Blossoms of the Dark Continued

CCV Selene: Collateral

Trigger Warning:

- sexual assault

- blackmail with video

- blood

- crude language

Announcement: There is an Attack on Titan reference in this chapter. It's not fun. -_-

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Emotions are fleeting.

Especially the happy ones.

After the wave of ecstasy had worn off, Shouto and I were occupied with fear and stress.

What would happen now that I refused to go to the Hanada manor?

How would Miyamoto attack me next?

How would Hanada-sama retaliate?

These negative emotions persisted for undesirably much longer.

Saturday passed. Sunday did, too. Not one word from the mansion came. One might believe that it was a good sign. No news is good news, or something like that. Not me. No news is the equivalent of uncertainty. It is unknown. It did not help that my intuition plucked at my heartstrings like a harp, warning me that it was the calm before the storm.

March was coming to an end soon, and April was going to arrive with a flurry of activity.

On one hand, Shigaraki's awakening. It is only a matter of time before he arises and provokes the hero world to another war. The deadliest yet because while the heroes preoccupied themselves anticipating the next attack, us villains bided our time in the dark. Training. Killing. Strengthening. In less than a week, Daruma-san began mass production of the drug bullets with my blood, and Yotsubashi-san compiled a massive collection of data from my battles with the automatons. I had been concerned with two valid ideas: the first, that if the quirk enhancers and suppressors fell into the hands of the Pro-Heroes, they could test the components and identify that I was the donor; the second, the destruction I ravaged in the forest would not go unnoticed by the same people. But both men were quick to assuage my fears. Daruma-san had mixed in various quantities of blood of his patients covertly, and Yotsubashi-san sent his environment ability users to restore the former state of the jungle every dawn. Their statements, however, brought about another set of worries. One about STIs and the other about my identity being revealed. Fortunately, they implemented measures to take care of that, too.

Meaning, my focus should be on transferring One for All to Shigaraki. The best time to do it is immediately after he adjusts to walking on two legs. After that, he will resume his duty as Grand Commander of the Paranormal Liberation Army. I can envision what his purpose for me will be. The same as always. The ace up his card. I have always been the factor that almost or definitely guaranteed victory. This is not something I am ashamed of. Ambushes and surprises have always been my speciality. I like it when I am the variable that no one expects. When chance defers to me, and not I to it.

But chance is its own master.

On the other hand, the imminent trial. The papers were handed to the court. And I failed to assassinate Hanada-sama before then. Sooner or later, he will receive a notice from the court, summoning him for judgment. There is nothing I can do to rectify my mistake. Though I may be heir, my official debut into the corporate world is still pending. Had Hanada-sama died before then, my entry would have been marked with sorrow and condolences. The poor man never recovered from the grief of losing his sons, is what people would say. Then the court trial would have happened. Sympathy for my tormentor would have warped into fury. Then I would have my own army of supporters.