process.
"Sorry, but we don't really have the luxury of time on our hands." He pressed his palm to her forehead. "It'll be over soon."
For just a moment, he thought he saw a tiny smile form at the corner of her lips.
He snorted.
What a strange girl.
Bakugou rested his arms over his knees.
Kagome was gone.
There was no mistake about it.
Someone had noticed her and decided to steal her right out from her own home.
His fingers curled into tight knuckled fists.
Why the hell didn't he go check on her in the first place?! If he'd just gone to her then maybe she wouldn't have been kidnapped!
He slammed his fist against the wall.
"Damn it!"
Twice.
Twice he'd failed her. First with the League of Villains now this. How the hell could he call himself a hero if he couldn't save one person?
"Parents marched on U.A. this afternoon with demands for Higurashi's expulsion. They were turned away at the gate but so far there's been no word as to whether she'll be attending the school this semester." Scarlet eyes swiveled towards his television. He'd forgotten that he'd left the damn thing on.
Fury boiled beneath his flesh as he listened to the broadcast.
"We reached out to Higurashi this afternoon but received no word." They flashed an image of the empty shrine. He couldn't tell what time they'd dropped by but it was evident that Kagome was already gone by then. He gnashed his teeth together at the thought.
"With growing security concerns, people are beginning to question U.A.'s ability to keep its students safe. Now that Higurashi has become a target for all villains alike, that question has only become more important…" He shut it off.
He couldn't take it anymore.
These people didn't know the first damn thing about Kagome.
She was so self-sacrificial that she'd been willing to die for his sake. He was a hot-headed idiot with a bit of power, but she'd seen his life as worthy of dying for.
His hands trembled.
He couldn't just sit here.
Not when she needed him.
Bakugou stomped downstairs. He might not have the first clue as to who'd taken her but that wouldn't stop him from trying.
"Katsuki! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" His mother barreled down the corridor towards him. "You were told to sit your ass at home. I only let you go earlier because All Might showed up."
She folded her arms over her chest, "Take those shoes off. You're not going anywhere!"
He stood tall.
"Just try and stop me!" His voice rose with every word he spoke. "She needs me. I can't call myself the number one hero if I can't save a single person!"
His chest gave another hard twist. Bakugou gripped the front of his shirt.
"She saved my ass over and over again. I can't sit here and do nothing!" He stepped forward.
His mother cast him a thoughtful look, "You're talking about that Higurashi girl, aren't you?"
He didn't respond.
She sighed, "So that's what this is about. Did something happen to her earlier? Is that why you took off?"
His tone lowered, "She was kidnapped."
Bakugou Mistuki stared at him in shock. Her eyes grew wide then narrowed into thin slits.
"Do they know who did it?"
He shook his head, "All we know is that it wasn't the League and the person had enough power to subdue her before she could fight back. That's it."
Mistuki threw on her coat. She slid her arms through the sleeves before coming to his side.
"I don't agree with you going by yourself Katsuki. So I'll go with you. We'll start searching for her," She gripped his arm tightly. "But you better listen well. If we find anything we're getting the police involved. You will not be fighting."
He turned his gaze away from her.
That was something he couldn't promise.
Mitsuki stepped through the threshold first, "I'm not asking either young man. I'll drag your ass home if I have to."
She flashed a brief yet maternal smile, "Every mother's gotta protect her kid."
He walked outside.
Except Kagome no longer had a mother let alone any family.
She was counting on them.
His eyes narrowed, "Let's find her."
Everything was blurry.
She no longer felt like she was on fire but her mind remained muddled.
A looming figure hovered over her.
Curious, she stretched her fingers out and trailed them along the smooth surface of someone's cheek. A simple face mask covered most of it but she felt herself smile at the mild reassurance.
She wasn't alone.
Kagome paused as a gloved hand encompassed hers. It was heavy and oddly warm.
She blinked, the image steadily becoming more clear.
"… Chi… saki…?" She remembered his name.
The male's eyes thinned with a mild amount of relief, "Looks like you're finally awake."
His free hand came to rest upon her forehead, "Your temperature is back to normal too."
Kagome sat up. Her limbs trembled as her body gave a fierce shudder.
"Was it a fever?" She glanced around her palms. They were still a little clammy and her fingers felt numb.
Chisaki leaned closer to her, "Yes. Is that related to your quirk?"
The young woman fought the urge to sigh. Of course he'd figure it out. He did piece together her ability within just a few hours of meeting her.
Kagome met his gaze, "Yeah. Crystallize requires a lot of mental and emotional fortitude to control. If those go out of balance then it'll wreak havoc on my body." She glanced at her palms again, "I was held back a year in middle school because of it. That's why I'm so far behind on my training now."
His eyes narrowed at that, "Behind? I'd say that you're quite far ahead, or was that something Eraser told you?"
He was piercing her.
With his gaze and his words—he was punching through every last defense she had, leaving her feeling both bare and vulnerable.
She looked away.
Chisaki didn't push the subject. He sat back as his eyes drifted towards a playing board in the corner of the room.
"Have you ever played shogi?" He cupped his knee between his hands.
Kagome cocked her head to the side, "Not really. I mean I've seen other people play but I don't know the first thing about it."
Where was he going with this?
She couldn't imagine him kidnapping her just for the chance to play a game of shogi against her.
"It's all about strategy. You have to predict your opponent's moves and make necessary sacrifices." Those golden eyes pierced through her again. "You have to protect your king, but more than that you have to kill your opponent's king."
Her mind stopped.
Kill the king?
Chisaki pushed onwards, "To put it mildly, you have to outsmart your opponent. You can either use the full force of the pieces at your disposal or you can draw your enemy into a trap. Either way, the goal remains the same."
Kagome swallowed, "What does shogi have to do with any of this?" She had a sneaky suspicion of his intentions but she wanted to be sure. She needed confirmation.
"You need to look at the big picture to be able to win at shogi," He pulled the gloves from his hands. "Life is the same way. If you want to go anywhere then you need to have a plan and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to ensure it comes to fruition."
Her brows furrowed, "So is that what this is? A sacrifice?"
She gripped at the sheets of the bed. They were thin and flimsy, as if they'd been bought in bulk from a hospital.
Chisaki curled a thick, corded arm around her waist.
"Not quite. You are something much bigger than a simple pawn." His palm slid up the hourglass of her figure. "I'll explain things in more detail later but what do you say I show you how to play shogi? Maybe then you'll better understand what it is I have to say."
Kagome bit into her bottom lip nervously.
"I don't really have the choice, do I?"
His eyes thinned at that, "No. You don't."
All Might scratched the back of his neck.
"Really Eraser, you didn't bother sending her to a temporary dorm? She's not like Bakugou. The kid doesn't have any family to look after her." This was going to bite them in the ass. The school was already under enough pressure, if word of Kagome's second kidnapping got leaked to the public then it'd create a media firestorm the likes of which they'd never seen before.
There were too many rumors going around about her as it was. They had to stem it before it could get any worse.
Eraser sighed, "You know as well as I do that even the faculty dorms aren't prepared yet. All we could do is send her home."
His brow twitched, "Yeah but she's got no protection there. Now she's missing and we don't have the first clue as to where we should look."
Eraser tucked his hands into his pockets, "I read the report you gave to the school. Besides her phone, there was no sign of forced entry or a struggle. How can we even be sure she was kidnapped? It's likely she left on her own free will."
All Might stopped.
"You can't honestly believe that, Eraser." His brows furrowed. "You've trained that kid for over a year. You, more than anyone, should understand what she's like."
The other male closed his eyes, "She was physically weak. Her emotions often got the best of her and she struggled to keep up with the daily training program. Frankly speaking, we only kept her on to keep an eye on her development."
His heart dropped.
"You didn't actually tell her that, did you?"
His colleague took a second to respond, "She's known that from the very beginning. I'd have dropped her already if it wasn't for the fact that she was a high risk of becoming a villain."
"So now you think she just proved your point. Never mind the fact that she asked young Midoriya for help." He could see why she'd been so torn. Why she was stubborn about asking anyone for help. Even her own teacher saw her as a threat.
Aizawa cast him a cool glance, "That's only your assumption. At this point we have no choice but to believe that she willingly left on her own." He scanned the newspaper sprawled across their shared workspace. "However I do agree that this can't get out. The less the public knows, the better. It could make the police's job more difficult if they're fielding angry reporters."
He felt sickened.
This wasn't right.
How long had she faced this sort of criticism? Did that girl start to believe that she was only destined to be a villain?
He couldn't accept that.
"Eraser," His tone grew fierce with the anger that he felt. "I have plenty of things I want to say to you right now but first our job should be to find her." He gripped him by the shoulder, "She's your student before anything else. Take responsibility for her."
He released him, "I've got to drop by Endeavor's agency. If we're lucky he might have a clue."
It was their last option at this point.
Maybe the key to finding her kidnapper lied with the people she crossed paths with in her work study.
It was their only hope at this point.
Endeavor glowered at the two men in front of him.
"So let me get this straight. You imbeciles decided to let a high risk target stay somewhere without any sort of protection and now that she's gone, you're hoping I might have some sort of lead." The flames around his shoulders and chest flared outward.
All Might rubbed the back of his neck, "We really screwed this one up but we were hoping that maybe someone she'd had a run in with during her work study might've been the culprit. It'd give us a place to start investigating at least."
Endeavor snorted, "I never took the kid into anything too dangerous. Her quirk is a powerful booster. If I'd put her into those fights, she would've been taken a long time ago." He folded his arms over his chest. "We were able to use her without putting her in direct danger. She's best used as support."
Icy eyes narrowed into thin slits, "Tell me Eraser, what'd you say to that kid this time?"
Aizawa perked up at the mention of his name.
Endeavor continued, "I'm not so blind to see what you were trying to do. You wanted that kid to quit so you wouldn't have to deal with her." He snorted, "You always were quick to judge talent. In case you haven't noticed, Kagome's quirk is one that takes time, control and effort to master. Under poor leadership she'd flail around, but give her a directive and some guidance, she'd flourish."
All Might threw him a curious look, "You were training her?"
"What else was I supposed to do? Let her power go to waste?" He stepped off the engawa. "Her skill would've benefitted Shouto. I wanted her to provide a strong support system after he graduated U.A. but in order to do that she needed to know how to better control her power." Endeavor glared down his nose, "How is it that she spent so much time with you but never even knew the basics of fighting, Eraser? Were you that scared of her power?"
Aizawa stiffened.
"You could've sent the girl here if you were so worried about her safety." He pushed past them towards the exit. "Do me the favor and stay out of my way. Because of you I've now lost the best student I had working at my agency."
All Might reached for him, "Where are you going?"
Endeavor glanced over his shoulder, "To the shrine. Where else am I supposed to start investigating?"
He shrugged them off, "Kid's in trouble because of your stupid mistake. The least I can do is fix it."
He was the new number one hero, wasn't he?
Saving one girl shouldn't be a problem.
Chisaki observed as Kagome peered down at the board. Her brows were furrowed and a contemplative look overtook her otherwise soft features.
"So the rook can only move in fixed directions?" Her question was met by a short noise of affirmation.
She wasn't letting her guard down.
Despite their somewhat casual conversation, her body was tucked in towards itself. She was protecting herself from any possible attacks. She was also watching him keenly from her peripherals.
Kagome hadn't made it into U.A. for nothing.
She slid the rook in front of her king piece.
A nakabisha*.
Not too bad for an amateur. Her main focus was purely on defense. She wouldn't have the skill set or confidence to launch a full assault yet.
Therefore his goal would be simple.
He made his move.
He would need to break down her defenses. Piece by piece, he'd collect every last bit until she could only surrender herself to him.
Chisaki observed as her face paled.
"No way, how am I supposed to defend against that?!" Azure eyes slid towards him coolly. "You know, you're probably the most brutal person I've ever met."
His lips quirked upwards, "I'll take that as a compliment." He pushed forward, "There were a few things I wanted to talk to you about. Our time is limited so I brought you here instead."
Her brows furrowed, "If you just wanted to talk then you could've asked for my number instead. You didn't need to kidnap me." Kagome sat back in her seat, "But talking wasn't your only goal, was it?"
There was a sharpness in her voice that hadn't been present before.
"You are correct. I'm sure you've surmised that we'll need the use of your quirk, but I haven't quite told you why." He needed her trust. He needed her to grow dependent upon him. The moment she'd give herself over would be the moment that his plans would come to fruition.
"For power?" She nearly spat the word. "I'm not an idiot, Chisaki. I already know that you want to use me to boost your force's strength and net financial gains for your group." Her eyes narrowed into thin slits, "What I want to know is how Eri plays into this." Her expression turned serious, "I didn't understand this morning but that child was terrified of you. So I want to know, what are you doing to her?"
He fell silent.
This was an expected outcome. Kagome was a very empathetic person. She cared for others deeply and often sacrificed herself for their benefit. Seeing a helpless child would call to her protective instincts.
He would have to play this carefully.
"Eri is vital. She possesses a quirk called Rewind. In short, she can rewind people to a time before they possessed quirks." He threaded his fingers together as he spoke.
Her gaze widened, "Rewind?"
He continued, "Eri has no control over her quirk. She could easily rewind people out of existence if she was left unmonitored."
That got her attention.
The young woman rose to her feet, "So she can't even go outside? She's stuck here?"
His eyes narrowed, "In a word, yes. Her quirk is too dangerous on its own. With her lack of control there's only so much we can do. However I believe that I've found a solution."
He rose to his feet beside her. Slipping his fingers behind his ears, he tugged the straps of his face mask free—allowing her to see him for the second time that day.
"Crystallize requires extreme mental and emotional fortitude to control. Eri's is similar in that regard. If she can learn to handle Rewind then she can eventually be allowed to roam more freely." It was a lie of course. He had no intention of letting Eri go free. He needed her quirk just as much as he needed Kagome's. The only difference was if Kagome could teach her to control it. Perhaps then their research would progress more steadily.
"You want me to train her?" The young woman's voice went soft—as if she hadn't anticipated that answer.
He braced his arm on the wall beside her head, "That is only one aspect." He lifted his hand, trailing the tips of his fingers along the fine-line of her jaw. "You possess power, strength, fortitude and a sense of loyalty that would make others envious." He pushed himself closer to her. She took a step back only to find herself trapped between the wall and his body.
"I didn't just research your quirk, Kagome." Chisaki chose to use her given name much the same way she'd done to him. He took a small amount of satisfaction in the color that suddenly dashed across her nose. Good. She wasn't impervious to this sort of method.
Chisaki continued, "I know that you've been struggling for the past three years. Since your grandfather's death you've been searching for an answer that no one seems to be able to give you."
He slid his palm over the warmth of her cheek. She was the only person he could touch freely. Although it was likely a side effect of her quirk, he did not develop hives whenever they came into contact.
He would use this to his advantage.
She was young, inexperienced and vulnerable in many ways. To draw her in he'd first need to make use of himself.
"I wasn't lying earlier when I said that I wanted to give you something that society cannot." He dipped his mouth towards hers. "All this time you've been searching for acceptance. All you want is a purpose." He lowered his hand towards the hollow of her throat. "Here, you'll have that purpose."
Her eyes flicked to his.
Confusion. Discontent. Frustration.
They all danced across her features so openly. She was incredibly easy to read.
"I can't!" Her palms instinctively pushed against his chest. He held firm, rooting himself to the spot. "I made a promise. I can't hurt other people like this!"
He wound one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
She went rigid within his grip. To onlookers, it would seem romantic but he had other intentions. It was about domination—staking claim before anyone else had the chance to.
"Is that what you believe?" He pressed his mouth to hers in the barest hint of a kiss. "That I'll have you hurt others?" He coiled both of his arms around her. Stepping forward, he forced her back against the wall and her body to be pulled completely flush against his own. He could admit that there was an attractive quality to her innocence.
She was young, naïve and completely vulnerable. She hadn't the skills or experience to deal with persuasion of the sexual kind.
Like all men, he had his own desires. Desires that often went neglected due to his affliction. Yet here she was, able to withstand his touch without causing harm.
It was interesting.
"You are a soft hearted individual. If you were forced to harm another, you'd simply break." He tangled his fingers within her hair. "We can't have that. What I need from you isn't simply power and money. I need something more."
Her face turned a deep shade of scarlet.
"I'm not understanding what you're saying. Why did you bring me here? For Eri? Or for something else? I'm confused." She shook her head, as if in denial of the things he was speaking.
Chisaki slanted his mouth over hers. He held firm for several seconds, pushing his tongue past the seam of her lips. Her fingers gripped at the cloth of his shirt. She grew stiff within his arms but after only a second she went limp—as if giving up on the option of escaping him.
He drew back.
"You'll understand soon enough. For now I'll need you to rest." He stepped away from her. "I'll have other preparations to make for a while so you'll have to make do in that time."
He re-secured his face mask, "That answer you've been seeking," He cast her a glance over her shoulder. "I'll show it to you the next time we meet."
With that he left.
Bakugou scoured the crowds.
Too tall. Too skinny. Too blonde.
His heart twisted uncomfortably within his chest.
Where were they supposed to look? Who would've wanted to kidnap her? They weren't hurting her, were they?
His fists tightened at that last thought.
He'd kill every single bastard involved.
Kagome was a gentle and entirely too trusting individual. The concept of danger often just slipped right past her. It'd been his sworn job to protect her. Yet here they were. She was missing and they hadn't the first clue as to who'd taken her.
"Katsuki calm down," His mother gripped his shoulder firmly. "You can't focus if you're panicking."
She was right.
He couldn't focus.
The only thing on his mind was finding Kagome. Even then he was becoming too panicked over why she'd been taken in the first place.
Bakugou attempted to breathe.
His chest felt so damn tight. His heart was twisting painfully and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
"She was asking for help." The teen started. "When Deku called her, she asked him for help." His fingers curled against the cloth of his shirt. "We didn't make it in time to save her. That's twice now that I've screwed up and she's suffering because of it."
His vision blurred and his eyes began to burn.
"Katsuki," His mother stopped. "You know that you can't blame yourself for this." She gripped his shoulder even tighter. "You both put up a good fight with the League, but if you'd been there this time then you could've been taken again, or worse, killed."
Her eyes narrowed, "We don't know who has her or why. All we know is that they were able to subdue her before she could fight. That would've taken an incredible amount of power—power that even you wouldn't be able to handle." She brought her arms around him in a maternal embrace. "Right now what Higurashi needs from you is to keep calm. None of us can do anything for her if we're panicking. It's alright to admit failure from time to time, Katsuki."
She lowered her voice, "None of us are perfect. So sometimes it's better to let someone else help us out."
Bakugou clenched his jaw, "Every time I screw up she's the one who suffers." Hot tears streamed down his face.
He was so damn frustrated.
Why did it always happen to her? For once, why couldn't he be the only one to suffer from his own mistakes?
Mistuki sighed, "Because she's always been by your side. It's the people closest to us that we tend to hurt the most, whether we intend to or not." She pressed her palm to the back of his head, forcing him to bury his face in her shoulder. "That girl saw potential in you from the very beginning. She knew how powerful you'd be one day and stood by you every day to help you grow into the best hero you can be."
Her lips quirked up into a tiny smile, "You're frustrated because you want to repay her, but in order to do that you need to keep your head." Her expression dropped as she spoke, "So for now, let it out. Don't bottle yourself up until you break. Then tomorrow we'll start the search again. That sound fair?"
He trembled.
No.
He didn't want to. Yet his eyes filled with tears as he struggled to breathe.
He hated this.
He hated how utterly powerless he was.
He hated the fact that he hadn't been there to save her.
He lowered his head.
He had to find her.
Endeavor scanned the property thoroughly.
It was the first time he'd been to the Higure Shrine. The location was so remote that he was vaguely surprised that anyone had managed to find it.
The main stairway was tucked away in a back alley and a natural forest had encompassed it nearly on all sides. It was a nightmare searching for any sort of clue.
The police had already finished their initial search of the property. Yellow caution tape roped off the front of the living quarters. He snorted through his nose.
He'd explain himself later. For now he needed evidence.
Kagome had a few friends that she was close to at school, however outside of that she rarely came into contact with the public. Attacks on her had grown increasingly frequent so he'd spent more time training her at his estate than letting her patrol in town.
It was ridiculous really.
The kid was powerful. She had enough ability to hold her own as a side kick at his agency. Yet the amount of backlash she faced was incomprehensible. Her struggle had been a personal one and he hadn't wanted to see her potential squandered. Eraser really had done her a disservice.
The man paused as he entered the house.
The silence was suffocating.
His fingers twitched.
Had it been like this when she was here? He could imagine it driving anyone to desperation.
Endeavor peered around.
"Two cups just like they said," He commented to himself. Which meant that she'd had a visitor. He was well aware of her naïve nature. The girl had been so poorly prepared for life by her grandfather that she'd invite the devil into her home if he merely asked for help. It was a terrifying prospect of her personality. He'd hoped that by pairing her with Shouto that she'd break away from some of those habits.
Clearly it hadn't worked.
He stopped.
Upon the floor, his eyes narrowed on a color that contrasted against the tile.
Blood?
Had the person been injured?
An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach.
There was no way the girl would leave an injured person to suffer. She probably brought them in, used her quirk to heal them and then offered them tea.
The blood had long since dried into a faint black color. His lip curled.
"This had to have been hours ago. Probably when she called that Midoriya kid." His brows furrowed at the notion.
He collected a sample before tucking it into his pocket. There was only one place for him to go at this point.
Endeavor made his way back down the stairs towards the city. The police station wasn't too far from here. Chances were they'd already have a lead on her disappearance.
He stepped through the threshold.
Only one thing left to do.
Kagome sank onto her knees. Chisaki had left some time ago yet her legs still felt so weak.
She pressed her palm to her mouth. It was still so swollen. She could practically still feel his lips on hers.
That was the second time he'd kissed her. Although it hardly felt like anything she imagined a kiss would. It was forceful, domineering and possessive. There wasn't anything she could remotely call affection in the act.
Her vision blurred.
How had she gotten here? How had trying to help someone land her in this position?
She bit into her bottom lip, fighting back the sob that threatened to spill out.
She was an idiot.
Bakugou and Midoriya had warned her over and over again about inviting strangers into her home. Now she only had herself to blame for this predicament.
Despite her call with Midoriya earlier, Kagome doubted that anyone would be able to piece together what'd happened. She'd only met Chisaki earlier that day but she hadn't told anyone about him. Not Bakugou, nor Midoriya, not even Aizawa.
As far as anyone knew she just got up and walked away without a trace.
Chisaki had ensured to not be seen by too many people. That was probably the real reason why he'd draped his arm over her earlier. It'd been to guide her movements and help hide her identity.
No one would think twice about a couple walking around town like that.
"Stupid!" She cursed herself.
She had to think! What could she do to get out of this mess? What could she do for Eri?
Kagome's heart gave a painful twist.
She hadn't realized it this morning but that child had been frozen stiff by Chisaki's presence. She'd stupidly thought that it was his mask, which had been startling to see, but there was likely more happening. Something he wasn't willing to divulge to her.
"If Eri's quirk is to rewind people to a time before quirks, why would he bring me here? What would quirk boosting serve for him?" She wracked her mind for the answer. It didn't make sense to her. If his goal was to erase quirks, what would he have to gain by using her?
Was it just to train Eri?
Her lips thinned at the thought.
She didn't want to help him. Not if it meant hurting that child. Yet she couldn't let the girl go untrained. She needed guidance.
Kagome glanced at the shogi board.
"Okay so he made a big deal about this game. It's all about strategy right?" Her mind went back to the words he spoke earlier.
Kill the king
The young woman scratched her chin.
"So I need to find out what strategy he's using. If I can do that then I can counter attack." She leaned over the board. Her eyes scanned the pieces left behind of their game.
Chisaki was absurdly smart. He'd started by drawing her into an attack. Then right when she thought she'd had the upper hand, he countered. He'd somehow lulled her into a false sense of security.
Her mind went back to their kiss.
"Was that what he was doing? Lowering my guard?" She moved the pieces back to their starting positions. "Okay, let's take this from the top."
She would figure him out. One way or another, she'd break apart his strategy. Piece by piece she would strip away every advantage he'd have over her. It'd be the only way she'd survive.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I can do this!"
His gaze searched the property thoroughly.
She wasn't here.
A deathly silence filled the shrine. The darkness within told of the girl's ominous absence.
His fists clenched at his side.
He was too late.
Someone had managed to take her before he reached her. He'd gotten worried after word of her kidnapping at the hands of the League of Villains spread. The idiotic bastards thought that they could take advantage of her. They would soon regret that mistake.
He opened his palm. A coil of miasma spread outward—unfurling and twisting among the wind.
He would find his daughter.
When he did, he'd kill the one responsible.
It was his duty, both as her father and as one of the most feared villains in the world. If he couldn't protect his own child from his enemies then he had no business holding the title 'Shinigami'.
His eyes narrowed.
He knew exactly where to start his search. There was one person who'd been placed in charge of her protection. One person who'd failed her miserably.
He flicked his fingers outward. The miasma rushed across the property in a fog of black.
He wouldn't accept excuses.
As her parent her already failed her enough. He would not accept the same failure in those who'd taken responsibility for her.
It was the least he could do.
**Nakabisha — An opening move in shogi where the Rook is placed in front of the King.
A/n: So this chapter ended up being a bit shorter than I wanted but in the end I didn't want there to be too much time between updates so this ended up being easier for me to handle. I do want to go more into Kagome's relationships and past in the next chapter so there's that!
Btw I was completely blown away by the response to this story. I hadn't expected for it to receive so much positive attention so thank you guys! You've all been amazing! Just know that even if I don't always get the chance to respond I read every single one. As always, you guys are the best!