𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄 [JJK x OC]

13: Blessed With Everything...

______________

3rd person:

The sun began to dip beneath the horizon, the vibrant blue of the sky giving way to a fiery orange. Not long had passed since the two assassins sent after Riko had been eliminated. But there was no time for celebration, not with Kuroi kidnapped and her location unknown. All save Ayako, who trained her eyes on the burning sky with a whimsical smile, chuckling to herself, practically in a whole other world than the rest of the group, who each were silent, crushed by the severity of their failure. Riko trembled at the sight of her, with rage for her inexplicable joy, fear for the sake of Kuroi, and anger of incapability to do anything about it. Those tempestuous feelings boil forth, exploding as the girl growled, "Is something about this funny!?"

Languidly, Ayako turned her gaze to Riko, this girl who had begrudgingly become her mission. The sorcerer's eyes gleamed with their celestial hue, looking down on the Vessel as though she were little more than a passing amusement. "Hmm, that expression of yours is even more amusing to see in real-time." She cooed.

Before the spat escalated further, Satoru separated the two girls. Ayako, still with that smug smile, leaned against the wall of the alley the four had hidden themselves in. Without a care, she returned to petting Amaterasu; the shikigami stood alert, splitting itself, allowing eight of its nine tails to work in tandem with Suguru's curses, ensuring that no other assassins could interfere.

A brief moment of calm settled over the four as Riko retreated to the back of the alley, hanging her head as she desperately tried to stay calm. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Kuroi should have never come to harm; it was only meant to be her whose life was at stake. These last days should have been spent alongside her classmates, with Kuroi, not on the run with assassins at her throat, and her only companion, the woman who all but raised her; who knows if she'll ever see her again?

"I'm sorry, this situation is my fault," Suguru mumbled, his clenched fists trembling with rage at this situation, at himself. He was the last one with Kuori; he should have never allowed this to happen. The sorcerer dipped his head, shutting his eyes as if he expected to be reprimanded for his failing. It was a bad habit of his, this guilt; he would always blame himself and his faults before anyone else. His friends knew that well.

"Come now, it was hardly your fault," Ayako interjected, her voice more tender than Riko had expected. It seemed almost foreign, that warmth Ayako had proven far colder than how she now spoke. "I directed that maid to a safe spot in the school; even then, I couldn't foresee this turn of events. We underestimated her value as a bargaining chip, but moping about won't change a thing. There was a misstep, and we'll rectify it. So lift your head; the strong don't need regrets."

Suguru hummed to himself, a small, contented smile falling over his crestfallen face. "You're terrible at speeches; none of that improves things, " he mumbled. How are we going to proceed from here?"

"Let's see," Satoru stroked his chin, trying his best to work out the thoughts of an enemy he didn't even know. "Their next move will probably be to arrange an exchange. Either offering Kuori to us for Amnai or even threatening to kill Kuroi if we don't kill Amanai."

"They're just posturing with that image; they wouldn't harm Kuroi, not while we still have the brat. They lack any real leverage; it's the Star Plama Vessel vs a regular human. In the worst-case scenario, we could completely ignore them. We're the ones with the advantage here. Once they announce the location, we can handle it." Ayako added as Amanai listened in the background while the two heirs spoke of her as if she wasn't there.

Satoru nodded, coming to the same conclusion as Ayako. However, unlike her, the thought of abandoning Kuroi to her fate never truly entered his mind. They could save her effortlessly at that. The only issue remaining was Amnai herself. "I'll take Amanai back to Jujutsu High myself; you two stay put and wait for their message. Maybe we can get Shoko to pose as a body double for the exchange."