Doll (BakuDeku)

Chapter 2

Mana transfer requires a... hard and difficult process. For one to become more powerful, mana transfer was the best way to do so. More mana, more power, more opportunities. Everyone was born with mana, weak or strong. Omegas tended to have less, and alphas more, betas having just enough to use it in their daily lives. 

However, the process of transfer is difficult and hard. So, the ancestors found a greater way to transfer mana. 

Through breeding. 

A child was nothing but a ball of mana, feeding off of the mother, and partly, the father. Once that mana was created, the mana could then be taken by whoever wanted to gain its potent magic. 

In earlier times, this was common, omegas being the key player in mana transferers--or rather, holders, yet alphas would abuse this to become more powerful. However, later rules restricted this--but that didn't mean it wasn't still a common practice. 

"Stupid old man," Katsuki muttered under his breath, sighing. When he had said that all it required was a little bit of mana, he had expected it to be a swish--a bit of commands, but anything but this. 

He turned to his new slave. He shuddered, not liking the way he addressed him as that. "I had a home for you planned near the castle, and it's a perfect area to get your own food and stuff. An average plot of land."

The alpha walked towards the small, cottage-looking house that he had bought with pride, thinking that this plan would have worked with little effort. He opened the door, motioning for the omega to enter. 

"You can get a job at the castle until you..." Katsuki trailed off, and when the thought occurred to him, he banged his head against the wall of the house. Startled, the omega stepped back outside. 

"Slaves can't own property," he muttered, angry at himself. "Or hold an occupation." He ground his teeth together, releasing his anger on the poor wall by slamming his fist against it. 

He groaned. Why hadn't Kuro made this easy? A freedman could hold property and an occupation. All the things that he had planned was no gone to waste because of a stupid thing with the shackles. 

However, he snapped out of his fit of rage when he saw that the omega was no longer in the house. He cursed, immediately running out of the house and onto the dirt street when he saw the flash of curly green hair still standing patiently right by the door. 

"Why would you walk out like that?" the blonde asked, then he screwed his question over. "No, wait. Why wouldn't you just run?"

The omega gently smiled at him through the translucent mask. "Where would I go?"

The question made him pause. "Anywhere," was his reply. "Anywhere but here."

His gentle smile turned slightly bitter as he held up his chained wrists. "I cannot."

Katsuki swore that he was losing whatever braincells were left of himself. What was happening? Was this what happens when you become a slave-owner? You become disoriented and forget common knowledge. No, Katsuki didn't think so. It was something about the omega in front of him that made him lose his mind. If there was a scent, he could've blamed it on that, but there was none. 

Izuku smiled at the man once again before his smile dropped. "And I am aware that slaves cannot hold property nor jobs. I believe you had reached that conclusion when you were releasing those pheromones of yours."

"Did they affect you?" Katsuki blurted out the question. Truly, what was happening to him?

The question seemed to shock the greenette visibly. "I..." he trailed off. "I believe they did, yes..." He seemed to confused, so shocked, but the prince couldn't understand as to why that was the case. 

"I don't even know what a slave is supposed to do. My mother and father never owned any," Katsuki said briskly. 

The green-haired man hummed. "Slaves do whatever you wish them to do. Clean, cook, anything. I have been trained well enough to do those things. I can also take care of children well, but I suppose my last owners didn't think so."

"Who were your last owners?" Katsuki asked, curious about the expression the man was making. It was bitter, but fearful. 

"They were cruel." Was the only answer he got. Katsuki heard a trumpet sound not too far from where he was, and he cursed. He forgot about the meeting. He looked at the omega. 

"Follow me." 

. o O o . 

Katsuki ran towards the castle, and he was vaguely aware of his slave--er, he supposed, 'friend' would be a better term--running along side him. The blonde had forgotten that his mother warned him not to be late. 

As he reached the palace, he stood up straighter. His mother had told him that these were the last options. He needed to choose a bride. He sighed, but his posture never faltered. He walked into the palace, the gates open, but stopped when he heard the noise of a sword clashing with another. The alpha turned back, and he saw that the guards wouldn't let the slave in. 

He face-palmed before walking back towards the gates and ordering the guards to let him in. They looked hesitant, but let him in regardless--nobody would dishonor the prince's direct order--not even the royal guards. After that, Katsuki proceeded to rush into the palace's main chamber, where the guests were surely to be already. 

When he barged into the large, iron-set doors, he heard his mother sigh even from across the distance. 

"Well, at last, the prince decided to join us. Hello, Katsuki. Take a seat, but..." She trailed off. "Katsuki, who is that behind you?" Her eyes narrowed before a look of outrage overtook her features. 

"Is that a slave, Katsuki Bakugou?" she shouted, but she seemed to realize the situation rather suddenly. The main room was full of guests, after all. She placed a tight-lipped smile on her delicate face and said, "My greatest apologies to you all. Forgive my outburst. You may all join us for dinner tonight, where each of you will present a performance for my son to choose the perfect bride."

The guests all bowed, walking towards the door, and giving curious glances towards the peculiar crown prince and the man that trailed behind him. The door shut, and the queen's smile slipped immediately from her face.

"Katsuki Bakugou, who is that? And tell me, is that a slave?" she asked, and the disapproval in her tone was clear. 

Katsuki, nonetheless, stood up straighter. "Yes, mother. My original intent was to free him, but it... didn't really work out."

She raised her eyebrows at that. "How so?" She knew that her son wouldn't have bought a slave for a fling, but she calmed herself nonetheless. It was relieving to know--and aggravating--that her son still had some childish sense of godship. 

"The old man that sold him to me... He put a restriction on the mana transfer, which can only be done with the process of..." Katsuki trailed off, but he cleared his throat and stood firm. "Breeding."

Mitsuki just sighed. "Of course it is." She looked at her son with a dangerous flash in her eyes. "So, what are you to do with him?"

"Well, I don't wish for him to be bred, so I need some time to think about other ways to free him," Katsuki answered, but he knew that his reasoning was weak. Almost nothing was as strong as a transfer of mana like that. 

His mother hummed thoughtfully. "Well, then. I suppose you will find something out. Until then, Katsuki, make sure to entertain our guests."