have patience | Kamisato Ayato x Reader

chapter 7 | a bull in a figurine shop

Had someone invaded the festival grounds?

Did something catch on fire?

Had the Shogun herself decided to reverse her own undoing of her decrees, and descended from the gates of Tenshukaku to slaughter the masses?

All those thoughts and so many other horrible scenarios flashed through your mind in vivid detail. As your eyes frantically searched the premises of your far-off surroundings, all your unrealistic fears were thankfully unfounded, much to your gratitude.

As a matter of fact, did anything even seem out of the ordinary at all?

After you turned your head to glance over at Ayato, however, you realized his focus was directly locked onto something off in the distance, his lips pursed in an unreadable expression. Out of your curiosity, your gaze followed his, and you stifled a gasp.

Of all the unrealistic scenarios that your mind played out for you, never once did you consider the possibility that you and the commissioner would be front-row seat guests to an argument between a horned man and... the highly renowned tengu warrior of the Tenryou Commission?

Before you could whisper any confused remarks to Ayato, he swiftly placed a finger a few inches away from your lips to silence you, as you both continued to watch the argument play out.

"Hey, little miss tengu! Do ya want this figurine that bad?" the strange man shouted, holding something which appeared to be a miniature version of the Shogun within his grasp.

The indigo-haired woman shot him a warning glance, but the man seemed to ignore it.

"Well! You're gonna just have to fight me for it!" he boasted as a cocky, yet terribly cheesy grin plastered upon his lips, and horror settled into your senses.

Was this man seriously challenging Kujou Sara, of all people?

You quickly looked over at Ayato, and he met your worried glance with one filled with amusement. Either the commissioner knew the man personally and knew him not to be a serious threat, or everyone involved in the situation excluding yourself and the poor unfortunate tengu-winged warrior had gone absolutely mad.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Sara asked. Her tone was tinged with annoyance, but you could tell she was trying her best to not let her frustration leak through her actions.

As you grew ever more concerned by the stranger's threats against Sara, your hand slowly reached for the hilt of your weapon—something you hesitated upon, especially considering you were significantly weaker without the assistance of your vision—until Ayato placed his hand over yours, preventing you from withdrawing it.

"Leave it be. This man's all bark and absolutely no bite."

Before you could ask Ayato how he knew this, or even why he hesitated to commit any logical action in the name of keeping the peace, the stranger who taunted the tengu spoke up once again.

"I'm serious! I mean, you, me, these festival grounds? It's the perfect setting to hold our rematch!"

The stranger, in his apparent excitement, completely forgot he was holding the statue in question in his hands, and as he flung wild hand gestures around, his grip on the figurine loosened.

Within the next moment, nothing could be heard except for the sound of delicate porcelain shattering against the pavement.

Sara alternated her sharpened gaze between the man and the figure that should've portrayed Her Excellency in all her glory, broken into a million shards of a variety of sizes upon the floor. The woman's expression gradually contorted into the most intimidating mix of horror, surprise, and frustration you'd ever seen.