𝑫𝒀𝑵𝑨𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑳𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈 - 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

KINZOKU ASAHI MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MONSTER, but Hide certainly was his wife. Mikazuki lowered her head, counting the gashes and multiple scars strewn across the taut skin of her abdomen. She'd defended herself that night – the same night she killed those thirty-seven sorcerers. But no matter how many people she was willing to slay, the number would never be as large as the number of victims Hide had taken herself.

She was as much of a killer as she was a sorceress. Both of them, truly. To Asahi, to be a sorcerer was to be a killer – to Asahi, they were one and the same, and that was a lesson he had made sure to share with both his wife and his daughter.

Hide's nose flared and, shotting up from the bed, the woman wielded her own Cursed Energy like a blanket around her, the sharp winds of winter enveloping her and cutting across the space in the room before heading towards Mikazuki. The sorceress rolled her eyes and without moving a single muscle, the golden glitter floating around her and Akari turned into an ocean of liquid gold, swallowing down Hide's tantrum in less than a second. The room became quiet and Hide pressed her lips into a thin line, her face reddened and hair pulled in all directions. She had lost before the battle even began, and the embarrassment of it was eating her up. Still, the woman didn't give up.

"You're calling me a killer?" she accosted, a dark chuckle leaving her lips as she stepped towards her daughter "I am not the one who slaughte–"

Before she could continue her spiral of hatred, Hide was quickly interrupted as Nina scrambled to her feet, rushing over Mikazuki with a brand new premade dress slinging from one arm. The poor woman was desperate to end this whole affair, as was Akari's whose arm continued to shake as she placed the finishing details on the sorceress' hair. The two had clearly had enough to this nonsensical bickering and, for once, Mikazuki decided to indulge them, quenching her anger and calling back the ripples of her Eternity.

"Look at this beauty I found in the back!" Nina spoke quickly, words meshing together with her anxiety even as she hoped to cool down the situation and deescalate whatever was about to happen between the two.

The modiste let out a sigh of relief as she put up the dark fabric against Mikazuki's skin, holding it up to match the tones. Mikazuki held her breath, watching as the dark colour wrapped around her skin perfectly, the golden details stitched to the fabric matching swirling against the blackness.

"It matches her tone perfectly. Even makes the gold in her eyes stand out, don't you think?" she turned to Akari, desperately looking for some support.

Akari was quick to nod, she too wanting to avoid an altercation. In her defence, the dress was pretty enough to act a distraction, something the redhead was incredibly thankful for. Any gown capable of stifling an argument between Kinzoku women was a good dress in her eyes.

"Yes, it's a very beautiful and distinguished gown" Akari said in a respectful manner as she added the standard black jewels to Mikazuki's hair before she turned towards Hide "I'm sure this will fit her nicely, the dress is a pure display of the might of the Kinzoku"

At this point, the poor girl was desperate. Hide pursed her lips and, for a moment, she considered the gown with slit eyes, a swift reprimand already building in the back of her mind. However, after thinking about it for a while and taking a good look at the piece, the woman calmed down, nodding and extending her hand to touch the fabric. It wasn't soft nor velvety like the others, but the tulle extended well over the black background and the gold swirling designs fit the clan colour scheme perfectly.

Akari was right after all, the dress was a beauty and befitting of the Kinzoku family name. Hide let go of the gown, and although annoyance was clearly written all over her face, she nodded once again, a self-satisfied smirk playing on her lips.

"I guess it's not an unsightly gown" she said, clearly playing it down "I'll allow it, but make it worth it. I'll be expecting a grand entrance, something that will catch everyone's attention" Hide added as she walked away before leaning into Mikazuki's space "Guests will be arriving in less than twenty minutes and I have responsibilities to tend to, if you'll excuse me"

And just like that, the whirlwind that was Kinzoku Hide disappeared down the hall and out of view. As soon as the woman was out of earshot and outside of the Kogane Manor, Mikazuki and the other two women let out a sigh of relief. The three shared a look, but the sorceress was quick and composed herself. She didn't have time to gloat or take a breath, not when the party was about to start and she was the starring guest. She truly hated these stupid over the top events, but thankfully, she was well-trained by now.

This was just another mission – one where hell weren't the curses, but other people. She could get through it, all she had to go was focus on the long-term goal. One dance, one ball – and then she'd burn this whole world to the ground.

"She's very..." Nina paused, trying to find the right word "intense"

Mikazuki shook her head.

"My mother may appear hot-blooded, but her temperament is tame when compared to what I can do"

Or what Asahi can do. She didn't say, opting to keep that one to herself.

"The only reason why she's been allowed to stand for so long despite the elder's concerns is because of her relationship with my father"

Hide loved Asahi and, surprisingly for everyone who had ever met the man and knew he was not capable of such an emotion – he loved her back. Maybe Mikazuki could use that to her advantage. Maybe that was her way in, her skeleton key to all of Asahi's secrets.

Akari nodded and looked towards the door where Hide had just stepped through, her red eyes glassed over while her body still shook from the encounter. The redhead didn't scare easily, but Kinzoku Hide was something else entirely.

"The two seem to be close despite their differences"

Mikazuki shrugged.

"Like calls to like" she said slowly, her eyes darkening "And monster calls to monster"

"Right" Nina interrupted again, not liking where the conversation was heading.

The Kinzoku paid her well, very well – but apparently not well enough to eat up all of their family drama. They could hire a therapist for that shit. Although, considering the traditional style of the family, they probably didn't believe in those to begin with.

"Let's get you into this dress before the party begins. You are, after all, the guest of honour"