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"Maaan I was so close!" Gojo clashes his fist together, infuriated about the fact that he lost to the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. He had Sukuna on the ropes, he even couldn't even use reverse curse technique, whereas Gojo replenished his, and was on the winning side. He only lost because he got caught off guard by Sukuna's new evolved dismantle due to Mahoraga's adaptation. He rambled and complained endlessly, but one thing was undeniable, and that was that, Gojo was satisfied. He finally died to someone stronger than him, and that someone actually taught him love, with strength that was more superior to his. Thus, he entrusted the rest to none other than his students, Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkotsu"It was nice seeing everyone... Suguru, Nanami, Haibara... but its about time I live as Gojo Satoru, and not 'The Strongest'"  Gojo's eye lids shut open widely, finding himself in the middle of nowhere. "Where... The heck am I?" Gojo utters in confusion as he looks around. The streets were quite lively. The sun was scorching. He started to walk, trying to familiarize himself with the surroundings. It wasn't until soon after that Gojo found out he was in the middle of Tokyo streets. He stared down at his hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. He tried imbuing cursed energy, but... there wasn't any. Not just him, but everyone surrounding him too. No one had cursed energy. Gojo concluded that this is a timeline where powerups like Cursed Energy doesn't exist amongst souls."Interesting..."  He mumbles to himself, realizing that in this world, he is no different than everyone else, and that he is just a regular human."Um~ excuse me~" A soft and delicate voice, mixture of shyness and urge, interrupted Gojo's thought process. This stirred Gojo up as lifts his head back up and directs his attention to the voice that just called out to him. There he saw 2 attractive teenage girls standing right in front of him with their cheeks red. "C-can I please~... have your number~?" One of the girls sticks out a small note paper and a pen for Gojo to write on, whilst looking at the side, her shyness visible due to not staring at him straightforwardly. "O-o~ Uh, Sure~?" Gojo reached the notepaper and the pen the girl offered. Even at his teens, Gojo was exceptionally attractive. The moment any young teenager schoolgirls lock eyes on Gojo, their heart starts to beat rapidly as his fanciable features attract them like a magnet. His spiky white hair and those shiny sky blue eyes, it could grab anyone's attention."I~ I haven't seen you around before, are you new?" The girl asked politely."Y~...Yeah..," Gojo responded instinctively. He wasn't just new... its as if he was born into this world."I see, My name is Mamako, and this is Hayate." The girl introduces herself and her friend right beside her."H-hey there~!" the other girl greeted."I'm Gojo, nice to meet ya.""Do you want us to give you a tour around here?" One of them offered."Nah its cool, I can figure things out myself, thanks.""O-ah, I see~ well if you do need any help, here's my number." She gives out her phone number in a small note."Alright, thanks, I'll catchya later" Gojo turned around and waved back at the two girls goodbye as he walked away in a direction he doesn't even know. "Phew, that was unexpected." He muttered to himself. He tucked his arms in his dark blue trouser pants and started to explore the world a bit more. At first he familiarized this street, walking past some shops and restaurants and some narrow alleyways. He got his wallet out, to see how much he had, to his luck, he was stacked. A smirk grazed his face as he doesn't have to worry about starving to death."Thank god... I actually thought I'd be coming into this new world broke and homeless... well technically... I am homeless at the moment, but it won't last for long!" He gripped his wallet, determined to adjust to this new world. "No monsters, no curses, no superpowers, everything is just... natural. This... is what I wanted..." Gojo mutters to himself as he looks at the blue sky above him, the slight breeze brushing him off, enlightening him to the new world he just entered. Back in his previous life, where curses pops up everywhere, Gojo held the most heaviest responsibility in the jujutsu world, not only was he the only person everyone was the most dependent on, but he carried more than 90% of the jujutsu society's overall power, resulting him to task to slaughter and fighting numerous special grade curses on a daily basis. But now, all that burden had disappeared from his shoulders and he can enjoy a normal life by being a normal person. Being the strongest was fun and all, but he also felt a sense of loneliness, since no one could understand him or compete with him. That sense of voidness in his heart has now been removed with a new light."Alright~ how bout we start things off by getting a little snack~"  Gojo says out loud, as he was about to enter into a dessert restaurant, before he heard of a cry from a little girl. That scream resonated through his ears as it seemed like someone was getting beaten.Gojo changed his mind and slightly walked away from the dessert shop to the alleyway where that cry had came from.There he saw a gang of boys, bullying and hurting a very cute and beautiful little girl. She had long violet hair, and there was a star that was planted in her eyes, a purple star. They all ranged the ages from 10 to 11, and for some unknown reason, the group boys decided to beat up this fragile girl. "Please stop! let me go!!" The girl screamed as she tried to free herself from one of the boys that was holding her tightly by pulling her arms back. "Hell no!" The boy behind her exclaimed with a merciless smirk "We're not letting you go until you give us some money.""Rrrh! I told you! I don't have any mo- GLAUGH!" the girl coughed spit out of her mouth as a fist was then sunk deeply into her delicate and fragile stomach. As she was restrained, another boy that was in front of her buried his fist deep into her soft flesh, causing a wave of guttering pain reverberating through her body, centering from her umbilical region. Her eyes and mouth were wide open as that punch in her abdomen stole the balance she had in her foot.She was about to collapse to her knee, but the boy who restrained him didn't let go, forcing her to be in a standing position."We know you have some money from your orphanage, now hurry up and hand it over! unless you want your guts to be crushed" the other taunts, forcing her to give them money, in which she didn't have.Tears swelled in the little girls eyes, the star in her eyes turning black. "Just... leave me alone~" She said in a voice that was about to break with tears, trying to express her innocence to the gang of boys, but their ruthlessness didn't accept her heartfelt plea at all.The boy pulled his fist back, about to unleash another gut wrenching punch into the her stomach. But as he launched his fist, in mid way... his fist was stopped... "Just what the hell do you brats think you're doing?" A deep voice emerged into the scene, another hand, catching the boy's fist right before it was about sink into the girls stomach once again.Gojo appeared before them, silencing the boys in a cold manner. He squeezed the boys fist, making him flinch and squeal in pain before backhanding him with his own knuckles right into his face, sending him flying into the concrete. The rest of the boys dropped their sacks the moment they all felt his presence. Gojo turned around and glared at the person who was holding the girl's arms from the back. Immediately he let her go, and the next thing he did, was hit the gaps before he also gets a backhand from him just like how one of their friends did just a moment ago. It wasn't just him, but every single one of them ran away as fast as they could, not daring to mess with him at all. The boy who got backhanded slowly sat back up straight, realizing that his chin and nose were bleeding. Tears burst from his face as he also ran away, calling for his mom."Hah... what a bunch of losers." Gojo sighs, irritated that he had to deal with something like this during his first arrival of this new timeline."Ahh~" The little girl grunts in pain as she was on her knees, clutching her stomach in agony, the pain still visibly present on her delicate flesh.Gojo turned around, one hand tucked in his pocket and stared down at the little girl who was on her knees in pain."Are you okay there?" Gojo asked as he bended in his knees down and lowered his level to the little girl's, "Shit, I can't use reverse curse technique, so it's not like I could heal her..." he monologues in his mind, recalling the consequences of not having any sort of jujutsu at all."Uhm~ y-yes~, I'm~ fine~~" Ai mumbled back, the pain still visibly soaring on her stomach, something Gojo could pretty much already observe and understand pretty clearly."Where's your parents?" Gojo asked the little girl."...my mom got arrested for theft and she didn't come to pick me up when she was released, and... I don't know where my dad is..." The girl's answers were laced with sorrow and loneliness."Sheesh! that's tough, where do you live then?" "Mm..." The girl stares down at the ground, kind of hesitant to answer, but she does it anyway,  "I used to live in an orphanage, but now I fled to Tokyo. I don't have a real home...""I see..." Gojo utters, his typical expression still there in his face."But, thank you very much for saving me~" The little girl expressed her genuine gratitude towards Gojo."No Problem! What's your name?" "Ai. Ai Hoshino.""Ai huh, I'm Gojo." Gojo exchanges names with the little girl, before standing up and attempting to minding his own business again. As sad as the little girls story was, its not Gojo would be of any help for her, since he himself is also new to this world, and to help others, you'd need to suit yourself first. Gojo isn't a very remorseful or caring individual, he also has a cold side of him too.Just as Gojo got up, and was about to say his farewells to Ai after their little exchange of greet and meet, a certain noise, a growl that interrupted their interaction. That growl came from none other than Ai's stomach."~Grgrgrg~" Both Ai and Gojo switched their attention to that noise of the growl, as both their gaze fell on her stomach which was pressed and clutched by one hand.This easily gave away to Gojo and Ai that she must be starving. It was then Gojo changed his mind slightly, and didn't mind offering her something to eat to refill her belly."Hey, wanna grab a bite of something?" Gojo leaned down, a caring smile on his face, pointing his thumb behind him towards the dessert restaurant."U- uhm~ okay~" Ai was slightly hesitant, but her hunger controlled her decision."Here." Gojo reached out a hand to her.Ai who was still on her knees with a hand wrapped around her stomach, widened her eyes as she saw his hand reaching for her. For the first time in her abusive background life, someone is showing kindness to her, as she looked up and saw Gojo's shining face, his wide smile and those magnetically attractive sky blue eyes which could hook anyone's soul in. She accepted and reached Gojo's strong and rough hand with her tiny and delicate hand. Gojo gripped her soft hands and helped her stand up, before slamming his hand on her head to give her a head pat with a playful force as he chuckles. Ai simply blushes as this was still a first for someone to act this kind to her.  "So... tell me more about yourself." Gojo asked as they both sat down on a table, his legs spread across another chair with his right arms leaning on the chair Ai was sitting on, waiting for their orders."There isn't really much to tell, just that my mum used to abuse me a lot." Ai replied in a quite saddened tone.Gojo glanced at Ai before looking up and asking "What was the reason for all that abusing?""I'm not sure." Ai replied."Y'know... for someone at your age, you do look quite cute, so I'm assuming your mum abused you because of jealousy.""Huh?" Taking Ai a bit back from that information as she lifts her head up straight, before directing it towards Gojo's "What do you mean by jealousy?" She sought for clarification.Gojo in return just smiled. "You'll figure it out sooner or later..." He responds vaguely.Their orders arrived at their table.It's been a long time since Ai actually ate something this rich and deluxe. Her eyes sparkled, fixated on that double layered creamy strawberry slice of cake."Go hard," Gojo said, observing how eager Ai was to gobble that creamy cake inside her mouth, knowing that she was basically homeless and was starving a moment ago, its natural, especially for someone as little as her."Thank you very much!!" Ai thanked Gojo for this blissful dessert "....Uhm..." But she was struggling to remember his name "Jogo sensei!" "AHK!" Gojo snapped hearing Ai misplacing the 'G' and 'J' in "Gojo""D-did she just call me JOGO?!" Gojo was pretty mad for a few seconds, getting mistaken to being called the disaster curse, 'Jogo' who he completely stomped and destroyed back in his previous life.  "Oh? did I get your name wrong?" Ai asked, judging from Gojo's funny pissed off face "Sorry, I'm really bad at remembering names~, please excuse me if I said your name incorrectly.""Huh..." Gojo sighs "Fair enough~, the name's Gojo."  Gojo relaxes back down on his chair as he grabs one of the milk shakes and takes a few sips. "Gojo sensei~" Ai called out to him whilst munching on that deluxe strawberry cake. Gojo didn't really care about eating manners so he didn't mind it, especially not at her. All he felt towards her were innocence and purity."Hm?" Gojo shifts his attention to her."You are really strong," she remarks."Oh really? Thanks." Gojo replied without caring much about her compliments as he turns his gaze away from her."Do you think I can become strong like you?" This question sort of hooked Gojo's attention."Why do you want to become strong?" Gojo asked back."So that I could defend myself." She responds."You don't have any enemies here." "But even then..." Just as Ai was about to say something, a grown man joined them on their table."Hey there~, Sorry to interrupt your conversation." He said as he sat on the chair opposite to them."What brings you here?" Gojo said with a not so polite manner, but the man seemingly didn't care about it."You see, I was watching you two from afar and I couldn't help but offer this proposal.""Proposal? what kind?" Gojo pushed him to elaborate"My name is Ichigo Saitou, and I've come to offer the two of you to work under my agency." The man spoke."What kind of agency?" Gojo inquired"My agency is forming a unit with middle school models and we nurture them to become a famous and brilliant idol as they grow up, and I believe you have what it takes to be the center." Ichigo shifted his gaze to Ai, the person who caught Ichigo's attention the most. "M~me?" Ai said in a confused tone. The thought of becoming an idol never crossed her mind at all."Yes you!" Ichigo's voice was filled with determination and conviction. He could see and spot the boiling potential inside her.Ai took her smoothie bottle and sipped on it as she thought about this proposal."I don't think I can become an idol..." She said, clearly hesitant in accepting his deal."Why not?""You see, I grew up in an orphanage. I never had a proper family. My mother was arrested for theft when I was little, and I was sent to the orphanage. But even after she was released, she never came back for me. I've never known love or been loved. Someone like me could never be an idol, and I doubt I could love my fans. And they certainly wouldn't love me."Ichigo listened, attentively, ready to provide a different perspective"There's nothing wrong with your background. In fact, it gives you a sense of individuality." Ichigo reasoned."He's right, not everyone can love someone just like that. Every person has their own unique way of giving love." Gojo added, as Ai turned to stare at Gojo. "I think this proposal is something that is meant for you. Its one in a life times chance. This is your only opportunity to shine."Ai, still uncertain, expressed her concerns about the expectations placed on idols."But idols always say things like "I love you all." and stuff. If I said that, it would be a lie." Ai persisted."There's nothing wrong with lying." Ichigo interrupted "Fans always want pretty lies. Lying itself is a talent. So go ahead and lie a storm!""Is... is that really okay? Even if it's a lie, can I say "I love you"?" Ai started to consider the possibility now, in which Ichigo continued to encourage her"I believe deep down you want to love people. You simply haven't found the right object of your love yet. Singing and dancing while looking cute, that's already an expression of love toward your fans. When you become an idol, phrases like "I love you" will be present in your lyrics. And as you continue to say those words, someday, that lie might transform into the truth.""U-" Ai was stunned to hear that from him. "You mean... that if I continue being an idol, I would be able to show genuine love to my fans?" "Yup." Ichigo nods "And to add on, I can even be your legal guardian, and provide you everything you need for a living." He added for further convincing.Ai was at the tip of accepting this request, but before that, she turned around to Gojo, the kind person who saved her and offered her this delightful snack "How about you, Gojo sensei?""Hm?" Breaking Gojo's daydream, his pupils shifts down towards Ai "Don't worry about me." He smiles as he gives her another head pat. "You said you wanted become strong right?" Gojo reassures."Mhm." Ai nods"Then this is your one and only opportunity." Gojo exclaims."How would becoming an idol make me strong?" Ai questioned.Gojo's smirk enlarged, a slight chuckle escaping him through the build up of her curiosity "Becoming strong doesn't always have to mean physicals. I can mean many things, and I believe you go down this path to become an idol, you have the potential to become the strongest."Those words reverberated through Ai's ears. She wanted to know what Gojo meant when he said 'to become the strongest'. He left it vague for her to figure it out herself. "I'd also wanted to request you for being a supportive member for our agency." Ichigo this time shifts his attention towards Gojo. "You're a pretty handsome looking individual and I believe you also might be a good source of attracting people to for advertisement." Ichigo proposes to Gojo.With a swift smile Gojo declines the offer politely."Thank you for the offer, but I have lots of things to focus with. You see, I'm very new to the town, and I'd first like to settle here and feel the vibe y'know?" "I see..." "Maybe some day in the future, if the proposal is still up, I might consider it, but at the moment, just make sure you look after her properly alright?" Gojo puts a hand on Ai's shoulders, requesting him to take good care of her."Of course." Ichigo exclaims.  "...And that... happened almost 9 years ago!" Ai told her 2 kids, Aqua and Ruby as they were right beside their mother in bed."So Mama, did you ever see this Gojo guy ever again?" Ruby asked Ai, her curiosity palpable as she got up from her place and then rested her head on her mother's stomach."Sadly, I haven't." She answered with a tinge of longingness, reaching her hand to Ruby's forehead and gently brushing it. "But I wish I could see him again though." She adds."Anyways! Tomorrow is our dome concert! we better some good sleep otherwise I won't be able to perform my best and you guys won't be able to cheer mama with your best effort either~" Ai playfully said as she then grabbed Aqua with her arms and pulled closer to her, colliding his head with her chest."Mmuah!" She gives Aqua a sensational kiss to his forehead, making his cheeks flush bright red. "Mama me too!" Ruby sits back up from her Ai's belly and approaches to her arms too."Of course!" Ai opens her arms for Ruby to join inside the cuddle, and gives her a motherly smooch on her forehead too."Goodnight my little angels~"With that, their little souls succumbed to the slumber that awaited them in the warmth of their beloved mother. Their minds anticipate no such violence or gruesomeness, they have no idea what could potentially occur tomorrow morning. A murder... or perhaps, a reunion...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The boy runs to his mum after getting backhanded by Gojo’s fist. Tears and nostrils drooling out as he cried loudly, almost tripping over from the rocks due to how imbalanced his pace was.

“MAAM!!” He shouts out as his mum was talking to an elder, his crying tone still heavy “I got hurt! I got hurt!”

His mother turns around, irritated by the cry of his annoying son. She glared at him with annoyance

“What is it now, you stupid little son~” She said bothersomely.

“Mom~!!” He yells, as he sniffs his snots and wipes his tears “Some girl took my money that I earned for my basketball tournament, it's not fair!!” The boy says as he puts forth the lies to deceive his mother.

“You think I’d believe in such foolish little stories? Hakensu?” The mother growled.

“But mum, it's real!!” The boy played innocent.

She simply sighed and didn’t really care about his son's plea

“Whatever, it's almost home time, we need to go now, that little prize money you lost isn’t gonna give you that much at all.” She said as she attempted to make her way home by grabbing her son’s fat wrist.

“NO MUM!!! I wanna get that money back!!” Hakensu yells while getting dragged by his mom.

He was a big bully in school and among the boys his age, he was quite strong. In his middle school, he is one of the most feared students, and they usually avoid interacting with him. The only person who has control over him is his mother, besides that, there is no one who he obeys. He is ruthless and doesn’t show any mercy to his victims, be it a boy or a girl, as shown how he was just about to crush Ai’s stomach by pounding his fist over and over. Luckily Gojo came and intervened, otherwise, she would’ve really gotten hurt badly.

There’s been cases where he broke other students' arms and legs just for fun, and somehow in some way, he always got away with it, as he commands one of his friends to take the blame. He is ruthless, both physically and verbally, and barely has remorse for anyone. One of the reasons why ended up like this was because of his abusive upbringing. His father used to beat him up every single day, until he got jailed. His uncles were gangsters and his environment was filled with violence, which is why he acts the way he is today. The only person that used to protect him and shield him from those violence was none other than his mother.
  
“Ahh~” Gojo yawns as he walks out of the dessert restaurant a bit after Ichigo took Ai away to recruit her for his agency. His hands tucked in his pocket, proceeding on his leisurely pace. A portion of his mind was contemplating on what he just did. Helping that small little girl from a gang of bullies before she was about to get clobbered and offering her a free meal to lift up her hunger. It was a small act of kindness that he done, and he was proud of it. It was perhaps these small deeds in which one treasures for the rest of their lives, and someday, it could have a major impact later on.

“Ai Hoshino huh… what a delightful name…Maybe someday I'll see her again…” Gojo mutters to himself. A faint smirk forms on his lips as he continues to explore the city, wondering if he'll get to see her ever again, considering she is now going to be under good care.

As he was passing through the dwarfing buildings in Tokyo city, there were advertisements after advertisements, it was never ending. The huge screens in the city center were busy advertising features such as foods, shampoo’s, blender’s, medicines, houses and many more, all which brushed Gojo's mind as he blankly stared at the big screens.

However there was one slide on the screen which grabbed Gojo's attention like a magnet.

“W-wait, HUH?!” His eyes widen as he yells out of shock and disbelief from what he was seeing up there on the huge TV screen on a towering building. “This… can't be… REAL!”

What he saw there was a sports car selling advertisements where most popular models and idols get their expensive cars from. The screen was filled with deluxe motors, and right beside them showed a few individuals who participated in selling these dream vehicles with their names and phone numbers being written right below.

One of the names that was written in big bold letters on the screen was ‘SUGURU GETO’ and right above that name tag was none other than the display of Gojo's best friend, his best duo which was renowned as the “strongest duo” back in their teenages on the jujutsu world.

At first, Gojo was stunned to find out this fact. Within that first glance he memorized that phone number shown on the screen right under Getos name tag, and the next thing he did immediately was pull out his phone from his pocket and type that number in.

In the current day Gojo was living, button phones were the most popular and used among people.

He continues walking as he rang what he hopes to be his best friend, praying that this reality could be true, and their reunion and bond could once again be formed.

After about 10 seconds of ringing, the phone answered.

“Good morning, this is Suguru Geto speaking from the Drift Dash company. How can I help?”

Yup it was him. The moment Gojo heard that voice, there was no mistaking who this was. Gojo would be the last person to ever mistake the voice of his best friend with someone else’s.

“YOOO! SUGURU!! Its me, SATORU!” He screamed on the phone, his excitement and enthusiasm palpable and evident from the shift of his tone, urging to chat and meet his best friend.

This news also stunned Geto too once Gojo revealed it was him who was speaking.

“U- S-Satoru~ is this really you?!” Geto asked, his tone laced with disbelief at first.

“Yes! Can’t you recognize my voice?”

“Of course I can! But.. how did you…”

Gojo interrupts him mid sentence, suggesting a place to meet.

“We’ll save the talk later, let's meet up!”

“Sure thing! I’ll give you the address of my workplace.”

“You bet!”
  
It wasn’t long until Gojo arrived at the address that Geto told him to come to. It was a workshop filled with the latest sports cars.

Gojo hastily entered the workshop, and there stood Geto close by the gate.

“Yoo! Suguru!” Gojo waved as he jogged towards his best friend, finally seeing him with his own eyes for real this time. He thought he lost his best friend back during the night parade, but now they reunite.

“Satoru!” Geto waved back, extending his hand and clapping it with Gojo’s.

“Holy shit, this is really you!” Gojo exclaimed, his eyes widened, glistening with relief and thrill that he finally got to reunite with his old friend.

“I feel like my eyes are deceiving me, this is actually real!” Geto replies, mirroring Gojo's amusement.
 
“So! How's thi-” As Gojo was about to ask Geto something, he stopped him, putting a hand forward.

“Hold on, before we start our long talk, first let's hope on for a ride.” Geto remarks with a smirk filled with pride and passion, pointing his thumb behind him, directing it towards the new and latest Audi A6, which was the car of the year during the time.

“Ooh~? you think your flex is gonna overwhelm me?” Gojo taunts with a grin.

“Hey man, I'm just trying to be professional here.” Geto looks to the side with a shrug.

Suguru hit the accelerator at full throttle, zooming through the highway at top speed. The wind blasted at their faces as they zapped through the cars, swiftly changing lanes.

“So this is how you live life right now?” Gojo inquires as he sips on his smoothie as they were riding the Audi A6 on the harbor bridge as they viewed the picturesque scenery of the ocean.

“Pretty much, why? You jealous?” Geto teased, side eyeing Gojo with a smirk.

“Heh! Why would I be?” Gojo replied back with a chuckle, smiling back, unfazed by Geto’s rich wealth in this life.

“Anyhow, let me be the first one to put forth the question.” Geto said with a calm voice, embracing the wind as they drove forth.

“Mhm.” Gojo nods.

“How did you end up here?”

“Ahem,” Gojo cleans his throat and takes another sip of his smoothie before answering his question.

“I lost to Sukuna.”

Gojo said in a simple manner.

“You mean… the King of Curses?’ Geto sought to clarify.

“That's right.” Gojo reassures.

“I see…” another question arises from his mind due to curiosity. “Was it close?”

“I hope to think it was…” Gojo said, his voice composed with a little disappointed vibe.

“The rumors about his power must've been true then.”

“It sure was. He was damn strong!” Gojo acknowledges, “What's more is that, I don't think he used everything he had against me, so that’s kinda pissing me off.”

“...” Geto stayed silent, listening to Gojo's story as he was driving.

“I still had him in the ropes though, but if only I had some knowledge beforehand on his abilities… then maybe… the outcome would've been different. But at the moment, I'm not even sure I was able to satisfy him fully.”

“Damn… can't believe these words are coming out from none other than you.” Geto comments, finding it very unusual for someone like Gojo to be acknowledging someone's strength this much in contrast to his.

“But I’m happy with the way it ended.” Gojo said, catching Geto’s attention.

“Hm? Why is that?”

“I enjoyed it. It was the only fight I was able to give my all. Everything I learned, my techniques and my explosiveness, I was able to unleash it all against him. I’m glad old age or sickness didn’t end my life, but rather someone who was simply better and stronger than me. So I’m satisfied.” Gojo exclaimed, leaning his elbows on the edge of the window as he proudly described his honest feeling.

“But now that you’re gone…” Geto brought up a question that was concerning him “The jujutsu world has lost the majority of its power. You were the one that was carrying the Jujutsu high on your back. If someone as strong as Sukuna is rampaging free right now… then what would happen to the rest…?”

Geto was curious what would happen to the jujutsu world now that he is gone, and the rest have to face off against the King of Curses.

Gojo's smirk simply enlarged by this.

“Well… they'd have to fight him of course, what else?” He replied, his smirk still intact

“But aren't you worried that they would all get massacred if someone like you lost to him?”

“Worried? Hah!” Goio chuckles, “I didn't leave behind weak pupils. They are astonishingly powerful right now.”

“Is that so…”

“Remember Okkotsu?”

“Yuta Okkotsu? How could I ever forget about him…” Geto still remembers Yuta Okkotsu, the person who defeated him back during the 1000 curse parade, the individual who wields the Queen of Curses, Rika.

“Ever since that fight you had with him, he has grown tremendously strong.” Gojo remarks. “Not just him, but Maki Zenin and Kinji Hakari too,” Gojo adds.

“Maki huh…” Geto says in a low voice, remembering that name and how he bullied her that day when he invaded the jujutsu school. The last time he saw her, she was a weakling compared to the special grades.

“Yup, those 3 have grown into monsters, so much so that I can entrust my leftovers to them.” Gojo compliments

“I see…”

“So Suguru, how long have you been living in this world?” Gojo asked, changing the topic and taking another sip of his fresh cold smoothie as they continued to speed through the highway in the Audi.

“A bit more than a year. Ever since I died, I have been reincarnated here.” Geto affirms.

“Ah, so that's the case huh… have you seen anyone else from the jujutsu world that got reincarnated here?” Gojo inquires, visible curiosity lingering inside of him to meet his other fellow friends.

“Yeah, there's a few”

“Really?! Like who?!”

Gojo demands a response, urging to know who these individuals are.

“Nanami and Yuki senpai.”

“Nanami is HERE?!”

Gojo leaps up from his seat with shock.

“Mhm, I saw him yesterday at the Official Japan Accountant head office.” Geto confirms.

“Sheesh…!” Gojo whispers out, “So y'all are just achieving dreams just like that?” He questioned, quite fascinated by the fact that both Geto and Nanami do jobs that everyone craves for.

“Well… kind off.” Geto glances back at Gojo with a grin.

“What about Yuki?” Gojo asks.

“She is a nurse working for a hospital in the countryside.”

“Maann!! Now this makes ME want to do something significant too!” Gojo declares firmly, a fist clench, expressing his will to do something rich too.

“Oh yeah, I forgot… I also saw
him…
” Geto adds with a tone laced with dread, his eyes becoming gloomy.

“Him?” Gojo soughts for more clarification.

“Y’know… the infamous “Sorcerer Killer”” Geto gives a hint.

“O…” Gojo realizes immediately who Geto was talking about, as his face also gradually turned gloomy and aggravated. “Really…”

“As awful as it may be, he really did end up being here as well.” Geto reaffirms.

“Shoot, now that's not the bright news I was expecting” Gojo comments, slightly bothered by knowing his existence in this world.

Toji Fushiguro, the man who was famed as the sorcerer killer back in the jujutsu world and known for his inhuman extraordinary physical prowess without any cursed energy. He was the man that attempted to assassinate Gojo and kidnap the star plasma vessel. He was the first person that pushed Gojo to the verge of death and nearly killed him.

“So what does he do? Assassinate people?” Gojo inquires.

“To be honest, I'm not even sure what that freak does to myself, I only had a glance of him, and from what I saw, he was lying down and sleeping on the streets with a bag. He's probably homeless.”

“Makes sense.”

They continued to drive on the harbor bridge whilst staring at the magnificent view of the ocean right by their side. It was a dream world that anyone would wish to be reincarnated.

“Suguru…” Gojo calls out Geto's name.

“Yeah?” Geto shifts his gaze to Gojo.

“This is what you wanted right?”

“What do you mean?” Geto raises a brow, confused by what Gojo meant.

“A world without cursed energy…”

They didn't talk for about 5 seconds after Gojo mentioned that.

“Hm,” Geto chuckles. “Yeah, I guess you are right… this IS what I wanted and dreamt for, all along.” he admits as they were about to pass off the harbor bridge and enter the city road.

After driving for a couple of minutes, Geto decides to inquire what Gojo will be doing from now on, now that there aren't any curses around so there are no jujutsu sorcerers here.

“Satoru,”

“Hm?”

“Since you are now born into this world, have you thought of something you wanna do? Like a hobby or something?”

“Eh… nah not really, nothing came to mind yet.” Gojo folds his arm, sitting back and leaning on the front seat. Having 0 clues what he should do. “You got any ideas?”

“You can apply for MMA.”

“MMA?! Why is that?”

“When you came here, you found out that you had no cursed energy, but you still retained your fighting skills right? Becoming a champion won't be too hard.” Geto advises.

“Suguru… I've fought my whole life… now that I entered a new beginning, I'd rather choose to resort to something which doesn't include any violence and aggressiveness.”

Gojo replied, his gaze fixated on the road in front him, stoic and impassive, his arms still folded as he told Geto what aims to do in this world.

“
Then how about being an idol?
”

This suggestion startles Gojo a bit, before a smile cracks on his face as he giggles to himself.

“What's so funny?” Geto asks, noticing Gojo's expression and reaction to his idea

“Nah it's just that… mentioning the word “idol” reminded me of a good deed I did just when I entered this world.”

“Oh? Share it.” Geto.

“It's nothing much, it's  just… Right when I came here, I saw a little girl getting jumped by a gang of boys and clobbered up. She was really cute so I decided to intervene and teach one of the brats a lesson. I found out that she was homeless and starving, so I offered her a meal.”

“Guess you really do have a heart.” Geto sort of mocks.

“Coming from the guy who slaughtered his whole family, smh” Gojo retaliates back. “Anyhow, as I was talking to that little girl while having our meal, she seemed to have quite the rough childhood. But then another man came and sat on our table surprisingly. He offered the little girl to become an idol.”

“Oh really?” Geto glances back at Gojo.

“Yup, and to be honest, he was right, that girl was suited to becoming an idol. I could sense immense potential from her.”

“Did the girl accept?”

“He was a bit hesitant at first, but we both managed to convince her, after all, she needed a guardian and something to do.”

“That’s glad to hear. But to me, you’re also very fit to be an idol.”

“You’re right, maybe I should… I don’t know.” Gojo replies back vaguely, unsure of his decision.

“What was her name?” Geto asks

“
Ai Hoshino.
”

“...that’s a name.” Geto remarks.

“ I don’t know why but… for some reason, it made me happy that she finally got a guardian who could look after her now, and do something that would benefit her the best.” Gojo expresses his thoughts on his encounter with Ai. “Who knows, maybe I’ll see her as a rising star in a couple of years.” He predicts.

Geto shifts his pupils towards Gojo, noticing his honest satisfied impression of what he did, and being proud of it. He smiles in response.
  
“Did you really have to bring me here~?” Nanami asks, his tone pissed as he is on a busy schedule.

“Of course, we haven't had lunch together in aaaages!” Gojo replies, his tone carefree and leisurely as he pours down some tea on a cup, in a restaurant close by Nanami’s accountant office building.

“Geez,” Nanami sighs as he sips on the tea that Gojo poured for him. “You’re as easy going as ever.” He comments on Gojo’s nature.

“Ha! You got that right!” Gojo acknowledges.

Sitting next to them was Geto, also invited for lunch by Gojo as well.

“Satoru, how’s that new film production coming along?” He asks.

“Mm! It's heat!” Gojo exclaims “Oh boi! Just wait once you see the choreography, it's absolutely phenomenal!!” he clenches his fist with excitement and thrill.

“From my observation, I’ve noticed that you attracted the most attention in all the films you were in, judging by the reviews, most of them were your praises and some of them were only obsessed about your scenes more than the whole story plot itself.” Nanami puts forth his analysis and the trend on the movies Gojo was in.

“Well, what can I say, my charisma is just immeasurable~” Gojo brags with pride, posing in front of Geto and Nanami.

“Yeah right..” Both Nanami and Geto says together in response to Gojo’s boasting.

“Anyhow, this was all due to that old fart's effort.” Gojo acknowledges Gotanda's effort on him. “Without him, those scenes wouldn’t have turned out to be this spectacular. He may give you the depression vibe, but he is actually a genius when it comes to films.”

“That’s true.” Geto remarks, sipping his tea that Gojo poured for him. “Anyhow…” Geto changes the topic.

“Hm?” Gojo’s attention shifts towards him

“It's been 3 years…” Geto states “3 years since you were reincarnated in this world, do you find this more pleasing than the previous?” He asks.

Gojo smiles as he lays back on his chair. “In my honest opinion, I’d say so.” He answers.

“Back then, not a single day used to pass by without getting your hands dirty by exorcizing curses. Us sorcerers used to fight every single day, and
you
were famed to be the strongest of all. Now, none of those exist. How do you feel after staying away from combat for 3 years?”

Gojo looks up to his hand as he clenches it into a fist.

“Now that you mention it. I almost forgot that I was a sorcerer before. My muscles used to itch for a fight back then, but now, I barely remember my involvement in combat in my previous life. I am so engrossed in this world, it's making me forget who I was before.”

Gojo speaks with passion and honesty.

“Fighting and being the strongest was fun and all, but I’ve always wanted to live life as an equal, where everyone is on the same level.”

He further expresses himself. Before, no one understood Gojo because he was just too much stronger than everyone else. They didn’t know how he felt and it was like being the strongest. Being a tier above the rest comes along with a sheer loneliness, due to the fact that no one can scratch that league. Which is why when he finally met his match with Sukuna, for the first, he actually enjoyed himself and was satisfied to his heart’s content.

“And next up! We have the new famous rising idol group! B KOMACHI!!”

As Gojo, Geto and Nanami prolonged their leisurely conversation, the TV right above them inside the restaurant bursted out in loud volume, conveying an upcoming event this evening.

Due to the sudden rise in volume, it disrupted their conversation, as all three of their gaze shifted towards the TV above. It is announcing a big concert for a certain idol group that is recently gaining lots of popularity. An idol group that neither of them had heard about.

As their eyes were fixated on the TV, they saw a group of early teenage girls dancing and singing on a stage, with the center girl being the most attractive and charismatic out of them all by a long shot. Her silky violet hair that swirls around whenever she moves and makes a dance move, her starry eyes that pierces through one’s soul and grabs it from you, it was very clear that she was the ace of the group.

Geto and Nanami stared at the TV for a short while before returning their gazes back to their table to continue with their conversation. However, they both noticed that Gojo’s gaze was still fixated on the screen, and surprisingly, with unusual concentration. His eyes were glimmering, they were unusually wide, as if he was seeing something which belonged to him before, catching both Nanami and Geto by surprise. Not even a blink dropped from Gojo, he kept on staring at the screen, focusing his attention on a specific girl.

“Gojo… is everything alright?” Nanami spoke with a tinge of amusement and curiosity, however his question just flew over Gojo’s concentration.

They both knew something was definitely up with that screen announcing an idol concert that grabbed Gojo’s attention like a magnet.

“It can’t be…” Gojo whispers.

“It can’t be what?” Geto sought for more information, folding his arms, wanting answers.

“There’s no way…” He goes on to say, his concentration on that specific individual still unbreaking. “It really is her…” A smile forms in Gojo’s face in slow pace as the more confirmation his soul gets that it really is
her
. The lost and poor girl she met on the day he was reincarnated. Ai Hoshino

“Do you know someone from there?” Geto persisted further in wanting to know what’s going on.

“Suguru… remember the first day how you took me for a ride on the bridge?” Gojo spoke, his gaze not shifted at all.

“Yeah…?”

“Do you remember when I said that the first thing I did when I got reincarnated here was help out a little girl?”

“Yes… oh wait…” Geto finally started to connect the dots. “So you’re saying…”

“That girl in the center was the one whom I met that day…”

A moment of silence overcame their atmosphere, as both Gojo and Geto tried to accept and understand the reality of this. The helpless, weak and extremely fragile little girl, has now become a social leader in the media. At first, Gojo never thought this was really possible, but the more he looks at the screen, the more he understands and accepts who she really is and what she has achieved within these 3 years. She has now become a magnetic piece of beauty that the world craves for.

After staring at that screen for a while, he began to relax on his chair again, still astonished by what he had just seen.

“Man… she truly did grow… to a masterpiece.” Gojo finally shifts his attention back to the table again.

“I’ve seen advertisements about that idol group here and there, it seems to be a remarkable agency.”

“I need to remind myself that some people start from bottom rock, but reach higher than the tallest of towers.” Gojo lays forth words of wisdom.

“So, are you going to their concert this evening?” Geto raises the question.

“Huh?” Gojo looks up at him.

“Now that you know who she is, and the fact that because of your contribution is what led to her to reach this pedestal of fame, you might as well check it out yourself y’know?”

“Hmph!” Gojo chuckles “ Maybe one day…”
  
Hakensu walked past the busy startling restaurants in the city on his way home. He had temper management so he is usually moody every time and gets ticked off by the slightest things. The thing that was bothering him the most was one thing, the B Komachi idol group advertisement that has been blasting all over the city screens.

The thing in particular that pissed him off about this was the fact that the leader of that group was none other than the girl who he once tried to steal money off 5 years ago. These announcements of their group rotted his brain, and what aggravated him more was the fact that 80% of the advertisement was mostly about Ai Hoshino, rather than the idol group as a whole itself.

“That bitch~... I knew she was rich this whole time~” He mutters to himself, his tone low but deep with anger, his hair bangs covering his eyes like a veil. He thought his suspection about Ai was correct back then now that he knows how much fame she has gotten. There was no way she could’ve been poor back when they all ganged up on her.

Clenching his fist firmly, all he wished now was at least getting to drill his second punch right into Ai’s soft flesh in her delicate abdomen, so that they could’ve all left with Ai being detrimentally incapacitated with pain. To his sad luck, his fist was just stopped centimeters away from touching Ai’s belly by a firm grip, a teenager who he never thought would be this powerful, and handsome at the same time.

Unlike 5 years ago, Hakensu has gotten very slim and muscular, and his appearance got much better, but he was still a bully and a gang leader nonetheless as his fighting skills and strength grew through the years. His cruel habits and merciless behavior still remains, in fact it got even worse since then.

But even someone as heartless as him, also had a soft spot, and that was none other than for his mother, who had shielded him, protected him and raised him this whole time. His personality may be vile towards his surroundings but it's the complete opposite towards his mother, as she is someone who earned his respect and honor throughout his growth.

The events of that incident still bothers him in his mind whenever he sees Ai’s face on the screen as an idol, as that flashback visualizes in his mind. However, he has grown to get used to it, as it doesn’t bother him that much at the moment.

As he came near to the area where he lived, he could smell the scent of heavy blood. It was strong. The more he walked closer to his house, the stronger the scent became. It was sickening.

“Did someone die?” was his first thought as he kept on approaching his house. Later on, he realized that his whole neighborhood was quiet. Every lights in each house was off. It was dead silent.

“I’m home.” He said as he entered opened the door. Taking his first step into the house and raising his gaze up, the door he entered through, didn’t close.

His eyes struck with disbelief, stunned and unable to breath. Tears instinctively swelling his eyes, he rushed inside the house, darting as fast as he could towards the flesh of a certain individual on the ground as crimson liquid flooded around her.

“MOM!! MOM!! MOM!!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, shaking her body. There was a diagonal deep slash on her upper body. It was too late.

The one and only person in the entire world who defended him, has now left him.

For the first 30 minutes, screams and cries of despair and sorrow engulfed the atmosphere. He begged this was all a dream, but as time flew, he knew it was reality that he was facing.

Hours went by, he still sat right beside her mother’s dead corpse. He was a bit settled down from all the screaming, but in return was enveloped with boiling rage, urging for answers.

“You seem a bit desperate.” A mysterious voice emerged behind him, ticking his attention.

Without even giving it a second thought, his body instinctively raged up, turning around with fierce rage, his fist clenched so tightly his palm started bleeding, aiming directly at the figure's head.

“AAAAHHH!!”

His emotions were everywhere. The brutal death of his mom was too much for his emotions to bear, as his soul erupted with unforgiving anger.

But his fist was countered easily and smoothly, as a swift move was all it took to knock Hakensu on the ground, unable to move.

“Ack!” Hakensu dropped on the ground

“Calm your tits, young lad.” The figure spoke confidently, his voice demanding. It was the voice of an old grown man, in his mid 40s.

“Fuck you~ curse you, you motherfucking faggot!” The boy insulted as he barely sat back up.

“Sheesh~” The man sighed. “You really are a lost child.”

“Shut up!” He shouted, tears still flowing “ I’ll fucking kill you for what you did to my mother! You fucking bastard~!” He exclaimed, expressing his fury against this man.

“Who said I’m the one that murdered her?” the man questions.

Hakensu didn’t have any of it.

“You think your squirky old ass is fooling me?” He mocked.

This however made the man chuckle.

“The only fool here is you.” He corrects as the man finally comes out of the dark shadows. He had a gray beard with some black and gray hair.

“If you want revenge and shed the blood of the one who slaughtered your mother, you can come and join me.” He offered as he reached out his hand.

“I ain't joining nobody! So tell me who murdered my mother!!” He demanded the old man.

“Ai Hoshino.” Charles Choi uttered, his tone affirmed with his position firmly declared.

Dumb struck, his eyes wider than ever, never knew that he'd hear
her
name in this catastrophic situation.

“Don’t fuck with me!!” Anger began boiling inside him even more the moment he heard her name “How can a weakling like
her
do anything this gruesome?!!” He questioned, his fury began to grow even bigger.

“She doesn’t have to do it directly.” Choi said.

“Huh?” He was confused.

“Take a look at that blade over there that was used to murder your mother.” Choi said as he pointed a finger towards the dagger that was on the other side of Hakenu’s mother’s dead corpse, soaked in blood.

He turned around, spotting the blade as he reached his arms to grab it. He flipped it over, and saw what he thought couldn’t be believed. A charm and a sticker was connected to that dagger, which was written in bold “
I Love Ai
” with her picture right next to it.

At first he thought this old man was lying, but seeing the evidence presented, the more shook he became. His eyes kept on getting wider, his body shaking with disbelief.

“Now you get it?” Choi walks closer to the boy who was on his knees, staring helplessly at the dagger with ghost eyes. “Who else can it be other than her?... What else… would there be a reason to murder your mother and your entire neighborhood and hurt your feelings this badly other than someone who you hurt before~? Who else could’ve done it other than her diehard fans~? Who else… would there be a reason for revenge against you?” Choi asked these questions, persuading Hakensu into depicting Ai as a cold hearted murderer. “Does it all start to make sense?” He leaned closer to him.

Hakensu was still speechless, the fact of someone like Ai being able to commit such an act being impossible to swallow down. But the more he thinks about it, the more ravaging and boiling hatred erupts in him against Ai. His eyes became red, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth as hard as he could, as he was about to explode from the sheer rage that's steaming inside of him.

“I… I will make sure to kill Ai by my own hands, and I’ll do it, as painfully as possible. I’ll tear down every limb of hers one by one.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The room was dark, the lights turned off. The TV was at max volume, making the room vibrate with a previous concert of Ai Hoshino. And inside that room was a patient who was trying to get some rest, but was disturbed by another person, which was none other than a doctor himself. Gorou Amemiya.

“Ai!!!” Gorou screams out her name as he was engrossed in the concert, holding red light sabers on both hands. “Oh my gosh, she is so cute!!! Ahh~! How can anyone have this much beauty!!”

In the midst of his thrill, the lights turned on.

“You really are a creep aren’t you? Doctor Amemiya~” Yuki Tsukumo entered the room. She leaned on the door handle with the other hand on her hips. “You can’t just watch a TV show and scream like that when a patient needs some desperate rest.”

“Uhh~~” Gorou had no response. She was right. “Alright, I’ll be going right now.”

Gorou stood up and left the room.

“Sorry for the disturbance, haha~” Yuki apologized to the patient, in which he responded back with a smile. 
 
“There you are~” Yuki came up top of the hospital, where Gorou was receiving some fresh air and viewing the scenery of the country.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“I’ve noticed you’ve been obsessed with this Ai girl a lot lately.”

“...” Gorou then looks away. “ Yeah…”

“You’re a weirdo y’know that?” Yuki mocks.

“Augh just be quiet! If you’re here to mock me, then go somewhere else please!” Gorou replies with irritation.

“Hahaha! No need to get so riled up.” she plays with him here and there, “but seriously, what type of girls are you into?” she asked, genuinely curious about his answer.

“Uhh~ why do you ask?” Group replied back, slightly irritated.

“Just curious.” Yuki responds back with a mischievous smirk.

“If you had to know… it's someone with a pretty face and attractive eyes.”

“Like Ai?”

“Well…” Gorou scratches his hair, his expression admitting it to be the case.

“I knew it!” She exclaims. “But still, she is a lot younger than you y’know?”

“Yes I do know~” Gorou once again responds back with a slight hunch of irritation.

“By the way, isn't the other patient who passed away a few years ago also the same age as Ai?” Yuki inquires.

“You mean Sarina Chan?” Gorou reminds.

“Yes, her! You two were soo attached, almost like she was your younger sister You'd visit her room everyday and chat with her for hours!”

“...”

Despite not replying back, they both knew that it was true.

“Why is that?”

“I just… felt sorry for her.” He says with a feeling of sorrow “At such a young age, she was diagnosed with a horrible disease. She needed some company, that's all.”

“Funny how most of the time, your conversations were all about that Ai girl.” Yuki remarks.

“Ah yes, she was the first one to introduce me to her after all.”

“Oh I see…”

“She used to go crazy over her. The truth is, who doesn't?” Gorou acknowledges.

“Hmph!” Yuki smiles as she stares back at the scenery in front of them.

“I can't believe this all started because of Gojo~” Yuki monologues in her mind, happy to her heart's content that the once upon a time little girl that Gojo helped has now become a prominent model in the country and media.

Yuki and Gojo interact with each other here and then, and Yuki came to know about this when Gojo told her about this incident.

When she first found out about this fact, and realizing that he was a major cause for Ai’s decision to become an idol, she was astonished. Though this was a talk between themselves and whoever Gojo knew back in their previous world. They don't tend to share it with other people about this fact.

“By the way…” Yuki just remembered something that she forgot to tell him. “Have you heard the news on twitter?”

“What news?”

Yuki pulls out her phone and shows Gorou a recent post from the official strawberry production company, something which made Gorou’s jaw drop.

“WHAT!!!??” he yelled as the shock overwhelmed him “Ai is in HIATUS?!!”

“Apparently, she is sick or something.” Yuki reports.

“AUGH MAN…” Gorou mourns with disappointment. “Hopefully she recovers soon~”

Both of them made their ways back inside the hospital to their awaiting patients.
  
“At first, y’know, I thought my eyes were deceiving me, and thought that Gorou san was just dreaming or being too obsessed over you and mistaking it for someone else, BUUUT, to think that you’d actually appear OVER HERE of all places…”

Yuki said, her eyes and mouth wide open, still in visible shock. The sun was setting, casting a picturesque scenery from the rooftop of the hospital that they were standing on.

“Hahaha! My my~ guess I couldn't hide my identity well enough here~” Ai responds with a chuckle, her signature smile present in her face, “Well, Woe is me!” She poses, her features charismatic and cute as ever.

“Gorou wasn't kidding, she is so much more adorable in person~! Even her posture is cute~!”

Yuki could barely comprehend that the person she is talking to is none other than the legendary idol Ai Hoshino. And witnessing her appearance up front is a whole different experience.

But what shook her the most was when her eyes fell on her big round belly.

“But Ai… your belly… don't tell me that you're…” she spoke with amusement, unable to finish the sentence as she placed  a hand on her mouth with shock.

“Teehee~ that's right~” Ai’s smirk enlarges, laced with pride and joy “I'm carrying twins~!” she exclaims, her thrill and excitement for the confirmation of the life she was carrying inside her stomach palpable.

“B-but… you're an idol… does it mean that.. you’re quitting?” Yuki questions.

“Hm? No. Why?” Ai asks back as she turns her face towards her.

“Isn't it taboo for idols to have any relationship or intercourse?” Yuki asks with a confused tone.

“Eh… I guess so.” Ai casually brushes it off, as if it didn't really matter to her.

“So if you are going to continue being an idol… and have kids at the same time, then, does it mean…”

“Yup,” Ai exclaims with a mischievous smirk “I'm not going to expose it in public.” she states confidently.

“I see…” Yuki acknowledges “Did you choose this or was it an accident?” she inquires curiously, wondering if this was Ai's decision.

“I chose it.” Ai replies back firmly with pride and confidence.

“But why? You can fall into a great risk for that.”

“Hmhmhmhm,” Ai giggles while staring at Yuki's face with an admiring smile as it enlarges even more, before looking down at her stomach, concentrating on the life inside her, lifting her hand and gently rubbing it on the big bump she has in her tummy, slowly caressing it and running circles on it. The breeze was cold but refreshing, mingling their beautiful hairs as the orange and pink blending of the sky was about to get overwhelmed by the darkness of the night.

“You see,” Ai begins to explain, her voice soft, sensitive and filled with loving motherly instincts as she gently rubs her belly with the pride of what she is going to become. “I always wanted a family… I never had a family before. My mother left me when I was little, so I don't really know how it feels like being in a family if I'm the only one y’know…”

Yuki listens attentively, engrossed in what Ai is saying as she expresses herself more.

“...But also, what I want to understand more about is…
love…
”

“Love?” Yuki says in a slightly puzzled pace.

“Mhm!” Ai nods. “The truth is, I've never really been able to understand the concept of love from the bottom of my heart. I thought that if I become a mother… I will probably be able to share and express my love towards my adorable babies~ which is why, what lives inside my stomach right now, is my greatest gift~” Ai's voice gets softer the more she speaks about her babies inside her stomach, motherly emotions swelling within her soul towards it.

“That is why, we will be a happy and loving family!” Ai exclaims with high spirits and excitement as she looks back at Yuki with a smile of pleasure and delightfulness.

“This was similar to what Gojo told me about her, that she has a hard time finding someone to love…” Yuki monologues inside her mind, matching the similarities of what she was told.

“Ai san.”

“Hm?”

“After how long you've been an idol, haven't you been able to understand what love is? You have so many fans who crave for your existence. How do you view them? Do you love your fans?” Yuki wanted to know Ai's view about her own fans, mainly because, she knows two diehard fans of hers who used to stay  up late every time to watch her concerts, and used to scream so loudly the room used to vibrate, so her opinion about her fans could very well be relevant.

Ai first stared at Yuki blankly for a few seconds, pondering on the question itself, before answering it.

“Eh.. it's not like I don't, but… I feel like there is more to love you see. At the moment, I'm unsure if I'm able to properly love my fans or not. That's why, my lies are my form of love~”

“Lies huh?”

“Yup!” Ai walks past Yuki to another corner of the rooftop. The sky was now enveloped with the darkness of the night, but at the same time, was really bright due to the light of the shining stars that were scattered everywhere. She turns around and spreads her arms, embracing the chilling atmosphere.

“Lies are magic, it's such a thing where you can illude anyone to believe anything. Isn’t that amazing?! Being an idol is all about lying and hiding your true feelings. The fans will still keep on cheering us on and yet they have no idea how we feel, what a fun job isn't it?!” Ai said in quite the enigmatic way with a smile mirroring the brightness of the stars.

“Although, the part of our own feelings is something I want to really feel.” She adds on. “The happiness of an idol, and the happiness of a mother, usually most people only have one of these, but I want both! Hoshino Ai is a greedy girl after all~ teehee!” Ai acknowledges.

“What an individual… she is so much stronger than I thought she'd be when Gojo described her to me~ her aura and presence, it's like she is the first shining star at night. Ahh~ so this evolution~” Yuki says to her mind, completely enlightened by her speech.

“Ai san.” Yuki spoke once more, with conviction and a firm decision

“Yes!”

“I'll ensure and do whatever it takes for you to deliver healthy twin babies. That's a promise!” Yuki's words are laced with confidence and a sense of understanding for Ai's feelings and respect for her own decision.

“Haa~” Ai’s smile enlarges wide as she opens her mouth with contentment after what Yuki has just said as hope swelled in her heart.
  
Choi took Hakensu with him, ultimately making him as one of his pawns for whatever masterplan he is plotting.

He arrived at a basement, particularly one of his hideouts, and brang Hakensu with him. Over there happens to be another teenager with similar age to Hakensu. He had blonde hair and starry eyes.

“So, Hikaru, you know what to do next don’t you?” Choi utters in a demanding tone.

“Indeed,” Hikaru replies with passion, the boy who happens to know how to guide Hakensu towards her.
  
“Good work today, sensei~” Ai gratefully thanks Gorou as she is laying down on the hospital bed while nurse Yuki was adjusting the height and putting a soft blanket over her to feel more comfy.

“Make sure you come back when I call okay~?” She expresses her trust towards Gorou and entrusts him to come back to deliver the babies whenever it is time.

“Of course! I live just by the hospital, and even if I don't make it, nurse Yuki will always be there.” Gorou replies back.

“No! You have to come here too~!”  Ai persists with a cute yet determined plea.

“Just joking.”

Gorou playfully responds as he makes his way out of the hospital. He exits the reception and directs his way home.

But he has no clue what detrimental fate he is about to encounter.

As one of the street lights started bickering, the atmosphere was gradually filling up with a malevolent aura. The surroundings slowly started to get darker and darker, almost as if it's casting a venomous dark cloud on the ground.

“This is weird, I never really felt so dark and cold here. Just what is this vibe…” Gorou notices the malicious feeling coming from the street he was walking on the way to his home. It was mysteriously terrifying.

It wasn't long until a dark figure, coated with a dark hood, appeared before Gorou. Someone as smart as him, he would have already guessed that he was cause for this villainous atmosphere surrounding him.

“Who are you?” Gorou called out.

“Where is Ai?”

The figure spoke, his voice laced with poison, his tone unforgiving. That itself gave Gorou shivers in his spine. His directness startled him.

Taking a breath in, he had the courage to speak up, as his question raised many questions.

“How do you know she is here? Where did you find that information, and why do you ask for her location?” Gorou approached cautiously, making sure to attack every single detail and information for the security of Ai, the idol who he helplessly craves over.

“Just shut the fuck up and tell me where she is.” The figure demanded, his threatening tone swelled with violence and malevolence. His aggressiveness showed no signs of mercy or understanding.

Gorou flinched, startled even more by his aggressiveness and ruthlessness, he started to step back.

“Take it easy there buddy, we can sort this out together~” Gorou tries to calm this person down, but his wrath didn't fade away the slightest, it's as if the figure won't feel easy until he gets the location of this one individual, Ai Hoshino, the idol and the person who everyone craves for, and by no means Gorou would ever want to give the location of Ai to this unknown mysterious aggressive figure. The last thing he wants to happen is something critical and harmful occuring to Ai during her period of giving birth.

“I don't have time for the peace talk, either tell me where she is or get fucking killed.” He kept on threatening, not showing any kind of grace on this matter.

Gorou kept his distance, but the figure started to close the distance, forcing Gorou to step back.

“Why do you want to search for Ai? Tell me the reason at least.” Gorou begged.

“That's…” the figure suddenly closed the distance without Gorou's notice with a swift movement. “...something that you don't need to know.”

‘BANG’ was the last thing that was heard on that street.
  
“Aaa-” Ai squeals in pain as she holds her stomach, “it hurts~ I think… they are about to come out~” she says, her voice pretty weak with the pain she was suffering.

“Ai~! I don't think we can wait any longer, we must give you the delivery now!” Yuki advised with urgency.

“But, where is sensei~?” Ai asks, worried why he hasn't arrived yet despite calling him numerous times.

“I'm not sure where he is right now, he hasn't answered any of my calls either, but that's not what's important now Ai!”

It was not long after that Ai had to accept the fact that Gorou Amemiya won't be able to give her the delivery of her twins.

Ai got upset by this but she had to deal with it. As she reluctantly accepted the situation, seeing the faces of her fresh little babies coming right out of her belly purified her soul. Tears naturally streamed out of her eyes as she saw the cute and adorable faces of her twins. For that very slight moment, the moment where she carried her two fresh born babies in her arms, their little angelic faces, their innocent cries as they entered a new world, for that very short moment, Ai felt she was in heaven. And she will cherish this very moment forever in her heart, a moment any mother would cherish. This experience of giving birth at the mere age of 16, she would never ever forget the moment where she entered motherhood at this very young age.

“Ahh~ this is the most blessed moment ever~!” Yuki remarks in her mind, completely engulfed in witnessing the legendary idol, Ai Hoshino, entering motherhood at such an early age. Seeing Ai’s face swelling with emotion as she carried her newborn babies in her arms, her eyes said it all. Tears were visible, though she was quite weak due to the labor pain, it was truly an unforgettable scene, something Yuki was able to witness.

“I wish Gorou could come and see this~”

As Yuki was completely occupied with Ai and her babies, as she was the one that gave her the delivery in replacement for Gorou, it was her duty to ensure she is okay and her health is fine.

But despite that, she has no idea what occurred behind the scenes, and what the reason was for Gorou for not being present for Ai's delivery.
  
It has been a day since Ai gave birth to her twins. And there had been no sound of Gorou Amemiya at all.

“Pickaboo~!” Ai made playful noises as she played with her newborn babies, sharing her playful motherly nature with her children.

“Aauwa!” One of the babies screams out in response to Ai's play.

“Kyaa~!! You’re soo cute Aqua!!” Ai screams back, her heart touched by the adorable response of her baby to her playful noises, as she picks her up and hugs it and cuddles her with her face.

“Auyia!” The baby screams with a wide smile on her face, feeling the joy as she feels her mother's nose rubbing on her chest.

“Isn't her name Ruby?” Yuki san interjects gently with a smile, leaning down to Ai's level who was in bed with one of her babies.

“Oh yes true, ahaha~! I'm really forgetful when it comes to names~” Ai admits her clumsiness for remembering names.

“Oh my~ that isn't really good,” Yuki comments.

“It really isn't, just imagine a mother who can't even remember or tell the name of her own kids~”

On the other hand, out of their imagination, the baby Ai was carrying could actually feel and comprehend emotions. She was a reincarnation of someone. A certain diehard fan of Ai’s. The little girl who died in this hospital a couple years ago that Gorou san really cared about.

“AHH~!! Ai Chan is sooo cute!!! I really really hope this is real~!!!” The baby said in her mind as she was being held by Ai's arms, absorbing her warmth.

“By the way, do you happen to know where sensei is?” Ai asked, but this time out of worry and slight concern. Even if he wasn't there for the delivery due to it being late at night, he should've been here this morning since it's still his work day, yet he was absent since last night, the moment he left the hospital after he bid farewell to Ai.

“I'm honestly not sure, he didn't even come for work today either. I'm starting to get worried.” Yuki expresses concern,  putting a hand on her hips while the other takes out her phone to see his contacts. Not even one miss call from him. “I'll go to his place after work tonight.” She affirms.

“Let me know if anything happens to him okay?” Ai requests, as she was carrying Ruby in her arms, close to her chin, before giving her a delightful warm motherly kiss on her forehead, which instantly put Ruby to sleep at an abnormal speed. But that was probably due to the fact that she felt a soft and warm kiss from her favorite idol.

“Of course!” Yuki reassures back to her
  
“You're a pedophile, y’know that?” Toji relates his honest opinion about Charles Choi, as he got invited by him into a dining for dinner in an expensive and luxurious 3 story hotel. He takes his chopsticks and picks up a meatball, gobbling it and munching it.

“How rude~” Choi comments, taking a sip of wine in one of those fancy V shaped glasses.

“Like seriously, why would you care so much to delude a 15 year old into thinking of someone else's murder.” Toji notes “But more importantly, why are you targeting a mere child. What business do you have with her.” He asks curiously.

“That's… something I haven't even told the closest of my people.” Choi refuses to tell his intentions.

“Ahh, so top secrecy I see. Is it because she is an idol?”

“Who knows…” Choi answers vaguely “Anyhow, I'd like to say it again, thank you for accepting my request, you truly are an “invisible assassin”.” He praises Tojis assassination skills

“Though, I feel bad for murdering that kid’s mother. But I didn't have an option, I had to get that money you were offering.” Toji expresses sarcastic sympathy towards Hakensu for being the actual culprit for his family's murder case.

“Don't you?” He asks Choi.

A short silence befalls their table, before Choi answers his question with a smirk.

“They’re just useless insects.”
  
It was past 11. The streets and the sky are pitch black. Yuki had just finished her schedule for today, as she walked off the receptionist office of the hospital, totally exhausted from all the nursing she had to do today, and all the attention she had to give to Ai and her newborn babies. It was truly stressful for her.

“Awhh…” she yawns, putting a hand to cover her mouth as she leisurely walks out the hospital and takes a few stretches, before making her way to Gorou Amemiya’s house at this dark hour

“Alright… now let's see what he has been up to all this time. He's got some nerve skipping a day and most importantly, just ignoring his most favorite idol's request! If I see him well and healthy, I'm gonna give him a beating!” Yuki exclaims as she marches her way to Gorou's house which wasn't far from the hospital.

But as she kept on walking, she noticed the change in vibe on this street the more she proceeded. She could sense the aura her surroundings were slowly changing into a venomous and malevolent outbreak.

Unlike Gorou, Yuki actually had some experience when it comes to these situations. That's due to the fact that she lived as a jujutsu sorcerer in her previous life, and she wasn't any kind of sorcerer, but she was a special grade sorcerer, which was deemed has the highest rank which only the few strongest could attain. She was obviously nowhere near Gojo, but among the other sorcerers, she was still regarded as one of the strongest.

Even though there isn't any cursed energy in this world, her innate battle instincts and experience remained. And from the looks of the aura emanating from this street, she could tell that there is someone or some sort of figure over here that's releasing such suffocating vibe. She also speculates that this had something to do with Gorou's absence, since this street is the only street that leads to his house.

Without a second thought, she put her guard on for any kind of encounter. She might be a bit rusty due to staying out of combat for a long time because of nursing, but she was still confident in her ability to protect herself from any kind of harm.

“Gosh, this place was never this creepy before!” She says in her mind as she slowly proceeds with caution, utilizing her 5 senses for any danger.

Her eyes narrowed down, she took a deep breath, as if she was embracing something.

“WAP!”

The wind broke as the sound of a fierce kick that could take anyone's head off ferociously aimed at Yuki's upper body. But luckily, due to her battle experience, she was able to anticipate this coming, and had the capability to evade this groundbreaking kick by ducking down.

“A nurse who can fight?!” The individual spoke, completely taken off guard by Yuki's quick reaction and her ability to evade his one shot kick which he ended to completely incapacitate her. “This is gonna be annoying as fuck.” He complained as he leaped back, gaining his balance on the ground after that kick.

“Who are you?! Show yourself!” Yuki demands, her tone serious and heavy.

“Tell me where Ai is, NOW!”

“A~Ai?” Yuki repeats in confusion, “Why would he be looking for Ai? Is this why Gorou san also didn't come today?” She ponders inside herself, being thoughtful and considerate to every possibility.

“Don't piss me off before you get hurt, pretty girl! You're a nurse so I know you know where Ai would be, so hurry up and spit it out!” The figure yelled, his impatience growing more and more aggressive by the second.

“Why would I tell you where she is? What is your intention?! You're not even supposed to know she is here to begin with!” Yuki retaliates back, firmly standing her position against his.

“Tch!” He greets his teeth in aggravation “Looks like I gotta beat you enough to tell me.” As soon as he utters this, he wastes no time in dashing right towards her with a detrimental mindset, showing no signs of hesitation, despite assaulting a lady.

Despite his charge, Yuki was already in position to defend herself.

The figure aims for her head, with a straight punch, pulling it back before releasing, gaining enough force for it to be a powerful blow.

But despite the impact, Yuki was able to withstand it and block it with one of her elbows while the other hand supported it, though she got sent a few meters back due to the force.

“He is strong…!” She remarks in her mind, gritting her teeth as that punch stunned her, making her left elbow slightly numb, despite her right hand supporting him.

The figure hasn't stopped his rush yet, he continued to unleash his aggressiveness. But this time, it was Yuki’s turn to go on the offensive.

As soon as he was about to deliver his second blow, Yuki countered it by swiftly moving aside, hitting his shoulder with her palm before immediately locking his arms with her own.

“What the-” the man grunts as he finds himself in a lock.

Even though the man was wide open for Yuki to deliver an impactful blow, she first decided to take off his hood, revealing his face and identity. It was none other than Hakensu, the person who holds deep hatred for Ai. He was told and informed by Hikaru that Ai would be in this hospital for her pregnancy delivery.

“Tell me! Have you ever seen a young doctor with glasses and yellow eyes?!” She interrogates him, asking him about Gorou Amemiya. “Did you attack him too?!”

The boy didn't care to answer Yuki, instead he tried to free himself from her lock, which he successfully did after a hard struggle.

He was in his mid teens. His face expressed the sign of bloodlust and vengeance. Yuki could tell he had a grudge on Ai that he wanted to resolve so badly.

“Answer me! Did you attack one of our doctors?!” Yuki repeated the question again, demanding an answer.

“Tch! You mean the nerdy and stubborn brat who is too obsessed with this freak Ai?” The boy finally replied.

Yuki gasped, knowing that he was talking about Gorou.

“Yes! Where is he?!” She persists to seek more information.

“He is dead.”

Yuki's heart stopped for a few seconds after hearing what he had just said. Her body stopped working for a moment as she stood still, speechless and unable to react to that revelation. At first she denied it.

“He wasn't telling me where Ai was, so I killed him.” The boy proceeds to inform, relaying to her what he did “And if you don't tell me where she is too, I might have to kill you as well.” He adds, his tone threatening with bloodlust.

Yuki greets her teeth with rage, her eyes watery, threatening to shed a tear from this disclosure, the death of one of her very close workmates, it was devastating.

“How could you~?” She uttered, her voice changing into a deep and heavy tone, swelling with anger.

The boy charges once again, showing no signs of mercy. He throws a barrage of strikes at Yuki, in which she was successfully either able to evade or block, with a very few of them scratching her and making her bleed, but she was successful in preventing a clean hit.

However the boy was relentless and persistent, he didn’t ease down his barrage once.

“Just why are you so obsessed with searching for Ai?!. What did she do to you?!” Yuki asked while she was blocking his strikes with her arms up.

“Trtch!” The boy grits his teeth, his rage increasing rapidly when Yuki asks that question, the scene of her dead mother’s corpse flashing in his eyes for a split second. He was deluded to believe Ai was the culprit and the cause for the murder of his mother, his family and the rest of his neighborhood. An unforgivable act.

The speed and ferocity of his strikes dramatically intensified upon his build up rage.

“PAW! BOM!”

Due to his massive rise in strength of his attacks, he was able to land two clean blows on Yuki. One of her face and the other on her ribs, causing her to cough up and stutter back.

“SHE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!!!” He screamed at her, his ruthless barrage of fury never ending. Yuki was now getting pressed and on the ropes from his relentlessness. “SHE RUINED MY LIFE, SHE KILLED MY FAMILY!!!” His rage continued to grow, and so was the power of his blows.

“Ergh!” Yuki grunts, trying to resist his endless attacks, as some of them are slipping past her defense, landing clean hits on her body, causing her to stagger back.

“SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE. SO WHY ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME WHERE SHE IS?!” The boy ranted, forcing Yuki to spill out where Ai’s location is.

He then aimed for a turning spin kick, right at Yuki’s side ribs. But as the kick was unleashed, Yuki decided to go on the offensive this time.

“And why should I believe whatever nonsense you are sprouting?!” Yuki retaliates back, as she ducked once again to dodge his kick, but this time she grabbed his leg mid swing and pulled his body towards her, before launching her feet up high and slamming it down with groundbreaking force, directly connecting to his face, as he received a clean slam which made a small crater on the ground.

“Tch, since when were nurses this strong~!” The boy uttered in irritation, confused that how can a mere nurse keep up with him. His face bruised up and his lips bleeding upon the impact.

Yuki pants, trying to recover her breath after defending against that rampaging barrage, and those blows she received on her body, as it was not only physically damaging, but also stunned her. Her fatigueness prior to this fight also affected her capability.

As persistent as he is, he suddenly leaped up from the ground with explosiveness as he was acting as if he was out for good, catching Yuki off guard by the sudden approach. Not letting the chance go to waste, it gave him another opportunity to land a kick to Yuki's face since she thought the fight ended after that kick, in which she knew little about his sheer desire and dedication to find Ai.

The blow caused Yuki to lose balance and fall off the ground, her nose and lips bleeding. He had no intention to lose this fight, especially not to a woman, who's job is nursing. It would be beyond embarrassing for him.

“RAHHH, Just die already!” He screamed as he once again, persistently charged at Yuki with his right hand pulled back, ready to launch another hook.

Yuki was barely able to get up to her feet and block the blow, but she still suffered the pressure and the force behind his fist.

Both of them were injured and bruised, but the teenager boy was the one who kept on continuing the fight, whereas Yuki was mostly on the defensive.

Even though she was immensely furious by the fact that she is dealing with the killer of Gorou, she had no intention of killing him, it's not legal for a nurse to kill someone in this worls. She is aiming to incapacitate him and jail him once he is knocked out, but his persistence is proving her to be quite difficult.

They kept on clashing, as they blocked and received and unleashed blows to each other, a heavy back and forth.

Surprisingly, Yuki was on the winning edge, as she was the slightly more dominant fighter. But there was one factor that was making Yuki struggle the most, and that was the fact that, every blow Hakensu lands with his fist, it zaps excruciatingly, depending on how much force the blow lands on her flesh. So each clean blow he landed, it was unendurable. She figured that he was using some sort of device or perhaps the gloves he was wearing is what’s causing these shockwaves and these lightning stings. It must be a mechanical glove that's designed for combat.

Even then, this pissed Hakensu off even more, he was frustrated that a mere lady nurse was capable of keeping up with him, despite all his training and the glove he was wearing.

“Where did you learn how to fight?!” He asked.

“What are you talking about, I'm just a nurse who treats patients.” Yuki replied, not having any intention to reveal the fact that she was once a sorcerer, who fought curses.

“There is no way you could fight this well without going through training, so tell me!” The boy urged to know her secret, demanding that she stop hiding the truth and reveal it.

As Yuki was about to use an upward swing kick, Hakensu was able to utilize one of the techniques he learnt from Charles Choi. It was called a “fake out”

This move is only performable if you're completely aware of your opponent's next upcoming move. In this case, Hakensu adapted and could perfectly visualize what Yuki’s next move was.

This move requires you to relax your muscles and let the strike come close to your body, making the opponent think for the slightest moment that she would land the clean hit. But as the blow is centimeters away from touching your body, you deceive your opponents thinking of landing their hit, instead you move with such speed that it catches your opponent off guard after staying still for a brief moment where your muscles were relaxed before surging it with adrenaline in evading the blow, causing a “fake out” which will not only confuse the opponent what happened, creating an after shadow, but it will grant you a free clean hit, since Yuki will be completely open and vulnerable for a blow right after performing the technique.

“W-what the-? He just disappeared?” Yuki mutters to herself in confusion, as her kick only landed in the empty air, missing Hakensu completely. At this very slight moment, she was stunned and lost her balance

Hakensu was advised to utilize this opportunity with a devastating strike, or a strike that will deal severe damage to the opponent where it’s powerful enough to finish it off in one blow.

Following this advice, with the amount of time given after Hakensu deceived Yuki with his fake out, he charged his strongest punch yet, clenching his fist as tightly as he could, imbuing as much power in his arm and glove.

“POWWW!”

Hakensu unleashed his death granting blow, making his fist explode inside Yuki’s stomach, as it drilled right into her flesh, crushing her organs and dealing severe internal damage.

“GLAHHH!”

Yuki’s eyes lost its luster, completely vacant white as it popped out, blood surging out of her mouth violently, her internal organs getting brutally crushed and electrified as her abdomen receives the impact of his death granting fist carving right into her flesh. Her face expressed excruciating pain, the stun effect of the glove detrimentally shattering insides.

Because of the sheer damage of this blow, the tides of this fight changed drastically. She stumbled back, unable to breath at first, trying to regain her balance at the same time as she tried to fight off the pain that was engulfing her midsection.

She was now left completely open, since that blow had now made her unable to counter back and regain her balance, giving Hakensu his opportunity to start pounding on her, in which he didn't let this chance go to waste at all.

Hakensu pulled back his fist once more, charging another devastating blow, aiming for that same vulnerable spot his fist just sank in a moment ago, her severely damaged stomach. His style was brutal, and would always target spots that would damage and make his opponent suffer the most. In this case, repeatedly dealing blows on a spot that's already heavily damaged would cause her more hindrance to be able to continue fighting due to the excruciating pain she would be suffering.

Yuki at this moment was in a severely bad position, very vulnerable for another clean blow. One knee was already on the ground, with the other door barely trying to maintain her balance so that she doesn't fully fall on the floor, because that would then completely decide the fight.

She knew Hakensu would be in the midst of unleashing his second bone shattering blow while she is still imbalanced on the floor. It was inevitable that she was going to receive another devastating blow, she knew it herself. But she had a plan, although a very painful and risky plan.

At this very slight moment, she tried her best to tense her crushed and shattered abdomen muscles, embracing for another excruciating impact. This was her only option.

“BOOM!!”

Another excruciating blow tearing through her abdomen flesh, damaging her already crushed stomach even more, electrifying her weakened internal organs as his fist was once again, buried deep inside her mind section.

“AAUGH!!” Yuki screams in unbearable agony, as a chunk of blood gushes out from her mouth, her eyes pinched from the severe pain.

Yet despite receiving this torment, Yuki was prepared for it. She knew she was going to receive another round of unbearable pain, but it was a testament to her own capabilities and her conviction.

This exact moment reminded her of how she died in her previous life. During her battle with Kenjaku, she let her guard down, and got a mini Uzumaki blown right through her stomach, tearing off her flesh and making a hole right through her umbilical region, which was the ultimate cause for her death.

In this same scenario, where Hakensu’s fists were still lodged deeply inside her abdomen, it was a similar feeling to how she got blown and lost the battle with Kenjaku.

“Am I going to die like this again?” as time stopped briefly, she muttered to herself this question. “Is this really how it's really going to end? Just like last time?”

As reality switches back, and time starts ticking again. She grits her teeth, embracing herself for the worst of pain she is about to ensure, as this was again, her only option to survive this agonizing scuffle.

Despite his fist still being buried deep inside her flesh, and the immense pain that she was receiving, she managed to gain strength with her sheer conviction to grip onto to the elbow of Hakensu’s other arm tightly and pull him towards her with irresistible force, all while his hand was still inside her belly.

“Khaugh!” She coughs up more chunks of blood from her mouth as she pulls Hakensu towards her, causing his fist to dig even deeper by default. But Yuki was prepared for this, she knew she was going to experience something like this.

“What the fuck is she doing?! Is she stupid?!” Hakensu thought to himself, wondering why Yuki would pull him towards her in this position, because that would only result in making his fist dig deeper into her stomach even more than it already is.

It wasn't until Yuki performed a move, a tackle that was beyond what Hakensu could think of or comprehend. It was a deadly tackle she learned as she was traveling overseas in her previous life. Since back then, she used to like traveling a lot on her motorbike. It was a tackle that she is confident that it would not exist in this world, or at least it wasn't taught here, so Hakensu would have no idea about this move, or the fact that such a move like this even existed.

As she pulled him towards her, gritting her teeth as she was near the edge of passing out from the pain and the depth of his fist into her flesh, as soon as she got the very slightest chance where he lowered his guard, and the mindset of his victory entered in him, she immediately leaped up from the ground and put her two legs on each side of his neck, and squeeze her heel with deadly pressure on the sides off her throat and neck.

“The fu- A-” Hakensu's fist slipped past her abdomen as she was now on top of him with her feet on her neck.

Since she also has knowledge of human health, she could tell where each and every vital point is located in a human body, so the one she aimed for was the one on his neck, in which she pressed it with her heel.

That was more than enough to take Hakensu's consciousness away, even if it was for a temporary moment, no matter how strong an individual may be, they can never train their vital points, and they will always remain vulnerable there.

His eyes turned vacant white, his consciousness leaving his body as he collapsed on the ground. But so did Yuki as well.

“Ahk!.... Ahck!” She coughed out more chunks of blood as she laid there on the concrete, staring at the night sky, with a hand placed on her demolished stomach, blood trails flowing out from her lips, as she suffered internal bleeding.

But as the two of them were on the ground, unable to get up, another figure spawned before them, the voice of an old man emerged, his voice laced with disappointment.

“How pathetic Hakensu… losing to a lady, let alone a nurse. You should have some shame” the voice spoke, lashing his dissatisfaction on him as he stood right in front of his unconscious laid body on the ground.

Yuki saw this man appear right before them, she also wanted to question where’d he come from too, but she was in no shape to even talk due to how battered she was.

“You need way more training, until you can finally be a useful pawn to me…” the figure said, as the only thing that was noticeable was his shadowy presence.

He grabbed Hakensu and left the scene.

“S~stop, right ther- ahck!” Yuki tried to raise her voice but she couldn't, as it was interrupted with more coughs.

She wanted to call the police on this issue and report him for his crime of murdering her fellow workmate and her ill hatred towards the famous idol, Ai.

But she was powerless and helpless at the state she was in, those two bone rattling punches on her midsection took the life out of her.

As the figure left with Hakensu, she remained there on the ground, laying down on the cold surface as she felt the chilly night wind brushing off her. The dark clouds started to slowly fade away, letting the brightness of the stars shine from above. With one hand still clutched on her stomach, she took a deep breath and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. she pondered and had a moment to herself what truly went down, the events occurred and what was about to occur.

A slight bit of relief swelled in her heart, that she won that brutal fight. But still, the news of Gorou's death never suited her right, and it continuously made her feel uneasy, even during their fight. It was something she had to see from her own eyes as proof, otherwise, she wouldn't accept it.

Due to how exhausted she was, she wanted to fall asleep on the spot, but she knew she couldn't, especially not in the middle of the road of nowhere, but she desperately needed some rest.

The clock was about to hit midnight. After 20 minutes of laying down on the ground, she finally had the courage to attempt to stand back up. Though still barely able to walk, her posture imbalanced with one hand pressing her belly, she slowly began to start walking. She stumbled here and there quite frequently as jolts of pain still ravaged down her midsection.

She was persistent in finding out and investigating the reason for Gorou's absence, she wanted to see it for herself, even though it was cold, dark and very late. There were cracks on her stomach with blood leaking from, making her cloth soaked in her crimson fluid, as it also flowed from her lips, indicating that the damage she received is still present.

For a 2 minute walk to Gorou's house, it took Yuki almost 10 minutes. As she arrived at his neighborhood, coming closer to his front door. As her hands were about to reach the door bell, her eyes fell on something she wasn't ready to see.

In that moment, tears flooded from her eyes, as her knees fell on the ground and her heart broke down.
  
“Mmuah!” Ai gives a long loving smooch to Aqua, one of her two newborn angels that she gave birth two days ago, before cuddling him with her nose, her radiant smile present along with her tender and playful touch. Their adorable tiny faces sometimes makes Ai lose her control due how cute they are, and the fact that she carried such beautiful and adorable little angels within her, she feels immensely proud of it.

“T-this really can't be real…” Aqua uttered in his mind, not being able to imagine that fate turned out like this, all while his mother Ai was cuddling and kissing him. No one knew that Aqua, just like Ruby, is also a reincarnation, meaning he died in his previous life. But what's more amusing is that he died seconds before he got reincarnated into Ai’s children. It so happened to be none other than the doctor who was supposed to deliver Ai's kids, Gorou Amemiya.

But instead, he ended up being one of her kids now. Although yes, He was a diehard fan of Ai’s, just like how Sarina was, but he never anticipated reality to ever turn out this way.

“You're such a CUUUTIE~!” Ai squeals, her heart melting as she holds her baby son in her arms, playing with his tiny fingers and smooching him on his cheeks with all her warmth and tenderness as she collides her own cheeks with his.

“Waa~~!” Ai's other little baby girl, Ruby, cries out who was in the hospital crib, demanding for some attention.

“Huh?” Ai shifts her gaze at the crib while she was holding Aqua up high, hearing the cry of her little newborn daughter.

“Ruby~” Ai calls out, her voice laced with affection and tenderness, her motherly smile present as she slowly reaches for the crib and picks up Ruby too. “What’s wrong~? Mama’s right here~” she holds her high, and gives her a smooch on her cheeks too “You got left out didn't you~? You cutie little pookie~” she playfully says to her daughter as she was holding her high in her arm before bringing her closer, rubbing her nose with her daughter’s

“Ai!” A slight grumpy and a stressful voice approaches her hospital room.Her guardian, Ichigo Saitou enters the room with a worried and frustrated expression.

“President?” Ai shifts her gaze to Ichigo who just entered in a panic “Is something the matter?” She says with slight confusion.

But upon Ichigo’s arrival, another nurse also came with him, as if she had something major to reveal. It wasn't Yuki this time.

“Where is Yuki san?” Ai asked the both of them, having no clue what really happened behind the scenes.

“She is in critical condition at the moment, so she is recovering at the emergency room.”

“What?! critical condition?! How so?” Ai asks in a heartbeat, dire to know what caused her to be in a critical condition so suddenly.

The nurse sighed upon sorrow, finding it tough to reveal such an incident.

“She has apparently been in a major incident last night, which resulted in her receiving severe wounds.”

“Can I go see her?” Ai requests.

“No patience are allowed in the emergency room, especially not someone who just gave birth,” The nurse responds.

“Aww~ but she was really nice to me~ I want to see her~” Ai persists like a spoiled teenager.

“That's not what's important right now Ai, there is something far more alarming that we just got informed.” Ichigo enters into the conversation with a dead serious tone, his face expressing no jokes, a sweat dropping from the side of his cheeks

“What's wrong?” Ai inquires cluelessly

“Tch! There is apparently someone who is ruthlessly hunting your blood Ai!” Ichigo yells out with utmost frustration and concern.

“Hunting my blood? Why?” Ai sought for a reason, confused as to why someone would target her.

“I have no idea why, but apparently, the reason that was found was because you murdered his entire family and ruined his life.”

“Ehh?? What nonsense.” Ai brushed off, a frown of bluff planted on her face

“Exactly! in no reality is it even possible for someone like you to do such a thing!” Ichigo yells in utter blasphemy at such a ridiculous and disbelievable claim.

“But that's not all.” The nurse spoke as she intended to relay another major and sad news “But…” she stopped mid way as tears began to roll from her eyes all down to her cheeks, the heaviness of this disclosure breaking her heart. “That same person~ who is hunting you~....

sniff

killed Doctor Gorou…”

“What?!” a jolt ran through Ai’s spine, her eyes widening with utmost shock, her ears refusing to admit to her soul what she had just heard from the nurse. “That can't be true!” She shouts back, not wanting to believe that the kind doctor who took care of her all this time died to someone who was craving for her blood.

Ichigo sighs in depression as he looks down on the floor, his mind mostly concerned about Ai's well being.

“Sadly, that's the reality that we have to accept.” the nurse spoke, sadness and sorrow enveloping her tone, tears still dripping. “Nurse Yuki reported that he died because he didn't tell the person your location in this hospital~” her voice quivered as she relayed more information.

“That can't be~” Ai spoke, her voice laced with sorrow and depression as a frown curved her brows. Such a detrimental incident occurring at this crucial time of her moment of entering motherhood was something she never ever considered. But now she lost her favorite doctor that took care of her so nicely, all because of her.

“Does it mean that… Sensei died right after he left the hospital before my delivery?”

“Apparently so.” The nurse answers.

Hearing this, this was the first time Ai realized just how unpredictable one's death can occur. She started down, her radiant and signature pleasant impression was erased from her face, as she gently put Ruby back to the crib, her eyes gloomy and depressed, realizing what had just taken place.

“So why is Yuki-san injured?” A question that arose in Ai's mind. If all this was reported by Yuki, then how come she is in a critical shape.

“That's because…” she hesitates to reveal what happened to her since she knows the closeness that Ai and Yuki had. “Nurse Yuki had encountered that same person when she went to search for Doctor Gorou. She received detrimental injuries solely because she had to fend off against this aggressive individual.”

“No way~” Ai puts a hand to cover her mouth, horrified by the fact that these severe unfortunate events occurred one after the other. Not only was she shivering because she was frightened about her own self, but now that she just became a mother, she has the biggest responsibility that she must pledge to, and the tension about her own newborn kids instinctively came to her, thinking ahead that ‘what’s going to happen to my kids? What if they get hurt by this unforgiving person who wants to shed my blood?” All these thoughts stormed her mind. Her head aches with all the concerns and worries she was considering about her own kids and herself, knowing that someone is there who wants to harm her really badly. It was vividly clear, just by looking at her face.

“Ai, you don't have to worry too much about it right now. You are safe in the boundaries of the hospital. Yuki san was able to defeat him and chase him off here, so I doubt he is still present in the countryside.” The nurse informs

“Oh so that's why Yuki-san is so badly hurt. But how did she even manage to defeat him?” Ai wondered and asked with genuine curiosity, the fact that a mere kindhearted and soft nurse like Yuki Tsukumo was able to beat someone who killed Gorou Amemiya, and had such a ruthless and aggressive intention. The fact that Yuki was also a skilled fighter had never crossed Ai’s mind, just due to how softly and kindly she took care of her along with Gorou during her pregnancy.

“You may not know this, but Nurse Yuki is also monstrously skillful and powerful. She may seem like just a helpfu and kindl nurse with no astounding physical prowess, but she is by far the strongest person we’ve ever met. It even surprised me too, and till this day, we don't know how or where she learned all her combative prowess from.”

“Woah…” Ai remained shaken from hearing this, with her mouth still open from this revelation. But even then, she was still worried about what would happen after she leaves this hospital.

“But nurse~ what do we do if we leave this place? Just how did the attacker even know I was here~?” Ichigo looked at the  nurse and begged for answers.

“You need to take extra precaution from now on, perhaps you should report this incident to the police, and they might figure something out.” The nurse suggested an advice which of course Ichigo is against because that risks the fact of revealing Ai's kids to the public, and that would destroy his and her career.

“Tch!” Ichigo grits his teeth because that was the type of advise he was looking for

“As for how the attacker knew Ai’s place, Yuki wasn't able to find out at all. And that proves to be somewhat troublesome and dangerous, given it could happen again anytime.”

“RAHHH, this is so frustrating!” Ichigo screams to himself.

“Auwaa! Waua!” As an innocent cry shuts their conversation, coming from the crib. Ai's baby girl Ruby was begging for some attention and love from her mother.

Ai doesn't hesitate a moment to shift her focus to her little baby, and give her the valuable time she deserves.

“Now now Ruby~ Mama is right here~.... Mmuah!” She picks up Ruby, lifts her up and collides her body with her cheeks, rubbing her tiny little face before giving it a nice and long smooch.

Upon receiving the warm and loving kiss of her, Ruby instantly stopped crying and fell asleep once again, but this time her face and her upper body collided with her mother's cheeks and nose and could feel the silky strands of her violet hair brushing her soft and fragile skin. The feeling of her mother's warm breath as it brushes through her tiny face and body, it completely sent her little soul to heaven. Only a mother's touch and her gentle breath can have such an effect on her own child. No one else's affection won't affect her the same way as her mother's affection and love.

Ai closed her eyes as she hugged her baby girl tightly to her face, solely concentrating on the existence and the safety of her newborn daughter. The delicate touch of her daughter’s cheeks and the pureness of her soul eased the tension that was swelling her.

Ai is still very young, becoming a mother at the age of 16, she had a huge responsibility of taking care of children, let alone twins.

She was really proud and happy for this, and considered it being her two greatest gifts ever, so there's no way she'd let her little angels be exposed to danger and harm. She’d protect them at any cost and would sacrifice anything for their safety and pleasure, that was the kind of mindset and motive that was implanted in her the moment she was gifted with pregnancy as she protected her kids inside her womb.

“Don't worry, mama will always be there to protect you, always…” she whispered to her sleeping baby daughter all while she was hugging her very tightly. Ai had her eyes closed. Very rarely, what she whispered to her daughter just now was not a lie, it was a statement that she put her life onto. It wasn't a lie like she usually sprouts.

Knowing the danger that she was put onto which dragged her innocent kids who she just gave birth to. The tight embrace she was holding Ruby calmed her down a bit, a peaceful moment just between a mother and her baby child.

Ichigo and the nurse saw Ai giving her baby daughter her affection and warmth with utmost focus and dedication as she was crying and begging for her mother's love and attention. They realized that her panic impression had disappeared upon feeling the touch of her daughter in her heart. They understood how much she treasured her kids, and they didn't want to disturb her wholehearted moments with her kids that she was initially having before they stormed into her room. They both agreed to leave quietly and let Ai spend her time with her babies that she would cherish in her heart for the rest of her life

Aqua on the other hand, despite being an infant of 2 days, he was the victim of that incident. Not in this body as Ai's newborn baby, but when he was identified as Gorou.

Since he was somehow miraculously revived, he still had a hard time accepting this new found reality as Ai's kids.

The atrocity he endured that night was something he never thought he'd ever experience. In seconds, his life ended as he refused to give that figure the location of Ai.

The more he thought about that night, the more his head hurts, and since he is still an infant, everything inside his body is still extremely sensitive, and he'd subconsciously start to cry and sleep even if he didn't want to.

“Aqua~” Ai calls out to him as she finally opens her eyes and withdraws from her long embrace with Ruby, diverting her attention to her other baby boy.

She reaches him and carries him too, huddling both her kids close to her chest. For the first, she found something that she really loved to do from the bottom of the heart, and that is to feel their tiny, soft and adorable little body's and faces close to her heart, which fills her soul up with tranquility. Being an idol, dancing up and singing on stage is fun and all with your fans shouting and cheering for you, but deep inside, she felt a sense of loneliness, a void in her heart no matter how many people support her and crave for her performance’s.

It doesn't fulfill the satisfaction and tranquility in her heart like it does when she hugs and tightly embraces the two angels that she truly and deeply loves from the bottom of her heart. Just the joy of the touch of her two babies outweighs the joy when all her fans cheer for her, proving how much her two kids mean to her in her life.
  
“Yuki san! Are you feeling any pain?! do you need a pain killer?” One of the nurses asked Yuki who was on the emergency room, laying down on the patient bed, her face expressing a huge amount of agony she is currently undergoing, her frinkly gloomy eyes indicating a great deal of pain and fatigue, her long blonde hair scattered among the bed.

“Uhh~~... Yes please~”  she was barely able to mutter with a weak voice, drained and broken.

As the nurse quickly rushed to get the painkiller, another nurse entered the room with the result of the X-ray.

“Yuki senpai, the X-ray we did to your abdomen resulted in some horrifying damage.” The nurse goes on to relay th details “Your internal organs are terriblly crushed and scattered, including a portion of your intestines too, which resulted in severe internal bleeding. Not only that, but the X-ray showed us that your spine bone is slightly dent and cracked too.”

“Huhh… I expected this much anyway..” Yuki sighs, as her expectation of how much her internal body was damaged was met, something which she wished wouldn't have been the truth.

“We’re very sorry for what happened and sharing this information with you.” The nurse apologizes, as she expresses her sympathy towards Yuki for the detrimental state she is in.

“It's fine~” Yuki replies back with a weak voice.

Once she ate the painkiller that the other nurse brang, it slightly relieved her from the excruciating pain that was drilling her stomach.

“Mako san, can you please pass me my phone.” Yuki politely asked the nurse.

“Sure thing, is it important?”

“It is really important.”

Once the nurse hands over her phone, the first thing she does is goes to her contacts and immediately calls a certain person.

After a few rings, the phone is finally answered

“Yoohoo~ what's go~od Yo~uki~ sen~pai!” The individual shouted as background music blasted everywhere.

“G-gojo~?! Are you drinking in a bar again~!?”

Yuki spoke, trying to raise her weak voice.

“Hehh~~!!! Wh~o sa~id I'm drin~king?!” Gojo replied back, completely lost in another world.

“Yeah you're definitely drunk.” Yuki confirms.

“Hah~! Keep dre~aming.” Gojo responds, barely able to keep his words straight.

“Anyhow, this is urgent Gojo, so please, listen carefully.”

“Go~ ah~ead!”

“Huhh…” Yuki sighs, inhaling a deep breath to cool her mind before speaking “There is someone who is currently being chased and hunted down by a very strong group of people, and she desperately needs someone to protect her and fend off against these people.” She spoke with urgency and desperation

“Awh~ well that's to~o bad~ what do y~ou want m~e to do with it?” Gojo responds to her appeal with barely any care or importance, as his mind was still occupied in the bar

“So I want
you…
! Mr “
Strongest
” to be her temporary bodyguard until we know she is safe from any harm!” Yuki shouts back, sort of irritated from Gojo's carefree impression to her urgent request.

“Wh~o is… Mr Strongest~?” Gojo questions, irritating Yuki even more.

“The guy who lost to Sukuna so badly he lost all his motivation for saving and helping the weak- oh I my bad, he
became the weak
himself and declared it to everyone else with his helpless actions, guess I should forget asking.” Yuki taunts back.

“
Who is weak?
” Gojo's tone completely changed, deep and heavy, his drunken state disappearing entirely as he was pissed off from Yuki's mock towards his ego.

“Tch,” Yuki chuckles. “That's more like it.”

“
Who needs protection?
”

“It's that girl who you once met the first time you came here, remember? She became an idol.”

“Oh… you mean Ai Hoshino?”

“Yes her, and what's more surprising that you probably didn't know about is the fact that she became a mother 2 days ago.”

“She WHAT?!”

“Yes I know, please don’t tell this to anyone, it's a top secret. It is quite the shock, but that's the more reason why I need someone strong and dependable to protect her, her newborn babies are now exposed in grave danger, so she is in desperate need for someone who could keep her children and herself safe.”

“...”

“So please, accept this request for me. She just had babies, and her heart is filled with pride for becoming a mother. I don't want harm to disrupt the peace and tranquility she just got blessed with~” Yuki begs Gojo to be her bodyguard.

“...” Gojo pondered more about this proposal. “How strong are they?”

“I've fought the main one and he nearly bested me. I'm left in critical condition now, so I need someone who is stronger than me to take this responsibility. There could be someone else stronger than him who is behind all this dramatic delusion.”

“Then… I don't think I can accept this request.”

“What?! How can you say that?!” Yuki growled in frustration “You were the one who saved her first when she was a little girl, there's no one else who serves more right to protect her than you, Gojo!”

“Uhh…” Gojo sighs in slight bothersome “I'm not available just like that y’know, I'ma busy man. If it was just one guy who needed beating up, then maybe I would've taken up this job, but a gang? Unfortunately that's too much for my schedule.”

“What could be more important than her?!”

“I have an interview tomorrow about the role of the antagonist I'll be acting in the upcoming film, I won't have spare time for anyone else.”

“Screw your acting! Understand what holds more priority, Gojo!”

“I do though!”

“Rrrgh…!”

“I'm not saying I won't be able to provide her with someone who is capable of protecting her though.”

“What are you saying? That someone else besides you should protect Ai?”

“Yeah, don't worry, I can organize someone to hold the responsibility.” Gojo affirms.

“But… is there really anyone out there who can truly protect her?” Yuki expresses her doubts, only entrusting someone like Gojo to take this job.

“Of course! Don't stress on all that, he is really trustworthy and strong.”

“Uhh…” Yuki sighs with distress, unsure about Gojo's decision, but in the end, she had nothing to do but trust him. “Fine. But if anything happens to her, even a single scratch to her, especially her adorable little kids, I'm going to kill you.” Yuki warns with a dead serious tone.

“Scaary~” Gojo sarcastically says before cutting the call.

“Oh my gosh…” Yuki falls back to the bed, taking some deep and heavy breaths to cool herself from all the stress that was circling in her mind.

“Gojo you darn brat… can't take anything seriously now on because you are a “professional actor” huh? My butt.” She rants to herself about Gojo's carefreeness. It was right after that a jolt of pain joined Yuki’s ranting as it drilled through her lower abdomen in unendurable agony.

“Aarck!!” She squeals, gritting her teeth to fight the pain.  “If only I had reverse curse technique… I would've healed this in no time…” she regrets not having cursed energy anymore, because that took away her ability to heal herself and other people. If there was anything she’d miss about not having cursed energy in this world, it's the fact that she is unable to use reverse curse technique.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“How are your injuries? I heard they were really bad” Ai asks Yuki, quite concerned for her after hearing that she battled the aggressive individual that was hunting her blood and got severely wounded.

She and Yuki sat around a small table in her room to converse more about Ai’s safety and her precaution. Ruby and Aqua were asleep in their crib, so Yuki got this chance to sit down and talk to her with a bunch of topics in mind while she wasn't busy treating her babies.

“Eh, I’m doing alright. It does hurt here and there but it should be manageable.” Yuki reassures, even though her tone was downplaying the severity of her wounds.

“So did you see sensei after you beat him?” Ai inquires about Gorou’s death.

“Yeah,” Yuki nods, though in a saddened tone, unable to get herself through what she saw “Gorou san was…”

In the midst of Yuki explaining and describing Gorou Amemyia’s brutal death, Ruby, who was secretly awake, was able to hear their conversation, since her crib was right beside where Ai was sitting.

At first, she didn’t take their conversation seriously, but the more she overheard their discussion the more she heard the name ‘Gorou’ being spouted in their talk.

“Sensei…!” Ruby wanders in her mind. “This place… it must be the hospital where sensei worked!!” slight excitement flows in her tiny body upon the realization that she is in the hospital where her beloved doctor, Gorou Amemiya works. “I can tell! This must be the same room where I was!!” She notices the similarities, as far as her little eyes can see through the room. “I want to see sensei now!!”

She decides to peep into Ai’s and Yuji’s conversation a bit more, since they are definitely talking about Gorou Amemiya. But… What she heard from their talk was something she’d never ever wanted to hear.

“W-wait what?! No… you gotta be kidding me! Sensei was supposed to give the delivery to mama?! But he…”

“...he was missing limbs from his body, and there was blood all over his face.” Yuki informs Ai, her heart still trembling from seeing that gruesome sight.

Ai gasps, her fear increasing even more as she gains a gauge how gruesome this individual is. When she visualizes this attacker meeting her with his unforgiving intentions and what he might do to her and her kids, it makes her skin crawl.

“There’s no way… sensei… no… It can’t be, it can't be!!! NOO!!!” Baby Ruby breaks down inside, realizing what had just occurred, a full on storm blowing right inside her little mind, so much so that it made feel like her sensitive newborn head was about to bust.

As the news of her beloved sensei’s demise reached her ears, it was only then the heart melting and most cherished memories started to float in her eyes, the days where Gorou made her darkest moments into a fury of laughter and joy, how everyday he used to spare some time to talk to her. Those moments would remain treasured in her heart for all eternity. As the weight of reality settled upon her, she found herself lost on the brink of despair as she was about to burst into tears.

“WAAAA!!!” This was the loudest Ruby had screamed yet, her cry echoing through the room. Ai skipped a beat, hearing such a gut-wrenching cry from her baby daughter, shaking the core of her soul. She and Yuki, who were having a conversation about that incident, got disturbed by Ruby’s heartbreaking screams.

Ai was first to reach her daughter’s aid, gently carrying her up from the shoulders, her cheeks red from the force of her screaming.

“Ruby~ What’s wrong?” Ai wonders what could she be crying so loud for. She thought she had lulled her to sleep, so her sudden outrage made her slightly confused and worried.

Yuki, who arrived shortly after, thought that she must be feeling some kind of pain inside her body, so she went and double checked. Ai gave Ruby to Yuki who examined her, all while Ruby was unleashing screams and cry that was further making Ai’s heart tremble in worryness.

“Is something wrong?” Ai asks Yuki with concern for her daughter, who was checking her out if anything is wrong with her.

“Uhh… I didn’t find anything wrong… perhaps, she is just crying because she needs some attention.” Yuki informs, but she notices Ai’s frustrated impression. “Don’t worry Ai, all babies cry, even though there isn’t any particular reason.” She tries to ease her.

But Ruby’s crying was different. It wasn’t for any reason. It definitely had one. Her crying was the result of the unbearable sadness and sorrow her tiny heart was engulfed in. When a baby usually feels these motions, they subconsciously fall into tears and screams. In Ruby’s case, it was extreme, as she just heard the disclosure of one of the dearest and closest people to her, passing away in such a brutal manner.

Yuki gave Ruby back to Ai, as she then tried to calm her down by gently shaking and swinging her around in her arms.

“Ruby~ why are you crying like this?, there is no one who will hurt you~” Ai speaks with her, but that doesn’t stop Ruby from her heart-wrenching screams. Having no idea why Ruby was crying like this, Ai embraces Ruby close to her chest in the midst of her cry, closing her eyes and lending her warmth and closeness to her heartbroken daughter.

Despite being in a fury of sadness and sorrow, Ruby found solace in Ai's soft and silky strands of hair grazing her skin, she could feel her warmth of her breath and the tenderness as her forehead pressed on her mother's chin, and her rhythmic heartbeats vibrating on her ears as she rests on her chest.

The more Ruby absorbed Ai’s motherly affection, the more her crying decreased. She found solace in the arms of her mother. noticed that hugging Ruby close to her started to calm her down.

After a while of swinging around and humming melodic tones for her daughter, she once again pulled her close to her, pressing a long, tender smooch on Ruby's forehead, a silent promise of love and protection, replacing her screams with a sense of peace and tranquility. Ai was successfully able to succumb her Ruby to slumber with the gifted power she got as a mother.

“Ai…” Ichigo calls out as he gently and quietly enters her hospital room, wanting to have conversation with her alone.

He spotted Ai on the bed, carrying Ruby who was sleeping cozily in her arms, whereas Aqua was on the crib, also asleep.

She turned her gaze to Ichigo, diverting her attention away from her sleeping baby that she was caressing and softly patting after her sudden outbreak of heart wrenching screams.

“Hm?”

Ichigo went further inside the room and took a chair to sit next to the bed that Ai was resting on.

“Ai, is everything alright?” He first asks, obviously, as her legal guardian and as someone who he views as his own daughter, his first concern would obviously be concerned of her health and well being before everything else.

“Mhm, everything is alright, is something wrong?” Ai answers with one of her typical lies. She may look to be alright, but deep down, she is mentally distressed and nowhere near to be “alright” at all. Her heart aches to imagine what would happen to her kids if she encounters this gruesome aggressive individual who is hunting her down. As a mother who has newborn babies, she just can't rest easy anymore, and her mind always goes back to the safety and protection of her children.

Since the time she got notified of Gorou's death, she couldn't sleep at all since then and would imagine the attacker coming to the hospital to attack her and her kids. The only real way she gets peace and tranquility is by spending time alone with her two babies, hugging them, kissing them and cuddling them. That was the only source for her heart to get some rest.

“Well then, what do you think about continuing being an idol?”

“...” Ai’s face slightly dimmed down, her eyes narrowing down in deep thoughts, a swell of fear entering her heart, unsure of her decision. “...I'm not sure.” she replied.

When she first arrived at the hospital, she was confident and happy in continuing her idol career, but upon learning what occurred these recent days, it shook the core of her heart and was engulfed in uneasiness for the safety of her newborn children, to the point where she lost her motivation and confidence in continuing her idol career, solely because of the risk of exposing her kids in danger.

“Don't worry, everything will be fine just the way it was!” Ichigo reassures, trying to calm Ai's uneasiness down.

“But…” Ai hesitates. “What if… my kids got hurt because of the attacker~” Her voice was laced with slight emotion as she spoke with deep concern just like how any mothers would as they consider the safety of their baby child first before anything else.

“About that, Nurse Yuki spoke to me about your safety, and she said that there will be someone who will always be on the lookout for the safety of you and your kids. And we'll be here too, to prevent anything from happening” Ichigo spoke in a reassuring time, to convince Ai to not drop her career in which she worked so hard for.

Ai's gaze shifts back to her baby Ruby that was peacefully sleeping in her arms which carried affection and warmth for the baby to feel comfort in her slumber. She lifts her slightly higher and closer to her face, staring at the baby infant that she gave birth with her utmost attention, her eyes blistering at the cuteness of her baby as the visuals of her little angels getting brutally harmed pops up in her eyes once again.

Her frown gets worse as she just can't let go of this possibility, before turning towards Ichigo and placing Ruby's sleeping tiny body to rest on her chest and shoulders

“If it means my babies are going to get hurt, I won't be continuing being an idol, no matter what anyone tells me! The safety of my children comes first before anything else!”

She declares firmly and persistently, prioritizing what she cared about and what mattered in her heart the most. And without a second thought, what mattered the most in her heart, more than anything else combined, was her kids. Perhaps their cute faces and their tiny bodies is what made Ai want to treasure them so badly, and considering this is what she has wished for anyway. To become a mother.

“Of course, no one would get hurt Ai~! I promise” Ichigo calms her down.

Ichigo also thought about this possibility and the consequences for Ai being exposed in the media once again once she returns. Now that he got alarmed someone is after her blood, being an idol exposes tremendously, and it gives the attacker a huge chance to figure out his next move to come after her. That's not even including the fact they have no clue how he even got to know she was staying in this countryside.

But even considering this, Ichigo still had the urge to continue Ai’s career as an idol. She was a masterpiece he found and nurtured, he could see boiling potential within her, and he didn't want it to finish when she could rise so much higher. He wants to see her as a future idol that hooks the world's attention like a magnet. His dream of lighting up the dome with light sabers won't become a reality if she stops her career right here. After all this hard work, ending it right here does seem to prove to be an extremely difficult and a painful decision.

This is why Ichigo took extra precaution, ensuring that no harm would be done to Ai and her newborn kids as they continue with what they were doing. Yuki was a very understanding person for him to consult to, so she ensured everything would be fine and safe for Ai when she goes back to Tokyo and proceeds her career as an idol without having a headache and stress to worry about her family.

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, spreading its gleaming light throughout the city, casting an orange and pinkish haze in the sky. Sparks of sunlight pierced through the curtains of the apartment that Ai was peacefully sleeping with her two adorable kids, Aqua and Ruby as they huddled tightly within her arms and chest, absorbing the tender and motherly warmth their mother Ai was providing as they were cocooned very closely.

Today was the first day for Aqua and Ruby's kindergarten. Ai’s slumber was first to break, her eyes twitching slightly as the sleepiness of her vision was still present. She noticed their room glowing up, indicating that the sun is rising.

As her vision started to get more clear, she could sense and feel her kids still in deep slumber as their little bodies were still nestled really closely to hers.

A gentle chuckle escaped her lips, seeing her adorable kids sleeping peacefully with her. She carefully got out of the bed, ensuring to not disturb her kids' slumber, and made her way to the bathroom to refresh herself.

As she got back, she slowly and gently started to wake up her beloved ones.

“Ruby~ Aqua~ guess what day it is? It's your first day in kindy~” she spoke softly, her voice gentle and charming “So wake up or else you'll be late~” she bends down her back to meet her kids level, her tender smile present as she very delicately strokes Ruby’s arm.

“Wakey wakey~ we can't be late on our first day~”

“Mhmmm~” Ruby answers her mother's call half asleep.

“Ahahaha!” She chuckles, seeing Ruby's stubbornness in waking up early for kindy. This gave her a sense of normality in her and her kids, something normal that she wants to see in her kids.

Aqua was the first to wake up between the two. Slowly opening his eyes with a few twitches before his vision started to become clear.

“Good morning Aqua~!”  Ai vibrantly greets her little son after he wakes up from his slumber.

Aqua simply replies back with yawn, trying to keep his eyes open and to fight off his sleepiness.

“You had a good sleep didn't you~?” Ai remarks with a kind and gentle tone.

“I guess~” Aqua responds, his voice still weak and sleepy, but that's when he was met with a warm morning embrace from her mother, wrapping her arms around his little boy, pulling him towards her chest and cuddling his blonde hair.

He was taken aback by this sudden hug from Ai, his cheeks becoming red from the closeness with his mother, but deep down, he loved and treasured these warm and cosy hugs from his mother. The coziness of her arms wrapping him up, her rhythmic heartbeats as his head leans on her chest, the delicate touch of her silky violet hair strands grazing his skin, and the warmth of her mother's breath as brushes off his forehead which purifies his soul, there was no better feeling than this at all.

These were the moments Aqua cherished the most with Ai, the sudden and random hugs and cuddles Ai gives to her kids, it was certainly heart touching.

“Mmuah!” Ai delivers a loving smooch on Aqua’s forehead, or you can call this a ‘morning kiss’ by your mother. “Now, today is your guys first day in kindy, we can't be late~” she spoke softly “Why don't you wash your face while I wake up Ruby?~” Ai requests kindly.

“Mhm.” Aqua nods and makes his way to the bathroom, whereas Ai now fully focuses on waking up Ruby.

“Ruby~ Ruby ~” Ai gently touches Ruby's shoulders and pushes it very softly. “It's time to wake up, or else you'll be late~”

“I'm awake~” Ruby replies, still in a sleeping position.

“Hmm~ let's see if this would work.”

Ai decides to use a new trick to see if it would work to wake Ruby up completely. Standing back straight and putting her hands on her hips, right in front Ruby, she attempts this new idea she thought of on the spot a go, and see if it'll work.

“Ruby~ if you sit up in 5 seconds, you get to cuddle mama as much as you want~”

As soon as those words entered Ruby's ears, not even a second passed by, as Ruby leaped up from the bed like a rocket, directly aiming for her mother's stomach that was right in front of her, launching her face deep inside her super soft flesh.

“Woaho~!” Ai staggered back by shock, nearly losing her balance, her eyes and mouth opening wide as she felt the force of Ruby's face sinking inside her stomach like a magnet pulling a plunge.

Blowing Ai's expectations out the roof, Ruby didn't even hesitate or waste a single second of this precious time, because she knows very well that when it comes to cuddling her mother, there is nothing else that even comes close to bringing her as much joy as this.

She didn't stop there, as soon as she drilled her face a fair deep inside her mothers soft belly, she rapidly shook her head, rubbing it left to right, getting to feel every soft and delicate organ inside Ai’s stomach.

Ai on the other hand, bursted into uncontrollable laughter, barely able to maintain her composure once Ruby got a good hold of her stomach,

“Hahahahaha~!! Ruhubhey~ hahaha! Stahahap!!”

The drills and jiggles inside her stomach made her unable to speak. In response, Ruby shakes her head even more, pressing it deeper in her umbilical region.

This continued for a good minute, until Ruby was satisfied to her heart's content. Ai on the other hand was breathing heavily, belly red from those deep cuddling.

Placing a hand on her stomach, she sat down next to Ruby, seeing her all satisfied and enthusiastic.

“Whaw Ruby~ you turned Mama's tummy all into jelly~” She playfully exclaimed, her breath nearly recovered with her radiant motherly smile present.

“Teehee~” Ruby in response to her mother, gives a cheeky wide smirk, exposing her teeth. “You did say I get to cuddle you as much as I want~” she reminds Ai about her own words.

“True~” Ai remembers, looking to the side with her index finger placed on her chin, expressing a thinking face “But as long as it wakes you up instantly, mama doesn't mind a good morning cuddle~ hehe~” Ai vibrantly said to Ruby with a pleasant smile, as she pats her head with tenderness and affection.

“This new trick worked like a charm~! I'm such a smart mum~! I'm going to use this every time!” Ai says to herself with pride and joy, a wide shell smile implanted on her. Even though her stomach will have to go through an earthquake every time she has to resort to this new wake up technique, it's not like she minds at all, rather her heart fills up with affection and love for Ruby whenever her stomach receives such a loving cuddle from her.

As Aqua and Ruby woke up and refreshed themselves, Ai wore their uniforms, and tidied them up, making sure they look neat and cute.

“You two look soo cute~! Cuter than cute~!” Ai bends down, complimenting her little ones, completely taken away by their cuteness.

“Still not as cute as you~ mama.”  Ruby praises back

“Tch, what rivalry are you two even having?” Aqua notices their competing vibe.

“Aqua… Ruby…” Ai called out their names once more, gaining their attention as they both turned towards their mother, yet at the same time, she felt this uneasiness.

“I…” She was about to say something, but she stopped herself, unsure if she should really say these words. Doubts in her mind filled all over, the possibility of it being a lie shook her heart to the core.

During her pause, Miyako and Ichigo entered her apartment, ready to drop Aqua and Ruby to kindy.

“Are the kids ready?” Ichigo asks, his tone rushed and hasty.

“U-oh, yup! They’re all ready!” Ai affirms.

“Great, let's hope on and get going.”

“Alright~” Ai says as she brings her twins closer to her one last time, giving each of them a kiss to their forehead before waving then goodbye and good luck for their first day in preschool.

As Miyako’s car leaves off, Ai's face expresses slight disappointment.

“Hah…” she sighs “I wasn't able to say it again…”
  
“Good morning class~” Mrs Chandra greeted the class with vibrancy.

“Good morning Mrs Chandra!” The class greets her with enthusiasm.

“Today~, you guys have two new friends who are joining us~” she says with a soft voice “Aqua, Ruby, come inside.”

Aqua and Ruby enters the classroom, seeing a bunch of students sitting on the mat, all of their gazes focused on them.

Both of them were shy and quite nervous entering the class, given that they are now the centre of everyone's attention.

“Everyone~ please welcome them nicely and treat them like your friend~” Mrs Chandra tells the classroom.

“And as for you two, Aqua and Ruby, I have a special friend for you to guide you around this area.” The teacher told them two, before calling out the name of their friend she chose for them.

“Itadori Yuuji~”

“Yes!”

The boy stood up immediately after his name was called.

“Can you please give Aqua and Ruby a little tour around this place? And also be their first special friend.”

“Alright.”

It’s been several months since Aqua and Ruby enrolled into preschool. Ruby was the more social one out of the two and was able to make a few friends. Aqua on the other hand was more nerdy type, and usually sits in a corner and read novels that no other kid could even read a word from. Since of course, Aqua is technically an adult, his vocabulary and knowledge is far more vast than any other kids.

“Onii chan! Let's go to the slides!” Ruby grabs Aqua’s hand and drags him along with her to the park with enthusiasm boiling within her, her eagerness palpable.

“Fiine~” Aqua replies, his tone impassive, showing no interest at all. He grabbed the novel he was in the midst of reading before Ruby pulled up to get him, so that he can spend the time finishing it while Ruby enjoys herself.

She climbs up the stairs and launches herself into the slide with a bright and wide smile. Aqua opened his book from where it was bookmarked and started reading from there at the edge.

However, what those two didn’t know was that at the same park they were in, there were a few nasty kids who always flows with ill intention towards other kids, and as a group, they were the most feared among the school.

‘DHUMB’

Aqua’s book flew off his hand that got kicked by someone who he wasn’t aware of and slammed onto the tree he was leaning against. 3 boys, of similar age, circled in front of him. They’re more taller and muscular then the other kids in the school, hence why everyone’s scared of them.

“What was that for?” Aqua asked, aggravated that they disrupted his peaceful reading. He didn’t seem afraid of them at all, and was rather irritated at their presence.

“Why is someone so nerdy like you here in this school huh?!” One of them teased him.

“You got a problem?” Aqua retaliates back, his tone unthreatened.

“Yes I do.” The boy replies back “You make us all look dumb.”

“Ok?”

“What do you mean okay?! You think we’re gonna just gonna stand by it?!”

“What should I do about it?”

“Get lost.”

“I can’t do that.”

‘THAM’

One of the boys kicked Aqua directly in his face, making his head slam on the tree too.

Ruby noticed this from afar and immediately rushed to her brother's side.

“Hey! What do you think you're doing!?” she growled furiously, running towards the group of boys that just kicked Aqua.

“Oh look, it's his sister! We should give her a nice kick too~” One of the boys suggests, their intentions filled with ruthlessness.

“Ruby, stay back!” Aqua yells, demanding Ruby to not come near them, in which she stops in her tracks.

“Huh?” Ruby said confusedly, wondering why Aqua told her to stop.

“Shut up!” The other boy shuts Aqua down as he kicks him again in his shoulder.

“Rrgh! Stop kicking my brother!!” Ruby screams at them with distraught, unable to bear what they are doing to her elder twin brother.

“Oh yeah, then do something about it!” One of the boys taunts her, a grin grazing his face.

“Tch!” Ruby grits her teeth, tempted to step in, but that’s when someone else steps in for her.

“I’ll do something about it.” A voice emerges inside the boy's circle. They weren’t aware that someone else came up to them when all 3 of them were looking and teasing at Ruby. All 3 of them turned around to Aqua’s direction, and there they saw a boy standing up in front of Aqua, facing them with a fearless gaze.

“Yuji?” Aqua notices Yuji intervening in the group of boys. “Don’t, you’re gonna get hurt.” Aqua advises Yuji to let it go. He doesn’t think he is capable of fending off 3 of the bigger boys of the kindergarten.

“You think you are tough?” One of the boys approached as he was about to swing his fist.

But the difference in skill and strength between Yuji and everyone else was so massive, they couldn’t even begin to compare to him in fighting capability. He swiftly dodges his strike and lands a thunderous counter with his fist sinking into his face.

Before the other two could even comprehend what just occurred, Yuji takes this chance to kick one of the other boys right at the solar plexus and grabs the last person by its arm and slams him on the floor with a Judo technique.

Aqua and Ruby stared at him blank, completely speechless after witnessing Yuji’s unbelievable fighting skills.

“Are you alright Aqua?” Yuji turns around to Aqua who was still sitting and leaning back on the tree.

“U-yeah, I’m fine, just a little bruise.”
  
“Yo! Shinji! Any update?”

Gojo asks his close friend that he made in this world which he favored the responsibility to secretly protect Ai.

“Uh huh, apparently, from what he said with his own mouth, he and Ai apparently met when they were little kids. He said that in that encounter, he treated Ai in an ill manner, and hurt her. But he was stopped by someone strong and got beat up.”

“He hurt Ai when they were kids… and stopped by someone strong…” Gojo mutters to himself, visualizing what he is recalling back what happened on the day he got reincarnated in this world. He remembers a boy hitting Ai devastatingly on her abdomen, forcing her to collapse to the ground, and he also remembers himself stopping that kid from further drilling down on to her injured midsection, and giving him a nice wack which sent him flying back a couple meters.

“Could it be…”

His mental monologue got interrupted as Shinji relays more information

“But the doubtful part of this story is that he claims that Ai ordered an assassin to brutally murder his mother and his entire neighborhood.”

“Bullshit…” Gojo utters in ridicule “There's no way Ai would do anything like that.” He exclaims, refusing to accept such blasphemy.

“I know, there's definitely context to the murder incident of her mother, what I believe is, he was deceived into thinking Ai was the culprit by some mastermind.”

“Mastermind?”

“Yeah, there's also one more thing,”

“That is?”

“It seems this individual, Hakensu, is accompanied by a large power, and from the looks of it, the head of that large power is the mastermind who deluded him.”

“Hah…” Gojo sighs bothersomely. “It looks like it's gonna be a pain in the ass to solve this problem.”

“Yeah…if it was just one person, I don't mind giving him a nice beating myself to end the issue once and for all.”

“If it was that simple, I could've done it myself.”.

“Anyways, how was Malaysia?” Shinji inquired.

“It was fantastic!” Gojo responds with enthusiasm “The food was the best though, and Suguru nearly died from the spice, Haha!”

“Tchahahaha~ share the photos with me once you get the chance yeah?”

“You bet!”

Their conversation ends as Gojo cuts the call. He heard a bell ringing, not so far from a brick pillar he was leaning against, in which he could tell that it's sometimes for the kindergarten kids from the kindergarten that is close by where he is.

“Hmm…” He ponders deeply about who could really be targeting Ai. “They met when they were kids, and someone stopped them, there's just no other person besides him…!” He just couldn't think of anyone else having a grudge like this against Ai besides that one little kid he smacked 8 years ago.

“Ahh~!! This is making my head hurt, I'ma just forget about all this.” Gojo utters irritatedly as he finishes his drink and chucking it away in the rubbish bin right beside him.

As he was about to make his leave, a child's voice called his name.

“Gojo sensei?” The voice itself was confused and questioned what he was really seeing.

“Huh?” Gojo turns around, his face still in an annoyed expression, but it didn't stay long as it changed into a shocking disclosure

“Y~Yuuji!!??” He shouts.

“Haa~” Yuji opens his mouth wide open with a smile, barely able to absorb this encounter, his inner joy and relief blowing out of the roof. “Sensei~ is this really you?!”

Both of them shook beyond words, staring at each other for a couple of seconds. Though Yuji is only 4 years old, it's not like Gojo couldn't recognise his features.

“Sensei!!!”

“Yuujiii!!!”

They both screamed with joy, despite being in the middle of the streets. Yuji leaps into the air, as Gojo embraces him with a hug, a touching student and teacher reunion.

“What's the haps?! And why are you like this?!” Gojo inquires, completely shocked by Yuji’s appearance in this form.

“I'm not sure! But whatever the case is, Sensei you are alive!!”

Yuji cries as he rubs his face on Gojo’s clothes, unable to hide his emotions. Especially considering he saw Gojo’s brutal death on screen against Sukuna. The fact that he now sees his favorite sensei, well and healthy, brought him to tears.

“You're seriously going to kindy?!?!” Gojo shows his flabbergastation, questioning why Yuji of all people is going to a toddler school.

“Why else would I go if it weren't for my age.” Yuji answers.

“Haha! Shame kiddo!!!” Gojo mocks, pointing a finger at him like a child would to shame someone, even though Gojo is 24 years old. “I get to boss you around whenever I feel like it!” he jokingly taunts.

“Tch, yeah yeah as if you can~!” Yuji  retaliates back, trying to put on the big boy act.

‘SMACK’

Without even a warning, a slap planted a red mark on Yuji's cheeks.

“BHUAHAHA!” Gojo laughs immaturely, as he slaps Yuji in the face.

“What was that for?!” Yuji grunts, fighting off the sting of the slap.

“My greeting.” Gojo replies with a wide smirk.

“Is that how you greet someone after meeting them for 9 years?!”

“Do something about it!” Gojo tilts his head, his smirk getting larger, provoking a fight.

“Alright you asked for it!”

As Yuji then charged at Gojo with his fist pulled back, he got stopped by Gojo's two fingers as it was pinned on his forehead. Due to their different reach, Yuji couldn't even come close to hitting Gojo.

“Ha! Do you really think a toddler like you can do anything to me~” Gojo taunts even more, utilizing this chance to mock Yuji's appearance in this world as a little child to his satisfaction.
  
Gojo spared some time to catch up with his beloved student, Yuji Itadori. He took him to a VIP botanical garden, a mind blowing place to visit, where they sat on a bench surrounded by green, next to a fascinating park and a cafe.

He bought two milkshakes and fries to share with Yuji as they leisurely spend their time on the park bench to catch up, enjoying the cold and chilly breeze along with scenery of the garden that refreshes one's mind.

“Wooah~ just what kind of place is this? It's beautiful~” Yuji uttered in amusement, astonished at what the picturesque view of the garden his eyes was capturing.

“This is what you call a secret paradise~” Gojo pridefully describes. “It's a VIP treatment.” He exclaims.

“It's so quiet and peaceful, just what have you been up to all this time, Sensei?”

Yuji inquired, wanting to ask this time all this time.

“Ahh~ where should I start…”  he leans back on the bench and sticks his legs out on a small pillar, making himself comfortable for a long talk with his beloved pupil.

“When I first came to this world, I was kind of… lost, I'd say. Everyone gets lost when they first enter into something new.”

“Uh huh.”

“But, adjusting into this world was easier than I thought.”

“Really?’

“Yup, but that was mostly due to the help of my best friend who also got reincarnated here before me.”

“Best friend? Who is that?” Yuji asked, curiosity building inside him.

“Oh you don't know? We even went to jujutsu high together, Suguru Geto.”

“W-wait!” Yuji leaps up from his seat as a realization crosses his mind “If he also got reincarnated here who is from the jujutsu world, and you also getting reincarnated here sensei, does it mean… that perhaps maybe other sorcerers who got killed are also hear?” He asks, hoping for this possibility to be true.

“Of course!” Gojo affirms him. “I even have contacts with Nanami and Yuki senpai.”

Yuji gasps upon this disclosure, his eyes getting blurry as the mention of Nanami enters his ears.

“Nanami~!?”

Yuji remembers Nanami’s death back in Shibuya from the curse Mahito, which planted a permanent hole in his heart.

“Mhm! We even had coffee together a few days ago! I'll have to let him know about you too the next time I meet him. In fact, I'll bring him here one day.

“Thanks sensei~!”

“My pleasure~”

“But… the fact that you're a mere child, it'll make the public view us weirdly if someone sees us hanging around with a little kid like you.”

“True…” Yuji admits this fact in a depressed tone.

“Speaking of this, just when did you reincarnate here in this world…? and, how did you die?”

“...” Yuji stares blankly at the garden, “...I don't remember…”

“I see…”

Gojo didn't press him too much on his previous life, he knew from the very beginning that Yuji suffered his entire life by being Sukuna’s vessel, and he doesn't want to remind him of his detrimental past and how he killed innocents without his consent.

“So you were just born as a toddler or something? Or do you have parents here?”

“I came here when I was 3. It's been about one and a half years since I spawned into this world. I didn't have any parents or any guardian that would look after me.”

“So you’ve been living alone this whole time?!”

“Mhm…” Yuji nods.

“That's tough!”

“But it's fine, I'm used to it anyway.”

“Nah but still, you're just a kid.”

“Yeah but technically I'm still 16, so I'm fine, my age here doesn't matter.”

“Yes it does~! Why are you taking it the harsh way huh?! I’m old enough to be your legal guardian, y'know how cool it'd be?!”

“I mean… I guess… if it doesn't give you any trouble.”

“Oh but… I'll barely be here in Tokyo… So uhhh…” Gojo realizes his absence here in the city, making him unable to raise and be Yuji's guardian.

“Why would you be absent?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you this, but I'm a traveler now.”

“Woah~ so do you mean, you are exploring the world?” Yuji asks in amusement and curiously.

“Yup! I've already been to 38 different countries!”

“Hahh~!!! Then can you take me with you?!” He asks desperately.

“You see~ i’d love to but sadly, I'm not allowed to~ you're still an infant.”

“Awwh.” Yuji mourns with depression and sorrow.

“But don't worry, I visit here frequently, and now that I know that
you're
here, I'll make sure to come here often, just to spend more time with you, I promise~”

Gojo said with empathy for his student, patting his back like a caring teacher and giving his oath to him with a reassuring smile. This lifted Yuji’s hopes up, now that he met Gojo, his one and only inspiration back in his previous world, and one of the people who he puts his faith into.

“So sensei~ have you been traveling this entire time when you came~?” Yuji inquires.

“Nuh huh. Actually, I started traveling rather recently. It's been only 3 years since I started exploring the world.”

“Oh, so what were you doing before that? A martial arts teacher?’ Yuji guessed, considering Gojo was known for his strength, the first thing that would come to his mind would be something fighting related, in which he couldn't be any wrong.

“Haha! No way!” Gojo chuckles upon Yuji’s guess, but understands where he is coming from. “I was an actor, in fact, a professional one too, to be exact.”

“Woah~ Gojo sensei as an actor?”

“Yup! Have you seen any of my movies?” He asked Yuji.

“Nope, please tell me!” Yuji begged.

“Oh boi, then you're in for a ride! We'll watch it together!”

“Hahaha!” Yuji laughs in joy, thrilled to watch a movie where his sensei plays a prominent role.

Yuji and Gojo spend the rest of the day, from the afternoon, passing the sunset, and all the way till late night, together. Watching movies, making jokes, playing games and everything else that would make each other happy. It was certainly a memorable day for Yuji in this world, perhaps the best day he had yet.

But what Gojo doesn't know is the fact that Yuji also became very close friends with Ai's children who had recently joined his kindergarten a few months ago. He is also a huge fan of hers too in general. Gojo may figure this out eventually as he continues to get along with Gojo.

“So this is your apartment?”  Gojo asks Yuji as he guides him to his apartment in the late hours of the night after spending a memorable time together.

“Yeah,”

“Seems kinda dead here.”

“Yeah, this street is a bit quiet and there isn't much activity here.”

“Well, quieter, the better.” Gojo remarks. “Alright, I'll see ya again, Yuji!” He waves as Yuji leaves to enter his building.

“Mhm! Thank you very much for the time, Sensei!” Yuji waves back, expressing his gratitude to Gojo.

“Don't mention it! Call me anytime if you wanna do it again!”

“Haha! Alright, good night sensei!”
  
It was 8 PM in the evening. Another usual stressful and tiring day Ai had to endure. She arrives home drained and washed, her shoulders heavy and fatigued from all the rehearsals she had to practice with the other B Komachi members.

“I’m home~~” she opens the door, greeting with an exhausted tone as she enters her apartment house.

But as she walks further inside, she was greeted with a blooming fury of enthusiasm and wholehearted liveliness, replacing her drained aura into a high uplifting spirit.

“Mama~!” Ai's cute little daughter Ruby, calls out to her with an adorable voice, approaching her with her arms wide, awaiting to give her mother a cozy embrace as she returns from a tough day.

She leaps up, colliding her body with her mother’s mid section, imbuing her vibrant energy into her mother, fading her tiredness away.

“Ruby~!” Ai says with radiance, lifting her daughter up and tightly hugging her, colliding her chest with hers, sharing their love and warmth with each other.

These types of wholehearted hugs from her beloved kids is what makes her day. It brings peace into her heart, knowing that despite her harsh schedule, there is always someone there who is waiting to give her her full love and passion that no one knows about. It gives her reassurance that someone is still there, waiting to give her and receive company after all the stressing work.

Almost every day is the same. The fatigueness in Ai’s soul gets replaced with tranquility every time she comes home from work, from her dear children, and she always thinks to herself that

“Ahh~ this is soo worth it~”

As this is what the blessings of having such adorable kids give you.

Ai releases Ruby from the heartwarming embrace, and gently giving both her little ones a kiss on their forehead.

“Mama mama! Guess what happened today in kindergarten!” Ruby excitedly speaks, eager to tell her mother about something that she received.

“Ooh~ is it something interesting~?”  Ai inquires with an amusing expression, eager to hear what her daughter has to say.

“Today, one of the older boys was bullying me and Onii chan, and even kicked Onii chan on the face too.”

Ai gasps immediately, before Ruby even got to finish her sentence, Ai’s motherly instincts taking over her, wasting no time to direct her attention to Aqua and gently grazing her fingers to her little boy's cheeks, spotting the redness.

“Aqua, Are you okay~? Did you get hurt?” She said, her voice laced with concern and worry, just like how any mother would be if they found out their child getting hit.

“I'm fine, the teacher gave me first aid.”

“I see~” she said, her face still expressing slight concern.

“But mama!” Ruby calls out again, wanting to finish what she was about to say.

Ai turned her face towards Ruby while her hands were still placed on Aqua's shoulders.

“Before Aqua was about to get really hurt, Yuji protected Onii Chan by stepping in front of them, and he beat them up with one hit!”

“Woah~ he must be really strong.” Ai notes, slightly surprised to hear this fact.

“And also,” Ruby continued “Yuji showed us a beautiful garden after kindergarten ended because he felt sorry for me and Aqua~”

“Oh really~?” Catching Ai's attention this time, her smile returning back from hearing this good news. “That's lovely~, you two are lucky to have such a kind and strong friend like Yuuji kun.” she remarks.

“Yes! He was our first friend in the school! And he's always been nice to us!”

“Hmm… maybe we should give him a gift~” Ai thinks of an idea, genuinely appreciating Yuji's kindness towards her kids.

“Yes please mama~!” Ruby pleads

“But what should we give him?” Ai ponders, placing a finger on her chin.

“He is a really big fan of you, Ai.” Aqua informs.

“Oh is he?” Ai says in quite shock “That's great! How about we give him one of my badges?” an idea pops up in her head once she finds out that he is a fan of hers.

“Good idea mama! I'll give it to him tomorrow!”

“Sounds great!”
  
“Ahck!” Hakensu’s body got sent flying into the brick wall, spitting out blood due to the devastating impact, making a crack on the wall. His body was bruised and battered, bleeding from his nose, forehead and mouth.

“Such a persistent scumbag, do I really have to kill you for this stupid revenge you're after?” Shinji walked closer to his battered body that was leaning on the broken wall, his tone sharp and unforgiving.

“Shut the fuck up!” He yells back, still in pain from the beating he received “How the fuck do you know about anything?”

“I've investigated your neighbourhood, and your house countless times, and not one shred of evidende did I found where Ai was the cause of this.”

“I've seen the evidence with my own eyes!”

“Then show me it!” He demands. “Prove it!”

“Tch~!” He grits his teeth in anger, clenching his fist “just… why don't you fucking mind your own business and stop getting in my way!!!” He screams in fury, shooting his rage at Shinji as he gets back up and persistently charges at him once more.

“You really don't know when to quit, do you…” Shinji utters as he, as usual, knocks the bricks out of him with a spinning kick, his heel directly connecting to his jawbone, sending him crashing to the wall once more, except this time shattering it into pieces.

His eyes turned white, his consciousness completely disappearing upon receiving that last blow.

“Hah…” Shinji sighs irritatedly, getting annoyed at having to deal with this problem repeatedly. “Another usual day…” he mutters to himself.

The clouds became dark all of a sudden, as if a storm was about to collapse. The aura within his surroundings changed rapidly. He knew immediately that this wasn't normal.

It wasn't long until he noticed that someone was coming, and he could tell that it's someone strong, and someone who was against his side.

Immediately upon sending this strong and menacing aura, he ensured his guard was up.

The rain started pouring, and it got stronger by the seconds, forming small puddles on the ground.

He heard splashes, splashes of footsteps, approaching his way. From afar, he saw a figure with an umbrella, wearing a coat and sunglasses.

“You really are pathetic Hakensu…” the voice mocked. His tone was deep, heavy and demanding. “You couldn't even leave a scratch on him, what a shame.” He proceeds to taunt Hakensu, despite him being knocked out completely.

He walked with composure, taking his time to arrive at the scene.

“That voice… Is that… one of Charles' bodyguards…?” Shinji monologues to himself, wondering if his anticipation is correct.

“Who are you?” he asks the figure, demanding an answer.

“Why such a rush? Let's greet each other properly and respectfully. There's no one around here, so let's do this professionally.” The figure spoke, finally approaching and standing face to face with Shinji, his voice calm and collected, wanting to meet and greet each other without any disturbance.

He slowly put his umbrella down. The surroundings started to get darker, as the night enveloped the atmosphere with darkness. The storm clouds bursting out raindrops like a machine gun, soaking both their uniforms.

“I'm Gun Park, one of Charles's bodyguards, and I'm here due to an order that was placed upon me. ….and of course, to save this useless punk.” Gun introduces himself.

“I'm Shinji, and I'm a professional detective.”

“A detective you say? Then have you figured out who is the culprit for the mass murder?” Gun asks.

“Not yet, but I can tell one thing, it definitely isn't Ai Hoshino, like how this idiot as Charles are claiming.”

“I see, well that's a conversation for another day. What I'm here for is different a different objective.”

“And that is?”

“I'm here to take you to Charles Choi.”

“Heh, the fact that you are saying this so confidently amuses me.” Shinji smirks.

“What's wrong with that?” Gun asks back, a menacing grin tracing his face.

“For you to be coming here and take me to Choi, you'd be assuming that you're strong enough to defeat me.” Shinji lays forth Guns' presuppositions.

“You think I can't?” Gun’s smirk enlarges as he takes his sunglasses off. Revealing his terrifying eyes.

“I don't know, we'll have to figure it out…” Shinji retaliates, maintaining his composure.

As their face off reached its peak, strikes of thunder tore through the clouds, welcoming the groundbreaking fight between two monsters. One could also say the flexes of their aura was what caused this detrimental weather.

Both clenched their fists, ready to launch at each other at any moment, their wide smirks expressing their confidence.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Craters were formed everywhere, scattered throughout the vast battlefield, ranging from various sizes. Splatters of blood tainting the ground, the rain still drilling with draining force. There stood two individuals, seemingly at their last legs as they reached the climax of their fight.One whose suit is all messed up, his tie and pants filled with dirt, his forehead bleeding as it dripped past his nose. The other whose shirt is ripped, visible bruises covered his body.Both of them drained with fatigue and exhaustion after their repeated clashes and exchange of blows.“Hah… I gotta admit, the rumors about your strength were true after all, White Ghost.” Shinji compliments Guns' monstrous strength.“Same goes for you too. I haven't had this much fun ever since I fought that monster. You have my full gratitude for entertaining me this much” Gun praises Shinji’s combat ability as well. “I never would've imagined it would take this much effort to fight you on equal grounds. Tch, just where did you get this much power from? A mere detective shouldn't be this strong y’know?”“Hah! That's enough praise for me, why don't we end this?” “As you wish~”They formed their stance once more, ready to finish this catastrophic battle. “I now completely understand why Hakensu couldn't even lay a finger on him. His strength is massively above the first generation king's, even on par with the fighting genius. I need to give this my all to end him.” Gun analyzes his strength based on their fight, before excitement took over his body for their final clash, his smirk enlarging with thrill.“This guy is truly a beast! If I had to be honest, I was more so on the losing end of this fight. Fuck, the chances of me losing this final exchange is more than 60%. I gotta think of a way to win!” Shinji monologues, trying to figure out a strategy to best this monster.They both charged at each other with ground breaking speed, making a crater on the ground as they leaped off. Shinji knew when it came to raw strength, Gun had the slight edge, but when it came to strategy, he had the edge.Gun had his fist pulled back, tightly clenched as it was imbued with his full power. He aimed for a usual straight punch right at Shinji, with no fancy moves.Shinji attempted to nullify the force behind Gun’s punch by kicking upward right at his fist, with the tip of his shoe connecting to his wrist.As his fist lost his aim due to Shinji's upward kick, he was now put in a spot where he is open to get hit. Shinji utilized this opportunity to attempt to land a spinning back kick directly at Guns neck with all his force.‘DHOCK!!’His feet connects devastatingly, accept it was blocked by Gun’s other hand which he guarded up.“I see what you did there…” Gun uttered, his face expressing  amazement.“Shit…” Shinji knew this wasn't a good sign as his plan to take him down with that last kick which he imbued his remaining power into, failed.Gun grips his leg and pulls it towards him with one hand, and uses the other hand to launch a devastating uppercut.Despite blocking that uppercut with his two arms, the power behind it broke his guard and connected devastatingly at his chin, sending him flying. That was the deciding blow of the fight.

The day of the dome concert was tomorrow. As normal, whenever a big concert or event is near, it puts lots of pressure on the performers who are the stars of the event.It was a late night, as Ai was coming back from a tiring and exhausting rehearsal practice. She was out of breath, her muscles heavy from fatigue as she walked up the stairs like a dead zombie, as she came near her new apartment room that she recently moved into.It was pretty late, and usually her twin kids would be sleeping by now. As she reached her floor, and walked towards her room, she spotted something that surprised her.“Y~yuuji?” Ai spoke with a quite shocking tone, yet low due to her exhaustion. Yuji was sitting at the handrails casually, despite the height at which this floor was from the ground.As that melodic voice went through his ears, calling out his name, he instinctively turned his gaze towards that voice. He knew who that voice belonged to. There was no mistaking it.As his gaze shifted on a beautiful young lady violet hair, wearing a white shirt T and short jeans, it's as if his eyes met heaven once again. Though the fatigueness that swelled her didn't make her look as bright as she usually is, nonetheless, no matter her condition, she was still astoundingly beautiful.“A-ai?!” He says in shock, not expecting to encounter an idol he is a huge fan of in this world. Ai changes her tired expression into a charming smile, approaching Yuuji who was sitting on the handrails close to her apartment room.Yuji’s face got red as he noticed her approaching him, getting more nervous by the second. Ai came close, leaning her chest and arms on the handrails beside Yuji.“I never expected to see you out here, what are you doing at this late night?” she asks, her tone pleasant and kind, especially towards Yuji who she knows is really good friends with her own kids.“Star gazing.”“Ah~! So you like looking at stars huh?” She continues to explore and expand their conversation.“Yeah, I mean, it just looks so beautiful and bright when I view it from up here~”Ai turns her gaze up high in the night sky “Now that you mention it, it really does! Haha!” She realizes and chuckles.The cold and chilly night breeze brushed over them as they were outside their rooms. Ai's silky hair mingled, following the direction of the wind as strands of it grazed Yuji.Those grazes of her hair touching him gave him a spine chilling shiver ravaging through his spine. He never felt anything like this. He peeped his pupils to Ai's direction, looking at her engrossed at the view at the night sky, her chin supported by her palm as her elbow leaned on the handrails.“She is soo… beautiful…!! Her smile, her eyes, and her hair… what else can be more beautiful..?!” Yuji remarks inside of him, looking at her where her hair plays with the wind, flowing to her direction which she isn't even noticing, it was the concept of beauty.“Ahh~ this wind is so refreshing~!” Ai exhales, expressing her genuine relaxation and comfort up here and gazing at the sky, embracing the cold night wind, as it slowly erased her tiredness and replaced it with charming energy.They both stared at the stars for a few minutes silently, capturing the view in the sky as it enlightened Ai's heart.“I feel so nervous~ I don't know what to do… but, I've never felt so amazing like this before… a hot girl right beside me, am I really dreaming? I mean, why is she even here? Observing her appearance, it looks like she just came back from a rehearsal practice or something, does she live here or something?”Yuji monologues, dozens of questions buzzing in his mind.“Y’know, I always wanted to thank you… for being such a good and protective friend to my Aqua and Ruby~” Breaking the silence, Ai sincerely expressed her gratitude towards this little boy for giving her own two kids such valuable company.This however startled Yuji upon hearing such a thing from Ai.“My Aqua and Ruby? How do you know them?” he asked confusedly. Yuji doesn't know that Aqua and Ruby are Ai's children.Hearing this question, Ai was now pinned in a corner, giving a leeway for her secret to be revealed, she had to immediately shut this suspicion down. Realizing what she had done, she widened eyes briefly and staggered back.“A- a- ahaha~ Y-you see~ Aqua and Ruby are my manager's kids, and we often meet, so they are very close to me, that's all~” she came up with an excuse at the spot, barely saving herself from this disclosure.“Ah I see.”“Phew, that was close.” Ai sighs to herself, nearly letting go of her biggest secret. She knew Ichigo would kill her if it ever slips off her mouth.They spend a few more minutes together silently, gazing at the stars. Ai felt unexpectedly extremely good and relaxed to be outside her room to feel the fresh air and chilly breeze in the night while staring at the bright stars. It was beyond refreshing, especially after coming from a gut drilling rehearsal session.Ai broke the silence once more, unable to hold her curiosity any longer.“By the way Yuuji~” she said, her voice still charming and soft with a delicate smile. “I'm surprised to see you here, by any chance, do you live here?” she asks, shifting her gaze to Yuji, turning her face around as her starry eyes met him.“U- yes! M-my house is right behind me” Yuji answers, was stunned briefly for a moment when he saw Ai’s beautiful gaze shift towards him.“Woah~! Really? I live here too~!” She said with enthusiasm, shocked and happy to find out that he lives right next door.“I knew it! There is no way she'd pop up here out of nowhere, this must be the place where she lives. And that means, my favorite Idol is now my neighbor?!?!” Yuji explodes in his mind, realizing what it means for Ai living next door to him.“Who do you live with~?” Her curiosity grows more.“Just myself.” Yuji answers calmly.“Heh?? You don't live with your parents?” Ai wasn’t expecting that answer, a slight frown forming on her brows, so she sought to clarify by asking again.“Nah, I live alone.” Yuji reaffirms with an impassive expression.Ai's eyes got wider this time, as she got clarified that Yuji lives alone all by himself, but something didn't suit right into her from knowing this fact.“But you're just a little child~! There's no way you can live alone~” She expresses her doubts, refusing to fully accept this fact that a mere child who is around the same age as her own kids, living alone without any guardian. “You must at least have a guardian to look after you~” she adds, her frown still present, unable to admit this fact.Perhaps her motherly instincts once again took over. Considering how much she treasures her kids and enjoys looking after them and spending her time within their company, it was difficult for her to accept a child around the same age as hers, to live alone without anyone's company he could receive. What could also result in Ai having feelings towards him was probably due to the fact the relationship and the friendly hood he shares with her own kids, something she genuinely admires.“I really don't,” Yuji once again, repeats his same claim to Ai.“But how do you get food to eat, and how did you even get this house?”“Shoot, not even I know how I got this place to live, I just spawned here at this apartment. How do I answer this question…”“You should have someone who provides you supplies, you can't do it all by yourself~” Ai goes on to say.“I work.” Yuji replies. “Heeehhh?!!” Lowering her frown even more, Ai was now even further away from being convinced about this “You're just bluffing! How can someone at your age work?” She uttered with disbelief.“Trust me, I really do. That's how I pay off my rent.” Yuji informs. “Since I have no one else who could pay my rent and bills, I have to do it myself. And I can't do that without earning money.” Yuji reasons.Though he understands why anyone would think the way Ai is doing right now. Even he himself envisions how tough it was to get a job at this age. Luckily he came across a carpenter who reluctantly accepted him after he begged for a straight half a day. He now works at a construction site, given his inhuman physical strength despite his tiny body, he was unironically way more useful than the manager thought he'd be. But the bad side about it is that, his job requires intense work and most of the time Yuji is sleepless since the majority of the tasks are required to do it at night.“Hmmm~...” Ai hums, with a slightly worried expression, her impression more sad than it is confused. A slight attachment was born inside Ai's heart with Yuji, due to the stories of what her kids tell her when they come back from kindy about Yuji’s kindness towards her kids, and keeping in mind the fact that he once protected her kids from getting hurt by bullies. So finding out that he lives alone with no parents or guardians did not only shake her, but for the first time, she felt sympathy towards someone.“Still! I'm not gonna buy it!” She said persistently and stubbornly.Yuji simply sighs with his eyes closed, for the first time experiencing Ai's stubbornness.“Alright~ whatever you believe.” Yuji said. Though he didn't feel annoyed or irritated by her persistence, rather he felt the cuteness and innocence from her as she kept on questioning, and the fact that she actually denied this fact, proved to her that she has a sense of normality and doesn't want to believe a kid can live on their own. This gave Yuji satisfaction.“So! Are you coming to B Komachi’s dome concert tomorrow morning?” Ai begins a new conversation, knowing that Yuji is a big fan of hers, as she was told from Ruby, she was curious if he would come and watch one of her biggest concerts ever.“Eh? There's a concert at the dome tomorrow?”“Yes! It's apparently very big!” She exclaims with excitement.“Really?!”“Mhm!” Ai nods enthusiastically, “There's going to be a huge audience! You should definitely come!” She encourages Yuji to come to the dome concert with liveliness, high spirit and a charismatic cute smile.The way she requested Yuji to come, denying it was near to impossible. His heart just can't refuse to not go somewhere his favorite idol tells him to so kindly and enthusiastically.“Of cou… Uh…” Just as he was about to agree to Ai's request, he also remembered something very crucial. Tomorrow morning, Gojo would be coming to pick Yuji up for a road trip, something he has been dying for, spending time with his favorite teacher. There was no other time more joyful than spending it with Gojo, and that is also something he can't miss either, since Gojo rarely has any spare time. So he was put in a critical spot of what decision he should choose: Go out on a trip with his beloved teacher, Gojo, or go to one of the biggest performances of his favorite idol, Ai.“Hm? What's the matter?” Ai asked, noticing Yuji stopped mid way of his answer, his enthusiasm of accepting her request disappearing.“Uhh~” he scratches the back of his head, still deeply contemplating what he should choose. “I'll see about it~” he vaguely answers.“C’mon you should really come~!” Ai persists, leaning in closer to Yuji, her eyes sparkling as she begs Yuji to come.Yuji’s cheeks got redder as he notices Ai’s pretty fanciable face leaning even closer to her. He could see and understand that she really wants him to join.“Yeah~ I'll try my best to come,” he answers, still not confirming his participation.“You better!” Ai leans a few centimeters closer as she says that, laying to him her seriousness.Yuji staggers back a bit, his cheeks rose red, noticing Ai got too close, but for some reason, her presence getting closer to him felt incredible. Her aura was just that craving.“Mhm!” Yuji nods. “Great! I'll see you tomorrow morning~!” With that Ai takes her hand off the handrails, preparing to go inside her house, before looking back at Yuji and giving him a wink. “Have a goodnight!” Ai waves at Yuji, her pleasant smile still visible. “You too~” Ai opens the door and enters her room, leaving Yuji alone in the handrails.“Shit… how can I decline it now…”Yuji stays outside a little bit longer, staring at those shining stars, whilst also now contemplating on what his decision would be.“Man… I want to go to the dome concert… but at the same time, I really want to go on a trip with Gojo Sensei.” The inner conflict between these two decisions rises even higher. “Argh!” He yells in self irritation before going back to his apartment room and leaving his decision for tomorrow morning.

As Ai enters her home after that refreshing breeze from outside and her wholehearted conversation with Yuji, she finds out that everything is quiet in her house.“Are the kids already asleep?” She wonders to herself, noticing that the dining room lights are off. Assuming that her kids were fast asleep, she went to her room to prepare for a bath.As she switched on the lights, she was greeted beyond her anticipation as Ruby leaps up from the bed and collides her face on her mother’s midsection, giving her belly a good cuddle as her face sinked in her mother’s soft flesh.“AHahahah! So you guys were awake this whole time?” Ai bursts out a chuckle upon feeling her daughter's face playfully drilling on her stomach.“We wanted to surprise you!” Ruby withdraws from the cuddle before wrapping her arms around Ai’s waist. “Mama, can I take a bath with you?” she asked wholeheartedly, urging to splash with her playful mother in the bathtub.“Sure! Why not~?” Ai happily accepts her daughter's heart touching offer. Sometimes, if not every time, Ai just can’t get herself to decline a request coming from someone like her adorable and cute daughter. She picks her up and spins her around, before pulling her close to her chest and implanting a delicate kiss on her forehead.“Heehee~” Ruby giggles, filling shivers of joy and thrill as feels her mother’s lips pressing on her forehead.“Aqua~ You are joining us too!” She turns her head towards the bed where Aqua was laying down and reading his novel.“Huh? Since when did I say yes?” Aqua responds back, unaware of this.“You didn’t, I did. Hehe~” Ai forces Aqua, leaving him no option but to join her and Ruby for a bath, as her decision was already made up. Aqua usually doesn’t feel comfortable having baths with Ai. Since he is an adult, he feels uncomfortable with someone who is technically younger than her naked. But Ai being the stubborn girl she is, she drags her little boy into the bathtub with her and Ruby.“Tomorrow is a big day for mama, so let’s have some fun till then~!” She playfully exclaims as she splashes at her two kids. Ruby attempts to fight back and splashes back at Ai. The room was filled with laughter, joy and vibrancy as a mother spends her precious time with her beloved kids with her utmost radiance and pleasure. After that skin thrilling and refreshing bath that all three of them had, they made their way to the bed, huddling close to their mother Ai. “Mama~” Ruby calls out“Yes~?” “Can you tell us a story about something we don’t know about you~?” She innocently asks with curiosity.“Hmm… a story about something you don’t know about…” Ai shifts her purple pupils to the top right corner of her eyes, thinking of something she could relate to her little child. It wasn’t long until something clicked her mind, something that she wanted to share to her kids, about a specific individual.  "...And that... happened almost 9 years ago!" Ai told her 2 kids."So Mama, did you ever see him ever again?" Ruby asked Ai, her curiosity palpable as she got up from her place and then rested her head on her mother's stomach."Sadly, I haven't." She answered with a tinge of longingness, reaching her hand to Ruby's forehead and gently brushing it. "But I wish I could see him again though." She adds."Anyways! Tomorrow is our dome concert! we better get some good sleep otherwise I won't be able to perform my best and you guys won't be able to cheer mama with your best effort either~" Ai playfully said as she then grabbed Aqua with her arms and pulled closer to her, colliding his head with her chest."Mmuah!" She gives Aqua a sensational kiss to his forehead, making his cheeks flush bright red. "Mama me too!" Ruby sits back up from her Ai's belly and approaches her arms too."Of course!" Ai opens her arms for Ruby to join inside the cuddle, and gives her a motherly smooch on her forehead too.Within their peaceful and quiet atmosphere, Ai attempted to say those 3 words once again, hoping that she’ll be able to say it genuinely from the bottom of her heart.“Aqua… Ruby…” She softly called out their names as their little faces were resting on her chest. Catching their attention as they slowly looked up to their mother, it was all up to her if she could mutter these words she’d been trying to say to her two kids this entire time.“I… lo..” Ai stopped, as if a force was pulling her back from not saying it, her confidence wavering.“Mama?” Ruby says in a quiet voice, slightly confused on what’s going on.“Ahahaha~! Its nothing~ Goodnight my little angels~" Ai giggles off, not wanting to reveal what she intended to say. Yet another attempt failed as she was unable to say those mere 3 words to her children due to the fear inside of her risking that those words might not come out as true…With that, their little souls succumbed to the slumber that awaited them in the warmth of their beloved mother. Their minds anticipate no such violence or gruesomeness, they have no idea what could potentially occur tomorrow morning. A murder... or perhaps, a reunion...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sun rose past the horizon, spreading its gleaming light, piercing through the curtains in Ai’s apartment room, glowing her house with warmth and brightness. As usual, out of the 3, Ai is the first to wake up and get ready for the day as she lets her little twins sleep for a little longer while she refreshes herself.

She took an invigorating shower to start off her big day, peeling off her tiredness of her eyes and body from that wonderful sleep she had with the warmth of her kids.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Aqua awake as he was getting off the bed whilst her daughter was still cozily asleep.

“Good morning Aqua~!” Ai greets her son vibrantly, her smile brighter than the sun with her starry eyes sparkling. “Ready for the big day~?”

“Mhm~” Aqua makes a humming sound. The sleepiness inside him was very clearly visible. He makes his way to the bathroom to quickly wash his face and get rid of his tiredness.

As Aqua changes his clothes, Ai reaches for her phone to check the media. She tapped into the B Komachi group chat, and wrote a message.

‘I’m so excited for today’s dome concert!’

As she was just about to press the enter button to post what she wrote, the doorbell rang, notifying both Ai and Aqua who was in the midst of changing his clothes.

“Hu-? Could that be the president?” Ai assumes, as she hastily approaches the front door “Coming!”

She opens the door without any worry, the thought that some stranger who had severe hatred towards her could be in front of her house did not cross her mind, nor did she even have a chain locker for protection in case anything happens.

“Hm?” She opens the door a bit more than halfway, peeping at who arrived at her house this early in the morning. Upon her prediction, she saw a hooded figure, covering his eyes with only 2 bangs visible, wearing some strange gloves that seemed to be mechanical.

He remained quiet, an extremely menacing and malevolent aura started to swell around him, as if he was trying to hold in something very big he was about to unleash. It was so suffocating that even someone like Ai who has no special senses, could feel the sheer atrocious aura he was imbued on.

“Umm… hey~ how can I hel-”

Her words cut short. In the shift of a split second, her world turned into an unbearable agony.

‘POWW’

Her brain couldn’t even register what happened, but she felt an excruciating force drilling right through her delicate umbilical region, a piercing sensation that tore through her flesh. Her eyes widened, pitch white from the indescribable pain that penetrated through her midsection

The figure’s fist exploded right inside Ai’s fragile stomach with bone shattering force, causing her back to arch back, his wrist completely sunk as it drilled through her delicate organs, mercilessly crushing her intestines.

‘GHAW!’

A pile of blood bursts out her mouth, a testament to the unforgiving damage her soft and delicate stomach absorbed. The effect of his razor sharp gloves unleashed devastating electric shocks whilst simultaneously penetrating through her soft flesh. Since his fist was already carved inside her stomach, it only intensified her agony once her stomach organs were brutally electrified on top of the death granting force it was receiving.

The disturbing sound of her organs obliterating upon the catastrophic impact echoed through the hallway, breaking Ruby’s sleep and immediately catching Aqua’s attention.

Without wasting a single second, he immediately opened the door that connected the hallway to their bedroom.

“Ai?!” Aqua calls out with a tone carrying slight confusion and concern, but upon what he saw in front of his sight was beyond his capacity of imagination.

He saw a hooded man, around the same age as Ai, sticking out his arm, with his fist glove clenched and drenched with blood, with a few electric buzzes coming from it, as if it gave someone a shock. About 2 meters away from him stood his beloved and beautiful mother, one hand pressed on her stomach that was bleeding violently, soaking her hand and cloth with the  red fluid that was coming out, as it already started dripping rapidly, creating a crimson pool on the floor.

Her other hand was leaned on the side wall, trying to maintain her balance.

“Ghack!”

but it didn’t last long until her stomach roared in unimaginable pain from receiving that detrimental piercing blow and electric shock right at her navel area, causing her to cough up chunks of blood from her mouth, indicative of the fatal damage done on her abdomen, forcing her to drop to her knees with both hands now clutched tightly on her midsection.

“AI!!” Aqua shouts this time, but with horror, his skin trembling with disbelief and terror. He rushes towards his mother

“Don’t come close! Aqua!” Ai warns her little son, her voice weak as her mouth, lips and chin were covered with blood trails from when it gushed out when she received that fatal blow on her stomach. Whilst still enduring the unendurable pain, she manages to withdraw one of her blood soaked hands from her umbilical region to signal him to stay where he is. Her motherly instincts told her that her little boy would get hurt if he came any closer, and as any mother would do, they’d prioritize their child’s safety first before theirs, since that’s the unconditional love mothers are naturally gifted towards their child without even their realization.

“Why…? Why is this happening…?” Ai monologues to herself inside as she shivers in fear. “Did I do anything wrong…? Why is he targeting me~? What’s going to happen to my kids~?” A storm of questions rises as her skin trembles from visualizing the disgusting possibilities of the outcome of this disastrous situation. Her eyes expressed the urge for answers, and a solution for this catastrophic brutality.

Her vision started to get blurry from the unbearable pain her soul was drowning in, but upon getting a closer glance of this hooded man, it struck a long memory in her, as she remembers seeing that face a very long time ago, perhaps when they were little kids, but it wasn’t a very so nice memory. It was too familiar for her, but at this current stage, she couldn't think too deeply to remember who he exactly was as her concentration was forced to focus on her messed up abdomen, the safety of her kids and the intruder itself.

“Why are you doing this~?” she asked the infuriated intruder, her tone collapsing and vulnerable.

The man grits his teeth, his frown and brows lowering with unforgiving rage, clenching his fist, as the picture of his dead mother flashed through his eyes, and his brain was deluded to think that the fragile and weak women right in front of him that he struck so devastatingly, was the cause for all his misery.

“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!!! YOU MOTHER FUCKING MURDERER!!” He screamed, releasing his inner boiling rage and hatred towards her with his voice.

Within another split second, he leaped from his place, charging at Ai who was on her knees with menacing speed.

‘BOOM!’

Hakensu unleashes a devastating kick right at Ai’s face, flinging her entire body up in the air and sending crashing into the wall, causing it to shatter due to her body colliding it with extreme force, as her upper half of her body leaning back outside, hanging as her back was arched forward and leaned on the broken piece of wall, as if that was the very middle of what balanced her weight.

“Ahck-!!” Ai grunts in pain, her forehead bleeding rapidly, as it rained down her cheeks. She was about to lose consciousness from the force she was kicked with.

“AII!!” Aqua screamed once again, unable to bear the atrocious and unjustifiable beating her mother was receiving from this merciless individual. He grabbed a broom and charged right at him, his instincts acting on his own as he couldn’t just stand there and watch his beloved idol get this undeserved detrimental treatment. He knew he was massively overpowered, since he is still a mere 4 year old trying to attack a grown up, but even then, he couldn’t resist any longer.

Even then, his attempt to charge at Hakensu didn’t change anything for the better. He effortlessly dismantled the broom from Aqua and kicked him towards the door that leads to their bedroom with groundbreaking force, shattering the door open as he landed sliding on the carpet floor unconscious.

“Onii chan!!” Ruby screams, as she was about to enter the hallway, but was met with his brother crashing into the room. She was confused and frightened, having no idea what was going on. She went to her brother’s side immediately. “Onii chan! Onii chan!!” She repeatedly screams as she shakes her brother's unconscious body on the floor, tears starting to come out.

“Wait~... where is mama~?” A realization pops in her mind, as she finds the most dearest person to her missing, not in the range of her vision.

“Tch! Fucking pests… So these are her kids..?” Hakensu uttered irritatedly, not showing a single sign of mercy, even towards such little kids like them “I’ll kill them after I’m done with their mother.” He readjusts his intentions before diverting his attention towards Ai whose half of her body was hanging outside her wall.

She was barely conscious, but Ruby’s heartfelt screams entered her ears as she screamed for her brother, knowing that her beloved Aqua got hurt, this broke her heart even more, as tears also started forming in her own eyes while her back was arched forward, the realization of her precious kids getting harmed crushing her soul. Her stomach was already shattered and now after this kick, she didn’t have any energy left to move her body. She was completely helpless. She wished all this was a nightmare, and that she’d wake up again with the warmth and company of her kids. But all the hope was nothing but futile compared to the reality facing her

Hakensu jumped as high as his legs could take him, aiming to land where Ai’s body was arched forward. This was perhaps the worst position Ai could ever be at this moment. Her umbilical region, the area where her organs are now obliterated and electrified with excruciating force due to his first strike, is now the most exposed and vulnerable spot due to it being arched forward.

‘POWW!!!’

As Hakensu lands from mid air, he aims the tip of his elbow directly at the area of Ai’s navel where he initially first hit, delivering another bone rattling blow directly at her most damaged part of her body with his elbow sinking and disappearing into her flesh that was soaked with blood.

“
GAHHH!!!
”

Ai screams in unbearable agony, tears popping out her eyes, feeling her already damaged organs receiving another death granting force as her stomach absorbs his elbow. A large amount of blood violently erupts from her mouth, her eyes vacant white as her soul absorbs a pain so excruciating she never believed such a thing exists, nor did she ever thought she'd be a victim of it.

Hakensu’s style of fighting is always the most ruthless, and he’d always attempt to agonize his opponent as much as he can. And one of his ways would be repeatedly hitting the same spot over and over again, in this case, Ai’s feathersoft umbilical region was his target to keep on crushing.

The remaining wall that Ai’s back was leaned against was now crumbled as the force of the elbow penetrated through her delicate stomach and violently reverberated through the wall, forcing it to shatter.

“Am I… going to die…?” She said to herself,  the concept of death flashing before her upon receiving that last blow. It was so painful and damaging to her, that she was convinced that if he delivered one more blow at the exact same spot, it would most definitely take her life. She was reaching her limit as to how much damage her fragile delicate body could take.

She didn't have words to describe how fast reality switched, from a peaceful atmosphere with her two children to brutality and bloodshed. The only thing at the moment that bothered her the most, was the safety of her kids. She almost accepted her fate here since she has no hope to survive the next blow or expecting anyone to save her, but at the very least, she wants her beloved kids to carry on and live peacefully, and not suffer this tormenting treatment, that was her only wish.

“Mama!!!” A high pitched scream cut through the atmosphere. It was so loud it caught both Hakensu’s and Ai’s attention, despite barely having any consciousness, she could not miss the scream of her own daughter.

She gasps and shooks up, the intensity of Ruby’s scream shaking Ai to its core.

“Ruby~ don’t come clo- Kagh!” Ai tried her best to raise her voice as loudly as she could to warn her daughter not to come here, but it couldn’t get any louder than a whisper, due to how drained she was after receiving those fatal blows on her midsection, she didn’t have the energy to put in her lungs, as she was interrupted with a cough that bursts out more chunks of blood from her mouth.

“Mama!! Mama!!” She repeatedly said as she ran through the hallway, upon finding her mother’s body on the crumble of a broken wall, a pile of blood centering her stomach as it was spreading everywhere, her beautiful and radiant face now scattered with blood on her lips, forehead, cheeks and chin.

Both their gaze fell on each other. Ai saw Ruby’s eyes full of tears, she could tell she was confused and frightened, especially seeing her state. Ruby on the other hand witnessed her mother’s detrimental state and didn’t have any words to say. Standing in front of her battered mother was this furious individual who Ruby has no idea about, nor does she know the conflict he had with her mother before she was even born. She saw him glare at her with those menacing eyes showing the epitome of bloodlust and vengeance.

“Run~” Ai muttered in her voice, begging her to leave this place before she gets hurt.

Ruby didn't know what to do. She was stunned, her whole body trembling. She desperately wanted to reach her mother’s critical aid, but at the same time, she knew that if she went any closer, this man wouldn't give her any mercy. Her legs were frozen in the midst of this terror before her eyes.

Hakensu took advantage of this and side kicked Ai’s innocent little girl right in her body, sending her back crashing on the other side of the wall with wall shattering force.

“RUBY!!” Ai screamed out, her lungs instinctively gaining the energy to raise her voice due to the desperation and emotions for her daughter, her heart crumbling witnessing what the individual just did to her.

“You killed my family…” Hakensu uttered, his unforgiving rage still present as he shifted his focus back to Ai who was near dead on the ground “You think you are my only target? After I’m done with you, I’m also gonna do the same to your kids too.”

These words entered into her ears like a gun shot, her heart skipping a beat as she visualized the torment her children would be receiving, shaking the core of her soul.

“No~! Don’t~” Ai begs, tears streaming down, “Spare them… please~” even though she has no idea why she is getting assaulted so brutally, at the very least, she doesn’t want her beloved children to receive in any of these, because she knows that her little kids are still pure and sinless, they wouldn’t have done anything wrong to rile up someone.

But the thing that breaks her heart the most is that she still wasn’t able to say to her kids that she loved them. So if she dies now, she’ll forever be in regret for it, and her mindset tells her that her kids might think further down the line that their mother never really loved them.

“You should be worrying about yourself here.” The man utters with a sharp and deep voice, his malevolent aura increasing by the second. “First, I’m going to tear apart your guts with my own hands, and then I’m going to rip your intestines off.” He exclaims with his vile tone.

Ai listened to all this with a helpless stare, begging for mercy. She just wondered what she did to this man to anger him so much and go to this length of violence. The sparkling star in her eyes vanished, due to her detrimental state, both physically and mentally, her hair all roughed up and scattered, filled with dust.

“I.. never killed anyone… I didn’t kill your family.” She claimed, her voice faint and collapsing.

“You think I’m gonna believe your shit? You lie to your fans about yourself, so what makes you think I have a single reason to believe any bullshit you’re uttering from your filthy mouth!” He growled with menacing fury.

He pressed a button on his right glove, which made the sound of an electric discharge. He pulled his arm back, his fingers pointing out like a sharp drill, ready to penetrate Ai’s already crucified abdomen.

“I’m sorry… Aqua… Ruby… but this is… the end… I lo…” As Ai was in the midst of monologuing to herself, accepting her fate, and was about to say

those words

, Hakensu had just released his dagger-like hand to pierce through her guts.

But in the nick of time, right before he made contact with Ai’s stomach, a sudden force smacked Hakensu’s face brutally, sending his body flying with rapid speed, crashing and shattering past another wall. At this point, Ai’s apartment room entrance was completely shattered.

Just as Ai embraced for the worst, a miracle descended upon her aid, as a certain individual intervened Hakensu’s rampage. It was someone who Ai knows, one of the very few who Ai had a slight attachment towards ever since she had a conversation with him last night.

All she saw as she was laying on the rubbles in her critical state, was someone who intercepted with fierce speed and kicked Hakensu like a ball. At first, it was hard for her to comprehend what was happening, but as the smoke after the crash when the individual kicked him so hard, started to slowly disappear, she started to recognize the person who just saved her life. His features became more recognizable as the dust settled, and when it was clear, she was shocked to see who appeared.

“Y~yuuji~?” She said in a weak voice, her heart so filled with relief tears flooded her eyes once again upon seeing at least someone coming to help her, despite the fact that it was a child similar age to her own kids.

“AI SAN!!” Yuji calls out in a desperate tone, arriving at her aid immediately after smacking Hakensu from her range. Upon seeing her detrimental state, he was baffled and stunned, a shiver in his spine ravaging through as he witnessed just how badly wounded such a beautiful person like Ai was.

“SHIT!! This is not good.” His focuses centers the critical condition in her stomach, his nervousness rising higher as he sees her cloth soaked in blood. He put forth his hand and gently pressed on Ai’s belly. Even the slightest bit of pressure he put on her abdomen also drenched his own hand. “Her umbilical area… its bleeding so much…!” He monologues to himself, gritting his teeth in rage and frustration, unsure what to do.

He instinctively took off the jumper he was wearing and tied it very tightly around Ai’s midsection, to minimize the leaking blood from her stomach as much as possible.

“Yuuji~” Ai calls out to him, “Please, take Ruby and Aqua… and run~... You’ll be in danger too if you stay here too long.” She wholeheartedly requests Yuji with her emotional plea as Yuji was tightening his jumper that he tied around her midsection. “Please… protect my kids~” She let it out. At this desperate moment, she didn’t care anymore about hiding her deepest secret, all she wanted now was her two precious children to be safe.

Hearing this disclosure did shake Yuji a bit, but he knew very well this wasn’t the appropriate time to be shocked, rather he should act what’s more important at this moment right now, and that is, saving Ai.

“I’ll protect Aqua and Ruby,
and you!!
” Yuji declares firmly, shouting out loud his intention to clear his mind, even surprising Ai. “I’m not gonna let anyone die in front of my sight anymore!” Yuji continued as his voice got emotional too.

Ai was confused what he was talking about, but she has no idea the trauma Yuji suffered back in the Jujutsu world, where many of his close friends died all because of him, and he lived with guilt and regret, wanting to kill himself many times back then, now that he entered a new world, a new beginning were no such ruthless beings like Sukuna exists, he vows to protect the people who he treasures. And Ai is definitely one of them

“Yuuji…” Ai mutters softly, astonished by Yuji’s self declaration.

But in the midst of their conversation, the bloodlusted individual appeared right behind Yuji, holding a sharp knife, as he was in the midst of a charge that expressed no mercy.

“Watch out!” Ai screams, alarming Yuji that the wrathful intruder was inches behind his neck.

He reacted accordingly. Even though Yuji has a childlike body, he still retained most of his physical strength from his past world, and when it comes to fighting without any cursed energy, Yuji was one of the strongest. With this reason, he was able to react and avoid a fatal injury from the assault.

But the problem was that, he was put in a corner where Ai was in front of him, so if he were to move away from his spot, it would put Ai in more danger due to Hakensu closing the distance with her, so he had no option but to somehow defend himself whilst staying in this spot.

He swiftly ducked his head and turned around to grab his arm which had the knife and easily dismantled it. But what he didn’t know was that, on the other hand, he was also wielding a knife too, which he hid before pulling it out when Yuji disarmed his first strike.

‘SLKSH!’

Since Yuji was off guard from his second strike, the knife pierced through his right side.

“Rrk!” Yuji grunts in pain, blood oozing out, squirting off the spot the knife sinked in, but this was nothing compared to what he endured in his past world, so a mere stab shouldn’t be much of a deal to him.

But that’s when Hakensu redirected his knife that was already inside his body, further dragging it down to Yuji’s legs, slashing it all the way, as blood now starts to gush out rapidly.

“Uh oh-!” Yuji realizes the extent of his wound, slightly grunting and staggering back in pain.

“YUUUJI!!” Ai screams, her eyes witnessing the little boy getting stabbed viciously as the knife sinks inside his flesh and heaves through his thighs and legs, watching his blood come out those slashed areas abruptly.

But to her shock, she had no idea that Yuji had gone through torment like this and worse. Her eyes broadened even further when he saw Yuji lift up that same leg that Hakensu had just dragged a whole knife through and kicked him with devastating force, sending him crashing to the distance once more.

“...Y~Yuuji~?” Ai was stunned by Yuji’s immense physical display and pain tolerance.

“Rrgh!” Yuji immediately puts both his hands to press on his side, the area where he was stabbed, closing one eye as he endures the pain from Hakensu’s ruthless slash.

Ai was slowly able to sit up straight with a few pauses, grunting in pain due to the excruciating jolts that drills through her stomach when she attempts to move her midsection.

“Are you alright~!?” Ai asked Yuji in concern and worry, especially after seeing what he just received. But before Yuji could give a reply, another voice echoed through the house in desperation, a voice filled with heartfelt worry and frustration.

“Mama!!” Ruby calls out, her cry easily audible to both Yuji and Ai. She came running out of the rubbles, a few bruises in and scratch marks in her face with a bleeding lip.

She spotted her mother, barely sitting up straight, spotting the pool of blood that centered on her delicate stomach and her blood drenched cloth circulating on her midsection. Without a single moment of hesitation, she rushed towards Ai, tears bursting out as she opened her arms wide to collide her soul with hers.

“Ruby!” She notices her daughter's cry, and as she was running towards, Ai herself opened her arms to welcome and embrace Ruby’s heartfelt emotion.

She hugs Ai, as Ai immediately wraps her arms around her firmly, pulling her closer to her chest.

“Aaahaa!” Ruby lets her inner cry out. “Mama!! You’re hurt!!” She screams, grabbing her mother’s cloth and rubbing her head on her chest as she continues to break down from witnessing her mother’s detrimental state.

As Ai cocooned her daughter, she placed one hand on Ruby’s hair, gently rubbing it as she pulled her head towards her heart.

“Ruby~” She calls out to her daughter in a soft voice, despite the pain still gut-wrenching on her stomach, her gentle motherly aura enveloped in Ruby's emotional cry. “Are you okay~? You’re aren’t you~?” She asks in concern, completely ignoring her own critical condition.

“Not as hurt as you! Mama!!” Ruby retaliates back emotionally, her face and body still sunk inside Ai’s embrace. Even though she was slightly hurt from the earlier kick she received from Hakensu’s merciless rampage, she knew herself that it was nowhere near the amount of damage her beloved mother received.

Amidst their emotional and heart touching embrace, Hakensu once again, reappears from the rubble of broken wall he was kicked to by Yuji, his persistence on his vengeance unstoppable. His eyes red with rage, his aura turning more suffocating.

Despite witnessing the heart touching moment of Ruby and Ai, it didn’t stop Yuji from dropping his guard. He immediately turns back around, reforming his stance, despite his heavy bleeding.

“You kicked me… how dare you..!!” Hakensu utters in a monstrous tone.

“Yuuji~!” Ai yells out to Yuji whilst still tightly wrapping Ruby close to her chest “You’re bleeding! Please stop!!” She begs, not wanting Yuji to suffer anymore damage than he already is for something that is targeted for her only.

Yuji doesn’t listen to Ai’s heartfelt request, rather he takes it as his duty to protect those around him and those who he treasures.

Hakensu pulls out a needle-like dagger out of his pocket, and ruthlessly charges at Yuji, ignoring the fact that he is assaulting a literal child.

Due to Yuji’s small body, when receiving that slash, it’s now harder for him to move around unlike when he was in his teenage body back in the jujutsu world. And the blood seeps out even faster since he can’t control it with cursed energy anymore. So as he saw Hakensu menacingly dash at him with frightening speed, he wasn’t confident in evading his attacks anymore, instead he was aiming to block whatever he would throw.

Since Hakensu wielded a razor sharp weapon, his needle dagger pierced through Yuji’s forearms, and nearly reaching his face, but in contrast, this was Yuji’s plan, since the dagger is now stuck in his arm, it makes it easier for him to disarm it, in which he takes no chances to lose this opportunity to counter back.

Hakensu on the other hand, was totally speechless from seeing Yuji’s skill in combat, and had no clue how a mere kid can perform all these stunts even after receiving many blows from his counter attack. His strikes were no kid’s strikes, for him, each jap felt like 3 heavyweight champions combined striking power.

“Just where the fuck did all this power come from!! How does those little fists contain such devastating force!!” He monologues to himself in frustration, unable to comprehend why Yuji’s blows are imbued with this much destructive power.

But even after all these qualities Yuji’s body maintained, the biggest disadvantage was the size of his body, which allowed Hakensu to have a remarkable reach advantage.

“Tch, this body isn't allowing me to fight my best!” Yuji complains as he was in midst of combat.

As their fight seemed more or less evenly matched, despite Yuji's nerf, Ai sat their and watched all of it in complete astonishment while of course protecting and shielding Ruby, but she just can't lay her eyes off of that fight, and just wondered to herself how such a small child like Yuji is keeping up with him despite having deep cuts.

Gradually, Yuji’s performance started to get worse and worse due to his deep wounds, and Hakensu’s aggressiveness only increased, finally starting to land clean blows on this child.

“He must be in pain…” Ai mutters to herself in heavy sympathy and concern for Yuji’s state as he was defending her off. “Just hang on a bit longer~ the police will arrive soon.”

“Gragh!!” Yuji gets pushed back after receiving a clean blow from his mechanical glove, blood coughing out of him as he felt the impact intensify with electrocution. “Shit…! I’m receiving too much damage… this.. Isn’t good.”

“YUUJI!” Ai screams as she witnesses him receiving a direct hit from his glove and noticing the severe damage he received from that critical blow. Her heart cries out for his safety, as Yuji was one of the first people to earn Ai’s genuine attachment. “This is not good..! He is taking too much damage, at this rate…” Ai starts to have doubts on Yuji surviving through the time it would take for the police to arrive, by observing the severity of his wounds.

As Yuji staggers back, holding his bleeding shoulder, he is in a vulnerable position for another brutal blow, in which Hakensu doesn’t hesitate at all to finish the nuisance in front of him so that he can carry on with his revenge.

“Uh oh…” Yuji was cornered. He knew he was in a very bad position as he saw Hakensu releasing his final destructive blow to end him for good.

Ai’s eyes widened even more, gasping in terror, as she saw Hakensu’s fist mercilessly launching with lethal force right into Yuji’s chest in slow motion. She grips a part of Ruby’s hair and clenches it tightly out of fear, not wanting to imagine the catastrophic outcome of what’s about to occur.

But the reality was, the blow never reached Yuji. A certain hand catched his fist before it collided with Yuji, stopping the life ending force that was behind the blow as it caused an enormous shockwave to be released that scattered throughout Ai’s demolished apartment room.

Ai shielded Ruby from the fierce impact, tightening her cocoon towards her as she closed her eyes upon feeling the force of the shockwave, her hair blowing all the way back.

“Man… it seems like a war had just taken place in such a confined room.”

A voice emerges, so powerful it silences the menacing and ruthless atmosphere. Besides Aqua and Ruby, everyone was familiar with that voice, indicating that they have at least encountered him once.

Yuji gasps, his mouth open as a huge smile appears on his face, knowing very well who intercepted Hakensu’s blow.

“Yuji, I was about to knock on your door but it was left wide open, and then I heard a huge ‘bang’ noise coming from next door which was also wide open. And when I peeped, I saw your ass getting handed, is this the best you can do? Losing to a weakling like
him
.”

The voice mocks Hakensu, calling him a weakling. Hakensu on the other hand, was shaking, as the figure’s grip tightens on his fist, the smoke slowly starts to dispel, revealing who he really is.

“Long time no see, fool.”

Gojo taunts, as he remembers exactly who he was, reminding him of what happened on the very first day he got reincarnated into this world, he was the very first brat he had to deal with.

Hakensu was speechless, unable to express his reaction to the reality that’s happening in front of him. He remembers very well who this person is, swelling his soul with a mixture of anger and fear.

“Sensei! What took you so long!! I nearly died!!” Yuji complains about his late arrival.

“Ohh, I was trying out the new custard caramel pudding~ the line was really huge y’know.. So it took me a while haha!” Gojo laughs it off, completely nonchalant about the intensity of this situation and the severity of Yuji’s state, expressing no seriousness or importance in this matter. Its as if everything around him is insignificant.

“Uu~” Yuji blanks out in shock seeing Gojo’s calm composure even though he just entered a scene where two people were about to get their lives taken.

“Sensei!! Take this more seriously!! Me and Ai san were about to die!!” Yuji growls at Gojo, trying to put some sense into him while also pointing his finger to Ai who was on the corner of a wall, protecting Ruby by covering her with her arms close to her chest. The blood marks on her chin was still there and trails of blood were still leaking from her lips, indicating that the damage that she received on her umbilical region was still in extreme severe condition.

She stared at Gojo, her eyes flickering with hope, as her purple stars once again returns in her pupils, her heart finding solace that someone ‘strong’ came, where she could rest her heart a bit easy now, instead of consistently worrying about the safety of her own kids and Yuji’s as well. Even though she can’t remember his name, due to her habit of being bad at remembering other’s names, but she knows very well that, the person who just arrived to stop the conflict was the same person who she met back when she was only a little kid, and he was one of the reasons why she has reached this far as an individual.

“Oo…” Gojo blanks his face as he stares at Ai and the little girl who she was shielding. “It’s her…” Gojo realizes he came to the very center of the spot of the revenge drama. The aggressor and the victim are in front of his eyes now, so he decided he should deal with this situation by himself. Though he was happy that he finally saw the little girl who he helped the first day he came into this world, to grow up to be such a beautiful woman and be a rising idol, and also become a mother too. But at the same time, he was devastated seeing her right now suffering such unbearable agony whilst protecting her child, making his blood boil in fury.

Gojo was still holding Hakensu’s fist the entire time, his grip so strong and overwhelming Hakensu couldn’t even move a muscle

“Why… are you here..!?” Hakensu questions, confused and frustrated from his interference.

“I should be asking that to
you
…” Gojo retaliates back, his voice and aura overwhelming his soul, squeezing his fist and making his knuckles crack.

“Aarck!” Hakensu shrieks upon getting his knuckles broken by Gojo’s grip, falling one knee to the ground and bending over.

“Answer me…” Gojo demands, making Hakensu completely powerless and vulnerable under his presence.

“Tch! She killed my family..!”

‘DHOMB’ Gojo slams his feet on his head, crashing it into the ground with thunderous force as he squishes his skull in

“Oh please… spare me the bullshit,” Gojo utters, displaying his own ruthlessness against him. But in the midst of doing so, Yuji collapses to the ground, his eyes shut, as the pool of blood around him starts to grow bigger.

“Yuji?”

“YUUJI!”

Gojo notices Yuji fainting and Ai screams out as she sees him dropping on the floor unconscious.

“Shit… I think he lost too much blood.” Gojo mutters in his mind before reshifting his decision.

“Y’know what, how bout we talk about your yap later.” He said to Hakensu who was still pinned by Gojo’s feet before shifting his attention to Yuji, and carrying him with both hands, getting his clothes tainted with blood due to Yuji’s constant leaking. “But… you’re not escaping my sight…” he reaffirms to Hakensu.

It had been one of the roughest mornings ever. Ai was brutally harmed and was taken to the hospital, escorted by Gojo who also took Yuji to the hospital too upon the severe deep wounds he received when he protected Ai. Both were put in an emergency room for urgent medical attention.

The dome concert was canceled, and Ichigo’s head popped in frustration and guilt, storming immediately to the hospital with illegal speed, his heart erupting in tension and concern for Ai.

“Shit…! Shit, shit, shit, shit!” He mutters to himself gritting his teeth with worry, storming through the hospital reception, blitzing past the rooms to reach Ai’s located spot.

“AI!!” He slammed the door open, his yell echoing through Ai’s room and the alleyway. He spots Ai resting on the bed, leaning her back on the wall with both hands placed on the wounded area of her stomach. Aqua and Ruby were right beside her, in deep slumber in smaller beds right besides their mother’s.

“President?” Ai calls out, her voice still quite weak and soft.

Ichigo walks in the room, his tension and frustration palpable due to his impression.

“Ai~ are you alright?!” He inquired, before asking anything, as Ai’s condition and her state of health is what mattered the most.

“m...” Ai sat there silent for a bit, her expression blank and swelling with heavy thoughts, the catastrophic outbreak that took place in the morning was still hard to absorb. But it wasn’t long until her signature ‘fake’ smile returned to her face, though not as bright as it usually was due to the pain in her abdomen taking most of her energy and spirit away.

“I’m fine.” She answers Ichigo, her voice still weak and faint, using one of her typical lies to hide her real emotion and feelings. But this time, it was so clear even Ichigo could tell what Ai was really going through.

“You’re not.” Ichigo states firmly, observing her impression and the severity of her state. He knew that she was going through an immense amount of pain in her umbilical area, but it wasn’t only just the physical pain, Ruby and Aqua also got hurt badly right in front of her eyes, something that which Ichigo promised back when Ai first gave birth to them that he’d ensure none of her kids would get hurt. But his promise was broken this morning.

He could feel the deep sadness inside Ai’s heart, and how she is mentally uneasy after witnessing and experiencing such gore. Even though she is famed to be what others call her as “the strongest idol” but in reality, she was still a regular human who had emotion, in fact, her body was even more fragile than usual. She is a short and weak girl with a soft heart, and sometimes acts immaturely. The fact that she was exposed to such violence, and in fact being the victim in receiving such unjustified torment, probably created a permanent mark in her soul.

A part of it which Ichigo blamed himself for being irresponsible. Seeing the idol who he nurtured since her childhood and viewing her as his own daughter, in such a detrimental state broke his heart to pieces, but what hurt him more was seeing her kids also being involved in the violent assault, in which he could clearly tell Ai’s soul was crumbled to pieces.

Ai’s smile fades away once again, as Ichigo reaffirms and points out her inner feeling. She couldn’t hide it anymore, it was already hard enough to keep it hidden anyway from the gut-wrenching moments she experienced earlier.

“Sorry… Ai…” Ichigo closes the distance and hugs Ai, pulling her own ‘daughter’ closer to his heart. “I wasn’t able to keep my promise, I let you and your kids get hurt. My selfishness about my career took over me and didn’t really consider that much about your safety. I’m sorry..”

Ai sat there silent, as she received Ichigo’s hug and felt his genuine sorrow and remorse. Her smile wasn’t present, her expression blank, lost in deep thoughts.

When Ichigo withdrew from the embrace, he asked “Also, who stopped the intruder?’’ wondering who was the one strong enough to stop such a violent individual.

“Uhm…” Ai tries to remember his name, looking up and putting a finger on her chin as she tries her best to recall what his name was.

But in the midst of her trying to recollect her memory, he instead came to them himself.

“Yo.” Gojo enters Ai’s hospital room, his hands tucked in his pocket, his demeanor nonchalant as always.

Ichigo remembered that voice, as he heard of it long ago when he first recruited Ai.

“Y-you~...” Ichigo was left stunned, seeing

that

same person reappear after nearly a decade.

“Ah, I was looking for you.” Gojo said to Ichigo.

“Me~?” Ichigo reiterates in slight confusion.

“Yep.”

“How so?”

“I mean… I entrusted you to be her guardian, didn't I?” Gojo mentions their deal that they made back in that cafeteria where he was having a snack with Ai when she was little.

“Oh that, yes.” Ichigo recollects their conversation.

“So, any update?” Gojo inquires.

“Uhmm, I just came here right now, I'm not aware of all the details myself.”

“I see,” Gojo walks closer towards Ai. “It's been awhile hasn't it?” He starts his conversation with her with a casual smile, his tone worryless.

Ai’s signature smile returns to her as Gojo comes near her, except this time, it's more genuine and grateful.

“Mhm,” Ai nods with a pleasant expression, sincerely glad to see him again, after that small act of kindness he did to her which led to her reaching this far in her life.

“Gosh, you really got battered badly didn’t you?!” Gojo raises his voice with shock due to now seeing the detrimental damage in her abdomen with his own eyes after he got closer to her.

“Well, if it weren’t for Yuji. it would’ve been much worse haha~” Ai slightly giggles, admitting that the condition of her stomach would’ve been exponentially more devastating than it is now if it weren’t for Yuji’s intervention.

“Hmm… I can see that…” Gojo observes.

“But how is Yuji~?” She asks with a concerned tone, a slight frown forming in her brows with tension, desperate to know the state of the little boy who saved her life. Her attachment towards Yuji grew significantly after this incident, so her worry about his care and health was self justified.

“He’s alright. He lost a lot of blood, but the doctors said that he can make it through.” Gojo informs her.

She sighs in response to hearing that last part, at least she gets to know that he will still be alive.

“To be honest… I don’t think I would be alive without him.” she admits with absolute honesty, looking down at her stomach and placing a hand on her umbilical area, truly feeling that her life would’ve been taken away if Yuji didn’t intercept at that very moment. She envisions Hakensu’s sharp and destructive glove penetrating through her stomach and tearing apart her organs, a completely disgusting visualization.

“Ai~ what did the doctor say about the damage done to your body~?” Ichigo eagerly sought for the details.

“Uhm~...” Ai tried to remember what the nurse said to her after her X-ray. “She said that most of the organs inside my stomach are crushed, and that I got internal bleeding.”

“Say WHAT?!” Ichigo yells out, an uneasy shiver ravaging through his body when hearing these results.

“She also said that my spine bone was slightly dent, and if the pressure had gone any deeper it would've fractured it~” She adds.

“Hah~...” Ichigo was left flabbergasted in shock. But that's when a hand was pressed on his shoulder in reassurance.

“It should be fine, we’re lucky things didn't turn out more brutal than it already is. She is making it through this for sure.” Gojo exclaims, calming Ichigo's tension about his unwavering concern for her.

“Hmph!” Gojo smirks, “Well, I’m glad things turned out this way.” He remarks, not showing as much seriousness expected of the possibility of the unknown outcome.

“Anyhow,” Gojo shifts the topic “You’ve actually grown quite a lot!” He compliments, taking a hand out his pocket and placing it on top of Ai's head and giving her hair a run “Not just in age, but as a person itself. Like damn, I could barely imagine someone with the status of a ‘legendary idol’ like you would be wandering around the streets homeless at one point,” he adds as he continues to pay Ai's head as if she is still a child to her.

“Hhehehehe~” Ai shrugs a little as she feels Gojo's hands rubbing her hair, a giggle escaping her lips, a sense of satisfaction swelling in her heart from hearing his compliment for her growth.

“Not just that… but you're also a mother now too…” Gojo shifts his gaze to Ai's 4 year old kids that were peacefully sleeping right beside her. “Man… you are the prime example that reminds me how drastically someone can evolve in such a short span of time.” He praises, genuinely impressed at Ai's growth.

“Thank you~ uhm… Jo..go?” Ai thanks Gojo but fails to say his name.

“It's Gojo! Not Jogo!!” Gojo yells back in irritation, hitting a nerve whenever someone calls him the disaster curse’s name “Jogo”.

“Ah! I'm sorry~!” Ai flinches back and immediately apologizes.

“Hah…” he sighs. “Anyways, how are your little ones doing?” He now inquires about her twins condition.

“They are alright for now. The doctor said that they didn't receive too much severe damage~”

“Oh? That's great! Then there shouldn't be any worry anymore!”

“But still…” Ai begs to differ, her gaze slowly dropping down as a swell of emotion builds up in her, her perception of the incident vastly different compared to Gojo when it comes involving her kids. “They were still hurt.” She states, pausing briefly before continuing “They did nothing to deserve this~ they weren’t supposed to see this much violence at this tender little age.”

Although Gojo may view it as something light, Ai’s perspective of it is something completely different. Gojo doesn’t have the parenting love and consideration like Ai does for little kids, he had seen countless individuals get slaughtered in the Shibuya incident, the day he got sealed in the prison realm. Because of it, blood and violence were normalized in Gojo’s eyes, something that had never been the case for Ai, as she always expects to live peacefully with her babies, a family filled with tranquility and love.

“...” Gojo picks up Ai’s mood going down the more she speaks about her kids, her smile already faded away.

Ai felt a heavy and firm grip pressing on his shoulder, making her look up once more. “It should be fine.” He states, reassuring her that her twins would be safe and sound.

Ai smiles back, feeling a bit relieved that Gojo is now by her side, someone who she can depend on.

“Thank you for saving me once again~ but not just me, my family also~” Ai expresses her sincere thankfulness towards Gojo “If you didn't show up, not only Yuji would've gotten badly hurt, but I just can't imagine the brutal outcome that would've taken place on me and my little angels. So please, accept my wholehearted gratitude.”

She wasn't lying. Her heart was genuine and honest when it came to thanking Gojo, for she would have not been able to fathom or bear the consequences her beloved children would've suffered.

“It's no probs! Call me anytime you need!” Gojo smiles back, putting out a thumbs up before tucking it into his pocket.

“Psh! I can't believe you're thanking such a guy who didn't even want to protect you in the first place~” a familiar voice echoed through the room as she made her way inside to check on Ai. She came all the way from the countryside as quickly as possible just so she could treat her by herself.

Ai gasps in thrill, seeing her once again and recalling her immense support when she gave birth to Aqua and Ruby.

“Yuki san~!” She calls out in excitement to see her again, a gleaming smile forming her lips, her heart filling up with even more relief.

“Ai~!”  Yuki rushes to her, her soul swelling with concern and tension for Ai's wellbeing. “Are you alright~?” she says as she approaches her by the other side of her bed, her tone desperate and worried.

“Hey! How do you get to remember her name but not mine!!” Gojo complains in the midst of Yuki examining Ai, pissed that she couldn't remember his name but remembers Yuki’s.

“Well~ ahahahaha~!” Ai scratches the back of her hair, unsure how to respond to that.

“It's simple, she simply likes me more than you!”  Yuki answers for her instead. She places a hand on Ai's impaired abdomen, rubbing it slowly and gently pressing it.

“This is absolutely despicable~!” Yuki utters in rage, her brows furrowed, sweat drops start forming in her forehead due to her deep concern regarding Ai’s injury. Just by feeling her stomach with her hand, she could tell that the damage she had suffered in her midsection was beyond excruciating. “Just how can anyone have the heart to do something this evil~? How is it possible to bring yourself to harm someone so innocent and cute~?” She questions to herself, unable to comprehend the absolute disgust of what's been done to Ai.

“Gojo! What happened to

him

?” Yuki turned her attention to Gojo temporarily, asking about that man who was in charge of this duty. “Didn’t you say

he

was responsible for all this?”

“Yeah.. about that,” Gojo stretches his neck and scratches the back of his head. “He hasn't been responding to me in quite some time. Worst case he was probably captured.”

“By who?!” Yuki asks

“That's the hard part…”

“Umm excuse me~ is Satoru Gojo here?” a man stood near the door of the room, requesting for Gojo's presence.

“Oh, yes?”

“We need your help, can you please come with us~?” he requests

“Hah… sure~” Gojo accepts lazily as he walks out the room, sort of irritated by having to do the same stuff. “I'll catch up with ya later” he says to Yuki before leaving the room.

“Mhm,” she nods in response.

“Nurse Yuki, how long do you think it will take for her to recover?” Ichigo inquires, urging to know about Ai’s healing rate.

Yuki lets out a deep and frustrated sigh.

“I'm not sure… but the damage done to her umbilical area is really severe. “ She states, biting her lips as she tries to come up with an estimation. “It will take at least a couple of months.”

“A couple of months?!!” Ichigo yells out.

“Yes.” Yuki reaffirms “But there is one thing I can say for sure.”

“That is?”

“Unfortunately, her idol career has come to an end.”

“A~are you sure nurse Yuki?”

“Absolutely. The damage her midsection received is too deep for her to perform the dance moves she does on stage. It's too risky. The chance of hurting herself is too high, especially now that a part of her intestines are crushed, and she is now suffering internal bleeding.”

“A- I see~...” Ichigo muttered, sadness devouring his soul, as his long hoped for dream of seeing Ai performing at the dome has now officially been crushed.

“I'm extremely sorry to report this news to you.”

“Nah… it's alright, her safety comes first anyway~” His gaze shifted towards the floor, his voice laced with depression and sorrow.

Yuki then diverts her attention to Aqua and Ruby who were still sleeping peacefully right beside Ai. She places a hand on Aqua's forehead, gently rubbing it, grazing his hair bangs.

“Aw~!! Such adorable kids. They've grown so much~ it almost feels like I was carrying them as a baby yesterday!” she squeals, her cheeks flushed to see Ai's babies all grown up to little kids now.

Ai smiles, proud seeing Yuki engrossed in the cuteness and tenderness of her kids. However, she notices a bandage at the corner of Aqua's forehead.

“There's no way your kids got hurt too!” Yuki says in shock, really disturbed to see that Ai’s innocent and adorable little kids are getting harmed by a conflict they weren't even involved in. Their hearts were pure and sinless, thus making her more infuriated.

Surprisingly, Aqua’s slumber was broken with the touch of Yuki’s hand. His eyes slowly stirring awake.

Noticing this, Yuki’s infuriated frown and expression turned into a soft and gentle impression, a tender smile returning to her face as she awaited to greet Ai's beloved little ones.

“U~uh~ where am I~?” he said, his head still dizzy, his memory vague since the last thing he remembered was getting kicked by Hakensu with a wall shattering force, making him pass out on the spot.

As his vision started to get clear, he saw a familiar face right in front of him, a face he never really expected to see ever since he got reincarnated as Ai’s child.

“Y~yuki?” Aqua uttered.

“Heeehhh??!!”

“Ehhhh??!”

Both Ai and Yuki were beyond speechless, not having any clue how Aqua knew her name.

“U-...” Aqua himself was slightly lost, before realizing that he wasn't in the body of Gorou Amemiya, and that he had just said something that isn't logically possible for him to say from everyone else's perspective. “Oh shit..”

“Aaah!!!” Ignoring how it was even possible for him to utter her name, she squeals and hugs him tightly, colliding his body with hers and snuggles her face on his shoulder and hair. “You're sooo adorable!!!! You even know my name too!! Aww~!!” she cuddles Ai's little boy to her heart's satisfaction “Ai~! You are truly blessed with wonderful kids!!” She continuously praises Ai for being so fortunate to have children like him, whereas Ai herself was quite confused on how her little son even knows her name.

“Well genetics I guess~” she thought to herself.

Aqua on the other hand, was all red and uncomfortable. Yuki nor Ai still knows that he is a reincarnation of Gorou Amemiya, and since he and Yuki were really close to each other when he worked in the hospital, it would most definitely make him uncomfortable if his own colleague started hugging and cuddling him so tightly. His only option was to bear through this.

“What is Yuki doing here~?!” Aqua questions irritatedly in his mind as he was getting snuggled, “No, more importantly…” he then snaps and remembers what Ai was going through moments before he got knocked out cold.

“Ai!” He yells out, turning his attention to his mother who he last saw suffering lethal wounds on her midsection.

“I'm here Aqua, are you hurt~?” Ai puts a hand on her boy's head, gently rubbing his hair. He didn't know if she was ironic are not, because Aqua should be the one asking her whether she is hurt or not, not vice versa.

“I should be the one asking that! How is your stomach?!” He comes closer to Ai's bed as Yuki withdraws from her hug, urging to know the severity of the damage done to her, especially considering he is a doctor himself.

“Hmhmhmhm!” She slightly chuckles with a pleasant smile, her heart swelling with affection seeing her son’s concern and stress for her critically inflicted injuries. “It's doing fine~ just hurts a little when too much pressure is put.”

Aqua leans forward even more, observing her mother's crucified abdomen. He knew easily that Ai was lying when she said “It hurts a little” especially when he is observing how deep she got wounded. He places a hand gently on Ai's stomach and starts to rub around it gently, getting to feel the wound of hers.

“Woah! Your son is so cautious and cares so much about your well-being. It must be a blessing!” Yuki compliments Ai.

“Hahahaha! He is a little genius after all~” Ai praises her own boy as she grabs him closer and pulls him towards her chest, wrapping her arms and leaning her chin on his hair, cuddling her son as her soul begs to feel the coziness of his little boy.

“I'm surprised, this might be the first time I'm actually seeing a child calling their parents by their name.” Yuki points out.

“Oh, well~ I just got used to it~” she reasons.

“By the way, President.” Ai lays forth one of her considerations. “Now that I can't perform as an idol anymore, is it okay if I reveal the identity of my kids~?” She proposes.

“Well~” Ichigo folds his arm as he ponders this idea.

“I mean, I feel like I just can't be a proper mother who can give my kids the pleasure they need from their parents if I'm so restricted to hiding their relationship with me.”

“Hmmm…” Ichigo ponders even deeper.

“Most of the other mothers, they get to play with their kids in the parks, take them to the movies and go to beaches, but my kids can't receive any of that from me~” Ai kept on reasoning as she cuddled and rubbed her chin on Aqua's hair, the urge for spending quality time with her kids increasing.

“Ai has a point there,” Yuki adds, “If there is truly no reason left for Ai hiding her children, then I suggest we should reveal this disclosure. Then, it'll get rid of a big burden that's weighing on Ai's chest that she constantly has to protect to hide. If it's out , it will make things much easier for her and her kids too.” She expresses her own opinion, siding with Ai.

The only person left to agree with this decision is Ichigo. His only hesitation for this choice is because deep inside, a portion of him still wants Ai to continue her idol career, but his mind and his soul knows the deep consequences for that, and the last thing he wants to do now is put Ai in the risk of more pain and agony.

“I'll think about it…” Ichigo left his answer vague, still unsure about what he really wants.

“Yo!” Gojo's voice echoes through the room that Yuji was located in in the hospital.

“Ah, Gojo sensei,” Yuji responds.

“How's your recovery?” he asks.

“It's going alright, but the doctor said I won't be able to walk for a while because of the stitches on my leg.”

“Sheesh.”

“But the good thing is, my recovery rate is unusually faster than other people,”

“Well at least you have that.”

“But the trip… I'm sorry.”

“Hey, no need to apologize, what you did this morning was probably the best thing you did in this world.”

“Hm?”

“I mean think about it, if you hadn't helped Ai, then most definitely she would've died. Meaning… you saved someone's life, and not just hers, but her kids as well, wasn't that the last thing your grandpa said before he died?”

Switching on a lightbulb in Yuji, he was shocked to finally come to an understanding of the weight of his actions. Without even realizing, he was fulfilling his grandad's final request.

“You're right…” Yuji admits.

“You should be proud of it, that you got to save someone who has such a massive influence in the country.”

“Mhm,” Yuji nods, understanding Gojo's point

“Besides, we can always switch the date to another time.”

“I don't think… that's possible anytime soon for me.” Yuji responds.

“Huh, why not?” Gojo sought for his reason, tilting his back and leaning closer towards Yuji.

“Because, I don't think my boss would let me have any more breaks. Especially during this winter.”

“What boss?!”

“My work boss who I work for in the construction site.”

“O,” Gojo recollects “Yeah I forgot you still work.”

“You have no clue what struggle I went through trying to negotiate just one day off, hahh…” Yuji sighs, recalling his ‘fight’ with the boss for even just one day off.

“But shouldn't you be getting a Christmas holiday soon?” Gojo inquires.

“Nuh uh” Yuji moves his face sideways, “There is no such thing as a “holiday” when it comes to work. In fact, I have to be there by tomorrow midnight at the construction site, whether it is with crutches or not.”

“That's rough! I'm gonna speak to this boss of yours!” Gojo initiates,

“It's fine sensei,”

“No it isn't! How can it be fine when my precious student is being forced to do  such undeserved job ?”

“But, If I don't do this, I won't get paid, and then I can't pay my rent.”

“...” Gojo stays silent for a while before lifting his hand and placing it on Yuji's head “Yuji,” Gojo says.

“Yeah?” He responds.

“Don't overdo yourself. You're just a little kid still~ you don't have the same physique you used to, so I suggest you actually apply for a guardian to look after you, in fact, as I said before, even I can be your guardian! I can sort out your rent and give you enough money for a whole year!” Gojo advises sincerely, his concern for Yuji's well-being self evident.

“...” Staring down at the blanket of his bed, he comes up with an idea, “Sensei, let's have a deal.”

“WAAHAAAA~!!!” Ruby's cry resonates throughout the room, her face strongly collided with Ai's chest, hugging her mother as tightly as possible as she lets out the pending screams and tears that were within her, “MAAMAA~!! You got hurt so much!! How could anyone do this to someone so beautiful like you, Waaahaa~!! It must be super painful for you~!!”

Ruby continuously rants about why her beloved mother received such brutal injury as she was getting patted by Ai, river flowing from her eyes as she rubs her face on her mother's chest.

“It's fine Ruby~” Ai tries to calm her down, but it fails miserably.

“No it's not!!” Ruby yells back as tears continue to explode, vehemently disagreeing with Ai’s statement. “How can it be fine when the person I love so much infinitely more than anybody else is suffering a life threatening injury!!” She responds as she continues to drill her face on Ai's chest.

Ruby's words hit the inner core of Ai's soul, so much so it stunned her frozen, contemplating the meaning of her words. “She loves me, infinitely more than anything else…” she mutters inside, the impact of those words reshifting her vision, as an immeasurable amount of tranquility engulfed her soul.

“Now now Ruby~” Ai attempts to ease her heartbroken daughter once more, a gentle smile present in her face as she absorbs her daughter's rant, an immense amount of satisfaction swelling in her heart as she adores Ruby's closeness to her “Mama is going to be alright,” she says as Ruby slowly withdraws from her hug, her eyes slightly red from all the crying, even soaking her mother's own dress, “The doctor said I'm going to recover anytime soon. Don't worry, this is nothing to Mama!” Ai said bravely, her vibrant smile intact, putting both her hands on her daughter's shoulders, trying to convince her bluff that this injury is little to no problem for her. But it wasn't until reality showed otherwise as an excruciating jolt tore through her navel area like a gunshot.

“EAOW!” Ai shrieks in unbearable pain, shutting her eyes and instinctively pressing her navel, tears threatening to shed from her eyes as the agony engulfed her soul.

“Ai!”

“Mama!”

Both of Ai's children called out to her as their hearts swelled with tension and stress for their mothers well being.

She leaned back on the bed, as Aqua urgently rushed towards her side, examining his mother. Even though he was still a little child, his ability to conduct health and observe wounds due to his experience as a doctor still remained.

“Ruby, call the nurse!” He demands his twin sister.

“Right!”

“Don’t~ It's~ alright~” Ai persists, her voice weak and trembling, evident as to how much the pain sapped her soul.

“But mama you are in pain!!”

“It's gone now Ruby~” Ai gently grabs Ruby by her armpits and brings her closer to her once again, while also pulling Aqua by the other hand, having both her twins close to her heart now, closing her eyes as she can now comfortably feel the presence and the warmth of her sweet angels.

“Hah…” she sighs from exhaustion whilst tightening her embrace with her kids.

In the quiet and peaceful atmosphere in the room, Ai found solace within her hug, feeling the weight of the heads of her two kids resting on her chest, filling her heart with tranquility after that excruciating wave of pain.

A good period of time had passed in silence as Ai was still cocooning her twins, unable to let go of this heavenly sensation.

“Ruby… Aqua…” Ai calls their name once more, her voice softer than a feather, showering her motherly warmth to her children, the tight and radiant hug refilling her soul with vibrant energy after it was sapped away from the extremely painful jolt on her stomach. At this tender moment, she felt she had the courage to say it, after so long of not having the confidence, she is certain that this time, it's going to be the truth.

“I love you…”

Those words came out of her mouth like a mother bird feeding her babies from her beek. These 3 words were the most honest thing she had probably uttered in her entire life.

The truth was, she loved from the very beginning, ever since they came out of her womb, her soul was attached to her twins more than anything else in the world. The only problem was verbally admitting to them, and the fear of it being a lie haunted her, since she is an individual who is made up of lies. But after so long of feeling company of her children, and the possibility of nearly dying before she even got to say it to them, it gave her the push she needed to utter these words from her mouth

“I said it… I finally said it…!” She exclaims in pride whilst still hugging them tightly, a tear shedding from her eyes as she finally got rid of a big obstacle that was continuously bothering her. “Sorry for taking so long to say it.”  She says in a whispering voice.

Almost 2 hours have passed since Ai said those words to her children. After that, she has been feeling an enormous amount of relief and peace. Even the jolts of pain stopped drilling on her abdomen. Perhaps this was truly the benefit of admitting one’s true love towards someone, it's a medicine that heals your body which no doctor can produce.

All the screaming and crying took a toll on Ruby's body, her eyes empty with no water left inside after she let it all out in her rant, causing her exhausted body to succumb to slumber once more as she rested her head on her mother's delicate stomach. Ai's soft flesh allowing Ruby's head to sink in made her soul go up in 7th heaven in her dreams with Ai very gently and tenderly brushing Ruby's hair.

Aqua on the other hand was reading a book, well more like an encyclopedia on how to cure critical abdomen wounds.

“Aqua… what are you reading over there?” Ai asks politely, her voice soft and low so that she doesn't wake Ruby up.

“Hmm… it's just a book on how to treat patients with life threading wounds on the abdomen area.” Aqua answers with his focus still engrossed in whatever he was researching.

“Hah… There goes my little boy acting all grown up.” Ai sighs, though still appreciating his urge to find whatever it takes to make her recover as fast and efficiently as possible.

Not long later, Yuki comes again to check on Ai’s state, her wounds and to see if she could offer anything she needs.

“Ai san, how is everything going?” Yuki inquires, spotting Ruby resting on Ai's stomach as she falls into deep slumber once again.

“Everything is going great!” she replies with a sudden boost of enthusiasm.

“Oh my~ you're allowing your daughter to rest her head on your wounds, isn't that the most cutest thing ever~~!!” Yuki squeals in the sheer cuteness of witnessing the moment of a mother allowing her daughter to sleep on her injured belly.

“Haha~! Well, Ruby's weight falling on my tummy diminishes the pain inside of it, so I'd rather keep it this way for as long as I can~” Ai remarks.

“I've never seen such passionate mother and child bonding in my life!” Yuki praises.

“Hehe~” Ai giggles, proud to form such a strong relationship with her kids.

“By the way…” A thought entering Ai's mind about something important, at least for her.

“Yes?”

“How is Yuji doing?” Ai asks passionately, eager to know his well-being and his condition.

“Well… he basically left with whatever situation he was in.” Yuki explained, knowing such a bizarre thing to do that one would doubt anyone would do such.

“He left?? How?”

“Hah…” Yuki sighs, putting a hand on her forehead to express her being fed up with this one individual “It's Gojo…” she answers vaguely.

“Gojo?” Ai said confusedly, not having to understand the reason for his leave.

“Apparently, he and Yuji made some sort of deal and they left the hospital just like that.”

“Ehh? Are you even allowed to do that?” Ai questioned

“No.”

“Then how…”

“Because it's Gojo.” Yuki answers back before Ai even got to finish her question “Don't ask me how he does things… I already gave up on him…”

“O.. I see…” Ai gains more of an understanding of Gojo's personality.

“Why do you ask?” Yuki inquires curiously.

“Well… I wanted to talk to him.” Ai relays, slowly grazing Ruby's hair with her fingers as she is still engrossed in her slumber on her mothers soft belly.

“Oh?”

“But it's fine, I mean, he is basically my next door neighbor, so I can catch him anytime~”

“Is it something personal?” Yuki inquires more.

“I mean, he now knows of my secret that I have kids, and…”

“Ah so that's why? Don't worry, Yuji isn't someone who would expose it to the public without your consent.”she cuts off Ai once again, thinking she is worried about the risk of her secret being revealed.

“No it's not that,” Ai retracts back “It's just that, he was my fan, and I told him that Aqua and Ruby weren't my kids to him the night before I got attacked. So I want to explain my situation to him and I don't want him to hold bad grudges against me because I lied to him.” Ai explains with her utmost sincerity “Not to mention… I haven't even got the chance to thank him yet…”

“Hmph…” Yuki can't help but smile, seeing how considerate Ai is.
  
“Are you sure this is okay sensei?” Yuji questions, expressing his doubts on what Gojo did by dragging Yuji out of the hospital and throwing him into his car.

“Yeah! It's totally fine!” Gojo reassures, his tone making Yuji question his actions even more.

“So where are we going?” He asks, curious to where his sensei was taking him.

“Moonlight Mountain.” Gojo declares.

“Ooh? That sounds like a pretty chilly place.”

“It is! And trust me, you don’t wanna miss it!”
  
“Uhh… why do I feel like I a disabled child…?” Yuji asked himself as he was getting strolled by Gojo in a wheelchair up a mountain in the late hours. It was nearly hitting midnight, and the light of the stars scattered through the entire meadow as if each grass represented a lightsaber. Upon the hilly surface, in a smooth walkway that leads all the to the peak of the mountain, was Gojo and Yuji leisurely making their way up.

“Because you are one, what else?” Gojo mocks Yuji.

“Hahh… if only I had my bigger body…” Yuji wishes, wondering why he wasn't able to retain his teenage healthy body when he got reincarnated here.

“We’re almost up there.” Gojo states as they were reaching the climax of the mountain.

Yuji gazed up, his vision covered with stars varying in different colours, as if he was entering into a different dimension the more higher he reaches

“You told me you liked star gazing right? This is the perfect place to do so.”

“...” Yuji’s focus was so engulfed into the heavenly scenery above him he forgot to breathe, almost as if his soul was flying towards those shooting dots up in the sky.

“We're here.” Gojo affirms as they finally reach the pinnacle of the mountain. “Beautiful isn't it.”

“...yeah” Yuji's response half alive as most of his soul was taken above the sky.

The clock struck midnight. Gojo sat on the bench with Yuji right next to him in his wheelchair.

“You say that you are doubtful about leaving the hospital like this, but think about it, isn't this more worth it…?” Gojo knocks on an alternate perspective on Yuji.

“Yeah… you're right, I shouldn't have complained, this is way more than worth it.” Yuji readjusts his opinion, leaving no doubts in what Gojo did.

“Besides, we don't know when would be the next time I might see you again, cuz of your lame ass work you gotta pledge such obedience for.” Gojo adds. “Like, I'm already gonna give you money for your rent for the next few months or so, and you can't stop me.” He persists, refusing Yuji to handle things on his own, as one could say one of his attachment towards Yuji as his sensei clearly being displayed.

“Hahh… guess I can't decline then” Yuji reluctantly accepts.

“Oh yeah, I really wish Ai could come and see this with us.”

“Ai? Why her?” Gojo asks curiously, wondering why he would be specifying Ai of all people.

“Yesterday night, I was stargazing with her right beside our apartment rooms, and she loved it.”

A mischievous idea flew inside Gojo's head as he heard Yuji speak about Ai with such affection.

“Could it be… that you and Ai are in LOVE?!” He teases.

“It's not like that, Sensei!!” Yuji yells back.

“Hahahaha!”

“I'm just a kid, and she has…” Yuji stops what he was about to say as he realizes what he figured out today.

“Hm? She has?” Gojo sought for Yuji's sentence to finish. After a little moment of silence, Yuji was finally able to absorb this information properly in his head

“I never even thought this would be possible, but she even has children, but more importantly… it's no other than Aqua and Ruby…” he said, his expression of shock still left hanging in his eyes.

“What's so special about that?”

“I mean, she is an idol, and they aren't allowed to be in any sort of relationship.” Yuji explains the common rule that idols have to bear in Japan.

“Oh so that's why…”

“And she is only like 20, which means… she became a mother at like 16!”

“Mhm,”

“But what's more surprising is that I am good friends with her kids in kindergarten.”

“Oo… so that's why she likes you?”

“Y’know… when I was talking to her yesterday night, she nearly gave away her secret to me.”

“How so?”

“Because she thanked me by defending them from bullies and being a protective friend like a parent would. And she also said “My Aqua and Ruby” which nearly made me believe she is somehow related to them, like maybe she was their elder sister perhaps. But it all makes sense now.” Yuji thought about his discussion with Ai yesterday night and started matching all the clues she got from yesterday that Ai accidentally split.

“Aren’t you mad that she lied to you?” Gojo asked curiously.

“Huh? Why would I be, I understand why she would be lying about it anyways, and personally I find it cute too.”

“Well of course, there's that.”

“Y'know,” Gojo remembers his conversation he had with Ai this afternoon in the hospital that he wishes to share with Yuji “I went over to visit Ai in her room in the hospital, just before we both left, and guess what she said?”

“Huh? What is it?” Yuji eagerly wanted Gojo to spill the beans.

“She said that she really wants to meet you again, and wants to express her gratitude from the bottom of her heart, it almost felt as if she got attached to you way more than she should have. But then again, you saved her and her kids, so I guess that's why…”

“...she wants to express her gratitude to me?”

“Yup! And she was pretty sincere about it too, so props for earning a famous idol's attention!”

“I mean, you are the one that did the main saving, not me…” Yuji corrects, not giving himself as much credit as others.

“Sensei,” Yuji calls out to Gojo once more.

“Yeah?”

“When I saw Ai nearly about to die from the wound in her stomach, she had already accepted her fate, and…” Yuji pauses slightly “She had the courage to tell me herself that Aqua and Ruby were her kids, and begged me to take them and run while the attacker was going to finish her off. Sensei, what does that make me to her?” Yuji asks, genuinely wanting to know what it means for Ai to say something like this to him.

In response, Gojo forms a wide smile on his face.

“It makes you someone she trusts from the very bottom of her heart to protect her family for her. Even though the revelation of having kids usually tends to shock and stun most people, she believed in her heart that no matter the weight of her disclosure, you will be there to protect what she treasures the most.” Gojo explains “And… by default making you also one of the few individuals who she now treasures.” Gojo further goes on to add. “You should be proud, Yuji. Earning this much trust from such an influential person is no small feat.” He compliments.

“By the way…” Yuji bends the topic slightly towards Gojo's side. “During the time I was in the hospital, Yuki san told me that you and Ai had a connection way back a decade ago, and that you were one of the few inspirations that made her become an idol, is that true…”

“Hmhmhmhm~” Gojo giggles, his smirk enlarging. “Ahh yes… Me and Ai do go all the way back.” He states.

“Really? Can you tell me more?!” Yuji begs urging to know more about his background with Ai.

“Sure!”

Gojo and Yuji spent hours talking at the peak of the moonlight mountain, underneath the shining stars that gleamed through the entire night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So I'ma ask you this first.
Where is Shinji?
” Gojo interrogates Hakensu, having him pinned on the floor in a certain dark room that's only source of light being the lit up match stick.

“Rrgh! I'm not gonna te- GLAGH!”

Cutting him off, Gojo inserts a brick inside his mouth.

“If you're not gonna tell me, I'm gonna
make you tell me
.” Gojo spoke, his tone poisoned with violence and ruthlessness. He digs the brick deeper into his mouth with his foot, forcing blood streaming from his mouth

“GRLAAGH!” He shrieks in agony, unable to breathe.

“So… which is it? Are you gonna tell me? Or are you gonna keep suffering?” Gojo taunts him with no mercy, his gaze piercing his soul.

He momentarily withdraws the brick from Hakensu's mouth, and a river of blood flows out of him, half of his tooth shattered.

“F~Fine~” he finally surrenders after experiencing how torture was like firsthand.

“Good boy,” Gojo mocks, “Now speak.” He demands.

“Sh~shinji, got captured by… one of Charle’s… bodyguards.”

“What?” Gojo utters in shock “Shinji lost a fight? It can’t be…” he monologues to himself, having a hard time comprehending Shinji getting defeated in a fight. “Alright, then tell me where Charles is!” He demands next.

“I can’t…”

Gojo stomps Hakensu’s head into the ground deeper, forming a crater as his patience starts to reach his limit.

“Spill it!”

“Rrgh~…” He was unsure what to do. He was loyal to Charles Choi but at the same time, if he doesn’t tell what Gojo wants, he’d be doomed either way.

“My my… what do we have here?” A voice of an old man echoes throughout the room, the sound of footsteps bouncing past the walls as it got louder when the man finally revealed himself from the dark shadow.

“Who are you?” Gojo asks, his demeanor sharp and disrespectful, his gaze piercing.

“Ch~Charles Choi!!” Hakensu shouts, his hope rising upon his arrival for letting him free, confirming to Gojo that this is the individual he should be looking for.

“Don’t scream at me like that you useless piece of shit, after all, you are no good to me anymore” Choi declared, glaring down at him with his vicious and disappointed eyes.

“Wh~what do you mean by that?”

“Hehehe,” the man chuckles venomously, making a fool out of him as his devious smirk enlarges. “What I mean by that is… you were nothing… but a little pawn to my future plan~” Charles bends on his knees, staring at Hakensu’s powerlessness on the floor, unable to get back up as his energy was drained from all the exhaustion. A shell wide smile implanted on his face, mocking Hakensu’s very existence.

“You mean… all this revenge~ was just fake~” Hakensu uttered, his voice starting to break down. “It was you~... who killed my mum, not Ai~” His eyes started swelling with tears, realizing he was tricked and played all along. A mixture of sorrow and rage boiled his heart, gritting his teeth, wishing he had the energy to fight back.

“You were just a fool who is too easy to manipulate, you are no use to me anymore, so begone.” Charles stands back up, declaring the cutting of his connection with him.

“What a sad story,” Gojo said nonchalantly as he entered their conversation “Now that that’s sorted, tell me where Shinji is.” He demands Choi.

“Ahh, the former rising actor, Satoru Gojo, was it?” Choi introduces him “It's nice to meet you in person.”

“Yeah and it’s not nice to see your pedophilic ass ruining kids' childhood.” Gojo retaliates.

“Geez, first Toji, and now you..?” He said bothersomely.

“Huh?... Did you just say Toji?” Gojo said in shock, wondering if he misheard him,

“Mhm,”

“What connections do you have with him? No… more importantly, how about you answer my question..”

“About what? Shinji? He is locked up.”

“Where.”

“That… I have no business sharing it with you.”

“Then guess I have to force it out of you.” Gojo utters with a violent tone. After a long time, his aggressive aura finally started kicking in.

“I heard rumors about you that you are actually a stupendously strong fighter hiding amongst the shadows. It’s about time I figure out whether those rumors hold any weight or not.” Choi positions himself in his stance, in which Gojo does so too.

In a blink of an eye, Choi’s speed burst closes the distance, initiating the clash first between the two.

“You are pretty fast on your feet for an old man.” Gojo remarks, blocking his surprise dash by guarding up with an arm,

“I'm impressed, you actually managed to block my speed dash. Most of my opponents get caught off guard by my speed when I use this at the start of the fight to stun them, but that had no effect on you, do you happen to have overcome

that

mastery too?” Choi praises Gojo's reaction, and questions whether he has overcome a certain threshold.

“I don't know what you are blabbering about, but you sure as hell pack a punch!” Gojo grabs Choi's leg, pulling it towards him before reaching his palm at his face, slamming him on the wall with his brute strength. A loud bang noise reverberated throughout the room, a big crater forming against the wall where Gojo slammed Choi’s head in.

“I must say, the rumors turned out to be true after all.” Choi remarks, despite his head still carved inside the wall.

“You're still speaking?” Gojo speaks in a mocking tone.

Choi raises his feet high which aimed for Gojo's chin, forcing him to withdraw his hand from his face, as he steps back. But as soon as he backs off, Choi slams his heel on Gojo's foot, stunning him a little as he feels the pressure drilling down his toes.

“Grgh!” he grunts slightly, nearly losing his balance due to his injured foot.

Choi utilizes this opportunity to strike Gojo as he was regaining his balance, but once again, it fails as Gojo sees it coming and catches his fist.

“Wow, you even saw through my strategy, very impressive.” Choi comments on Gojo's battle instincts and his knowledge in combat.

“Tch, guess I have to take you seriously,” Gojo states, before finally taking it a step up in his fight. He zaps his fist with thunderous speed, connecting it directly on Choi’s chin before with destructive force, forcing his body to lose balance upon receiving the heavy impact as he got sent flying to the wall once again.

But he didn’t stop his assault yet. He attempts to knee Choi while his body just bounced off the wall.

He saw this coming and attempted to block Gojo’s knee, but due to its overwhelming power, it broke past his guard, landing another devastating blow on his face. Since he was now cornered, he was put in a very vulnerable spot as he now had to deal with Gojo’s ruthless barrage of his fist.

“Grrggh! Glack! Gough! Gkah!” He received blow after blow, until Gojo stopped temporarily.

“So, are you willing to tell me where he is?” Gojo said, his voice overwhelming and dominating. As Choi slid down from the wall, leaning back, his face and body battered, he gave him another chance to spill out where Shinji was.

Choi slowly lifted up his gaze, seeing the monster before him, glaring down at his prey with a piercing gaze, those silver blue eyes haunting his soul as his fist was arched back, ready to pound him anytime.

“He is much stronger than the rumors came out to be…! Not even Gun or Goo can fend this monster off. Shit, at this rate…” Choi monologues to himself, under deep pressure as he was under the feet of the strongest.

“Guess you need more of a pounding old man,” Gojo decides, pulling his fist back for round 2, but before he could attempt to throw his punch, the wall behind Charles busted open, indicating that a few individuals arrived for his backup.

2 men stood in front of Choi, facing Gojo, both of them having their hands tucked in their pockets as they wore expensive black suits. One of them had glasses and blonde hair, whilst the other had white pupils and black iris in his eyes.

“Oh? So the old man now calling his two crutches?” Gojo mocks the two and compares his two bodyguards to being crutches of old choi.

“Charles Choi, you seem to be pretty beat up. Is he really this strong?” Goo questioned Gojo’s strength to Choi.

“Yeah, he’s monstrously powerful.” Choi answers

“So another worthy opponent.” Gun cracks his knuckles, his blood boiling to clash fists with him, his smirk expressing his excitement.

“Hey… wait.” A recognition enters Gojo’s mind, tilting his head slightly with his fingers placed on his chin, making a pondering face “If Shinji was defeated by one of Charle’s 2 bodyguards, then… it must’ve been one of you two!” Gojo yells, pointing his fingers towards them.

“Who the fuck is Shinji?” Goo said confusedly.

“Oh, you mean that blue haired bastard? Yeah I beat him, why?” Gun admits.

“Tell me where he is, now!”

“Unfortunately, that’s not poss-”

“No stop!” Choi interrupts. “We’ll tell you where Shinji is,”

“Charles?” Gun looked back, shocked to think Choi would reveal his location “You were the one who decided to keep it top secret.”

“Yes, but in this situation, it just can’t be helped.”

“Why not? Do you not think I can defeat him?”

“...” Choi stays silent for a bit, before attempting to slowly stand up. “I don't want to make an enemy against someone this strong.”

“Even if you don't want to, I want to test him out myself for my own entertainment.” Gun cracks his knuckles, his body itching for a fight as he senses Gojo's extremely powerful aura, his blood getting thrilled to throw hands. “You can leave if you want and have some tea, I’m gonna see if he is really worth colliding fists with by myself~” he tells Choi.

“Fine, and just let you know in advance, I’ll be sending that boy to clean up this place after you’re done duking it out,”

“Fine by me,”

With that, Choi takes his leave, with only his 2 bodyguards and Gojo remaining in the room.  Hakensu was also left behind, but he was too mentally broken after Choi’s betrayal; they acted as if he didn’t exist as he remained silently sobbing with his head down on the floor.

“If I beat you, you'll promise to tell me where he is alright?” Gojo proposes.

“And if you lose?”

“I won't.” Gojo affirms, his smirk displaying his overwhelming confidence on his combative ability to fight and take down Gun.
   
“PAAWW!!” With one final thunderous blow right at Guns face as Gojo's fist devastatingly connects and sinks into his cheeks, delivering the finishing blow of the fight as he sends Gun crashing to the wall, in which it shatters violently as his body collides with it.

“Maan you put up a good fight!” Gojo compliments as he wipes off the small blood trail on his nose.

“I didn't think you'd be this powerful~ to think I'd be fighting someone stronger than me, you've truly exceeded the expectations, Satoru Gojo,” Gun praises Gojo's strength.

Goo on the other hand, Choi's other bodyguard was already knocked out cold under the rubbles of shattered bricks and walls, as he was the first to fall and get incapacitated during their fight against Gojo.

“Yeah yeah~ can you tell me where Shinji is now~”

“Hmph!” Gun tosses a card to Gojo in which he catches it.

“What’s this?” he asks.

“It’ll tell you where he is kept.”

“Oh?”

“And what are you gonna do with
him
?” Gun diverts the focus to Hakensu who was still silently sobbing from the breakdown of Choi’s betrayal. He wondered if Gojo still had any use of him

“Hmm… I don’t know, maybe just leave him here?”

“That’s unfortunate, guess I might really have to end him, he serves no purpose.” Gun decides.

“You don’t really have to kill him, I don’t think he deserves to die.” Gojo expresses his disapproval. “Y’know what, I’ll take him.”

Gojo grabs Hakensu’s collar who was still sobbing head down on the ground, lifting him up and carrying him as he leaves the room.

“Smh, that Charles really did leave while we duked out, what a snake~” Gun comments as he slowly starts to get up, bruises all over his body from the destructive blows he received from Gojo.

“I’m assuming Charles appointed you to do the rest of the cleaning? Choso.” As Gun turns around behind him to the big shattered hole in the wall that Gojo punched him into, a little boy emerges out of it, a dark purple horizontal line on his nose and two spiky hair buns. His face looked gloomy as it told all about himself. He had no choice or option for freedom, his life was nothing but a mere pawn of Choi’s. All he wished for… was to live a happy life with his 3 brothers, Yuji, Kechizu and Eso.
  
“Thank you Miyako san~” Ai thanks Miyako with an exhilarated tone for buying her her favorite ice cream.

“No problem~ but you do need to control your habit of eating too much ice cream.” Miyako advises Ai as she gives the ice cream pack to her in her hospital bed.

“Ehh? No way!” Ai persists, going against Miayko’s advice like a little child. Her favorite snack was ice cream and she can’t help but be addicted to it.

“Ruby~, Aqua, come have some ice cream with Mama!” She calls them for some ice cream, as usual of a mother wanting to share an exquisite snack with her beloved little ones.

Ruby, who was taking a nap on Ai’s lap, woke up shortly after a few calls from her mother.

“Mm~” Ruby rubs her eyes, the sleepiness inside her.

“Ruby~! Look what Miyako san got us!” She shows her the packet of the boysenberry ice cream that contains little boxes of it.

“Hah~!” Ruby’s eyes widen brightly, her mouth open with joy as she sees the packet her mother was holding.

Ai chuckles seeing Ruby’s mood turning into a fury of joy. She opens the packet and distributes it evenly to them.

“Here, Aqua~” She hands one over to her son.

“Thank you~”

She pats Aqua’s head after giving an ice cream to him, making him flush.

“Mama!” Ruby leaps up, an idea lingering in her mind that she is willing to consult with her mother “Christmas is coming, what are we going to do?” she suggests curiously.

“Ah true~!” Ai acknowledges “Hmm….” she ponders for a moment, putting her thumb and index finger on her chin, before ideas start to shower her mind “How about… we have a family feast!” she proposes enthusiastically.

“That’s a good idea! We can have Miyako san cook the best dishes ever!” Ruby sides with her mother’s suggestion in a heartbeat, eager for a once in a while family dinner.

“Hah…” Miayko sighs with her arms folded, hearing their ideas, knowing she will have a lot to go through.

“...and… followed by a night walk in the park! We can even have a snow fight!” Ai continues to bring forth more uplifting ideas, her eyes visioning the moment of ecstasy she would have with her kids which escalated both her and Ruby’s excitement for Christmas day.

“Yayy!!” Ruby hugs her mother tightly in the chest momentarily with joy, “We are gonna have lots of fun mama!”

“Yup!” Ai nods. Vehemently agreeing with her daughter.

“You can think of all that after your stomach recovers, otherwise you can’t do any of them.” Aqua’s voice interrupts Ai and Ruby’s joyful conversation about their plans, completely shutting down their ecstasy with his overprotectiveness, erasing their vibrant atmosphere and replacing it with a gloomy purple aura.

Ruby and Ai both slowly turned their gazes and stared at Aqua like a zombie, their face’s gloomy, with blank eyes and no smiles.

“Aqua… can’t you at least be a little bit excited…” Ai said to her precocious little son in a dead voice.

“ONII CHAN!! You are always so boring, and you don’t know how to have fun!” Ruby scolds her elder twin brother .

“Hah… fine, do whatever you want.” Aqua replies back as opens his ice cream pack and continues reading his novel. But deep inside, Aqua’s mind was convoluted about the incident, as he still couldn’t rest easy after an intruder was able to snuck up her address and attack her. It bothered him relentlessly, especially considering there isn’t anyone who knows about where she lives, which makes him even more worried for future attacks.

“Mama,” Ruby turns around back to Ai “Will you get better before Christmas?” she asks, her innocent heart wondering if her mother will be well and healthy before Christmas so they can enjoy it to their utmost satisfaction.

Ai notices this and gives her a rub on her hair, a reassuring smile grazing her lips.

“Of course!” Ai exclaims, her voice heartening. “Mama will be all better and stronger in no time!” giving Ruby a certain ease in her heart which made her smile too.
  
“You got some guts showing your face here right now.” Manager Kai said.

“Sorry, you see, I had a severe deep injury throughout my body, so the doctors said that I needed to rest,” Yuji lays forth his excuse to his manager for his absence throughout the past month.

“Well whose fault is that to get that injury, yours, or mine?” Kai asks Yuji.

“But… I did it to protect someone,”

“But did you protect yourself?”

“...”

“If you can't protect yourself, why bother to protect others?”

Yuji stayed silent, intentionally not attempting to answer his manager's questions, as he knows he is in a bad mood after seeing him show up for so long.

The truth was, Yuji had recovered his wounds a month ago, thanks to his abnormal physical prowess, his body functions in a far more advanced manner than regular humans. The problem was, Gojo didn't allow him to attend his work. He was too caring for Yuji, so for this entire time, Gojo paid all of Yuji's rent money and bills, and also spent quality time with him until he had to leave for an urgent business. Well, it wasn't really a problem, Yuji treasures every moment he spent with his sensei. But since he is gone now, his only source of getting bank again is by coming back to the construction site.

“It's been nearly two months! How do you plan on catching up?!” The manager growled.

“Well, I can start right now~” Yuji requests.

“What's the point? Christmas is in a few days. Everyone else will be on break,”

“I won't, I will stay here and finish this project!” Yuji said, his voice laced with determination and firm intention.

“Huh? Are you telling me you're not going to take the Christmas break?”

“Nuh uh, I don't have anyone to celebrate Christmas with. I am just by myself. If I take a break, I will just feel more envious by watching others with their family, so I'd rather be occupied with something.” Yuji reasoned. Since he doesn't have a family to exchange gifts with and spend cherishable moments with, he'd rather do work than see others.

“Hmm, that's smart, alright I'll accept that kid~” Kai concludes, accepting Yuji's deal.
  
Enough time has passed for Ai to finally be released from the hospital. Though the pain still hasn't disappeared completely, it has declined a lot since she first received it. The doctors warned her that too much excessive movements would allow the wound to ache again, but as carefree girl as Ai is, those words flew out from her ears, as she was just too excited to finally have fun with her kids again now that she is finally leaving this prison called the hospital.

“Please be careful to not push yourself too far. And make sure to never let any kind of force hit your abdominal part, especially your umbilical area. It remains exquisitely sensitive. Even the slightest force can inflict severe damage.” The nurses admonished while guiding Ai to the exit of the hospital.

Ai, however, strolled along the hospital's hallways with an infectious, beaming smile, as excitement and joy overwhelmed her soul. She acknowledged their advice with a casual, “Sure, sure,” as though their warnings barely registered.

“Your wounds have healed enough for mobility without too many casualties, but its vulnerability remains, any kind of impact would be detrimental.” The nurses persisted in their overprotective lecture.

All this to get a playful smile and a wink from Ai, an apparent sign that their words had someone washed over her. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine!” she reassured with an optimistic thumbs-up. However this did not relieve the nurses concerns at all, knowing how Ai can be quite careless at times, especially after being with her for the past several months once she was reported here after her previous hospital where she was staying got attacked.

The nurses took extra precaution and told Ichigo, Ai’s one and only caregiver, about Ai’s safety conditions and the things she should not do and must look out for.

Today marked Ai’s long anticipated departure from the prison known as the “hospital”. Her thrill and excitement couldn’t contain her body after she stepped out of the hospital.

“Ahh~ it's so nice to finally be able to feel the direct sunlight from the core.” She says as she stretches her arms and chest out, embracing the warm atmosphere, which was soon interrupted by a cute voice that called out to her.

“Mama!” Ruby was running towards with both her arms out, awaiting a heartfelt hug from her mother who finally, after so long, stepped out of the hospital.

“Ruby~!” Ai reciprocated, closing the distance between with a slight jog. As their path’s converged, Ruby leaped into Ai's waiting arms. Ai caught her with grace and swung her around in the air before enfolding her in a tight, motherly embrace. The radiant smiles that adorned their faces outshone even the sun itself, accompanied by the pure, unbridled laughter of mother and child as they cuddled each other, their joy and happiness echoing through the atmosphere.

“A-Ai-san, please don’t exert yourself so soon.” The nurse commented who was outside besides Ai after watching her carrying and swinging around that little girl.

Ai turned her gaze towards the nurse while holding ruby firmly against her chest, her gleaming smile still present. “Everything is alright.” she said back to the nurse. Perhaps the thrill and joy of finally being able to join the outside world has succumbed to the critical wounds that were inflicted on her.

“Mama,” Ruby's enthusiastic voice resonated once more as she withdrew slightly from Ai's chest, prompting her mother to turn and gaze affectionately at her while still carrying her.

Ai responded with a gentle "Mhm," eager to hear what Ruby had to share.

“How are you feeling?” she asked with an anticipated answer.

“I’m feeling great! Full of energy!”

Relieved to hear what Ai said, she still asked further “Are you ok to move around now?” she asked with a voice holding nothing but purity and innocence.

Ai slowly lowered Ruby to the ground while answering “Of course! Mama is stronger than ever!” she bluffed, clenching her left fist and putting it up, flexing her non-existent bicep muscles. Ruby couldn’t help but burst out in laughter from her moms silly antics.

“Yo!” A deep voice was heard from afar that was approaching them, grabbing Ai and Ruby’s attention. Ichigo came to pick Ai up from the hospital and take her back to her apartment. Aqua was beside him. His hands were in his pocket with a stoic impression.

“You guys are here.” Ai greeted them warmly, taking Ruby’s hand as they approached. “Aqua why’re you moody? Aren’t you happy mama is out of the hospital?” She leaned closer towards her son, softly chuckling with a wide smile.

“Yes I am.” Aqua responds back with a faint smile, receiving a pat from his mother, though his mind was still storming with thoughts about how Ai even received an attack like that in the first place, it has been bothering him for a while now.

“So what do you say we get moving and drop you off to your new revamped apartment” Ichigo suggested.

“Mhm!” Ai nodded with agreement. They all made their way to his car which was parked quite a bit off a distance from the hospital since the parking was packed inside.

Ai, Ruby and Aqua sat on the back with Ai of course being in the middle between her two kids. Not long after the car started driving. Ruby couldn't contain her excitement. She snuggled up to her mother, capturing one of Ai's arms and pulling it close to her while resting her head on Ai's chest. Giggles of pure delight escaped her, which Ai reciprocated by tenderly caressing Ruby's soft hair.

As Ichigo was driving, “So Mama, what are we going to do today?!” She raised her head and gazed at her mother with those sparkling eyes.

Ai considered for a moment before responding back “Uhmm.. not sure, what would you like Ruby?”

“Then let's have a water figh-” Ruby’s words got interrupted by her over considerate older brother.

“Ruby,  Ai just got released from the hospital. Doing something immediately that has a risk of physically straining yourself is not a good start at all.” Aqua declared firmly. He was leaning his elbow next to the window, watching the road from the side of his eye.

“Rrhh, you’re such a boomer!” Ruby argued back, always getting annoyed whenever Aqua shuts down Ruby’s pleasant ideas with his overwhelming maturity.

“Ahahaha! You’re the same as always Aqua.” Ai laughs while the siblings have their small clash “Then what do you suggest we do Mr Smartymants?” Ai directs the question to Aqua.

“Uhh… well, I’d just advise to take a rest today. You just came from the hospital so we should start by taking things easy and less taxing to your wounds.” He replied with consideration

“Aww, Boo! You are so boring, Aqua!” Ai playfully complained. She wanted her son to be a bit more engaging and playful just like Ruby. After all, she doesn’t expect a 4 year old to think so maturely and consider every safety possibility before making a decision. She wants Aqua to be a bit more spoiled and selfish just like herself and Ruby.
  
“Whaw…” Ai’s mouth wide open as Ichigo finally arrives at the location of her apartment. Just seeing the view out the window of the car amazed her, making her think as if the apartment was fully newly built, especially her part of the room, unlike the last time she saw before she was reported to the hospital where her entire house was shattered from Hakensu's rampage

“The apartment looks so new! It's hard to believe that the attack even happened.” she comments, stepping out of the car and observing it up close.

“Mama mama!” Ruby leaped out the car, calling her mum.

“Hm?” Ai slightly turned around behind her, to her daughter's call, a wonderful smile still present in her as it expressed a sense of freedom and relief.

Instead of saying anything, Ruby ran towards her, colliding with her mother’s soft stomach again, rubbing her face on her belly. Perhaps she is just craving for her warmth and affection.

“Hahahaha~! What's the matter Ruby~?” A chuckle escaping Ai’s lips, patting her daughter's head and grazing her hand on her smooth blonde hair as she feels her stomach getting gently pressed by Ruby’s face.

“Mama~ I'm so happy that you are back home~ but…” She pauses.

“But?”

“But I don't want you to get hurt ever again~” she said, her voice laced with emotion, very determined on what she had said as she never wants to witness her most beloved mother to be this wounded ever again. Seeing her out of the hospital and walking again freely reminded her how much she missed her company, and vowed to never let anything happen to her ever again.

Ai breathes out, her smile as radiant as ever. Despite her umbilical area still not properly healed, she pulls Ruby towards her stomach even more, allowing her daughter to absorb the softness of her flesh, her arms crossed behind her neck.

“Don't worry Ruby, mama will never get hurt ever again, and that's a promise, okay~?” she said to her daughter, her tone tender and soft, her heart melting from seeing the worryness of her protection. She presses Ruby towards her stomach even more, lending her reassurance to her. “Christmas is 3 days away, remember what Mama said in the hospital?”

“Mhm~”

“I’m all better before Christmas, so we can spend the time together outside!” Ai exclaims.

“Now then, what do you think my tummy is saying, Ruby?” Ai playfully asks her daughter with a bright smile whose face was still plunged in her midsection, removing her arms behind Ruby’s neck and placing her hands on her hips.

With one last gentle thrust on her mother’s soft engulfing stomach, Ruby withdraws from it, regaining her radiant cute smile.

“It’s saying, “I want some raspberry milkshake with whipped cream!” teehee~” She replies back with a giggle.

Ai leans down to her daughter’s level, both their smiles reflecting each other.

“Then it seems that’s what we are going to have, hehe~” She declares as they both come to a joyous agreement.

Ichigo escorted them up to Ai’s room as they walked with their leisurely pace. Once they reached her room, before Ai was about to open the door, she thought of someone, someone very significant to her that she wishes to meet eagerly.

“Oh I forgot, Yuji lives next door too~” She remembers. “I wonder if he’d want to join us for the milkshake~” She considerately wonders, before her daughter encourages her for this idea.

“Yes, Yuji deserves it after all!” Ruby once more, vehemently agreeing with Ai’s thoughts.

“Alright!”

“You just came from the hospital, don’t you think you need some personal space first?” Ichigo expresses his doubts against Ai’s decision.

“Eh? So what? I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Yuji.” Ai persists, stubbornly denying Ichigo’s advice as her urge to meet Yuji overtakes her.

So instead of going inside her room first, she goes next door and knocks on Yuji’s apartment room.

“Yuji~ It’s me Ai~ I came back from the hospital.” She said, knocking on the door 4 times. But she received no answer. “Yuuji~~!!” she knocked 3 more times again, yet still no answer. “Is he not home?” she wonders to herself after not getting any answer. “Or maybe… is sleeping, oh well, I don’t want to bother him then.”

She decides to leave it alone for the moment and chooses to spend time with her own family.

As they enter their home, Ai couldn’t help but remind Ichigo about this topic once more, as it was seemingly bothering her and she is unsure what to do.

“President Satou,” She calls out to him.

“Tch, its Saitou!” Ichigo yells at her, slightly getting fed up by her still messing up his name despite being together for so long

“Haha! Sorry~”

“Anyways, what’s up?” He folds his arm, ready to listen to what she has to say.

“Umm~ i’ve been wondering if I should reveal my secret to the public.”

“Well…” Ichigo contemplates whether this would be a great time to unleash this disclosure to the world.

“I mean, I really can’t continue being an idol anymore, so the only thing that this secret is preventing me from is going out with my kids to the public.” She lays forth her reasoning.

“Yeah I know, and I guess, it can’t be helped…”

“Heh? What do you mean?” Ai sought.

“I was hoping you could do one more concert somehow for your farewell… but I guess it’s not possible.”

Ichigo’s tone was slightly depressed, but he knew he had to move on. But Ai herself also got a sudden sense of void in her heart too, as if she had done something she needed to finish. She thinks back to her idol career and comprehends how starting this journey had changed her life. So she wanted to at least have a proper ending, and not leave it incompleted.

“Hmm…I think it's possible~”
  
It has been 2 days since Ai was relieved from the hospital. She enjoyed her time with her kids, but for some odd reason, she hadn’t got the chance to meet Yuji. Every time Ai knocked on his door, there was no reply, it's as if Yuji doesn’t stay there anymore, and he doesn’t have any sort of social contact with him so reaching him is also difficult.

Ai then remembers that the last time he heard of Yuji was when Gojo illegally dragged Yuji with him from the hospital.

“I wonder if he is with Jogo…” she mutters to herself, completely messing up Gojo’s name. It wasn’t until moments later her train of thoughts were interrupted.

“Mama! The Christmas tree is almost done!” Ruby yells out, standing on a ladder decorating the final touches of the tree.

“Waw! That looks beautiful Ruby~” Ai compliments, genuinely astonished by Ruby, Aqua and Miyako’s hard work decorating the tree.

“Alright kids~ we should head to bed now so that we can have full energy tomorrow.” Miyako advised everyone in the room.

Ruby and Aqua didn’t complain, and neither did Ai and followed what Miyako advised them to do.

“Mama, you said we are going to the park tomorrow right~?” Ruby reminds her as all 3 of them were brushing their teeths.

“Mhm! That's right!” Ai declares whilst her mouth was foaming from the paste.

“Then~ can we have a snow fight too!” Ruby begged, her mouth also filled with foam.

“Of course, that’s going to be lots of fun!”

“Remember what the nurse said, Ai can’t physically exert herself too much or she might wound herself again.” Aqua finishes his brushing first and reminds the both of them about Ai’s critical injury that’s still intact in her midsection due his overprotective nature of being a doctor.

“Yeah yeah, you don’t have to worry about all that~” Ai nonchalantly replies, ignoring the severity of her state, as she and Ruby finish their brushing too and head to bed all together.
  
“Merry Christmas!! Aqua, Ruby!!” Ai yells out in vibrancy to her little children in the early morning, opening her arms wide as she awaits for their warm and radiant hug that would refill her soul with energy for the rest of the day.

“Merry Christmas Mama!!” Ruby yells back, leaping from the bed and crashing her body with her mother in utmost love and affection.

Ai closes her arms, hugging Ruby tightly towards her chest and cuddling her chin on her hair, tickling Ruby slightly as she lets out giggles whilst embraced in her mother’s cocoon which showered her love.

Ai looks up to find someone else, noticing that she is missing someone in her cocoon.

“Aqua~! Come hug mama!” she urged, sticking one hand out.

“Erm… fine,” Aqua reluctantly accepts, reaching his hand out to Ai’s. “Woah!” he gets dragged forcibly as soon as Ai got a grip of his hands, pulling him inside her cocoon alongside Ruby.

“Ahh~” Ai cuddles both her twins firmly, squeezing them to their heart, finding great pleasure from their little souls colliding with hers. As always, these are the moments that she treasures the most, just between her and her two beloved kids, a moment nothing else could rival when it comes to giving her heart tranquility

After cuddling both of them for a good moment, she releases them from the hug, with Ruby, jumping up with excitement.

“Mama, what are we going to do today?!” She asked, her enthusiasm palpable, her excitement blowing off the roof as it barely contained inside her, urging to know what she is going to do on this blessed Christmas day.

“First! We’re going to have a wonderful breakfast,” She exclaims, mirroring Ruby’s enthusiasm “And then… Mama is going to take you guys out to the park!” She said, her tone imbued with thrill and excitement.

“But Ai… you’re still not exposed yet, so what would the public think if they see us with you?” Aqua asks a smart question, wondering how Ai is going to tackle this problem.

Ai bends down close to Aqua, saying in a whispering voice “Don’t worry, Mama knows the exact place where there is no one to spot us! Teehee~!”

“Uhh…” Aqua expresses his doubts on Ai’s plan, but he eventually goes along with it anyway

“Oh yes!” Ai remembers something important, “Ruby, Aqua, I got you two some christmas gifts!” She said, her heart swelling with anticipation for her kids reaction.

“Ah? Really?!” Ruby leaped in excitement.

“You didn’t have to go through such trouble, you just came back from the hospital,” Aqua as always, responds very maturely to her efforts.

“Eh, it's no trouble at all, especially when it comes down to my angels~” She said with a pleasant smirk, resembling the pride of a mother’s responsibility to their kids.

Ai takes her two kids to the living room. Upon arriving there, the kids already spotted two gift boxes underneath the christmas tree, something that they didn’t notice last night before they went to sleep, which told them that Ai had sneakily prepared their gifts after they had gone to sleep.

Without a second thought, Ruby rushes towards her gift present, tempted to open it as her excitement was starting to take over her.

“Go ahead Ruby! Open it and see what it is~!” Ai encourages, her tender smile giving Ruby a boost up.

“Alright!” without wasting a single second, Ruby ripped off the plastic wrap, opening the lid of the box. “Whaaa~~!!” her eyes and mouth widened in astonishment as she held up the present her adored mother gave her. “It's the new magical girl Kirara chan outfit!! It looks just like Mama’s idol costume!!” She squeals in sheer ecstasy and joy, finally receiving the long hoped outfit she so desperately craved for, for so long. “Thank you Mama!!” She rushed and hugged Ai tightly, drilling her face in her chest and giving her the cuddle of appreciation and thankfulness.

“My pleasure Ruby~ Heehee~~!” Ai chuckles, her heart melting seeing the joy and satisfaction brought to Ruby’s soul by the gifts she chose.

“How about yours, Aqua?” Ai locks her gaze to Aqua who also had opened his present, all while still getting hugged and cuddled by Ruby.

“I~ Its the new… Kyogoku Natsu hiko sensei’s novel!!” He said, as he already was observing the cover of the book, his face after a long time, filled with delightment and astonishment.

“Mhmhmhm~~” Ai giggles, happy to see her kids filled with excitement and exhilaration from the gifts she bought them, it makes her feel an accomplishment as a mother, something that she can now always remember and call back to as a fulfillment.

“Mhmmhmhmhmm…” Ruby hums a tone with excitement, the soft crunch of their boots on the snow-covered path as she skips alongside Ai, her tiny hand nestled in her mother's, her spirits as high as the sky.

The world around them is blanketed in white, a quiet and peaceful atmosphere in contrast to the bustling city. They slowly and steadily strolled their way to a tranquil park, where the trees stood adorned in delicate frost.

Ai, her breath visible in the crisp air, revels in the wintry beauty. She closes her eyes briefly, feeling the icy breeze playfully tousling her long, violet silky hair.

“Ahh~ It feels so good.” she exclaims as the cold and chilly wind embraces her soul with utmost grace.

“Mama, you look so pretty when your hair dances with the wind.” Ruby praises her mother's beauty, her cheeks rosy from the cold.

“Aww~ and you look absolutely adorable with that outfit of yours, Ruby~!” Ai pats Ruby’s hair, her heart swelling with tranquility from hearing her daughter’s praise.

There were two pathways going to the park. One way was going through the streets of the city and main road, and the other was taking a bit of a longer route but it goes through a walkway in between a snowy picturesque meadow. Ai decided to take the longer route, not only to avoid the noises of the lively streets and the interruptions that she would probably have with people asking her autograph, storming questions, ultimately ruining her moment dedicated with her kids, but also to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the nature with her children as they walk through the quiet walkway. And since it was a longer route, she gets to spend more time observing the beauty of nature with her kids.

“Mama,” Ruby started another conversation.

“Yes Ruby?”

“You know, at first, I was really upset that you couldn’t be an idol anymore after you got hurt so badly. That would mean that you wouldn’t be able to dance at the front stage anymore, and I was really sad to even think about it.” Ruby spoke, laying out a piece of her opinion.

“But I realized that, when you were an idol, we couldn’t spend much time together outside. You always had to wear a disguise, and pretend that you weren’t our mother. You had to avoid the secret of being our mother from getting leaked out.” She pauses for a little bit. Ai sort of understood where she was going with this.

“But now that you’re not an idol, we get to spend so much family time together. We can finally go outside and play, go out for dinner, for movies and so many more, but we couldn’t do all these fun stuff when you were an idol. Not just that, but now, I can even make songs with you too. So, even though I was sad that you can’t continue being an idol anymore, I like it this way much better!” Ruby looks up to Ai, showing her wide smile with her teeth.

A chuckle of appreciation and pleasure escaped Ai, hearing Ruby’s short speech. “Me too!” Ai adds “I love it this way much better as well!” Ai states wholeheartedly. Singing and Dancing on stage in front of fans was cool and all, but there was something she was missing. Despite her fans gravely engulfing themselves into Ai’s activities, she was missing the motherhood she wanted to feel.

The snow-laden landscape provided a picturesque backdrop for a day of family bonding in the empty park. Ai had chosen a secluded corner of the park, where the blanket of white offered them privacy amidst the wintry tranquility. The more people there are in the park, the more likely her precious time with her kids would get distracted by other people approaching her simply because her aura would passively attract attention. She purposely chose this place so that she and her kids can occupy it by themselves.

"Catch, Ruby!" Ai's voice carried on the crisp air as she flung a frisbee toward her daughter. The chilly breeze tousled their hair, leaving traces of frost in its wake. They were in a plain field that was coated with glistening snow, a vast expansion of untouched white which they were able to occupy as much as their heart’s content.

Ruby leaped eagerly, in an attempt to catch the frisbee. Unfortunately her first try fails as it bounces off her tiny fingers, unable to maintain her balance due to the snowy surface.

“Aww,” Ruby mourns.

“It’s okay Ruby! Everyone fails at first. Here, throw it back to mama!” Ai heartens tenderly and cheerfully, her tone brimming with warmth and encouragement

“Alright!” Ruby threw back the frisbee at Ai as it flew back in her direction.

“Watch closely, Ruby.” Ai instructed as the frisbee smoothly approached her. “This is how you catch a frisbee.” She sticks her hand out as the frisbee meets her hand. “Mama is going to throw it back okay?”

“Okay!”

“Ready?”

“Mhm,” Ruby nods.

Ai swung the frisbee towards Ruby’s direction again. This time, having learned from her mother's example, Ruby adjusted her stance and timing, successfully intercepting the frisbee mid-air.

"Mama, I did it!" Ruby's joyous proclamation rang out through the wintry stillness.

"Fantastic, Ruby! I'm so proud of you~!" Ai's applause reverberated through the crisp air, her smile radiant with pride. Though a seemingly small achievement, it was a moment of triumph for both mother and daughter amidst the serene beauty of the snowy landscape.

“Here, catch!” Ruby throws the frisbee back at her mother, in which she caught it too.

“Aqua!” Ai yells with a hand close to her mouth.

“Hm?” Aqua looks up to the further distance in the field where Ai and Ruby were from his bench close to the park. She saw Ai waving her hand at him.

“Come play with us!” Ai yelled as she encouraged her son to play and enjoy with her and Ruby.

Aqua was sitting at a bench, reading a novel. But seeing Ai’s happy and such enthusiastic mood, he decided to close his book and engage with them

“Hah… fine.” He stood up from the bench and proceeded where they were.

“Mama, what should we play next?” Ruby asked as she got closer to Ai.

“Hmm..” putting two fingers on her chin, Ai pondered what kind of fun she should have with her kids next. “Ah! How about tag?!” an idea pops up in Ai’s mind.

“Yay! I want to play tag with mama.”

“Ai, running around will inflict pressure on your wou-”

“Aw it’s fine!” Ai playfully cuts off her precocious little son’s whining, wanting him to forget about all the overprotective things she has to consider. She just wants to have fun with her children without having to worry or pay too much attention to her injuries. “A little tag won’t cause too much harm, I’m sure of it!” Ai states firmly with a wide and confident smile, ignoring the severity of her wounds.

“Bu-”

“Ok then who’s it?” Ruby interrupts Aqua’s attempt to protest.

Ai suddenly closes the distance between her and Ruby, taps her forehead with her finger. “You’re it!” She utters as she swiftly moves away from Ruby with a playful gesture.

“Hey! Not fair.” Ruby exclaims before turning her face into a smile which carried lots giggles of joy and pleasure as she chased her mother. “I’m going to get you mama!” She affirms as she decides who she would tag first.

“Oh no you won’t, Mama is too fast for you.” Ai claims playfully, her voice laced with happiness and enjoyment as she sees her daughter trying to catch her. She ran across the field away from Ruby, her violet silky hair mingling and flying with the wind as Ai kept on running away from Ruby.

She slowed down purposely to give Ruby a chance to tag her.

“Aaa…. tag!” Ruby tags Ai’s hips.

“Oh you got me!”

“I told you I would!” Ruby makes a cheeky smile as she then runs away from Ai who is it.

“Oh well, I’m coming for you now, Aqua!” Ai grins as she now targets her son Aqua.

Aqua decides to run away as well. He doesn’t want to be bummer and ruin the fun Ai and Ruby were having by simply not dedicating himself into this game. Even though this game is risky for Ai’s safety on her critical wounds, the vibrant smile and the radiant energy Ai had, the pleasure and enjoyment that was implanted on her face as she was in the midst of playing tag, Aqua just couldn’t ruin that for her at all. It’s a huge thing for Aqua to do, to just ignore Ai’s lethal injuries for a round of tag, especially considering he is a doctor and always advises his patience the best way to prevent any major harm if they had any injuries in them. So playing tag right now which is blatantly really risky for Ai’s state was a huge shift in mindset that Aqua had to change.

As Ai was making her way to Aqua, he tried running away from her, but he didn’t run his fastest. The faster Aqua runs, the more Ai has to run to catch him, therefore, more physical pressure exerting from her. That way, despite engaging in a game with her to fulfill her and Ruby’s pleasure, he is still at the very least reducing as much risk as possible for Ai’s abdomen to strike a jolt of pain.

Aqua utilized his acting skills, making it seem he was trying his hardest to run away from Ai, despite holding back his speed.

“Aaand… tag!” Ai taps Aqua’s shoulder as she reaches him. “You’re it!”

“Hmph,” Aqua’s target was pretty self explanatory. Her twin sister. The main reason for that was, if he targets Ai, he would force her to keep on running, so instead of giving her more physical pressure, he attempts to chase Ruby.

“I’m gonna come for you.” Aqua states firmly as he starts his chases towards his sister.

“You think you can catch me?” Ruby taunts.

“Heh, we’ll see about that.” Aqua responds as he starts to close the distance between him and Ruby despite Ruby trying her best to run away.

“Nearly there…” Aqua mutters as he starts to reach Ruby.

“Tag!” Aqua’s hand grazes Ruby’s arms.

“Aw C’mon.” Ruby complains. “I’m gonna catch mama again.”

As Ruby was about to start her attempt to tag Ai again, her intentions got twisted.

“Hey slowpoke, why don’t you try to catch me?” Aqua taunts Ruby, an unpleasant smirk forming on his face.

“Huh?!” Ruby raises an eyebrow, irritation and anger filling her mind from what her twin brother just said to her. “Slowpoke?!”

“Aww, how sad,” Aqua’s grin enlarged. “Am I too fast for you? I’ll slow down this time so that you won’t cry, come get me.” His taunts were rough, calculated and manipulative.

“Rrrgh! Alright that’s it!” Ruby’s fury scattered through the atmosphere, rushing towards Aqua, her spirit and intentions were fueled up by rage by his brother's mockings.

Aqua did this purposely, to divert Ruby’s attention from Ai and shift it to him, mainly to prevent Ai from exerting too much physical movement. Those two ran around in circles, getting close to park, Aqua climbed up the stairs and slid down the slide while Ruby was still trying to catch, her determination to prove that she is fast enough to tag Aqua was unwavering. But however she was getting tired, so was Aqua.

They skimmed past obstacles, even nearly slipping on several occasions due to the slippery snow.

“Oh my, just look at them go.” Ai chuckles, placing her hands on her hips as she sees her two kids roaming all over the park to catch one another, a sense of joy and pride swelling in her heart from witnessing her children’s competitiveness.

Ruby was inches away from Aqua.

“Ta-” Ruby reached her hand to Aqua’s arm, Just as it was centimeters away from touching him, her balance faded a way, as the slippery surface on the wood caused her body to flip over, slipping and sliding across the surface

“Ough!” Ruby falls to the ground.

Seeing this, Ai swiftly rushes to Ruby, “Ruby! Are you alright?!” she comes closer to her, kneeling down to her level.

“Uhh~ I’m alright.”

“Is that enough tag or do you want to play some more~?” Ai gently asked Ruby with a smile, open to either option.

“Uhm~” Ruby pondered as she was on her knees.

“Why don’t we go to the swings?” Aqua suggested

“That’s a great idea!” Ai acknowledged.

“Mama, let's ride the swings together!” Ruby eagerly asked.

Chuckling from seeing Ruby’s closeness to her, she vehemently agrees.

“Mhm! Of course!” Ai nods, reaching her hand out to Ruby and lifting her up so that she could stand.

Aqua suggested the slides only for one reason, because unlike tag where you have to exert physical pressure by running, for swings you don’t have to put nearly as much physical effort compared to running, and even if you do, it's nothing that would affect Ai’s injuries which is located on her umbilical region.

As the 3 were making their ways to the empty slide, Ai also stuttered on her way. “Ouch!” she places both hands on her stomach as she slowly comes to a stop. Seeing Ai’s gesture, it was clear the running took a toll on her critical wounds. She gritted her teeth, trying to fight the pain.

“Mama, are you okay?” Ruby asked with concern, noticing the visible expression from her mother that she was undergoing some severe pain.

“I told you Ai, playing tag could affect your wounds.”

“A~ ahaha~ its nothing~” Ai bluffs off “A little pain won’t do anything. Trust me!” she states as she slowly starts to stand back up with one hand still remaining on her belly.

“Yeah right, ‘little pain''’” Aqua mutters to himself, knowing very well Ai was just trying to act strong. As a doctor he could understand and somewhat comprehend the situation Ai was going through.

“Don’t worry Ruby.” she pats her head “The swings won’t do anything to my belly at all~” her voice covered with reassurance.

"Waa..hoo!" Ai's laughter danced on the icy breeze as she and her children soared higher and higher on the swings, their spirits lifted by the exhilarating rush of air, little snowflakes patting their faces. With each forward motion, their hearts soared, cleansed by the crisp purity of the winter wind. Ai's long, violet strands of hair danced around her with the motion, a striking contrast against the snowy landscape, her smile radiant and infectious.

"Wahh.." Ruby's delighted exclamation echoed through the wintry air as she reveled in the sensation of swinging beside her mother, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "This is so much fun!"

“Hahahaha!” Ai's laughter rang out, filling the frosty surroundings with a sense of serenity and joy.

Aqua held the ropes of the swings as it went higher and higher. Seeing the happiness and the sheer pleasure of Ruby and Ai’s, it filled Aqua’s own heart with peace and satisfaction. He wants to see his mother and sister like this everytime. All those concerts and the times where Ai earned the hearts of many people on the stage due to her breathtaking charisma and her stunning dance during those performances were something that Aqua missed. He doesn’t get to see Ai dance with the lights all centered to her anymore. But, he doesn’t mind it. If Ai is happy like this, then Aqua is fine with it as well.

He just hopes that the delight and joyful moments she is having right now would make up for the excruciating pain Ai suffered back that morning. That gory testament was an unforgettable memory that will forever be stuck in her mind.

Laughter and joy enveloped the area, Ai and Ruby cracked jokes and told stories as they swung for about 10 minutes.
  
The streets were lively, buzzing with colorful lights and Christmas music.

“Ahh~!! What a day!!” Ai arches her back slightly back, stretching her arms, hips and back after a long, tiring yet one of the best days she had spent with her beloved kids, a memorable day where she will never forget the laughter and the joyous moments they shared.

But upon mid stretching her back, she felt a pressure collide on her stomach, something that she receives quite often. Upon feeling the pressure sinking on her stomach, she could tell who would be doing such a thing to her, it was quite obvious in fact, not that she minds at all, in fact she adores her stomach getting a good cuddle oftenly, but that's mainly because of who does it to her.

“Mama!! Today was so much fun!!” Ruby exclaims, her happiness palpable as her soul expresses the joy she had throughout the entire day whilst rubbing her face on Ai’s belly as usual.

“Mhm! Yup it definitely was!” Ai agrees vehemently, a loving smile grazing her lips, mirroring Ruby’s joy as she gives her a little rub on her head while she engulfs her face inside her soft belly.

“Ruby, stop bumping into Ai's stomach all the time. You know yourself that her wound is still there,” Aqua warns Ruby, completely against her habit of digging her face inside their mothers soft and delicate belly. His physical and medical awareness for Ai always on instinctively due to his experience as a doctor.

“Hmph!” Ruby turns to the side, dismissing her elder twin brother's precaution, “You're just jealous you don't get to do this, bleh~!” She taunts and sticks her tongue out at him.

“What?! Who said I was jealous?!” Aqua retaliates, his cheeks slightly blushed.

“Ahahaha!” Ai bursts into laughter, hearing her children argue over her wounds that are still inflicted on her stomach “It’s fine Aqua~” Ai reassures, her voice laced with tenderness and vibrancy, rubbing Ruby’s head and pulling her slightly towards her stomach that she was already pressing with her face “I don’t mind a little cuddle on my tummy. If anything, it actually makes my tummy feels better~  teehee,”

“Hah… I just can’t…” Aqua sighs, unable to dig in the seriousness about Ai’s condition, as his sister and mother are just seemingly taking it too lightly.

‘Grglrgrlgrh~’

Ruby felt her mother’s stomach vibrate as her face was still plunged inside her soft flesh, hearing and feeling very clearly what her mother’s stomach wants.

“O- Ahaha! Oh my~” Ai chuckles, her face slightly blushed, covering her mouth with her fingers as she notices her stomach demanding for some attention inside.

“Mama! Your tummy is growling!”

“I guess my tummy is really mad at me for not feeding it the entire day today~” She playfully exclaims.

“I'm hungry too~” Ruby withdraws from her mother’s midsection and clutches her own stomach.

“We’re all hungry, we didn’t eat anything throughout the entire day~” Aqua informs.

“True~ but that was the plan anyway!” Ai spoke in excitement, “We’ve all been keeping our stomachs empty for what’s about to come when we go home~”

“Yayy!! A family feast!” Ruby yells out, barely containing her urge.

“I wonder what Miyako san is cooking~” Aqua ponders,

“Well whatever it is, we know it's definitely going to be heavenly~” Ruby says, her eyes starry as she already starts to visualize the meal with a drool.

“Chop, chop! Let's head back home~!” Ai orders playfully.

They started proceeding their way to their apartment by taking a quieter routh through an alleyway, distant from the public and crowded areas.

“Aqua~ how did you enjoy your day~?” Ai asks with an anticipating tone, eager to know his opinion on their first day spending the entire time outside.

“Yeah, it was good.” Though Aqua's impression didn't express much, deep down, he truly did enjoy the whole day outside with his mother, roaming around places, laughing, playing and cracking jokes, watching movies in the theater, telling stories and simply just being together. It was truly one of those days where you will never forget.

They slowly proceeded walking on the alleyway, quiet from the public and crowded areas.

“What was you two’s favorite part of the day?!” She asked excitedly, keen to also figure out what her kids like the most. “Mine was the swings~! I just simply enjoy the motion I go really high with you guys~” Ai states her opinion first.

“My favorite was ice skating!!” Ruby exclaims loudly, shooting both her hands up high, expressing how much she enjoyed skating with her mother.

“Ah yes~ I loved that too~!” Ai agrees with Ruby, acknowledging her opinion openly.

“Mama! I want to go do it again~!” Ruby pleads, gripping her clothes as she begs.

“Of course!” Ai replied enthusiastically, eager to go on ice skating once more, as the thrill and joy they experienced, one day just wasn’t enough for them.

“How about you Aqua~?” Ai inquires, her tone polite and soft, shifting her gaze to her little boy.

“Uhm, I’d say the movies~” He answers. Though a big portion of his reason was that it was the least physically exerting thing, making him the least worried of all the other tasks they did throughout the day.

“The movie was nice too~!” Ai remarks,

They hastened their pace home, as their stomach’s just couldn’t hold out any longer, demanding for something to digest. They were passing by a huge construction site.

“Mama, are we near our home?” Ruby asks impatiently, barely maintaining her urge to gobble up some of the best cuisines cooked by Miyako.

“Nearly there Ruby~ just hold on a bit longer~” Ai answers delicately.

Besides them was a brick wall that was taller than the height of Aqua and Ruby, but Ai could still see beyond it. As they were about to pass the construction, they heard a deafening noise, almost like some large piece of steel banging another.

‘
BANG!!
’

The noise not only reverberated throughout the entire construction site, but also reached a fair distance outside.

Since Ai had the capability to peep what was going on and the cause for that noise, unlike her kids who were too short to peep up, she turned her gaze around to observe what was going on there.

What she saw there, in the construction site, hit the core of her heart. At first, she just stared in disbelief, stunned, an immense wave of sympathy and concern filling her heart, so much so she could barely take it in.

“Mama?” Ruby stops, noticing her mother’s decline in their procedure to their house, looking behind at her mother who she saw was not in the same world as she was, her eyes said it all.

Both Aqua and Ruby look at their mother who was staring over the wall that they couldn’t see beyond, and they could tell that what her mother is seeing right now touched her deep inside her soul, judging from her expression of her frown, her eyes and her lips.

The vibrant smile that she had the entire day, faded. They both wandered in their minds, just what could she be seeing that made her this upset.

But that’s when they heard a slight whisper from her.

“Yuuji~...” she said.

Hitting a knot in their brains, they soon came to a realization about the reason for Ai's change of mood.

As in the far distance, what Ai’s eyes gasped was something she could not bear in her heart. She saw Yuji, carrying pillars of steel in his hands, weighing massively over his size, whilst dragging a load of wood with his feet as a rope was tied on his leg to a cart as he pulled it.

On this very joyous Christmas night, where friends and family gather together to spend time, to share jokes and laughter, to fill their hearts with pleasure within their closeness, Yuji was here, in the ice cold winter, along with two other co-workers, working his sweats off. No family, no friends, no laughter or any expression of joy, just full on loaded stress. Despite the freezing atmosphere, sweat drops dripped from his chin from all the physical exertion.

Ai saw all this first hand with her very eyes, despite spending what she called, the “best day with her kids” so far in her life, she is observing that one individual in which for his contribution was she even able to have a day this fun with her kids.

Her heart sank in empathy, an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness settled in her soul upon seeing the person who she owes her life to, struggling and doing hard work that should be beyond what someone at his age is capable off, let alone doing it at a time where she and her kids were having the most joyous moments of their life.

She bit her bottom lip, her frown furrowing in before as she couldn’t resist watching this any longer. She recalls back to the time when she and Yuji had their first conversation that night, where they were both stargazing, and Yuji said something to her that she didn't initially believe.

“But how do you get food to eat, and how did you even get this house? You should have someone who provides you supplies, you can't do it all by yourself~”

“I work.”

“Heeehhh?!! You're just bluffing! How can someone at your age work?”

“Trust me, I really do. That's how I pay off my rent. Since I have no one else who could pay my rent and bills, I have to do it myself. And I can't do that without earning money.”

“Hmmm~...Still! I'm not gonna buy it!”

It turned out that his words that night weren't a lie at all.

She couldn’t resist watching him suffer after how much jubilation she had with her little ones who are about the same age as him too.

The soaring hunger that was vibrating inside her stomach faded away amongst finding out this heart-wrenching scene.

She couldn’t help but walk further on, only to enter inside the construction site, her intentions concrete. Ruby and Aqua followed their mother too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yuji sighed, finally dropping the pillars of metal rods on the rest of the group, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he then dragged the wooden planks closer with his feet, and slowly dumped them on a separate pile. His eyes were red and slightly puffed, indicating his sleep deprivation.

As he was about to collect the next load upon finishing this set, he heard footsteps approaching his way from his side, telling him that someone had entered the construction area. He gasps in anticipation.

“Bo-” as Yuji turned his head around with a sense of urgency and hope, thinking it was his manager. It so happened to be the person who he didn’t regret risking his life for to protect.

At first Yuji was flabbergasted, his jaw dropping with his eyes expressing disbelief. Never in his life did he imagined she would pop up in his work place, let alone Christmas of all days. He thought she was still kept in the hospital recovering.

“A-ai san~?” He muttered audibly, his voice resonating with shock.

“Yuuji~” Ai calls out to him, her voice slightly quivering from carrying all the sympathy and tension for his care, noticing the fatigueness that was implanted in his eyes, as well as immense gratitude towards him.

“W-what are you doing he- I- I mean, you are back from the hospital already?!” He said with flabbergastation, his expectations getting exceeded by Ai's recovery.

“Mhm,” Ai gently nods.

“Yuji!” Ruby, appearing behind Ai, ran towards him with her arms open, her smile vibrant as if she longed for his presence, putting her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, rubbing her face on his shoulders. “I missed you so much! Are you alright?!” She asks, her tone light and caring.

“I’m fine~” Yuji replies, standing there as he receives Ruby's hug.

“Yuuji~ what are you doing here~?” Ai intercepts their cuddle, her voice gentle and delicate, laced with worry and concern.

Shifting his attention away from Ruby who slowly withdrew her hug, looking at Ai's eyes, he could tell that there was an uneasiness placed in her heart.

“I'm finishing off the leftover work the boss assigned me to,” he answers.

“But why weren't you home for the last few days? I was looking for you~ and it made me really worried~” she goes on to say, expressing the attachment and bonding that she had with him.

“She was looking for me??” Yuji thought to himself, taken aback once more by this information, never thinking that someone like her would be looking for him.

“Because for the last couple of days, I spent the entire time here,”

“What?! Why?” Ai asks, her frown furrowing once more upon this disclosure, her soul just unable to comprehend why such a small child the same age as her own kids, is committed to such harsh work.

“B-because…” Yuji struggled to explain this part to her.

But that's when he was met with an embrace that he never felt in his entire life here nor in his past life.

Without Yuji's consent, Ai bent on her knees to Yuji's level and hugged him wholeheartedly, her arms wrapped around his body firmly, pulling him closer to her heart, showering her utmost warmth and affection on his soul.

Yuji was at a loss of words from Ai's sudden move as he was pulled towards her chest like a magnet. But at the same time, this feeling, it was like nothing else.

Throughout his entire existence, he was never hugged with such affection and fondness. Amidst the freezing temperature, He felt as if his whole body was wrapped up by a cozy blanket as he leaned on her chest, feeling her silky thin long strands of hair sent shivers through his spine from the otherworldly sensation.

“Thank you, Yuji” she uttered, covering Yuji with her tenderness, drowning him with her sensational warmth “You saved me, and my kids, I can never thank you enough for that…” Ai continued to express her sincere gratitude

Yuji stood there quiet, speechless. He didn’t have words to describe what was happening to him. But he questioned one thing.

“Is this heaven?” He muttered inside his mind. Before, the fact that his favorite idol that he craves for, having a wholehearted conversation with him was nothing but a dream that could possibly not become a reality, it did. But if that wasn’t good enough, she embraced him with all her heart, colliding her delicate and affectionate soul against his, her warmth devouring him as he absorbed every bit of her love.

He could even hear the delicate and rhythmic heartbeats that were vibrating on his ear as it pressed on her chest as she cocooned him. Who would’ve imagined someone with so much influence, and also a mother, hugging a street child with all her heart. This was simply beyond Yuji’s imagination.

After a prolonged silence between the two, Ai slowly withdrew from the hug, but not completely as she put her hands on top of Yuji’s shoulders, her concerned expression still present.

“Yuuji, are you forced to work here~?” Ai asks delicately, her tone soft and passionate

“...not really…” Yuji answers, her pupils staring sideways, too shy, or rather too nervous to directly look at Ai’s charismatic features.

“Then how come you are still here?” She further inquires, wanting to know his intentions and why he would choose such a harsh thing. “Everyone is celebrating and having so much fun,” she adds on.

“Because of my injury I wasn’t able to attend my job, so this is my time to catch up.” Yuji responds, “Besides, I don’t have anyone to celebrate it with.”

She widened her eyes slightly, realizing the loneliness this young child has to bear, her heart swelling with discomfort for what he has to experience.

“You do,” Ai affirms, her tone firm on the opposition she tells Yuji.

“What, how~?” Yuji sought clarification.

“You have me to celebrate with~”  A faint smile grazes her lips, her heart reaching Yuji as she offers her company.

“Y-you~?” Yuji spoke in slight confusion.

“Mhm!” Ai nods, holding slight enthusiasm as her smile slowly starts to get bigger.

“But…”

Before Yuji even got to express his hesitation, Ai’s offer soon turned into a beg.

“Yuji~!” She calls out his name once more, regaining her vibrancy “Come let's spend the rest of the Christmas together~!” She proposes, “We have a huge meal waiting for us in our home, and you’re joining too~!” her proposal slowly starts to turn into a demand.

“Bu-”

“No ‘but’s! Or ‘if’! You are coming!” She declares persistently, her tone slightly increasing volume as she leaned her face even closer to Yuji’s, expressing her sincerity.

“Uhh~...” Yuji was unsure what to do at this point. He promised his boss that he’d finish cleaning up this construction area, but now he was put in a powerless position against Ai’s stubbornness in wanting to drag him into her company, not that he actually minded.

But in the midst of his decision making, the boss appeared beside them out of nowhere. His big presence caught Ai, Ruby, Aqua and Yuji’s attention as his huge shadow overlapped them.

“Well well, what do we have here?” Kai spoke, his voice heavy and surprised, his arms folded, staring down at both Yuji and Ai who was on her knees with her hands placed on his shoulders.

Their gaze shifted to him, and the first one to react was Yuji.

“B-boss!” He calls out, surprised by his arrival.

“Looks like you have some uninvited guests, Yuji~” He said.

“Now listen here~!” Ai gets up, her tone starting to get a bit moody and slightly angry towards the manager for putting Yuji in this situation “What do you think you’re doing using this innocent poor kid as one of your clients!?” She scolds, leaning her face forward with a hand placed on her hips while the other pointing at Yuji.

“A-! What does she think she is doing?!” Yuji wonders to himself, surprised she had the guts to stand up to his boss like that.

“How cute~” The boss remarks, a smile gradually forming in his face, finding it adorable that someone with such beauty like Ai, is defending Yuji.

“Huh?”

“I’m not doing anything, that kid came up to me by his own will,” Ai informs her.

“...” Ai stood silent, confirming to her that it was indeed Yuji’s choice.

“But hey, if you wanna take him, go ahead,” Ai also offers.

“Huh, really?” Ai says, her smile instinctively returning to her again as she gets confirmed that Yuji isn’t obligated to say.

“Mhm,”

“Yay!!” She leaps up in the air, before reaching Yuji and wrapping one arm around his neck “Let’s go!” she urges Yuji, her tone laced with thrill and enthusiasm, her smile representing the pinnacle of kindness and vibrancy.

“Is it really ok boss?” Yuji further sought reassurance.

“It’s fine, as long as there is someone there who cares about you, then that means you have someone to celebrate with right? I don’t want you to stay here doing all the work while the others are enjoying themselves.” He remarks, encouraging Yuji to take part in Ai’s company. “Besides, you are probably the most luckiest brat to ever earn the empathy of an idol like her, you shouldn’t even be hesitating,”

“You’re right,” Yuji agrees, a faint smile appearing on him.

“Now then~” Ai grabs Yuji’s ready to pull him anytime as she was about to resume her journey to her apartment, “Let's get going already~! We are all really hungry~” She said, her manner jolly and fun-loving.

“A~alright~”

“Hahah!! Yuji is coming with us for our party~!!” Ruby jumps in and hugs Yuji once more in excitement as they both keep on walking. His face becomes red due to how close Ruby’s face is to his. “Have you eaten anything recently?” She asks, her face still inches away from his, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

“Urm~ not really, I haven’t ate anything since the morning,”

“Haaah! Same!” Ruby retaliates, “You are going to have the yummiest meal ever!!” She exclaims, her thrill and anticipation palpable.

“Ho? So you were working this whole time with an empty stomach?” Ai asks, her tone lacing with slight worry and sympathy for his health.

“Well~ I just didn’t have anything to eat~”

“But still, someone like you shouldn’t be working so hard y’know? You’re only a little child. Your mind shouldn’t even think about money or work at this early age~” Ai spoke, her motherly nature leaking out towards Yuji.

“Mama is right!” Ruby acknowledges what Ai said as they kept on walking “You were lifting all those heavy rods! Like not even bodybuilders could do that!”

“Well~” Yuji looks to the side, slightly unsure how to explain his inhuman strength to them without revealing that he is basically a reincarnation.

“You’re really strong, Yuuji~”  Ruby remarks, as she finally withdraws her arm from Yuji’s neck.

“Hey Yuji, how are your wounds? Have they fully healed?” Aqua inquires, as always, the first thing he’d ask instinctively being anything related to health and medical recoveries.

“Yeah, they’re all healed.” Yuji affirms.

“But your wound looked so bad, I was really worried about you, especially when you left the hospital the same day~” Ai expressed her prior concerns that she had.

“A~ahahahaha~” Yuji slightly chuckles, understanding Ai’s points as it is completely impossible for someone to leave the hospital with the deep injuries he received. But it was only made possible because of Gojo.

But speaking about wounds, something else clicked in Yuji’s mind.

“Oh, Ai san! Did you recover from your injuries too?” Yuji retaliates back at her, urging to know the state of her health after receiving those death-granting blows on her abdomen.

“Mhm!” Ai nods, her reassuring smile appearing, “I’m all better!” giving him a thumbs up  as she tries to convince Yuji that she is all healed.

“She is lying, her midsection is still in a critical state,” Aqua however, ruins it as he exposes her and reveals the real truth.

“Aqua~!!” Ai playfully scolds her little precocious son, spoiling everything she tries to hide.

“I knew it, a wound that detrimental doesn’t heal so easily like that,” Yuji mutters in his mind. “Ai san, do you still feel any pain?”

“Hm? Barely!” She exclaims, trying to act all tough, as if she hadn’t received any major wounds to begin with “Like, it’s so small I don’t even feel it!” She says, clenching her fragile fist, further trying to convince her point.

But to her unluck, reality was ready to disprove her on the spot, as a sharp jolt cracked through her umbilical region once more.

“YAW!” Ai shrieks in pain, instinctively pressing both her hands on her navel area, the pain demanding all her attention. She stopped walking, bending her back slightly, her eyes pinched with her teeth gritted.

“Ai san!!” Ai!!” “Mama!!” All 3 of them came to her aid, noticing how her stomach was struck with soaring agony at a completely unexpected time.

“Do you need an ibuprofen or a painkiller?” Aqua proposed, but in which he received nothing but a head pat.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be alright,”

“Mama~” Ruby collides herself with Ai’s hip, her soul swelling with tension and worry for her condition.

“It’s okay Ruby~” She rubs her hair. “We’re nearly at our apartment, let's not get all sad and upset.” calming her tension.
  
“We're home!!!” Ai and Ruby yells together like a child, finally arriving home after a long day outside. “Wha~ it smells soo delicious~!!” Ai remarks, already smelling the exquisite scent of the cuisines that ravished throughout the entire dining room.

“Welcome back~” Miyako greets, wearing a beautiful yellow garment, whilst putting down mouth watering dishes on the big dining table. “How was your day today~?”  she asks curiously.

“It was brilliant!” Ai answers with streaming pride, her arms wide open as if she accomplished something enormous.

“It was the best!!” Ruby also shares her opinion, mirroring Ai’s expression.

“Oh right~!” Ai informs Miyako “We have a special guest today~!”

“A special guest?” Miyako asks, wondering who that could be.

“Mhm!” Ruby nods.

“It’s Yuuji~!!” They both shout with excitement, welcoming him to their house. The mannerism of the mother and daughter  matched so much so, one could say Ruby was a smaller version of Ai with blonde hair.

“Nice to meet you~ thank you for having me~” Yuji greets Miyako with politeness and formality.

“Oh, it's nice to meet you too,”  Miyako greets back.

“Heh!? No need to be so polite!” Ai criticizes Yuji’s formality, before kneeling down besides him and pulling him closer to her by wrapping an arm around his neck,

“Wha!” Yuji was surprised once more, his cheeks rose red by the closeness of her face as it was inches away from his, and her sudden actions of pulling him closer. It seems as though Ai doesn’t mind building a close bonding with Yuji too, judging her actions of pulling Yuji closer to her anytime without a second thought.

“Y’know Miyako san? That Yuji was the one who saved me, Ruby and Aqua?”

“Oh really?” completely hooking Miyako’s attention after that disclosure, as she finishes  putting down another dish on the dining table.

“Yup!” Ruby answers for her.

“My~ no one told me you’d come, otherwise I’d have prepared something exclusive for you~” Miyako said.

“E- its fine, I’m already grateful enough for being invited here~” Yuji retaliates politely.

“Miyako san~ can we eat now? I’m starving.” Ai tells Miyako, wondering if it’s time to dig in.

“Yup, everything is done, I’m just putting it on the table.”

“Great!” Ai got up with a sense of energy regaining inside her “C’mon guys, let's wash our hands!” she encourages, eager to sit on the dining table with everyone else.

“Coming~!” Ruby, as usual, was first to follow her mother’s orders, followed by Yuji and Aqua who came along with their own pace.
   
“Whhaw!!” Ruby leaps up from her chair, both hands slamming on the table as her eyes witness heaven, her mouth already drooling from seeing the ravishing cuisines on the table.

“Wow, you really outdid yourself, Miyako san!” Ai compliments, a hand placed on her mouth from the astonished.

“Well~ since you just came back from the hospital recently, I thought I'd make a return home party, alongside Christmas.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much!” Ai thanked her with her cheerful smile.

“Hah…” She sighs, the stress sort of all the cooking taking a toll in her body “It's no problem. After all, it’s every once in a year we have a meal like this.” she explains, her fatigue momentarily forgotten in the glow of satisfaction at seeing her efforts appreciated, a smile of pleasure and pride grazing her face, putting her hands on her hips.

“So, what are you all waiting for? Let’s dig in!” Ai commands, her stomach unable to last any longer, her spirits out the roof.

The spread includes a variety of dishes, from savory to sweet. There's succulent roast turkey with cranberry sauce, slow cooked lamb shank surrounded by a sea of scrumptious fries, fluffy mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, crisp green beans glistening with butter, and a fragrant blueberry pie adorned with a dollop of whipped cream, and many more. Each dish is a testament to Miyako san's culinary expertise and the warmth of the holiday season.

Since he Yuji saw everyone reaching for a dish, he may as well do so too, as he couldn’t hold his urge any longer, the irresistible fragrance taking over his control. He started by getting his hands on some crispy fries.

As soon as he took his first bite, his soul was already engulfed with the delight of the 7 heavens. “So crispy~~ And the taste~~ its soo perfect!!” Yuji mutters in his mind as he continues to munch the fries.

“YUUJI~!” Ruby calls out to him from the otherside of the table. “Try it with the barbecue lamb chops!” She suggests.

“O, alright.” He respectfully accepts and follows Ruby’s recommendation.

“Ehh~?! Why take such a small piece!?” Ai complains, noticing Yuji taking a small lamb chop on his plate, before she herself reaches towards the plate and gives him another lamb chop twice the size he just took.

“Wha-! That's too big!” Yuji persists.

“Don’t be shy! You haven’t eaten this entire day. You need some energy after working so hard~”

Despite expressing his reluctance, it was nowhere near enough to overcome Ai’s persistence in forcing him to eat as she wanted him to eat. In the end, he couldn’t win and went with what Ai said to her, and it's not like he really minded, since after all, he was starving the most out of all of them.

The fact that Ai cares so much about him and her just offering him to take a bigger peace sends shivers down his spine to think such an influential and beautiful woman like Ai doing this to her. Deep down he admired and adored Ai’s innocent and childish persistence.

“Ahahaha~” Miyako giggles to herself, watching Ai forcing Yuji to eat more. “It seems she found someone else who she can pour her motherhood to~” she comments in her mind, noticing Ai acting like a mother to Yuji.
  
“Ahh~ I’m full~” Ai leans back on her chair, sighing as her soul was content with the indescribable deluxe meal. She rubbed her stomach which had a little bump from all the food that was inside of it.

“I’m full too~!” Ruby exclaims as well, exhausted from all the food she gobbled up.

“I think I overate.” Aqua comments, concerned about the quantity of food he ingested in his body. “But it was too good~ I just couldn’t stop eating..!” He mutters to himself.

“Thank you Miyako san for the meal!! Your cooking was truly exceptional!!” Yuji praises her cooking skills sincerely, standing up and bowing his head down slightly to her,

“Thanks, it's my pleasure, you don’t have to be so formal.” She waves both her hands, telling Yuji it's not necessary to formalize here.

“I’m just giving you my respect.” He replies back, before standing back up straight and it seemed to the others that he was preparing to leave.

“Yuuji~ are you going to leave now~?” Ai asks, noticing Yuji preparing to go out the door.

“Yeah, I have to go and finish my work.”

But that's when Ai got up her herself and approached Yuji, slightly kneeling down, a caring smile, her eyes laced with a mixture of passion and fondness.

“Yuji, forget about that place,you are working too hard~” Ai advices, genuinely worried about Yuji’s mindset. “Someone so small like you shouldn't be doing such hard work, especially not on the day where everyone should gather and spend time with their families.” She states.

“But, I don't have a family,”

“I am your family.”

“...”

Those words hit Yuji spiritually, sending a shockwave through his core. He hoped he heard it right.

“S-she considers me as her family~?” He monologues in his mind, completely flabbergasted by Ai's statement, his cheeks burning red from what that meant.

The idol that he craves for, confirms to him that she views him as a family to her, something Yuji didn't even expect her to say even in his wildest dream.

“Relax your shoulders, Yuuji~” she places her delicate hands on Yuji's shoulders once more, a heartwarming smile present on her face “You're going to have dessert with us!” She demands a love-fun tone, “And no is not allowed!” She gives him a wink.
  
“Kyaa~! My babies are soo cute~! Just look at them sleeping~ together~!” Ai squeals, upon seeing Aqua and Ruby succumb to their slumber on the comfy sofa with the chilly breeze on the balcony, their body resting on one another, symbolizing their bond. The activities they did the whole day took a toll on their little bodies, as tiredness overcame them.

“Isn’t it cute~? Yuji.” She asks him who also came to the balcony with her, with their desserts.

“Yeah, I guess~”

“Ahh~ the cold wind feels nice doesn't it~?” Ai exhales, feeling the chilly wind which refreshes her soul, grabbing a cup of chocolate pudding coated with her favorite ice cream. She was sitting next to Yuji, on a separate comfy sofa where Aqua and Ruby fell asleep on, watching the stars up high on this snowy night. An immense relief befalling her upon the achievement she had done today, and how much of a delightful day it was to her, she couldn't describe it in words.

“Mhm,”

Yuji agrees with Ai, as he also feels a heavy swell of tranquility and peace in her heart, especially after what Ai said to her, even till now, her words still replayed in his mind about being his family.

“Did she really mean it…” was the only thing he wondered in his mind right now. But in the midst of his contemplation, Ai disrupts his inner train of thoughts.

“Yuuji~”

“O, yes?” Breaking from his inner world to respond to Ai.

“By the way… I haven't asked you this yet, but… how did you feel after you knew Aqua and Ruby were my kids?” She asks, wanting his genuine opinion.

“Uhmm, nothing much really,” he said as he described his honest reaction.

“Nothing at all?!”

“Well, I was a bit surprised, but it wasn't anything too crazy.”

“Were you angry at me?”

“Angry? No, why would I be?”

Ai sighs in relief upon hearing his answer.

“It's that, the night before, I lied to you saying they weren't, and now you perhaps view me as a despicable liar.”

“What?! No way, that's totally understandable, if you had told me, you'd be risking your career.” Yuji reasons

“I'm glad you understood, mhmmhmhm~!” She lets out a soft giggle, whilst eating her dessert at her own relaxed pace, placing a pudding inside her mouth one at a time.

“Uhm, Ai san~” Yuji calls out to her with a gentle tone

“Hm?” hooking her attention, her pleasant and signature smile gleaming at him.

“What makes you so want to be so friendly to me~”

Ai stared at Yuji for a few seconds before answering his question.

“Well, because you saved my life and my kids too, duh!” She said, as if it was obvious enough.

“Oh, then,” Yuji pauses, thinking twice if he should ask this, but he ends up doing so anyway “When you said you consider me as your family, was it really true?” he inquires, wanting to seek the validity of her statement.

A moment of silence takes over their conversation. Ai contemplates on his question, as she herself tries to bring forth her actual opinion.

“Yes,”

She answers with a firm tone.

Yuji looks away to his side, a storm of thoughts circling on his head.

“I mean, you don't have anyone to take care of you, to give you hugs, share jokes, cook your meals, walk you to school, and give you a goodnight kiss, you have to endure these all by yourself. When I think about it, and compare your situation with Aqua and Ruby, and just how much of my love and company they receive from me, I feel a heavy uneasiness just leaving you alone like that, especially when you are right next to me, protecting my family.”

Ai elaborates on her answer, expressing her genuine feelings inside her heart.

“I just… I don't think it's fair. I want to give you the same attention I give to my Aqua and Ruby. In a way, I view you
as my own son.
”

She exclaims with sincere honesty, startling Yuji’s core the more Ai expresses herself. This was probably one of his happiest moments in this world so far, besides the moments where he went on trips with his favorite sensei, Gojo.

“Thank you, Ai san~” Yuji expresses his gratitude. “It really means a lot to me.”

“No problem~!” She exclaims, her vibe as open and kindhearted as ever “Whenever you feel like you are in a difficult situation, please feel free to share it with me, I want to be more open with you.”

“Alright~”

“Now then~” As unpredictable Ai was, she took a notch up with her closeness with Yuji who was sitting right next to her, as she then wraps an arm around Yuji’s neck and gently pulls his head down to lean on her body as she leaned back on her chair.

“U- hey what are you doing?” he uttered in shock, his body unhardened from what Ai was doing to him.

“Yuuji~ you must be really tired right~ why don't you rest your head on my belly~?” She proposes, offering her stomach as his pillow, her tone gentle and delicate as Yuji's head was already pressed and leaned on her umbilical area.

As a mother, Ai had an understanding when a child’s expression indicates sleepiness and tiredness, in this case, she knows that Yuji had been working for days on end, and it wasn't any work, it was something beyond what anyone at his age could replicate, so logically, his body should be feeling like collapsing.

But for some reason, Yuji didn't fight back against Ai's decision. The moment his head sank on her feathersoft stomach, that's the moment his world turned into heaven, feeling her delicate flesh as her belly went up and down in a slow and rhythmic motion with each breath she took, completely engulfing Yuji to the afterlife.

“Y’know, when I was kid, my mother used to abuse me a lot.” She tells him her life story, as Yuji eagerly listens attentively whilst relaxing his head on her soft stomach “At an early age, she abandoned me, so I was basically left alone. I didn’t have anyone to care of me for a very short while, before I met President Sato- A- I mean Saitou~” She says, nearly getting her own president’s name wrong once again “But even then, I still felt the loneliness of being alone and not receiving any love or care. It’s one of the worst things I've ever felt. So whenever I see you doing all these things by ourselves, it reminds me of my own past.” She honestly expresses, “Not only that, but you’re having it much worse than I did. You’ve been staying alone for a longer time and you are younger than me when my mum abandoned me. So I really do feel a lot of sympathy for you.”

“You are so kind and considerate, Ai san~” Yuji remarks,

However, Ai herself had some doubts about his claim.

“Yuuji~,” Ai spoke once more, “I have a hard time expressing my genuine feelings to people. I hide my genuine emotions from people because I’m too scared it might upset others,” she said, revealing one of her mental distress she had for a long time, as her smile was simply a facade to hide her internal emotions just to impress the people and environment.

“From the outside I may look or seem really kind, but the truth is, I myself don’t really know if I am truly kind or not, because I can’t truly bring out my true feelings. I lied so much in my life it has now become natural for me to say and express things that’s most suited in a situation without acknowledging my true feelings.” She explains to Yuji one of her internal conflicts.

But…” Ai adds.“I had never been this close to anyone outside of my own family and guardian besides you. This is my first time being so close to someone. It's usually so hard for me to show my love for someone, but for some reason, I can do it so easily with you, I feel so comfortable when you are around,”

Hearing Ai’ express her genuine empathy towards Yuji, it gave him a sense of satisfaction, and a sense of normality from Ai, in which deep inside he actually appreciated. It meant to him that Ai genuinely cares about him

“By the way, Yuuji~, you happen to be good friends with Jogo right?” Ai inquires curiously as she places a hand on Yuji's forehead, who was resting his head on her stomach, and gently rubs his hair, as always, getting Gojo's name wrong. She asks this because Gojo is also one of the few selected people that has earned a spot in her heart too, and she speculates that the reason Gojo came and interfered that day was because his initial plan was to take Yuji out to a trip, which would mean that he and Yuji share a connection.

“J-jogo?” Yuji questions, unable to recognise that name.

“U- I mean Gojo! Ahahaha~! My bad~ I keep on messing up his name~” she admits in a chuckle.

“Oh, well yeah, me and sensei are best buddies.” Yuji claims

“Oh~ is that so~?” Her interest grows the more she hears about their relationship.

“Yeah, if there is anyone who is the closest as a ‘family’ to me. It's most definitely Gojo sensei.” Yuji exclaims firmly,

“Woah, that's lovely~!”

“But the thing is, he is mostly traveling outside the country so he gets to spend a limited time with me.”

“I see…”

“Ai san, Gojo told me that he once met you when you were little,”

“Yes!” Ai agrees vehemently, recollecting that fateful encounter “He was my savior back then.”

“Oh really?!” Yuji said, his tone getting all excited and thrilled to hear such a praise for his sensei from the famous idol, Ai Hoshino

“Yup!” Ai nods, acknowledging the undeniable fact of how much Gojo impacted her life. She places both hands on Yuji's forehead, very gently pressing his head more in towards her stomach. “He was one of my motivations why I wanted to become an idol!” she exclaims.

“Woah…” Yuji remains flabbergasted.

“So it was true!! Sensei truly is a big shot in this world for inspiring such an influential idol!!” Yuji monologues in his mind, realizing how much of a great impact Gojo made.

“Y’know,” Ai spoke, a swell of appreciation and luck laced on her voice “When Gojo appeared to save us from the attacker, I couldn't believe my eyes that I would be seeing him again, let alone figuring out that you share a strong bond with him~ I find myself a lucky person to run into you guys~ hehe~” She expresses, slowly releases her hands from Yuji's forehead and spreading it wide open as her gaze and solely focuses on the stars above her and snowy winter flakes that was descending from heaven.

“I don't know what you are saying Ai san~ the only lucky one should be me to ever receive your company.” Yuji corrects.

“Eh not really~” Ai denies “Gojo is a really famous actor~ and he is also famous for tourism,  I wish I could be like him… he is someone strong… stronger than anyone else I've ever seen. To meet someone who has a deep connection to him really fills my heart y'know.”

“Wow… even Ai san is a fan of Gojo sensei, just how much influence did sensei even have in this world?!” he says in his mind, remarking Gojo's influence.

“You're right about that part, I don't think there is anyone stronger than sensei.” he acknowledges, though his voice gradually got lower the more he spoke, as if his soul was sinking into slumber, simply from the sensation of his head resting on Ai's soft stomach. He was already tired way before he came to Ai's apartment, even including the moment when he encountered her in the construction site. All the heavy lifting and pulling fatigued the soul of him, so him now getting absorbed in the softness of Ai's belly automatically made his entire body surrender in the relaxation he was feeling.

“Hey Yuuji~ when is Gojo coming back?” Ai asks curiously.

“I'd say in about 2 months,” Yuji replies, his eyes on the brink of closing fully.

“2 months?! That's when Aqua and Ruby's birthday will happen, perfect timing!”

“Oh really?”

“Mhm! You can come too! Actually no, you
must
come!” Ai declares, her tone serious and at the same time, affectionate.

“Alright, I will…”

“Hehehe~” she giggles, before taking another deep sigh. “Hahh, it's such a wonderful Christmas night, isn’t it~...?” She comments. But she notices that she didn’t get a reply back. “Hm?” She lowered her gaze from the sky, dropping it down to her midsection, and there she saw, Yuji’s soul succumbed to the awaiting slumber on her stomach that he was meant to have ages ago.

She felt a sense of pride and pleasure, delighted for being Yuji’s pillow for his slumber, her smile enlarging from seeing him deep into the world as he rested on her.

“Goodnight, Yuuji~” she said softly.
  
A few days had passed after Christmans. It was still the holiday period. In the midst of the freezing and snowy weather, Ruby’s soul was in 7th heaven, as she was taking an afternoon nap on her mother’s absorbing belly, absorbing all the warmth from Ai as her face sinks in her soft flesh, the cold atmosphere not even fazing her as she was drowned in Ai’s motherly warm cozy body.

“President Satou~” Ai calls out, laying down on the sofa whilst softly caressing Ruby’s hair as she was in deep slumber on her tummy.

“It’s Saitou!” Ichigo growls, irritated by Ai’s carelessness when it comes to saying names.

“Oops! My bad, haha~!” She chuckles slightly.

“Anyways, what is it?”

“I was thinking of maybe doing one more concert before I retire as an idol.” She states “The more I thought about quitting so suddenly, the more it feels like there is something that’s incomplete and needs to be done properly.”

“Oh?”

“What made your interest grow all so suddenly?”

“It’s just that, I feel so relieved that I finally got to say the words “I love you” to my kids without being a lie. You said that one day, those words would become the truth right?”

“Mhm,”

“Well, now that I broke that wall, I feel like I can be more honest to myself and other people now. Whenever I play with my kids, it feels so much better and more pleasure now that I myself finally got to admit that I truly loved them~” She said, her tone laced with slight emotion as she continued to rub Ruby’s hair.

“I see,” Ichigo observed.

“But, I still wasn’t able to say it to my fans with all my sincerity, and even till now, I don’t know if I’m able to say those words like how I did to Aqua and Ruby. It makes me sad, because I spent so much dedication on this path. I was an idol for a longer period than I am a mother, yet I am still unable to bring myself forward to my fans.”

“...” Ichigo was surprised to see Ai being so considerate. The immature and playful girl he views, has now finally started to think critically about others and for herself. He was impressed by her self improvement.

“So… I want to retire being an idol with at least having to appreciate my fans, otherwise… it just doesn’t feel right.” Her smile fades away, expressing a slight upset and a sad impression.

“That is a good point you have there, but how exactly are you going to perform when the doctors strictly prohibited you from it? Do you have anything in mind?”

“Well…” Ai ponders, putting a finger on her chin “Even though I can’t dance, I can at least still sing~”

“Yes?”

“Soo… I can somewhat still be on stage and be a special singer while the other members can perform regularly.”

“Hmm, but most people only come because of your performance, do you think that would satisfy the fans Ai?”

“Don't worry, it for sure will!” Ai gives a thumb up to Ichigo, her smile embarking confidence and reassurance.

“Hahh…” Ichigo gives a distraught sigh, having his doubts on Ai's overconfidence. “I'll share this idea to the other girls and wait for their thoughts.” he tells Ai,

“Also President, at the end of my concert, I want to mention my secret to everyone.”

“What?!” Ichigo yells out in surprise “You gotta be kidding me.”

“But President, I'm going to have to reveal my secret either way. I don't want to keep on holding this burden in me when I won't even be an idol anymore. I want to go outside with my kids without having to worry about what the public says about us.”

“Hmm…” Ichigo folds his arms, pondering on Ai's proposal.

“What better time is it for me to disclose this secret besides saying it at the very end of my final concert. All my fans will be there so they can hear it directly.”

“The problem isn't about you telling them about your kids, it's about what will happen after it.”

“Heh? What do you mean?” She asks, clueless from what Ichigo is talking about.

“When you reveal this to the public, guaranteed your fans will start to have a grudge against you. They will feel betrayed after knowing that, and knowing fans, they can go to extreme lengths. Worst case, someone might show up in your house with a knife to stab you.” Ichigo reasons, his voice concerned and considerate of all the possibilities for Ai's safety

“...” Ai’s gaze slowly dropped down to Ruby, who was still engrossed in her slumber on her belly. She pondered about what Ichigo said before looking back up at him, with her typical signature smirk.

“It's gonna be alright!”

“Rrgh! You're such a carefree brat! How can you say that so confidently?” Ichigo scolds.

“Don't worry, if anything does happen to me, I know someone who will protect me~” she winks back at him.

“I truly give up on her…” Ichigo mutters to himself.
  
After an extremely long period of convincing the other girls, they finally came to an agreement to participate in their final B Komachi concert. But their hearts were still unconvinced deep inside.

At first, the majority of them were hesitant to accept and some didn't have the confidence to perform on stage with their ace not being able to give her best.

Usually, B Komachi is mainly famed because of Ai's unmatched charisma. So to see Ai not performing at her peak might upset the fans if the spotlight is given to the other girls, since most of them only come to see her, and her only.

But Ai was extremely dedicated to making this happen, which surprised the other girls a lot more than she expected, but the problem was, it was not in a good way.

The other girls in the B Komachi group had a grudge on Ai, mainly because she makes the rest of the group irrelevant and insignificant, all because of her existence.

On the very first day, when the girls arrived for their first rehearsal session and meeting for this upcoming concert, Nino had the courage to approach Ai about this, her expression unenthusiastic and confused.

Ai was humming her melodic tone that she was going to sing as she was doing some stretches. But that's when she realizes that someone was behind her.

“O?” She turns, seeing Nino right behind her, her face slightly irritated. “Hey Nimo!” She said, getting her name wrong.

“It's Nino.” Nino corrects, her tone aggravated.

“O, ahahaha~! Sorry, y'know I'm bad with na-”

“Whatever,” Nino cuts Ai off, her tone sharp and unforgiving. “Would you mind explaining why you even chose to have a final concert in the first place? Like what's even the point?” she asks, demanding an answer from her, her voice rude and unfriendly, glaring at her with her fed up eyes.

Ari also came to join in the conversation, wanting to hear Ai's thought process and why she’d decide on such an event.

“What do you mean?” Ai, slightly stunned from the weight of Nino’s distrust, wanted more elaboration.

“Isn’t it obvious? Who else do the fans want beside you? Do you think they even care about us whether we show our faces to them on the stage when they have you?”

“...”

Her words were getting heavier and heavier, increasing the impact Ai felt. Forming a slight frown from hearing Nino unveil her true perspective of being an idol, she still persisted. With a glimmer of determination, Ai spoke back.

“But this time it will be different!” Ai exclaims.

“Different? How exactly?” folding her arms, ready to hear what absurd reasoning Ai has to say.

“You see..” Ai places a hand on her abdomen, the place where critical wounds lie “I lost my ability to dance now. So I won’t be able to show my moves and choreography to them like how I used to. So I can’t really be the center of attention if I’m lacking this much. You guys can take my spot while I can sing in the background.”

The two girls thought about this briefly, until Ari responded from her point of view

“If you’re in a state so incapable, then why even bother thinking about performing in the first place? If you can’t give it your all, something which all the fans highly expect whenever they come to a B Komachi concert, then you’re not going to satisfy them at all.”

Ari presented her counter argument, further demotivating Ai’s spirits.

“But…”

“She’s right.” Nino interjects before Ai could say anything. “No matter how many of us are on the stage, the fans only want you and your charisma only. And if you can’t give your best, then there is no point in doing it.”

“Not only that.” Ari adds to Nino’s sentence “But there is no real reason for us to participate.”

“Huh?” Ai stammered.

“I mean… why would we care to help organize a farewell concert just for you to say goodbye to your fans?” Ari continued her onslaught. “What does it have to do with us? They won’t care if we quit being an idol or not, it's all about you.”

“...”

“Tch! What is even up with her? Is she really being deadass?! It's all because of you the fans don’t pay attention or care about us. You always steal the spotlight from us, and now you expect us to accept your selfishness and help you say goodbye to fans who don’t even notice our appearance?! You couldn't even remember my name!! You got some nerve!”

Nino monologues inside her mind considering Ai’s sudden decision about the concert, and found it very self centered, something which irritated her, especially since she was the sole reason for their whole downfall.

Ai listened, her eyes embarking a tinge of sadness from the words Ari was spouting, her heart slowly sinking under the weight of her words, unable to formulate a response.

“Besides,” Nino brings out the question that was lingering inside her mind all this time. “Why do you even care about this anyway?”

“What?” Puzzled from what Nino means.

“I mean, you always seemed so fake and robotic whenever you interacted with people. So why express genuine concern now? Like honestly, did you even like your fans?!”

Ai stood there, speechless and wounded. The impact of their accusation striking deep into her soul. She hadn't anticipated such harshness from them, and hadn't expected their rejection to be delivered in such cutting terms. The hope she had harbored for their understanding shattered against the wall of their disdain.

A heavy silence settled among the three, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. Ai, her spirit momentarily broken, chose the path of retreat.

“Uhm~ I see.” Ai spoke with a low voice which carried sadness. Her gaze dropped to the floor, she lost the courage to even look them in the eye anymore. “Well… I’m sorry for asking for your contribution. It’s fine, we don’t have to do this~ I’ll get going.”

With a heart heavy with disappointment, Ai turned around and started to walk away. The echoes of her footsteps vibrated through their ears as they watched her leave the room. Perhaps her hope of having one last concert was on the verge of being diminished.

“Canan…”

Ai muttered. For some odd reason, she was able to remember someone’s name, but that’s probably due to her urge to see her once again. She looked for her everywhere, until she got reminded of a certain place. The place where they first forged their bond several years ago. It was a particular park that was close to a railway station. She visited there everyday, clinging on to hope that one day, fate would bring them back together, just like that day.

It was just another evening. Ai sat there on the bench, staring through the empty park as the sun casted its golden aura in the sky while it was setting. She was lost in her thoughts.

“Would this even happen? Would I be able to say my farewell to my fans at this stage? Would Canan come to my terms? I’ve tried to talk to them, but they’ve coldly rejected me. Would I even be able to see her again?”

All these thoughts stormed in her mind, until a familiar voice pierced through her monologue.

“Oh? Ai-chan?”

Ai gasped, raising her head in shock from the call of her name, she turned around immediately. Her eyes gazed upon the girl she had been searching for, for days.

“C-Canan?”

Ai stuttered.

“Hah! Did you actually manage to remember my name?!”

Canan leaned, surprised with joy from this unusual exclamation from Ai.

She sat next to Ai on the bench and greeted her with politeness, something the other members didn’t even try to express.

“Ahh~ this brings back memories doesn’t it?”

Canan exclaims

“Mhm.”

Ai nods, her radiant smile returning back to her upon Canan’s arrival.

“So, how’s life?”

Canan asked, they haven’t communicated for months.

“Great!”

“How are your wounds?”

“Oh, Ahaha! They’re ok. It's slowly getting better.”

“Glad to hear. Gosh it’s glad to be here with you. Anyways, what were you doing here? You seemed kinda lost in your own world.”

“Oh yeah… about that, I was actually looking for you this entire time.”

“Oh really? Why is that?”

“Well, you see… I was actually planning the both of us to organize a concert for our fans one last time. Just the two of us, for our fans. What do you say?”

“A-a concert? And ONLY us two? Well.. I'm not sure about that..”

“Come on Come on Come on! We can surely do it!”

Ai pleaded desperately with her hands clasped in a pleading gesture as she begged Canan to join.

“Uhh.. Ai… it's not just me, it's about you too. Your injuries have gone to the length beyond recovery. You can’t dance or move like that anymore with a crippled stomach.”

Canan replied, her voice filled with genuine concern.

“Oh, that’s completely fine!”

A beaming smile implanted on Ai’s face as she responded back instantly with a wink, raising a thumbs up, ensuring everything would be okay.

“I won’t be dancing.”

Canan was taken aback by this.

“U-oh really?”

Doing a B Komachi performance without Ai dancing was hard for her to consume at first.

“Yup!”

Ai nodded her head vehemently.

“You’re right about that. I can’t dance anymore with my tummy all damaged… but I can still sing!”

“Well..”

“You guys can take my spot and have your first and last time to shine on stage.”

Ai leaned closer, her affectionate smile urging Canan to consider her proposition.

“But.. do you think.. our fans would enjoy it?”

Canan expressed her doubts.

“

Hm? What do you mean?

” Ai leaned back, tilting her head sideways with one of her brows raised.

“

I mean.. We don’t really have fans, it’s all you. You are 90% of B Komachi’s fame and the main star. Do you think I could attract the audience as much as you do when you are the center of the stage? No matter what we do, we don’t have nearly as much charisma as you do. I doubt our fans would be entertained by our performance if our ace is heavily restricted from giving it her all.

” Canan explained, her concern for the group’s success evident in her words

She felt Ai’s hand reach her shoulder with a firm grip, she looked up to meet her gaze, and saw the star in her eyes sparkle brighter than the stars in the sky.

“You can do it.”

She states with firm belief

“I know you can. Ahahaha!”

Ai laughs off the tension.

“Still, I see no reason for doing it anyway. I mean it's not like I would gain anything from it if I performed with you or not.”

Canan crossed her arms, her opinion resolute, refusing to accept Ai’s deal.

“Besides… I have actually thought about moving on..”

“You have?”

Ai was taken aback from hearing those words.

“Yeah, which is why I left the group chat, I just… I don't have any interest anymore.”

Cana expressed her true feelings

“I see…”

Ai sat there in silence for a brief moment, a tinge of hesitancy surrounding her heart, but ultimately she built the courage to say it.

“Canan…”

She starts slow and quiet, catching her attention, not only being able to remember her name again,  but she also feels a new vibe from Ai, something that she hasn’t felt before. It was brutal but honest, her eyes narrowed.

“I think… I have to tell you this.”

“Tell what?”

Canan asked confusedly, especially seeing the radiant energy from Ai banish from her all of a sudden.

“My secret.”

“Your secret?”

“Mhm.”

Ai nods.

Canan gets reminded of a memory very similar to this, happening years ago. They were sitting on this very bench in a park, next to the railway station. That was perhaps her first time ever having a conversation with Ai when she suddenly approached her of her own will after she bought a hamburger. That night, Canan shared a secret to Ai, about his love and boyfriend.

A similar scenario was unfolding before her eyes in the same place, except this time, Ai was the one confessing.

“

Very well, go ahead.

” Canan gave a faint smile, accepting Ai’s secret. Though for some reason, she had never seen Ai like this before. Concern and doubts washed over her face, she could feel it. Maybe it isn’t a pleasant secret.

“Is she about to reveal her true side?”

Canan thought to herself. She always wanted to know what goes on in that girl's mind. The Ai she used to know was what she used to describe as “robotic.” with every response of hers feeling calculated and vague. She knew Ai never expresses her true feelings whenever she interacts with someone. But this time, it could very well be different and deep.

Ai took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to maintain her composure.

“You see.. A few years ago, I was in a relationship with someone.”

“W-wait, you had a boyfriend too?! Why didn’t you tell me?

” Canan questioned with shock.

“Well.. I guess you can call it that, but that’s not the big part of the secret.”

Ai spoke, her eyes narrowing, like she was about to reveal something that would twist the world upside down.

Canan was surprised. What could be the bigger part of the secret than having a boyfriend while being an idol? They both knew being in a relationship or having any kind of boyfriends when being an idol is taboo. So what could be worse?

“Then?!”

Canan urged to know

“Because of our coupling…”

Ai paused briefly, embracing the weight of what she is about to utter next

“I got pregnant with two kids.”

Time stopped momentarily. A profound silence enveloped their conversation. Canan was temporarily stunned by this unexpected revelation.

“U-... Ehhh?! Are you serious?!”

she asked, ensuring what she had heard was the truth.

“Mhm.”

Ai gently nods, reaffirming what she had said.

“N-no way..”

Canan continued, placing one hand on her mouth, trying to absorb the enormity of this disclosure.

“But as a friend, I trust you..”

Ai continued, her voice filled with vulnerability and a newfound of openness. A faint smile slowly lit her face. Her starry eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky. Canan could understand that this face of Ai held no lies, as the facade smile she used to put on every time, diminished. What she saw was the real Ai. The Ai without any lies.

“I’ve hid this secret for so long.. Because I still wanted to carry on being an idol. I wanted to find love..”

Canan listened.

“So every time when I was up on stage, I lied to the crowd. I lied to my fans.. Because I couldn’t love them. A storm of lies uttered from my mouth, so much so that it became subconscious.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever said to my fans the words “I love you all” from my true heart. It was all fake.”

Ai paused briefly. Canan’s gaze was still locked on to her, as she was attentively listening while Ai kept on revealing more about her true self.

“But now… after all these horrible events occurred… and feeling the brink of death, the excruciating pain, a lot has happened. It changed me completely.”

Ai’s voice quivered with emotion. In her eyes, Canan saw the weight of the pain and suffering she had endured, the memories flashing through Ai’s gaze as she spoke.

“Canan, the reason I’m telling this to you is because I need to unburden the lies I’ve been carrying within myself and accept who I am. I want you to understand. I trust you, that you won’t tell anyone until I announce it publicly, because you are my friend.”

Ai’s smile enlarged, a glimmer of hope and trust bonded between the two.

“What do you mean by announcing it publicly?”

Canan’s voice etched with curiosity.

Ai responded with a light chuckle. She turned her gaze to the empty park with a face holding deep sorrow.

“My daughter, she reminds me of my fans. She loves watching me sing and dance on the stage. To me, it makes my heart swell with pride and joy that I have such wonderful kids.”

Another memory struck Canan like a bullet. She gasped from the realization of it, the dots coming together.

“W-wait, so does it mean that… that day when those 2 little babies did the idol dance on the baby stroller… was

your

kids?”

Ai turned her gaze to Canan, a ravishing smile spreading across her lips.

“Mhm.”

she nods, admitting the truth.

“No wonder… the smile that was placed on your face right after… it all makes sense now.”

“Ahahaha! So you figured!”

Ai exclaims with a cute and playful laugh.

“But as I was saying…”

Ai goes back on track to the point she wanted to convey

“My kids love me… and I love them back. But the feeling is different when you compare it to someone who loves you so deeply, but you don’t love them back with the same affection.”

Canan widened her eyes, catching her off guard from those hefty words.

“

My fans dedicate their love to me so much… but all I fed them was lies. It makes my heart ache to even think about it. After all these years, despite their happiness and joy of watching me sing and dance on the stage, they are not aware of what I am feeling. They haven’t received my genuine love, it was all a deception, and to quit right now would mean after all this time… they were basically worshiping an idol who doesn’t even love them..

”

The impact of Ai’s words kept on getting heavier and heavier.

“It hurts me so much to think about it.”

She paused briefly before meeting Canan in the eyes one more time, the concept of the word “desirous” and “desperation” was implanted in her face.

“Which is why… I beg of you to help me organize this concert, please..”

she pleaded, her voice filled with emotion.

“I want to reestablish myself to my fans and express my true feelings to them. They deserve it.”

Her words were a tidal wave of emotion too potent to resist. After hearing Ai's heart-wrenching story, Canan found herself unable to deny her plea any longer. Ai's unwavering trust, her raw honesty and having the courage to reveal her deepest secret to her, shattered any resolve Canan had left. For the first time, empathy swelled within Canan, understanding the immense weight Ai carried and the secrets she had guarded so closely. Facing such a heartfelt plea, Canan's own heart couldn't bear to decline, especially when it came from someone like Ai who she initially thought was an emotionless girl.
“I’ve always hogged the spotlight, and never really given a chance for anyone to shine.” Ai admitted, a newfound understanding dawning in her eyes. “But now this is your time, I believe in you.” Ai expressed her sincerity. She could tell just by looking at her starry eyes.

“Ai…”

Canan’s voice wavered, still in a state of disbelief from the weight of this huge reveal.

“I… can’t believe you did this…”

pausing briefly

“I thought I was sinful enough to have a boyfriend. But having kids? At this age? It's… beyond me..”

Ai lowered her gaze to the ground, her head heavy with remorse. Her eyes tightened, fearful that unveiling her secret might have shattered their friendship forever. In the park, a cleansing breeze swept over them, tousling Ai’s silky purple hair in the wind.

“Do you... hate me now?”

Ai's voice trembled, laden with sadness, anticipating the end of their closeness.

Instead, a genuine smile was formed on Canan's face, a smile of appreciation and understanding. She never expected to ever feel this way about Ai before, the girl she thought to be so "robotic" was probably the most "human" soul she is seeing now. She got attached.

"Thank you."

Canan uttered softly

"Huh?"

Ai rose her head with surprise from her sudden gratitude. She looked at her, a flicker of hope entered her heart.

“Why’re you thanking me?”

She asked.

“For being able to see me as someone who you trust.”

Canan chuckles

“I never really thought someone like you would make me this emotional and feel so much empathy. Thank you for making me your friend, Ai-chan.”

The radiant smile returned on Ai’s face.

Canan’s resolve solidified.

“Alright, if you believe in me, I’ll give everything I got.”

Canan declared, her voice holding a firm dedication and conviction with a changed mindset.

“Yayy!”

Ai bursts out, her hands reaching the skies with joy for being able to convince Canan to be there with her for B Komachi’s final concert.

“

We can organize it with the other girls too. It doesn’t have to be just the two of us y’know.”

Canan advised.

Ai’s radiant aura started to diminish once again, as what she said reminded her encounter with the other girls and how badly she got rejected by them. She narrowed her eyes as her voice was laced with sadness and disappointment.

“I’m afraid… we can’t do that.”

Ai speaks out her opinion.

“

U- why?

” Canan asked, shocked by her statement. She just witnessed Ai’s unmoved dedication for wanting to make this concert happen from their interaction, yet somehow immediately conceded to doing it with the other girl

“The thing is…”

Ai started her voice low and slowly

“I already tried to convince them, but… it didn’t go too well…”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, it only made them angry when I reached out to them.”

her voice carried a tinge of sadness.

“Did you tell them about your secret?”

“...Not really.”

“Ai… I don’t think the girl’s truly understand you or your feelings.”

Canan placed her hand gently on top of her’s, catching her attention.

“You should start by expressing your true self to them, they might change their answer once they see your sincerity.”

“But… they hate me..”

Ai spoke, still having slight hesitancy on Canan’s idea. She realized those girls did not like her from the interaction they had.

“If I tell them my secret, they could hate me even more… I just.. Don’t want to bother them anymore.”

Canan tightens her grip on her hand that was placed on top of Ai’s, her smile giving off reassurance.

“Then let's confront them together this time. I’ll do the talking., but you have to tell them about who you really are, deal?”

she suggested

After a reluctant silence, Ai came to an agreement

“Okay.”

‘Hey, are you guys still there? Can we have a talk one more time please🙏’

Ai messaged in the B Komachi group chat. Hoping to see some light. She got a reply 5 minutes later.

‘What is it now?’ Nino responded to her.

‘I want to tell something to you guys.’

‘If it's about the concert, we’re not hearing it. I already told you my final decision.’

‘Well if you hear me out, I can maybe change your opinion this time. I promise. Please?’

‘No.’

‘Pleeeease 🥺🙏’

‘...’

‘Canan also wants to talk to you guys too.’

‘Oh really?’

‘Yup.’

After a minute of thinking, Nino finally replied back.

‘Fine we can talk then 😒’

‘Thank you! And this time let's all meet up! 😁’

The following evening, the entire B Komachi group assembled in the same desolate park where Ai and Canan had exchanged their words the previous day.

"So..."

Nino initiated the conversation, her expression stoic, arms crossed, exuding an air of anticipation.

“What is it that you want to tell us this time?”

She stood there, her eyes firm, awaiting to hear what they had to say which they thought would change her mind.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you all heard by now that Ai and I are planning on organizing one last concert.”

Canan steps forward, taking the initiative first and speaks on behalf of Ai’s idea.

“Uh huh.”

Takamine acknowledges.

“So… why don’t we all do it together? We can’t just quit without a proper ending right?”

Canan attempts to convince.

“Retiring with a mesmerizing performance for our fans would be a legendary ending for our idol group, what’d you think?”

“Mesmerizing you say?”

Nino responded with clear irony

“How can we possibly put up a ‘mesmerizing’ show with our star idol incapable of even giving his all.”

Canan’s tone shifted, carrying a sharp edge. “

Oh so you’re dependent on Ai-chan I see,

” She mocked, her words intended to provoke

“Hmph! I should’ve known better that you weren't confident or even worth standing up on the stage after all.”

Her taunts were calculated, aimed to stir a reaction from Nino.

“What?!”

Nino snaps with fury.

“

Are you seriously that pathetically horrible that you MUST need Ai in every single music concert to mask your incompetence?!”

With an accusing tone, Canan’s words cut deeper

“N-no of course not!”

“Then why is Ai’s restriction your excuse? You don’t even have confidence that we can put up a performance just as appealing without Ai being the center?”

“I mean…”

Nino pondered, her soul hesitating to admit that they can actually display a show with the same level of attraction without Ai’s commanding presence.

A heavy silence settled over the group as Ari added her voice.

“We just don’t have the same charisma as Ai-chan, and I doubt the fans would even be satisfied seeing a show without her being at her best.”

Canan heaved a sigh with her patience thinning at their complaints.

“You won’t know until you try. It's all about giving our best.”

She countered.

“C’mon! Are you all seriously going to let your career end in such a pathetic way?! You all complained that Ai steals the spotlight, but now, this is your one and only chance to prove yourself whether you are worthy or not!”

Her voice rose, trying to emphasize the opportunity before them.

“I think… I agree with Canan here.”

Kyun expressed her opinion on this matter.

“She’s right. Having one last concert for our farewell would be a fitting end for our idol group. I mean… I personally also want to have one last concert too. I gave it my best these entire years, so I want to end it properly.”

“I’m in with Kyun san.”

Meimei steps in, supporting Ai’s idea.

“I’m sure deep down, you truly want to have a successful idol career too, so that you can look back at it and be proud of yourself, otherwise, you wouldn’t have stayed this long if you thought you weren’t going to accomplish anything. You would’ve already left. I’m pretty sure we all had hope for success.”

Canan spoke with dignity.

Nino drops her gaze to the ground, her silence signaling a truthful admission to what she had said. In reality, she also hoped for a successful idol career, and her initial rejection to this proposal was due to her confused mental self.

After a remorseful sigh, Nino surrenders to the undeniable truth and finally comes to terms with Ai and Canan’s plan.

Canan planted a smirk on her, indicating her succession in convincing them this much. All that's left was the final touching to completely make them turn to their side

“Also,”

Canan said, her voice shifting to a more serious tone

“There is something you might want to know about Ai-chan,”

“Something we might want to know about Ai-chan?”

Kyun said confusedly.

“Mhm.”

Canan nods, folding her arms.

Ai steps forward, her eyes still casted downwards, a bit of nervousness surrounding her. She inhaled deeply, embracing the weight of the forthcoming revelation.

“This might be a bit hard to consume and absorb at first, and I apologize if it increases your hatred towards me, but…”

she cautioned, slowly lifting her gaze

“The reason I’m sharing this is to you all is so that I can unburden the pressure and stress in my chest moving forward. I also want to express my sincerity to you all when I say this, and since we’ve worked together for so long, you guys deserve to know.”

All eyes were fixed on her now. Despite having no clue, all the girls prepared themselves on what she was about to disclose, sensing the depth of her secret.

“I believe it was 4 or 5 years ago, when I took a hiatus,”

She began, some of the girls recalling that time when Ai temporarily took a break

“The reason I took a hiatus was because… I was pregnant.”

Time frozen still, a few jaws dropped, some placing their hands to cover their mouth, trying to absorb the weight of this disclosure. It was indeed heavy, and shocking. Ari and Nino didn’t react that dramatically like the others, as if they were accepting Ai’s true colors.

“Because of the relationship I had with someone, I was blessed with 2 adorable kids,”

Ai continued, a faint smile grazing her lips, saying these words proudly as a mother, with no shame

“And so I hid their identity from the public and everyone else, so that I can still carry on my idol career.”

“So that’s how it is…”

Meimei whispered audibly.

“Ai…”

Takamine stated her name in visible shock

“So you hid this fact the entire time…?”

Ai slowly lowered her gaze to the ground again, unsure if she’d broken the ties between her and the girls, but she still spoke, hoping to meet an understanding.

“I know it isn’t permitted for idol’s to make relationships and all but…”

Ai paused for a little bit, her voice softening.

“I just… wanted to find love…”

“L-love?”

“What do you mean?”

Nino and Ari inquired.

“You were right about me when you said I seemed fake towards my fans. It's true, I won’t deny it. I covered myself with lies after lies, as if my dishonesty was a shield of protection.

” Ai continued, her voice heavy from the weight of the truth. The girls didn’t even have time to blink, their minds and souls were engulfed in her words.

“Even until now, I haven’t been able to say the words “I love you” to my fans from the bottom of my heart. I didn’t know how to love people from the inside, so I expressed love in the form of lies, hoping that one day, I would truly be able to say it wholeheartedly.”

A swell of empathy consumed them, their understanding deepening with each word Ai spoke about her true self.

“I wanted to feel love and be loved by someone. I became a mother, hoping that I could truly feel it in my heart.”

Ai pauses once more, the memory of when she first embraced those words “I love you” sincerely surfaced in her mind. It was to her children. She remembers it vividly. When she had just woken up from the hospital after her 2 weeks coma from the barbarous ambush she suffered, Aqua and Ruby were right beside her. Due to her soul being pushed to the brink of death from the merciless torment, she had found a desirous purpose, the purpose to at least love her children before she meets her end, and that moment when she opened her eyes in the hospital after miraculously being saved, she wasted no time, pulled Aqua and Ruby towards her uttered those words from the bottom of her soul.

As those heart touching moments replayed in her eyes, her smile widened while she was conversing with the girls “And it turns out, that I was finally able to do so. I love my children, and they love me.”

In the stillness that followed Ai's heartfelt confession, a profound sense of understanding washed over half of the group. Rather than succumbing to anger or resentment at Ai for breaking such a fundamental taboo, their hearts enveloped with deep comprehension and acceptance of the person Ai truly was, admiring her raw honesty.

“

And so… I want to do the same for my fans too. I want to retire as an idol who genuinely loved her fans, especially after singing and dancing for them on stage for years. But as you know, I still wasn’t able to properly do it. I’m sorry if my selfishness takes the better of me again, but let's cooperate one last time, please…

”

Breaking the silence, Kyun stepped forward.

“I agree.”

She spoke, being the center of attention this time “

This is the first time Ai-chan had ever been so honest with us. I think instead of rejecting her wholehearted plea, we should come together and admire her honesty and lend her a hand. It’s not solely for Ai-chan’s sake, but for ours too.

” Kyun elaborates her opinion on this.

It wasn’t just her, but everyone there was touched by Ai’s words. The hate and resentment they once had for Ai was removed with admiration and appreciation
. 
   
“Kagh!!” Yuji coughs up blood, clutching his chest with one hand as firmly as possible, his eyes pinched, dropping to his knees as he desperately reaches for a cup of water, his inner sickness has reached his limit. Not only because of a severe cold which corrupted his lungs, but a metal rod fell on his chest when he was working on the construction area last night, causing more internal damage in his chest which amplified his sickness and suffering.

When he arrived late at night from work, he noticed he was coughing unstoppable, with a little blood coming out on a few occasions. It only started to get worse by time since his cold was really starting to reach its limit. His eyes become red, his throat cracking in soaring pain from all the coughs, his lungs feeling like it’s ruptured due to the accident, and the cold only making it more worse. It got so much worse that he couldn’t even walk straight for a few steps without bursting into a fury of coughs.

He laid down on his bed, turning his heater on and boiling some water for his throat.

“This feels so shitty… did I overwork~?” Yuji mutters to himself, wondering why the sudden drastic sickness enveloped him.

All the working outside in the freezing temperature really did take a toll on him, inhaling all the cold wind in his body, and being exposed to such atmosphere for a long time, it wasn’t long until the consequences started showing up.

“ACHOO!!” Yuji sneezes, grabbing a tissue next to his bed and blowing his nose. He was completely drained, all the series of coughing draining his energy away, leaving him with exhaustion on top of suffering a severe cold and chest pain.

He got some boiling water to gargle on his throat.

“AHHACK!” Yuji spits out the water from his mouth into the sink, his throat still soaring. “Uh… what a pain, I might need to take a day off tomorrow…”

“Yuuji~?” A melodic voice, yet laced with some concern, knocked on his door. Yuji could tell immediately who that was, a voice that he can never mistake, but he was wondering why she was up so late at night.

“Rrrhrghrh~!” He tried to clear his throat, before attempting to open the door.

“Ai san?” Yuji says, opening the door and seeing none other than the ravishing young women, her frown slightly furrowed as Yuji could spot the concern that was implanted on her face.

“Is everything alright~?” Ai asks, her tone caring and gentle, a slight frown visible, her eyes expressing tension.

The reason she was still awake this late was due to her late night practice sessions with the other girl. She had just finished her rehearsal session half an hour ago and just finished her shower, feeling fresh and getting ready to go to bed. As she was scrolling through the media on her phone, she heard Yuji’s coughs, and it wasn’t any kind of cough, it was heavy and disturbing, with a slight splash noise from the blood splattering out of him. She could feel the pain from hearing those coughs, and from then onwards, her mind was only laced with tension and worry.

Yuji’s coughs were so devastatingly bad, it even echoed through Ai’s room. It got to the point where Ai couldn’t handle it anymore without wanting to consult Yuji himself and know if he was alright or not.

“Aharrm~!” Yuji clears his throat once more “I’m alright, just a little cold~” He answers, his voice already cracked and collapsing from the damage of his throat and lungs it almost sounded like a different person.

“It doesn’t sound like a

little

cold~” Ai tells him, knowing very well Yuji was trying to downplay the severity of his illness.

As much as he tried to hold it in infront of Ai, another series of coughs violently attacked Yuji. Clutching his chest tightly, closing his eyes from the intensity, only further shaking Ai’s heart with unease.

“A- Yuji!” Ai closed the short distance between them and held Yuji gently before he was about to lose his balance. One hand placed his back while the other on his arm. “You got a

really

bad cold.” She affirms a tinge of motherly concern swelling inside her upon witnessing Yuji’s terrific condition.

“I should be fine~” Yuji mutters out as he stands back up again, making Ai let go of her.

“No you’re not!” Ai persists, denying Yuji’s reaffirmation. There’s no way her heart could possibly accept his condition and not do anything about the severity of his illness after what she had just seen. It hooked her heart to where she views it her responsibility and right to take care of him and ensure he is okay and feels better. After all, she didn’t forget what he said to her that day, that she views him as her own son, just like how she views her own kids. And it’s a mother’s duty to look after her child when they get sick.

“Come to my house, I’ll give you some hot lemon and honey tea~” She offers, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, her delicate voice representing the concept of caringness and nurture, willing to sacrifice her cozy sleep time with her two kids to give Yuji some company and provide anything within her capability to make him feel better. He was no stranger to her, he was someone who Ai also deeply started to cherish.

Yuji though didn’t want to disturb Ai’s slumber time at this late night where she should’ve been sleeping by now, but at the same time, seeing her dedication to treat him, the better choice would be to accept her offer. I mean after all, who doesn’t want to be in Ai’s company? Especially if you are a huge fan of hers.

Ai slowly guided Yuji to her house, and made him sit on her most comfy couch. She immediately turned the heater on in the dining room and gave Yuji her own blanket to cover him up, ensuring he stays warm and cozy.

“Theeere we go~” Ai covers him up, ensuring his body is properly tucked and cocooned by the warmth of blanket. “Alright! Now I’m going to make you some nice and hot lemon honey tea for your cold okay?~” she said to Yuji, leaning her back slightly, her motherly and vibrant smile showering affection towards him who was wrapped up on the blanket on the sofa, her voice swelling with fondness and delicacy.

“A~alright~” Yuji responds, his cheeks slightly red from receiving Ai’s immense adoration and love. To him, he felt that the way she was treating her, with such care and tenderness, was no different than how a loving mother would look after her child if they were severely ill. For the first time, Yuji actually felt like Ai was a true loving mother to him from the things she was doing to her.

“Hmhmhmhmh~” She hums a melodic tone as she whirls the spoon on the come after putting some honey on the boiling tea.

“So this is how it feels having a mother…” Yuji mutters in his mind. In his entire life, he never had a mother that looked after her at all, he never received any motherly affection at all prior to this. The only person that raised him back in the jujutsu world was none other than his sick grandpa.

“Geez~, have you been working on that construction area by yourself again,  Yuuji~?” Ai asks, assuming the cause of Yuji's detrimental cold, her tone still loving and soft “I told you to quit going there~ you can just stay with me y'know~ you're still too little to do all these things.” Her nurturing tone only grows stronger as she adds some lemon juice on the tea, a soothing fragrant flowing across the room, telling Yuji to stop working at such a harsh place.

“I… don’t want to be a burden to you~” Yuji replies while still seated comfortably on the sofa, his voice still cracking from his sore throat and lungs. His considerateness and maturity leaking out.

“Ahahaha~!” Ai lets out a cute laugh, hearing such an adult response from a mere child.

“Gosh Yuuji~ you really do remind me of my Aqua~, acting all big and grown up at such a young age~” she says, playfully criticizing Yuji's maturity as she finishes making the warm lemon honey tea for Yuji.

“You are no burden to me Yuuji~, in fact, it gives me pleasure looking after you~” she says, her voice tender and affectionate as she approaches Yuji with the tea, putting down on the tea table in which she brang closer to the couch he was leaning on.

“Now then~ this will help you recover your throat,” she gives the tea to Yuji.

“Thank you so much, Ai san~” Yuji thanks her as he receives the cup.

“Don't mention it! This is a normal thing for a mother to do for their sick child~” Ai responds back to Yuji's gratitude.

Yuji's face becomes even more flushed red as she brings up the reference of what she said to him on Christmas day.

“Isn't that right?” Ai playfully teases Yuji, her smirk wide and naughty as she leans her face closer to her.

Yuji's face couldn't get any redder than this, feeling Ai's fanciable face inches before him.

“Ahahaha~!” She couldn't help but laugh, seeing Yuji's flushed and shy expression, withdrawing back from the extreme closeness with Yuji. “No need to be so nervous, we’re all family” standing back up straight and putting her hands on her hips.

Yuji sips on the warm tea Ai made for her. Surprisingly, the sensation he felt when the tea went down his throat, it was too good to describe it. He did not expect to feel this good after taking just one sip, as it almost instantly started to fight against the cold inside of him. But it wasn't the just the warmth of the tea, but also the taste and the flavor which made Yuji enjoy it even more.

“How is it~?” Ai asks, eager to know his opinion on the tea she put all her effort into making.

“It's… heavenly.” Yuji praises, before taking another sip.

“Wahh!! Oh c'mon, you don't have to be that nice to me~” Ai blushes from Yuji's compliment, facing towards the side.

“Nah I'm serious, it almost feels like I am getting better the more I drink it.”

“That's lovely~!” Ai exclaims before sitting on another couch that faced his direction, wanting to have a little chat with him.

“Ai san, why are you even up this late?” Yuji asks the question that was lingering inside of him the entire time, not expecting Ai to be awake at this late hour, considering its way past her bedtime with her kids.

“Oh that, I was actually rehearsing for our upcoming concert~”

“A concert~?”

“Yup!” Ai affirms with enthusiasm.

“I thought that you can't participate anymore because of your injury,” Yuji expresses his doubts.

“Ehh, that doesn't mean I can't perform at all~”

“What do you mean?”

“I can still sing~”

“Oo!”

“Mhm, even if I can't dance, I can still do other things that can help the overall performance.”

“I see,”

“Hey Yuuji~, you're coming to the concert right?” Ai asks, but the way she said it seems as though there aren't any other answers besides “yes”.

“Yes of course!” it's not like Yuji has any reason to miss it anyway

“Great!”

Though Yuji wonders why they would be forcing out one more B Komachi concert with their ace not being in her best shape.

“Oh also,” Ai remembers something else important, “Jog- I mean, Gojo's going to be coming soon right~?” She inquires, eager to know when Gojo is going to arrive back.

“Yeah, he's going to be coming next week,” Yuji informs.

“Excellent, I want both

you

and

Gojo

to come to our concert and cheer us on!” Ai declares.

“...sure,” Yuji was confident about his part, but knowing Gojo's unpredictable schedule, he wasn't sure if Gojo would make it.

“But Ai, what's going to happen about your secret of Aqua and Ruby, are you still going to prevent it from the public?”

“Nope,”

“Really? So you finally chose to disclose it?”

“Of course! I mean, why else would I keep it if I won't be an idol anymore? That just unnecessarily prevents me from further engaging with my kids in the public.”

“Understandable”

“But,”

“M?”

“When I reveal to everyone my true secret, I'm slightly scared.” Ai expresses.

“Why?”

“Because, then, people will start hating me.”

Yuji understood why Ai would think that. Having a relationship with the opposite gender is considered taboo for idols, and the fans would feel betrayed if they hear Ai having kids this whole time.

“But!” Ai’s voice changes into a determined tone. “That's nothing to worry about~” she says, only to not get Yuji too involved into this matter.

But since Yuji is mature, he could already comprehend the situation.

“Hah~” Ai sighs as she leans back on the sofa, her eyes indicating signs of tiredness and fatigueness from all the rehearsals with the girls.

Yuji finishes the tea that Ai made for her, gently placing the cup back on the table, before attempting to get off the couch as he was about to take off the blanket that Ai tightly wrapped it around him.

“Thank you very much for the tea Ai, I'll get go-”

“You're not going anywhere,” Ai firmly declares, getting up from the couch, ensuring Yuji doesn't get up from that sofa he was on, closing the distance between them once more.

“Why?”

“Because mama said so!” She reasons, her tone serious but at the time gentle and kindhearted, laced with concern for Yuji's condition. She uses the “Mum said so, and that's final!” type response to prevent Yuji from leaving, already utilizing the advantages of a mother towards their child even though they aren't blood related.

“But-”

“Nope, you are sleeping here today! Mama is going to look after you for tonight, Kay?” She further reasons, interrupting before Yuji could even contest, leaning her face close to Yuji, her expression playfully serious, demanding him to be under her care, her frown slightly furrowed with a jolly-angry impression.

“Uhm…” Yuji just didn't know how to handle Ai's stubbornness. And now that he accepted her as a family, he almost has no way of getting around her ‘motherly rights’, so whenever Ai makes a decision, Yuji is forced to go with it.

But, never did Ai ever make a decision that was against Yuji's wellbeing, almost every choice she makes for Yuji, guaranteed it's for his good, as that's how every mother would carefully decide for their children, at least for the type of mother she was to her kids.

In the end, Yuji had no choice but to spend the night in Ai's house, within the range of her care. But deep down, it's not that he really minded at all. He can't get any happier than being in her dear idol's company, with the sole exception being his beloved sensei, Satoru Gojo.

“Do you need any more pillows~?” Ai asks, ensuring his comfort in her company, covering Yuji with a blanket again as he was laying down flat on the couch like a bed.

“It's fine.”

“If you need anything, don't feel shy to ask Kay?” She rubs Yuji's hair, her affectionate smile present. “You’re not going to that construction area until you recover properly, that's Mama's order~” she lovingly exclaims, “Tomorrow, I'm going to make you some nice and hot mushroom soup, it'll make you feel a lot better~ hehe~”

“Ai, sorry for taking your sleep time, you could be sleeping with your kids by now, but I made you stay awake.” Yuji apologizes for his burden.

“Yuuji~!” Ai calls out in a playful anger, “You took away nothing from me. I always sleep with them at the same time everyday. Just one day of sacrifice for my precious Yuuji~ isn't doing anything to me~! Trust!” She winks at him. “Now then, you need to take some rest~ hopefully you get a goodnight sleep, if you need anything, please feel free to wake me up~ I'll do anything I can for you,” Ai tells Yuji with a reassuring tone before closing the dining light and leaving to her own bedroom.
   
“Haa!? Yuji you’re here~!?” Ruby makes his way to the dining room after washing her face from waking up.

“Hey~” Yuji greets, still seated on the couch and tucked by a blanket.

Ruby runs up to him, and gives him a slight hug, finding joy to see him again, her attachment and fondness towards him clearly visible. Saving her beloved mother that she loves more than anyone and herself and her brother was more than enough to earn Ruby’s respect and fondness.

“How did you end up here~?” she asks, her face swelling with happiness and excitement, her smile told it all.

“Well… your mum dragged me here last night,” Yuji responds.

“Oh really?! You are so lucky~!” She states with pride.

“Lucky? Why?”

“Because you are the first one to receive mama’s care and charisma for an ill person. It must feel heavenly right~?” She further explains, her words swelling with honor for her mother’s unmatched attractiveness and fonding aura towards others.

“Oh yeah, you’re right,” Yuji agrees. She did have a valid point. There is nothing better than having Ai to look after you when you are feeling heavily sick. Receiving her care and warmth is truly an otherworldly experience.

“Ruby~ Yuuji~” Ai’s voice resonates throughout the dining room like a charm as she was still occupied making a creamy mushroom soup. “How was your sleep~?” She asks while stirring the soup in the pot.

“It was great!!” Ruby answers with her typical energetic voice.

“It was better than I expected,” Yuji answers alongside her as well.

“That’s lovely~! You guys are in for a treat for today~” Ai exclaims, her tone caring.

“Mama, Mama!” Ruby went running to Ai in the kitchen, squeezing in the gap between her mother and the kitchen stove, gripping her apron, digging her face in her mother’s soft flesh and rubbing on it.

“Yes~?” Ai responds, stirring the soup while feeling her daughter's face pressing on her belly. Ruby's cuddle didn't disturb her at all.

“When are we gonna go to the beach~?” She asks.

“Uhm…” Ai ponders whilst putting some more flavor on the soup “I'm not sure Ruby~ mama can't go to crowded places with you two yet, at least not before this concert.”

“Aww~” Ruby mourns in slight sadness.

“But! Mama will promise to take you guys to the beach when this is all over okay?”

“Really?!”

“Mhm~ your and Aqua’s birthday is coming up too,”

“Oh yes!”

“Mama is going to make sure it's your best birthday yet!” Ai exclaims in determination, eager to give her heart in for her kids' birthday.

“Good work everyone!”

Ai’s words resonated with enthusiasm after a hard day of rehearsal.

“Hahh… this is so tiring..”

Canan gasped, her back against the wall, her gaze drifting upward. Then, a melodious voice reached her ears.

“

Here, have some ice tea.

” Ai approached, offering Canan with a pack of ice tea for refreshment.

“

Oh, thanks.

” She accepted the cold drink, feeling the condensation against her skin.

Ai settled next to Canan, leaning against the wall beside her.

“It honestly feels kind of weird watching you guys practice so hard without me.”

Ai comments.

“Yeah… you’re usually the leader and we all used to follow you. So not having you around does feel kinda off.”

Canan remarks, her voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and longing for the past.

Breaking the silence, Canan broached a topic that had been lingering in her mind since the incident.

“Ai…”

she started, capturing Ai's attention.

“Hm?”

Ai turned her face towards her.

“You never really told us… what happened.”

Canan said softly, choosing her words carefully

.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You know… that brutal ambush you suffered. We never got the chance to talk about it.”

“Oh that! Haha! There’s nothing really to talk about.”

Ai said, her response accompanied by a carefree chuckle.

“Still, does it hurt? I heard your injuries were life threatening.”

Canan inquired with genuine concern and curiosity.

“It does a little bit.”

Ai places her hand where her wounds were inflicted.

“But it isn’t gonna stop me from performing!”

She exclaimed with determination.

“But do you know why it happened?”

Canan pressed further.

“Uh…”

She ponders while tapping a finger on her chin

“I’m not sure myself really.”

she replied back with a smile.

“

Oh my.

” Canan exhaled, a soft chuckle escaping her lips, remembering Ai’s cluelessness when they used to practice together. It gives her a sense of relief seeing Ai’s child-like demeanor.

“Also,”

Canan had one more thing to say before moving on to her practice.

“After this is all over, let me see your kids one day~ I've been wanting to meet them ever since you told me you had  children.”

She requested affectionately.

Ai was a tad bit surprised, widening her eyes slightly, before nodding and smiling with reassurance. “

Of course!

” she nods.

They continued their intense rehearsal schedule for several weeks until the girls were fully confident in their ability to perform on the stage to hook the soul’s of their fans one last time. Besides spending her time rehearsing with the other girls, Ai spent the rest of her time at home nurturing her own 2 kids.

Ruby is always the proactive and energetic one out of the two. She pleasantly engages with Ai every single time, but Aqua is a different story. She tries her best to get closer to him as much as she could, but sadly her attempts were proving to be futile. Every time she tries to be open to him and offers him a fun activity, he usually declines and minds his own business. Her heart ached with concern, for she could sense his hidden pain, yet the words remained trapped behind his lips. It makes her feel she is a hopeless mother who cannot understand her own children.

Ai first wants to get rid of the trouble of hiding her kids as a secret from the public, so most of her concentration was spent on rehearsals and improvements for their concert.

The day of their final concert slowly approached as it was only 2 days away.
  
“Wooh~” Ai yawns, arriving at the kitchen in the early morning to prepare breakfast for her kids. Even after washing her face, the sleepiness was still present inside of her.

“Hah… what should I make today~...” She mutters to herself, thinking about what she should cook for breakfast. Usually she make it easy going and simple without much hassle, but lately she was barely spending time with her children due to her back breaking rehearsal schedule throughout the day for their final concert, so in repayment, she wants to at least give them a splendid breakfast before she starts her another tiresome schedule for the day.

“I think I should make…”

As soon as she thought of an idea, she heard a bang noise next door followed by a hyper laugh, in which the voice sounded very familiar to her

“BANG, hahahahaha!”

Capturing her attention like a magnet, she turned her gaze to the direction where Yuji's house was.

“What's happening there…?” She wonders to herself, as that peculiar voice hooked her curiosity.

“Hey!! That's not fair sensei!!!” Yuji's yell was heard from his house, telling her that something was really up in his house.

“I think I should go check it out…”

She had a guess what could be happening, and she hoped that it was true, because she herself was looking forward to it.

As soon as she opened her front door and had a peep outside, her eyes popped wide with immense excitement and joy, because the person she saw was someone who she longed to meet once more.

Right next to her house, outside Yuji's door, she saw Gojo bullying Yuji by  popping a surprise mini bomb in front of his face. His face was black, filled with smoke and dust, as Gojo heinously laugh laughs, his immature and playful nature leaking out, evident with him teasing Gojo.

“Gojo!!” She calls out, her voice explosive with enthusiasm and joy.

“Huh?” Gojo and Yuji both turned around to Ai's front door, spotting her excited face as she opens the door fully.

“Oh, Ai!!! You're back!!” Gojo yells out, a wide smile shining on his face as a stream of relief swells inside of him from seeing Ai back from the hospital.

“Ai san?” Yuji said in slight confusion

Ai steps out of her house and approaches Gojo with a chuckle, her pace blooming with fascination, a beaming smile lightening her charisma.

“Oh wait, you actually finally said my name right!” Gojo realizes that Ai didn't stutter or mistake Gojo's name with that disaster curse’s name, Jogo.

“Oh yeah true, Haha!”

“So, how are you feeling!?” Gojo inquires.

“I'm feeling great!”

“Has your wounds recovered?”

“Well~ sort of I guess,” Ai replies vaguely,

“Ah I see,”

“But what are you two up to?” Ai inquires, her curiosity piquing from Gojo's arrival at the apartment.

“Ah, I'm just giving him a surprise attack!” Gojo exclaims, while patting down Yuji's head roughly.

“Sensei is bullying me!” Yuji expresses his own opinion what's happening, blaming Gojo's childish actions

“Ahahahaha!” Ai couldn't help but burst into laughter from seeing the playful bonding Gojo and Ai had.

“Do you guys have any plans today~?” She asks Gojo.

“Well, not anything particular, but I might tour Yuji around and meet some of my old friends, wanna join?” Gojo offers.

“I wish I could~” Ai expresses some regret “but sadly I have to attend my rehearsals,”

“Rehearsals? For what?” Getting Gojo's curiosity up

“For B Komachi’s final concert.”

“Whaaa?! I thought you were prohibited from performing again!”

“Yeah but it's not gonna be like that, and… Oh yes!” She remembers something she needs to tell Gojo, suddenly grabbing Gojo by his hands and pulling it up, firmly gripping one hand of his with both of her hands, expressing her eagerness, her starry eyes sparkling bright at Gojo's gaze. Gojo startled a little bit back from Ai's sudden closeness as she leaned forward with a gleaming face.

“
You
and
Yuji
are coming to our concert tomorrow, okay?” She said, her voice almost demanding, as if there is no room to decline.

“Tomorrow?!”

“Mhm! Tomorrow evening at 7.” Ai nods, affirming the date.

“Eh…” Gojo ponders about it.

“It's not an option, it's a
must
.” Ai reassures him that no isn't an option.

“Alright, if you are so willing to, I'll come,” Gojo confirms, not wanting to be a meanie and just cold heartedly decline Ai's heartfelt request.

“Yayy!!” She leaps up.

“You must be putting all your effort into this huh?”

“Yup!” She nods “It’s our final concert after all~”

“Anyhow, come join us for breakfast~” Ai requests both Gojo and Yuji, her smile tender with a gentle and caring tone.

“Thank you very much for the offer Ai, but the one thing me and Yuji planned for today was where to have breakfast.”

“Oh I see~” Ai then remembers something, something that she wishes to fulfill. “Oh wait, then, can I ask you a favor~?” Ai says in a cute and innocent tone.

“Sure!”

“Can you please take my kids with you for your tour~?” She pleads, wanting her kids to at least enjoy the day outside instead of being in Miyako's care all the time. “My Ruby has been nagging me to go outside with her you see~ and I can't do that before this concert because of my busy schedule, so would you mind~?” Her tone touching.

“Of course, why not?!”

Gojo accepts Ai's request without a second thought, not daring to deny giving quality to her little cute kids.

She gasps in happiness from Gojo's acceptance to spend time with her beloved kids.

“Thank you~!” She hugs Gojo with joy, staggering him once again by Ai's sudden closeness

“Ehh, it's no prob,” Gojo says while still getting his shoulder cuddled by Ai.

She was glad to at least find a solution for her children to enjoy a day without sitting at home bored. It also got rid of her hassle to prepare breakfast for her kids when they get to take her kids out for a spectacular breakfast. So now she gets to make a quick breakfast for herself and go off to her rehearsal session. It was a perfect opportunity for Ai to utilize, it was basically killing 2 birds with one stone.

She expresses her genuine gratitude for taking her favor, before going inside her house to wake her kids up.
  
“So Mr Gojo~ tell me more about you and Mama’s story~?” Ruby asks Gojo as they were all inside his car, her curiosity out the roof, now that she is finally getting to spend her time with the person Ai shared her story about that night.

“Well, me and your mother go all the way back a decade ago,” Gojo starts to answer her question as he was driving “When I first met her, she was about a little kid, like 10 years old I think… but anyhow, the day I met your mum, was also the day I first arrived in Tokyo, so I was new to the place as well.” Gojo informs, but what he was actually saying was that, it was on that day that Gojo was reincarnated into this world. “...as I was wandering around the place, I was about to enter a cafe, and just before I stepped inside, I heard the scream of a child, and guess who that was?”

“Ai?” Aqua took the first guess.

“That’s correct!” Gojo affirms “When I turned around, I saw that your mother was getting bullied by a gang of boys, and she was getting seriously pummeled.”

“Wait, so did mama get hurt really badly?” Ruby interfere’s, desperate to know about her mother’s state at that time.

“I wouldn’t say it was something severe, but she was definitely getting hurt a lot by them. But luckily, I intervened before it reached the point of a serious injury.”

“But Gojo san~ why was mama even getting hurt in the first place?” Ruby asks another question.

“That’s… something I didn’t really investigate upon, you should ask your mother that question.” Gojo replies.

Gojo’s stops at the red signal, and out of nowhere, some street girls came running to his car with a pen and a paper as soon as they spotted him.

“Kyaa!! Look its Satoru Gojo~!! The most handsome man on the earth!!” One of the late teenage girls screamed before guiding her other friends to him.

Gojo notices this and opens his car window.

“How can I help ya, younglings?” Gojo asks, noticing the girl's uncontrollable obsession.

“Uhm~ Gojo san…” One of the girls spoke, her cheeks flushed red as she lends forward her paper and pen, “...would mind, if you sign me your autograph~?”

“Sure~!” Gojo said with pride, taking the pen from the girl and swiftly writing his autograph.

“Aaw! Thank you so much~!” The girls squealed, thanking Gojo.

“No prob~” Gojo waves as he then hits the accelerator as the lights turn green again.

“Woww.. Gojo san must be famous...” Ruby mutters,

“Of course he is!” Yuji reaffirms, hearing Ruby’s whispery compliment. “Sensei is easily one of the, if not the most famous person in Japan! There is no one more influential than him!”

“Anyhow,” Gojo continues his story “After I gave that kid a good smack for hurting your mother, I introduced myself to her, and found out that she was actually homeless. So I took her to the cafe that I was just about to enter and gave her something to eat, since she was starving. And that’s how we started chatting.”

“Mama told us all about you and how much of an inspiration you were to her.” Ruby tells Gojo.

“Ehh…? I didn’t do that much to be honest, it was more like her conviction which made her status skyrocket to where she is now.” Gojo analyzes. “But backstories aside, we’re here!”
  
“Thank you so much for today, Gojo sensei~!” Ruby wholeheartedly thanks Gojo for the entertainment he delivered to Ai's kids. “I had so much fun!!!” She hugs Gojo and cuddles on his leg.

“No problem!” Gojo responds with a salute “I'm just worried that I might be dropping you home too late, your mother might be worried~”

“Ai is still rehearsing so it should be fine~” Aqua informs,

“Oh ight, if that's the case, then, have a goodnight!” Gojo waves back at Aqua and Ruby as they safely enter they’re house.

“You too, sensei~!” Ruby waves back

“Hahaha!” He laughs, seeing the cuteness of Ai's children, and their adorableness.

“Oh well, guess we might cross away from here for now, Yuji.” Gojo turns around to where Yuji’s house was, already finding the door wide open. “Yuji?” he called his name again, surprised by his disappearance.

He reached his door and peeped inside, only to see Yuji passed out, already knocked out on the floor.

“My goodness~” Gojo chuckles, before picking Yuji up from the floor and placing him in his bed.

The exhaustion of how much thrill and enjoyment they had received today during their day out with Gojo took a toll on their bodies. He turned the lights off and closed Yuji's front door, ensuring it was locked for safety reasons, before heading down the apartment.

He calmly strolls down the stairs, his hands tucked in his pockets. As he was doing so, he contemplated all the events and activities he did today with Yuji and with Ai’s kids, remembering all their joyful laughter and their beaming smiles as their heart was content with ecstasy.

“Hmph!” Gojo smiles, a swell of appreciation running down his soul the more he rethinks about just how much pleasure he gave these kids. From his point of view, taking out one day off just to fully spend quality time with younger children, and take them out where it could exhilarate their hearts, just seeing the joy of their cute faces makes his entire day. Days like these are crucial and important. It’s these moments that Gojo cherishes in his heart.

“You seem to be in a good mood~” Geto appears to be standing outside the apartment, observing Gojo’s smile and expression as he walks out of the building with a happy mood “Does spending time with those toddlers really give you this much joy?” He asks.

“Ahh, Geto… it’s more than just ‘spending time’,” Gojo exclaims, his tone relaxed.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not even frequently available to spend time with them, most of the time, I’m out of the country. So when I get the chance to return back, my first priority is giving them company. I’m a teacher Geto so I know the bondings of my students. You might not be able to feel the same way I do, but trust me, days like these… are more than worth it…”

“You’re such a softie,” Geto mocks.

“Hey! That's not what it means!”

“Anyway, are you ready for the interview?”

“What interview?”

“Y’know what I’m talking about, Nanami’s manager’s…” Geto hints.

“Oh yes that!” Gojo recollects “But wait, when is it though?”

“Tomorrow evening.”

“...then sorry I can’t attend.”

“What!? Quit your foolish jokes!”

“I’m not joking this time.”

“What’s more important than this?”

“I already made a promise to someone that I’d attend their festival.”

“Is it that B kom.. something concert?”

“Mhm,” Gojo nods

“Are you seriously gonna compromise your massive promotion for a mere girlish festival that you have NO involvement in?! Like seriously, you should understand your priorities these days, Gojo.”

“Geto…” Gojo calls out, “You have no idea what this festival means to me. Yes it may sound childish and even if I don’t have a role in it, there is a much bigger meaning to it. I already promised Ai that I’d come and attend. The delicateness of his eyes would’ve shattered if I had said no after she heartfully begged me to come, and I don’t want to ruin that trust.”

“Tch…” Geto gets irritated.

“But even besides that, this is a big moment for me to see anyway. If I was really the cause of what made her start the journey that made her the influential and famous individual she is today, for me not to witness it with my very eyes would be one of the most shameful and unfortunate things that'd haunt me down forever, considering that this is… their final concert. And throughout the years, I wasn’t able to attend a single one of their concerts.”

Gojo further lays forth his reasons, explaining why he prioritizes the concert more than his interview.

“Besides! It’s not like the interview is a one time thing only, unlike the concert, I’m sure the manager can understand and give us another date!” Gojo says, his tone becoming more carefree, as if he barely cares about the significance of the interview.

“Whatever…”

“Also,” Before Geto was about to take his leave, Gojo brought forth an extremely important matter, catching Geto’s attention as his tone shifted into a more serious vibe “Did we receive any new information on Sukuna?” He inquires, going straight to the point.

“Not really, just that the gang he rules is so far the most ruthless and violent in this world so far, but who wouldn’t have guessed?”  Geto informs.

“...”

“Why do you look stressed?” He asks, noticing Gojo’s distraught expression

“It’s just, I don’t want his power and influence to reach us, especially not Yuuji.” He said, “He suffered enough trauma from Sukuna already, living a happy life with someone who he adores. I don’t want him to be reminded of the horrific nightmare he was suffering from the past life.”

“I mean, he’s still all the way in Mexico, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of his remnants are in Japan too.”

“I will prevent them from clashing.” Gojo affirms as he clenches his fist “I failed to take down Sukuna, but I won’t fail this time…” He states, his tone imbued with determination and conviction.
   
“Good work everyone!” Ai’s charming voice resonated throughout the room as they just finished their 27th round of their practice performance.

Nino leans back on the wall, panting heavily as she chugs her bottle of cold water. Takamine on the other hand collapses on the spot, her body falling flat on the floor with her hands stuck out, her eyes expressing fatigue from all those sessions.

“Ahh~ I give up~” Takamine utters, her voice laced with exhaustion, her tone collapsing from all the stress in her mind about tomorrow’s concert.

“We’re almost there~! Takanime chan~!” Ai cheers her up as she lends her a cold water bottle to freshen her.

“Thanks Ai~ but it’s actually Takamine,” she corrects her habit of mistaking peoples names while grabbing the bottle Ai offered

“Oops sorry~!”

“Ai, do you really think we can do it?” Ari asks, wanting to hear Ai’s opinion on their progress so far.

“Of course!” Ai replies, her voice still blasting with enthusiasm and vibrancy “If we do what we did just now on stage, then we’ll nail it without a problem!!” She exclaims, her tone swelling with confidence and positivity.

As the girls were in the midst of taking a rest after their long consecutive practice rehearsals, a sudden charming voice started echoing amongst the walls, approaching them closer and closer by the second. It was the voice of a little girl, alerting every B Komachi member that someone was coming to their room.

“Mama, Mama, Mama!”  The voice got louder, lingering with excitement and enthusiasm as the closer it approached, catching all the girls' attention as to who that really is. They weren’t expecting a little child to come here in this room, let alone this late at night.

However, everyone apart from Ai, knew exactly who that voice belonged to, someone that she can never mistake it with anyone else. Though it also surprised her to think she’d be coming here of all places, and thought she’d be asleep by now, but nonetheless, her spirits got uplifted upon knowing her arrival at any moment, ready to welcome her after a long day.

“Mama!” Ruby stormed into the rehearsal practice room, her expression excited, but only to meet a certain person, her eyes scanned the room, spotting several girls, but she found who she was craving for in less than no time, the most beautiful one in the room, her mother, Ai.

“Ruby~!” Ai calls out her daughter, her tone loving and gentle, an affectionate smile grazing her face as she sees her coming all the way to meet her.

Ruby wastes no time and runs to her mother, before leaping up and colliding her face to her mothers soft midsection.

“Ahahaha~!” A chuckles escapes her lips upon feeling the sensation of her stomach getting pressed by her daughter’s face, followed by a rub. “Ruby~ what are you doing here late at night~?” Ai asks gently, lifting Ruby with her hands and spinning her around before pulling her to a firm motherly hug.

All the other girls just watched those two interact with each other in complete astonishment, their jaws dropped, not even a blink interrupting their vision as they witnessed true affection from a mother to her daughter being displayed right in front of them.

Even though their rehearsals were relentlessly exhausting, just seeing such a lighthearted moment by Ai and her beloved daughter, it completely refilled their souls with tranquility, gaining a firm understanding of what it means to be a parent as they see their own partner welcoming and greeting her child.

“Mama guess what happened today?!” Ruby withdraws her face slightly from her mother’s hug, but still being carried by her arms, her tone vibrating with thrill and amusement.

“Ooh~? What is it~?” Ai inquires, her voice lingering with curiosity from what her daughter has to share from the experience she had outside today.

“Today, Gojo sensei took us to the amusement park! And we rode really scary rides!!” She tells her mother, her voice beaming with radiance as she had way more to convey.

“Waaw~ were you scared~?” Ai asks with a tinge of interest.

“Well… I was a little bit scared, but since Gojo sensei was there, everything went just fine! It was really fun too!”

“That’s so lovely~!” Ai remarks, seeing the joy implanted in her daughter’s face making her own heart content sink with satisfaction and tranquility.

“Mama guess what? Onii chan nearly cried because of the heights we were in, ahaha~!”

“Ahahahaha!” Ai bursts in laughter, hearing the funny details of the story, but couldn't help but laugh once she finds out her own precocious son's weakness “I never knew Aqua was such a scaredy cat~!” she jokes.

“Mama, Gojo sensei also took us on a ferry ship.”

“Really?! Gojo san took you out on a ferry ride too?!”

“Yes!” Ruby nods in enthusiasm, her heart bursting to share the whole story to her mother “We saw so many huge waterfalls, and we even stopped at an island and explored the jungle.”

At this point, even Ai herself was out of words, unable to comprehend just how much thrill and joy her kids had today.

“Oh my~ today must be such a fun day for you guys isn’t it~?”

All the B Komachi girls stared at the gentle hearted conversation Ai and Ruby were having, their hearts swelling with serene as they witnessed Ai’s daughter sharing the story of her exhilarating day to her mother.

Neither of them had interrupted the mother and daughter’s lighthearted talk yet, but as they were about to conclude, Canan just couldn’t any longer, her soul urging to intervene.

“Ai~ is this your daughter~?” Canan asks Ai who was still caring for her daughter.

“Hm,” She turns around. “Yup, this is my beloved and cute angel~ Ruby~!! Mmuah!” She introduces her daughter to Canan with swelling pride, giving a motherly kiss to her cheek.

“She is soo adoorable~~!” Canan utters, her voice crumbling from the sheer adorableness and cuteness of Ai’s daughter. “Can I carry her~?” She politely requests.

“Of course!” Ai grants her permission, before lending Ruby over to Canan’s arms.

She carried her high, lifting her up all the way up her arms could reach. All the other B Komachi girls also came closer, unable to resist the wholehearted moment of a mother and a daughter, as they also wanted to see their partner’s kid for themselves and greet her with all their kindness.

“Aww~ she is soo cute~” Canan praises, before suddenly pulling Ruby’s body right down at her face as she then digged her face on her belly, giving it a good cuddle,

“Haha! Hahahaha!” Ruby bursts out a fury of laughter as she felt her stomach getting rubbed and cuddled by Ai’s friend.

Ai also watched this, a warm smile grazing her face as she saw Canan enjoy herself with her adorable daughter, completely allowing her to have as much fun as she wants with Ruby.

“Ai~ there’s no way you kept these two little angels to yourself all this time~ its no fair!” Canan says, slightly envious that Ai get to raise and nurture such precious and cute children.

“Heehee~” Ai giggles, her soul swelling with pride as a mother by hearing the compliments and praises about her kids from her partner.

“Hey Canan~ you can’t hog her all by yourself~! Its my turn!” Takamine intervened, her arms already open to take in Ruby,

“No wait! Just a little longer~!” Canan persists in giving Ruby, giving her another wave of cuddles to her shoulders and neck, her selfishness clearly visible as she wants Ruby’s warmth all to herself.

“Hey, that's not fair~! I want to hug her too~” Ari also enters the ‘quarrel’.

As all the girls for their turns in carrying and cuddling Ruby, her mother Ai witnesses all this, an immense swell of appreciation drowning her heart as she sees the playfulness the B Komachi girls had to her daughter.
  Tomorrow morning, will be their final B Komachi concert

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The day of B Komachi’s final concert has arrived. It occurs in the evening, around 7 PM on the underground stage where strawberry productions initially owned.

“I’m so excited for your concert today! Mama.”

Ruby exclaimed with a swell of joy and excitement.

“Mhm! Me too!”

Ai nods back with equal excitement and anticipation.

It was early morning. Aqua and Ruby sat at the dining table while Ai was bringing breakfast to the table.

“Yo!” Gojo bangs the door open, entering the house without even a knock as he greets loudly, his mannerless side exposing off. But it’s not that Ai actually minds, just seeing Gojo himself coming and accepting her invitation for breakfast was enough to satisfy her soul more than needed.

“Gojo san~!” Ai calls out in excitement for his arrival.

“Woah it smells good in here~! You surely have been preparing
something
, that’s for sure” Gojo asserts, as the fragrance of the pancakes resonating throughout the house.

“Good morning, Ai san~” Yuji also came along with Gojo as Ai requested, longing to have a gathering meal together.

“Good morning Yuji, how’s your sleep~?”

“It was wonderful,”

“That’s great to hear, did you have fun yesterday?” Ai inquired about Yuji's opinion as she was still decorating the pancakes.

“Yup, heeps!” Yuji remarks

“Haha~! That’s great~”

“Gojo sensei~!” In the meanwhile, Ruby leaps from her chair and runs to hug Gojo, as the joyous memories he implanted in her yesterday was something she could never forget, as it was never enough to thank him. She wraps her arms around Gojo’s legs and cuddles him.

“Oh hey it's you~!” He pats her head.

“Oh yeah, Gojo san~ I don’t know how I can thank you enough for giving my kids such a wonderful day yesterday~?” Ai exclaims, her voice laced with recognition and thankfulness.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah! Ruby was telling me everything last night! You are such a good role model to them~!!” She praises Gojo.

“Ehh~ it's nothing really. I think it's just important to spend some quality time with the younger generation once in a while.”

Gojo and Yuji make his way on the dining table where Aqua was seated, his impression usually impassive.

“I’m almost done~! Just give me about 2 minutes!” Ai requests, giving the finishing touches to her decorations.

“Take your time,” Gojo tells her.

“Gojo sensei,” Aqua calls.

“Hm?” Gojo turns to his attention as he hears his name called.

“You’re coming to Ai’s final concert tonight right?” He inquires.

“Of course!” Gojo affirms “I even put aside my other business, solely to dedicate on this event,”

“Oh, alright, that’s pretty unusual to do,”

“I mean, given that I haven’t ever seen your mum perform on stage once, despite being one of the reasons why she started this journey, it’d be truly unfortunate to miss her final concert, y’know?” He reasons with Aqua.

“That’s fair enough,”

“Tada~!”

Ai exclaimed joyfully, finally arriving at the dining table, surprising everyone seated as she presented the scrumptious breakfast spread. The table was adorned with fluffy pancakes, drizzled with a cascade of maple syrup, scattered egg omelets flavored with seasoning, accompanied by a vibrant array of fresh berries and a fragrant cup of coffee for herself to start the day.

“Woah!”

Ruby leaped up from her chair, her eyes widened in awe, captivated by the sheer beauty and fragrant smell of those pancakes and omelets radiating through the dining. “

Delicious…”

she murmured to herself while nearly drooling as she gazed upon the mouth watering spread before her that her beloved mother so wholeheartedly prepared.

Ai's hands rested on her hips as she looked down at her two adorable kids, her smile as bright as the morning sun.

“Well, how is it?”

she asked with excitement, her eyes lit up with joy, proud of the breakfast she had painstakingly crafted for them. She eagerly awaited their response, her heart brimming with anticipation.

“Mama, You outdone yourself! It looks absolutely divine!”

Ruby praised her mother’s hard work for arranging this breakfast for them.

“

Goddamn~! Talk about perfection!

” Gojo compliments, his gaze astonished by the beauty presented in the dining

“Ahahaha! Oh my~!”

Ai’s cheeks flushed as she chuckled in response, her hand delicately placed over her mouth, genuinely touched by her daughter's and Gojo’s compliment.

Aqua, despite his usually stoic demeanor, couldn't hide his astonishment. His surprise was evident in the subtle arch of his eyebrows and the softening of his features.

“Ai, you really didn't have to go to such lengths,”

he commented, still perplexed by his mother's decision to prepare such a lavish breakfast for them.

“Well…”

With a gentle lean, Ai brought her face close to Aqua's, her radiating smile still present.

“Today is a special day, and a special day requires a special start!”

she ended with a playful wink.

Aqua blushed slightly while creating a distance between him and Ai’s face as he turned to the side.

“I mean.. I guess.”

he admits and acknowledges Ai’s way of thinking.

Ai giggles upon hearing Aqua’s admission, and seeing him blushing and finally expressing a bit of emotion relieved her. She is proud of herself for doing something that would bring Aqua out of his impassive demeanor.

“Like seriously, since when were you a chef?!” Gojo asks, still stunned from Ai’s display.

“Heh? You didn’t know? Ai’s cooking is beyond belief!!” Yuji informs Gojo, of course exaggerating her cooking skills but it was no lie that her cooking skills were exceptional.

“Well~! I watched lots of cooking videos when I was in the hospital and had some practical sessions as well y'know~! Nothing much really~ haha~” Ai scratches her hair, explaining to them how she gained her cooking techniques, flushed from the barrage of praises.

“Alright then, let's dig in!”

Ai clapped her hands before another idea struck her.

“Oh wait!”

she exclaimed, swiftly grabbing her phone and raising it high in the air.

“Let's take a family photo!”

Ai excitedly uttered. They all huddled closer and gazed at the camera that Ai was holding. Aqua sneakily placed his fork on his pancake as they were about to take their photo.

“Now… say cheese!”

as all 5 of them gesture a peace sign, a memorable photo was taken that would remain in their hearts forever.
  
The moment had arrived. The crowd, a sea of faces filled with anticipation, pressed forward, their collective energy palpable in the air. Red lightsticks glowed like a thousand fiery embers, enhancing the thrill of the moment.

“Sensei! Wouldja hurry up?!” Yuji begs, as he was forcefully dragging Gojo with his hand who was staring at the crowd.

“Woah… this place… is so crowded…” Gojo looks around, amazed by the amount of audience, all while Yuji was pulling him towards the front row.

“OH my gosh!! Is that Satoru Gojo?!?!” One of the fans' screams, spotting Gojo’s identity, her heart skipping a beat as he was seeing one of the most famous individuals in Japan attending this idol concert.

Due to her yell, she attracted the attention a large portion of the audience that surrounded her due to the mention of the name ‘Satoru Gojo’

So as usual, Gojo’s appearance so happens to be a magnet to people’s eyes.

“Yo!” Gojo greets everyone, “It's a pleasure to see y’all here!”

“G~Gojo senpai~ what makes you come all the way to attend this festival?” One of the fans asked.

“Well~” Gojo scratches his head, figuring how he should answer this question “That’s because Ai had personally requested me to join,”

The crowd vibrates with a surprise expression,

“Woah!! So the famous former actor Satoru Gojo and the legendary Idol Ai, have connections to each other!?!?”

“Well of course!”

“Uhmm~ I’m so nervous.”

A tremor of nervousness rippled through Canan.

“I haven’t done this in so long.”

she confessed with a tinge of anxiety.

“It's alright! We’re all in it together.”

Ai cheers her up. The girls were about to head to the front stage and commence their final performance.

“I know but… this is the first time I’ll ever be in the frontline. Usually it's always you who is the main star, but now…”

Ai places her hand on Canan’s back, a smile of reassurance and trust beamed from her, banishing Canan’s nerve’s out of her mind.

“Don’t worry, it's gonna be fun! Just like how it has always been.”

Ai winks as she tells Canan a few words of courage and motivation.

She couldn’t help but crack a smile back at her, appreciating her support and the trust she holds with her. Now that she thinks about this, she has never seen Ai this motivated for a performance ever before, so a part of her wants to figure out what makes her this excited and spirits uplifted. For some reason, unlike before, she feels more honesty coming from her, and the way she responds and replies to others seems a bit more genuine then the last time she saw her. Either way, it’s not like it bothered her, in fact, she liked it as she now witnessed a new side of Ai that she hasn’t seen, or perhaps a development over the course of her hiatus.

The show was about to start at any moment. The girls collectively inhaled a deep breath before releasing it to calm their stress.

“Alright! Let's give it our best!”

Ai’s voice echoed with boiling spirit. The stars in her eyes shined more than ever, giving the entire group a feeling of hope and encouragement to give it their all as well. After all, it is their last performance as an idol, and this time, they are the stars of the show today, not solely Ai.

They slowly made their way to the stage, emerging in front of the huge audience as they stood before them. The crowd erupted with excitement and joy after seeing Ai for so long. They craved her presence, her songs and her moves.

It has been nearly a year, and her last performance was supposed to be at the dome, but sadly it got canceled due to the brutal ambush she suffered the night before, inflicting lethal and permanent injuries on her body. But now, seeing her ever so charming and fanciable appearance, the joy and excitement of her fans skyrocketed through the roof.

The girls waved at the huge audience, giving them their attention briefly. “

Thank you very much for attending our last B Komachi concert!”

Ai spoke in the mic, her voice beaming with energy and enthusiasm for this moment.

“I missed you all so much! I know it has been very tough for us to prepare and organize this one final concert for you all with all the sudden events taking place, buuut! We are here today to enlighten you all and give you our best of love! So sing along with us to every B Komachi song for our final concert. Let's make this night an unforgettable one!

” She blasts out, regaining her spirit and dedication as the stadium trembles from the exhilaration. The other B Komachi girls who were standing beside her hearing Ai’s speech increased their spirits as well.

“That's our Ai for ya!”

Canan whispered to herself with a wide smile.

“Woah!!”

Ruby screamed

“Mama looks so cute!!”

If there was anyone who would be the contender for having the most anticipation and excitement, it would definitely be Ruby. The sight of her mother dazzled eyes from the beauty she was emitting. Whenever Ai is on the stage, she views her as a goddess who descended down from heaven.

“Hey, I wonder how Ai is even going to dance now. From what I heard about the extent of her injury, she shouldn’t be able to dance like she used to anymore.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m wondering too.”

“We’ll find out soon enough once they start performing.”

A portion of the crowd was clueless on how B Komachi was even going to perform if their center star Ai was not in the condition to give her best at all. Could they deliver the same enchanting performance they’d come to expect? Some of them were even concerned, and envisioned the possibility of pain consuming her body mid performance.

The countdown began, a collective heartbeat echoing through the stadium. All the girls positioned themselves just as they usually do before the music starts playing. The audience didn’t even blink. Every ounce of their focus was on them, especially Ai.
As soon as the countdown hit 1, the music burst forth. It enveloped the entire underground. And so the show commenced. Ai, and everyone with her did they’re basic gestures as the song continued to play, their bodies moving to the rhythm in perfect synchronization.  The crowd erupted in euphoria, bathing it with red glow sticks.
As they began to watch the B Komachi girls dance, they noticed something, something entirely different then any other time they performed.

Ai wasn’t dancing alongside her comrades… for a brief moment, the majority of the audience were temporarily stunned from seeing the shift in this performance compared to any other. For the first time, Ai wasn’t recognized to be the sole star of the show. But they picked up and understood the reasons for this change. It was for Ai’s own benefit and for her comfort to be able to show her fans her ‘love’ to them one last the best and most convenient way possible without forcing the agony from her wounds to rise.

They easily understood the reason for Ai’s decision and didn’t go against it one bit. The fact that she was so dedicated to putting up one last concert to her fans did fill most of their hearts with gratitude. Hearing her charming and melodious voice of her singing was more than enough for her fans to understand her feelings.
Yet, what truly left the audience awestruck wasn't merely Ai's change in presentation. It was the seamless, awe-inspiring transitions. The spotlight danced from one girl to another, each taking her turn at the center stage. It was a fluid exchange of brilliance, a mesmerizing display of talent and dedication. The crowd realized a truth they hadn’t fully grasped before — the extraordinary potential residing within each member of B Komachi. Of course they probably weren’t as good as Ai individually, but their coordination in taking turns and exposing their qualities of an idol on top of Ai's spectacular singing, what they witnessed was not just a concert, but a revelation, as the B Komachi transcends its former boundaries.
Gojo folds his arms as he leans back on a pillar that’s close to the front now, his eyes witnessing a mesmerizing performance. A smile blends his face, a swell of appreciation and joy overflowing his soul as he gets to experience what it's like to see Ai’s performance. It makes him think back to when he first encountered her next to that cafe shop. That small innocent, and poor girl she saw with cheap and ripped clothes, has now went under an evolution beyond belief, as what he sees in front of him was that same little girl, except this time, she has grown into a mature women gifted with angelic beauty, reaching the pinnacle of her career, and also becoming a loving and caring mother, all in the span of just a few years. He contemplates to himself just how drastically people can evolve.

“Hah… what profound beauty…” Gojo utters in astonishment as his eyes are captivated by the ravishing performance.

He thinks back to his own days back in Jujutsu high, realizing that he never really got to experience such a thing like this in his past life, let alone being partially involved in it too.

His gaze shifts to Yuji, seeing him engrossed in the concert as he leaps up with exhilaration along with the crowds, yelling and dancing that red lightsaber, seeing that extent of joy in his face set a cool swell of relief and appreciation inside of him.

“Gojo sensei~!~!~!” Yuji turns around to where his sensei was leaning on the pillar with his arms folded, his expression blooming with delight “Ai san is really amazing isn’t she~?!”

“Mhmhmh” Gojo giggles as his smirk slightly enlarged, “Yup she truly is,” He acknowledges.

The concert satisfied the fans to their maximum as it far exceeded their expectations. Every corner resonated with the lyrics sung by the girls, harmonizing with the chorus of the crowd. B Komachi's playlist unfolded seamlessly, each song delivered with passion and precision. Temporary pauses and icebreakers were strategically inserted, ensuring the girls didn’t exhaust themselves. Their relentless efforts in refining their moves bore fruit, evident in the flawless performance that unfolded before the mesmerized audience.

Ruby and Aqua were also a part of the huge audience. Ruby especially, rose his glow stick as high as she could, mimicking the intricate fan dance with the major crowd. She was completely engulfed in the show. Aqua, despite not nearly being enough entertained as Ruby, still found it fulfilling and heart warming, seeing Ai on the stage once more after how much injustice she suffered. He also noticed something different from Ai. Despite  always keeping her beaming smile whenever she performs, for some reason it was not the same, it's as if her expression was more genuine now. The facade smile was not recognizable.

As the concert approached its grand finale, the crowd exerted their remaining energy solely dedicated to their final song, their final moments of ever performing on stage. The fans released everything they had, doing an idol glow stick dance, leaping and jumping, and singing along with the girls.

“Waw…”

Canan murmured to herself, panting from exhausting while still in her final pose as the song ended.

“I can’t believe… we actually did it!”

her eyes becoming all watery as she sheds a tear from the heavenly succession for their final concert ever, and how well they were able to deliver it to their fans.

The girls raised both their hands, waving at their audience. The whole crowd stood up, clapping and shedding tears for their brilliant presentation. Some of the girls hugged each other, celebrating their succession already.

Canan rushed towards Ai, enveloping her in a right embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck and shoulders while gently shedding tears of joy

“We did it~”

she exclaimed with a mixture of happiness and relief..

Ai also extends her hand out, placing it on her back, accepting her embrace.

“I told you we would do alright.”

she whispers to Canan’s ear.

“Alright? This was by far the best masterpiece we had done.”

Canan remarks.

A slight chuckle escaped Ai, her hug tightening

“Indeed.”

“And we couldn’t have done this without your firm trust in us that you showed.”

Canan adds and praises Ai for her persistence and resilience.

I guess it was about time…

After nearly all the girls made their way off the stage, Ai still remained, standing alone with a mic.

“Everyone.”

She speaks in the mic, gaining everyone’s attention as all eyes were locked on Ai who was alone on the stage.

“I want to share something with you all,”

she continued. Speaking to the attentive crowd, Ai's once vibrant voice now held a melancholic note, her words heavy with a concealed truth. It carried a mixture of anxiety and brutal honesty. They can feel it just by looking at her smile.

“I’m extremely sorry if this breaks your heart or makes your vision of me change completely.. I ask your guys forgiveness for hiding it for this long.”

she paused briefly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, embracing the sheer weight of what she is going to say

“You see… 4 years ago, when I was 16, I was… in a relationship with someone.”

Ai confessed, her words reverberating like a shockwave in the hushed arena. A collective gasp swept through the audience, the sheer impact freezing time itself. 
“And as a result, I got pregnant with adorable twins.” Ai continued, her gaze unwavering despite the tumultuous reactions around her, revealing her forbidden secret with a faint smile, completely silencing the entire audience from the sheer weight of the revelation.
The gasp of the audience got even louder upon the revelation that Ai had two little kids this entire time.

“I’m sorry, everyone… I'm dishonest, and dirty. My heart is tainted with lies after lies.”

Her voice quivered as it became softer, revealing her true side.

“But, to me.. Lying is also an expression of love. I was greedy, so I wanted to find happiness both as a mother and an idol.”

Ai’s voice was laced with vulnerability as she confessed “

Through the course of the tragic events that happened to me recently, I’ve started to find my true self. I found… true love.

” She says but takes another pause.

“So therefore, I don’t need to cover myself with lies anymore. But I felt so terribly sorry for you guys, for me not being able to express my true love to you, my true side and my honest truth. I wanted to reveal my biggest secret to you all here, so that you could understand my honesty when I’m saying this to you.”

Ai stops once more, a genuine wide smile forming onto her face to the silent crowd before her

“I love my kids and you all.”

This revelation was perhaps way too big and heavy for anyone present to comprehend. The crowd stood there silent, lost in their thoughts, as the once goddess idol they all viewed, had such a dark secret she kept hidden from them till now.
  
The thrill and the liveliness of the crowd had severely decreased after Ai disclosed her deepest secret to everyone. Instead of the ecstasy of cheering and joy, it was filled with a mixture of hate, confusion, and betrayal, as the noise was replaced with mourns, screams and insults. But there were a few who actually held empathy for Ai, for those who were more mature about the situation, actually understood where Ai was coming from and the revelation of her having babies actually made their hearts adorn with even more peace.

“Hah… what an amusing outcome…” Gojo utters ironically, his arms still folded, leaning his back against the pillar, his expression calm and composed despite all the hectic reaction from the crowd. Most of them already started to leave, especially the ones that felt betrayed and furious.

“Oh well, I guess it's time to dip~” He then stands back up straight, preparing his attempt to leave.

“Hey! Where are you going, sensei?!” Yuji spots Gojo starting to leave

“What do you mean? It's time to leave is it not? The show is over.”

“Yeah but don't you think we need to see Ai first before we go?”

“Uh…” Gojo pauses in his tracks for a moment, “man… if I don't leave any sooner, Nanami is gonna kill me…!!” He mutters in his mind, predicting a huge scolding that's about to explode in his face.

And in that nick of time, Gojo's phone started ringing.

“Oh shit..! It's Nanami…” Gojo was hesitant at first to answer the call, but given he would be even angrier if he didn't answer his calls, so it's not like he had an escape route for what he was going to receive anyway.

“Yo! Nan-”

“Gojo! Just what kind of joke are you playing with me?!”

Nanami shouts, not even letting Gojo greet him on the phone,

“Hey~ relax, I’m just fulfilling something that I should’ve done ages ago, no need to be all stressed,”

“You think this is a joke or something?!”

“No, of course not, but it’s not like you can’t fix another date for the interview~”

“What’s frustrating is you prioritizing a childish dance festival over a crucial interview for the travel commission appliance,”

“Like I said, this festival had a deep meaning in me and it's not that simple minded as you think, I also have a major involvement in this, and there won’t be a festival like this any other time, so I had no choice.”

“Haha…Sometimes things can never just go through your brain,” Nanami sighs at Gojo’s stubbornness.

“Geez, stop stressing already, you’re already acting like an old man~ I can speak to the manager later,” Gojo responds before cutting the call, his tone carefree and relaxed, exposing his unseriousness.

“Now that that's sorted…” As Gojo then started to make his way to exit the dome, he was then stopped by a very familiar melodic voice that called out to him.

“Wait! Gojo san~!” Ai tells him to wait as she is rushing to him.

“Hm?” Gojo stops and turns around, spotting Ai approaching him, her signature smile still present, her mode sill surprisingly vibrant and enthusiastic despite all the harsh insults that was spouted towards her after exposing her secret, proving just how strong her inner core was where those mocks and harsh comments didn't even scratch her soul nor her expressions. She didn't even feel a slight bit offended or sad for their rough insults, she was strong enough to move on, I mean, there was a reason why she was famed as the “strongest idol”.

“Let's take a photo together~” she requests, her tone eager and enthusiastic with a pleasant smile “This might be my last time wearing this uniform ever~ so I want to take a photo with the person who was the reason what I am today with this outfit just for the memories, y’know~” she further reasons.

“Sure, why not!” Gojo accepts, as this was also a good opportunity to create an unforgettable memory, a feat which he accomplished in this world that he'd never forget.

“Yayy!!” She leaps in excitement, before huddling close to Gojo and placing her phone out in a selfie position

“Let's put a love heart sign together~” she suggests

“Alright~”

Ai and Gojo both put their hands together, making a love sign with the combination of their index and middle finger connecting together.

“Now smiiiile~!!” As they both implant lovely smiles on their faces, Ai clicks the photo button, capturing one of the most memorable photos ever.

“Woah!!! Is that Ai and the famous Satoru Gojo~!!” Takamine screams out, pointing towards Gojo and Ai huddled together, completely astonished that Ai was taking a selfie with none other than one of the most influential and famous individuals in the entire country.

“What?!?! Ai did not tell me Gojo and her knew each other!!” Ari yells out, all the B Komachi girls' cheeks flushed red, as Gojo's charisma simply struck them to the core. They all ran to where they were.

“Here~ Yuji, come take photo with mama too~” Ai gently requests Yuji, opening a hand to bring him closer.

However Yuji after hearing Ai’s so delicate tone on top of saying “mama” made his face bright red, making him recall Ai's relationship with him.

“HAHAHA! Looks like you have a gorgeous mommy, kid!” Gojo teases Yuji while pointing a finger, as Ai describes herself as a mother towards him.

“Stop it Gojo san~! there's nothing wrong being Yuji's mama~” Ai lightheartedly scolds Gojo for mocking Yuji, whilst holding Yuji's wrist and pulling him closer towards her

“I never said it was wrong, I just find it rather cute~!” Gojo retaliates with a wide smirk.

“Anyways, come here, Yuji~!” Ai grabs and pulls Yuji even closer to where Ai’s chin was resting on Yuji's hair as she knelt down slightly.

After taking a few photos with Yuji, it was soon after that her own kids ran to her.

“Mama~!!” Ruby shouts, eagerly rushing towards where Ai, Yuji and Gojo were. “I want to take photos with you too~!” She arrives, slightly panting from her burst of energy.

“Of course~!” Ai vehemently agrees, vibrantly opening her tender arms for Aqua and Ruby to join in. “Come here, Aqua, Ruby.” She delightly asks,

Ruby was first to leap inside Ai’s arms cuddling close to her chest, while Aqua took his leisurely time, not showing as much enthusiasm as Ruby.

“This might be Mama’s last time wearing this outfit, so we need to treasure all these memories forever!” Ai exclaims.
 
“Gojo san~~!!!” All the B Komachi girls came rushing, their hearts bursting as they get to witness Gojo's charisma in person,
 
“Huh?” Gojo turns around, hearing his name being called from behind, as he so happened to spot all the B Komachi girls gathered together, their faces slightly red, their eyes shining brightly as if they are seeing something glorious.

“Hey! How can I help you~?” Gojo asks, his tone nonchalant and composed.

“Is this really…

‘The Satoru Gojo’

?” Niino seeks to confirm, knowing very well that as a huge fan, her eyes can’t deceive her.

“Yup! Thats me!” Gojo reaffirms.

“Woah!!” They shout out in excitement, before Takamine being the first to approach him directly.

“Hey Gojo san~ would you mind lending me your autograph please~” She begs, already offering a paper and a pen.

“Why not,” Gojo accepts, as he takes the pen and writes his signature on the paper. Throughout his life, Gojo had never rejected any of his fans with the sole exception of it being extremely dire.

“Hey Gojo san~ would you mind taking a selfie with me~” Ari requests.

“Uh huh,” Gojo nods, also accepting her offer.

“Yayy!!” she squeals in excitement.

In the meanwhile where Ai was done taking photos with her kids and with Yuji together, she thought of taking a group photo.

“Guys, I got a great idea!” Ai exclaims, telling to the girls who were busy occupying Gojo.

“That is?” Nino said whilst still busy taking selfies with Gojo.

“How about… we all take a group photo! Including Gojo san too~!” She requests.

“Ah, great idea Ai san~!” Takamine remarks “We must take a group photo! It’s for the books and the everlasting memories~!”

“Mhm!”

“Miyako san~ would you mind doing the honors~?” Ai politely asks Miyako to take the group picture.

“Sure, why not~” Miyako replies tenderly.

All the B Komachi girls gather, huddling up close.

“Ruby! Aqua! Come in! You’re included too y’know~” Ai softly demands her two beloved kids to be involved in the group photo. “You two were my precious motivation to keep going as an idol, without you guys, mama wouldn’t have been able to reach where I am today~” She said to her little angels before giving a quick kiss on each side of their forehead. “Yuji too~! Without you, I wouldn’t even be alive!” Ai’s hand managed to grab Yuji’s wrist just barely, pulling him inside the huddle.

“Woaho!” Yuji didn’t expect to be dragged by Ai into the group photo that he thought was only meant for the B Komachi members and Gojo. His involvement in the B Komachi group itself was none, but at the same time, if it weren’t for him, this final concert wouldn’t have even happened, and given that Ai also considers him as her family too.

“Okay! We are ready~!” Ai kneels down to her kid’s and Yuji’s level, her chin grazing Ruby’s hair who was standing right in front of her, with Aqua and Yuji right beside her. Standing behind her was Gojo and besides him were the rest of the B Komachi members.

“That’s a wonderful set up~” Miyako remarks before turning the camera on and positioning herself to take the photo “Alright, make sure you all bring out your lovely smiles~” she says.

“Yup!” Ai nods, as the smile they all delivered shined even brighter than the stars.

“Perfect! Alright, 3… 2… 1!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A yawn escaped Aqua. He got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to wash his face. It was early morning. He brushed his teeth and refreshed himself. Ruby was still in bed, asleep, covered in her blanket. Life was going pretty normal for the Hoshino family. It has been a week since that concert.

A good section of the media had spreaded a considerable amount of hate towards Ai upon disclosing her secret publicly. The weight of an idol they had idolized for years getting revealed to them that they had kids all along devastated the fans. There was a reason why relationships were banned in Japan for idols, as they would create huge conflict.

The first few days, the media completely lashed out with vile comments, threats and many more towards Ai, something which she had to bore and tolerate for committing such a thing that was taboo for her. Ai didn’t expect any less either way, however, Ruby on the other hand spended nearly her entire day defending Ai and fighting back against the brutal comments the fans made towards her. As always, no matter what, Ruby would defend her mother in any circumstance.

“Ruby~ wakey wakey~ It's your first day of elementary school! Better wake up early and have your breakfast~! We can’t be late on our first day!”

Ai said playfully, trying to wake Ruby up from her slumber

“Okay~”

Ruby mumbled while half asleep.

Ai chuckles, seeing Ruby’s laziness, struggling to wake up. She goes back to the kitchen and prepares their breakfast before she sends them off to school.

Both Aqua and Ruby wore their new school uniform and made their way to the dining room. Ai, as high spirited as ever, compliments her two little kids.

“Oh my~ You two look SOO CUTE!”

Ai blushes, putting her palms on her rose red cheeks as she witnesses the cuteness of her children.

“My kids are growing up really fast!”

she comments proudly.

Both Aqua and Ruby sat around the table as Ai put forth their breakfast while humming a melodious tone. She was in a good mood. Perhaps she was just excited about her kids going to school for the first day.

“Alright! Mama is going to take you two to school today!”

Ai declared to her children as they were eating their scrambled eggs.

Ruby leaps from the chair with excitement, egg crumbs scattered on her cheeks.

“Yayy!! We finally get to have Mama take us to school!”

she exclaims with enthusiasm, with a soon devious grin tracing her lips

“I’m going to show off to everyone just how pretty mama is.”

She exclaims in a low but mischievous tone, as she plans something to make other people envy her.

“

Ruby…

” Aqua whispered to her, annoyed by her childish decisions.

Ai, placing a hand on her mouth, couldn’t help but burst into laughter hearing this from her daughter, admiring Ruby’s proudness for having her as her mother. Ai herself also wants to see the reactions of others when they see her with Ruby and Aqua beside her. She dreamed and anticipated inside her mind that the kids at the school would say something like

“Oh waw look! Isn’t that Ruby’s mom? She looks so young.”

when they see her appearance.

“Oh right! Today should also be Yuji’s first day in school too? Correct?” She asks her children.

“Yeah,” Aqua replies, whilst munching on his breakfast.

“Mama! How about we also talk Yuji to school with us!” Ruby suggests

“That’s what I was thinking too!” Ai remarks. “Why don’t we invite him for breakfast~?”

“Yes!” Ruby agrees vehemently.

Ai then walks next door and knocks on Yuji’s door.

“Yuuji~ today is your first day of school right~? how about having breakfast with us~? And we can walk to school together after~”

In the meanwhile, Ai’s knocking broke Yuji’s deep and peaceful slumber. The sound of her voice entered his ears, knowing it was her who woke him up, and logically speaking, who else would wake Yuji up besides his “mom”.

“Huh… breakfast…? School…? Wait.. school… school..? SCHOOL!!” Yuji shouts jumping out of his bed like a rocket before charging towards his bathroom.

“I’ll be there in a second!!” Yuji yells in response to Ai, whilst starting to brush his teeth and wash his face at the same time.

“Alright~ better be quick, otherwise we will be late~” Ai said before going back to her house.

“Shit, shit shit…! I forgot today was school!! Rrgahh!! The living hell starts again!!” Yuji monologues in his mind, regretting the first day of school by just having the thought of going to it. He rushes to wash himself and get himself cleaned up before quickly tucking in his uniform and heading towards Ai’s house for breakfast.

“Sorry I’m late~” Yuji apologizes for his inconvenience as he enters Ai’s apartment room.

“Nu-uh you’re just in time~” Ai cheerfully exclaims, vibrantly welcoming Yuji for breakfast with a bright motherly smile, pulling back a chair from the dining table for Yuji to sit.

Yuji doesn’t waste any time and digs in immediately, the more he delays, the more Aqua and Ruby would have to wait, since they’re nearly done finishing their breakfast.

“Yuuji! Are you excited for your first day at primary school?” Ruby asks, eagerly keen on hearing Yuji’s opinion.

“Eh, not really~” Yuji answers whilst having scrambled eggs in his mouth.

“Why not?” Ruby further inquiries.

“School is just boring for me~”

“Ehh~ but we get to have so much play time.

“And?”

Yuji is already a teenager, who has fought countless death battles, just having a mere playtime in the park isn’t going to entertain him in the least.

“You are no fun~!” Ruby slightly mocks, but in a playful way, “Don’t be like Onii chan who just reads novels and research studies all day during break time.” 
“Hahahaha! My Aqua is still into those books huh~” Ai laughs, hearing Ruby’s comment about his elder twin brother. “Aqua~! You need to be a bit more active and social, otherwise you can’t make any great friends” Ai advises her little precocious son, her hands placed on her hips.

“I’ll try…” Aqua responds unbothered, his tone barely caring.

After they finished their breakfast, they wasted no time to further delay and headed to their elementary school. Ai escorted her two kids and Yuji, each holding a hand from hers as they walked from her side while Yuji walked alongside them. Ruby was skipping besides Ai, her excitement overtaking her.

“Ruby, Yuji and especially you Aqua, make sure you all make lots of new friends okay?”

Ai advised while taking them to school.

“Okay, Mama!”

Ruby replied obediently

“I’ll try my best!” Yuji responds humbly.

“Yeah yeah…”

Aqua brushes off Ai’s advice.

“Hey Aqua! You can’t get a girlfriend if you’re this moody every time.”

Ai teased.

“W-what?”

Aqua responded with surprise, not expecting the ‘girlfriend’ part to ever come up, especially not at this age.

“Ai… we’re still too young for that.”

Aqua corrects his mother

“I guess you are right, Ahaha!”

“Aaand, we’re here!”

Ai exclaimed, arriving with Aqua, Ruby and Yuji at their elementary school on the first day.

“Ahhh, it brings me back to when I did school at this age.”

Ai mumbles to herself.

Lots of parents came to drop their kids off. Some by walking, and others by car. Ai knelt down and kissed both Aqua and Ruby on their foreheads before leaving them off. Yuji was already about to walk off, but Ai grabbed his hand before he could go out of her reach.

“Wait!” Ai says,

“Huh?” Yuji looks behind before getting pulled towards her, wondering what could she be stopping him for.

“Mmuah~!” Ai kisses delicately on Yuji’s forehead.

Yuji’s face was redder than ever, feeling Ai’s lips pressing on his forehead.

“Mama needs to kiss her kids goodbye for their first day of school doesn’t she~?” Ai says playfully with a giggle.

“R~right..” he said before going off, his face still visibly red as he could still feel the sensation of Ai's lips pressing on his forehead.

“I’ll be waiting here when school is finished, okay? Make sure you have fun and make new friends!”

Ai waved off to the kids as they entered the schoolgate. Ruby turned around and waved back at her mother.

“Hey, isn’t that the idol from the B Komachi group?”

“Yeah, that's her.”

“So it really was true then. She actually has kids.”

“Yup, that's why she is even here, to drop her kids off to school.”

“Hmph! How disgraceful, having children while being an idol. I shouldn’t have felt sympathy for her from that ambush she received that night after all, she deserved it.”

Ai heard several whispers behind her back from individuals who already spotted her identity. She already got a lot of people staring at her the moment she came near the school gate. It’s as if she was a center magnet that was attracting everyone’s attention. It wasn’t surprising since her reveal did indeed cause a huge storm in the media.

The backbiting started to get negative from the passing second. Ai noticed this and decided to head back before something triggered. She hastily walked back home after dropping her two kids off to school, putting her cap on to hide her face as much as she could.  
  
“Aaah….” Yuji yawns, placing a hand to cover his mouth after destroying everyone in a school class race on their first day. “This is so boring…” He mutters to himself, walking off the field with a hand tucked in his pocket.

“Man, he is soo fast…!!” One of the girls in his class mutters in her mind, praising Yuji’s unreal speed that he displayed. None of them have any idea the source for Yuji’s inhuman physicalities, and why he is so much more physically capable. The strength of his body was a mystery to everyone in the school, except for Aqua and Ruby who already knows what he is capable off.

“Waw Yuuji~ congratulations, you won the race again~” His teacher compliments.

“...” he keeps on walking until he reaches a wall to lean on.

As he was in the midst of daydreaming and wondering why he is even in school in the first place, he eavesdropped on a conversation of a few elder boys who saw how fast Yuji was, as they were walking past him to meet with their own class.

“That pink haired kid is fast as!”

“True~!”

“But do you think he could beat the school’s fastest, Choso?”

“Hmm, nah probably not.”

As soon as the name Choso went into Yuji’s ears, he snapped back to reality.

“Huh? Choso? Where?!” He looks around, as the mention of his elder brother back in the jujutsu world caught his attention. He spotted the two boys that he assumed he heard his name from, immediately intercepting them.

“Hey~ um, did you just mention Choso?” Yuji asks the two boys.

“Yeah, why? Do you know him?” One of the boys replied.

“Well, I’m not sure but I have a really close friend named Choso, and I’m wondering if that’s him that you were talking about. Can you please take me to him!” Yuji begs the two elder boys.

At first they were hesitant, but due to Yuji’s unbearable nagging, they simply had no choice but to accept what he wanted.
  
“Yoo! Choso!” The elder boy that decided to take Yuji to Choso greets him.

“What do you want, Haruma?” Choso turned around, slightly irritated from interrupting his peaceful quietness. But as soon as his gaze was directed towards him, he saw a very peculiar face behind Haruma, a face that made him skip a heartbeat.

“I’m just here because this new kid wanted to see you so bad.” Haruma answers.

However, Haruma’s words floated out of Choso’s ears, his eyes expressing disbelief.

“U- Choso?” Haruma found it weird seeing Choso’s expression completely flabbergasted. But he then soon realized that he wasn’t the only one that had that expression, as he turned around to Yuji and saw him mirroring his exact impression.

“Y~..Y- Yuuji?!!” Choso yells.

“Ch-Ch~ Choso?!?!” Yuji shouts.

“W-what is with you two~? Do you know each other?”

“U~ Onii chan!!” Yuji cries, running towards him with his arms open, tears streaming down as the sight of seeing his elder precious brother in this world brought him joy beyond what words could describe.

“Brother!!” Choso goes running towards Yuji, accepting his embrace, tightly hugging each other, colliding their chests as they both sobbed from the meltdown of seeing each other for so long.

“...what the…” Haruma was beyond confused. The fact that they called each other brothers made him even more confused because they look nothing alike.

They hugged and sobbed together till their souls content, lashing all their uncontrollable emotions towards each other until there was none left.

“Big brother, I never knew you would be in this world~!” Yuji said, as they both withdrew from their hug, his voice still teary and laced with emotion.

“Yuuji~! Where have you been this whole time?!” Choso inquires, urging to catch up with his beloved younger brother. From the outside, it would seem extremely odd for them to have such an emotional moment upon their first meeting, but no one knows the hardship they both suffered and experienced in their past, the brutality that they were forced upon to go through in their past life.

Just as their conversation was about to get deeper, the school bell silenced both of them due to its alarming sound.

“We have so much to talk about! How about we catch up after school!?” Yuji suggests

“Sounds good!”

“And I have the perfect place!”
  
“Onii chan! Come let's play on the swings!” Ruby suggests her elder twin brother who was busy reading his own novel at the corner of the bench during break time.

“Can I do it later~?”  Aqua replies whilst still engrossed in his book.

“No! Noww! Break time will be over soon~!” Ruby demands.

“Hah… fine~” Aqua closes his book, slightly bothered by Ruby's nagging but it's not that he minded too much about spending time with his sister.

Just as Aqua was about to hop on the swing, they caught a sight that they didn't expect to see this early, stunning them temporarily.

“Yuji~?” Ruby utters.

They both saw Yuji walking past the park with another boy, particularly the senior students of the school. He had a dark purple horizontal line on his nose with two spiky hair buns, but what fascinated them the most was seeing the sheer happiness and thrill Yuji was having as he was engrossed in the company of him, and so was he with Yuji.

“Did he already make a best friend?” Aqua inquires.

“There's no way Yuji got to make such a cool friend like him.” Ruby utters, a slight bit of jealousy lacing in her.

“Hmm…” Aqua ponders slightly, whilst slightly pushing his legs to swing himself. “It looks like they've known each other before and now they're meeting again after a very long time. Yuji's expression of joy is not an ordinary impression, he seems a bit too happy for it to be making a best friend on the spot.” He monologues to himself whilst observing their interaction from afar.
  
“So are you really going to let me meet your mum?” Kumino asked curiously, walking side by side with Aqua and Ruby as they were about to exit the schoolgate, still having a hard time consuming that she is going to meet her favorite idol.

“Mhm!” Ruby reaffirmed.

“Thank you!” Kumino expresses her sincere gratitude.

Ruby had just made a friend in her class who happened to be obsessed with Ai and worships her like an idol due to her unfathomable charisma. Since she is the daughter of who Kumino idolizes, this was her perfect opportunity to meet her.

She found this out when Ruby and her were chatting about what they want to become when they grow up. The moment Ruby told her that she wants to become an idol like her ‘mother’ that's when it all started.

“It’s the first day, and she is already hogging everyone’s attention, psh.” Aqua sighs, annoyed that Ruby is using Ai to gain popularity around here.

As they were approaching to exit the school gate, Ruby was reminded of a certain person that was also relevant to them.

“Hey, have you seen Yuji  anywhere?” she asks Aqua.

“No, I haven’t seen him since the bell rang.” Aqua replied. “Maybe he went through the other exit, or he is probably hanging out with his other friend that he made,who knows?”

“But mama told him to be here by the school gate when school finishes~” Ruby recalls what Ai said to them before going to school.

“Don’t worry Ruby, just let him be for now~” Aqua responds.
  
“Ruby! Aqua!” Ai yells out, waving at the kids as she stands beside the gates, signaling them.

“Mama!” Ruby noticed her appearance. Despite wearing a black coat, a cap and sunglasses to disguise herself as much as she could, she would not mistake her mother that easily.

Ai noticed that another girl was following Ruby while she was approaching her.

“How was school today?” She asked with warmth and passion, kneeling down to meet Ruby’s level with an affectionate smile, eager to hear the stories she had to share.

“It was brilliant!” Ruby answered enthusiastically.

“How about you, Aqua?” Ai diverted her attention to Aqua.

“It was alright.” He replied impassively.

“Wonderful~, Did you make any friends?” Ai inquired.

“Mhm! Mama, let me introduce to my new friend,” Ruby gestures towards the girl beside her.

“Oh?” Ai shifts her gaze to the girl.

“This is Kumino, and she is a huge fan of yours.” Ruby began to describe “I told her all about you.”

“Ah~ I see!” Ai coming to an understanding greets Kumino kindheartedly “Nice to meet you, Kumino~”

Kumino’s cheeks turn bright red, as her most beloved idol kneeling before her greets her with such tenderness. Her smile took over her heart, barely managing to utter words from her mouth.

“U-uhm, nice… to meet you too~” she replied nervously,

Ai giggles, seeing her shyness. “Thank you very much for becoming friends with Ruby, I hope you two get along together.” She said passionately.

“No problem.” Kumino responds, her eyes rolled to the ground.

“Hehe~” Ai pats Kumino in the head.

“Uhm~ Ai san,” She calls out to her,

“Mhm~” She responds.

“Is it okay if you can… write your autograph on my hand~” She politely asks.

“Ahahaha~ of course I can.” She laughs at the cuteness of her request, taking a pen out of her pocket before slowly and gently tracing down her signature at the back of Kumino’s hand. “...there we go~!” she said before successfully writing it on her hand

“Hahh~!” Her eyes and mouth enlarge wide open, her heart swelling with joy and indescribable happiness upon her dearest idol writing her own signature in her hand. “Thank you so much~! Ai san!” She expresses her utmost gratitude to Ai, her smile radiant  and thankful.

“No problem~! Tell me anything you want and I’ll get it for you~” she said vibrantly, her own smile mirroring Kumino’s.

That’s when Kumino came and leaped her soul to hug with Ai, unable to contain her happiness as she snuggled her heart closer to hers.

“Aww~” Ai happily accepts her embrace with warm arms, finding pleasure by giving her little fan some happiness by her company.

“Alright,” Ai stands back up after slowly withdrawing from the hug “I guess we’ll see you around, Kumino~”

“Mhm.” She nods. “I’ll see you later~!” waving back at her before going to her pickup zone.

“Ahh.. what a cutie pie~” Ai mutters in her mind as she watches her leave.

“Alright!” She shifts her gaze back to her two kids, ensuring that everyone is here as she attempts to take her leave to the apartment “Lets get go-” however, just as she was about to start walking, she felt like someone was missing.

She looked back down at Aqua and Ruby, and noticed that someone should also be with them. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, unable to spot that individual.

“Wait, where is Yuji?” Ai asks her two kids.

“I'm not sure,” Aqua responds “But I'm assuming he is with his new friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes!” Ruby interjects “Mama, today I saw Yuji hang around with one of the older senior boys in the school, and they were so happy together!”

“Really~?” Ai’s eyes widens as she gets informed that Yuji had already made a close friend on his first day at school.

“Yeah! They were together the entire time at break.”

“Hmm~ that’s pretty lovely~ I never knew Yuji could be so good at making friends~” She remarks “But… I wanted to walk home together with him~” She says with a slight of disappointment for his absence in walking home together as a family “Ah well, it should be fine for the first day.” Ai lets it go for today and allows Yuji to spend his time with his new ‘friend’ that he made today at school.

But neither of them had any idea of the history between his ‘friend’ Choso and Yuji and the things they’ve been through together. The fact that Yuji, Gojo and Choso were reincarnations from an alternate universe still remained a secret towards the Hoshino family
  
WHAT?! GOJO showed you this place?!” Choso asks, his tone indicating the bafflement in his voice and expression

“Yup!” Yuji nods in pride, as he takes Choso to a private VIP garden after school where only very few selected individuals can enter as long as they have a certain passcard. In this case, Gojo gave Yuji a card as a gift to have access to this mouthwatering botanical garden.

“Since when did you meet Gojo?!” Choso inquired, as they sat on a bench surrounded by green, next to a water fountain.

“I met him pretty recently actually, like I’d say a couple of months ago.”

“Ah ok. I was aware of Gojo’s presence in this world, but I did not think I’d get the chance to meet him, since he is so famous.”

“Right! Sensei’s fame in this world is out of the ordinary!” Yuji compliments his teacher, Gojo.

“When he comes and sees you next time, take me to him will ya?” Choso requests.

“Yeah sure! No problem.”

“Yuji, how are you living in this world?”

“Me? I live in an apartment a few minutes away from our school.”

“But do you live alone?”

“Yes. Well… I used to..”

“Then, why don’t you move in with me?” Choso offers.

“Yeah su…” Yuji’s instincts were about to accept his brother's offer, but then something clicked in his mind, the fact that there is also someone out there who Yuji also treasures very deeply in his heart that he now lives with and views as his own family. He simply couldn’t disregard

her

this soon, as a vision of her unfathomable beauty floats on his eyes for a split second, reminding him that someone is there who cares for his well being.

“Hm? What's wrong?” Choso asks, wondering why Yuji suddenly lost his spirit and enthusiasm, as he was sure he was going to say ‘yes’.

“Well…” Yuji’s voice laced with hesitation as he was now surrounded with a void of uncertainty, being cornered in a very difficult decision.

He knows that back home, Ai would be worried about him if he suddenly just leaves her. He knows she’d be upset after what she had said to him and promised him of being a part of her “family”. Not only that, but being a part of the family of one of the very few people who he idolizes was something he loved very deeply. Ever since Ai declared him as her “son”, every day was a joy since he got to be in her company whenever he wanted, and she’d accept her open heartedly.

The warm moments where Ai fed him luxurious meals and cuisines, the moments where Ai looked after him when he was extremely ill, the warm embraces where she covered him in her arms and pull him closer to her heart, the moments where Ai allowed her soft stomach to be a cushion for his head as they stargazed together, all these tender moments she shared with him, it was something he can never ever let go, for she was truly the beautiful, kind and caring mother to him.

But at the same time, he and Choso also shared an unbreakable bond back in his past world. His mind was storming about who he should choose to live with.

“You see…” Yuji starts to Choso the situation he is currently in “It wasn’t too long ago I met the most beloved person that I idolize after Gojo sensei, she is someone who I pretty much worship, that's how beautiful she is. And recently, I did something that saved her and her kids, and from then on, she had been taking care of me with her utmost affection, so much so that she even views me as her own son. And honestly, being in her company every single day and feeling her warmth and tenderness everyday, it feels too good to be true, I feel like I am living in heaven.”

Yuji explained his situation wholeheartedly to Choso.

Just like a mature older brother, Choso was able to empathize with Yuji and understand where he is coming from.

“I see, so you're saying you’d rather choose to live with her than me?” He teased him.

“I-its not like that! I also really want to stay with you too! I'm just having a hard time deciding!” Yuji retaliates.

“Ha! I'm just joking~ I'm not forcing you to come live with me, Yuji, I won't force you to come out of the comfort zone that you are in.” Choso clarifies to him, his tone mature and understanding. “Stay where you are.” Choso orders Yuji “I want you to enjoy being in this peaceful world the best way you can, I don't want to take something away from you that you treasure.”

“But…” Yuji slightly persists, as he also doesn't feel right not being in his brother's company.

“As long as we are meeting everyday and spend time together, I don't mind it at all.” Choso adds, making Yuji pause his sentence.  “This world is free from the disgusting concept of curses and cursed energy, let’s live our lives with utmost satisfaction~”

“...thank you, Onii Chan~” Yuji wholeheartedly thanks Choso for his understanding. “I'll introduce you to her whenever I get the chance, she is super nice, trust!”

“You don't have to do all that, but who even is she?” Choso curiously asks, wondering who she really is.

“The legendary B Komachi idol, Ai Hoshino.”

“...” Choso was left speechless for a few seconds the moment Yuji uttered her name, his silence expressing his shock.

“Wha… what did you just say..?” Choso begs for a repeat.

“Ai Hoshino. Have you heard of him?”

“Are you kidding me?!” Choso yells out, his surprise growing even further “You're telling me that you're living with the legendary idol Ai Hoshino?!”

“Well not exactly living with her, but I'm her next door neighbor.” Yuji clarifies.

“I take back what I said, you must introduce me to her!!” Choso demands.

“Of course!” Yuji agrees without hesitation.

“By the way, have you seen Kechizu and Eso?” Yuji asks curiously for his other brothers, that were unfortunately cursed by their parents Kenjaku in their previous life.

“...I haven’t… but I know they’re here.” Choso’s mood slightly turned a bit depressed as the mention of his other 2 younger brothers reminded him of a heart wrenching vow he is currently undergoing.

“Oh really? Do you know where they are?”

“...Mhm.But… they’re not within our reach.”

“So they’re not in this country?”

“Nope.”

“You know…” Yuji expresses his genuine perception “Ever since I saw Gojo sensei in this world, Nanami sensei too, then deep in my heart, I wished that one day I'd also meet you too~” he said. “I got more than what I wanted in this world. A world without any excessive killing, living peacefully with the people I cherish, it almost feels like a dream. I hope it isn't though, and I hope this lasts forever…”

“About that…” Choso interjects.

“About what?”

“Sorry for telling you this so soon but, just a moment ago, I did say this world is peaceful, but at the same time, Unfortunately, this world isn't as peaceful as you may think.”

“What do you mean?”

“You just haven't seen the other side yet.”

“Tell me!”

“I can't.”

“...” Yuji was taken aback by this “Big brother, are you under someone's restriction?” he asks.

“...” Choso didn't answer.

“In that case, why don't you live with
me
instead?” Yuji suggests.

“I can't.” Choso answers the same thing.

“Why not?”

“Even if I wanted to, I still can't.” Choso’s demeanor became even more down and gloomy as he recalls the heavy restriction he was put upon.

“Big brother!” Yuji raises his voice as he calls to him, standing up front the bench, directly facing him and placing both his hands on his shoulders, his gaze serious and determined.

“Please… tell me what you are going through…” 
  
Ai was in the kitchen, cooking dinner for her children.

She glances at the clock and notices that it's getting really late, slight concern flowing in her about Yuji's arrival.

“Where could Yuji be at this late hour?” She says to herself, wondering what's taking him so long “He needs to be back for dinner~” her usual worry for Yuji lingering over her mind, as she now fully devoured Yuji as her own kids, so ensuring he eats every meal is something that she views as obligatory.

But before her tension could reach a drastic level, Yuji finally bangs the door open, alarming everyone about his arrival.

“I'm back!” He says, panting and exhausted.

“Yuuji~?” Ai notices his entrance “Where have you been for so long without my permission~?” Ai lightly scolds Yuji, her hands placed on her hips as her impression expressed slight disappointment. “Do you know how worried I was~?” She further adds, emphasizing her concern.

“Eh- I'm truly sorry Ai san!” Yuji sincerely apologizes to her for raising her concern, lowering his head down to express his guiltiness “I promise I won't cause you any trouble again!” He declares.

“Eh~ you didn't give me any trouble, in fact I'm actually glad that you happened to make a close friend so soon~ I'm proud of it!” She exclaims, her tone regaining her vibrancy and cheerfulness.

“Really?!”

“Mhm!” She nods, her signature smile blooming “Just make sure you tell
mama
beforehand, Kay?” She bends down to his level, making Yuji blush whenever she refers to herself as his “mother”.

“O-of course~!”

“Great! Now it's already dinner time, and mama has cooked something delicious to celebrate your first day at elementary school~!”

This made Yuji's eyes and mouth open with excitement and joy.

“Thank you so much! But… you didn't really have to do all this~”

“Why not~?” Ai retaliates with a slight frown, only for a temporary moment it disappears as she expresses herself on their growth “You guys are growing so fast these days, it almost feels like yesterday where I was carrying Ruby and Aqua in my arms when they were a baby~ it's making me miss your younger selves. That's why… I want to celebrate all the days where you guys take a further step to adulthood.” she states before standing back up straight “Now then, I'm almost done with cooking dinner, let's munch~!” 
  
“So Yuuji~ tell us more about this friend of yours that you made today?” Ai asked curiously as all of them were sitting around the dining table and having their dinner.

“His name is Choso.” Yuji informs before swallowing the scrumptious steak “And we used to know each other a long time ago.”

“Oh really? Since when?” Ai further asks, her curiosity increasing about his relationship with him.

“Uh oh, I can't tell her that we are from a different timeline, shit… what do I do?” he realized that he put himself in a tight spot. “Ahh~ since when we were kids, like before he went to elementary school.”

“Oh wow~ you still remember him from when you were so little?!” She said, finding it amusing that their bond was formed at an age even earlier than this.

“Sort off~”

“Is that why you were so happy when you were hanging out with him~?” Ruby asks, also curious about his connection with Choso.

“I guess~” Yuji’s answers remained vague, trying his best not to drop any more clues about their past life relationship.
  
“W-wait mama, you want me to sing with you?!” Ruby stammered,  her cheeks flushing in astonishment from Ai’s unexpected request, caught off guard by the proposition.

“Mhm!” Ai leans over to her, nodding with a beaming and exciting smile.”We are going to make a mother and daughter music album~!, isn’t that going to be wonderful?!” she clapped her hand, joy overflowing with anticipation, her eagerness visible in wanting to make songs with her daughter. "I can already see the media praising and exploding just from our sheer cuteness!" She winks, her anticipation and expectations as high as the sky.

"Do you think… I can sing well with you?" Ruby asked, her voice laced with uncertainty and doubt, unsure about her ability to match and synchronize her tone with her mother's.

"Of course you can!" Ai reassures, putting both hands on Ruby's shoulders "Mama will teach you everything, after all, you are my daughter, hehehe." She encouraged, her voice filling Ruby’s soul with confidence and motivation.

"Alright." Ruby happily agreed to Ai's proposal.

Ai's eyes lit up with pride and affection as she pulled Ruby into a tight embrace, cocooning her with her warmth and love, her fingers tenderly combing through her daughter's hair.

"Aww you're the best!" Her voice filled with excitement and adoration "Alright, first let's go over the chorus okay?"

"Mhm!" Ruby nods.

"The song is called 'Starry Night'." Ai declares.
  
It didn’t even take 12 hours for Ai and Ruby’s song to explode violently in the media.

Ai had just finished washing herself and preparing to go to bed with her kids, ensuring they also wash up too. Just as she wore her pajamas and was about to go on the bed, she decides to check her phone to see for any kind of update, perhaps a text, a call or any important or interesting notification. Her phone was silent this whole time.

As soon as she opens her phones to her lock screen, it starts to vibrate rapidly.

“Oh my…” She says to herself, wondering what’s going on. It was then right after that notifications kept on flooding her phone. It was so much so that she even had to struggle to open to her home screen due to the barrage of pending notifications.

She takes a closer look as to what’s this all about. The heading of every notification was regarding about her first song that she released a couple of hours ago with her daughter Ruby.

Her heart beating and her curiosity building up, without wasting a second, she tapped on it to see what it was all about, anticipations flooding her mind.

She scrolled down to see the results of her very first music video of a new album and how well it truly did, her mind and eyes engrossed as she analyzed every bit of information.

Within just a couple of hours, she got more than 250,000 likes, and 7,000 comments. As she spots the unbelievable results, her heartbeats even faster, unable to contain her excitement, as she then scrolls down the comment section.

“AWW MY GOSHH!! THIS IS THE CUTEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!!”

“This is too cute~! I can listen to this all day.”

“There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the melodious voice of a lovely mother singing with her adorable little daughter.”

“Your daughter is soo cute!!! When will you upload your next song? Is it going to be with your daughter too?!”

“What a masterpiece! Your daughter can sing so well!! As expected from a child of someone so talented like you~ the tune, the melody and the way both of your voice synchronizes with each other is perfect, I’ll be waiting for more!”

“My heart is melting from the sheer cuteness”

“Please upload more songs with your daughter!! She is soo cute with you and has a lovely voice!”

“There are no words to describe or express the beauty when you two sing together. Keep it up!”

And it went on, she kept on and scrolling, her eyes broadening, her mouth opening widely with a smile, her heart bursting with thrill and exhilaration upon reading the comments.

Ruby noticed her mother wasn’t at bed yet with her, so she looked at her and spotted her ecstasy just from her expression.

“U.. Mama..?” Ruby utters, slightly confused why Ai is so thrilled.

“RUBY~!!” Ai’s voice explodes with sheer pride and happiness, eager to tell her daughter about the recent update. “Our song has gotten so much positive feedback!! Its spreading throughout the internet like a flower blossom~!!” she screams with joy as she informs her daughter.

“WHA~?! Really?!” Ruby herself is shocked as she leaps up and stands up on the bed in excitement, the disclosure already making her skin shiver with jubilation as her eagerness skyrocketed in wanting to know.

“MHM!” Ai nods vividly, swinging her neck up and down, her ecstasy still pumping inside her, evident with the shell smile in her lips, her eyes glistening with hope.

“Haha~!” Ruby lets out a chuckle of sheer happiness and joy, her mouth wide open from hearing such a relieving and jolly outcome.

Ai dropped her phone to the side drawer, before leaping and charging towards her daughter with open arms, ready to embrace with all her heart for the unbelievable and unpredictable achievement they both acquired.

Ruby also leaped from her bed, ready to go inside her mothers enthusiastic and vibrant cocoon as their souls collide with each other with exquisite joy which mirrored each others, with Ruby snuggling her face and nose on Ai’s chest and Ai snuggling her nose and chin on her daughter's hair and giving her several delightful smooches on her forehead and cheeks which Ruby delightly appreciated in utmost pleasure as little giggles of pride and joy escape their lips.

“We did Ruby~!” Ai said as she slightly redraws back from her embrace and looks at Ruby with a settlement of an accomplishment.

“Yup!” Ruby vehemently agrees before suggesting. “Mama, can we upload another song tomorrow~?” She adorably asks, her motivation of releasing more songs with her mother skyrocketing.

“Of course!” Without any hesitation, Ai accepts Ruby’s suggestion. “We will do it after school tomorrow!”

After a bit more cuddling, Ai ensured her little twins were nice and comfy in bed before settling herself with them.

“Alright~” She lays down on the bed, in between Aqua and Ruby. As she was half way of lifting her blanket up, her phone vibrated once more.

“Hm?” she peeps towards the small desk where her phone was on. “Could that be another comment~~?” She wonders to herself, smile slipping past her lips as she could only anticipate what it could be. “I’ll check it tomorrow morning~” She first said to herself.

Aqua and Ruby were already asleep besides her, but curiosity just couldn’t leave her mind free. After about 30 seconds, she couldn’t fight her curiosity anymore as she gently and quietly reached her phone to see what that notification was, without waking up her adorable little twins who were sound asleep.

“Ahh~ it's probably another compliment of Ruby and mine’s beautiful singing~” She starts assuming in her mind as she opens her phone up. But the moment she saw what the comment was, it was as if a bullet struck her heart. Her enthusiastic smile faded away, and turned into a sorrowful and depressed face.

“Fuck you bitch! You got guts posting shit you despicable liar!!”

That… was what was written on her most recent comments.

Ai looked at that comment for a moment, and was relieved that her twins were asleep right now, a furrow overlapping her brows as she turns her phone off, trying to forget what had she just saw, but her mind was already stuck with the sadness the moment her gaze was fixated on that comment. She wished she had never seen it. She lifted the blanket up and huddled Aqua and Ruby closer to her, trying to remove that sorrow with the touch of her beloved kids.
  
A few days passed, Ai and Ruby continued to release songs after songs, completely owning a majority of the media.

Ai waits for her phone to be answered, eager to talk to this particular close friend of hers about an upcoming event.

“Hey Ai, what’s up?” Canan finally answers.

“Hey there Canan~!” Ai greets, her voice laced with enthusiasm and vibrant energy “How’ve you been~?”

“Great, thanks, you seemed to be quite excited, what’s going on?” Canan inquires curiously, already noticing the thrill in Ai’s tone

“Hehe~” She giggles, her excitement leaking out “You see, my precious Aqua and Ruby’s birthdays are coming very soon~ and y’know… I’m thinking of getting a helper to organize their gifts and the birthday decorations. I’m not too good with all this stuff, and I want to give them the best birthday party yet.”

“AH~! Wonderful~!” Canan exclaims “I see where you’re going at,”

“Haha!”

“It’ll be my utmost pleasure to help out with your two cute little angel’s birthdays.” She wholeheartedly accepts Ai’s request

“Thank you so much!” Ai wholeheartedly thanks.

“Anything to make your sweet babies happy~!” She replies, making Ai slightly blush from seeing her appreciation and her joy in satisfying her own kids.

“So! When do you plan on buying gifts?” She sought for her plan.

“Their birthday is in 5 days, we should prepare the gifts 2 days earlier just in case, don’t you think~?” Ai suggests.

“Sounds good to me,”

“Alright, so that’s sorted. Now we gotta think about decorating the place,”

“I got some good decorating materials,”

“Really?!”

“Yup!! It’ll be perfect!”

“Excellent! This is going to be a blast!” Ai exclaims, her anticipation already reaching her dreams as envisioning the thrill of her twin’s birthday gives her sparks of joy and ecstasy running down her spine.

“Alright, why don’t we meet up a few days earlier before the birthday so that we can plan it out?” Canan suggests

“Yeah, sounds great!~!”

“Perfect, I’m looking forward to this~ thanks for offering me to help with your kids birthday, Ai~”

“No problem~ teehee”

“Alright I’ll catchy-”

“Oh yeah and one more thing,” Canan brings it up just before they were about to cut their call as she remembers it at the spot.

“Yeah?”

“Your songs, you and Ruby, they are just soooo adorable~~” she compliments with a melting voice, giving emphasis on how much she means it.

Ai blushes upon hearing this from her friend,

“Aww~ thank you so much~!! I’m glad you liked it~”

“How can I not~?”

“I’ll try my best to keep on uploading more with Ruby~”

“Right! I’ll always be the first one to watch it and your biggest supporter.”

With that they both cut the call and resume their own business.

“That sounds really fun~” Canan mutters to herself audibly before putting his phone back in her pocket and continuing with her grocery shopping.

But beyond the realm of her senses, there was someone who so happened to eavesdrop her conversation on the phone.

“Okay! Back to shopping!” Just before she was about to continue moving her trolley, an old man stumbled upon her tracks.

“Excuse me ma'am, but do you happen to have any connections with the idol, ‘Ai Hoshino’?” he asks, a wicked smile planted in him.

“Uhm, yes? Why so?”

“Ah… I see~ just wondering.” The man said, his voice embarked with suspiciousness and a villainous aura. “Sorry for interrupting your shopping, you may proceed with what you were doing.” he moved aside and left.

“Uh.. ok?” Canan found it kind of awkward, and just ignored the interception of this man, pretending she didn’t encounter him and proceeded with her shopping.

Unbeknown to her knowledge, what she had just stepped herself into was a danger beyond her saving.
  
Days were passing by like a fly, as Aqua and Ruby’s birthday were approaching faster than they expected.

“Ah shit shit shit~ I still don’t know what to give!!” Yuji bangs his head on the bench table with his hand clutched on his hair, stressing which present he should give Aqua and Ruby for their birthday that's coming in 3 days.

“Yuuji~ why are you banging your head like that? it's harmful for you~” Choso arrives to sit next to Yuji as always, maturely advising him as an older brother for his safety.

“Uhh~” Yuji slowly turns his head around towards Choso with a gloomy face. “I still haven't figured out what gift I should give Aqua and Ruby for their birthday~” he tells Choso.

“Who are they again?” Choso sought to figure.

“Ai’s kids. Remember when I introduced them to you.”

“Oh yes, them.” Choso recalls. “Why don't you just ask them directly what they like, and then figure out what to give based on their likings.” He suggests

“I guess so~” Yuji accepts his older brother's idea.

“Ensuring you give them a present for their birthday must be crucial for you huh?” Choso exclaims as they both stand up from their desks and attempt to proceed to Yuji's apartment.

“Of course,” Yuji affirms “After all, they are Ai's kids, and Ai has treated me like her own son, there is no way I can just dishonor that and not give presents to her own children for their precious day~”

“Fair enough.”

“Also Choso,”

“Yeah? I told Gojo sensei about your situation, he said he'd be willing to help out as soon as possible. He even told Nanami to give us his support.”

“Hmph, thank you very much, but please be careful, they aren't weak.” Choso warns.

“I mean sure, but that doesn't mean they are stronger than Gojo sensei y'know, after all, he is the strongest.”

“Yeah, that's true,”

“But for how long have you been under his custody?”

“For a few years now…”

“It must be painful isn’t it.”

“It was at the beginning. When I first arrived in this world, I thought this was my second heaven, but their barbarism broke my dreams. Right now, I got used to the vile deeds they force me to commit, they're taking advantage of me because of my other younger brothers.”

“Eso Kechizu, have you even seen them with your own eyes,”

“No,”

“Then how do you even know they are alive or in this world?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“They could just be manipulating you and faking their image.”

“But… to even do that, how would they even know what they look like?” Choso counters “That picture, it was too real to be fake..”

Just as both their conversations were about to dive deeper as they already arrived at Yuji’s apartment, a soothing and attractive voice disrupted their discussion, making them shift their attention behind them.

“Oh? Heey~! Yuuji~ you’re back~!” Ai waves whilst hastily approaching them from behind, her beaming smile expressing her joy and vibrancy upon seeing him.

“Ai?” Yuji utters

“U- is this really the idol… Ai?” Choso utters as his cheeks are flushed red from experiencing Ai’s presence first hand.

“Haha~ hey there~ sorry to bother you,” She says as she finally reaches them, her tone kind and warm.

“No problem, what’s up?”

“Ah? Is this your new friend, Yuuji?” She directs her gaze specifically to Choso, kneeling on his level with a radiant aura.

Choso’s face becomes even more red when Ai gets even closer to her and focuses her attention solely on him, making his body hard to move from witnessing the overwhelming charisma.

“Yeah! He's my best friend Choso!”

“N~nice to meet you,” Choso greets politely, slightly bowing his head down to show his respect.

“Ehh~ no need to be so formal~” Ai tells, “We’re all friends here. My name is Ai! I am Ruby and Aqua's mom. It's a pleasure to meet you too~” She also greets, her voice tender and delicate.

“By the way, are you two boys happen to be busy~?” She inquires, her tone laced with a sense of asking for help.

“Not really,” Yuji answers

“Then would you two strong boys help me out with loading all the decoration materials for Aqua and Ruby’s birthday pleeease~~!!” Ai pleads, one eye winked with both her hands clapped together to express her eagerness for support, her tone so capturing and soft that the concept of ‘no’ never existed when it came to answering her request.

“Of course!” Yuji instantly agrees

“Certainly!” Choso also agrees, mirroring Yuji's spirit.

“Aww~! You two are the best~!!” Ai compliments both of their dedication to help her, “Alright follow me~!” She leads the way.

“Ai san~” Yuji calls out as they were walking towards the loaded decorations.

“Yes~?”

“Do you have any idea what I can give Aqua and Ruby~?” He inquires, really urging to find out what possible gift item he can give to Aqua and Ruby for their birthday. What other better way is there to find out what they like besides asking their own mother.

“Ahh~ so you want to give my Aqua and Ruby a present too~? How cute~!” She exclaims, her voice raising with excitement “My Aqua is a professional nerd, so he’s into types of big books and encyclopedias. My Ruby however, is a bit more normal and loves lots of starry custom dresses.” She informs Yuji about her kid’s likings.

“I see, thank you very much for the information!” Yuji thanks.

“No problem, if you want to know anything else about Aqua and Ruby, I’m always there to ask!”

“Ahh~ that was a lot of work~” Ai stretches her back and slightly twists her hips after finally loading all the decoration materials into the garage.

“That is a hell amount of goods for a mere birthday~” Choso remarks.

“Yup! I’m trying my best to make this their best birthday party ever!”

“Hmph..” Choso smiles, witnessing the sheer love Ai contains in her heart for her children, it gives a sense of adoration.

“Aww!” Ai shrieks in pain, as a sharp and piercing jolt cracked through her umbilical region. She slightly bent down, shutting one eye and gritting her teeth, pressing her hands on her stomach to try and resist the unimaginable sudden pain on her navel area.

“Ai san!” Yuji and Choso immediately rushed to her aid, as Yuji ensured Ai didn’t lose her balance, being something Ai could hold onto to maintain her footing.

“Thank you~ Yuji~” Ai thanks Yuji for being there for her after the pain cooled down,

“Ai san~ you shouldn't've lifted heavy stuff, it will affect your wounds.” Yuji advised.

“It's fine now~”

“Damn, she is injured?” Choso mutters to himself, never knowing the fact that she has a critical injury she is suffering from.

All those heavy lifting caused significant pressure on her stomach, where her fatal wounds were located, thus forcing out a jolt.

“By the way Cho… uhm~” Ai fails to remember his name.

“Choso.”

“Ah yes, Choso! Haha my bad for not remembering your name~”

“It's alright,”

“But anyway, would you mind attending Aqua and Ruby’s birthday party too~?” She asks, her tone once again so captivating it's almost impossible to say no.

“U- me?”

“Mhm!” Ai nods enthusiastically.

“But, I’m not… that close to Aqua and Ruby.”

“Ehh, that doesn’t matter. You’re best friends with Yuuji right~? That's more than enough to qualify you as someone close. And without your help, I don’t know how I could’ve moved all this heavy stuff into the garage y’know, so you’re really crucial!” Ai declares.

“Just stop complaining and come will ya!” Yuji slaps Choso’s back, also suggesting that he attends the party.

“Fine~” He had no choice but to accept. But it's not like he didn’t want to come, the only thing that is still preventing him from coming is due to the nasty involvement he is in with Choi’s group, where he can’t even express his own choice.
  
“MMPH! MMPPHH!!!” Canan tried to speak, but efforts proved futile with the tap shutting her down completely, leaving her completely helpless. She was laying down on the floor, her hands tied behind her back, both her legs and mouth taped.

The old man he met that day in the supermarket appears before her, gazing down at her with a smile she had never seen this wicked before.

“My my~ we meet again, young lady.” The old man spoke, his tone imbued with overwhelming irony and tortuous aura.

He happened to be none other than Charles Choi.

“MMPH! MMMPHH!!” Can tried her best to fight back but the ropes were tied too tightly around her body, with that costape completely shutting her from speaking.

“POW,”

Choi kicks her in the gut to make shut her down from preventing to fight back, as she would now be focused on trying to fight the pain on her midsection

“MMMPHH!!” She grunts in pain, as a tear starts to shed from one of her eyes, her soul unable to bear this unholy reality.

She had stopped trying to resist, as her body was now vibrating in pain from that kick she received on her abdomen, draining her energy to focus on her injury.

“There we go~” Choi utters, his grin ever so wicked and unjust, “You said you have a connection with Ai right~?” He bends down close to her level. “That’s perfect, I’m gonna need you to tell me…
everything
.” he spoke with a slow, yet demanding voice, ensuring her that he is the one in control of her now.

“But I know that if I let you speak now, you won’t speak the truth~ you’d be trying to protect your friend no matter what, which is why at first, you need some torture to receive~” Choi states, his tone unsympathetic. “Lucky for you~ I have the perfect buddy~” He claims before standing back up and turning slightly behind to face the door.

“Come in! Choso!” He orders.

And without even a second delay, a little boy, with the age of around 8 to 9, enters the room, his expression dreaded and gloomy.

“Yes?” He responds to Choi’s call.

“Please take her to the
playground
.” He commands.

“As you wish…” Choso slightly nods his head, his blank and impassive expression still present as he walks over to Canan’s helpless tied up body, picks her up and proceeds to exit from the other door that leads to the location that Choi ordered him to take her.

Canan didn’t fight back, or more so, she couldn’t fight back. Her body was still soaring with pain centering from her midsection, her energy drained as exhaustion took over her.

“Why… Why is this happening to me..?” she mutters to herself as tears start to flow from her eyes more freely, envisioning the despair she will have to face from now on.

Her sobs became more audible as Choso carried him beyond the doors.

“Why why why?! Just let me go already!! I did nothing wrong to deserve this!!” She mutters to herself as her crying turns into a breakdown, all while getting carried by this little boy to the designated location.

“Tch… its always the same everyday…” Choso mutters in his mind, face front as he approaches the location he was targeting, ignoring the sobbing of the girl he was carrying.

When he finally arrives at the place he intended to come, he opens the door and gently places Canan onto the corner of the room where she could lay down and lean on the wall. He also unties her and takes the tap of her mouth so that she could speak and breathe properly.

The room was quiet, nothing but steel metal walls, no liveliness or life, it was a dead room upon many of the other rooms there besides her that were connecting to the walkway.

“TCH WHERE AM-” Just as Canan was about to scream her lungs out upon finally having the tap removed from her mouth, giving her the ability to speak again, she was silenced by Choso as he put a finger on her lips to completely shut her down.

“Please, don’t scream,” He said, his tone whispery and quiet “This is for your own sake, you shouldn’t be even having the gag tap off your mouth, so please be grateful and follow as I say.” His tone considerate, containing a leap of mercy towards her.

Canan followed this boy’s request, as she couldn’t help but feel a sense of gentleness and unharming attitude from him. Something tells her that he doesn’t want to inflict harm on her.

Choso stands back up after laying her down on the wall, leaving the room temporarily before coming back with a plate of food, containing a sandwich and some berries, and a glass of water. He gently places it down beside her, ensuring she has something to eat so that she doesn’t starve.

“Wait~!” Before he was about to get up again, Canan’s voice called out to him, getting his attention.

“Why~... are you doing this to me~?” She asks.

“...I have no idea why…” Choso replies after a few seconds of contemplating, “There're some people who just don't know the value of life… I’m sorry for all the things you’re going through here…” Choso said, unlike that old man, his voice actually held sympathy.

“N~no.. that's not what I meant~. I mean, why are you treating me so gently and kindly? Didn’t that ruthless geezer ordered you to torture me~?” Canan clarified, wondering why this boy was being so nice to her and even offering her food, something that's the complete opposite of tormenting someone.

“Oh, that. I just… don’t like to hurt people.” Choso said, as a reflection of his previous life falls before him where he killed innocent civilians back in the Shibuya incident, completely ignoring the value of life when he was in the jujutsu world. He came to an understanding just how precious a soul can be when he finally came to a realization to the value of his own brothers and how they are also souls who have life just like anyone else. If any of his brothers die, he becomes that, and similarly, others aren’t an exception as each and every person holds a strong bonding to one another.

“But aren’t you gonna get in trouble?”

“Nah, I'll get away with it.” He exclaimed confidently.

“Then… What is this room?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t take you to the room Choi ordered me to, you wouldn’t survive there…”

“You defied his command… are you sure you’re going to be alright.” Witnessing Choso’s kindness and his sympathetic demeanor, his kind actions represent the polar opposite to the remorseless and unforgiving ideals of Choi. This created a slight bit of fondness inside Canan towards him.

“Don’t waste your energy worrying about me, you are the one that’s put in custody here. I survived here for a few years, so I’m all good. Now quickly eat up, I need to return that plate and glass.” Choso advises.

Canan does so as he says, since she was pretty hungry after how long Choi starved her.

“Don’t worry… this won’t last long…” Choso said to her as she was eating.

Canan didn’t know what she meant, but for now, she was just grateful that she wasn’t receiving any form of torture, rather care and kindness from a mere little boy. After all, she could’ve been receiving torment she couldn’t even began to comprehend, given the way Choi emphasized the brutality of the torture she was going to receive, instead it was replaced by a secret safe supervision from none other than a boy below the age of 10.

But the meaning behind Choso’s words was true. This atrocity won’t last long, as he has faith in his younger brother Yuji and Gojo to end this maniac activity once and for all. He just has to be a bit more patient

“But…” Canan utters, her voice tinged with confusion and frustration “What if that old man asks me of Ai san? What should I do~?”

“He kidnapped you because of Ai?!” Choso questions in shock, wasn’t expecting her capture to do anything with Ai.

“Yes, do you… know her too?”

“Of course I do… but… why..?” Choso utters, completely clueless for Choi’s plan and his intentions, especially considering what any of this got to do with someone so innocent and pure like her.

“Should I just… avoid telling him about Ai?” Canan expresses her thoughts,

“No… everything will be over before you even get interrogated.”

“What? How?”

“As I said… everything will be over soon…  just bear with it a little longer…” Choso repeats the same phrase, ensuring her that all this nightmare will end soon. But this time he said it with more confidence, or rather, a boiling rage that was heating in his soul from the disclosure of Ai’s being targeted by this gruesome environment. His determination to end this organization once and for all, fueled to the max.
  
More than 6 hours passed by since Canan was brought to Choi’s hideout.

“My goodness Choso, you did not follow my instructions did you~” Choi entered the corridor that had access to many rooms, the same place that Choso brang Canan. He came here after not seeing her in the place he told Choso to put. So he decided to investigate what was going on by himself.

Choso heard the sound of the door opening, and knew exactly who it was, however his demeanor still remained, calm and impassive, his face expression not even the slightest of emotion. He turns around to the direction of the backdoor and sees Choi making his entrance.

“Tell me, Choso, what made you disobey my orders?” Choi asks as he approaches him.

Choso remained composed, no sign of fear signaling in his eyes. There were blood trails and stains scattered on his cloth, his hands and face.

“Because I wanted to torture her myself.” Choso answers,

“Oh? You wanted to take the pleasure all to yourself?”

“Yeah, is there a problem?”

“Hmm, not quite, but you should’ve told me beforehand. Anyhow, how is she looking like right now?” Choi inquires further about Canan’s update.

“You can see for yourself.” Choso replies.

Choi walked further inside the room, and saw a scene more nastier than what he thought it’d be.

“Holy shit!” Choi utters in quite shock, looking at the outcome of Choso’s decision as it exceeded way beyond his expectations.

What laid in front of Choi’s eyes was Canan’s body pinned on the wall, her arms spread wide across, blood dripping everywhere, from her face all the way to her feet, her clothes torn, her eyes blank, perhaps unconscious from the extend of torture she received. A pool of crimson was spreaded across the floor from the gushing blood flow, a testament to the brutality.

“Whaw Choso! I can’t really tell who is the bigger monster, me or you~” Choi remarks, astonished at the level of brutality Choso undertook for this case of torment towards this individual. “Are you sure she is not dead?!” He asks.

“She is still breathing.” Choso reassures. “But she is yet to even speak about this Ai girl, I need to beat her up even more to remove her persistence.” He exclaims.

“I see… but from the looks of it, if she receives any more, she might die, and then we might not gain the information we need.”

“I’ll ensure she is alive.” Choso affirms.

“Alright then, excellent work, I’ll leave this up to you then.” Choi approves before leisurely making his leave out of the corridor.

Choso observes carefully each step, action and expression Choi makes as he leaves the room, ensuring there is no suspicion with the door getting shut and he walks a good distance away from them.

After a good amount of time Choi leaves the room, Choso finally relaxes his muscles.

“Phew…” he sighs in relief “That worked like a charm…” He utters to himself. “You can stop playing dead now.” He directs his voice to Canan.

“WAAH!! That was soo scary~!!” Canan bursts out in a cry, “I thought that old man was going to really torture me~!!” She exclaims, as tears pop out her eyes.

“Quiet down will ya~!!” Choso scolds her “If Old Choi here’s this, we are
dead
.”

“Oops~ Sorry~”

“Anyhow, I’ll take off the cuffs,” He reaches Canan’s hands and uncuffs her.

“Waw…” Canan was still in a state of shock from all this, still unable to comprehend how Choso managed to pull this off. “Choso, aren’t you going to suffer from blood loss?” she asks, still puzzled that she used this much blood from him to make it seem like she was all brutally beaten and battered.

This was in fact all a trick and an act to deceive Choi into thinking Choso was doing his job by torturing the innocent people that he ordered.

“I don’t suffer from blood loss.” Choso states.

“But how is that possible?!”

“The amount of blood I lose, I regain it almost instantly.”

This was one of the supernatural things Choso has in this world, which matched somewhat of his cursed technique when he was in the Jujutsu world where he can manipulate and shoot out blood outside his body.

Although in this world he can’t do as much as using things like piercing blood or supernova, at the very least, he doesn’t suffer from blood loss when losing too much blood. Because of this, he deceived many people, including Charles Choi numerous times into thinking he was the one torturing the people that were dragged into this basement due to the visuals of the blood and gore, when it was all just his blood that he used to cover them to make it seem they were brutally tortured.
  
It was Monday. Ai had just dropped Aqua and Ruby to school. But something was slightly bothering her since yesterday. She tried to contact Canan, one of if not her only close friend she has, but she wasn’t getting any answers. She called her a few times last night but there was no response.

“Aw c’mon, answer already!” Ai complains about the empty calls. Even right now as she is walking home, she tried calling Canan but she isn’t picking up. All these unanswered calls made Ai a tad bit worried.
  
“Yo Choso!” Yuji greets Choso at break time.

“...hey~”

“Why are you so down?” Yuji asks, noticing Choso’s gloom and stressed impression.

“Uhh…” He sighs, trying to calm himself from the ongoing stress “I have something to tell you, its urgent.” he said to Yuji.

“That being?”

“Ai is targeted.”

“Again?!” Yuji shouts, frustrated why someone so innocent and lovely like Ai, who has never harmed a single individual, would be in someone's hit list. “I thought Gojo already dealt with that meathead!”

“No, it’s not him, in fact, the person who attacked Ai first was actually just deluded by the main culprit.”

“I see…” Yuji looks down at his hand, clenching it into a fist, visualizing what occurred last time when Ai was attacked. He could still feel the moment where he was getting overwhelmed by the intruder. Clenching his fist tightly, a thirst for gaining strength to protect others awakened in him. He wants to reach the same physical strength he had back when he was a Jujutsu sorcerer. At the moment, he is too weak to protect others, and his small and little body also hinders him in combat and prevents him from exerting the amount of power he wants to exert since his body also has a limit too.

“But what do we do now?” he asks Choso

“One of Ai’s friends got captured in the basement.”

“You gotta be kidding me, is she alright?!”

“I’m looking after her right now, and trying my best to not let Choi get his hands on her. But Yuji…”

“Yeah?”

“Just how long till Gojo brings Kechizu and Eso back to Japan?”

“I called him last night, but couldn’t get a proper update.”

“WHAT? WHY?!”

“Well… that's because… He was drunk…”

“A-...” Choso was blown out beyond words from Gojo’s unseriousness. “This guy is literally aids..!!” He mutters to himself in fury.

“Hey~ whatcha guys talking about?!”

Their private conversation was disrupted by a charming voice who happened to be Ruby, jumping into their talk out of nowhere.

“Wha~!” Yuji stammers back from the sudden intervention of Ruby's vibrant energy and her curiosity to find out what they are talking about. “You can't just come in like that, Ruby.”

“But you two are always talking in private everyday! So I want to know something too~!” She exclaims, wanting to claim her relevancy in their chat too.

“Uhh~”

Choso and Yuji both decide to not reveal anything about their mother being a target at all, since they don’t want to drown Ruby with stress and worry when notifying Ai is targeted, especially when their birthday is in 2 days.

“We were talking about what gift we should give you on your birthday. We’re having it private so that we can surprise you!”

“OH REALLY~!” Ruby leaps up in excitement and anticipation. “Alright I’ll leave then~! Hehe! You guys can carry on~” Ruby joyfully skips away from their conversation while humming a tune she was practicing with Ai for her vocals, her soul swelling with anticipation and high spirits. 
  
“Rrrh, this is really frustrating…” Ai stood there in front of the school gate, at a corner where it wasn’t so crowded with the other parents. She wore a dark green coat with a cap on, her usual outfit when she doesn’t want to be so easily noticed and spotted. It was seconds before it hit 3. Her mind was not at peace at all. She messaged and called Canan numerous times during the day.

‘Hey it's me Ai, are you there?’ Sent 9:08 AM

‘You aren’t picking up my calls so I’m getting worried, is everything okay?’ Sent 11:57 AM

‘Canan. If you're seeing these messages, please reply or react. I want to talk to you.’ Sent 2:59 PM

Ai texts, but there was no response.

She heard the bell rang, indicating that school is over for the kids. Ruby and Aqua shortly meet up with Ai as the children start to come out of the schoolgate.

“Mama~!” Ruby calls out with beaming energy, as always.

“Hey Ruby~” Ai replies back, but this time, her responses didn’t hold that much energy or enthusiasm. In fact, she even forgot to ask her kids how school was today, like she usually asks every time she goes to pick them up. But Ruby overlooked this and it didn’t really strike her.

“Yuji said he is going to come home later. He is hanging out with Choso~” She informs her.

“That’s fine,” Ai replies with a swift tone, her voice still laced with slight distraction and uncomfort, but trying her best not to express it to her kids.

“Mama, guess what?” Ruby said in excitement as they proceeded walking back.

“Hm?” Ai slightly turns her gaze towards Ruby and looks down at her from the side of her eye.

“Today I invited Kumino to our birthday party, and she immediately accepted! She even said her mom would love to bake our birthday cake!”

“Oh really? That’s lovely.” Ai quickly responds, not making Ai contact with her daughter, as her eyes were fixed on the blank air, countless possibilities floating in her mind about Canan. This time, even Ruby was sort of stunned by Ai’s mood off.

“Ai is something bothering you?” Aqua was the first person to point and notice Ai’s unusual mood. He could tell her smile carried little weight right now and could sense no vibrant energy from her. He was the first to voice out.

“N-no, nothing's bothering me Aqua~” Ai said nervously.

“Then why do you look so frustrated?” Aqua adds.

“Oh do I? Ahaha~ I just didn’t have proper sleep, that's all.” Ai fake laughs and tries to brush it off, trying to hide her frustration over her concern with Canan.
  
They arrived home. Ai shuts the door, and wipes the sweat of her forehead.

“Mama, you look so tired.” Ruby says to Ai as she wraps her arms around her waist and faces upwards towards her mother’s stressful face. “Is something wrong?” She asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Before Ai could reply, Aqua interjects by saying “There is definitely something wrong, why don’t you tell us?”

Ai sighs with frustration. “You see, I’ve been trying to call my friend Canan for a while now, but she hasn’t been answering, that’s all, there is no real need to worry about Mama’s business.” She breaks a faint smile, trying to convince her kids to not worry about this situation at all.

“But mama, isn’t Miss Canan really important for our birthday party that’s coming soon? What if something happened to her?” Ruby expresses her own thoughts.

“If she hasn’t been answering for a long time, you should probably call someone else that you know who could probably solve this issue, or someone who also has contact with Canan too.” Aqua suggests Ai wisely.

“Hmm…” Ai thinks as she scrolls through her contact list. “I could ask the former B Komachi members… but I don’t think they’d be any help.” She rethinks her decision.

“Then why not call the police?” Ruby brings up her own idea that she thought off.

Ai kneels to Ruby’s level and pats her daughter's head. “I probably will.”

“Mama, when are we going to upload our next song?” Ruby asked Ai while being petted.

“I’m not sure Ruby, mama is feeling a bit stressed right now so maybe not today.” Ai softly answers her daughter.

“Alright~”
  
It was Tuesday. 2 days left until Aqua and Ruby’s birthday. Ai was busy shopping and going to malls to buy gifts for her twins. She spent the entire time when her kids were at school to dedicate herself to pick what her two angels would like the most.

But amidst all the shopping and preparation, her mind was still not at peace. She was hoping to do all the shopping and buying gifts for her kids with her friend Canan, so that she can also have someone who could advise her and help her on certain decision making. But that just wasn’t the case anymore since Ai couldn’t come into contact with Canan for some unknown and unexplained reason.

Right now, she was in the convenience store, buying some balloons, hats and decoration materials.

“Uhh… it’d be so much better if Canan was with me… she’d probably have better suggestions.”  Ai mutters to herself with a lace of disappointment. “Hmm, which one should I pick…” she thinks, placing a finger on her chin as she decides which type of party decoration would her kids like “I’ll pick pink for Ruby, and for Aqua… I’ll go with blue.”

She steps out of the convenience store with a lot of stuff in her arms, which wasn’t really good for her since she still had a sore stomach which is very vulnerable to getting a thundering jolt of pain whenever she lifts heavy weights for her standards.

“May I help you?” a supposedly ‘kind’ old man offers a hand to Ai to carry all those things she bought.

“Oh, thank you~” Ai gladly accepts, her signature charming smile present on her face in front of him and anyone in the public

“You’re the famous idol Ai right?” The old man asked.

“Yup! That's me!” Ai winks back, her charisma endless.

“Well what’s all this stuff for? Is there a party?” The old man inquired curiously while carrying most of it as they were walking down the road.

“Sort of,” she states as she was walking with him “My twins' birthdays are coming up very soon.”

“Ah so that explains all these items.”

“Mhm,” Ai nods.

“I’ve seen your daughter in your music videos, she truly is adorable.”  The man compliments, his voice laced with sarcasm and irony.

“Aww, thank you!” Ai respects his praise, unnoticed by his inner intentions.

“So, where are you off to~?” He asks, wanting to know where she was headed.

“To my apartment, I need to drop these stuff home and then go and fetch my kids from school~” She exclaims,

“Ah, I see~”

“I’m going to call a taxi, because my apartment is quite a distance away from here for walking, and it might be difficult for you to carry this all the way there~”

That’s when the old man accidently leaked a menacing smirk, in which he then tried to hide, as Ai then opened the gate for his plan to proceed even further.

“Ai~ please don’t worry about me, I’m totally fine, I can walk with you to your apartment.” The old man exclaims.

“Uh- are you sure?” Ai questions, doubtful about his decision.

“Yes of course, I also want to talk with you too~ since I’m a huge fan of yours, please excuse my age.” He said, his tone laced with complete irony, as the words he uttered was nothing but the polar opposite, his inner intentions nastier than even a murder.

“Ahh I see~ well, that's not a problem then~” Ai was slightly concerned and hesitant at first for agreeing with this decision, but seeing his dedication to walk with her and have a conversation with her, she just couldn’t bring herself to refuse it.

The man helped Ai carry her party materials until they reached her apartment.

“Ahh so this is your apartment?” The old man asks.

“Yup!” She affirms with a charming nod “Thank you so much for your help, I can take it from here~” Ai opens her arms to carry the materials.

“No it's okay, I can take this all the way to your house~!” The old man refuses to give her the party items yet as he insists on delivering to her right next to her front door.

“Uhmm, its totally fine~ I can truly handle things from here on~” Ai persists, finding the old man’s over helpfulness quite strange.

“Just take me to your front door please, there is no need to burden yourself.” Choi refuses firmly, trying his very best to still keep his composure.

“Uhh~ alright~” At this point, even Ai was feeling slightly strange from the Old man’s confrontation, as if he was trying to gain something from her.

And as Ai opened the door to her apartment room, she turned around to finally receive the item, but the moment she looked back, her heart sank.

The old man, who was behind her, just seconds ago, disappeared. The birthday items she brought were left on the ground, but the man himself vanished.

“...that's weird,” She said to herself, finding it very hard to believe for an old man to move so swiftly to make himself vanish in front of her eyes without a single noise. Little did she know that what she did just now was one of her most regretful and dreadful mistakes she will ever commit.

“Ahh…” she exhales, putting down all the goods on the floor inside her house, before standing back up to stretch her back a little, placing her hands on her hips before turning her face around at the clock, “Oh my gosh! It's almost time to pick them up from school!” She yells, as she rushes out the door and hastily walks to her kids’ school to pick them up.
  
“Alright~! Mama has bought all the stuff for the party,” Ai states with a sense of accomplishment and pride, as she joyfully walks home with her two kids from picking them up from school, holding each of their hands.

“Is Yuji still out with his friend again today~?” She asks her little ones.

“It seems so,” Aqua answers.

“Ahh~ that Yuuji~ he’s always too busy with him~” Ai playfully sighs, noticing Yuji’s unbreakable attachment with Choso “They might be preparing their own presents for my Aqua and Ruby~!! Ooh~ I just wonder what it will be~~!” She mutters to herself in excitement.

“Now then~ All that’s left is for you two to tell me what you want for your gifts. And mama will go buy them tomorrow.”

They walked quietly for a few seconds before Ruby chose to speak up

“Mama~” she said in a low tone.

“Yes Ruby?” Ai slightly looked down at her daughter as they were walking.

“I don’t need any gifts.” she states openly, her voice firm and confident in what she meant.

“U- why not?” Ai asked, a small frown forming on her brows, a bit surprised by Ruby’s statement.

Ruby starts to giggle slightly, before turning around and looking up to her mother with a wide and purifying smile.

“Because I don’t need any. I already have you~ You are my biggest gift, mama.”

Ai’s legs stopped walking instinctively, those words overwhelmed her soul with emotions she couldn’t start to express. Her eyes got watery as Ruby’s words melted her heart.

“Mama?” Ruby utters in a slightly confused way, noticing Ai stopped walking, but she saw a tear starting to fall from her eyes.

She kneels down, suddenly and unexpectedly pulling Aqua and Ruby to a very tight and emotional embrace as tears now start to flow more freely from her eyes. Even though they were in the middle of the streets, Ai could not control her emotions, the happiness and touchingness she felt when Ruby uttered those words, her body moved by itself into an unforgettable hug, no matter the place they were in.

She sobbed as she hugged her two kids even closer. Her tears dripped from her cheeks into her kids shoulders.

Ruby closed her eyes and allowed her mother to have her moment with them, she did not resist the hug and accepted it wholeheartedly. The strains of her mother’s silky violet hair grazing their skin, her arms and head enveloping their little bodies, the feeling was just cherishing.

The headache Ai had the entire day, just these little words from her little angel had turned her day into a complete overwhelming bliss, perhaps those heart touching words was the thing that Ai needed to fill her spirits up for her stressful day, at least before she got home… not knowing the atrocity that’s awaiting her and her kids. 
  
“Why are you calling in the middle of the afternoon?! This is my nap time, You got some death wish?!” Toji answers his phone after it was ringing for a good 2 minutes as Choi was persistently wanting to talk to him.

“Sorry for the disturbance, but this is the golden opportunity to kidnap Ai. I know of her direct address.”

“Are you still obsessed with that little girl?! Just let her go will ya.”

“I can’t, she would be the perfect vessel for my future business, and I’m not taking any chances of losing it.”

“Aaawghh.. Well that's too bad…” Toji yawns, his eyes about to close anytime soon, “Look, I gave up on this dirty work, I live life freely now.”

“I’ll pay you a billion won,”

“...” Toji got silent after hearing Choi drop that price money for accepting his deal.

“Okay, how about a deal, I am going to send someone else to do the job for me, but in return I’m not going to accept any less than 500 million, deal?” Toji offers.

“Fine, but make it happen at this moment.”

“Ugh.. what an annoying geezer you are…” Toji cuts the call as he then shouts out the name of a certain individual while still laying down on his luxurious comfy sofa.

“Tenchu!!”

“What is it this time?” A man appears in the living room, his eyes more crimson than blood, his tone slightly irritated, his rose coloured hair slightly long as it was tied up in a ponytail.

“I have a job for you…”
  
Both Aqua and Ruby’s hands were still held by Ai as they came out of the elevator and walked through the rooms of the apartment until it reached theirs.

“Alright~” Ai exhales as she stands before the door, reaching the door handle to open it “We’re home~!” She playfully exclaims as she opens the door and lets her kids enter the house first before she enters and closes the door.

“Now that’s a polite way to come into the house.”

A mysterious voice enveloped the atmosphere, as the presence of an enigmatic figure was already in Ai’s house before she even got inside with her kids.

The figure was easily spotted, and he had no intention to hide himself from them.

“W-who are you?!” Ai asked this man with a quivering tone who was sitting on the couch, facing them with eyes as crimson as blood, topped with a menacing and venomous glare. The color of his eyes matched his long spiky hair too, a few hair bangs coming down and having a band of hair tied at the back of his head.

Ai was intimidated by that stare of those blood red eyes that was piercing through her soul with just its gaze, sending shivers that ravaged her spine as she instinctively put a hand in front Aqua’s small body and pressed him back behind her.

“Oh yeah, sorry for budging into your apartment so rudely,” He smiles back. His expression was very casual, that neither Ai nor her kids could identify if he was truly a bad person judging solely from his personality. But his intentions were sinful and wicked. “You see, I came here to take you guys somewhere else.” He speaks to Ai as he picks up a pink rubber band that was on the floor and starts fidgeting on it as he talks. “Somewhere that you should probably stay there forever.”

“Answer the question, who are you?!” Aqua demands an answer.

“Hey kid,” The man stretches the rubber band with his index and thumb that he was initially fidgeting around, as he points it towards Aqua, attempting to shoot it at him. “I don’t like the way you speak.” With that the rubberband bursts out of his fingers and charges towards Aqua at menacing speed.

It was abnormal. The physical strength displayed from merely shooting a rubber band from someone’s finger, was absolutely abnormal. It was like a bullet. Neither Ai, Ruby or Aqua could perceive the band coming.

It hit Aqua’s forehead with such groundbreaking force, it sent his little body flying violently across and slammed it on the door that they just entered the house in, all from a mere rubberband.

“Aqua!!” Ai rushed towards his son who was struck by a mere rubber band.

Aqua instantly lost consciousness, His forehead skin cracked open and blood streamed down.

“Aqua! Aqua! Answer me!” Ai carried her son in her arms and desperately called out his name, hoping that he would respond, but he never did. She kept on screaming his name but she received no answer. Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she placed one of her hands on his bleeding forehead, wiping off the blood.

Ruby was so frightened by this, every fiber inside her body was violently shaking with fear.  It was not just Ruby’s but Ai’s too.

“Awh c’mon you don’t have to scream like that.” He told Ai.

Ai shifted her gaze back towards the couch where the man was sitting on comfortably, her eyes signaling a sense of terror and despair. Was the same thing going to happen again? That one time where she got brutally attacked by the intruder on the day of the dome concert? Her heart was beating as if it was about to explode any moment. The wounds in her stomach from that very incident started to ache, as she got reminded of the gut wrenching agony she received. Moments like this, she can never keep a smile nor show the smile to the person who’d be causing her this, not even a fake smile.

“W-why~  why are you doing this~?” Ai asked the man with watery eyes and a trembling voice, completely at mercy from his power. “Just leave us alone, please~” she begged.

“Leave you alone? No can do.” The man affirms, scaring Ai’s soul even more. “Now, let’s take this the easy way. It’d be much preferred if you guys let me transport you there without any resistance.”

He stands up, making Ai take a few steps back while pulling Ruby towards her, and her other hand reaching the door handle to exit the apartment. She was about to open it at any moment to flee while carrying Aqua. Her body was moving by instincts, in her attempt to protect her kids in her weak condition.

But before she even got the chance to fully press down the door handle to open the door, a strong, overwhelming and rough hand gripped her wrist tightly. Once again, completely overtaking Ai’s heart by fear as she turns around with a heartbeat to see who this was, and finds out that the man appeared right in front of her, gripping her arm so that she couldn’t open the door. His movement was so abnormally fast, Ai could not perceive it.

Her eyes were completely petrified. The tight and overwhelming feeling of her hand getting squeezed felt as if he wasn’t only squeezing a mere body part, but squeezing her soul too. She couldn’t even move a muscle. His power was insurmountable.

“Heh, not so fast,” The man’s voice was deep, and threatening, holding an immeasurable depth of fear and despair. He could feel Ai’s hands and body passively shaking while he gripped her wrist.

The sparkle of Ai’s eyes started to waver, her lips and chin trembling with fear, she was completely under his mercy as Ai stared at him helplessly.

“You know,” He kneels down to Ai’s level who was sitting on the ground with Aqua on her lap, and leaned closer to Ai’s face, closing the distance as Ai saw those detrimental crimson eyes approaching near to her face. “I’m starting to know why Hikaru chose you…” He uttered in a low whispering voice.

“Heh?!” The mention of Hikaru stirred another fright in Ai.

But before she could even begin to give a proper reaction, she felt nerve wrecking pressure on the side of her neck, causing her eyes to widen, her pupil’s turning white from the shock and the pain, but it happened quickly.

The man chopped Ai on the side of her neck which knocked her unconscious from just a single hit. Her eyes slowly closed as the soul temporarily leaves her body, collapsing on the floor. He made sure to not chop her too hard where it would kill her.

“Right…” He stands up, looking at the 2 soulless bodies on the floor. The only one standing was Ai’s little daughter, Ruby. Those crimson pupils now locked on to Ruby.

She was shivering, her knees visibly shaking with fear after her mother and her brother were knocked out unconscious. She instinctively took a few steps back upon fear, but the shaking of her body caused her to lose balance as she tripped over. By each passing second, the more she stares at those merciless crimson eyes of his, the more fear it enters her heart. Her breaths were becoming heavier, his presence made the atmosphere suffocate.

A smirk grazed his face, “Man, what cold bastard you are, Hikaru, for leaving such a beautiful family behind..” He utters to himself.

The man approached Ruby. She screamed at the top of her lungs. The last thing she saw before her vision turned all black was his hand reaching her face.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yuji arrives home late in the evening after having a long conversation with Choso about Ai’s situation and her being a target for Choi’s further plan, as well as discussing which present they should give Aqua and Ruby for their birthday that’s coming up in less than 2 days now.He walks up the stairs and goes past the rooms until he reaches Ai’s and his. “Their lights are off? That’s strange…” As Yuji was about to walk past Ai’s apartment block to reach his own which was next door, he noticed that her dining lights were off, something that anyone can visibly tell due to the certain gap holes as well as the window that was covered by the blinds. “Did they go out somewhere?” He speculates, as usually Ai and her kids should’ve been home by now and having dinner. In fact, the more he thinks about it, Ai isn’t the type of person to go out without informing Yuji where she is going, and whether she’d be home or not, and most importantly, she’d ensure he’d have dinner along with them since they are basically a family. Since it's exactly dinner time, he found it strange and out of character for Ai to go out like that.So more doubts and questions start to come about Ai’s absence. He decides to knock on her door, to double check if anyone was home. But upon tapping his hand the second time on the door, it already started to open, indicating not only was it not locked, but the door even wasn't closed either.This got even more suspicious to Yuji, as after being with Ai for so long, she knows how much she cares about safety for her belongings, and she isn't the careless type to go out without even closing the door, let alone locking it.“Hello?! Is anyone home?” He attempts to open the door fully and step inside the house, only to find a scene beyond his expectation.“U-... Aqua!!” He screams as the first thing he sees was Aqua lying on the floor, unconscious, blood trails centering from his forehead. He immediately rushes towards him and tries to wake him up.“Aqua! Aqua!! Wake up!!” He yells, shaking his body.“U~, U~...” Yuji’s nagging, yelling and physically shaking his body finally stirred Aqua awake. He slowly opens his eyes, as the first he sees was Yuji whose hands was gripped on his arms. Once his vision starts to get clearer, he spots Yuji’s concerned face.“Y~Yuuji~?” Aqua mutters in a whispery voice.“Aqua!! What happened?!” Yuji asks Aqua in a desperate voice, urging to know what had occurred and why he was in this situation.After regaining his senses from being knocked out by that rubberband, he remembers the past sequence of events and what took place before he became unconscious. The features of that man with those crimson eyes flashes in his eyes, envisioning him intruding their when he arrived from school with Ai.“AI?!” Aqua shouts, instantly sitting up, looking around to spot her and his sister, his face expressing frustration and tension, as his eyes couldn’t capture Ai and Ruby.“Aqua!!” Yuji calls out his name again, this time, finally gaining his attention. He looks at his eyes with shock and confusion. “What happened here?” “Where is Ai? Ruby?” Aqua asks, as his tension mostly revolved around them.“I’m not sure, I just came back and I see you lying down here knocked out.”“What~?” Aqua places his hand on his forehead, only to find his palm getting dirty by the blood that was centered around there. “Why was your forehead bleeding, did someone attack you? Please tell me everything~!” Yuji begged Aqua to explain what happened when he was gone.Aqua’s panic gradually decreased the more he talked to Yuji, as he started to describe what occurred here to them once they reached home.“Impossible…” Yuji utters in disbelief after hearing the whole story “There’s just no way something like that could happen.” “Argh! What should I do?! At this point we can’t even track where that man took Ai and Ruby!” Aqua utters in frustration, confused and distressed about the current situation he was put in, with his mother and sister now gone missing and kidnapped. “I just don’t know why… I wasn't  kidnapped with them…” he mutters to himself as he finds it awfully bothering that the man chose to leave him behind and only take Aqua and Ruby.“...don’t worry,” Yuji tells Aqua, his voice reassuring.“Do you have a plan?!” “...mhm.” Yuji nods “I have a few friends who can help me…” he states.Yuji already thought of a plan in mind as Aqua was telling him the story. The first thing that ringed was the fact that Choso alerted him yesterday that Ai was a target by the main culprit. And if this so happens to be the case related to what Choso said, then he concludes with the fact that Ai should be where Choso is. But if that turns out to be wrong, there is Nanami who can help out investigate this case, since he is an expert detective and has connections to forbidden locations beyond anyone’s imagination in this world. And finally, there is Gojo who is the last resort of almost every plan.But even after having a plan, Yuji had this heavy sense of discomfort and disappointment upon himself. He looks at his fist that he clenched tightly and says to himself.“What am I doing…? Am I really going to fail to protect her again?!! Am I really this incapable?!” Yuji self blamed his incompetence with boiling rage as he let Ai get exposed to harm once again.  “SAY WHAAAT!!” Ichigo screams out of his chair, leaping up in complete disbelief from hearing this uncalled and unbelievable horrific disclosure. “AI GOT KIDNAPPED?!?!” He yells in the phone, suddenly falling to the ground as the weight of this revelation made him faint.“Ichigo! Get a hold of yourself!” Miyako comes to his aid, before picking up the phone “Aqua! Stay right there! We are coming right now,” She exclaims before cutting the call and trying her best to wake him up from his unconsciousness.  Choso returns to the basement after finishing his conversation with Yuji after school. He doesn’t have an option, if he misses one day of work, he’ll receive severe consequences from Choi. That is the harsh reality he was living for the past couple of years.“I’m back~” He says as he comes inside the basement from the back gate, his voice unexcited and the least bit motivated, holding no enthusiasm in his tone.“Oh you’re back Choso,” Choi acknowledges in his entrance “We’ve got some new guests today.” he informs, his smirk malicious and wicked.“Cool~” He ignores what Choi says and continues to walk past him with his hands tucked in his pocket, showing complete disinterest in the newcomer, when he already has someone to look after, that being Canan.“C’mon, show some excitement for once.” Choi criticizes.“Why would I care?”“Oh but trust me, I think you would this time~” Choi affirms, his devilish smirk enlarging.“Yeah yeah whatever…” Choso leaves the main hall and proceeds his way to check on Canan.As he was passing the rooms, the words of Choi replayed in his mind.“ Oh but trust me, I think you would this time~ ”“Tch, what does that old bastard think he is doing, acting as if I’d care about anything he does,” He said to himself in a pissed off tone.He was just about to pass the room where the newcomer was held. At first, he didn’t care to check who it was, but given that Choi himself said this for the very first time, he decided to take a peep at the last second.He slightly opens the door of the room where the newcomers were held, and upon taking his first glance, his heart dropped, shivers so violent it felt like someone was electrocuting him. His eyes didn’t want to believe what he was seeing, hoping that it was false. He turned away and shut the door, before opening it again, hoping that his eyes were just playing tricks on him the first time, but even taking his glance, it was still the same two people.“...” He stood there speechless, tremors resonating through his body as he had absolutely no idea how she got here this soon. “Ai..?! Ruby..?!” He mutters, still denying the reality that he was seeing in front of his eyes, with Ai and Ruby being knocked unconscious, as they were both leaned back. Out of the two, Ai’s hands were cuffed with a chain that was attached to it which stuck to the steel brick wall behind her, only allowing her to move no more than 2 meters of a radius.  “Wha…” Canan drops her jaw, as Choso conveys the absolute unexpected disclosure about her close friend Ai to her “You gotta be kidding me…” her expression showing no signs of belief, as someone who was the first person for Ai to ever have an open conversation where she could express her true feelings and be the first one to expose her deepest secret, which made her earn her trust, hearing a news like this devastated her. “Is it just Ai? Or are her kids also there?!” She urged to know.“Only her daughter.” Choso informs her.“Only Ruby…” she repeats to herself in a whisper, realizing that she was captured with her daughter. “But why…” she uttered, unable to comprehend any reason to capture someone so innocent and cute like Ai and her kids. She fails to understand any reason.“Choso!” Canan calls out to him who was standing in front of her with her back facing. She understands just as much as how stressed Choso was as well. “Sorry for being the one to give you any ideas but… can you please also be in charge of Ai’s custody?” She suggests.“Hah…” Choso sighs “I tried… but that damn old fucker didn’t accept it.”“Oo…” “He doesn’t want me to have more than 2 inmates to take care of.”“Then in that case… please switch me with her!” She offers, willing to sacrifice herself to ensure Ai is safe with her precious kids.“Wha- are you sure?!”“Yes! Absolutely!” Canan exclaims, her tone ever so reaffirming with her decision.“...you don’t know, just how dreadful the torture will be if you leave my care.”“That’s the more reason I’m willing to switch up for her! PLEASE!” Canan’s voice raises with emotion, begging for a switch up, her soul eager to swap places with her solely so that she doesn’t receive any brutal punishment. “Ai had already suffered enough throughout her whole life~ she was bullied, lonely, and the only time she ever found love was with her kids, so if the thing that makes her the most happy gets really hurt, I just can’t begin to imagine how devastated she’d be~” She says, her voice laced in deep emotion, her eyes becoming watery.“From what I saw… the love Ai had for her child.. It was truly irresistible, it was irreplaceable. If those innocent souls of hers get hurt, I just can’t bring myself to even hear about it~ Ai is still in a state of severe injury. She has a critical wound on her stomach, and if that wound opens up, it could be fatall~” she informs Choso to convince him to switch her spot with hers. “And lastly…” Canan adds one more reason “It's her kid’s birthday tomorrow~!” she exclaims emotionally, shedding a tear from her eye. “I just… can’t let them suffer on one of their most beloved days~~” her voice started to become more emotional as tears started to flow down more freely just by envisioning Ai and her daughter receiving detrimental torture.“...alright, if that’s what you really want, then I’ll consult Choi again and offer him this deal.” Choso leaves the corridor and heads towards the main basement.  Since the surroundings were so quiet, the echoes of footsteps were vividly audible.“Hm?” Choi gets notified that someone was approaching him. “What is it now? Choso” Before even turning around, he could tell Choso was coming from the corridor.“Let’s make a deal.” He said as he entered the main hall.“A deal you say?” Choi turns around to face him, catching his attention. “What kind?”“Swap Canan with Ai for me.” He proposes.“Just a while ago, you were begging me to also give Ai to your care…” Choi observed, his tone doubtful and suspicious. “Choso… do you actually carry out your job properly?” he asks, his tone sharp and piercing.Choso gulps as Choi places forth his uncertainty in his trust.“Are you perhaps… taking it easy on the ones who are sensitive, like young and beautiful females and children who seem completely undeserved to receive such torment? Is this why you’re wanting so desperately to have Ai and her kid by your side? So that they don’t receive any torture, just like how weren’t torturing Canan this whole time..?”“Does old age make you ramble a lot unnecessary shit?” Choso retaliates “I already showed you just how I was to her, she is still recovering from the torment I gave her yesterday.” “So let me get this straight, you want to have to yourself so that you can torture her just as brutal?” Choi taunts.“Tch!” Choso gets pissed the more Choi twists his words around.“Because I know damn well that you’re not that coldhearted to torture an idol you used to like.” “U- how did you~?!” Choso staggers back from Choi finding this out.“Oh but I know a lot more, Choso, you better not get your hopes up for anything. Everything is under my control.” Choi reassures with firm confidence.“...” He starts sweating as he now knows Choi pretty much figured out his plan, as well as the fact that he cannot get Ai under his care.“And besides, it's not like I can give it to you like that anyway,”“Wha- why?”Choi’s smirk enlarges, his inner malicious and wicked aura bursting out.“I have someone who is in charge of looking after Ai already~” “Who is it?!” “Hmph~!”  As their conversation progressed, unbeknown to Choso’s expectation nor his field of vision, a dwarfing bulk of muscle appeared behind him. His aura was even more malevolent than Choi’s. It was so toxic and venomous Choso could already feel the weight of the sheer atrocity and violence the person behind him carries without even turning around to look at him.Just the pressure of his presence made him sweat, knowing very well who that person is behind him. He only met him two times very briefly, but he knows very well the capability of his raw strength.“You gotta be kidding me… Choi…!!” Choso utters in absolute disgust.“I can’t believe… you assigned him to be in charge of such fragile people~!! Just how disgraceful are you…!!” Choso’s rage boils even more, his blood vessels heating up. He turns around, finally facing the giant that was standing behind him, looking up at him, his showing no signs of fear or intimidation, rather it urged to square up. “Where ya looking at? Faggot.” Choso insults, provoking a scuffle between him and this enormous muscle head. His voice held no fear or tremor.“Do you want to die today~?” He kneels down to Choso’s level, tilting his head and bringing his face close to his, his merciless aura only escalating from Choso’s mocks.“Baekho…” Choso calls his name “If I ever hear Ai scream from that room, and find her bleeding, you’re going to regret existing in this world.” He threatens Baekho, despite getting massively outclassed in sheer size, he had the courage to stand up to him.“You’re pissing me off… I think you should die now..” Baekho declares as he swings back his arm, attempting to deliver a life ending slap. The size of his hand alone would be able to envelop Choso’s face and neck.Choso sees this coming, not even a flinch escaping his body, as he was prepared to throw down at this very instant.“Stop, Baekho” Choi commands.And in doing so, his hand stopped mid swing immediately upon receiving Choi’s orders.“I’ll give you a time where you can both kill each other, but now isn’t the right time.” He demands the both of them to cancel their beef with each other.Choso and Baekho both proceed back to their duties, leaving the main hall. Choso slams the door violently, making the walls of steel reverberate from the force of it being shut, indicating his sheer rage.“Despicable…!!” He mutters to himself “Baekho… with Ai?!?!” The concept of allowing one of the most violent and ruthless individuals to put responsibility in torturing one could say, the most gentle and delicate beings on the planet with beauty rivaling the heavens, was a thing he thought didn’t even exist. He kept on proceeding with his way back to his sections, walking slowly, a storm raging in his mind filled with distress, uncomfort, sorrow, rage and confusion. It was so bizarre he started to have a headache so severe it made him want to faint.At this moment, he only wanted to do one thing, that is fight Choi himself. But to his misfortune, picking a fight with Choi by himself would not only mean he has to deal with him individually, in which he knows himself he is weaker than, but he’d also have to deal with his bodyguards, Gun and Goo, in which they are even stronger than Choi themselves. But most importantly, it will result in his beloved brothers, Kechizu and Eso to get slaughtered immediately the moment he rebels against Choi’s orders, something he doesn’t want to happen in this life.But Choso does have hope in getting free from this cruel organization he was forced to be put in, and that is Gojo Satoru’s arrival, because he knows damn well there isn’t anyone stronger than him. But the only problem is, the time of his arrival. If he doesn’t come any sooner, it’ll cause a big catastrophe.   Ai’s eyes slowly stirred awake with a few twitches at first, before finally opening it wide and brightly upon remembering what had occurred the last time she was conscious.She gripped her consciousness back firmly. Ai was in a sleeping position, but she immediately set up, her senses all at their max. She looked around, and seemed as if it was some sort of prison cage. “Mama,” A very familiar voice called her, her heart skipping a bit as she immediately recognized that voice as her face turned to the direction according to where it came from. And there, she saw one of her little angels, Ruby, sitting beside her.“Ruby!” Without a moment of hesitation, she grabbed her and pulled her to a tight hug as they were seated down this brick cage. “Thank god…” a few tears escaped her eyes as she was embracing her daughter, words couldn’t describe how glad she was to see her daughter in one piece. After a good 10 seconds of hugging Ruby firmly close to her soul, she slowly releases and looks at her daughter's face, scanning if there are any injuries or bruises. She lifts one of her hands and brushes it on Ruby’s forehead, putting aside her blonde hair bang. But as she did this, she also noticed that her hands were cuffed with some sort of metal chain that was locked to the brick wall that she was leaning against. “What is this…” Ai mutters, looking at her wrists, confused as to why these are put on to her. But a bigger realization struck her, as she noticed that someone was missing from her, a piece of her soul that was currently detached. “Wait, where’s Aqua?!” she yelled as she looked around the empty yet suffocating room.  “He is not here.” Ruby answered in a sad and low tone.Ai shifts back her gaze at her concerned cute daughter. “What do you mean he isn’t here?” she asked back, urging for an explanation.But Ruby just stayed silent and looked at the floor with her pupils at the side of her eyes. Ai realized that she should first give comfort to Ruby first since she was the closest to her at the moment“Oh Ruby…” Ai reached her daughter’s cheeks and gently brushed her “Are you okay…?”Ruby crawled to Ai’s chest and just sunk her body and face onto Ai’s warmth. That’s all she craved for, for now, her mother’s relieving company and love. Ai accepted it wholeheartedly and allowed her daughter to feel comfortable with her. In return she wrapped her arms and once again as she slowly rubs Ruby’s smooth blonde hair. The atmosphere surrounding them was cold. The room was quite dark and was mostly shaded since there was barely any light that could penetrate through from the outside. It felt like a real prison cage, The iron brick walls, the emptiness and the suffocating loneliness of the room was not likable at all.After a good moment of silence between them where they just shared each other’s warmth peacefully, Ai went on to ask a few questions to her daughter.“Ruby… How long were you awake?” she softly asked her daughter, ensuring not to press her to answer it.“Like about an hour.” She responds with a quiet voice.“An hour?!” Ai repeats, “What were you doing all this time?” she inquired. Ai noticed that, despite being chained up to the wall, there were no chains on Ruby at all, she was free to move, unlike her who could only move a limited distance until the chains that are attached to her wrists restrains her.“Nothing.” She replied.“Nothing at all?” Ai tilts her head, “Do you know where we are, Ruby?”  she asks gently“M-m” She moves her head sideways, gesturing a ‘no’ while adding on “Mama, this place is really scary~ I hear very loud and dangerous noises coming outside this room.”“Everything will be alright.” Ai tries to comfort her and release her worries. But as soon as she said that, the door that had the only access to the room slammed open violently.“ALRIIIGHT!!” Baekho violently made his entrance into the room with a deafening voice. He was shirtless, wearing an assassin eye mask and a bandana. At first glance, he seemed like a military soldier. His loud intervention made both Ai and Ruby’s heart skip a beat, as Ai instinctively covered Ruby with her arms into an embrace for protection. They could both sense his threatening aura as soon as he entered the room.“I heard you bitch talking. So you finally woke up.” He roughly said as he made his way closer to them, kneeling down, his eyes wide and red like a monster, his face scarier than that of a ghost. Ruby looked away and hid herself inside Ai’s chest. But even Ruby could tell that her mother was also struck by fear, as she could clearly hear the explosiveness of her heart beats.Ai stared at the man with feared eyes, unsure what to do. She couldn’t even say a word. Her body was visibly shaking.“Hm?” Baekho tilts his head, raising one eyebrow slightly, “Hey, what’s this?” He moved his hand swiftly, reaching Ruby’s collar and snatching her away from Ai who was covering her with her arms. He easily lifted her with a single hand and stood up.“Aa-!” Ruby squealed upon getting lifted up.“Who the fuck are you supposed to be?” He aggressively taunted the cute little innocent girl he was lifting.“No stop! Give her back!” Ai cried, reaching her hand out to pull Ruby back to her reach, before receiving a brutal back hand slap on her face from him which knocked her flat on the floor.“Stay the fuck down.” He mercilessly uttered as he backhanded Ai to the ground, her body collapsing with noticeable force. The impact already left a remarkable bruise on her cheek where he hit her.Ai stayed on the floor, unable to even move a muscle temporarily, her eyes slightly turning a vague purple color from the impact of his heavy hand hitting her. “Mama!” Ruby screamed desperately while still lifted high from the man. Ai couldn’t respond as she remained silent on the floor. Baekho then shifted his gaze back at Ruby, his ferocious look impaled her little soul with fear. “Hmmm.” Pulling Ruby slightly closer as he observes her even closer, making Ruby even more frightened, especially from his terrifying and disgusting face “Why the fuck are there two? I thought they only sent one bitch.” He said confusedly as he glared down back at Ai and kicked her vulnerable stomach that was left unguarded while she was laying down.“Ough!” Ai’s eyes widened with pain and pressure upon receiving the impact of his heavy legs bashing right through her extremely delicate abdomen. “Ackh!” she coughs up spit upon the impact that her stomach absorbed. The agony she received was amplified due to her stomach being her most sensitive and weakest part of her body, since her critical wounds were located right at her umbilical region.“Aaa-!” Ruby screamed, shaking her body, in response to wanting to get down to her mother’s aid who was clutching her body in pain on the floor.“Rrhh! Shut the fuck up!” he threw Ruby into the hard brick wall, making her small delicate body crash roughly with the unbreakable walls.“Aw!” Ruby squeals upon getting slammed at the wall.“Goddamn I fucking hate kids!” The man seems to have extremely little patience, and has insane anger management.“Ruby~!” Ai notices what he did to her daughter, as she tries to sit up and pick her up who slid down to the ground from the wall. “Ergh!” She reaches left hand and grabs Ruby’s shoulder while her right hand is still clutched on her stomach. She crawled closer to Ruby, wanting to cover her with her arms again, but Baekho didn’t let that happen.She lifts Ai up by grabbing a part of her long violet hair and pulls it up, forcing her body to lift up too.“A-! Aaa-!” Ai shrieks in pain upon getting her hair pulled viciously.“Yeah, scream bitch!” He taunts as he pulls her hair up with such force that Ai was forced to stand up, “Great, now listen here carefully. Boss told me that the person who is going to pick you up is coming tomorrow evening. Until then, you stay here like an obedient bitch, you got that?!” He slaps Ai’s face again, creating a loud slap noise which echoed through the entire room.“You… you are the reason Hakensu's family was killed!! and because you didn’t die that day, he had to suffer so much torture! How COULD YOU! They were my distant relatives!!”His disgusting and unruly face was covered with his boiling wrath, leaking his wicked and immoral intentions. His mindset and morals were completely messed up, as he views the reason his family relatives were killed was because of Ai, when the actual fact was, Ai was the true victim of Hakensu as she was innocent. He doesn’t have any remorse nor condemn the unrepairable damage Hakensu did to Ai at all, and only cared about his death instead of anything that he did and his ruthless actions to Ai.“DHOOMB!” the sound reverberated through the room.A heavy and devastating knee explodes into Ai’s upper mid section, tearing right through her soft solar plexus.“Gaugh!!” Ai cries out in agony, her eyes widened from the sheer impact she was taking, few droplets of tears bursting out upon the receival of the blow, spits of blood gushing out her mouth from the unforgiving damage her upper abdomen was receiving. Her pupils were on the verge to white out due to the unendurable pain that was enveloping her soul from this excruciating blow.The pain was severe enough for her entire body to lose balance, the only thing that was keeping her standing was the man’s grip on her hair, the rest of her body didn’t have balance due to the impact of that knee that tore through her stomach.“You are lucky the boss forbade me to kill you, otherwise you would’ve been dead the moment you arrived here…” His whispers were vicious and deep, as if a monster was hawling on her ears.“Stop hurting mama!!” Ruby’s desperate cry echoes through the room, catching both Ai and the man's attention, as he shifted his gaze downwards and saw her already recovered from that slam, charging at the man, clenching her tiny soft fists as she continuously bashed it on the mans dwarfing legs as hard as her little body could exert. In her own way, she was fighting for her mother, for him to let her go.“Huh…” He sighs as he gazes down on the little girl fighting her best for her mother’s sake, her punches dealing negative damage to him. “I’m gonna deal with this little shit first.” He utters to himself as he lets go of Ai’s hair and diverts his attention towards Ruby who was right beside his leg, bashing her little hands.  He lifts his leg abruptly, causing Ruby to stumble back and kicks her on the chest with force, once again, sending her body slamming on the hard brick wall with great force.“Ack!” Ruby lets out a cry of pain as her small and fragile little body collides on the wall again.But this time, he wasn’t done with her yet. He had the intention to deliver a lethal blow. Be it an adult or a little kid, he wanted to end her so that she wouldn’t keep annoying him when he deals with her mother Ai. As long as he shuts her down, he doesn’t care if this life threatening blow ends this innocent little girl's life at all.“Boss only said not to kill Ai… so that means, whether you are alive or not, it wouldn’t matter.” He utters in reference to Ruby, his tone remorseless, holding no sympathy or mercy.His fist was clenched tightly, veins surrounding his knuckles, imbuing unforgiving and life ending power before releasing it. Ruby at this point was about to fall to the ground frontward from the already received impact from the kick he gave her, even she could tell that as this man pulled back his fist, ready to collide it with her with life ending force, she could tell that, this would be it for her, that as her body was falling forward, when this blow hits her, she would die. The feeling of her upper half of the body getting disintegrated and turning into a bloodmist was already picturable just by feeling the ferocity of the fist launching towards her“No… I don’t want to die..” Ruby monologues to herself in her mind as time practically slowed down for her, she could see the man’s fist piercing the air as it was mercilessly charging at her in very slow motion, was this the sign that her life is about to get taken away? At least that’s what she thought upon being able to perceive everything slowly. “I want to live! I want to be with mama! I want to play with her more… I want to hug her more… I want more of her kisses… I want more of her love… I don’t want to die here…”  she continued to monologue as she finally resorted to admitting her fate and embracing the unforgiving impact that was going to turn her into a blood mist as soon as it was going to make contact with her.But the reality was… it never landed. At least not to her…She felt a bump, like somebody pushed her away. Now instead of falling frontward, she tilted and tripped to the side. This all happened in the millisecond right before the fist was able to reach her. But time slowed down exponentially in her vision, as she witnessed the world turning upside down in slow motion. “DHUMP!”  A sound of a deafening impact reverberated and shook the entire brick room. This center of the sound coming from was right beside Ruby, indicating to her that, despite the fist missing her body, it definitely hit and physically contacted something else beside her. It was for sure louder than the knee which the man gave to her mother. But for some reason, Ruby felt extremely uncomfortable hearing that sound, even though she wasn’t the victim of it. Her instinct screamed at her to turn her head to look to her side as to what was going on, her mind told her that what had occurred could perhaps just be the worst she could ever witness.Time was still in slow motion. Her senses returned to her after she snapped out of her daze, her heart started beating so rapidly, it felt like it was about to come out as her mind was anticipating what had just occurred right now right beside her before she turned around. At last, her head started to rotate, her eyes following the pace of her face turning around, to actually see what caused her life to get saved from that death granting fist, to see what caused that bump. But for some reason, she did not like the feeling of this at all. Deep inside her, she knew that if she turned around to see what had actually occurred, she would most definitely regret it. Ruby knew, that if she looked to her side right now to see the reality, she 100% knew that her heart wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. But she turned around anyway.And yes, her inner intuition was right, that what she was seeing, was heart shattering. It was only a few inches away from Ruby’s face, an extremely close distance away from what the fist had actually made contact with.Ruby couldn’t see the man's fist at all. It was sunk. Absorbed into soft delicate human flesh, even his wrist was slowly starting to disappear as the fist kept going deeper and deeper, until it swallowed his wrist too. She was seeing all of this in slow motion. The sound of organs crushing and bursting from the inside roared through Ruby’s ears, so loud as if she was about to go deaf from this sickening noise while the fist was still sinking deeper into the soft flesh. The man’s fist may have missed Ruby, causing her life to be saved, but what she saw right before her, perhaps made her regret not being the target that the fist had hit. Instead of Ruby, what that death dealing merciless fist had actually struck, was none other, than the feather soft stomach of her angelic looking mother, Ai. The most worst part about it was, it did not only hit any place on her body, it destructively drilled through the area on her stomach where the lethal and unrepairable wounds caused by Hakensu was located on, which was none other than her wounded umbilical region, the place where her belly button resided. Because of this, whatever excruciating agony her tender and vibrant mother would suffer, the fact that it landed on her most fragile, sensitive and most painful part of her entire body, the pain she would be receiving would get tremendously amplified. “Why… why did mama get hit…?” was the only thing that went in her mind as she watched what went down in slow motion. She questioned why her mother would do that. Why would she push her over so that instead of her, her mother Ai, would receive such a brutal blow on her already crucified stomach, just for her sake?Ruby wasn’t aware that what Ai had did, was solely because of the love she holds for her. Ai’s body moved instinctively when she sensed the danger her daughter was in, and she’d made sure Ruby was away from harm’s path no matter what, even if it caused her life ending agony. She’d do anything for her daughter to not get hurt, no matter the severe damage she would receive.Ruby prayed. She prayed in her mind that what she was witnessing in this slowed motion of her’s was not true, she hoped that all this was just a dream and that she could just wake up from this nightmare with the warmth of her mothers arms, because if this really was what reality had set for them, then what was occurring in front of her would just be too much. The pain, the suffering, the blow, it would just be too much for her beautiful and tender mother to bear. She could not handle it in her heart. But unfortunately for her, it indeed was reality.“...stop… stop… stop. Stop! STOP!” Ruby cried and yelled inside her mind as she was witnessing. She begged relentlessly.The crushing and shattering sound of organs exploding inside her mother’s soft stomach continued to grow louder and louder, as the man’s fist never stopped going deeper, and deeper into Ai’s ever-so delicate flesh. “Please… just stop, that’s too deep… you’ve already punched mama too deep!!” She screamed in her self thought while watching this horrifying nightmare.Ruby couldn’t utter a word, because she knew very well that words wouldn’t change in this slowed down motion she was seeing, and it would be delivered very late too. But in her mind, she begged. She begged for his fist to stop drilling deeper into Ai’s flesh than it already has, into her belly that Ruby adored so much, she begged. ‘CRACK’The fist hadn’t stopped tearing deeper until a loud ‘crack’ noise broke the atmosphere, coming right from where is fist was sunk on her abdomen. That ‘crack’ sound was loud and audible, to both the man and Ruby’s ears. That crack told meanings upon meanings of what happened to Ai. But the most simplest way both Ruby and the man interpret it was ‘something has broken inside her stomach’.The fist stopped sinking. “Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no, OH NO!” Ruby yelled in her mind, realizing the detrimental severity for her mother.The fist didn’t go any deeper than that as soon as he made Ai’s stomach crack. But what Ruby saw next was a large pile of crimson liquid gushing at the man's elbows in great quantities in a violent surge.Ruby’s heart shattered to a million pieces, because she exactly knew what that crimson fluid was. She raised her gaze slightly higher, where she could see the expression and state of her beloved mother.Ai’s eyes had no pupil, but there were tears, tears of pain and agony that were bursting out of her eyes as the man's fist was still lodged deeply on her crucified abdomen, her mouth wide open as a waterfall of blood was explosively surging out.“Mama…” Ruby murmured to herself with disbelief upon her sight, as this was the first time she ever saw this much blood ever gushing out from anyone, and that someone was none other than the person whom she loved infinitely more than anything else in the world. Tears swelled in Ruby’s eyes, seeing her precious mother in the most painful state anyone could ever be in, suffering the most brutal pain ever.The man slowly withdrew his fist from Ai’s abdomen that he mercilessly shattered, causing Ai’s body to slowly drop down, since of course, the impact and blow that was given in her extinguished every ounce of energy and balance on her body and replaced it with unbearable agony centering her midsection. But what Ai did as her body was slowly falling down with her back sliding on the wall, baffled Ruby. She expected her mother to now fully focus her arms to cover what had just got done crucified and crushed, she expected Ai to wrap and tightly clutch or press on it, but instead, Ai’s arm reached something else entirely, instead of covering her own stomach from pain like how usually almost anyone would do when they receive a devastating blow, her arms reached and pulled Ruby who was already initially inches away from her, to now fully covered by Ai’s arms, her head graved inside Ai’s chest as Ruby was able to hear the slow heartbeats from her mother’s heart. Upon landing on the floor, she already made herself in an embracing position with her daughter as she wrapped her like a cocoon. Despite the immeasurable pain and agony that she was currently bearing on her midsection, she prioritized the safety of her daughter first before the critical condition of her stomach. Ai coughed two times, blood spewing out of her mouth too, indicative of the damage that was done on her stomach, so much so that the blood on the ruptured organs on her stomach was still coming out of her mouth. But despite this, Ai focused on her beloved daughter Ruby. She embraced her closer and tighter to her chest, ensuring she is fully covered and shielded from any type of oncoming brutally, as well as receiving her warmth.“Huh..?”Ruby was completely flabbergasted, despite the unbearable agony that she was currently experiencing, her focus was still directed towards her. She could feel Ai’s heavy breaths slowly brushing on her forehead, indicative as to the unbearable pain she was fighting while she cuddled and wrapped her around. Tears rushed down Ruby’s eyes as she broke down completely, screaming and crying in pain, not physical pain, but mental pain. The pain that she is feeling in her heart after seeing what had occurred to her mother. At this point both Ruby and Ai didn’t even pay attention that the dangerous and brutal man was still standing before them, witnessing all this. A short time, maybe a maximum of 10 seconds had just passed after Ai had received that world ending punch on her already impaired umbilical region. He could hear the daughter breaking down and crying relentlessly in her mothers hug.“Huh? I wasn’t expecting to hit you with it. But you voluntarily received the blow instead of her just so that your kid won’t suffer it? Are you fucking stupid?! Your fragile little belly wouldn’t have been brutally shattered and you would not be in this much pain if you didn’t push her away.” He lashes out at her from the simple fact of a mother taking a mortal blow instead of her precious daughter. For him, it seemed outrageous for anyone willing to sacrifice themselves to receive any blow of his, no matter who it is. He isn’t aware of the love and affection a mother holds for their child that even goes beyond the length of taking a wound beyond their recovery where it could kill them, solely so that her child would be safe. That was the type of fondness implanted on a mother like Ai.Ai knows as an explicit fact that, if she hadn’t pushed Ruby away to intercept his bone shattering fist, it was most certain her precious little soul would’ve come out of her body.“I’m gonna leave for now, you two bore me.” He left the room after saying that, not a single tinge of regret or remorse in his mind after what he had just done to her. “But don’t think that I’m done. I’m nowhere near close until I finish tearing you apart.”The room was empty again. Just like how it was when Ai had woken up in this place. Just her and Ruby now.Ruby’s sobs were relentless, her screams overfilled with emotion and sadness upon her mother’s horrific condition. She kept on rubbing her face on Ai’s chest while crying loudly, muffling on her shirt and making it all wet from her sobs and tears. Ai just sat there in silence. Allowing Ruby to cuddle as much as she wants with her, while slowly rubbing Ruby’s back and hair. Her stomach hurt so much, it was even painful for her to put energy on her voice and talk. Worst part about it was that he punched right into the crippled part of her abdomen that was still slowly recovering. The extent of the man’s fist damaging her stomach nearly went back to the severity of her condition when Hakensu ambushed her, perhaps far worse.“I don’t know how it happened but… my body moved by itself… before my mind could even process what was going on…” Ai monologues to herself, she herself was also surprised how she even managed to do that. To push Ruby aside to take that devastating blow instead of her. Ai was already hurt even before that, but her body denied the pain and moved instinctively, knowing that something really bad was about to occur to her daughter. “Is this love?” Ai questioned herself, further getting understanding the concept of love of a mother to her child. She increases her tightness of her embrace that she was hugging her daughter as she rubs the back of her head, contemplating deeply on what she did and how she did it, because she recalled her body losing balance the moment he let go of her hair, so to regain balance back and move so swiftly before the punch landed on Ruby, was something she could not comprehend to do. Her body must've acted by itself, ignoring the pain and the stress, solely to protect the one her soul loved the most.At the moment, she had no choice but to bear the pain and let Ruby cry her heart out. At the very least, feeling Ruby’s presence so close to her chest, and knowing that she didn’t get badly hurt, actually eased her. Maybe not physically, but at least mentally.There was no medical support nearby so Ai can’t even check or try to find out how bad her condition has gone again. She felt like it was a nightmare too, just like how Ruby is feeling. A minute has passed by. Ruby’s sobs slowly eased, but it was still there raging. “Ruby~” Ai mustered a gentle whisper.Ruby responds a few seconds later by finally releasing her face from Ai’s chest, making her cloth soaked with all the tears. She looked up and saw her mother’s face, who was smiling. She had no idea why. Seeing the smile was heart relieving, but at the same time really sad too.Blood stains were everywhere on her chin, the remains after the large surge of blood erupted from her mouth was still visible. But despite all this, a faint smile was present on her lips“Mama~ why are you smiling~?” Ruby said in complete confusion, her voice still shaky and laced with heavy sympathy and sorrow. Ai moved her hands, gently reaching Ruby’s face, she rubbed the remaining tears on her daughter’s eyes by softly swiping it off with her thumb. A gentle but weak chuckle escaped Ai’s lips as her smile enlarged wider.“I’m just happy you weren’t hurt really badly~” Ai said with a weak voice which held unbelievable  pride for what she did. Despite receiving that catastrophic blow which amplified her agony to an unending degree, she was proud of what she did. The fact that she managed to at least prevent Ruby from receiving that fatal blow, she was proud that she did something she thinks a mother would do for her child. Ai views this as an accomplishment to enter a new level of love she can now understand and comprehend, in which she is capable of applying. It made her happy.“But you were!!” Ruby shouts back, anger, anxiety and sadness was all over voice, as tears started to drip wildly again from Ruby’s eyes she faced her mother this time with a desperate look. “This is not fair~” Ruby’s voice starts to get lower and more emotional as the relentless sobs changes her voice from a loud to a weak tone, a sign she can’t bear this oppression towards her mother “Mama… why did you get hit~... why does it have to be you~” she said these words heart brokenly to her mother, complaining why her precious, beloved and beautiful mother get to suffer pain that was meant for herself and not her.Ai’s eyes narrowed, watching and listening to Ruby break down for the second time in front of her as she spouts out her complaints, the sparkle and starryness of Ai’s eyes wasn’t shiny, an indication that the pain she was experiencing dulled its brightness.“This just.. Isn’t fair~” Ruby’s complains were on going, as she pauses a few seconds momentarily due to her sobs taking over before continuing her tantrum “Why does it have to be your belly~ why do you have to get hurt on the most softest place, why can’t it be anyone else~?” As Ai’s hands were placed on the back of Ruby’s head, she pulled her closer to her own face. Before Ruby got the chance to continue her rant,  she was met with a sensational kiss on her forehead, making Ruby stop her relentless complaints about how much injustice her mother was suffering. Perhaps that was its intention.The feeling of her mother’s lips pressing her forehead gave Ruby a spine chilling feeling that was ravishing through her body. Ai’s smooch cleansed and purified Ruby’s soul, despite the critical situation, Ruby couldn’t get over how the feeling of her mother’s kissing implanting on her forehead felt like she was entering a new world.She purposefully let her lips rest on Ruby’s forehead for seconds, giving the warmth and sensation that Ruby always adored from her mother. She made it last for a good 10 seconds before releasing her lips and looking back at Ruby with the same tender smile. Ruby stopped her rant, but she looked at her mother with sad eyes, unsure what to do next.“Mama~ you are hurt so much… I don't know what to do…” she said with deep concern.“Well…” Ai lowers her pupils down, thinking what to say before an idea comes across her mind “Oh yeah!” she leans back on the wall behind her more, completely resting shoulders back as she bends herself to an almost lying down position. “Come lay down on mama!” Ai suggested Ruby with a heart filled and tender smile, asking her to lay her head on her crippled stomach.“B-but.. your belly is injured…” Ruby persists, exposing her concern and reluctance in putting any kind of pressure on her beloved mother’s already crushed abdomen.Ai lets out a small sigh in response, her smile widening seeing her daughter's hesitance and concern for her.“It's gonna be alright~ Trust me. You always love sleeping on mama’s tummy don’t you~?” Ai begged and convinced Ruby playfully with her vibrant and tender smile.“Isn’t it going to hurt?” she asked with worry.“Ehh~? the weight of my daughter’s small head isn’t ever going to hurt my belly~” She rubs a small circle around her umbilical region “If anything, this is the time where my belly needs someone it loves to cuddle it~” She states playfully, yet her voice still laced with exhaustion and pain, as it was palpable due to the wrinkles in her eyes indicating just how much excruciating agony she is going though all while doing thisRuby thought her mother was being a bit crazy, completely underestimating the severity of her condition and being carefree about it, but at the same time, seeing that smile on her beautiful face as she politely requested Ruby to do so, she was in no way shape to reject such a heart filled emotional request from non other than Ai.So eventually, Ruby positioned herself and rested her head on top of her midsection.“Ahhh~..” Ai exhales with a pleasurable sensation upon feeling her daughter’s weight on her crippled stomach, placing both of her own hands gently on top of Ruby’s forehead, pressing it down slightly which applies slightly more force on her abdomen. Ai unusually felt really relaxed, despite the fact that pressure was placed on her critical wounds.Upon placing her head on her mother’s mid section, Ruby could hear some little noises as she concentrated her hearing right into the depths and the insides of Ai’s stomach, she could hear and feel the damage done to her internal organs. Of course, making Ruby depressed.“You know Ruby… my tummy may really hurt but…” Ai spoke softly as she played with Ruby’s hair bangs “When your head rests on it, it eases down the pain.”“Really?!” Ruby wanted reassurance.“Mhm,” Ai playfully said with a chuckle that was this close to escape her lips “My tummy likes it when it feels the weight of your adorable face.” She states. “This might sound weird, but what I like to think is… my tummy is absorbing the love that you are giving out to me, Ruby, when your head is placed on it, it uses that love you exert to slowly heal the damage.” Ai states her own little theory to Ruby. “Sounds kinda funny doesn’t it haha.”“Then I’ll lend you all my love!” Ruby exclaims.Ai couldn’t help but burst out a weak chuckle seeing Ruby take her imaginary theory seriously. Despite knowing how badly wounded Ai’s flesh was, Ruby also found solace in laying her head down on it too. The slow up and down motion her mother’s stomach produces as she rests her head upon each breath she exhales was sensational. She always loved this feeling whenever she rested her head on her. She can never get bored of it. Which explains why she gets extremely upset and heart broken when her mother suffers such unbearable damage on her soft belly that she adores so much. The soft cushy feeling from her mother means everything to Ruby.“Awwh~” a fury of concern rushes Ai, tilting her head back and looking at the brick cold ceiling, only a mother like Ai could feel what she is really feeling.“I need to know where my Aqua is~” Aqua’s absence made Ai uncomfortable the entire time, ever since she woke up and found he was not with her. As a mother, she was worried sick about his missing son. Having Ruby with her at least somewhat eased the tension, but her heart was still not at peace, at least not when Aqua was not within her grasp. “Ruby~ Do you have any idea where Aqua is?” She asked Ruby softly while patting her head.“Mm~” Ruby muttered softly, cuddling and moving her face side to side on Ai’s soft bruised stomach. “That man probably didn’t take Onii Chan with us.” She responds.This caught Ai’s attention. “Oh really~?” She said softly but surprisedly.“Mhm, when I woke up, he was still there and I asked him where big brother was, he said he left him there.” Ruby informs Ai in between cuddles and soft presses on her stomach.“I see…” Ai mutters softly, narrowing her eyes before sighing with relief “I’m worried what he’s doing right now… but I’m glad he didn’t come here.” She expresses herself. Even though Aqua was left behind and alone, she was happy her son didn’t come to this ruthless place, at least he gets avoid the suffering that she and Ruby were experiencing, even though she was still worried what Aqua would be doing right now, since in Ai’s eyes, he is still her little boy and doesn’t think he is capable of living alone without her, despite how mature he is. Her body was about to give up another slumber, her eyes twitching, almost about to close fully, letting herself get taken over by the exhaustion from trying to fight the agony. Ruby was also about to fall asleep too, the very soft cushy and tenderness of her mother’s flesh that she was resting on and the waves of ups and downs her belly performs per each heavy breath completely absorbed Ruby’s soul.This was their most distressing situation they were put in. Not only does Ai have one of his precious kids missing from her grasp, but also the unpredictability of what’s going to occur later as she and her daughter are kept in this room. Not only that, but Ruby and Aqua’s birthday is tomorrow, so to end up being in this prison is probably the worst ever outcomeAs the minutes passed by, both the mother and the daughter succumbed to a painful, yet peaceful slumber through the accompaniment of each other’s tenderness and warmth.  Baekho leaves the room Ai was kept in. His forearms all the way till his hands were still drenched in the blood that Ai vomited out when he mercilessly crushed her ever so soft and fragile stomach. As he was just about to leave the corridor that had access to the rooms where the victims are held in custody, a voice growled his attention behind him.“ Hey, ” it was laced with a venomous and poisonous aura, the tone as dark and hostile as it could get.“Huh?” Baekho turned around, only to see the little boy Choso, glaring at him with a death stare. “Oh it's you kid~ feeling like dying?” He threatens.“ Whose blood is that in your arms? ” Choso asks, demanding an answer as he observes the crimson fluid soaked in his forearms, with drops leaking from his finger.“Hm?” Baekho looks at his forearm, before realizing what Choso was going after.  “Psh, it's that purple haired little bitch’s of course. Who else?”Choso snapped in fury, unable to control his rage any longer as he viciously dashes at Baekho with his utmost menacing power he can exert from his little body, initiating the fight at this confined corridor.Baekho openly accepted his challenge as he already attempted to launch his first upper cut as Choso was dashing at him. But due to the sheer size of his body, not only was he much slower than Choso but his moves were also heavily predictable, thus allowing him to anticipate every move he would make, giving him a huge advantage.He swiftly evades Baekho’s uppercut, utilizing his agility to jump on top of his forearms that was in mid motion before landing a fierceful right punch into his face, slamming him into the wall.Even though Choso was a little boy, just like Yuji, he also retained some of his physical strength from his previous life. Although he wasn’t physically as strong as Yuji, he was still exceptionally powerful when it came to the normal standards of this world.Once he made Baekho lose his balance by delivering that critical blow on his face, he didn’t waste a second to utilize this opportunity to shower him with a merciless barrage. His huge body already crashed in the brick walls of the narrow corridor, so while he was about to drop down from mid air, Choso sunk his entire foot inside Baekho’s stomach with devastating force, pinning him entirely on the wall, causing a flow of blood gushing from his mouth from the impact his abdomen absorbed.“Shit… this small brat is no fly!” Baekho monologues to himself as he compliments Choso’s remarkable combative capability.He was now at a position completely vulnerable from a large fury combo.Choso’s fist sunk deep blow after blow. His solar plexus, umbilical region, ribs, chest, liver, all over his body in which his small, but destructively organ crushing fists continued to destroy, showing absolutely no mercy.“Gkrah!!” Baekho grunts in pain as his agony amplifies tremendously each second as he continues to receive Choso’s relentless barrage, his organs slowly shattering from the force and the destructiveness of the blows it was absorbing.“RAHH!!” Despite being in the middle of his attack, Baekho persisted, swinging his arms to strike Choso whilst receiving his blows, in an attempt to somewhat lessen the intensity of his barrage.But due to Choso’s battle experience from his past, he was able to easily predict and counter his swing perfectly, as he outmaneuvers his arms and goes for a critical kick right into his private part, making his entire body stun from the shock of the blow. In that very specific moment when Baekho’s body froze from the damage received on his critical spot, he launched an uppercut that sunk his knuckles right into his face, lifting his body up and sending him crashing entirely backwards.“Hah… hah…” Choso pants, slightly exhausted after exerting his absolute maximum amount of strength and exert to beat the living hell out of Baekho for not laying his finger onto Ai and Ruby’s innocent lives, but dealing significant damage to them.The fight so far was one sided in Choso’s favor, and he had no sign to stop his one sided brutal beating. His heart was still burning with rage, his fists still thirsty to deliver a much more ferocious beat down.“I see why… that geezer recruited you… but..!!” Baekho utters, his body scattered with bruises, his nose broken and his lips bleeding from the thrashing he received, acknowledging Choso’s remarkable strength.“You’re still speaking…? It seems my blows weren’t hard enough… I’m still too weak..!!” Choso utters, his voice still laced with malevolence and hostility. He didn’t let any time fly for Baekho to recover and regain his stance, as he already launched himself at him for his second assault. Baekho felt beyond humiliating to be getting beaten down by a mere 9 year old.Before Choso’s fist could reach his, it was intercepted by a hand that swiftly caught it.“That’s enough, Choso…” Choi interferes with their clash, confidently stopping Choso’s dash.“Tch! FUCK UP YOU HEARTLESS OLD GEEZER!!” Choso yells at the very top of his lungs, lashing his inner hatred towards Choi “You tell me to stop beating the ever living shit out of his ugly meatheaded disgraceful ass… BUT I DON’T SEE YOU STOPPING HIM FROM BRUTALLY HARMING INNOCENT SOULS WHO DON’T DESERVE ANY OF THIS!!” He screams at his face.Choi gets fed up with Choso’s ranting and tantrum so he grips his fist hard enough to where his knuckles cracked.“Argh!” He falls to his knees upon getting his knuckles broken by Charles' extraordinary power.“Choso… if you cause havoc one more time… you can say goodbye to Eso and Kechizu.” Choi threatens Choso, letting go of his hand, glaring at him with eyes that indicate he owns and controls Choso.“Rrgh..!!” Choso grits his teeth, unable to respond back to that. The moment he heard of his precious little brothers being threatened, he became silent, as Yuji, Kechizu and Eso are among the people who Choso cherishes the most in his heart. There was no one else more dear to him besides them. He already lost Kechizu and Eso in their previous life, so he vowed to never lose them again and promised to live a normal life with them.The only obstacle that was preventing him from doing so was Charles’ might and his rulership. He has been fighting back secretly this whole time, but gradually it became more difficult and he got forced to do things that was against his morals.“Now then… since you were not taking good care of Canan, I helped you a little.”Choi informs, shocking Choso once more.“You… what?!” Choso knew what Choi meant, he would never “take care” of anyone, rather he said it ironically and actually meant the complete opposite.Without wasting a single second, he immediately left the scene and rushed towards the room where Canan was located.“Canan!!” He slammed the door open, only to see a sight beyond his disgust. There his eyes witnessed Canan being hanged up on the wall, consciousness faded, bruises scattered across her face, her clothes torn apart from the relentless torment scattered with blood all over her body.Except this time, it wasn’t a fake act for the purpose to delude someone into thinking she was tortured, it was real. The blood that was dripping from her chin and from her body, it wasn’t Choso’s, it was hers.“C~canan~..” Choso utters, his insides tearing apart from seeing the souls of innocents getting brutally treated without being able to protect them. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth as his entire body was shaking with regret and rage. “How could this happen…” His inner turmoil reached his limit, his head heavy with all the tension of the uncertain possibilities that can happen with his brothers, Ai and Canan, something that he started to realize was beyond his control to try to prevent. He started to feel dizzy from bearing all the responsibilities for the safety of the people he cared about that are now threatened inside and outside this basement on his shoulders.He couldn’t even reach Yuji yet to inform him about the capturing of Ai, but he knows that he would be searching for her by now after noticing her absence. “Yuji… Sorry for making me rely on you for my problems…”  “Mama~” Ruby’s exhausted words muffled against Ai’s sore stomach that was still aching with intense pain from the earlier blow it received. “I’m so bored and hungry~” she complained to her mother, boredom and hunger made Ruby drunk. It has been 17 hours since that vicious and brutal executive attacked them. Since then, Ruby and Ai were stuck in that empty cold confined room covered with layers of stone brick. Ruby’s face was still buried inside her mother’s soft belly, as she slowly moved her face side to side, feeling the soft and delicate flesh on her abdomen.  A sigh of frustration escaped Ai’s lips, wrinkles were all over her eyes from fighting the excruciating pain that bore on the spot she was struck. Her hands slowly rubbed Ruby’s hair up and down as she was nestling on her belly, which was unironically the only source of her some comfort and solace on the pain that was graved on it. But that didn’t clear away her frustration at all. She’d been stuck with Ruby in a confined prison-like cage for more than 15 hours. Ruby is crying with hunger. As a mother, she feels helpless seeing her own daughter cry from hunger and thirst and she can’t provide her with anything. On the other hand, she has no clue where her son Aqua is and what he is doing, something that’s relentlessly bothering her too. “~Grgrgrgrgr~” Ruby’s stomach yelled with emptiness, begging for something to digest. They both heard that stomach growl. “~Mama~...” Ruby tries to rent with a voice that barely had any energy left on it, due to the exhaustion and hunger.“I’m sorry, Ruby~” Ai replied with a soft, weak voice laced with complete helplessness. She couldn’t do anything. She wrapped both hands at the back of Ruby’s head and pressed it towards her stomach, hoping that some miracle would occur and set them free. They both tried imagining it was a dream, but time felt too long, and it was the undisputable reality they were facing.“But mama, you are hungry too~” Ruby states as her face was buried on Ai’s soft abdomen, “I can hear your tummy growling,” she said with cute innocence. Ruby was able to hear every fiber and movement of organs inside her mother’s stomach, feeling the vibration on her ear everytime it growled.Ai let out a soft chuckle, mustering a faint smile hearing this from her daughter. “Oh really? Guess my belly needs some food too haha.”After a moment of silence passed by between them, Ai realized what day it was approaching.“Ruby~” she spoke softly.“Hm~?” Ruby makes a noise while still nestled on her belly.“Mama’s so sorry that this is happening to you on your birthday~” Ai said with a voice filled with misery and sadness, not only as a mother, but the fact that her kid's birthday is completely ruined by this completely unpredicted situation.“But mama~” Ruby lifted her head up, gazing right at Ai, meeting her eyes directly as she reached and placed her hands on her shoulders as something to lean towards her mother. “It’s not your fault, we just didn’t know something like this would happen~” Ruby spoke with purity, trying to convince her mother that this has nothing to do with her nor is it her fault.The faint smile returns back to Ai upon hearing her daughter's words, pulling her closer as they collide their chest together, wrapping her arms and hugging her once more very tightly.“But still… if only mama was a bit stronger, if only mama could defend herself and protect her kids… none of this would’v-”“But you are already strong, mama.” Ruby cuts off Ai’s self blame into something that surprised her and takes her back.“U-” While still embracing each other, Ai was confused what Ruby meant.“You have the strongest heart that shines brighter than anyone. You’re strong enough to save me and take that really powerful blow on your injured tummy, because you love me. Your love makes you stronger than anyone, mama. And you love us more than anyone could love anyone or anything else.” Ruby’s words hit Ai in the soul. It made her tears stream down from her eyes as those words purified her heart. Tightening her hug even more, pulling Ruby against her chest with more pressure, she sobbed soundly, as her tears fell on her daughter’s shoulders.“I don’t need mama to know how to fight or be physically strong. I love the way you are already, gentle, soft and warm~” Ruby continues to say while happily accepting herself into Ai’s tight hug as she cries. Ai never knew her daughter could say such emotional words that melted her hearts in the most difficult and tormenting situations.  It has been more than a day since Ai got captured into Choi’s basement. Even now, Choso wasn’t able to show his face to Ai, or more so his spirits decreased into telling him not to. He thought that if Ai knew Choso worked for this place, her perspective for him would be tarnish and cripple. He doesn’t want an idol that he likes to think of him as a criminal and a heartless soul that tortures and brings suffering to people. Especially not after anticipating what Ai had gone through.But that wasn’t his main reason for not interfering with Ai’s safety and comfort, there was a bigger risk outside of this as doing so would put more people that are beloved to him in bigger danger. He didn’t really care that much whether Ai would think of him as a criminal, as long as she was safe, but that was easier said than done. He most certainly knows if he does attempt to take and remove Ai from where she is and provide her with anything beyond Choi’s consent, he would be done for, and not only him, but his beloved two little brothers as well.Each day Choso became more drained and drained. He spent most of his time dedicated to heal Canan’s severe wounds that she got from Choi. His head kept spinning rapidly, the only things in his mind that are going in circles right now were Ai’s safety, and how long it will take until Gojo retrieves Kechizu and Eso from that place and bring them here, so that he can officially go against Choi’s might and fight back without having to worry about the safety of his younger brothers.‘Brrr’ Choso’s phone rang, vibrating from his pocket. “Y~yuuji?!” He sees Yuji was the one calling him and assumes its about Ai’s kidnap.“Yo, Yuji,” “CHOSO!!” Yuji screams at the phone.“Shh! Quiet, Choi might hear me~” Choso tells Yuji to lower his volume so that Choi doesn’t find out.“O, sorry. But, Is AI WITH YOU?!” He asks, urging for an answer.“Yes~ but wait Yuji,” he warns, already anticipating his next move.“Why wait?! We need to retrieve her right now!” Yuji persists.“Don’t come here charging without a plan! Choi has tremendous power backing him up. If you get caught in his basement, he isn't forgiving or merciful, we both know that.”“But we can't just stand here and let Ai get hurt!! This is not acceptable.” “I know..! But it will be useless either way if we plan an attack but fail to get Ai back.”“Rrgh! Then what should I do?!” “Just wait for Gojo Satoru to come, he’s your best ally to beat Choi.”“Alright, I will.” Yuji accepts Choso’s suggestion “Also, how is Ai doing?” He asks, desperate to know the condition of her state.“...” Choso stayed silent, not willing to answer his question, because he knows the answer will be extremely unpleasant for him to hear.“Choso?” Yuji calls out, wondering why he wasn’t speaking.“...i’m not sure… I wasn’t able to meet her after she got locked into her designated room. Choi is extremely strict and cautious about this and isn’t willing to even let me meet her at all.” “But… Do you think she is okay at least?” Choso then calls back to last night when he saw Baekho leaving Ai’s room with a bloody soaked forearm, almost certainly telling him that he most definitely dealt some severe damage to either Ai or Ruby for his hand to be drenched in blood. But he just didn’t know how he would tell Yuji this, nor did he even want Yuji to hear this heart shattering fact.“I… hope so..” He answers vaguely “But to tell the truth, I don’t think she is completely unharmed.”“...I understand,” Yuji responds, understanding Choso’s difficulty in revealing the truth. He already sort of understood what Ai went through, but he kept his composure and maturely acted accordingly. “I will try my best to come up with something and infiltrate Choi’s basement, just hang a bit more.” “Thank you, Yuji.”They cut the call for now as they both resume their duties.“Hey kid,” A voice echoes behind Choso. It wasn’t Choi’s, nor was it Baekho’s, it was someone entirely different, someone who he hadn't met before. He turned around to that voice, seeing a young handsome man in his mid 20s, pinning himself at the corner of the ceiling. He was baffled to not notice his presence here or spot him before, telling him that he already has remarkable hiding skills.“Wh~who are you?” Choso asks, puzzled by his appearance.“I'm Shinji. Sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation on your phone but do you have any connection with Satoru Gojo?” Shinji asks.“U- how do you..” “I'm one of his friends that got captured by Charles' bodyguards.” He informs, as he was indeed put here captive after losing a very tough fight with Gun Park. “Say boy, are you planning to take down Charles?” he asks, genuinely wanting to know Choso's motives.“U… yeah~” “Perfect, then I can use your help, you are pretty strong for someone your age. I saw your fight with that big muscle head and I'm surprised you were kicking his ass.”“Wait, if you are Gojo's friend, then by any means, do you have his contact?” “I don't have his contact with me because my phone got confiscated, but I know his number.”“Then, you can call him from my phone!” Choso exclaims.“That’d be great, but the problem is, I can't get down there.” Shinji states as he was still pinning himself at the very corner of the ceiling with his foot and arms while still talking down to Choso.“Wha- why,?”“Because then I'd be visible to the CC Camera.”“But how about where you are right now?” “Where I am at this exact area, the CC Camera can't capture my footage, this is one of the very blind spots of the camera that I found out.”“But doesn't old Choi know that you're roaming around here?”“He does,”“But then…”“I don't give a shit. I just don’t want him to keep on tracking me with those lame ass camera’s”“...”“He can't do anything to stop me, he tried appointing that fat meathead to try and keep me in place but I gave him the beating he deserved for the next entire decade.”“So what you're saying, you're unrestrained in this area.”“Sort of.” “Then what's preventing you from leaving this place”“Choi’s damn bodyguards.”“Hm… then first of all…” Choso thinks about how he can make this place more convenient for Shinji, and the first thing he thought was to make him able to move more freely in this area, because having someone as strong as him as an ally would be major help for an army against Choi.“SSKRSSH”  Choso picked up a small pebble that was close to where he was standing and aimed to shoot it directly at the CC Camera that was behind him. With remarkable precision and accuracy he burst it with a single shot.“What are you…” Shinji wondered what he was up to before realizing that Choso was only making it easier for him to move around this place.“That's not a bad idea…” he compliments Choso's decision, before finally dropping down on the floor without having any risk of getting caught.“Also one more thing, did that Idol Ai also reach this place?” He asks Choso.“You know her?”“I was appointed by Gojo to be her secret protector from any oncoming danger, until I lost to Gun Park and arrived here.”“Then, can you please help me and save her!!” Choso begs, urging for his assistance.“I was planning to do that anyway, and besides…” “STOOOOOOOPPP!!!” Both Shinji and Choso got silenced pitifully as a deafening scream reverberated throughout the entire hideout, coming from a certain room. Goosebumps spiked throughout their entire body with bone chilling spines ravaging their bones, as not only did they feel the catastrophe behind that scream, but they also knew exactly who that was. It sank both their souls, as their attention was then directed towards where that scream was coming from. It was so loud that even though they were a fair distance away from that scream along with the thick iron walls in between, it could make one temporarily deaf“That.. is not a normal scream…”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Mama~” Ruby’s exhausted words muffled against Ai’s sore stomach that was still aching with intense pain from the earlier blow it received. “I’m so bored and hungry~” she complained to her mother, boredom and hunger made Ruby drunk. It has been 17 hours since that vicious and brutal executive attacked them. Since then, Ruby and Ai were stuck in that empty cold confined room covered with layers of stone brick. Ruby’s face was still buried inside her mother’s soft belly, as she slowly moved her face side to side, feeling the soft and delicate flesh on her abdomen.

A sigh of frustration escaped Ai’s lips, wrinkles were all over her eyes as repeated jolts of excruciating pain tore through her umbilical area. She was enduring so much pain on her stomach that she doesn’t understand how she is alive right now, nor did she ever thought agony at this critical level even existed.

In Ai’s pocket, she had one pain killer tablet which she so happens to take with her every time with a bottle of water, due to the sudden aches she has had on her impaired abdomen ever since Hakensu inflicted those lethal wounds to her. Due to getting brutally drilled on the very same spot, her agony astronomically amplified to an unending degree. A part of her wants to take the pain-killer, but the only problem was, there was no water, and the doctor specifically instructed her to eat it with a form of liquid and highly suggested water, otherwise, the tablet won't be digestable nor would it be able to go down your throat without choking on it. But that wasn’t the only reason why she didn’t eat it yet.

Though she couldn’t explain it, she had a gut wrenching feeling that she might need this for something else, something more dire that might happen later on as they are still stuck in this detrimental environment. It was mostly intuition from her part as a mother, thus she delayed use it.

Her hands slowly rubbed Ruby’s hair up and down as she was nestling on her belly, which was unironically the only source of her comfort and solace on the pain that was graved on it. If there was one thing that was healing her wounds, it would be the weight of her little girl resting on her crippled belly.

But that didn’t clear away her frustration at all. She’d been stuck with Ruby in a confined prison-like cage for more than 15 hours. Ruby is crying with hunger, and as a mother, she feels helpless seeing her own daughter cry from anger and hunger and she can’t do anything about it. On the other hand, she has no clue where her son Aqua is and what he is doing, something that’s relentlessly bothering her too.

“~Grgrgrgrgr~” Ruby’s stomach yelled with emptiness, begging for something to digest. They both heard that stomach growl. “~Mama~...” Ruby tries to rent with a voice that barely had any energy left on it, due to the exhaustion and hunger.

“I’m sorry, Ruby~” Ai replied with a soft, weak voice laced with complete helplessness. She couldn’t do anything. She wrapped both hands at the back of Ruby’s head and pressed it towards her stomach, hoping that some miracle would occur and set them free. They both tried imagining it was a dream, but time felt too long, and it was the undisputable reality they were facing.

“But mama, you are hungry too~” Ruby states as her face was buried on Ai’s soft abdomen, “I can hear your tummy growling,” she said with cute innocence. She was able to hear every fiber and movement of organs inside her mother’s stomach, feeling the vibration on her ear everytime it growled.

Ai let out a soft chuckle, mustering a faint smile hearing this from her daughter. “Oh really? Guess my belly needs some food too haha.”

After a moment of silence passed by between the mother and daughter, Ai realized what day it was approaching.

“Ruby~” she spoke softly.

“Hm~?” Ruby makes a noise while still nestled on her belly.

“Mama’s so sorry that this is happening to you on your birthday~” Ai said with a voice filled with misery and sadness, not only as a mother, but the fact that her kid's birthday is completely ruined by this completely unpredicted situation.

“But mama~” Ruby lifted her head up, gazing right at her mother, meeting her eyes directly as she reached and placed her hands on her shoulders as something to lean towards her mother. “It’s not your fault, we just didn’t know something like this would happen~” Ruby spoke with purity, trying to convince her mother that this has nothing to do with her nor is it her fault.

The faint smile returns back to Ai upon hearing her daughter's words, pulling her closer as they collide their chest together, wrapping her arms and hugging her once more very tightly.

“But still… if only mama was a bit stronger, if only mama could defend herself and protect her kids… none of this would’v-”

“But you are already strong, mama.” Ruby cuts off Ai’s self blame into something that surprised her and takes her back.

“U-” While still embracing each other, Ai was confused what Ruby meant.

“You have the strongest heart that shines brighter than anyone. You’re strong enough to save me and take that really powerful blow on your injured tummy, because you love me. Your love makes you stronger than anyone, mama. And you love us more than anyone could love anyone or anything else.”

Ruby’s words hit Ai on the soul. It made her tears stream down from her eyes as those words purified her heart. Tightening her hug even more, pulling Ruby against her chest with more pressure, she sobbed soundly, as her tears fell on her daughter’s shoulders.

“I don’t need mama to know how to fight or be physically strong. I love the way you are already, gentle, soft and warm~” Ruby continues to say while happily accepting herself into Ai’s tight hug as she cries. Ai never knew her daughter could say such emotional words that melted her hearts in the most difficult and tormenting situations.

7 more hours have passed. Ruby’s stomach was about to bust from hunger. She was laying on her mother’s chest, leaning back against the wall.

“Someone… save us..” Ruby muttered, her voice running out of energy from starvation and thirst. Both Ai and Ruby rested on each other, as their stomach growls continued to echo through the confined room. “I think.. I’m going to die…” Ruby muttered.

“No… hang on.. A bit longer.” Ai begged Ruby to hold on. She remembers that man saying to her while he kneed her stomach that someone is going to pick them up this evening. It was Thursday morning, evening is still quite a few hours away and Ruby and Ai were dying from hunger and boredom. Their soul feels like they are about to leave their body.

A few minutes later, they heard the door that was the only entry to their room slam open once again, just like how it slammed open when that brutal man came. And to their surprise, he came to check up on them once again.

“Alright you midgets!” He stormed inside, his wrathful and merciless nature present as he filled the confined room with his malevolent aura. He walked closer to them, noticing their helpless bodies laying on the floor and leaning on the wall, as if they barely had any soul inside them.

He kneeled down viciously and glared at them.

Ruby had enough, and took her one and only opportunity to express herself. The hunger inside her stomach took over her.

She slowly got up, trying her best despite how little energy she had. She stood up courageously to the man that was kneeling down viciously on her level.

“R-ruby?” Ai muttered confusedly, as she noticed Ruby’s sudden action of standing up to him. It was dangerous and she had no idea what Ruby was planning to do. Ai herself slowly sat up straight upon seeing Ruby stand up right in front of the man.

Ruby glared straight at the man whilst exposing her innocence.

“The fuck is wrong with you kid?” Baekho violently talked back.

Ruby still glared at him with her own impending rage for a few more seconds, before taking a deep breath, her chest coming forward, ready to burst whatever she had in mind

“How could you?!  How could you hurt my mother and not bring her any medical treatment?! What did she even do to you?! You’ve left us here to starve all day. You didn’t give us food or anything to drink and you expect us to survive?! We are dying from hunger so give us something to eat at the very least!”

She shouts at him with every bit of energy she had left on her lungs, demanding him to treat her and her mothers unbearable hunger.

The man leaned forward even more, a wicked smile formed on his face. Ai’s heart beated rapidly, as she feared something terrible might happen. Ruby was on the nick of Ai’s range before the chains restricted her from moving any forward. She was still leaning back on the wall, but she was on the verge of deciding to pull Ruby backward before anything bad happened.

“So you’re hungry you say?” For the first time, the man’s voice didn’t seem to sound as malicious or threatening.

“Yes!” Ruby exclaimed firmly.

The wicked smile enlarged. “Don’t worry, you won’t be hungry anymore.” The man states.

Ruby gasped with hope filling her heart, finally being free from this unendurable hunger she was experiencing.

“Oh, real-”

Getting her hopes up, before Ruby got to say anything, her reality this time shattered into immense pain as she felt a heavy and sharp pressure piercing through her small and delicate belly, making her eyeballs widen with pain and shock.

The man had jabbed 3 of his fingers right at her soft little stomach with heavy pressure. His fingers went so deep inside her delicate flesh, his wrist was about to go inside too.

“Ough!”

Her eyes lost its luster. Blood spilled out from Ruby’s mouth as it made a round shape. The excruciating agony sent shockwaves through her fragile little body, causing her to collapse on her knee and clutch her belly very tightly. The agony and pain that ravaged through her stomach from that sudden deep poke was too much for her little body to endure, so the remaining energy on her body left as the pain engulfed her soul, making her collapse to the ground.

“RUBY!!” Ai shouted, her heart breaking to pieces as she saw her innocent daughter take that deep jab on her belly. She immediately rushed to her side to pull her back, but before Ai’s hands could reach her, the man grabbed the back of Ruby’s jumper with his left hand and lifted her up.

“No! Please stop! Let her go! Please!” Ai screamed, begging desperately with her heart, for the man to let go of her innocent daughter. She tried to reach Ruby who was getting lifted up by the man, but the cuffs that she had on her wrist restrained her, but despite that, she still persisted and tried to reach her even though it was impossible.

The man stood up, carrying Ruby up high, laughing like a maniac as he saw Ruby’s helpless and gloomy face, her eyes watery, threatening to shed tears from the terror her heart was getting attacked by. He lifted her high with his left hand by pulling back on the jumper.

“Please! don’t hurt her!! I beg you!!” Her eyes watery, Ai persistently screams for the man to stop what he is about to do to her daughter.

“I’ll do anything!! Just please~!! let her go! I’ll take whatever punishment instead of her!! Just please~~ let her be free!!!”” Her once gloomy and energyless state was now replaced with desperate pleas for her beloved daughter. She wasn’t lying when saying nor was she even the slightest bit hesitant when she said she will take and endure the punishment or beating instead of Ruby. Despite her already crippled state, she was willing to endure much more if it meant that her precious little angel of hers wouldn’t get hurt at all.

“You said you’re hungry right! Then EAT THIS!”

While lifting Ruby high up with his left hand above his head, with his right hand, he clenched his fist and delivered a bone rattling uppercut right onto Ruby’s innocent soft abdomen, the fist engraved inside her fragile stomach. One could feel the force and shockwave penetrating through her back as it was arched when her belly received that unforgiving fist deeply in her flesh

‘PAW!”

Ruby’s eyes widen even broader from excruciating pain. Her whole body vibrated as her delicate stomach absorbed the impact from his fist that was drilled right through her small and delicate stomach.

“BLAGH!” A chunk of blood burst from Ruby’s mouth, as tears began to swell on her eyes from the unforgiving pain that was enveloping her soul.

“RUBY NOO!!!” Ai’s screams got tremendously louder and more desperate as tears explode from her eyes from seeing her little innocent and cute daughter receive such undeserved brutal torture. Ai exerted as much energy as she could to try to reach her despite having chains on her wrist that were tied back to the brick wall. It's almost as if she wanted to rip her arms off just so that she could prevent the man from doing the immoral and unjust things to her poor daughter that was already suffering from hunger.

“Ahahaha!” The man laughed devilishly as he took his fist out of Ruby’s damaged stomach “How’d you like that!? Still hungry?!?!” lines of blood dripped from Ruby’s mouth as she was carried up high. But it wasn’t until very shortly after that her little belly received another devastating punch just as if not more powerful and gut-wrenching than the previous.

‘BOOM’

The fist explodes inside Ruby’s stomach with bone shattering force, even causing Ruby’s back to arch back, indicating how deep the fist had drilled through the soft flesh on her poor midsection.

‘BLAAUGH!’

Another big chunk of blood erupts from Ruby’s mouth. Her eyes became white as tears of pain began running down rapidly, indicating that this brutal torment was too much for her little soul.

“PLEASE STOP!!! HAVE MERCY!! SHE IS ONLY LITTLE!!”

Ai’s screams became more desperate the more punches Ruby took, her lungs about to explode from how loud she was screaming. Her heart shattered to a million pieces, not being able to bear the sheer atrocity she was witnessing in front of her. Not a single soul would’ve ever dared to imagine such a beautiful idol like Ai, screaming with such intensity and emotion. A river stream flowed from her eyes. As a mother, watching your precious little daughter, who is the cutest and greatest gift you can ever hope to have, in front of your eyes, get brutally tormented and showered by life threatening blows on her innocent feather soft flesh, it feels as if your own heart is getting torn apart. That was exactly what Ai was suffering, if not more due to the heart touching words she said to her when they were alone together not too long ago.

‘POWW’

Another deep excruciating blow lands on Ruby’s belly, this time on her solar plexus, fully causing her eyes to go blank white that blow took away every ounce of remaining energy on her body.

“GLAGH”

More blood gushing out of Ruby’s mouth.

“NO MORE!! PLEASE, STOP IT!! I BEG YOU!! PLEASE!!” Ai continued her heartbreaking plea, her voice breaking down.

The man however, ensured that his blows weren’t too brutal where it would kill her. The blows he is delivering to Ruby didn’t have nearly as much power as it did when he drilled through Ai’s guts, however, that doesn’t in any way mean that the punches Ruby was receiving wasn’t devastating at all. His main intention was to now mentally torture and break Ai’s soul to absolute pieces by brutalizing the thing she loved the most, her little children. He knew that, even though Ai isn’t getting hurt physically, but to damage Ai’s heart the worst way possible was to resort to harming her innocent souls she gave birth to.
 
‘PAW!”

“BLAGH!”

‘POWH!’

“AAUGH!”

‘BOOM!’

“GLAGH!!”

The man mercilessly continued to pound on Ruby’s already damaged stomach as the blood continued to gush out of her mouth with each blow her belly received. There was not a single bit of remorse

“NO MORE~! PLEASE N~O~ MO~RE~ N~~O~...” 
 
Ai broke down. 
 
Guttering tears racked her face as she saw her beloved daughter get mercilessly beaten. She wasn’t able to finish her plea due to the sobs that overwhelmed her, and felt as if her heart was about to erupt. Her eyes and voice were swollen from all the crying. Each punch that damaged the organs in Ruby’s stomach mirrored the damage that it did to Ai’s heart.

She cried heartbreakingly, as the heartwarming memories with her daughter floated on her mind.

“Mama~” .

“Yes Ruby?”

“I don’t need any gifts for my birthday.”

“U- why not?”

“Because I don’t need any. I already have you~. You are my biggest gift, mama.”

“But you are already strong, mama.”

“Huh?”

“You have the strongest heart that shines brighter than anyone. You’re strong enough to save me and take that really powerful blow on your injured tummy, because you love me. Your love makes you stronger than anyone, mama. And you love us more than anyone could love anyone or anything else.”

The man ignored the mother’s heartfelt plea and her guttering sobs in begging him to stop brutalizing her innocent daughter. He continued his ruthless punches with a devilish smirk that continued to shatter Ruby’s stomach.

The floor was getting tainted red as the crimson fluid that was bursting out of Ruby’s mouth from each blow reached Ai.

Tears poured relentlessly as she couldn’t bear it. There was no star in her eyes anymore, it was dark purple and swollen red. Ai felt detrimental fear. The fear that… her beloved daughter Ruby… might die… if this continues.

The wave of blood that was coming out from her daughter’s mouth as she received another gut crushing blow, hit and splashed on Ai’s beautiful and silky violet hair and pretty face, tainting it red as the blood from her daughter dripped down to Ai’s chin. Her tears submerged with the blood that was splashed on her. Her world was turned into hell. The feeling of blood splashing on to her, and it being none other than her own beloved daughter’s, completely wrecked and disintegrated Ai’s heart.

“Aaaa~!!” Ai sobbed and screamed violently as her heart was shaking with desperation for her little daughter. Her breaths were heavy, her cheeks were drenched sobs, tear streaks everywhere, unable to bear the atrocity that her little cute daughter was suffering.

Sadly, It didn’t stop, it continued to splash on her blow after blow, realizing just how much damage her little angel was receiving from this torment as her hair was getting painted red from her daughters own blood.

“That's enough!~ Please~ let her go~” Ai cried in between the overwhelming tears that prevented from talking, as well as her swollen throat from all the screaming. “Please~ have mercy~ she is only a little child~ Please~! I’ll do anything for this to stop~” Her plea was emotionally indescribable. Looking at the man with desperate eyes that would do anything for him to stop what he was doing to her daughter.

“God you look fucking pathetic.” The man stopped his rampage on her daughter as he turned his head back to Ai who at the edge of how much the chains restrained her, wrinkled swollen red eyes overflowed with tears. She was on her knees, even though the chains didn’t allow her to move any further, she still persisted, to reach her daughter. “You’re like a worm.” The man described Ai, who paid no attention to his insults and only cared about releasing her daughter from his grip.

“You and your daughter are all the same, punching both your bellies feels like I’m punching a feather cushion.” He mocked as he glared down at Ai’s helpless state.

Ai’s crying stopped temporarily, her face filled with tear streaks, when Ruby wasn’t taking any more blows, but her desperation was still there. She stared at her unconscious daughter who was still lifted by the the back of the collar of her jumper, Blood dripping from her chin as it was covered with blood taints, Her eyes nearly closed, barely seeing a bit of her faded lifeless pupil that had been turned from red to gray, tear trails filled her cheeks from the tears that she shed from the unbearable pain she was receiving too.

Never would Ai ever thought she’d see one of her precious kids brutally battered THIS badly. She hoped that this was all just a cruel nightmare. Seeing her cute and vibrant daughter that was always filled with love for her, get tormented this horrifically, nothing could ever hurt Ai more painful than this.
 
“ALRIGHT, BACK TO YOU!” The man then turned around and shifted his focus to Ai’s daughter who was lifelessly still carried by him above his head. “Are you still hungry?!” He shouted at the unconscious little girl who had fainted from the overwhelming pain and damage on her little tummy. Those words didn’t go through her ears, so that man didn’t get a response at all.

“Hm?” Raising one his brows and tilting his head from the silence she gave.

“Let me see if it’s still hungry or not.” The man pulled Ruby towards her, and planted his face inside Ruby’s damaged belly that he brutally crushed.  He snuggled inside deep, hearing the sound of her ruptured internal organs.

A blink didn’t drop on Ai. A flicker of hope entered her heart where the man would finally let her daughter go. Her heart was beating rapidly, almost audible from the outside. Each second passing by felt like an eternity to her, as the only thing she hoped for was the man to release her precious daughter from his brutal and immoral violence.

He withdrew face from Ruby’s belly after hearing the sounds inside it for a few seconds.

“Hmm, I don’t hear any more growls, but since I’m nice, I can feed that belly one last blow.” His grin turned ever-so malicious and immoral as it could be.

These words flew through Ai’s ears like a gunshot, as the moment she heard ‘feed that belly one last blow’ her heart was about to explode from the sheer weight and cruelty of what was about to happen to her already battered daughter. Her eyes enlarged just from imagining it, disturbing chills ravaged her body as she envisioned her already battered Ruby getting one more blow into her already crushed abdomen.

A fury of energy piled on to Ai as she leaped up, trying her best to free herself from the chains, to get to Ruby.

“NO! DON’T DO IT ANY MORE!! PLEASE!!!” the mother begged with all her heart, even with a cracked voice, her screams still echoed loudly through the confined room, completely ignoring and breaking the limits of her voice. But her heartfelt plea only went over the remorseless man’s head. At this point, Ai wanted to rip her arms out so that she could take the blow instead of Ruby.

“Hehe..” The man tightly clenched his fist, as we see veins pop up, “This one’s gonna make you FULL.” He uttered with lethal aura surrounding, as he’s in the midst pulling back his fist, for the hardest punch he is about to deliver to Ruby’s already poor crushed little belly.
 
“PLEASE STOP!! YOU HAVE ALREADY HURT HER ENOUGH!! HAVE MERCY ON HER FOR ONCE!! I BEG YOU!! I’LL DO ANYTHING!! JUST PLEASE DON’T HURT MY DAUGHTER ANYMORE!!!”
 
Ai’s screams got louder by the second as she put every ounce of energy on her lungs and her broken throat into her plea to attempt to convince this man to stop his brutal savagery on her daughter whilst watching him charge his fist back for the final blow. Her voice was broken, but she didn’t care. As a mother who loves her daughter to the core, she’d do absolutely anything to prevent what the man was going to do. Her heartbeat rate rapidly increased by the millisecond as she watched the man completely dismiss her heart reaching plea and continuing to pull his fist back until it stopped.
 
That’s when Ai knew that he was about to release it and strike it right at Ruby at any moment. Tears swelling in her eyes upon this inevitable and heart crushing result. 
 
“No~.. No~... NO! It’s too much!!!” Ai monologues in her mind as she watches in  despair, nodding her head sideways, tears streaming down her cheeks. She prayed that this nightmare could end. She prayed that someone could come and save her from this blow. Her chest and body violently started trembling, trembling off the fact that she just could not bear to see the outcome to her one and only precious daughter, a major piece of her heart outside her body. Her soul was engulfed in despair and misery, the inevitable brutal reality that was going to occur in front of her eyes.

‘BAAAWHGHH!!!”
 
Creating a thunderous organ crushing noise that literally shook the entire room as it reverberated through the walls. The man's fist including his wrist were swallowed inside the innocent poor soft flesh of Ruby’s stomach, making her back arch back the most. 
 
“GLAAUGHH!!!” 
 
Ruby’s nearly closed eyelids violently shut open, her eyes holding no pupil, her closed mouth opening wide ferociously for the huge pile of blood to violently surge out of it.

‘Splash’ a good portion of the blood that gushed from Ruby’s mouth splattered onto her mother’s hair and face.
 
“
STOOOOOOOPPPPPP!!!!
”
 
One could say this scream of Ai’s was heard kilometers away, completely selling out her throat and lungs. It was only natural, for a mother, especially someone like Ai who unconditionally loved her two adorable kids to the core, to scream in this way.

A waterfall bursted out of Ai’s eyes as she watched the merciless fist completely sink inside her little cute and precious daughter’s soft belly. The damage that the fist dished on Ruby mirrored the damage it delivered to Ai’s heart as she watched her beloved kid get excruciatingly tormented in front of her eyes.

It was only after a few seconds until Ruby’s eyelids shut back again, but blood continued to drip down from her lips.

The man slowly withdrew his fist from Ruby’s crucified flesh.

“Aaaaaaaaa-!!!” Ai erupted in screams. She broke down and cried helplessly, her whole body trembling from sorrow and misery. She couldn’t do anything about it, but just watched as her precious daughter got violently violated. She fell to her knees, her forehead hitting the floor as an explosive river of water started flowing from her eyes.

“Aaaa~~~!! Aahhaaaa Aaahaa~!!!” Ai pledged into guttering sobs, exposing her complete helplessness. Her body violently shook, shook because of anxiety, concern and fear for her daughter, and what will happen to her now that she just received such gut wrenching physical punishment. She was even afraid  to even lift her head up to look at Ruby. She was scared, scared to see the devastating and painful state of her daughter again. She kept her face and hands pinned on the floor as she sobbed her heart out and loud.

Even though it wasn’t Ai’s fault, at this moment, she felt like the most useless mother ever for not being able to prevent such a destructive outcome to her daughter. Even though it was 100% guaranteed she couldn’t do anything about it, she felt helpless and a failure as a mother for not being able to protect her own kids despite being right in front of them.

“But you are already strong, mama.”

“U-?”

“You have the strongest heart that shines brighter than anyone.”

These words floated inside Ai’s head as she was relentlessly crying on the ground on her knees, the conversation she had with Ruby and the heart touching words she said to her was all she could remember, emotionally hitting her even harder.

“Mama’s not strong~~” She said to herself in between guttering sobs. “Mama’s weak~ Mama is useless~ Aaaaaah-!!” She breaks down completely, screaming with pain, sorrow and misery in her heart.

“Tch! Just look at your pathetic mother,” The man smirks while gazing down at Ai whilst talking to her unconscious daughter that he was still lifting in his hand. “She’s not grateful that I fed you well, how sad~” He said ironically before chucking her lifeless little body to the wall, right next to where Ai was sobbing.

‘Thumb’

Ai noticed a body getting sent back flying, she couldn’t help but instinctively raise her head up and look behind her, only to see her battered daughter laying on the floor with her neck and a part of her back leaning on the wall, with blood trails still visible on her lips and chin.

“RUBY!!”

Ai immediately surged to Ruby’s side, picking her up and tightly embracing her close to her shattered heart, wrapping her arms and cuddling her awfully injured unconscious daughter like a cocoon. Ai’s tears streamed down even harder once her beloved Ruby was in her arms after facing such undeserved brutal and unbearable blows on her little abdomen.

“Ruby~! Ahaaa~... RUBY!” She sobbed loudly, screaming and hugging her so tight to her chest, it was as if she wanted to absorb her. Sobs racked her face as it also dripped down to Ruby’s unconscious face too as she looked at her daughter. Ai moved her arm to rub the remaining blood trails that were coming from her mouth. Just pressing and touching the blood on her increased her anxiety even more, realizing what her daughter had actually endured, adding on top of the fact that today was Ruby’s birthday. She should be laughing and her body should be shaking with joy and happiness, not be silenced with undeserved excruciating agony.

“How could you~” Ai’s trembling voice speaks out, to the man standing in front of her who glaring down at her with a smirk that came from the depths of hell. No remorse or mercy to her or her innocent little daughter. Ai’s tears kept on dropping on Ruby’s face as she carried her in her arms and leaned back on the wall, her emotions swelled everywhere for her brutally bruised state. “How could you do this to her~” she says to him with a broken voice, ruptured lungs from all the shouting, a fury of tears and a shattered heart.

“She did nothing wrong~” Ai continues to speak with a broken voice that was low due to her damaged lungs but still audible,  “She was just hungry~ aahaa~”  she tries to mutter the words but her heart kept on crumbling the more she looks at her daughter’s detrimental state, sobs filling all over her face as it dripped down onto her daughters face too. “How could you do this to someone so small and adorable like her~” She sniffs, trying to regain her control but her body is still trembling with anxiety “Don’t humans have a heart~?” Ai questioned heartbrokenly, pausing for a brief moment as she let the tears release from her eyes “How can anyone be this cruel~... Today was also her birthday… but look at what you did to her~~” Her voice laced with emotional damage,

Ai finishes rubbing the blood traces on Ruby’s lips and chin, before pulling her towards her chest and tightly embracing her once again, with one hand accompanying Ruby’s back while the other at the back of her head as she hugged firmly, cuddling on her hair and neck. Tears dropping relentlessly

“Tch, this lousy mother and daughter makes my skin burn. You’re lucky that you’re not sent here to get killed.” The man spoke with the utmost venomous tone, before leaving the two alone one again, as he slammed shut the door violently.

Ai maintained her tight embrace to Ruby very tightly, delivering every ounce of her remaining warmth to her cold wounded body that had lost so much blood out of her mouth. It was a mother’s duty to keep her daughter warm and cozy. Ruby was still unconscious, but Ai kept on hugging her for a good minute, this time silent tears dropping from her eyes as she closed her eyelids and solely focused her mind on the hug she was giving Ruby, as if the only two souls ever existed were her and her daughter. Ai also ensured that her heart was still beating after receiving such brutal blows to her belly.

Ai’s breath was heavy, as the warmth of the air coming from her mouth brushed through Ruby’s face while she collided with her very closely. She gave slow and warm cuddles, gently rubbing her face left to right on Ruby’s face, then giving her a long kiss on her forehead as she rested her lips there for a good while, her eyelids still closed as she brang her soul out while pressing her lips on her daughter's forehead, but that didn’t prevent tears from dropping as she gives her unconscious daughter a soul reviving motherly smooch.

It was the two of them alone again, inside the cold and dark room, or what should be called, a prison cage.

Her intuition was right all along. The fact that she saved that painkiller and didn’t use it for herself was probably the best idea, at least that’s what she thought. Even though when it came to physical damage, Ai suffered much more, but in no way would she be ever prioritizing herself over her precious daughter when it came to recovering from any harm.

The problem still lingered that there wasn’t any water, since they’ve been starving from hunger and thirst for more than a day. Even though water was a crucial requirement for having this tablet in order to go through your throat and digest, that didn’t stop her from resorting to the only way she can feed her beloved daughter this huge pain relieving and damage recovering pill.

Ai found it lucky that this is her daughter, because the only option she can think off as to how she can feed a medicine pill would only be exclusive to someone who is blood-related to her, and someone who she deeply cherishes.

She slightly withdraws from the hug, pulls her unconscious daughter back slightly, lifting her head up and bringing out the painkiller.

Even for an ordinary mother, it would be very strange, but due to the severity of the situation and the scale of torture Ruby is enduring, Ai is determined to do whatever it may take to recover and heal her daughter.

She takes the pill in her hand and puts it in her mouth first. Shutting her lips close, in order to properly feed her, Ai made sure the tablet was floating inside her mouth with saliva, before reaching her fingers to Ruby’s mouth to spread her lips open wide so that she can insert the tablet directly in it from her own mouth which she tried her best to infuse with as much fluid as possible inside her mouth.

Ai’s lips connect to her little unconscious daughters, pressing on it vertically as she passes down the pill from her mouth directly to her so that she can ingest and it can go down her throat.

People may find this disgusting, but for such a loving mother like Ai, it was merely just love that she was passing down from her mouth to her daughter. And it wasn’t like she had any other option left to feed her. Considering the condition of her fragile little body, she wasn’t hesitant in relying to feed her this way.

“Hah…” Ai sighs after slowly pulling her mouth away from Ruby slightly, still gazing at her unconscious cute faze. Her brows furrows even more as she starts to breathe heavily, the moments where Ruby suffered those gut crushing blows were still flashing through her eyes the more she looks at her, her hurt crumbling as she still couldn’t accept such a cruel reality, especially to Ruby.

Thus after the tablet went down her throat, she pulled Ruby up, colliding her unconscious soul to her chest once more, pressing it tightly. She could feel and hear Ruby’s heartbeats as she collided her heart with hers due to how quiet their surroundings were, giving her a huge swell of relief that she is still alive.

Ai wanted nothing else. Just the feeling of her little daughter. Her cocoon was such that it seemed like no one in the world existed besides the two of them, as if their purpose for their existence itself was to embrace each other.
  
After completely shattering Ai's soul the worst way possible by crushing her utmost beloved daughter so mercilessly in front of her very eyes, Baekho went back to meet up with Choi about a certain issue that was bothering his mind, leaving Ai in the most mental and physical detrimental state ever after that heartless and merciless mental visual torment by beating the most precious person that was the most dearest to her heart.

But reality planned otherwise for him. As soon as he got out of the room after crushing Ruby's soft belly, that was the moment where he entered into his dead zone.

“SKRSH”

Baekho’s arm got sliced clean, having it sent flying.

“Aa-!!?” He grunts in pain and shock, his soul terrified at its core by having his right arm slashed off. Blood poured down from his slashed flesh, slowly tainting the floor with a crimson spread.

He turned around in all directions, his eyes scanning for the cause of this unpredictable outcome.

But as he was turning around every direction, a sword pierced from his back, his eyes widened in terror, a trail of blood streaming down his lips.

“You think you can get away with what you just did?” Shinji’s terrorizing voice resonated through the narrow corridors, petrifying Baekho's soul as he recalls that voice very vividly, PTSD striking his vision as his body remembers the thrashing he received that brought him to the brink of death before.

As Baekho's mind was too concentrated on Shinji, his guard went down from what was above him. Unbeknownst to his awareness, Choso's knee carved right into his face, shooting down at groundbreaking speed, completely slamming his skull on the floor, a crater exploding on the steel concrete due to the intensity of the force that was striking down.

A pile of blood bursts from his face as Choso's knee carves into it deep.

“Hey bitch~ tell me… why did Ai scream like that… What did you do to her..?”

Choso interrogates, his tone threatening and laced with heavy malevolence. The scream that came from Ai's lungs when Baekho delivered that final organ crushing blow on Ruby's already fragile and beaten stomach was something that shook the core of his soul.

That scream was not a normal scream. It was a scream that petrified his heart, as he never heard a scream so desperate and laced with soo much emotion begging someone or something to stop. Her scream resonated throughout the entire basement loud and clearly, a testament to the sheer desperation and the emotion that was behind it.

Even Canan, who was unconscious from the torture, woke up in a heartbeat from the heart shattering scream of Ai’s, that was coming from another room entirely.

“Grr~kah!” Choso grips his throat and starts choking it with all his might, his eyes red as it was imbued with immeasurable rage, all towards Baekho as he then lashes it out by beating him down.

This time, Choi wasn’t there to stop the inevitable beating Baekho was suffering as his body started receiving permanent dents and holes from the fury of Choso’s fist as it piled on his body with unforgiving ferocity.

“That’s enough Choso.” Shinji stops Choso by putting a hand in front of him before he could deliver the final blow.

“Why?!”

“We’re wasting time with him. We should check on how Ai’s doing first.” he advises wisely.

“...right.”

“With the injury and blood loss he has, I doubt he’ll be getting up again.” Shinji remarks.

Without any further hesitation, they went inside the room Ai was locked inside. They were lucky enough to sneak in without busting the door open because they managed to attack Baekho before he was able to fully lock the door.

“The room seems silent, is Ai perhaps knocked out? If they’re sleeping, we shouldn’t disturb them.” Shinji monologues in his mind, observing the silence that was inside that room before even going inside. “Choso, don’t make any noise, we’re still doing this beyond Charles’ knowledge.” He warns Choso as they were about to open the door to take a peep.

Their eyes scanned the room, spotting a pool of blood on the floor, immediately telling them that they definitely suffered some kind of physical violence, in fact, just by observing the amount of blood scattered, it was something severe.

But beyond that, they saw Ai leaning on the back wall along with her little daughter, Ruby who was wrapped and cocooned tightly by her arms, as she was resting on Ai’s chest. They both seemed to be in slumber, but it was vividly clear the amount of damage they suffered just by looking at their drained faces.

A portion of Ai’s hair was tainted red due to the blood that splashed on her when it surged from Ruby’s mouth after Baekho’s fist exploded in her soft and delicate stomach. There were deep tear streaks trailing down from Ai’s eyes, and in fact they were still tears in her eyes as it was close that hadn’t fully dripped down her cheeks, further indicating the emotional damage she had gone through.

As for Ruby, Her chin was tainted with blood marks, her eyes all wrinkled due to the exhaustion after receiving such a detrimental punishment. One could say, the only reason why Ruby is still alive right now is because of the life giving warmth and affection she was being covered with by her beloved mother. Almost as if Ai was donating her own life force to her daughter as she firmly cocooned her closer to her heart so that she could still be alive and breathing.

It was truly heartbreaking to see them like this in such a battered state, where the only thing they could rely on was each other’s affection. Choso got slightly emotional.

“Hey~ what should we do~?” Choso asks Shinji for advice.

“We can’t keep them here, that’s for sure.” Shinji orders. “This room… it's so suffocating.. and cold… we don’t know how long they haven’t been eating or drinking, so the first thing to do is to take them somewhere where it's actually
livable
.” He instructs.

“Got it.”

“And make it swift, we can’t let Choi see us do this. You’ve been in the basement here, do you know of any place where we could take them both.”

“I know of one, but you have to beat some of the guards before we get access to it.”

“That isn’t a problem.” Shinji utters, confidently in his ability to get past the guards. “Let’s make our move.”
  
“My my…” Choi walks up to the corridor to check for an update on how his ‘customers’ were doing. But on proceeding towards Ai’s room, he stumbled upon an amusing sight, but for some reason, he didn’t seem shocked or flabbergasted at all.

“What’s this?” He said as he finds Baekho’s body on the floor with his head parried on the ground with a crater, as if he got slammed by someone with tremendous power.

“How disappointing~” He uttered, unpleased by Baekho’s role and his performance. “But… I predicted this anyway..” A smirk grazes his face as he proceeds to have a look in Ai’s room.

“Hm? I see…” He opens the door, only to see the room completely empty. The chains and cuffs were all broken, and most importantly, Ai and her daughter were missing.

“Ahh… it seems they took her. Well, no matter, I expected this to happen too~” Choi utters, his smirk only enlarging, as if the pieces of his plan started coming together that he set up from the very beginning. “This is only getting exciting. I’m thrilled to see how they are going to defend against
them
next.”
  
It wasn’t until 3 hours later after Baekho had attacked Ruby, that her eyes started to twitch, as she slowly started to regain back consciousness from the unforgiving blows that were drilled through her soft belly.

As Ruby slowly started to get her senses back, she felt being squeezed tightly, and wrapped up by someone very closely. She liked it. It was warm. The sound of heartbeats vibrated her ears as her face was leaning on the chest of someone. Just feeling the rhythm and pattern of those heartbeats, as well as the slow ups and downs from the soft solar plexus and the warm breath that was brushing on her forehead, Ruby had no doubt in whose hands her body was accompanied by.

Her vision started to become more clear. She saw strains of violet and silky hair that grazed her skin. The last thing she remembered was getting punched by that aggressive man on the belly, and she lost consciousness on the third punch as the pain took over her soul. She remembered her mother’s loud and heart breaking screams, telling the man to stop what he was doing to her, so it was no wonder she found herself wrapped around so tightly by her mother.

But what amused her more was the change in their surroundings. She recognized it was not the same confined cold room.

“Wh-where~ am I~?” Ruby mutters to herself.

She could feel the wind coming from an open window, giving her a refreshing chill as the outside atmosphere finally hit her. It didn’t take long for her nose to pick up a mouth drooling cent coming from beside her mother. As she tilted her head slightly towards the left, she saw luxurious pudding coated in strawberry syrup that was placed right beside them, covered in a see through glass. Besides it there was a full glass of water, as if it was preserved just for the two of them.

She started drooling instantly upon seeing that mouth craving sight, as her belly roared for something to digest for more than 24 hours.

It seems as though Ai still hadn’t noticed that Ruby got her consciousness back. After all, Ruby didn’t make any physical major movements yet. She tried to look up to her mother’s face without moving her head, trying to not reveal her awakeness, she saw that Ai was asleep. The tears still remained at the corner of Ai’s eyes, that didn’t roll past her cheeks.

This told Ruby that her mother cried for a very long time, making her feel awfully sad for her. She could understand that her Ai was completely heart broken, and even now while she is feeling her presence so close, she could just tell how genuinely hurt her mother was.

Though she noticed one thing, the soaring pain on her stomach she felt when it was getting ravaged by that bulky man’s fist, was barely there.

“U… my tummy.. It doesn’t hurt that much..” she mutters to herself, wondering what caused the severe decrease in pain, when she knows just how much she endured when she was receiving the relentless barrage.

It was to be expected that she found it odd, because she was unconscious when Ai fed her the highly effective pain killer, directly from her own mouth.

She decided not to wake her mother up nor go to eat that pudding that was just within her reach, instead she chose to still be held very tightly by Ai’s warm koozie arm’s. She doesn’t want to eat without her mother nor does she want to wake her up from the slumber that she was so engulfed in after the exhausting screams.

She kept her body position still silently inside Ai’s embrace, as she found solace in her mother’s warmth, her warm and purifying breath and the sound of her soothing heartbeats.

It wasn’t until another hour later that Ai’s slumber slowly started to break. After a few exhausted twitches, her eyes popped upon.

“Did I fall asleep?” She says to herself in her mind, the last thing she remembered was sobbing and tightly hugging Ruby to her heart while leaning on the wall. She gazed down to check on Ruby, and found that she was still in the same position she remembered before she fell asleep.

Sighing with relief yet frustration, Ai tilts her head back and lets it lean on the wall, facing the ceiling of the room.

“Where am I…?” She mutters to herself, realizing that her surroundings were different compared to the last time she was conscious. But the truth is, she didn’t even care about it at the moment, all she hope was for this living hell to end.

A storm of thoughts whirling inside her head. At this point, she was on the verge of losing hope, hope that they would ever be freed. Her mind consistently goes back to Aqua’s concern and how he’d be doing without her care. It makes her uneasy every second, as her heart can never rest at peace without knowing how her little boy would be doing right now. She just wants to know if he is ok.

“Mm~ Mama~?”

A gentle but weak voice called out right beneath where she was looking. Skipping a beat, because she knew exactly whose voice that belongs too. Ai knows it all too well. She gazes down immediately on the little body she was tightly embracing close to her chest and covering with her arms.

She sees that her beloved, cute and adorable daughter had finally woken up after that merciless physical beating she received from that ruthless man. Though her eyes were still weak, slight wrinkles on the side as she looked up to her mother with an expression that could break her heart to pieces. She could tell just by looking at Ruby’s face, that she was fighting an unendurable amount of pain in her little body, her exhausted and defeated face says it all.

Tears, once again swelling up on Ai’s eyes as she finally sees Ruby waking up after taking those excruciating blows, a mixture of heavy relief and immense sadness filled her heart. Relieved that Ruby survived from the man’s merciless pummeling on her small little soft belly, but at the same time, breaking sadness that Ruby had to endure such undeserved pain as she could tell her little body ached with roaring pain. What made it more heartbreaking was the fact that today was Ruby’s birthday, and today was also the day where she suffered the most painful torment she had ever felt. As a mother, her soul was completely disintegrated with sadness for what her  innocent, little and precious daughter had to go through.

“Ruby~!” Ai says, her voice still broken and cracked from all the screaming, yet still laced with unending emotion. Bursts of tears falling off her eyes to Ruby’s cheeks.

She didn’t waste time and pulled her close to hers, colliding her soul with hers with as tightly she could, imbuing all her warmth and affection to her with this hug as she gave her motherly embrace to her precious daughter once she was awake.

“I’m sorry Ruby~” She pulls her back to her chest, as her sobs start to get louder and heavier. Ruby could feel her mother’s heart and chest shaking while she was crying, telling her how much emotionally damaged Ai was. “I’m sorry this is happening on your birthday~... please forgive me~”

“But Mama~ its not your fault~” Ruby responds back with a weak voice, denying the blame her mother was taking to herself.

“Everything is my fault Ruby~” Ai responds back. Her heartfelt sobs hadn’t cooled down one bit.

“How?” Ruby sought clarification.

Ai couldn't stop her guttural crying but she managed to sort of answer her daughter’s question with a trembling voice.

“Mama is weak~” Ai said in between the heavy sobs “Mama couldn’t protect you~” She took all the blame. She felt pathetic, useless and helpless.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been starving or suffering in pain. It's because of me you are dragged here Ruby~” Ai rubs her eyes with her knuckles, pulling back from the embrace.

“Mama! Don’t take all the blame to yourself! You hurt your belly more than me! If anything, it’s more unfair to you!” Ruby retaliates, trying to raise her already weak voice.

Ai sighs back before gently reasoning with her persistent yet adorable daughter.

“You’re still small Ruby, your heart is innocent. You don’t deserve to get introduced to violence like this or experience any kind of starvation. You’re pure and honest, not like me… you deserve to get treated far better than this.” Ai rubs Ruby’s watery eyes with her thumb and the tears on the corner of it before it drops.

Ruby goes silent from that, narrowing her eyes with depression, she slowly starts to lower her gaze, from Ai’s face, to her chest, to her solar plexus and all the way to her stomach,

“I’m sorry…” Ai's voice slowly and heart breakingly spoke, “...that you had to go through this on your birthday…” Ai said emotionally, her heart shattering to pieces with tears endlessly dropping from her eyes, staring at Ruby's face who was exhausted from fighting the unendurable pain on her belly.

Now thinking about it, it was probably the worst cruel start for a birthday. To get her guts crushed to pieces, her stomach fractured brutally, whilst on top of not being able to eat or drink for more than 24 hours, it was totally the worst way to start a birthday.

“...but mama, look at where we are~” Ruby tells her mother.

“Hm?” Ai takes a moment to absorb Ruby’s words in her mind before finally lifting her head up high and taking a look at her surroundings, shifting her gaze left and right. Due to the emotions she had for Ruby, the shift of her placement didn’t faze her at all, as her mind was only focused on her daughter’s wellbeing. But the moment she looked around herself, she was indeed astonished. She realised she was transported to a place that's actually livable. Almost like a house, there were tables, chairs, windows, a firewood to keep the atmosphere warm, and most importantly she recognized that she wasn’t chained anymore. The restriction of her mobility was finally removed.

“What is… this place…?” She uttered in astonishment.

“Look, mama~!” Ruby’s voice called out, laced with a mixture of craving and excitement.

Ai shifts her attention to her daughter once again, wondering what made her tone change into a slightly exciteful vibe.

“Hm?” She sees Ruby pointing her fingers, the stars in her eyes present as it bloomed with hope and happiness from the sight she was seeing. She looked the direction Ruby was pointing at and noticed a gorgeous looking pudding coated with strawberry syrup was right beside them, along with some berries and fruits.

“Woah..” Ai herself was also quite amused to see such a mouth drooling cuisine right in front of them, her heart swelling with relief that after starving for more than a day, they finally got something that could fill their crushed and battered bellies that were mourning for something to digest.

“But how did we… even come here..?” she mutters to herself.

But the one thing that was bothering her at the moment was how she was even transported here. She recalled the cruel and vile regulations in that basement, so to think that there was someone who took them here was a bit far-fetched.

However, she herself knew focusing all her thoughts on that would be a waste of energy and time, instead she’d rather utilize this only opportunity to feed herself and her daughter from this brutal starvation. She already spotted Ruby’s spirits uplifting from seeing such a dessert, and she didn’t blame her at all, she herself was in fact also hooked as both stomachs growled to the max.

“Mama~! Can we eat that~?” Ruby asks Ai, her tone innocent and delicate.

“I suppose, there is no one in the room, so why not~?” she accepts.

Ruby gasps in happiness. “Yayy!”

“First~ let’s dry our throats~” She first grabbed the glass of water and fed it to Ruby and herself, so that they could at least get some relief from this thirst.

Ai took the glass cover off the pudding and sliced the pudding into pieces for her and her beloved daughter.

“Theere we go~” Ai said, her tone finally becoming more charming and relieved as her extreme depressed and upset mood slowly starts to disappear and change into a more radiant and passionate vibe.

She distributes a piece of the deluxe pudding to her starving daughter first before feeding to herself, as always, instinctively prioritizing Ruby first before her for anything.

Ruby takes it and gobbles it in her mouth.

“How’s it~?” Ai asks, eager to find out Ruby’s opinion on the taste.

“MM~!!” Ruby hums, soul ascending to heaven as the pudding melts in her mouth, her eyes pinched as tears flowing from it simply because too heavenly for her. No words to describe the taste of it. “IT’S SOO GOOOD!!” Ruby affirms with an enlightening tone, “YOU SHOULD TRY IT MAMA!!” She begs her mother to also eat it too. And given how much Ai likes sweets, it’s the more reason Ruby wants her to taste it out too.

“Really~?! Alright if you say so~!” Ai takes a fork and cuts a small bit of the piece that’s fitable in her mouth.

“Mm~!” Ai hums, as the flavor and delicacy of the pudding also melted in her mouth. She now understood why Ruby made that expression the moment she ate that slice. It was truly heavenly “You’re right, it super delicious~!!” Ai exclaims,

Before cutting and distributing a few more slices to her daughter. Despite starving herself and now finally getting a taste of this mouth-melting pudding, she first prioritized feeding Ruby first. She cut the pieces bit by bit and fed Ruby with her own hands using the fork. She needed to know just how much Ruby would want to eat, and she’d be willing to give that whole pudding cake for her daughter if she was still hungry. That’s the amount of love and care she had for her kids. Even though her hunger rivaled Ruby’s and given her love for sweets and desserts, she was willing to sacrifice her own urges just to ensure her daughter’s belly was full.

Ai joyfully fed Ruby more than half the pudding, a relieving and motherly smile graced her lips, her heart finally getting some tranquility as she witnesses Ruby’s happiness and her smile as she ate the pudding. After enduring such brutal and death granting torture, to see her this happy and joyfull, Ai couldn’t get any happier.

While Ruby gobbled up the slices from the fork her beloved mother was feeding her, once she slowly started to get used to the flavor and the taste of the deluxious pudding, calming her mind down, she noticed that Ai never ate a single piece once after that one tasting bite.

“Mama! Why aren’t you eating?!”

She asked, slightly confused and frustrated, why her beloved mother, after starving with her for so long and knowing her passion for sweets, isn’t eating at all, and only feeding her.

“You are hungry too!! The rest is yours!!”

Ruby gently pushes Ai’s hand towards her own mouth, forcing her to eat too, since her soul can’t take it if she eat’s to her heart’s content but her beloved mother is still hungry.

“U- Ruby..?” Ai uttered, slightly taken aback from Ruby’s consideration and her action of pushing the hand towards her own mouth “Are you sure you’re full?” She asks, only caring whether Ruby is full or not.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m full, you haven’t eaten any of it besides that one tiny piece!” She retaliates, her tone firm and persistent

“U~... I’m fine though Ruby~ you can eat as much as you want~” Ai responds back, not wanting herself to disrupt Ruby’s hunger.

“Nope! I’m not eating unless Mama eats with me!!” Ruby yells back, her position firm and resistant.

“But… you got your tummy really hurt, it needs lots of food to recover~” Ai tries to reason with Ruby, her tone delicate and soft,

“But so did you!! In fact you got hurt more than me mama~!” Ruby counters back

“Ehh~... That isn't quite true…” Ai couldn't fight back Ruby's persistency anymore “Alright~ guess I'll eat a little~”

Ai puts the slice of pudding that was on the fork inside her mouth, accepting Ruby's wish.

“M~...” A hum escapes her lips as she couldn't resist the mouth melting flavor, her heart beaming with joy upon swallowing the pudding.

“See mama!! You like it too~!!” Ruby spots the thrill in her mother's face as she also eats the pudding “Why don't you want to eat it too~”

“Well…”

“Mama! You can have the rest!” Ruby proposes.

“What? No way! There's no way I can finish it without your help!!”

“Yes you can~! Your tummy is bigger than mine!” Ruby argues back.

“But it's your birthday!!” Ai counters. “So you should be the one having the pudding not me~”

Ruby couldn't fight back with that one.

“But still mama~ I want to share it with you~”

Ai smiles, seeing Ruby's urge to share the pudding.

“Alright~ we'll finish it together~”

But they both wondered, just who placed this pudding in front of them. Was it for them to eat? Just who exactly is secretly providing them and protecting them from the harsh basement.

This mystery was beyond their knowledge as they weren't conscious when Shinji gently and Choso swiftly carried both of them from that room and transported  them here. Choso was the one who provided them two with the pudding as he knew very well they were starving.

Both Ruby and Ai finish the rest of the pudding cake, filling a good portion of their bellies.

“Ahh~~ if only Aqua was here…” Ai complains, rubbing her tummy after finishing the pudding cake, her only regret right now being her missing son.

“Onii Chan should be fine… after all, he has Yuji.” Ruby tries to calm Ai's tension.

Ai looked at Ruby, even though both called down and had a heartfelt moment eating the pudding together that immensely relieved their starving souls. She pulls Ruby closer to her heart once more, this time more freely and comfortably as she didn't have any restraints of cuffs in her wrists.

“Mmuah” she gives her a delightful smooch on her forehead pulling her face towards her chest and cuddling her chin on her soft blonde hair.

“Mama..?”

“Forgive me Ruby…” she said.

“W~why?” Ruby was confused why her mother was asking for forgiveness.

“If only mama was strong enough to defend herself, you wouldn't be here enduring such brutal torment.” Ai said, once again, taking all the blame to herself and regretting her weak physicals to protect her babies “You deserved a much better birthday than this~ Mama couldn't even give you a single gift~”

“But I don't need any~” Ruby replies “Mama~
you are my gift
.” she claims with 100% certainty “My only one, and best gift.”

Hearing these words from her daughter sent shivers in her spine, an overwhelming amount of peace and tranquility filling her soul as those words touched the very core of her heart.

“Oh Ruby~~” Ai tightens her embrace even more, her appreciation of her little daughter's positivity towards her immeasurable. Ruby openly accepts Ai’s hug, in fact it is impossible for her to reject a hug from Ai.

“Ruby,” Ai spoke once more, pulling her into her chest even more. “I promise… this time, I won’t let you go from my grasp. I’ll cover you, hug you and give you comfort with every last bit of my heart until we’re out of here. I won’t release you from my arms ever again, okay?” She firmly states as she hugs Ruby tighter. “No matter where we go, mama won’t ever let you go from her reach alright~?”

After realizing just how dangerous and ruthless this place is, she is firmly dedicated to never ever letting Ruby get close to anyone, and only be stuck to her arms and chest. And if they do attempt to escape, Ai would be firmly holding her hand so that it would be easier to protect her and take any oncoming danger instead of her.

“Mhm~” Ruby makes a soft noise while being hugged tightly.

And to Ruby’s reaction, she honestly didn’t mind. Being inside her mother’s arms was one of the most loving things for her, one of the things she enjoyed the most. She happily accepted and acknowledged her mother’s conviction and her decision of protecting her.

“This is a pleasant birthday after all~” Ruby utters softly, completely engulfed in Ai’s warm motherly embrace, rubbing her face on her mother's chest ever so dedicatedly with all her energy, mustering a cute smile.

“U?” Ai gazes down to Ruby whose face was still buried in her chest, confused and slightly stunned what Ruby had said.

Before Ai could ask Ruby why or to elaborate more on what she meant, she explained it for her in words that would once again, touch Ai’s heart despite the cruel and detrimental situation they were in.

“A birthday where I could be inside Mama’s hug for as much as I want, ahh~” Ruby moans as she enjoys herself inside the cocoon she was in. “What could possibly be a better birthday gift than cuddling with you for as long as we can, your warm cozy chest that I can rub on and feel your melodic heartbeats, your warm breath that purifies my soul to heaven, and last but not least, your kisses which brings me back to life~ I can have all of it for myself! For as long as we are together~ what could I possibly ask for something better than this~?”

Ai was truly astonished, her daughter's cute words healing her broken heart from the damage just due to the sheer positivity and love it carries. Ai didn't have words to praise or express her beloved daughter's emotion dedicated to herself. The fact that Ruby can bring out such positive feelings in such a harsh and cruel environment with the love she has for her mother truly baffled Ai and made her speechless.

“My little angel~~”

Now that they finally regained some energy after ingesting that mouth melting pudding, they both felt at more ease now, now that at least something is inside their soar and empty stomachs. Despite not knowing where they were transported, it's not like they minded because the environment they are in right now was infinitely much better than when they were in that prison room. And unlike last time, Ai can finally move around freely, not having restrictions in her movements.

They decided to stay at this place for a bit longer, the warmth coming from the firewood making them want to stay here forever as the feeling was really addicting. But since Ai wasn’t restrained, she planned to make a move later on after finding some comfort in this new room that they were transported in.

“What do we do about Canan?” Choso asks Shinjj, wondering if they should also transport her to the same place where they transported Ai.

“We’ll keep her here for now.” Shinji instructs.

“But why? She’s just as innocent.”

“I know, but keeping too many people there will cause a problem and it’s going to alert the other members that unknown and uninvited individuals are there. It’s too risky. 2 is already more than enough.”

“Then what should we do with her?”

“We protect her however we can while she stays here until Gojo arrives.” Shinji demands as he goes on and breaks all the cuffs on her wrists and her legs. She was still unconscious from the torment Choi gave to her, but she was treated and bandaged by Shinji.

“Hah…” Shinji sighs, embracing for what’s about to happen next “He’s about to appear soon.” He utters, just before the door creeps open.

But it didn’t surprise Choso nor Shinji, it was as if they were anticipating his entrance.

“Oh my, did you two already guess I was about to come here? How disrespectful.” Choi remarks, his smirk ever so wicked and mischievous.

“Not as disrespectful as ruining innocent lives just for pleasure.” Choso counters.

“Pleasure you say? Oh little boy… you have no clue what’s behind the scenes of all this.” Choi reaffirms.

“Well whatever your goal is by doing these despicable things, it’s gonna come to an end anyway.” Shinji claims.

“An end?” Choi chuckles “You guys are more clueless than I thought. Do you have any idea the level of power I wield?”

“All that “power” would be useless if I dig your grave right here.” Shinji provokes. confident in his ability to take down Choi.

“You think you can?”

“You think I can't?” He forms his stance, ready to throw hands anytime.

But that's when their confrontation gets interrupted by a wild beast that bursted down from the roof, shattering the ceiling. Though the presence seemed familiar, except the aura was different.

“B-baekho?” Choso said, noticing the similarities of the muscular man appearing right in front of them. He looked exactly like Baekho, except with no pupils in his eyes, veins all over his body, his muscles enlarged with an uncontrollable mind.

“RAAHHHH!!!”

Baekho roared like a mindless monster, his aura far more vicious and powerful than before.

“How is he… still alive, and how did he regain his arm?” Choso wonders to himself, puzzled that his right arm got reattached when he knows that Shinji sliced it off clean when they ambushed him.
“...and what's with this power…?” Choso remarks as he could feel the overwhelming shockwave coming just from his roar.
“In case you two are confused, I've simply drugged Baekho into a mindless monster that only obeys my orders and no one else's, I also have all that it needs to reattach his limbs and heal his wounds. It was your fault for not killing him straight away.”

“Psh, you think that’s gonna be a problem for us?” Shinji utters in confidenc, simply takes Baekho’s presence as a joke, taunting it with a smirk.

“AAAARHH!” He charges at Choso, his arm already pulled back, ready to swing at any moment, his fist imbued with uncontrollable destructive power.

“Shit… he’s fast..” Choso gets slightly intimidated by Baekho’s charge, already feeling the overwhelming force behind his moves. He attempted to leap back to avoid his swing, but he wasn’t confident in evading it quick enough.

But just before it was about to connect to Choso, Shinji intercepted Baekho, using his own unique martial arts to redirect the force at himself, before landing a devastating combo that ensured it targeted all his pressure points. His knuckles sinking deep in his flesh as within a few strikes, all his rage and rampaging aura disappeared instantly.

But as Baekho’s unconscious body collapsed on the floor, clearing the view in front of him, Charles Choi was no longer there.

“Huh? Where did he-” As Shinji turned around to his side, he also realized that Choso disappeared too. “Choso?!” He looked around everywhere, but there was no sign of their presence at all.

“That damn Charles…!!” He grunts in anger, before realizing he had some more company.

“Well well… if it isn’t the legendary spy… Shinji.” A voice appears out of the blue.

“Be careful Goo, he is powerful, even I had a hard time with him.” another voice also appears as well, but that voice was someone which Shinji knows. He heard of that voice before, in fact, he had fought with that person before too.

“G~gun?!” Shinji utters, familiarizing that voice.

“We meet again…” Gun greets.

Shinji sees that this time, both of Charles' bodyguards had appeared to fight him. He already lost to Gun individually so to fight both of them seemed a bit of an overkill.

“So that was that old bastard's man huh..” Shinji finally understood what Choi was planning to do from the beginning of their confrontation. “He used Baekho as a decoy and distraction for me so that he can take Choso all to himself. He was not his main defender at all. And now… I'm stuck dealing with both his bodyguards… what a pain…”

“Hey gun, is this Shinji guy as strong as Gojo?” Goo asks Gun for a gauge of Shinji's strength.

“No, I don't think there is a single individual close to strength to that man, but that doesn't make him a weak fighter. Gojo Satoru is simply an entirely different case.”

“Thank god… I don't ever want to fight someone like that monster ever again!!” Goo sighs with relief.

“But don't let your guard down, you might lose to him if you play around too much.”

“HUH?! Who do you think you're talking to? Don't take me so lightly. If he lost to you, then this should be no sweat!” Goo argues back, pissed at Gun, downplaying his strength/

“Alright then, go ahead.” Gun folds his arms and allows Goo to participate in the fight all by himself.

“Hmph, I’ll show what a beatdown looks like.” Goo comments.

“With you being the one getting the beatdown? I’m ready.” Gun taunts.

“Rrrgh!!” Goo gets more aggravated the more Gun mocks him. But before they even began to embrace their stance for combat, Shinji’s foot was already inches before Goo’s face, coming with tremendous force.

“Hey… letting your guard down so simply like that is the first thing you learn not to do in a fight…” He utters as he delivers a devastating kick right back Goo’s face, sending him flying back like a rocket, as he crashes through several layers or iron brick walls.

“…because that… is biggest and most dangerous mistake in a fight.” He finishes his sentence.

“Damn, he really got sent flying.” Gun remarks, “Guess I might really have to step in again.” He attempts to take off his coat to get ready to engage in battle once more.

“Now hold your horses!” Goo shouts all the way from the back, as he gets up from the rubbles, his forehead bleeding, his face bruised and his glasses broken. “I’m not out of the fight this easily!!” He still kept on complaining about Gun despite receiving a deleterious kick.

“...he got back up so easily…” Shinji mutters in his mind, baffled that he stood back up so fast after taking that kick head on in his face without a guard. “But… he took damage… that’s for sure, is his endurance really that high?”

“Anyways, hey you!” Goo directs his voice to Shinji “That wasn’t very nice of you! I didn’t even get to introduce myself!”

“Yeah.. true that, I remember introducing myself when I fought Gun, so it's only fair if I do it to you as well~”
  
“Ack!” Choso coughs up blood as he gets sent crashing into a wall with ground breaking speed, shattering the iron bricks as the rubbles falls on him.

“There we go… nice and quiet with only the two of us..” Choi utters, as he was the one who dragged Choso from the corridor after Baekho distracted Shinji, and threw him by grabbing his T-shirt all the way to a separate room.

Choso tries to get back up by pushing the brick rubbles aside, his back cracked from the force he collided with the wall.

“Now then… why did you choose to betray me when you
know
the consequences you will face?”

“Psh, what consequences?”

“Do I need to remind you? That the life of your 2 darling brothers are at the tip of my fingers? I can end them whenever they want.”

“Oh yeah? Go ahead and try, I dare you.”

“You know I don’t bluff right…”

“I know… and neither do I…” Choso smirks back, confident in what he was doing.

“Hmm…” Choi narrows his eyes, “I have no idea where this confidence of yours is coming from, but I guess I just have to end their 2 lives. What a disgraceful elder brother you are, I’ll be getting a decapitated photo of your brother's head very shortly.” He claims as he presses a certain contact number button which automatically informs a direct command towards one of his groups working outside the country

“Heh!” Choso grins, before picking up one of the shattered iron bricks and throwing it at Choi with all his might.

This wasn’t enough to get a hit on Choi as he swiftly dodged his throw.

“Now… as we wait for your brothers to get slaughtered, the reason I brought you here… is so that I can give you a thrashing myself…!” Choi exclaimed with a devilish smirk as he cracked his knuckles, getting ready to beat Choso to a pulp.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ack!” Choso coughs up blood as he gets sent crashing into a wall with ground breaking speed, shattering the iron bricks as the rubbles falls on him.

“There we go… nice and quiet with only the two of us..” Choi utters, as he was the one who dragged Choso from the corridor after Baekho distracted Shinji, and threw him by grabbing his T-shirt all the way to a separate room.

Choso tries to get back up by pushing the brick rubbles aside, his back cracked from the force he collided with the wall.

“Now then… why did you choose to betray me when you
know
the consequences you will face?”

“Psh, what consequences?”

“Do I need to remind you? That the life of your 2 darling brothers are at the tip of my fingers? I can end them whenever they want.”

“Oh yeah? Go ahead and try, I dare you.”

“You know I don’t bluff right…”

“I know… and neither do I…” Choso smirks back, confident in what he was doing.

“Hmm…” Choi narrows his eyes, “I have no idea where this confidence of yours is coming from, but I guess I just have to end their 2 lives. What a disgraceful elder brother you are, I’ll be getting a decapitated photo of your brother's head very shortly.” He claims as he presses a certain contact number button which automatically informs a direct command towards one of his groups working outside the country

“Heh!” Choso grins, before picking up one of the shattered iron bricks and throwing it at Choi with all his might.

This wasn’t enough to get a hit on Choi as he swiftly dodged his throw.

“Now… as we wait for your brothers to get slaughtered, the reason I brought you here… is so that I can give you a thrashing myself…!” Choi exclaimed with a devilish smirk as he cracked his knuckles, getting ready to beat Choso to a pulp.

He dashes at Choso with menacing speed, something he never expected for an old man to do.

“He’s fas-” Before Choso could even finish his inner monologue, Choi’s hands already reached his face and gripped it firmly, as he busts it through the walls, dragging his face around it before throwing him up in the air.

Choso’s face was bleeding detrimentally, evident that he was getting overwhelmed really badly.

Choi appears right behind again as he is floating in mid air, before kicking him to the ground like a ball as he goes bouncing from wall to wall.

“Krahck!” More blood gushes from Choso’s mouth as he receives devastating blows from Choi.

“Ahh… I never knew it would be this fun beating you to a pulp.” Choi exclaims, experiencing the thrill of thrashing around Choso so violently. “This reminds me of my old days… when I beat up the other bosses of the legendary fist gang.”

He rushes at him again, his fist connecting thunderously at his face, before throwing a barrage of combos. He was too fast for Choso to react and defend himself against,

“Rrrgh!!” Choso remains in a guarding position as he was suffering a fury of blows.

“What’s the matter, Choso?? Giving up already?” Choi taunts as he breaks his guard, grabbing his T-shirt and tossing him to the other wall with malevolent force,

Choso’s body was battered at this point, blood streaming down his forehead and mouth from the damage taken.

“You truly are stupendously strong for your age, and I can see lots of potential inside you, but to bring an end to all your growth, it’s just too sad…”

“Heh,” A smile breaks his lips still, even after receiving such a beating.

“You’re still smiling after all this? You really need to be taught a lesson.”

“Hehehehe… hehehahahaha!” Choso starts laughing like a madman, even though he was sitting on the floor bleeding.

“Looks like you’ve gone mad, no matter, I’ll put you to rest, and send you off to your brothers… in the
afterlife
.”

As Choi begins to lift up his foot, pulling it back while imbuing a death-dealing amount of force.

“Good bye… choso…”

But before he got to fully unleash it, a certain individual breaks into the scene with vicious speed, striking the other foot of Choi’s that he was maintaining his balance on, thus making him fail to deliver the devastating blow he was charging to land at Choso due to his loss of balance.

“Sorry I’m late, Choso.”

“Nah, you’re just in time for the party, Yuji~”

“My…” He grunts in slight irritation as someone else interrupts their duel. “So you invited your little friend here did you? Choso.”

“Choso are you alright?!” Yuji asks, eager to have an update on his condition.

“I'm fine… don't worry abo- kcha!” Choso coughs up blood before he got to finish what he was saying.

“Choso!” Yuji realizes that he had been receiving severe damage. “Shit… so it's up to me to stall now…” he stands in front of Choso to protect him, guarding up his stance as he faces off against Choi.

“You… you are the little kid that beat Hakensu right?”

“How do you know about that? Are you the old scumbag that was behind all this?!”

“You will soon find out, little boy.” Choi wastes now time as he charges towards Yuji using his speed dash, catching Yuji off guard by Choi's blind blowing speed.

He grabbed his hair and lifted up, flipping him over and slammed him on the floor.

“You are no stronger than Choso…” Choi comments on his strength.

But that's when Yuji gripped his wrist while he was still holding up his hair, a grip so strong he couldn't even fathom about getting free.

“What the- I can't get fr- POW”

While Choi's mind was still concentrated on getting his hand free, he was left completely vulnerable for a solid blow.

Yuji utilize this opportunity to imbue as much power as he could in his left fist before thunderously connecting it into his face, sending him flying like a rocket.

“What power!!!” Choi monologues as he got sent crashing through the wall.

“Impressive… not even Choso can hit this hard.” He praises Yuji's strength as he casually gets up after getting knocked out, wiping the blood out his lips with his knuckles. “That was… a clean hit!”

Choi charges at Yuji once more, but this time, changing his trajectory to confuse Yuji, before appearing behind him and slamming Yuji’s head on the floor with shattering force with one hand pressed behind his back.

“Aack!” Yuji coughs up blood as he was now pinned on the ground, his back receiving extreme pressure, as if his chest was about to come out.

“This is weird…” Choi realizes something wasn’t right “It has been more than 20 minutes, why haven't they updated me yet?” He brings out his phone from his pocket with his other arm, checking if anyone notified him whether they finished his order on slaughtering Choso’s brothers.

But there was not even a single message or notification that came from the group that worked for him in thailand. They were so silent that Choi was even concerned whether they even received his commands, so thus he decided to give them a call.

“Weird, they don’t take this long to answer the phone.”

After a long awaited ring, they finally picked up.

“What took so damn long to answer the phone? Have you received what I ordered you guys to do?” Choi spoke on the phone, his tone demanding.

“U~ yes boss~” One of the co-workers said, his voice weak and collapsing.

“What’s wrong? Why do you sound so defeated?” Choi already picked up on his tone, wondering why it was so pitiful.

“Boss… we have a problem…”

“A problem…?”

“Y~yes..”

“WHAT IS IT?!”

“Yesterday night… Someone invaded our workshop… and took those two boys with him.”

“Someone invaded the workshop?! How can you be so careless!!” Choi yelled, expressing his anger and disappointment to the co-workers. “What were you guys doing, sleeping?!”

“N~no boss, we were all alerted~!”

“Then what happened?!”

“H~he was…” The worker slowly started to sob due to humiliation “...

sniff

…simply too strong~!!”

“Impossible!! There’s no way anyone can take down all the C19 members all by themselves!!”

“B-boss, it’s true~...

sniff

… he single handedly annihilated all of us~”

“Who is he?!” Choi urged to know his name.

“G~G…” The worker tried to pronounce his name in the midst of his sobs, “G~Gojo… Sato~ru~”

“...” Choi was left speechless, sweat drops started forming from the side of his forehead, his heartbeats increasing drastically upon the mention of that name.

“Wh~who did you say?” Choi demanded to repeat.

“G~... Gojo Satoru..!!”

Choi was left frozen, as the disclosure of Gojo’s intervention of his workshop all the way back in Thailand left him stunned.

In the midst of his stun, He was connected with a deadly double hit combo from the brothers.

Due to Choi dropping his guard due to his flabbergastation, he didn't apply any force to Yuji's headlock, making it completely easily for Yuji to get out of it.

In the meanwhile Choso ran up, and utilized this moment to dish out the utmost damage they can as Choi was briefly frozen.

Not only Yuji’s hook shattered his phone as it connected right at Choi’s chin, but it broke a few of his teeth. Choso on the other hand kneed him on the other side of the face, right at his skull.

With both their blows landing the exact same time, it did critical damage. After they landed their double hit, leaving Choi in a very vulnerable position after receiving that deadly hit, Choso then went on behind him and started choking him with everything he had got, holding him very tight for Yuji to unleash his fury of destructive blows 
 
“BOOM, POW, BOOM, BOOM, PAW, BOOM, PAW PAW”
 
It was blow after blow, as Yuji unleashed all his wrath on this very combo, imbuing his life energy on his very fist to pummel down Choi.

“GLAAHCK!!” A burst of blood explodes from Choi's mouth as he receives the unforgiving barrage from Yuji.

This was one of their pre planned moves. Since Yuji is the harder hitter out of the two, it'd be more convenient if he would be the one unleashing the blows whereas Choso is more durable so he would be the one withstanding it as he chokes Choi from behind.

“Aaarcckh!!” Choi screams as he tries to get free from Choso's choke while still receiving Yuji's relentless fury of combo.

He was on the verge of losing consciousness, his bones slowly starting to shatter. Yuji didn't have any intention of decreasing the intensity of his blows, as his only mindset was nothing but bloodlust against him. “The faster he dies, the better for the rest” was his mindset.

“Rrrrgh!” Choi tenses his muscles as he then exerted a massive shockwave from his body by first knocking Choso away from him, getting free from the chokehold before finally catching Yuji's fist and instantly changing the tide by replicating a fury of his own barrage.

“Aarck!” Yuji grunts in pain as he gets sent back the more he receives Choi's ruthless shower of blows

“Where… did this old man… get all this power from!!” Yuji utters in his mind, baffled that an old man like Choi was able to burst out such strength despite receiving a death dealing combo.

Choi continued to beat Yuji up into a pulp, his shirt ripped and torn, his eyes showing no pupil, almost as if he had lost his mind.

“Has this geezer gone insane..!” Yuji utters while trying to block his relentless fury. But before the beating could progress even further, Choi gets struck by a hit so devastating it shoots him through the corridors.

“T~thank you… Nanami senpai~” Yuji thanks as Nanami intercepted Choi’s aggressive assault.

“I told you to not attack the base this soon, but you still don't listen, hah…” Nanami sighs. “I will scold you later after this is all finished.”

“Ah… my head hurts,” Choi gets up, clicking his neck, his forehead bleeding rapidly “Did I lose control just now? Must be an accident~” he approaches where Nanami and Yuji were.

“Excuse my inconvenience, that was not normal for me to do~ but damn… to think mere kids below 10 were able to push me this hard and give this much damage to me, just thinking about it makes me want to puke in humiliation.” He utters as his tone slowly starts to grow in rage.

“How is this bastard still standing after taking so many blows~!” Yuji mutters, still unable to understand why after taking so many brutal blows, he’s still standing and moving just fine. “Is he really an old man?!”

“I had to leave an important meeting with my new employee just for this crap, I'm gonna have to finish this quickly,” Nanami exclaims as he takes his tie of his suit and wraps it around his fist.

“You're right, I'm gonna have to conclude this thing once and for all, I also have other matters to take care of… now that Gojo has interfered with my plans.”

Nanami and Choi clashed, but the fight was pretty evidently one sided in Nanami’s favor. He starts to beat up Choi brutally, with every blow dealing heavy damage to him and leaving a mark.

Due to Choi’s exhaustion and injuries from fighting Yuji and Choso as a duo, it significantly nerfed his physical performance.

“This is over…” Nanami exclaims as he was ready to finish him off with the final blow, clenching his fist with destructive power to completely shatter Choi.

“Fuck… I can’t fight like this any longer… Is this… really it?” Choi utters in his mind as he envisions the outcome of defeat in his end, questioning if this was really over for him.
 
Just as Nanami launched his fist towards him with death granting force, it was less than even 0.01 seconds that everyone’s heart sank from the drastic change of the aura in the room. 
 
Nanami’s hand was caught by a firm and strong hand, so tight and powerful that his hole body was stunned and frozen from the sheer might of the grip. The speed of the interception was such that no one could even perceive.

“You did a good job… Choi…” The figure spoke, his voice venomous and threatening, already shutting the atmosphere down under his overwhelming aura.

Choi’s skin shivered at first from hearing that voice, knowing his presence.

“U-  Lord T~tenchu~?” He said.

“Just what kind of power is this~??” Nanami utters inside his mind as his entire body was still locked and frozen from his grip, trying his very best to fight out of it, but it seemed as if his body was rejecting to fight against it.

“It was the right decision to bring Ai and her Daughter to you. Now, we finally found what we were looking for.”

“Wha- what do you mean~?” Choi sought.

Tenchu smirked, briefly closing his crimson blood eyes, and within a swift and unpredicted movement, he knocked Nanami unconscious from a chop to the neck with perception blitzing speed.

“A-!” Nanami’s consciousness faded. It was so fast he couldn’t process it.

“Nanami Senpai!!” Yuji yelled after seeing Nanami get knocked out so effortlessly.

“The main purpose for Ai’s kidnap was not because of your progression of your own business, but to find our objective,
Yuji Itadori
.” Tenchu informs Choi about the main cause behind Ai’s kidnap.

“Wh~Who?!” Choi was now confused from this disclosure, and so was Yuji and Choso as they heard what Tenchu was talking about.

“M~me?!” Yuji utters inside his mind.

“That kid over there,” Tenchu points his thumb backwards while still facing towards Choi, not looking at Yuji.

“What for?!” Choi’s curiosity only grew.

“Lord Sukuna wants him. That’s all you need to know.”

“A-” he stutters in shock “L-Lord Sukuna… wants to meet him~? A mere kid?!”

As soon as the sound of the mentioning of Sukuna’s name flowed into Yuji’s ears, its as if his heart received a shot. That name was something he never ever wanted to hear for the rest of his life in this world. His one and only nightmare was that individual. He had full hope and faith that this is a world where such a disgraceful and merciless being like him wouldn’t exist.

“There’s no point in elaborating any further. All I’m here is to take Yuji with me.” With this, Tenchu turns around and faces Yuji, his blood red eyes finally meeting Yuji’s features.

Choso stood in front of Yuji with a fighting stance, ready to protect his brother from his immoral onslaught.

But to their misfortune, they were massively outclassed, as within a blink of an eye, Choso was already knocked out before he knew it, not even knowing where he and how he was hit.

“Choso!!” Yuji yells as Choso’s body fell on the floor, his eyes white, evidently showing he also lost consciousness too.

With rage, Yuji attempts charge his fist at Tenchu, but upon his unluck, it was caught firmly.

“That’s a strong punch.” Tenchu compliments, his immoral smirk still present before also side chopping him down.

“I feel sad.” Tenchu states,

“Huh?” Choi didn’t understand that due to the vagueness behind his statement.

“I feel sad that, even though we used you as a pawn to drag our main objective closer, your career is probably now finished.”

“Wha- why?!”

“Because Gojo Satoru is already here.”

“...” Choi knew that Gojo intervened with his other C-19 group but to think he already arrived back in Japan was beyond his field of possibilities. “...then help me fight him!!” He pleaded for Tenchu to contribute and lend his combative power to help him fight Gojo.

“Are you stupid, old man?” Tenchu retaliates.

“I’m not dumb enough to engage in a one on one fight with him. This is why I’m leaving right now so that he doesn’t catch me when taking his very beloved student.”

“So you’re saying, not even you can stand up to him in a fight?”

“Of course not.” He firmly exclaims  “The only person who can stand up to Gojo is none other than Lord Sukuna himself.”

Tenchu picks up Yuji with one hand and carries him over his shoulder.

“The rest is up to you.” he says to him before disappearing from his sight with Yuji.

Leaving Choi alone in this room, along with Nanami and Choso still knocked on the ground unconscious.

“Choso told us on the phone that he and his buddy kept Ai and Ruby somewhere here… but the thing is… there are so many rooms!!” Aqua mutters to himself, as he rushes on the long corridor filled with many rooms all by himself, slamming every door open.

“Rrrgh, just where are they?!” He checks every room one by one that is in the corridor, searching for his missing mother and twin sister.

“Mmm~” Ruby hummed, while half asleep, her soul engulfed and nourished within the soft flesh of her mother's midsection as her head sinks inside it, the slow rhythmic waves Ai's belly makes as she breathes, they both found immense joy from sharing each others warmth and touch despite still being in an injured state.

Ai continued to pat and rub Ruby's hair and back as she was leaning and pressing on her impaired and delicate abdomen. The pleasure she felt as her beloved daughter rested her head on her own stomach was something she couldn't describe by words.

They spent a long time in the new room they were located in. Even if they didn't speak to each other for a while, they still adored the time in the new room within each other's comfort and touch, their tenderness filling their heart with warmth and solace.

Ruby had been humming a few tones for a while now while she was resting on her mothers belly. Ai listened to all of it without talking or disrupting her while she patted and rubbed her head.

After 5 more minutes of humming, Ai was the first to initiate a conversation.

“Ruby~”

“Yes mama~!” She replies with her adorable voice.

“Should we have a little look around outside~?” Ai suggests, her tone soft and soothing.

“Hmm~ alright~” Ruby lifts her face from her mother’s belly and slowly stands up.

Ai also attempts to stand up, but her crippled umbilical region rejected it as it soared in an excruciating wave of pain the moment she tried to apply physical movement on her stomach too.

“Aaa-!!” She shrieks in unbearable pain, completely losing her energy and balance to stand up as she collapsed back to the ground.

“Mama!!” Ruby screams, immediately trying to aid her mother by coming to her aid, her heart aching from seeing the detrimental expression of her mother as she tries to bear the excruciating agony roaring on her body. “Mama~...”

The sensitivity of her midsection has drastically increased, so much so that even the very slightest bit of pressure could result in tremendous pain. Hakensu's ruthless blows with his mechanical gloves was the one that triggered the waves of pain on Ai's fragile belly, and even before she arrived to Choi's basement, her stomach still wasn't completely healed, so receiving Baekho's bone shattering blows only astronomically amplified the sensitivity and the pain on her midsection.

“U-oh.. looks like, mama can't get up~” she said to Ruby in a sad tone, slightly upset that she couldn't attempt to find a way to navigate their way to their home due to the immense pain drilling on her soft flesh.

“Mama! It's not your fault, we should just stay here until someone rescues us!” Ruby suggests, her tone always supportive and positive towards her precious mother.

“I'm sorry, Ruby~” Ai apologizes as she gently rubs her forehead and hair bangs with her left hand while she presses her right hand on her wounds.

Just before their emotions were about to escalate, the sudden front door of the room slammed open.

Within a heartbeat, Ai went from softly patting Ruby's head to then instantly pulling her towards her chest, ensuring she is fully covered and sheltered, recalling what occurred last time when she suffered Baekho's merciless blows, she vowed to never let anyone hurt or touch her daughter ever again, even if it costs her entire life.

“M~mama?” Ruby muttered, shocked that despite struggling to even stand up, she somehow had enough energy to pull her towards her chest like a magnet when it was necessary. Further showing her that a mother's urge to protect their child automatically makes them their strongest protectors.

Ai's guards and senses were alerted as she waited for the individual to enter the room. The sound of the door shutting open within this area has greatly traumatized them, since both times it happened, they both suffered severe torture.

But as soon as they both saw who actually opened the door, Ai's heart dropped, instinctively dropping her guard and cocoon, her eyes widened with immense relief as it slowly started to get watery from seeing the other missing piece of her soul, her beloved son.

“A-...A~Aqua…~?” Ai uttered as she saw her son by the door.

“A~Ai… Ruby…” Aqua uttered back as he slowly started to step inside the room more, feeling the warm and cozy atmosphere due to the firewood that was burning.

“Onii Chan!” Ruby yells out, yearning for his brother's presence.

“Aqua!” Ai repeats, her voice laced with a mixture of immense relief and joy, finally being able to see her beloved son after more than a whole day. Her heart was overwhelmed with happiness and delightfulness with tears now shedding from her eyes, seeing her missing angel.

She attempts to stand back up and rush forward to Aqua, but this time, extremely eager to reach her beloved son as she tries her very best to put as much effort as she could to bring herself as closer as she can.

But reality was harsher than she imagined, as the soaring pain that was ravishing on her navel area didn't allow her to move any more forward than two steps, before collapsing on the floor with her hands forced to be clutched tightly on her stomach, her eyes pinched, gritting her teeth as the pain overwhelms her soul, as if someone was ruthlessly piercing through her organs and ripping her intestines out.

“Aaa!!” She let out a squeal as she couldn't take the pain any longer.

Aqua wasn't too far off as he was already in a rush to reach Ai and Ruby even before Ai attempted to stand back up, but the moment she fell and clutched her stomach while expressing severe pain, it gave Aqua a shot to the soul.

“AII!!” Aqua's soul crumbles to pieces as he sees his favorite idol, no, his mother that he cherishes in his heart so much, in detrimental pain.

“Mama!!” Ruby also cries out as she also reaches for Ai's aid, watching her drop to the ground and seeing her intolerable expression made her heart crumble just as much as Aqua's.

Both of Ai's kids slowly lifted her up, to make her sit straight, as Ruby being the one for Ai's back to lean at with Aqua being the one to immediately examine and observe Ai's condition. His instincts as a doctor leaking out, as if he is observing Ai's abdomen like she is a patient to him when he was Gorou

Aqua lifts Ai’s dress up all the way until he can fully see her abdomen. And upon doing so, he witnessed a sight that crumbled his heart to pieces. Never in his life did he ever see something so brutally battered, let alone it being Ai of all people. His heart sank. A gasp of fear and disbelief escaped from himself as he saw a big red circle centering her umbilical area with deep blood marks and cracks. It looked like her navel was penetrated deeply with a hole that seemed to lead all the way to her spine, while tainted blood was still there, explaining why a portion of her dress was red. He had not seen Ai's stomach like this before, indicating that she took some unimaginable amount of damage in her most sensitive place in her body at the moment.

He was beyond frustrated.

“What happened!?”

Aqua asks, urged to know the story as he slowly places his hand on her mother's exposes midsection and slowly rubbing around it, getting a feel of the severity of her wounds by slowly pressing on her soft and delicate flesh.

“Onii Chan, mama got really hurt on her tummy!” Ruby informs him as he was examining her.

“...yeah I can see that…” Aqua mutters, his tension only increasing as he further realizes just how bad her condition has gotten.

But before he could examine any further, he was suddenly pulled. Pulled like a magnet as his face collides with Ai's chest with his mother embracing him so  firmly, squeezing him into her soul.

“Aqua~..” Ai utters, her voice weak due to the intense pain that was engulfing her soul. “Are you okay?” The first thing she asks was whether he was alright.

“...I'm fine…” Aqua replies back, his voice replicating the same volume as his mother's. He could feel Ai's heavy breaths brushing his forehead.

“That's great~” Ai utters in relief as he cuddles her little boy.

Both of them spent a couple of good minutes cuddling and embracing each other, before Aqua finally decides to withdraw from it to inquire what occurred for them within the last whole day.

“Ai, how did you get hit? How deep do you think it went?” Aqua asks, his questions sounding something like a doctor would ask her.

“Aqua~ stop being a worrywart~ Mama is fine as it is~” Ai responds back to her precocious son.

“This is serious Ai!”

“Yes Mama! Onii Chan is right!”

“I don't want… you two to worry about me.”

“How can we not?!” Ruby retaliates. “Who else should we worry about other than you, mama?!”

“...” Ai lowers her gaze, her tender smile disappearing from her face as she recalls all the unjustified sufferings she received with Ruby. She doesn't want Aqua to know what she and Ruby went through, otherwise it would further devolve him into a deeper level of depression and anxiety.

“Onii Chan!! Mama got punched in the stomach really deep! She spilled so much blood from her mouth it was truly horrifying~!! I think mama even cracked her spine.” Even if Ai hesitated to say what happened, there was Ruby who always spilled out the beans.

“No way…”

“It's fine, Aqua..” Ai tries to calm her son down, wrapping an arm around neck as he is close to her, trying to cover him with her warmth.

Before she knew it, Aqua was already ringing the ambulance, calling for emergency support.

“We need you to get medical treatment ASAP!”

“Ruby too~” Ai adds.

“Ruby?” Aqua repeats, slightly puzzled why Ruby was mentioned.

“I wasn't the only one who got hurt~” Ai states, huddling Ruby closer to her “Ruby got hurt too, really badly~”

“...how?”

“...”

“The same way mama did~”

“You guys… I'm sorry I couldn't come any quicker~ this all happened because we didn't arrive quick enough, forgive me.” Aqua apologizes to Ai and Ruby for his late arrival, his self guilt overwhelming himself, his voice also slowly starting to collapse with a sense of helplessness.

“No, stop Aqua~ don't say that~ I was so worried about you~...” Ai tells her son to cease his self blame “Do you know how happy I am to see you here~” she said with a cracked and weak voice, grazing her fingers through his chin before slowly brushing his forehead and putting his hair bangs aside to see the spot where he got hit with the rubberband. The mark was still present but it was evident he got treated. Ai tenderly rubbed a few fingers around that spot of his forehead, “Aqua… you weren’t hurt too bad were you~?”

“M-m” Aqua nods his head sideways. He already finished calling the ambulance here to transport Ai back to the hospital along with Ruby.

“Aqua, how did you know I was here? did anyone else come with you~?” Ai inquires, wanting to know how Aqua got to finding this place.

“It’s a long story but, Choso told me and Yuji. He and his friend took you and Ruby here into this place. So we split up. Yuji went to the main base to fight the true culprit behind your kidnap and I came here looking for you two to take you back.” Aqua conveys.

“Ch-choso… and Yuji.. what?!” Ai barely processed anything Aqua said.

He sighed, anticipating that Ai would lose her somewhere. “Choso apparently works here by illegally being forced to, but he was planning on taking down the main culprit all along. Yuji is still there helping Choso fight with them and making me in charge of rescuing you two.”

“Oh… but..” a slight bit of reluctance tinged in her tone, “Shouldn’t we also wait for them too?” she prefers, “What if they get hurt?” She brings forth the possibility of them receiving brutal injuries as the care she has for Yuji in her heart is still palpable by taking into consideration his well-being.

“He’ll be fine. He has Choso with him, they are both strong.” Aqua affirms “And just in case the situation ends up being back, they have an ace that can solve the problem.” He further informs me.

“An ace?” Ruby wondered what his elder twin brother meant by that. “Who would that be?” she asks curiously

“Gojo Satoru.”

“Oh! Sensei’s coming ba- Ough!” Ruby squeals in pain as her stomach also roars in pain, her ruptured organs still proving to be in a critical shape as a sudden burst of physical exertion can cause a wave of gut wrenching agony. Even though the powerful painkiller Ai fed her from her own mouth did significantly decrease Ruby’s pain, that doesn’t mean that it would remain the same forever.

“Ruby!” Both Ai and Aqua yell as they see Ruby shriek in pain and clutching her belly.

“Aaa~!” She tried to fight the pain but it was overwhelming her soul, pinching her eyes closed while Ai cuddled her closer to her.

“We need to get you two to the hospital first before anything else!” Aqua said in a commanding voice.

Even though Ai still had tension for Yuji and the others, he had no choice but to accept their retrieval to the hospital, especially after seeing Ruby scream in pain, there was not a question in her mind she’d choose anything else before that until she finally sees her daughter relieved from the pain.

Just after Aqua urged them the importance of bringing them to hospital, the door creeps open once more. Another individual walks in the room.

“Hm? Oh there you are,” Geto spots Ai and her kids on the corner of the room. He and Gojo already arrived at Choi’s basement to solve the issue once and for all, and he was requested to split up and take Ai to the hospital while leaving the physical work to Gojo.

As soon as they saw Geto walking up closer to them, Ruby instinctively huddled her body closer to her mother, shoving her face on her chest as a swell of fear and PTSD triggered her innocent little body from the unthinkable brutality she suffered the last time someone unknown came to a room. She was shaking, clutching on to her mother’s clothes.

Aqua on the other hand was confused, he didn't know who this person was nor was he told he was Gojo’s friend. So by instinct he’d first assume that he was their enemy.

Ai pulled her two kids into her chest, with each of her arms wrapping around their shoulders with their bodies pressing into her own. The expression of fear was also visible in Ai’s face as Geto approached closer to them. She could feel Ruby’s fear as she was holding her tight into her chest.

This is the weakest Ai had been, and she was in no capable position to ever fight back or resist physically. Her torn up stomach along with her little daughters, it didn’t even allow them to properly stand, demonstrating just how weak they are at this point due to their crippled state.

Her only option right now was to beg for mercy with all her heart, hoping that he’d at the very least he’d show some mercy by not hurting her two innocent and precious children. She didn’t care what would happen to herself as long as her two kids would be unharmed.

“Please~...” Ai said to him, her voice weak, shaking with fear.

“Huh?” Geto furrowed a brow, wondering what was up with her and why she was all frightened.  He finally stood right in front of where she was sitting on the ground, gazing down at her while she was shielding her little kids.

“Please… don’t hurt us~~ anymore~..” She uttered, her voice cracked, her heart begging him not to give them any more harm than it already was done. Her expression said it all. Ai had already endured enough torment, her physical and mental body had reached its limit from all the torture and brutal damage it received. She begged for it not to continue.

“Or~...” Ai continued, her eyes watery as she couldn’t express herself properly just how much of the pain she was enduring with her children. “...at the very least~  just please… don’t do any harm to my children~~..” She manages to say as her voice was slowly collapsing, at best giving him the option to whatever he wants with her, but just not her precious kids. Even though the damage done to Ai’s fragile body was already beyond what she could endure, she was willing to suffer more as long as it means her little angels won’t be getting harmed.

Geto stared at them with slight confusion, before kneeling down slightly above their level, making Ruby and Ai shrunk in fear even more. Geto could already spot the nerve wrecking fear that was implanted in their eyes, hoping for some mercy.

“Hmph,” He smiled, a relieving vibe leaking off. “It's alright.” He says, his tone not aggressive nor heavy, rather helpful, supporting and gentle.

“Huh~?” Ai was confused why Geto said that.

“I’m here to send you two to the hospital.” He said, toning his voice down in a soft and delicate manner when talking to Ai and her kids who were still frightened, trying not to scare their gentle souls. He could understand why she was all defensive, and he didn’t blame her for it after all the torment and trauma she faced. She had trust issues.

And upon saying that, the fear in Ai’s heart slowly started to fade. She wasn’t as tense anymore about protecting her kids after feeling the benevolence of Geto towards her.

“O- O… really?” Ai said, hope lifting up inside of her.

“Mhm, this is what Gojo requested me to do.” Geto affirms.

“Oh, I see…” a faint, but relieved smile slowly started form in her lips. “Thank you~” her appreciation was palpable as she was truly grateful towards Geto for arriving here to give them a hand, knowing just how desperate they were in need of medical treatment.

“My pleasure.”

Though a sense of heavy uncomfort swelled inside of him deep inside from seeing such a pretty girl and her kid this severely battered and mentally damaged. Deep inside he was infuriated that such a thing could even happen to someone so innocent like them. For Gojo to see this happen to them, he would most definitely be devastated.

“Man… he just doesn’t get down…” Shinji mutters to himself, whilst panting heavily from exhaustion, his face, shoulders, thighs and back all wielding deep slashes and cuts.

“Rrrgh!! Persistent fuck!! Just get down already!!” Goo complained.

“You’re struggling a bit too much, Goo.” Gun taunts Goo from the side as he was leisurely sitting on one of the shattered walls, smoking his cigarette and enjoying spectating their fight.

“Shut up!!” Goo retaliates back, aggravated at Guns constant mocks and insults.

“Heh, I didn’t struggle nearly as much as you~” Gun continues to mock, proudly boasting his own power.

“Yeah, as if I’d believe that.” Goo expresses his doubts on Gun’s self proclaimed statements.

“...I don’t even know if this blondie is taking it seriously, he still seems to be joking around. Was Gojo really able to fight these two guys at once?” Shinji continues to analyze and observe their fight, speculating that Goo hasn’t even gone all out yet. “He seems to be much stronger when he holds a weapon or anything to wield in his hand. If that’s the case, then all I need to do…”

Shinji charges at Goo again, attempting another roundhouse kick in his face.

“Hah! Do you really think I’d get hit by such a predictable attack!” Goo swiftly evades it. However he got played.

“Who said I was targeting you?” Shinji said with a smirk, before redirecting his kick back the metal type, completely shattering it.

“Smart.” Gun remarks as he understood what Shinji did while observing their battle. “He tricked Goo into thinking his strike will land at his face when his plan from the beginning was to disarm him from wielding any weapon, so he targeted the metal pipe from the beginning. Guess he also noticed that Goo fights better when he has a weapon in his hand,”

As Goo was stunned while the metal pipe he was holding got shattered, Shinji utilized this opportunity to land a deadly combo while he was still open and vulnerable from the shock.

“However… as much as I hate to admit it… that still isn’t enough to defeat Goo.” He admits.

In the midst of Shinji hitting devastating combos, Goo got his rhythm back, and less than a blink of an eye, a deep cut went through Shinji’s throat. It was so fast and unpredictable Shinji was beyond speechless.

“A~” He places a hand on his neck and presses it to minimize the bleeding.

“Goo’s specialty is making anything he has in his hand a weapon. Just because the metal pipe he was wielding that got destroyed, doesn’t mean he is completely weaponless. He can make almost anything into a deadly weapon…” Gun convey Goo’s ability as he watches Goo getting free from Shinji’s barrage.

“H-how~?” He wonders how he was so fast to strike in the midst of getting combo’d, before realizing what Goo had in his hand. “A- a watch?!!”

“Y’know, in some smartwatches, there is a pointy thingy that can cut things pretty deep. It should be more than enough to be a weapon for me.” Goo exclaims as he wipes off the blood from his watch that he took out from his hand.

“This guy… he is dangerous…” Shinji monologues as he was put in a really bad position. “I took too many wounds, I don’t think I can keep this up much longer. But why do I get the feeling he still has a lot left in him? It’s scary~”

“Now…” Goo makes his stance, evident in preparing his assault towards Shinji. “I hope you’re ready for this…”

“Shit… I can’t defend properly now with this sliced throat~” Shinji mutters to himself as he found himself in a bad position, vulnerable to Goo’s assault.

Just as Goo launched himself with ground breaking speed, right before the sharp bit of his watch was about to poke Shinji’s eyes, his swing was stopped by a firm and strong hand that gripped his wrist before it was able to move any further.

The shock in Goo’s expression said it all.

“Wha-what the~”

As the hand strengthened its grip on Goo’s wrist, he flinched in pain, before a thunderous left fist connected right into his into his face, sending him crashing violently across several walls.

“It took you long enough~” Shinji sighed in relief as his heart finally rested in peace upon his arrival.

“Hahaha! Sorry, me and Geto couldn’t help but stop at the new taco shop closeby~” Gojo said, his impression oblivious and nonchalant as ever.

“When are you not unserious…” Shinji comments on Gojo’s carelessness in extreme situations like this.

“Anyways, we meet again,” Gojo directs his attention to Gun and Goo who just came back after getting sent back flying.

“That actually hurt!! You could’ve at least told me you’re coming here!” Goo complains about Gojo intercepting his dash.

“My bad,” Gojo said ironically.

“I never expected to see you again so soon, how was your trip in Thailand?” Gun asks.

“It was great? Goddamn the food was amazing~!” Gojo replies, his mood not as aggressive or malevolent as it's supposed to be.

“Uhh… take this seriously Gojo, they were about to kill me.”

“Yeah I know, but I’m here, so it’s alright.” He reassures.

“I had a feeling you’d show up…” Another familiar voice approaches behind them.

“Ah~! If it isn’t the old creepy looking geezer,” Gojo turns around and faces Charles Choi, spotting his injuries and battered state.

“Creepy? You’re so disrespectful.”

“You don’t look in a good shape, old man, want me to get you a wheelchair?” Gojo continues to mock, his smirk ever so confident.

“Oh spare me please,”

“So, did you embrace the last hour of your career?”

“Last hour? Oh please~ even if you destroy this basement, it's only one of many more I have.”

“Hm?”

“Gojo Satoru… your strength alone won’t be able to take down the might I wield.” Choi states. “We may be pretty bruised up right now, but it’s nowhere near the end.”

“Might you wield?” Gojo said, knowing Choi was spouting nonsense “You mean the might of the army where you are simply just a mere pawn?”

“Hu-what?!” Choi grunts in aggravation.

“You can’t fool me here.” Gojo says confidently.

Choi starts sweating, hoping that Gojo doesn’t know the truth behind him

“You may own some authority of power, but ultimately, you are just a pawn of Sukuna’s and do whatever he commands you with whatever little power you own, don’t you?” Gojo spills out this disclosure in front of his face.

Leaving him speechless, he continued.

“Sukuna commanded you to do what you are doing, am I right?”

Choi grits his teeth, frustrated and confused how he got ahold of such secret connection.

“And you don’t dare to betray him because you know what he would do to you if you ever go against his command, right~?”

With his soul now struck in fear by finding out his grasp about this information, it’s his responsibility now to ensure it never spreads.

“How did you find out about this?!” Choi demands an answer.

“It isn’t that hard to figure it out, especially considering he is also my one and only target to get rid of this peaceful world.”

Choi once again regains his composure.

“Hmph, alright then, so what if I’m a pawn of his?”

“It means I have to destroy you.” Gojo utters as his aura starts to change into a more threatening and aggressive vibe,

But just as it was about to get any more intense, a very unpredicted sight was caught.

“Blrgh!”

Blood was spilled from Gojo’s mouth, as he tried his best to keep it within.

Everyone was dead stunned and shocked by this.

Gojo puts a hand to cover his mouth from the leaking blood.

“Shit… not now…!!” Gojo mutters within himself, frustrated why does it has to happen at a time like this, before more blood erupted from his mouth.

“Gojo!!” Shinji said, placing a hand on his back. Witnessing Gojo vomiting blood was definitely a shocking thing to see.

Choi was stunned, and at the same time, a swell of ecstasy overflowing inside him.

“Hah…” His smile enlarges as he sees Gojo coughing up blood. “So it seems you are suffering from a severe disease huh? Was it because you fought Sukuna yourself?” Choi utters.

Gojo kneels down as a severe and excruciating ache on his chest starts to ravish, struggling to breath.

“This… is our chance to kill you.” Choi utters with a wide smirk. “It seems you’ve been suffering from a severe illness for a while. There is no other better chance to kill you than now, when you are weakened~”

Choi’s bodyguards circle around them, ready to jump Gojo and Shinji as they bring their weapons out.

“To slaughter such a monster… will prove my worthiness to Lord Sukuna.” Choi utters as all his bodyguards in the basement surround them.

“Don’t~ worry~” Gojo slowly stands up, one hand still pressing on his chest, blood marks painting his chin red.

“Gojo~~ since when were you in a state like this?!” Shinji seeks with detrimental concern.

“Don’t… tell this… to anyone…” Gojo tells Shinji, his voice still weak but he was trying to regain his strength after that jolt of pain.

“Now that you have knowledge on my condition… I can’t keep you guys alive anymore…” Gojo says to Choi, “If this information gets leaked out, it will be dangerous, not even my best friend Suguru knows about this. Embrace your final moments… Choi..!!!” Gojo said, though his voice may be weak and slightly crippled, his aura was still intimidating and threatening.

“I’ll kill every single one of you heartless souls…”

Bodies laid on the floor. Some were missing body parts and limbs and others were just flat out unconscious. A pool of crimson scattered throughout the main base. Gojo was panting, on his knees as he was the only one with Shinji still conscious.

“Gojo~ you pushed yourself too far~ especially with this severe illness.” Shinji advises him as he was holding onto Gojo to lend him some balance. “Like seriously, how did you even get this sick?”

“Shinji~ just pretend you didn’t see anything~”

Just as they were walking out of the basement, Gojo’s phone rang.

“Hm?” He brings out his phone from his pocket, “Nanami?” noticing that Nanami is the one that is calling him.

“Yo,”

“Gojo, we have really bad news.”

“Uhu? What is it?”

“Yuji got kidnapped.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Dark and unforgiving storm clouds covered the city. It was fully empty. Heavy rain descended down mercilessly. No one was there. No cars or a single soul. Except… for her… who was running for her life with her two kids.“Hahh hahh…” Ai tries her best to find a place to hide. Hide from that heartless figure who is hunting her and her innocent kids down. Her forehead was bleeding, her arm was cut from protecting her precious ones. Ruby was screaming, Aqua was clinching on to her, as their little souls' only protection was none other than their mother who was desperately trying to protect them. She was exhausted from all the running while carrying her two kids in her hands. All 3 of their hearts were petrifiedIt was at a point where Ai’s body gave up, nearly about to collapse. Her legs ciouldn’t take her any further with her slowly dropping to her knees close to a tall lamp light that was glowing on the midnight empty city. They were drenched from the relentless rain.“SLASHH”The tall lamp light behind them got cleaved in two devastatingly. “MAMAA!!” Ruby screamed, as they were all alerted due to the sound of that slash.Ai was barely able to move out of the way before it fell on them. This warned her that he was close. Her skin started trembling once more as the aura of malevolence only escalated further. Due to the small puddles on the road due to the heavy rain, she could hear his footsteps approaching closer.“It’s no use,” His voice echoed throughout the surrounding area. “There is no use running… Ai. Your fate is inevitable.” He reveals himself to her from the dark shadow.Ai gasps in fear, tightening her grip of her arms that she was shielding Aqua and Ruby with. Ai was sitting down, leaning her back on the lamp post. She wasn’t in the position to stand up at all, thus allowing her to get cornered by him. She saw the crimson red hair and eyes of the individual approaching closer to him. Even his color resembled violence and bloodshed. It was that very same person who kidnapped her and Ruby and took her to Choi’s basement.That very same individual Ai now has to encounter again. The appearance of his features makes her heart shake in fear.“At last…” Tenchu spoke as he was now in front of Ai, his gaze piercing down her trembling soul. “I thought you were going to die when I sended you and your daughter to Choi’s basement. But it seems he failed. Hahh…” He sighs.“Please…” Ai begs, her voice overflowing with fear, her eyes watery, “Have mercy on us~~” the words trembled from her mouth. But it was of no use. “No matter, I’m here to finish his job. I’ll gladly take away your life with my own hands.” Tenchu declares, breaking Ai’s heart even more from hearing his firm intention.She tightens her arms even further and squeezes Ruby and Aqua onto her body whilst trying to crouch back.“Then… at least, leave my kids out of this~~’ She said, as the one thing she just couldn’t handle was the despair of her beloved little ones.“Hm~?” Tenchu tilts his head, wondering about her request, before forming a wicked smile.“I think they will be the first to die…”With those words floating into Ai’s ear, her heart couldn’t have gotten any more petrified than this.And after saying those words, Tenchu wastes no time and charges at Ai.Though Ai was able to perceive this, she ducked down with her head forward, shielding Aqua and Ruby, intending that whatever assault he was about to throw, it would land on her.But to her surprise, the attack never landed.“Huh?” She was confused, but it only took a moment for her to realize that despite an attack not landing on her, one half of her soul was missing from her arms. She shifted her gaze to her arms where she was holding her kids, and only saw one in her grasp, while the other was missing.Her heart beated like a machine gun. “MAAAMAAA!!!” A high pitched scream cracked the atmosphere, confirming Ai’s fears.“Ruby!!” Ai looks up, and sees Ruby pulled up from her hair by Tenchu.“AAAAYYAAA!!!!!” Ruby screams again, but this time in pain as her arms get twisted completely“NOOO!!! PLEASE DON’T KILL HER!!!” Ai’s scream vibrated across the roads. She instinctively stood up, temporarily leaving Aqua from her arms and rushing towards her beloved daughter's aid. But due to her powerless and fragile body, she received an organ crushing kick right into her stomach, with Tenchu’s feat sinking right into her soft flesh.Her pupils in her eyes fading away as she absorbs an immeasurable amount of pain on her delicate midsection from Tenchu’s inhuman strength, blood surged out of her mouth, collapsing on the road, with her hands now clutched on her abdomen tightly. But despite all this, she could still hear Ruby’s heart breaking screams of pain that she was going through. She was more hurt from hearing Ruby’s cries than receiving that bone rattling kick. The man bends down, with Ruby still occupied in his arms, and puts his hands closer to Ai’s face who was suffering from the pain that was ravishing on her abdomen. He only did this to further torture and break her heart from the inside. Ai could see the expression and the soaring pain inside Ruby as she was crying and screaming. She let go one hand from her stomach, trying to reach her daughter. But thats when she gets pulled back away.“Why…~~” Ai said as guttering sobs began to overwhelm her eyes from the catastrophic situation. “Why~~.. Are you doing this..~~”Tenchu didn’t even bother to answer her, instead he decided to land the killing blow. His fingers stretched out as a hand blade.“SSKRH!!” She was gone. Right in front of her beloved mother’s eyes, as she watched the merciless hand piercing right through her daughter’s soft solar plexus, with the hand penetrating through her back, completely soaked with her blood.Ruby’s screams ceased, her eyes widened as she received the killing blow.“Glaugh!” A chunk of blood erupts from her mouth. She couldn’t even speak anymore. This was it for her.Ai watched this in front of her eyes, witnessing her little angel getting killed mercilessly with no remorse. She was silent for a moment, with the scene registering into her brain as to what just took place, before letting out a scream of her life.“RUBYYY!!!!!!” Her scream tore through the empty city. A wave of tears erupts from her eyes, as she herself screams with terror. Tenchu withdraws his arm out of her little body with the blood finally scattering everywhere from where he had pierced her from.“Kgah!” Another chunk of blood explodes from Ruby’s mouth before she is finally dropped onto the cold surface. Her life force fading away.“AAAAA-!!!!” Ai screams, seeing her innocent and cute daughter whom she infinitely loved, dying on the ground as the man steps over her little body and approaches her next.Whilst screaming and crying Ai got up, blood trails still flowing from the lip as she was carrying the pain on her stomach from the kick. She knows that it would be helpless and useless to try and go to Ruby right now, despite knowing how sad it would really be to just leave her alone. Rather she resorted to now protecting her whole life on the other remaining half of her soul, that being her little son Aqua. She rushes to his side, picking him up from the ground and starts running again, all whilst screaming and crying from what had just happened. She didn’t know where she was going, she just wanted to flee from that man. He squeezed Aqua so tight onto her body its as if she was trying to absorb him inside her. But due to the pain on her stomach from the brutal blow she received earlier, her pace was severely weakened, thus allowing to him effortlessly catch up to her. He trips her up with his foot, making her collapse on the road. And when she slips, she finds out that now, her son was out of her grasp.“AII!!” His scream was heard above her head as she sits up and sees Tenchu lifting up from his jumper. “NOO AQUA!!!” “Ergh!” Tenchu smirks with his teeth.“I BEG YOU, PLEASE, DON’T TAKE HIM AWAY TOO!!! PLEASE!!!” Ai screams and begs.But the next thing she sees was Aqua’s left hand getting slashed clean, with blood exploding from the cleaved part.“AAA!!” Aqua screamed in pain.Ai couldn’t take it anymore, her lungs was about to stop working due to the screaming. The only thing left was the final blow.“SKRR”A sword emerges from Aqua’s chest, drenched with his blood. His eyes also widened just as Ruby’s when she received her final blow, with blood dripping from his mouth.“AQUAA!!!!!!”   “AAAA!!!”Ai screams up, sitting up from her hospital bed. It was midnight and the lights were turned off. “Ai!! Is everything alright?!” her little son Aqua asks who was right beside her, still awake.Ai was breathing heavily, trying to register the reality she is in right now. It took her a good moment to realize where she really was.“Ai! Ai!”Upon the constant sound of his son's voice, it confirmed to her that, that wasn’t the reality. She turned her attention towards her son, seeing him still well and in good shape. Tears welled up her eyes without even her control, seeing her son in good shape in contrast to the unforgiving scene she had just woken up from. She also swiftly changes her gaze to her left side, and finds that Ruby was still sound asleep, amplifying her relief even more, confirming to her that everything she was going through in another parallel universe was not true.“Thank god…” She mutters to herself and changing her gaze back to Aqua before pulling him closer and hugs him tightly to her chest. Tears starting to drip.“Mama was just having a bad dream~” Ai whispers to Aqua. It wasn’t until an unexpected jolt of unimaginable agony cracked through her umbilical area. It was due to the result of her sudden physical movement of sitting up straight without any caution.“A-” Ai shrieks, her eyes widening as her world turns into a pain she can’t begin to tolerate. “A-AA!!” Aqua felt some fluid splatter on his hair.“Ai?” Gazing up, he realized it was blood as it was now dripping from his hair bang to his forehead. “Ai!!” Aqua screams as he spots the expression of his mother enduring a pain that words couldn’t describe. It was so severe blood was spilt from her mouth. Ai felt like someone was constantly stabbing her navel area over and over again with a razor sharp knife. Her expression only got worse, clearly indicating that the pain on her sore midsection was escalating severely.“Ah shit!” Aqua understood the situation and pressed the red button beside Ai’s bed which calls the nurses for an emergency call.Ai slowly started screaming from the pain, as she couldn’t bear it any longer.The nurses rushed to her aid in mere seconds. Even Miyako and Ichigo came due to the emergency call. Their souls were shattered to see Ai going through such a difficult time.  Gojo comes to the countryside Yuki lives in, visiting an old friend after a long time, since they share a history and were fellow special grades back in Jujutsu high.“Yo! Yuki san! Long time no see!” Without even knocking the door, as mannerless he can be sometimes, he slams the door open as soon as he arrives at her house. He enters nonchalantly and makes himself comfy.However, Yuki did not respond, rather she was too busy minding her own business, a sense of anger swelling inside of her.“Whatcha up to? Still busy with medicines?” He says as he lays back on her comfy couch. He could see she was engrossed in a medicine experiment, judging by the tubes and the different kinds of syrups she was mixing.“Listen, I have sumn important to tell you.” Gojo saidBut that's when Yuki snapped as she turned around and walked towards Gojo, her expression still moody.“Hm?” Gojo notices Yuki coming towards him, yet still hasn't said anything to him yet.‘SMACK’ A clear, loud and audible smack echoed throughout the house as Yuki slapped Gojo with her rage imbued with it, leaving a mark on Gojos cheeks.He was shocked and stunned by this, wondering what caused such a mood swing.“How can you be so relaxed?!! Do you not have a heart?!! Do you not have someone to worry about?!” She screamed at him, her emotions lingering everywhere.Gojo was still quite unsure what Yuki was scolding him about. She continued to lash her rage towards him.“Do you not have someone to protect?!! How could you let this happen to her?!” her voice lashed at him, her brows furrowed with anger.Gojo slowly started to realize what Yuki was telling her, and who she was referring to.“You told me you'd protect her!! You told me she'd never get harmed ever again!! How DARE you come here and act as if she doesn’t exist in your heart!! Is she not even important to you?!?!” Yuki releases her wrath against Gojo, her eyes getting watery from emotion. “First it was Yuji! And now her?!” Her wrathful frown was still present.“This whole time…” she starts to speak again, but this time not in a fierceful way, rather it was laced with emotions “ I've been trying to make a medicine… that would be strong enough to cure her wounds once and for all. But~~...” She pauses, her lips shaky “The wound that was already on her fragile stomach, had gotten too severe~~ I don't think~~ it's curable anymore~” Yuki’s voice slowly started to crumble. She sniffs, as her eyes for even more watery“She'll now have to suffer everyday in so much pain~ she won't even be able to smile frequently anymore~!” I just can't even bear to see her going through such agony on such a fragile spot~” she said, expressing her utmost sympathy from the bottom of her heart “And now… Yuji is gone too~~Just why~~ why couldn't you protect them this time~?” Yuki said, before rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, not letting a teardrop from her eyes as she slowly tried to regain her composure.Gojo touched his cheek, the heat and sting on his skin was still there from her slap, he could feel it.“...ouch.” he mutters.In all honesty, it's not like Gojo didn't want to protect, deep down he also felt sympathy for her. He just has so many things on his shoulder, he tries to act calm and cool so that the weight of so many responsibilities on his shoulder doesn't overwhelm him.The reason why Gojo couldn't make it was because of his duty to retrieve Choso’s brothers from Thailand, Kechizu and Eso, so that they can finally live a normal life with their older brother, Yuji and Choso, after all the hardship they faced back in the jujutsu world. But he never predicted that their whole plan was to kidnap Yuji from the very start.Before going to Thailand, he had to deal with several branches of Sukuna’s gang, because his power and influence had already reached and scattered through many areas. It had turned out so bad to where not even police or professional legal fighting forces were able to fend them off. That's how overwhelming it has gotten.And if someone doesn't stop this rapid growth, there is a fear this peaceful world might turn into once again, how it was back in the golden age of Jujutsu, the Heian era where there was only one king who ruled the entire world, that being Ryomen Sukuna, and this is exactly what he is trying to create.Thus, a huge pressure and a burden had now been put on Gojo's shoulders where he holds the responsibility to stop this immoral and wickedness from spreading any further, and to fully take down and destroy this injustice once and for all. The reason it had to come down to ONLY Gojo and no one else in this world was because of the simple fact that there was no one strong enough to fight back against Sukuna's might with the sole exception of the strongest itself, that being Gojo.So if anyone were to look at it in a fair scope, while yes Gojo was also responsible for Ai's protection, was it really all his fault? “I'm sorry.” Gojo apologizes sincerely, as he also heavily regrets it too. Looking back at it, the sheer cuteness in her face, her adorable voice, her heart filling smile and the innocence in her soul, to think back again of just the sheer brutal punishment she is going through, he thought to himself ‘just what in the world such a beautiful person like her suffering all this for?!’ as the picture of her cute face when she was only 10 years old floats in his eyes, the way she said “thank you” to him when he gave her a treat to eat, so to think she is now suffering unbearable pain, it tore up his heart too from the inside. It was no wonder why Yuki was so mad at him. Gojo lacked giving her attention and company, especially the times where she desperately needed him the most.“Well, apologizing now isn't going to make anything better, nor is it going to bring back her radiant smile back either.” Yuki said, her voice still holding a tinge of anger as she walks back to where she was initially occupied, trying to create a pill or a medicine that's competent enough to heal near fatal wounds.A few minutes of silence took place in the dining room, before Gojo finally decided to stand up.“Well~” Gojo said as he stood up from the couch “I came here to warn you… that a section of Sukuna's branch might raid the countryside, I'm telling you right now so that you can make your appropriate and correct move.” He warns her.Yuki instinctively stopped moving, as the mention of Sukuna's name gave her a shock in her heart. She was stunned.The next thing she hears was Gojo walking out the door with the door getting shut.“So he came all the way here to warn me?!” She said to herself before yelling out“Wait!”Not getting a response back, she decides to run and open the door herself, only to find Gojo disappearing from her backyard.A moment of silence passes by, as she then rethinks to herself what she was doing, as a swell of regret slowly started to build up in her heart for how he treated Gojo just now, who came all the way here to warn her about a potential disaster, only for her to treat him in a very ill and disrespectful manner where her mind thought Gojo had arrogantly failed to protect Ai, when at this very moment, she realizes just how much of the world Gojo carries on his own two shoulders. Not only that, but from the very beginning, she felt something very odd from Gojo. She sensed something inside of him that bothered her. At first, she thought it was some kind of temporary sickness, but when she physically slapped him and made contact with him, she felt it inside. She didn’t know what it was but she could tell it was something very detrimental. But she didn’t express it due to the anger that was built within her. Now that he is gone, her mind starts to realize even more that something was definitely off about Gojo.   The next day, Gojo visited the hospital where Ai was. When he entered the room she was put in, he was greeted with Ichigo and Miyako.“U- Gojo san!” Gojo didn’t have that pleasant vibe with him. There wasn’t a smile on his face.“Hey,” He responds, his expression stoic.“Did you come here to visit Ai?” “Mhm,” Gojo nods.”Is she doing well?” He seeks.Ichigo sighs upon response, knowing just how critical pain she is going through. He’d be lying if he said “she is fine”.“Not so well.” He says.“I see,” Gojo enters further into the room where Ai's bed was. And there, he spotted Ai, engrossed in deep slumber, with both her little kids right next to her on one side, nestled in her warmth as she placed one arm over both of them in a hugging position.All 3 of them were in deep sleep. Aqua and Ruby were both drowned from Ai's warmth as Ai was accompanied by their mere existence close to her. It was one of the most wholesome things Gojo ever saw. So imagining her suffering such unbearable pain was just unacceptable, especially for Gojo who had a long and wholesome relationship with her 11 years ago when she was just a little girl. It breaks his heart even more to see this in front of his eyes.“Should I wake her up?” Ichigo offers“No, don't. I don't want to ruin her heartfelt slumber.” Gojo denies as he doesn't want Ai to wake up from the peaceful company she is in right now. “All I came here for was to just see her,”Gojo stares at her for a moment, still observing her slumber with her kids, before asking Ichigo,“How is she doing?”Ichigos eyes narrow down, a swell of sorrow and anxiety swelling inside of him.“Not so good,” he answers. “Just now, she was suffering from a heart wrenching wave of pain on her abdominal area, and the way she was screaming broke my heart.”“I see,” Gojo responds “I mean, I can even tell by looking at her that she is going through a lot.” his heart was also laced with sympathy for her.“Sorry…”Ichigo apologizes.“For what?”“I promised you back when I first recruited her, on the day we first met her when she was just a little girl, that I would protect her and be her guardian. But it seems… I have failed…” Ichigo said with a tinge of emotion in his voice.Gojo then shifts his gaze to Ichigo who continues to express himself.“Every time Ai got hurt, I wasn't there for her to prevent her from getting hurt. This is the second time. And now I have to watch whom I view as my own daughter, suffer everyday. Not a single day passes where she doesn't scream in agony, where blood doesn't drip from her mouth from the indescribable pain on her stomach. Everyday she wakes up from horrific nightmares about her getting stabbed on the same spot over and over again, and sometimes her kids getting ruthlessly slaughtered in front of her eyes… She wakes up crying and screaming. It's so awful~” he says as his tone gets more emotional the more he describes her condition. “...And not once has she ever gave that bright smile that she used to have in her every time.”Hearing this was also a shot to Gojo's heart as well. Ichigo’s voice got emotional by the second “Even when I get her, her favourite ice cream, she rejects it. I know for a fact that ice cream is one of her favourites, but… she just doesn't seem to be the vibrant and pleasant girl I used to know, now that she is engulfed with sorrow and agony.”“How is her healing going?” Gojo seeks to know the progress of her recovery.“She had an operation on her stomach today this morning and she will have another one tomorrow morning. Every day is getting harsher and harsher for her~” Gojo's eyes shift back towards Ai.“What did the doctor say?”Ichigo takes a deep breath, before answering this question. It was something that is very heavy for him to reveal.“This is where my heart breaks the most.” He exclaims “The doctor said that, the state Ai is in right now, it is near impossible for her to recover and go back to her normal state”This disclosure even startled Gojo as he could not handle the information of Ai not going back to normal.“Really?! Is that true?!” Ichigo simply nods in response. “At least from the doctor's perspective.”“Tch!” Gojo clenches his fist in anger, not accepting the reality of that answer.“But,” Ichigo had yet to lay out the full detail, “Since the doctors are doing constant operations on her, they still aren't completely sure whether it's unrecoverable. So, there still is a little amount of hope left for Ai to heal.”“Now I know why Yuki was extremely angry… it's all my fault… for not protecting her and giving her the company she needed from me” Gojo monologues in his mind, finally understanding the severity of her situation.His eyes then come across the little soul beside Ai who was sleeping right next to her, cocooning in her warmth.“How is her daughter?” Gojo asks.“Oh yeah, Ruby. She also got injured quite badly, but wasn't nearly as bad as Ai’s. She is doing alright and the doctor said that it is more likely for her to recover from this than Ai~”“But to think such an innocent little soul like her getting wounded too, it just burns my blood.” Gojo comments.“Ai is more worried about Ruby's wounds then her own,” Ichigo tells “In fact, the reason for her gloominess is not because of the wounds that were critically inflicted on her, but it was the fact that Ruby got involved and hurt along with her as well.” He relays.“I expected it.” Gojo states as he walks closer to Ai's bed where he is directly standing in front of her, looking down at her slumbering soul, “Someone like Ai who unconditionally loves her kids, she was deeply traumatized by what she saw.”Gojo then gently placed his hand on top of Ai's forehead, giving it a rub as his fingers brush throw her silky violet hair strings.The image of Ai when she herself was a cute little innocent girl floats in his eyes. As his eyes narrows the more he envisions Ai's little self when they first encountered and then realised just how much she had gone through because he wasn't there for her.“Sorry.” Gojo utters.“Hm?”“I take the blame for all this.”  “What do you mean?” “It's because of me…that she is going through such a harsh time. I wasn't there for her when she was exposed to violence. I was strong enough to protect her, but I chose not to. This is all my fault.” Gojo slowly takes his hand off Ai's forehead, before redirecting his attention towards Ichigo again.“Ichigo, the other reason I came here besides visiting her was to deliver this message,” “A message?”“Yes, can you please convey this to her when she wakes up?” “...alright.”  Ai's eyes slowly twitch open. She sees the usual things she would usually see when she wakes up from her slumber. Nothing new in her surroundings when she is in her hospital room.She first fixes her gaze to Aqua and Ruby, wanting an update on their condition, noticing that they are still sound asleep right next to her.A sigh escapes her lips before she slowly removes her hands that she wrapped around them when they were sleeping, ensuring they don't wake up. She very slowly tries to sit up straight. Her hair all scattered, her eyes slightly puffed and gloomy.She was greeted by none other than Miyako, who came up to her after she had woken and smitten up straight.“Ai~!” She calls her name in a pleasant voice, “You've woken up, how are you feeling?” She asks with a caring tone.Now if this was the usual Ai, she would've instantly replied with a smile and maybe with a little giggle too, but instead she looked at Miyako with those stressful eyes, not even a trace of a smile in her lips. “It's always the same~” she answers. “Well~~ guess what?!” Miyako said in an exciting tone, hoping she could at least try to crack a smile from Ai, even if it is a faint one. “I bought you your favorite gelato!”But sadly for all her hope, it was meant for the reality as Ai's expression never changed upon this disclosure.“I don't want it.” She denied.“U- why not? I know well that deep inside you want it.”Ai then shifts her gaze towards her sleeping babies, as she very oftenly checks on them and see how they are doing, even if they are in the very same position, which was very indicative of how much traumatized she was where even in save environments, she still feels uncomfortable until she checks on Ruby and Aqua herself.Miyako noticed this for the past few days and was truly heartbroken to see Ai being pushed to this extent, and it makes her soul shake to think just what she endured this whole time when she was kidnapped.“Oh, Ai you're awake.” Ichigo enters the room. “Good timing. I have some news to share with you.”“News?”“Mhm,” Ichigo took a seat on the chair next to the bed where Ai was. “Gojo Satoru came here to you a couple of hours ago.”“Eh- Gojo sensei came?!” Now this disclosure is what changed the expression on Ai's face as she was stunned and surprised by this. “Why didn't you wake me up?”“I wanted to, but Gojo told me not to, he said he didn't want to disturb your peaceful slumber with your kids, he only came just to see how you were doing.”“But still… I wanted to talk to him..” “But there are two more important things.”“Hm?”“That is that, Yuji Itadori, the little boy who you always look after, was kidnapped the moment you were rescued and transported out of that basement.”Ai's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly as she was stunned temporarily from this disclosure.“...U- Y~yuuji~? But why?!” She demands an answer. Yuji was someone who she also viewed as a family to her, her own son, so hear him get kidnapped was something that snapped her out of her gloominess, as he was someone who was very precious to her.“Now this is where things get very complex, so listen carefully, Ai.” Ichigo said as his tome got more serious“Firstly, there is a very huge criminal and gang organization in the country Mexico. It's probably the strongest, worst and most evil group of people ever. And believe it or not, the leader of that huge group has some connections with Yuji.”“What nonsense!” Ai expresses her disbelief about this information. “This is the information that Gojo told me to pass on to you, Ai. These aren't my words.” Ichigo further clarifies the validity of the information being told to her, which has now silenced her as she still could not accept it in her heart.“Now,” Ichigo resumes “The main purpose for your capture had nothing to do with you.”“...” Ai was getting more confused the more Ichigo relayed this message.“The ultimate goal of your kidnap was to capture Yuji and take him back to where the leader of the gang was in Mexico.”Ai was still speechless, unable to comprehend what she had just heard, “What are you saying~ Ichigo san~ so you're saying, my beloved Ruby got hurt all because of nothing~?” Ai retaliates back, her voice getting emotional and heavy, as anytime she thinks about Ruby, her hurt crumbles from the pain she witnessed her suffer “How can Yuji be kidnapped because of this~? And…” Ai was about to say something else but the huge storm of thoughts just made her words stop. She dropped her gaze to the ground as she didn't know what to think. Even though she now has her beloved kids back with her in peace, in return she also lost someone very precious to her. He was no stranger to her at all.“As hard as it may seem to believe, this is the inevitable truth.” Ichigo further reassures her.After a moment of silence Ichigo relays to her one more thing.“There is also one more thing Gojo told me to say to you,” Catching Ai's attention once again as she lifts her gaze up to meet Ichigo.“And that is, from now on, you should cut the relationship you have with Yuji.”Ai hoped she heard that wrong. Because if she didn't, that was something beyond undeclinable.She was speechless.“You're kidding me… there's… there's just no way I can do that!!”“Ai! Listen to me! Gojo said this only for your safety. He wants to keep you safe so he is saying this so that you can have a peaceful life. And this is what I want too, and everyone else as well.” Ichigo tries his best to reason with her“~but why~?”Ichigo sighs.“Because… Yuuji, is apparently involved in a lot of cruel and extremely violent relationships. He has connections to people whom you can't even believe would exist. Even if Yuji is a nice little boy himself, he is in someway or somehow involved in violence. And this is exactly why you got hurt~ Ai~~. Because you were a part of Yuji’s company, thus the brutality that surrounded him beyond his control affected you. And this why our precious Ruby got hurt.”The mention of Ruby hit her, No matter what the reason was, for her little angel to get this badly injured was something she could never compromise anything over.But even then, her feelings for Yuji still lingered inside of her.“So then… does it mean I won't be able to see him ever again~?” She said, her voice getting emotional.“Ai, you have to let it go. Just be happy with the relationship you had with him and move on.”“But… if it weren't for him, neither me nor Aqua and Ruby wouldn't have been alive by now~”Ai reasons back, referring back to when Hakensu first attacked her. If it weren't for Yuji's interference, Ai's life and most likely her kids as well, would've gotten taken.“Tch…” Ichigo couldn't think of a counter to that. Both of them were persistent in their sides, but that's when the nurse came in the room to relay more information regarding Ai's recovery “Good evening, I came here to deliver the final results of the tests done for the past day, and we have finally come to a conclusion regarding your recovery.”Everyone in the room who was awake was focused on what he was going to say.“Ichigo, why are you shaking?” Miyako says, spotting Ichigo quivering in his spot.“Because… this is the final decision on whether Ai will ever heal or not!” “The following results are: As for Ai, she received the most critical damage, since her organs were already in a terrible state even before receiving the punishment, doing so completely crushed it and it went so far as to even break a portion of her spine. So the damage on her stomach is more severe than it looks and it could require extensive amounts of healing.”“U…” That information was not something Ichigo wanted to hear and hoped it was something less intense.“But luckily, it hasn’t reached the point where her stomach is completely unhealable. There is still hope left for her, however, any pressure or force applied to her umbilical area may result in extreme pain and damage, since this is by far her most sensitive part of her body right now that’s vulnerable for any damage.” The nurses continue to relate.“Well, that at least makes me a little bit better…” Ichigo mutters to himself, still heavily stressed.Ai’s reaction however wasn’t really dramatic if not at all to the results of her injury. Her usual expression remained, In fact she barely cared about the situation of her own condition and only cared about one thing.“What about Ruby?” Ai asks the nurse, her tone urging to know just how severe her daughter’s wounds were, her only tension and anxiety revolving around her beloved daughter Ruby’s results about the damage done to her abdomen.“Ruby’s… yes, your daughters,” The nurse flips the page to where Ruby’s results were. “From what the observation and analysis of the X-ray’s told us, the damage done to Ruby’s abdomen seems to be less critical than yours. But nonetheless, its still bad.” She relays.Unlike before when the nurse was conveying her results, she was rather more focused and far more attentive in listening to her daughter’s report rather than hers.“Her solar plexus and umbilical area did take major damage with a good amount of  organs getting ruptured completely and a few which are severely damaged.” “So is she going to heal?!” Ai said, her anxiety and concern were out the roof just by hearing the report of her daughter’s wounds. Her tension was clearly spottable.Even though the information the nurse gave about Ruby’s extent of damage wasn’t as severe as Ai’s, she started to slightly quiver just from hearing the damage done to her daughter’s, even though her own belly suffered way more. She expressed more concern over her daughter’s than her own damage.“Yes she is going to heal, you don’t have to worry about that, Ms Hoshino. In fact, you should be more worried about your own condition, after all, Ruby’s damage wasn’t as severe as yours, so she would recover faster than you.”“Mmm…” Ai turns her gaze towards her sleeping daughter right beside where she was sitting. Just looking at her adorable face engrossed in her slumber, to think she suffered this much of what the nurse had just conveyed in her soft tummy broke her heart even more. Perhaps it was just natural for a mother to feel this heartbroken when their child got severely hurt innocently so bad, or maybe it's just Ai. She couldn’t take it in.“But still, she is only little…” Ai said as she reached her hand to her daughter’s hair and swiped her hair bang as she was soundly sleeping. “Ai… let’s just be glad that she didn’t suffer what could’ve been much worse.” Miyako comes close to Ai and puts both her hands on her shoulders, trying to ease her tension after hearing about Ruby’s condition. “...” Ai’s face was still dimmed and gloomed, unable to bear the tragedy her innocent cute daughter suffered. But nonetheless, whether she was heartbroken or mentally shattered, she had to accept the reality and move on hoping Ruby would recover and regain her vibrant energy.“It's not just that…” She says to Miyako, “It was their birthday too…” she utters, the fact that it was also their birthday, which should be one of their happiest days of the year, was tragically turned into her most painful day of the year, in which further crumbled Ai's heart to pieces. “They didn't deserve that on their birthday… I didn't… get to see the joyful smile on their faces on their birthday~” her eyes start to get watery from the emotions swelling inside of her. Ai not seeing the ecstasy or happiness in her beloved kids on their birthdays, rather replacing it with starvation and brutal torture left a permanent mark on her soul.Upon hearing this, Miyako brang herself to embrace Ai, hugging her and colliding her heart with hers as she shares the pain of what she is going through. She knows how much Ai loves her Aqua and Ruby, she knows it better than anyone.“I'm sorry Ai… just know we all didn't want this to happen, it was none of our fault~” Miyako said to her as she hugged her tightly who was still sitting on the hospital bed, her voice getting and tone getting a bit emotional as she also feels and understands the pain that Ai is going through.If there was anyone else that could understand Ai's inner pain besides herself, it would be Miyako, because she herself was a mother figure to Aqua and Ruby, one could argue even a better and more matured mother figure, since she spent the most time with Aqua and Ruby and raised them before they could even walk while Ai was out busy with concerts and her schedule. Thus a firm bond was also built in her heart towards Ai's kids and she even views them as her own child sometimes.Even in all their birthdays they had, Miyako would be the one baking their birthday cake and their favorite snacks. So for a tragic incident to happen on this specific day where her “kids” were brutally hurt when they were supposed to be shaking with joy and laughter, it also broke her heart too.“But… if only I was strong enough to defend myself… this wouldn't have happened…” further went on to blame herself while Miyako was still firmly embracing her.“Ai… we love you the way you are~ you don't need to get strong~ you're not supposed to be physically strong, you're the soft and kindhearted mother and idol everyone knows. As long as your heart is strong to withstand any difficult situation, then that is all you need to be a strong mother.” Miyako reasons with her, her tone delicate and understanding, before slowly withdrawing from the hug and repositioning her hands on her shoulders once more.“Remember why you are considered the “strongest” and “invincible” idol, it's because of your strong heart that was unfazed by any situation, not by your physical body strength, Ai~” She ends it off with this before finally standing back up straight again and removing her hands from her shoulders.Miyako's speech did have an effect on Ai, and she unironically is now in a more controllable state than before. The overwhelming anxiety and tension was removed and replaced with a new firm dedication and conviction.“After you're all done healing, let's promise to give them a party they'll never forget~!” Miyako offers Ai with high spirits.As Ai wipes off a tear that was about nearly shed, she regained her happy and relieved smile.“Mhm!” She nods, determined to do whatever it takes to build that happiness for her kids.  3 days had passed since Gojo came to Yuki's house for a visit.Gojo returned back to Tokyo city. He was chilling on the rooftop of one of the taller buildings, sucking the juice on his ice block. 2 days ago he visited Ai in the hospital where he found her sleeping.He gazed down at the city far below him, as a storm of thoughts circled around him. He had many things to do, but he doesn't know how to carry them out and what he should prioritize first anymore. Because the moment he prioritizes something, he realizes someone very precious to his heart either disappears or gets severely incapacitated where they aren't able to show their beautiful faces anymore. Thus, more frustration was created in his mind, as he was confused about what to do.His mind constantly goes back to Yuji and Ai, as he is worried about their well being.But that's when he heard of a voice right next to him. A familiar voice.“Hey,”It called out, snapping Gojo out of his deep internal struggle.“Huh?” Gojo turns around, finding out it was none other than Yuki. “Y-yuki san?!” He said in quite shock. “What are you doing here?!”Yuki came and sat next to Gojo on the edge of the rooftop.“Sorry, that I treated you so badly when you came.” She apologizes sincerely.“Don't apologize for that, I actually needed it. It was a wakeup call.”“But I completely ignored what you were going through, and thought that you weren't doing anything.”Gojo stayed silent.“When you said that Sukuna's branch of armies were coming to attack us, I actually got scared and called all the military support from the countryside that night, but the next thing I found the next early morning was… the army was already defeated.” Yuki informs.Gojo knows what she was talking about but he chooses not to interfere.“I was shocked to see this, and couldn't have believed we defeated them so easily without a single casualty. But when I spoke to them face to face, every person I talked to said that, “it was only one man. Only one man was enough to take down the entire army. He was that powerful. No weapons, no guns, just his hands.” That's what they said to me, when I asked them to describe who it was, it dropped my heart.” Yuki said.Gojo was still in a silent daze as he was gazing down, looking at the busy streets.Yuki then turns towards Gojo “Did you do that on purpose?” She asks, “Were you not confident that we'd not beat them?” Wanting Gojo's reasoning for why he chose to fight the entire branch alone.“Psh, that's nothing you should be digging your head into, c’mon now, you're a doctor.” Gojo's smile regained as he said to Yuki with a reassuring tone.“It's just, I feel so guilty after that, I don't know what to do.” She expresses“You did the right thing actually, I finally learnt what to prioritize first.” He said as he acknowledged that he took a lesson from her that day.“It must be difficult for you though, because… your favorite student just got kidnapped from that one person who you tried your best not to meet in this world.”“You mean Yuji?”“Mhm,”Gojo sighs, having another jolt of a headache piercimg through his brain.“Have you figured out what you are going a do?” she asks curiously.“I mean obviously, I'm gonna go and kick their ass and bring him back,” Gojo states boldly. His tone confident.“But before that…”Yuki adds another topic of the conversation. “Would you mind if I ask you a favor before you fight Sukuna?”“A favor? Which is?” “I’ve discovered… that there is this white pill that you can make which heals any kind of physical damage in your body.”“Any?!”“Yes, any. No matter how severe it is, he it external or internal. But, to make such a pill, I need the fragrance of this leaf.” Yuki shows an image on her phone to Gojo.“Hmm..”“That’s something that I don’t have. And you can only find the fragrance of this leaf in one place in the world.”“That is?”“In the deep underground trenches of Mexico.”“Mexico?!”Gojo was shocked to hear the location of this fragrance, as the first thing that popped up in his mind when she mentioned Mexico was Sukuna’s center location, as well as where Yuji was taken to.‘Yup. Now since you are already going to Mexico, from my request, can you please… bring this fragrance with me.” She pleads.“...” Gojo looks at the phone, where the image of that leaf was, finalizing his decision. “Hahh… fine~ I’ll look for it.”Upon accepting her request, Gojo could already feel the happiness in her heart upon the smile she just made.“You really want to use that to heal her huh?” Gojo speculates the reason for such a cause.“That was my initial thought actually,”“Huh? What do you mean by initial?” Gojo looks at her, confusedly.“I’m planning on making this medicine for you.”“U- for me?! Why?” Gojo asks.“Don’t play dumb with a nurse, Gojo.” Yuki says before pointing out her reason “At the moment, if anything, you deserve such a powerful healing medicine more than Ai.” She exclaims.“...”As a surprising and unexpected statement for Yuki to say, she was only telling the truth. If anyone needs medical treatment more than anyone else, it would be Gojo. Not even Ai's death granting wounds were more severe than Gojo's current state.“I noticed it the day when you came to my house. At first I thought it was just some normal illness which will get cured eventually, but by the second, I started to realize just how worse your disease has gotten Gojo. And now, just by being right beside you, if you don’t treat your Subdural Hematoma now, then later on, it won’t ever be curable.” Yuki lectures and informs.“So you’ve figured huh? I should’ve guessed I couldn’t hide any kind of illness when it came to you.” Gojo said, as he tried his best to hide the severe pain and sickness he was going through.“Gojo, why are you trying to hide this sickness from everyone? you should’ve told me this earlier, and I would have treated you before it got to this critical point. In fact, there's something more to it than the subdural hematoma that's making your illness much worse, but I still can't grasp what that really is.” Yuki tells him. “You’re taking way too much strain on your body, and on your brain.”After a brief pause, Yuki reminds Gojo about an important reminder. “Remember, we aren’t sorcerers anymore. We can’t use reverse cursed technique so freely like we used to. Our bodies are humanized and it has limits. Thus, we are prone to suffer natural things that any other human suffer.”Gojo stayed silent, still preferring the priority of healing towards Ai.“Now then, the time being until you get this sickness relieved of yourself, I forbid you from fighting Sukuna.” Yuki very strictly commands.“What?!” Gojo retaliates in shock from her order “I can't do that, I need to get Yuki back!” He reasons back.“Yuji isn't going to die.” Yuki claims.“How can you be so sure?”“I feel like this is something even you should know very well by now, and that is that, Just like how you are trying to get rid of Sukuna in this world, the same way, he is also trying to get rid of you, Gojo.”“Mhm…” Gojo agrees with her on this much.“And my hypothesis is that, Sukuna is using Yuji as bait to lure you into his base due to the strong bond and feelings you have for him.”Gojo couldn't deny the fact that Yuki had a good point.“Be honest, killing Yuji isn't going to achieve Sukuna anything.” Yuki points out, “So if you go and fight him in this condition, not only will you lose, but you will also then put the rest of the others In danger due to your absence. So please, listen to me and cured from this severe illness first.” She pleads with all her heart“I guess you're right.”They spend a moment of silence together before Gojo informs her of something he did.“Oh yeah, by the way, I visited Ai yesterday in the hospital.”“Oh you did?!” “Yeah,”“How was she doing?”“The time I arrived there, Ai was asleep, so decided to not be the reason for her to wake up. I mean, when I looked at her sleeping with her kids, it was a moment that no one should disturb.”“How mature of you~”“Hugh!! What do you mean by that?! You think I'm that dumb enough to wake her up?!” Gojo took that as an insult.“Haha! Nah I'm just playing.” Yuki replies back. “So~ did you at least get any information on her condition?” She asks curiously.“Yeah~ well, the things Ichigo said to me were indeed quite disturbing to say the least. And by just looking at her, I could tell she had suffered some serious damage”Yuki sighs, as she was expecting an answer like this, a swell of grief resonating inside her as she still couldn't get rid of the fact that that same little innocent beautiful teemager that she helped her give birth to two beautiful babies is suffering so much pain.“Oh well, I guess I have to start planning now,” Gojo said, before standing up, looking straight as he could see the entire Tokyo city from the top of the building he was standing on.“What a hectic journey…”Yuki also stands up alongside Gojo. As she prepares to take her leave.“It was nice talking to you Gojo, I hope you have a safe tri-” “By the way, Yuki san,”Before she could finish her last words to him, Gojo interrupted as he was reminded of something important he wanted to tell her.“Hm?”“This is also my hypothesis, but I have a feeling that…the guy who kidnapped Yuji… is actually…” Upon hearing the identity of the crimson haired individual who kidnapped Yuji, Yuki couldn't have been more shocked. Her eyes widened fully as she placed a hand to cover her mouth from the heaviness of this hypothesis.“You gotta be kidding me…”  “Gahck!” Yuji got thrashed into a brick wall into an unknown room with severe force. His face bruised with a hint of blood about to fall from his lip. “Just what do you want from me?!” Yuji shouts at the man who brought him here.“At last, we can finally have some personal space.” Tenchu said as he was standing right in front of Yuji.“We got nothing personal! Don't act like you know me.”“Oh? but I do~  in fact I know more than anyone else, Yuuji~” Yuji has had it. He gets the courage to dash back at him with his full force. But due to his little body, fighting someone as strong as him would be pointless.“Dhumb!” Tenchu kneed him on the stomach with devastating force, making puke and crutch down on the floor.“Maybe if you had that physical body of yours back in your past life, you would've probably been able to beat me.” He acknowledges.“P-..past life?! H-how do you know about that?!” Yuji finds it shocking that he knows about his past life in the jujutsu world.“Who are you?!” He demands an answer from him.Tenchus smirk only enlarged further. “I'm the one… who gave birth to you~” Upon uttering these words, he stunlocked Yuji into another realm.“The one… who gave birth… wait… no.. NO… it can't b-”“DHUMB” His intermonologue gets destroyed as Tenchu delivers another bone rattling kick to Yujis chin as he was on his knees, shooting his entire little body up like a rocket as he crashes through the walls.His guard was down. His body was frozen from the revelation of Tenchus true identity.“Ackh!” Yuji spits out a few blood, rubbing it off before sitting up straight, though with pain ravishing down his body from the 2 blows he took from him.But despite that, his mind was too focused on Tenchus real identity.He rubs the blood of his chin with his hand, looking directly at him as he approaches towards him menacingly.“You're lying…” Yuji utters, still unable to accept the fact that it is him.“There's just no way… someone so evil like you would be reincarnated to this world~!!” He further spoke as he expresses his disbelief.“Hmph, you can believe what you want, but I'm just letting you know the truth, Yuuji Itadori~”“GRAAGGHHH!!! KENJAKU!!!” Yuji launches from his spot, this time his soul engulfed with complete rage.“Woah, his speed and strength just skyrocketed, amazing..!!” Kenjaku who was disguised as Tenchu monologues as he observes the sudden physical jump in his prowess after his identity was revealed to him.But unfortunately, no matter how much of a rage amp Yuji would get, there would always be a limit to how much force his little body can output before breaking his own body.And that limit was not enough to defeat Kenjaku.He swiftly blocks and catches all of Yuji's relentless barrage, before finally catching his wrist with a firm grip, and squeezing his hand tightly.“Trh!” Yuji feels the strength of Kenjakus grip. It was even stronger then that of Gojo's. He couldn't move his body a single bit.It was then that Kenjaku unleashed his own fury of blows.“GLAAGH!!” Yuji gets devastatingly overwhelmed by his strength as he goes back to the wall like a missile. But this time, Yuji was completely down for the down, with bruises all over his body, blood dripping from his mouth, forehead and parts of his body, indicative of the severe damage he took from Kenjakus merciless blows.“As expected from my son, you are indeed a gifted child with godlike physicals.”Kenjaku approaches Yuji's defeated body that was leaned back on the wall.He kneeled himself down with a demonic smirk.“If you're wondering why I hid my identity and using the name ‘Tenchu’ it's because I am still trying to be in cover. Although, after I kidnapped you all the way here in Mexico, I think Gojo would be able to find out sooner or later as to I truly am.” He spoke to Yuji. “And if you're wondering why I kidnapped you, it's to use you as hostage to get rid of Gojo Satoru from this world for good. I'm sure we both know Gojo would be coming here soon enough to get you, right? and of course, Sukuna wants to meet you too.” He tells Yuji his reasoning for his kidnap“Why… why… did you kidnap Ai~?” Yuji asks, his voice low and crippled, his concern wasn't about whether he got kidnapped, it's regarding about why Ai suffered so much.“Ai~? Oh you mean that stupid idol girl? Psh, she was only a mere pawn for me to use to so that I can reach to you and kidnap you easily.”“Rrrgh…!!!” Yuji grits his teeth in pure rage, “She did nothing wrong to deserve, you could've just kidnapped me without doing anything to her..!! Why did you hurt such a gentle soul like her!!!” Yuji's voice raised louder due to the anger boiling inside of him.“So what? Be it she is gentle or beautiful, she is a mere insect in my eyes. You don't feel sympathy for killing a fly do you? That's basically how I view everyone else.”There is nothing Yuji's heart other than overwhelming regret and sorrow, for having such a immoral being like Kenjaku and for Ai having to go through such pain when she and her kids were completely innocent.“I swear…” Yuji spoke once more, his voice low, but deep, as it hold an immeasurable amount of conviction.“Hm?” Kenjaku wondered what Yuji wanted to say.“I swear… I'll kill you… even if it is the last thing I do…” the declaration and firmness in his statement came from the very core of his heart “I swear I'll kill you so bad not even your soul will be able to reincarnate anymore!!” “...bring it.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ai, do you want something to eat?” Miyako asks Ai who was sitting at the hospital bed, gently playing and stroking Ruby’s hair. She pretty much puts herself in charge of looking after Ai during the day, and pretty much acts like a mother-like figure for her as well, even including towards Ai’s own kids.

“Hm?” Ai shifts her gaze to Miyako with Ruby now colliding her face to Ai’s chest. “M-m.” She responds by waving her head sideways, gesturing a “no.”

“You can’t just not eat the whole day. Your body needs some energy and nutrition too.” Miyako retaliates back forcing Ai to eat something.

She then looked towards her daughter, Ruby who was right in front of her, still cuddling on her chest and her belly as her mere presence close to her was to be drowned by Ai’s endless affection and warmth. The entire time they spent in the hospital is just hugging, cuddling, kissing and just being close together with each other’s touch.

“Ruby~” Ai calls out her name softly “Do you want anything to eat~?” she asks softly.

“Yes! Chocolate please!!” She withdraws from the hug, as she responds to the offer with excitement and vibrancy. Unlike her mother who still had a gloomy and dazed aura, Ruby was the more enthusiastic and energetic one who happened to smile, laugh and crack jokes way more often than Ai in the time being in the hospital.

Miyako lets out a sigh, easily anticipating Ruby’s answer.

“Is there anything you want besides chocolate~?” Miyako asks back.

“Then… chocolate cake!!” She responds back once again, her cute and innocent smile still present as he makes her reply.

“Haha~” Ai lets out a slight chuckle, seeing Ruby’s persistence

Miyako, seeing the cuteness of Ruby, just couldn’t bring herself to reject what she wanted, especially considering the painful torment she had been through with Ai. Thus a big soft spot was created for those two in her heart.

“Fine~~” Miyako accepts Ruby’s wish, before also putting up a smile, as this was something that she would do for pleasure in all honesty.

“Yayy!!” Ruby yells out with heart felt excitement, her adorable and wide smile getting brighter.

She looks at her mother Ai with happiness.

Despite her eyes still slightly wrinkled, she herself couldn’t help but crack a smile upon seeing her cute little daughter’s joy and happiness.

Ai then leaned her face forward towards Ruby.

Upon seeing this, she knew exactly what her mother wanted to do, so she herself also leaned her head forward towards her mother with utmost pleasure and happiness.

“Mmmchuah!” With Ai’s lips pressing Ruby’s forehead, she delivers a loving motherly kiss. Ruby’s skin shivering from the amount of affection she absorbed from that one loving blow of her mother. How can she ever resist herself or reject this from her beautiful mother?

Ever since Ai and Ruby were transported back to the hospital, Ai started to kiss her kids way more often than she initially used to, as she frequently does it as much as possible. It isn’t any kind of ordinary kiss, she takes her time and delivers it with as much love as she can pour from each of her smooch to her babies. It’s probably to express the sheer relief she has inside of her for making it out alive from that brutal and ruthless environment. It's also another way of relieving herself from the pain she is still feeling on her fragile umbilical area, as the company of her kids reduces her pain the most.

“Mama! Let's make some coffee or hot chocolate to drink with the cake!”

A giggle escaping Ai's lips from seeing the eagerness of her daughter, how can she not smile when seeing the cuteness of her little angel?

“Alright~” with a low voice, she happily accepts Ruby's request. Rejection was not even a possibility after seeing her vibrancy and the way she asks.

“You two can sit down, getting up from the bed and going back would be a hassle for your injuries. I'll make you two whatever you like.” Aqua tells both of them, as his protectiveness senses overcame himself, not allowing Ruby nor Ai to get up from bed.

“Kyaa~!” Ai couldn't help but squeal upon seeing her little son’s boldness. She couldn’t control herself from the sheer cuteness of his expression and statement as her body moves instinctively by pulling him towards her in an embrace as she showers him lots of kisses.

“Mmuah! Muah! Mmmua!”

Aqua’s face turns red as he receives 3 consecutive kisses from his mother. One on each cheek and the other on his forehead.

“My cute little Aqua is soo adorable~~” She says.

“Hey mama~!! You gave Onii Chan 3 kisses, but only one to me~ thats not fair~!!” Ruby complains, as a bit of jealousy swells inside her upon seeing her elder twin brother get more kisses from their gorgeous mother than her.

“Aww~ come here~” Ai then diverts her attention towards Ruby and gives her 2 more kisses to balance it out. She enjoys watching the rivalry between her precious twin angels, and she doesn't mind delivering to them as many smooches as they want from her.
  
Aqua presents a nice caramel latte for Ai and a hot chocolate for Ruby, both which he tried to make as best as possible to give his sister and mother satisfaction.

“Let's see~” Ai takes a sip from the cup of caramel latte Aqua made for her.

“Mmm~ it's so delicious and creamy~!” She compliments honestly.

“I really like the frothing and chocolate flavour!” Ruby also adds her own comment.

A swell of pride resonates inside of him as he hears the words of praise from his mother and sister.

“Mama! Dip the cake inside your latte!” Ruby suggests.

“Oh~? Alright I'll try it out.” Ai grabs the fork, takes a small chunk of the chocolate cake piece that Miyako brought for them and dips it inside her caramel latte.

As she takes as the fork out from the latte after a couple of seconds, she could see how moistened her cake was now that it was dipped.

“Woow~” Ai whispers to herself with audibility.

She stares the fork that held the latte soaked piece of chocolate cake with amazement, seeing the drops of latte leaking out of it and pouring back to the back before inserting it into her mouth.

“Mm! Deeelicciouss!!” She squeals out upon the ravishing uplifting feeling as she chews and swallows the cake.

“It's nice right?!’

“Yup, definitely, you know a lot about sweets don't you~ Ruby~?” Ai acknowledges her daughter's advice.

“Hehe~! Gojo sensei was the one who showed me this~”

Slightly taking her back from the mention of Gojo Satoru, a swell of appreciation fills her heart as she now knows that Gojo showes her kids some tips on how to enjoy things in a better way.

“Ah… I see, that's lovely~”

“Gojo sensei taught me many things! I'll share all of them to you!” Ruby exclaims.

“What a wonderful teacher~ if only he was your guys father…” Ai mutters to herself, only wishing for Gojo to be her precious kids father. A strong, friendly and a playful father would be a perfect suitable match for her kids.

“Aqua, please have some of mine~” Ai very politely offers her caramel latte to him.

“Uhm~ alright.” Aqua couldn't be bothered rejecting it, especially seeing how nicely Ai requested him to.

He takes a sip from the cup his mother drank from, and was also astonished at how good he made the latte.

As he drank, Ai gives her little boy head pats and rubs his hair, a smile of appreciation and motherly affection appearing in her face.

Even Aqua noticed that Ai had very recently became extremely close and touchy with him and Ruby. Every minute, Ai would either be head patting them, cuddling, hugging them or kissing them. Even though Ai was always very loving, but she never displayed this level affection at all.

Despite enjoying and cherishing the moments of her delicate mother's touch, at the same time, an immense amount of sorrow resonates inside him to think just how much Ai had gone through to actually show her love to her kids this much. He wasn't there when Ruby and Ai suffered all the brutal torture. He knows all this was because of what she has gone through.

He feels a mixture of pleasure and deep sadness.

“Ai~ how is your stomach feeling~?” Aqua asks, wanting an update on her critical wounds.

“Umm~” Ai looks down at her stomach, thinking how to answer her little precocious boy's question.

“It's feeling great~ just a little bit of pain here and there, that's all~” she tries her best to weave of the severity of her suffering by using words like “little” to try and minimize the effects of her words.

However, Aqua wasn't dumb and knew her mother all too well. He knows when Ai makes phrases like these, it means that she is still suffering a great deal of pain.

“I'll get a tablet for you to ease the pain, please wait.” Aqua says before getting up from the bed and heading towards the table.

As Ai sees Aqua getting up from the bed to fetch her some medicine for her wounds, she realizes just how much Aqua is serving and looking after her and her daughter. Every time when Ai needs something, be it water, food or medicine, Aqua is always the one who gets it for her, before she even asks or thinks about getting some. Sometimes he instinctively even breaks his sleep when a wave of pain cracks through her navel area at late night so that he may call the nurse and deliver her the necessary medicine.

She started to understand just how much of a huge help his cute little boy has been to her this entire time. Not even taking one second out of her company, always ensuring she is getting whatever she needs. The favor Aqua was delivering to her was something she couldn't express in words. Just now he made a luxurious coffee and hot chocolate for both her and her daughter.

As Ai takes the tablet from her little Aqua's small hands, he then grabs his shoulders and pulls him towards her heart, deeply pressing him into a cocoon

“A-Ai~!” Aqua said in quite confusion.

“Thank you~ Aqua.” Ai utters, enveloping her warmth into him.

“Wh-what do you mean?!”

“Thank you for always being there for me and Ruby~” she says. “If you weren't here for us in this time, I can't imagine the extent of hardship me and Ruby would have to ensure. Thank you so much~” her tone gets emotional as she wholeheartedly thanks her precious little angel.
  
“Took you long enough, Kenjaku,” Sukuna said with boredom, sitting on his majestic throne as Kenjaku brings Yuji to him.

“Ha! My bad, got carried away by personal reasons~” Kenjaku apologizes, his impression nonchalant.

Upon seeing Sukuna's face, that same being who caused him hell in his previous life, he envisions the hardship he suffered by his own hands. The innocent people he killed by using his body as a vessel, his previous friends from Jujutsu high, one could only imagine the wrath he feels upon seeing the face of that very same demon who caused him all this.

“Gkrth! SUKUUNNAAA!!” Yuji screams with boiling rage. His mind already lost control with his anger and hatred towards him. He dashes directly at him, leaving from Kenjakus side.

Kenjaku however didn't care that much, because he already knows the outcome.

“RRRAHHGGHHH!!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!” Yuji imbues all his power in his tiny fist, prepared to launch it right at Sukuna.

Sukuna however was completely unfazed. His impression was still bored, not even the slightest bit of intimidation when Yuji was charging at him, as his face was still resting on his fist.

As the punch was centimeters away from connecting, Sukuna uses his other hand to flick away Yuji in the forehead like a fly, demonstrating his monstrous strength.

He gets sent back to where Kenjaku was standing like a rocket.

“Nice try~” Kenjaku says to him in a mocking tone with a playful smirk.

Yuji's forehead was bleeding heavily, dripping down his face, but he still had the courage to stand up and charge at him once more.

“How disappointing.”

Sukuna utters, his tone unimpressed.

“You're my nephew and yet you're this weak? How come?” he mocks Yuji's strength.

“Just what in the world are you doing in that tiny baby body?!” Further mocking the body he possesses in this world due to its lacking physical prowess.

“SHUT UPP!!” Yuji yells before charging at Sukuna once again.

He leaps up, aiming his fist directly at Sukuna.

He finally decides to stand up from his throne to engage and play with Yuji a little bit.

“Yaaa~” he lets out a yawn “Let me play with you a little bit.” He utters before dodging Yuji's blow.

As soon as Yuji missed, he didn't waste time and swung his left fist, in which also got evaded swiftly. Yuji kept on going.
 
“Rrah! Hayaa! Rah! Rragh! Rraaghhh!” Yuji piles a barrage of blows, only for it to get effortlessly blocked with Sukuna using only one hand, displaying the sheer superiority in skill and strength.

Yuji suddenly ducks and rotates his body with his feet sticking out, planning to trip Sukuna by making him lose his balance. All his barrage of punches were only to make Sukuna think that that's what he is going to do the entire time, and catch him off guard by a sudden shift in assault.

But due to Sukuna's 1000 years of experience in combat, he could easily see this coming, in which he lifts up his foot and steps back.

“You think that shit would work on me? Brat?” Sukuna taunts.

But he didn't know that that wasn't the only reason he ducked down.

Yuji anticipated Sukuna would see this coming, thus he planned to use another martial arts of his which he can perform while in a ducking position, hoping that it will catch Sukuna off guard.

“BAAM!!”

Yuji unleashes a Manji kick right at Sukuna's face, but unfortunately for him, it also got blocked too, but except this time, it somewhat impressed Sukuna.

“Hey… not bad kid~” He says while he was holding his feet, before kicking him at his stomach.

“Glhack!” He gets sent flying into the distance like a football upon receiving the impact of his kick.

“I'll let you fix that wall, Kenjaku.” Sukuna says as the result of that blow was a wall getting busted.

“Hahh…” Kenjaku sighs “Why do I always have to deal with this~” he complains.

It didn't take long for Yuji to burst out of the rubble, his face and body all bruised, his face expressing the urge to retaliate back again and again.

“Brat, if you keep on doing this, you're going to die.” Sukuna says to Yuji.

“So what!?” Yuji responds back “I'd rather die than live in a world with you~!”

“My my, I love the persistence.” Kenjaku comments from the sidelines of their conflict.

“So you wanna die before you kill me? Is that the type of pussy you are~?” Sukuna further taunts, breaking a nerve in Yuji.

“Grrgh~!!!” Yuji dashes at Sukuna for the third time.

But Sukuna and so did Kenjaku noticed something, each time Yuji attacked Sukuna, the ferocity, the sharpness and the destructiveness started to increase rapidly.

He aimed for a punch at Sukuna which got caught firmly, but Sukuna was impressed at his rapid growth.

“Why did you want me here?! What do you want from me?!” Yuji yells at him as they were exchanging blows close quarter “Answer me!!”

“PAW! POW!!”

Sukuna comboes Yuji with his fist, one on his face and the other on his body.

“You don't have to yell at me, y'know.” Sukuna responds quite irritatedly “I brang you here because you are blood related to me,
even
in this world. Therefore, I can't allow you to roam around the world where you share the same blood as mine.” He conveys his reasoning.

“What kind of shit are you talking about?!?!” Yuji retaliates back by a devastating right hand, which nearly hits Sukuna on the face due to the power of the blow as he keeps on getting stronger during the fight.

“You’ll figure out soon enough, little brat!” Sukuna then knees him on the stomach and then attempts to kick him away, in which gets blocked by Yuji, though barely.

“Nice…” Sukuna monologues in his mind as he keeps on fighting Yuji.

But Yuji was reaching his limit. He already exerted more than what his tiny body can handle, as far after a few blows, Yuji completely collapses to the floor, unconscious.

“The other reason why I brought you here is because
you
are the key to defeat Satoru Gojo.”

Sukuna says these final words to Yuji who was on the floor right before he lost his consciousness.

“Uraume,” Sukuna summons.

“Yes, my lord~” Uraume appears immediately before him and kneels on the ground with respect and loyalty, responding to his call without any hesitation.

“Take Yuji to

that

place.”He commands.

“As you wish, my lord.” She obeys his orders and carries Yuji’s unconscious body to the place where Sukuna told her to transport.
  
“Waw!” Yuki said in surprise, “That was quick of you,” quite astonished she received the fragrance of the leaf she told Gojo to get from Mexico this soon.

“If I'm being honest, I didn't do most of the finding work, Suguru and Nanami helped me a lot.” Gojo acknowledged.

“Oh well, the faster the better, after all your condition is getting worse and worse.”

“...”

Gojo didn't say anything regarding his sickness.

In fact, the real reason why he rushed so much to find this leaf fragrance was not for himself, but so that she can cure

her

as fast as possible. Yuji wasn't the only person who placed an uneasiness in her heart.

Ever since Gojo saw Ai in that catastrophic condition that one time he met him in the hospital while she was asleep, another swell of severe uneasiness overflowed his heart, and it was something he just couldn't stand by to prolong. He wanted to shut it down as fast as possible.

The first thing he noticed from her when they first encountered on that fateful day was her sheer cuteness and innocence. And the thing he adored the most was that smile when she said thank you to him after he left her to Ichigo's company. But that ‘smile’ is completely removed from her and replaced with scream, cries and agony.

“Gojo, I'm only making this pill for
you
.” Yuki further clarifies her intention for the reason she is even making such a strong pill. She doesn't want anyone to consume it besides him.

“Please, don't destroy the purpose of what I'm trying to make that's only dedicated for you.”

She could tell that Gojo's silence meant that she was planning on giving that pill to someone else, someone who she could guess.

“I'm not gonna destroy it, but, I don't think it's meant for me~”

“Gojo!” Yuki yells, getting even closer to Gojo with her face leaned forward in an angry expression.

“Look, I don't understand how you are making such a powerful medicine only for someone like me. When you
know
that
she
deserves it more than anyone!” Gojo argues with a firm stance.

“No she doesn't!” Yuki responded with an opinion more firm than Gojo's. It was painful for her to say these words because this was against Ai’s side, someone who she also deeply cherishes.

“So you're saying that you want to keep letting her scream in pain, have her endure unimaginable pain everyday where she cries nonstop?! Do you not want to see that beautiful smile on her face again?!”

“U-...”

Gojo's retaliation was strong and powerful, even stunning and leaving Yuki speechless for a few seconds, but as a doctor, Yuki understood better than Gojo who's more dire to consume this pill.

“I do want to see her smile~” Yuki said, a slight bit of emotion entering her tone. “I'm aware of the things she is going through, but at the same time, I'm saying this only for the long term. I want both of you to recover immediately, but if you die Gojo… who's going to protect her~?” She said.

Gojo could feel the emotion behind her voice, in fact she did have an undeniable point.

“As a nurse, your condition is worse than Ai's. As much as I want Ai to get cured as fast as possible, you have to take it. Not only because you are in a worse condition, but because you also serve a much bigger impact on society.”

“Ahhh…” Gojo sighs as he turns around and starts to walk away, his mind still not fully convinced on what Yuki was saying.

“Whatever…” he says before he exits her room.

Yuki sighs back as she is now in a state of frustration whether Gojo would consume the pill himself or would give it to Ai.
  "Choso..." Gojo said as he paid a visit to Yuji's elder brother who was sitting on a bench of a park as gloom engulfed his soul. He could see he fell into the world depression and remorse.Choso lifts his head up upon having his name called, only because he recognized that voice. His eyes seemed like it hadn't had good sleep for a week. "G~Gojo...~ Satoru~..." Choso spoke with a voice that carried no light. He sat next to him. "Geez, I don't even think a dead person can look as dead as you," Gojo said to him as he sat next to him on the bench "Here, lets put some life into that soul." Gojo hands him an energy drink. "Thanks~..." He said."Any haps?" Gojo asks for an update."Nothing~" "I see,""How about you,""Guess what?""What?""Suguru got me a new car!""I don't give a shit about your damn car, what's gonna happen to Yuuji?!" Choso disregards, as his voice starts to raise."Tch hehe~!" Gojo smirks as he cracks a giggle "There we go~ I've lit some fuel into that soul." "Answer me," Choso demands, his patience losing."Ahh~ about Yuuji~... honestly, I plan to bring him down myself.""When," Choso forced the specificity."Honestly... I'm not sure, but probably not anytime soon.""Why not?" "..."Gojo stayed silent for a moment, but that's when Choso retracted his words."Actually, nevermind, do as you please in your own pace, forgive my directness." Choso requests his forgiveness for his impoliteness. "You saved my two younger brothers, and yet I'm already getting aggressive, I'm sorry." He sincerely apologizes.Gojo's smile grows wider upon hearing this."It's fine, I don't blame you. Losing Yuuji~ it must be tough for you huh?""I just~..." Choso's voice started to break, his tears swelled in his eyes as it started to drip. "I... I couldn't protect him at all~ as an older brother~~" he began to slowly sob. "Kechizu and Eso's case was different, but for Yuuji~...." Choso sniffs, trying remain his composure from the overwhelming emotion and sorrow in his heart the more he thinks about it "He was right in front of me... yet... I couldn't protect him at all~!!... Ahhaaa~~!" He cried, unable to fight off the relentless emotion swelling in his heart. "Everytime when I gain something good... why do I lose something even more precious~~!?" Choso questions.But that's when he felt a hand patting his spiky hair. It was none other than Gojo's."I know I broke many promises, but this is a promise that the concept of breaking doesn't exist." Gojo said to him with such firm guarantee as if every single word he said prior to this, was a lie."I'll bring back Yuuji, no matter what~"  
After about 7 months, Ai was finally released from the hospital. But just because she was released from the hospital doesn’t mean she is anywhere near fully healed. The doctors severely advised over and over to not apply even the slightest pressure on her stomach.

“Ichigo, I am giving you the full responsibility of Ai’s care from now on.” The doctor declares as the day came where Ai will be released

“Understood.” He nods.

Ai, Ruby, Aqua were sitting on the bed with Miyako standing right next to them, listening to the doctor’s very crucial advice and suggestion.

“I’m sure you know this already, but the state of her umbilical area isn’t anywhere near finished healing, if she were to stay till the injury is healed, it might take her a couple of years.” The doctor states “And just like the state of her condition right now, she will have very frequent jolts of extreme pain tearing through her abdomen, especially her navel.”

Ichigo, Miyako and Ruby were terrified upon hearing that the ongoing excruciating pain would still continue, but as for Ai, her face was still kept dimmed and gloomy, like she already knows what she will go through.

It wasn’t 30 minutes ago that a jolt so excruciating pierced through her fragile delicate stomach, as if someone stabbed an electric machine drill right into her navel which not only made her scream her lungs out, but surges of blood gushing out too. This is a pain that no matter how many times you receive it, it’s so painful that you can never get used to it.

“So please, be very mindful of it, if there is any pressure applying to her stomach, the chances of jolts breaking will increase even more. Which is why I’m giving you a tablet for her to take whenever she receives a jolt or feels like its about to come.” The doctor further informs Ichigo and everyone in the room as he goes on. “Also, blood will oftenly leak out of her mouth too, because the damaged organs inside her are still impaired, so don’t get too freaked out whenever blood starts pouring out of her mouth, all she needs is to drink this syrup.”

“You gotta be kidding me…” Ichigo mutters to himself as more distress overwhelms him the more the doctor elaborates on Ai’s situation

“Thanks to the time spent in the hospital, her wounds did heal significantly, but it isn’t near enough to where it is even close to being healed. And…If I’m being honest, I’m not even sure if its even healable at this point.” The doctor explains and expresses himself, before giving one more crucial and brutal detail “However, I can say this confidently, if Ai receives another blow on that very same spot
one more time
… then I can guarantee you that she
won't
survive.”

Shaking everyone’s blood in the room from hearing the devastation of this information, one could only imagine just how much of a protective environment Ai needs to be in.

“For now, too much excessive movements are pretty harmful for her wound, even basic movements like walking or getting up very frequently, which is why I advise she should still stay in bed or in a shape where she doesn’t have to do that much physical movements.”

“But then.. That restricts her a lot, don't you think?” Ichigo retaliates

“I’m only saying this for her own good, so that she herself can feel the least amount of pain as possible.”

“...”

Ichigo remained silent and looked down on the floor.

On the other hand, Ruby, who was right next to Ai, heard everything the doctor said and gripped her mother’s cloth on her lap and turned towards her with a very sorrowful expression.

“Mama~...” She said, completely horrified from the level of criticality of her situation.

Ai slowly lowered her gaze to Ruby, turning her attention to her daughter, her eyes wrinkled from the aftermath of the brutal jolt in which the pain was still lingering in her wounds. She slowly lifted her hand and placed it on top of Ruby’s head, rubbing her hair softly.

Seeing Ai’s gloomy and crippled expression made her extremely uncomfortable and regretful, knowing that her beloved mother is going through pain beyond her imagination.

Ai shifts her gaze back at the doctor, her tension more worried about her daughter’s rather than her own more severe condition.

“How about Ruby?” Ai asks, urging to know how Ruby should be treated too after receiving those devastating blows too.

“Your Daughter?” The doctor says “As for her, she can exert more physical movement than you since the injuries inflicted in her abdomen aren't as severe as yours, but at the same time, that doesn’t mean she can recklessly do anything she wants. You must be cautious she doesn’t overexert herself and makes her wounds worse.”

“Does she need tablets to decrease the pain in her belly?” Ai inquires.

“Not necessarily, I don’t think she will be suffering from sudden jolts like you, since your case is much worse, and you should honestly be worrying about yourself more.” The doctor answers.

Even though what the doctor was saying was correct, Ai’s mind only goes back to the devastation her daughter suffered more than what she had suffered herself.

“Mama~ you don’t have to worry about me~” Ruby spoke to her, making Ai’s gaze shift back down at her again. Ruby’s concern was evidently more towards her mother’s than hers.

As a response, Ai simply rubs Ruby’s hair even more, slowly and softly
  
“Alright, here's the pill.” Yuki hands the powerful pill to Gojo in a small container.

“It's only one huh?” Gojo says.

“If there was a way to make more than one, I would've already made some more by now. I could barely even make this one as powerful as it is right now.” She responds.

“Look, I know we argued enough about this already, so I'm just giving the option to you on however you want to use it.” Yuki says as she folds her arms, finalizing her decision, as she just couldn't make Gojo come to a full agreement to her opinion.

“But let me say this, not as a doctor from this world, but as a fellow friend from our previous world and fellow special grade sorcerers,” Yuki says, expressing her heartfelt opinion.

“Please consume this pill~ not just because the world needs you more than anyone~, but because… I want you to stay in this world with me longer~ The fear of you leaving this world comes to my soul whenever I look at you.”

These words touched Gojo, as this was besides Yuki's primary reason. She could feel the honesty behind her statement and would want him to live more than anyone.

It wasn't until another wave of violent shockwaves on his chest erupted,

“BLR- GRAHCK!!” A pile of blood surges from Gojo's mouth as he clenches his chest.

His eyes turned red from the pain.

“Gojo!!” Yuki screams in tension, but that's then Gojo weaves his arm, gesturing to her that he will be alright.

“...before I consume this medicine… I have to first… visit her again…”

Gojo said to her, his voice weak from the exhaustion of the sudden internal attack.

“Hahhh…” Yuki says as her stress only escalates from seeing Gojo's condition, she crouches down to Gojo's level to support him, being his source of balance as he slowly helps him stand up.

Gojo made his decision clear with that statement as he won't eat such a pill until he sees Ai's condition, to see if he is worthy of consuming it.
  
“Plrrghgh Ack!” Blood streams surged out of Ai’s mouth as it filled the plastic bag on the bin that was on the bathroom with crimson fluid as she leaned his hand on the wall for balance, her other hand on her crippled umbilical region that is erupting in unbearable pain as the ruptured organs causing more blood to spew out of her mouth.

She bent her back forward, her eyes mingled with wrinkles due to severe exhaustion from tolerating the excruciating agony tearing through her fragile mid section as more blood started dripping from her lips.

Her breaths were heavy, having to tolerate so much pain on her tummy she almost felt like collapsing as she pressed on her wounds. She grits her teeth and pinches her eyes closed, hoping that this suffering would all end soon.
 
“Aa-~!! Aaa-!! Rrrgh~~!! Aaa-!!!!” Ai screams. Just as she thought the wave of pain would soon start to decrease after having to puke out so much blood, it only intensified severely by an unexpected electrifying excruciating jolt that was piercing through her navel.

She collapsed to the ground on her knees, with her hands very tightly clutched to her navel area. Her eyes watery as the pain overwhelmed her soul to an unimaginable degree. Tears were on the verge to burst as she could not tolerate this much amount of pain in her soft and sensitive spot.

After several minutes of pain worse than hell, Ai very slowly attempted to stand up again.
 
Having to spill a good portion of her blood out, Ai very slowly and steadily walked out of the bathroom with one of her hands having to lean on whatever that was close, since she even had a hard time to maintain her balance, as each step was a struggle.

After stumbling upon almost each step, she finally reached towards where the tablets and syrup were. She got some warm water for herself that she could have after swallowing that tablet and drinking the syrup the doctor gave her. It does relieve her after having to digest those medicine, but it only lasts temporarily.

She started to get really frustrated about these cracks of pain on her stomach as they are so painful it makes her go dizzy and feels like she is about to go pass out any moment.

It has been 2 days since she was deported from the hospital and already, she is feeling like she is living in hell, a world nothing but pain. She couldn’t do anything but sit on the couch or lay in the bed and watch TV. She couldn’t play with her kids, or engage in fun activities with them anymore. Her vibrant and playful motherly aura disappeared and was replaced with deep pain and depression and gloominess. She was so lonely and so restricted she started questioning why this was all happening to her, for what reason.

As she takes her medicine, she decides to lean back on the sofa like she was doing before a near death granting jolt pierced through her wounds, which forced her to go to the bathroom and release a chunk of blood.

Each move was steady and cautious, ensuring no movements applied any sort of stress or pressure to her stomach. She reaches her left hand at the sofa and leans her upper body before very slowly moving and leaning her entire body on the sofa as a safe maneuver for her belly.

The sofa absorbs her body as Ai relaxes her muscles and lets herself sink in. Her violet hair that makes her so beautiful was half scattered on the sofa.

“Uugh…” A distressful sigh escaped her lips, it was heavy and full of anxiety. The pain on her stomach was so severe it made her lose hope of ever recovering and being normal. She was in a very sensitive and detrimental mental state, placing a hand on her navel area and slowly rubbing it.

Even right now, she thinks to herself, “What have I done to deserve this…? Why is this happening to me~? What did I do~?” these questions lingers in her mind as she just wants to escape from this unbearable torture. She wants peace.

“Did becoming an idol lead me to suffer this?” she thought to herself, wondering if this was the result of betraying her fans by having kids. At this point her mind was everywhere and very vulnerable. She is begging for help and for a cure to remove her from this agony.

Right now, she is at a prime age where she could carry out her duties without any defects. She is a young 21 year old girl who is blessed with 2 kids. Her intention after retiring from being an idol was to carry out her duty of being the best mother possible to her cute little angels by being active and engaging with them in any activities, taking them out to the playgrounds and the beach and ensure they have the best childhood ever from her radiant company, in contrast to hers and how she got abused by her own mother.

But now, to her, this dream of enjoying her motherhood with her two beloved kids to its utmost was shattered as the immense restriction that was placed on her because of her life-threatening wounds where she couldn’t even walk without feeling any pain in her midsection.

Ai exhales once more, trying to calm herself from the endless distress as she stares through the  balcony, but that’s when none other than her own precious daughter broke the whirlwind of distressing thoughts, and replaced it with some sense of belongingness and love.

“Mama~”

The voice overlapped Ai’s thoughts as she came back to reality, and felt a grip clenching on her clothes on her lap from a small delicate hand.

Her gaze slowly turned towards the voice that called her. A tinge of relief and peace entered her heart, knowing very well who came to give her some comfort and support. Just the mere presence of being close to her means a lot to her at such difficult times.

As her gloomy and exhausted eyes met her beloved daughters who was distressed and frustrated the more she saw her mother going through unbearable agony. She spotted the tension and the sheer discomfort in her eyes as her frown and expression said it all. It was all laced with deep sympathy and sorrow for her beloved beautiful mother.

A very faint smile traced Ai’s lips, her heart finding peace upon having the company of her little cute daughter. Even just by looking at her, the pain on her wound slowly started to decrease as her eyes spotted her cute features. She slowly lifts her hand up towards her face and gently traces her fingers across her forehead, grazing her hair bangs and giving her a good head pat.

Ruby hopped on the sofa, sitting right next to her mother and as he leaned on Ai’s shoulder, her thirst for her mother’s warmth was evident by her closeness towards her in which she was warmly accepted. This was something Ai would never ever reject. Whenever Ruby wants to feel her closeness by being inside her cocoon or leaning on her body, or by any touch, she could feel the unbreakable bond Ruby has towards her, and thus it fills her heart with tranquility whenever Ruby comes close to her just for a moment to be together with each others touch and warmth.

It also makes her feel satisfied since it reassured her that her children craves for her affection, telling her that they indeed love her, just as she loves them.

Ruby leaned more on her mother as her head rest on Ai’s chest.

Ai retaliates by wrapping one arm around Ruby and pulling her towards her as she snuggles her face on her forehead, her eyes closed, the touch and warmth of her daughter leaning on her body sent chills of tranquility inside her.

Ruby on the hand also felt ravishing chills of tranquility as she felt her hair and forehead getting rubbed and snuggled by her mother’s nose,

It was soon after that Ai decided to deliver a delightful smooch on her forehead filled with motherly love for her precious daughter.

“Mmuah~”

Ruby absorbs the love Ai delivers to her as her lips were pressed on her forehead. Upon feeling the touch of her mother's lips and pretty violet strands of hair grazing her skin, There was no sensation better.

As Ai withdraws her face slightly, she looks at Ruby, only to see her expression was still uneasy and filled with discomfort and sorrow.

“Ruby~” Ai’s voice finally spoke. It was deep and not her normal voice. It was very clear the ravishing and unforgiving pain on her abdomen even took a toll on her voice too. “What’s the matter? Why do you look so sad~?” she asked.

Just by hearing her Ai’s voice, Ruby could gage just how much the pain on her beloved mother’s stomach was disturbing her and agonizing.

“How can I not be sad?!” Ruby slightly yells in frustration as she snugs her face on Ai’s chest. “When my most beautiful and loving mother is suffering everyday in so much pain, it hurts me so much to even see you endure this~~” She said with storming emotions, her voice quivering as if she is about to break down. “Everytime I look at you, you seem to be suffering so much pain on your tummy~~ and you look so lonely and distressful, I just can’t bear it anymore~~”

Ai remained quiet and patted Ruby’s back as she was snuggling on her chest.

“You did nothing wrong~ so why do people target you~?! Why are you the one to get hurt? Why does it have to be your soft tummy~? How can someone so beautiful and pretty get hurt so much~?! Do people not have a heart~!?” Ruby rants, lashing out her inner devastation upon seeing her mother suffering this critical state, and all Ai could do was listen to her daughter's emotional cry.

After a good minute of silence, Ai responds.

“Sorry Ruby~” She apologizes, though her smile enlarges, a sense of brutal honesty and sympathy also lingers in her heart  “Mama isn’t very strong, I wasn’t able to defend myself, and I couldn’t protect you either~ please forgive me for being so weak~” She said, her voice soft and quivering with emotions as well.

Those words uttered from her mother made Ruby even more sad, as Ai now takes the blame to herself for being so weak which resulted in this to happen.

“Mama~~!!” Ruby raises her voice as she is on the brink of bursting into sobs.

“Once we're better,, I’d love to make some soothing songs with you Ruby~ and post it on the media, or maybe take you out to the park and push you on the swings, or maybe go the beach and have a fun swim~ Ahh~~ so much fun things we could do~”

Ai mentions the things they could be doing at the moment if it weren’t for her restriction.

“Ruby~ are you alright~?” Ai then asks about Ruby’s condition and how her own recovery was going, since Ai wasn’t the only wounded one who came back from that incident. “Does your tummy still hurt~?” She politely asks, genuinely wanting to know the state of her own precious daughter.

“I’m alright~” Ruby answers, her words muffled as her face was still snuggled on her mother’s chest.

“That’s good to hear~” Ai sighs, as Ruby gets up from being stuck on her mother's chest, once again, looking directly at her eyes.

“But you're not fine~” She says to her. Ruby lifts one of her hands up and places it on her mother's crippled stomach, before slowly and gently rubbing it.

A slight and weak chuckle escapes Ai’s  lips and doesn't prevent Ruby from doing what she was doing, rather she allowed it, wanting her daughter to do whatever she pleases to her tummy, because she knows that her daughter is gentle, appreciating her delicate touch on her critical injuries.

Feeling the pleasure of her daughter’s delicate touch on her umbilical area, she took the teddy rabbit star badge off that was attached to her hair and reattached it to her daughter's hair right at her side all while she was getting her stomach gently rubbed by her.

“Hmm?” Ruby notices Ai attaching something on to her.

“There we go~” Ai said, “You look so pretty~” she exclaims with delightful chuckle, despite the critical condition she was in and with the crippled voice, she gave her badge to her.

Ruby was quite baffled, wondering why her mother would give her, her badge that she had worn throughout her entire idol career, and especially when she is in a critical state like this and suffering so much pain

Ruby raised her hands and gently felt the badge that was stuck to her hair.

Ai's smile widens, “One day~ you'll become an idol, and you’ll perform on stage in front of thousands of people wearing the same badge Mama wore, hehe.”

“But mama…” Ruby said “I wanted to be on the stage with you.” She expressed, Ai was slightly stunned from her response “I want to sing and dance on the stage with you~” she further clarifies her true wish.

After looking at Ruby for a short while, she smiled back and patted Ruby's hair, appreciating what she had also dreamt for too. Though to be honest, it was also one of her long wished dreams too, but sadly it got shattered the moment Hakensu put a permanent hole on her delicate stomach.

“I wish that too Ruby~” she says with absolutely wholeheartedness. “I longed for a day to come where me and you could be on stage together, performing in front of a very big crowd, just imagine how adorable that would be~ a mother and daughter dancing and singing together~ ahh~” she spoke with a fragile voice.

“But all I want right now is for you to be healed and better~” Ruby said, as she once more places her hand on her mother's life threatening wound.

“It will get better soon~ don't worry,” Ai responds, trying to calm Ruby's stress down.

Sadly, it didn't cool Ruby's tension down one bit. What she saw that day was too horrific. That moment still replays in her vision, as she can still envision that unforgiving fist completely swallowing right through her mother's ever so fragile stomach, and the violent surge of blood erupting from none other than her beautiful, angelic mother's mouth, it was a terror she never thought would even occur, especially not to someone so pretty and beautiful like her mother. The defeating sounds of Ai's organs crushing and exploding as Baekho’’s fist ravages through her flesh still hunts her down even till now. She just can't rest easy anymore, and as for someone who witnessed the devastation in front of her eyes, it was normal to assume that one could never recover from such brutality.

“But… you're too hurt mama~” Ruby counters, expressing her doubts due to the severity of her wound “I don't think your tummy could ever recover~ you took too much damage mama~” she said

Deep down, even Ai feels the same too, the pain she sometimes feel is so excruciating it feels like she won't ever heal from the death granting pain. But she couldn't just further demotivate and depress her cute little daughter like that, she had to say or do something to cheer her up.

But before she could even say a word, Ruby said something that actually struck Ai in the heart.

“I wish I was the one who got hit by that punch, not you~ you shouldn't have saved me, mama.”

Ai struck frozen from what she had uttered, her eyes wide open with her with her mouth open blank, unable to express the sheer weight behind that statement she has just made. It had gone so far that she was even regretting why Ai saved her life from what could potentially be her death, solely because of how detrimental the outcome was when the fist landed on her stomach.

It shook Ai to the core as just imagining the outcome of that fist landing on her daughter if she hadn't intercepted it was something that was already sending ravishing shivers on her skin. Ai felt the need to immediately stop her from thinking such a way.

Ai immediately grabbed Ruby, wrapping her completely with her arms as tightly as she could, pulling her towards and embracing her towards her heart.

“No~” Ai said, pausing briefly before going on to cuddle Ruby once more and pulling even closer to her heart as she tightens her embrace, “Ruby, please don't say things like that,” she said to her daughter as she tries and gives her as much comfort as she could from her warmth and touch, trying her very best calm her beloved daughter down.

“I want you to know~... That even if mama suffered 100 times more pain and damage than this, there is no way I'd ever let you even receive a single scratch~” she wholeheartedly tells her, her words carrying brutal honesty. “There's no way I'd ever want to see my precious children shed any blood~ you have no idea how precious you are to me, Ruby~” These words uttering from Ai's mouth were not a lie. The amount of love and affection she holds for her kids is insurmountable, so much so that she’d rather receive life ending blows than to even see her beloved daughter shed a single drop of blood.

“So Ruby, don't say that please~ I'll save you over and over again, even if it means getting hit by the same blow that made me this weak on the very same spot~ so long as you are not hurt~”

As Ruby was pressed tightly on her mother's chest, Ai very slightly eased the embrace and lowered chin to Ruby's face.

“Mmmmpmpmpm~...”

Ai’s lips connect to her daughter's forehead. It rested there for a good moment, pouring as much love as she could from this kiss.

As Ruby feels her mother's lips pressing on her forehead while absorbing the love and affection Ai is giving her through this kiss, it was a sensation she couldn't describe in words, it's as if it erased the remaining sadness and sorrow inside Ruby's entire lifespan. The kiss lasted for a decent amount of time before Ai finally retracts her lips away from Ruby's forehead with a firm and mother loving smooch

“...mmpmpmpmmuah~!”

As Ai very slightly and slowly pulls her head back to see Ruby after planting that ever lasting kiss, she could finally see the sadness slowly disappearing in her face.

Ai's lips slowly widened as a delightful smile grazed her face from seeing Ruby.

Ruby retaliates by leaning her head forward directly towards her mother's face.

“M?” Ai was slightly shook from Ruby's face approaching closer towards her, but it didn't take long for her to understand what her little cute daughter wanted, as her radiant smile returned back to her face and also leans her face towards Ruby as well.

As the forehead and nose of the mother and daughter’s gently connect to each other, they slowly close their eyes, sharing and imbuing each other's spirit.

Quiet moments like these were the moments which held the most inner affection towards each other.

As their heads slowly withdraw back, Ruby very cutely requests for her precious and angelic mother to give her one more kiss.

“Mama~ can I have one more kiss~?”

No matter how many kisses you get from Ai, it's never enough.

Seeing Ruby's heart touching red pinkish eyes glittering at her as she asks for one more kiss with her utmost innocency and cuteness, just how can she ever come to reject?

A lighthearted chuckle escapes from her, hearing her adorable request as her smile couldn't get any wider.

“Of course~” She agrees without any hesitation, willing to give as many kisses as her daughter wants. Ai was the type of mother to never get tired of showing love and affection towards her babies.

“Mmmmuah!”

This time Ai kisses Ruby right on her nose, as a giggle escapes from both of them, exchanging their love.

Ruby then gently rests her head on Ai's chest, solely wanting no other soul but her. In response, Ai once again tightly cocoons her until their soul merges together.

A decent amount of time passes. The more Ai drowned Ruby in her warmth, the more Ruby started to feel what her mother felt. She could feel the gist and just how immeasurable her mother's love is towards her and Aqua. And understanding this, she realizes just how much her mother was internally hurt when she herself saw her getting brutally beaten up right in front of her eyes, and she couldn’t do anything.

When she got struck with the final blow, she remembers just how deafening and heart cracking Ai’s scream was when she said “Stop” all whilst being unconscious. It was so loud even Ruby herself still trembles till now upon hearing her mother ever screaming that loud and with such an emotional voice.

“Mama must still be traumatized~” Ruby mutters in her mind, as she accurately assumes that the reason for Ai’s such overprotectiveness towards her was so that nothing like what she saw could ever happen in her lifetime ever again.

Ruby remained in that tight and firm embrace from her delightful mother for a good while, feeling her breath brushing her forehead and eyelids, and hearing her rhythmic heartbeats while she was leaning on her chest, silently sinking into her warmth.

Many thoughts came into her mind as she was cocooned by Ai. Some of them that she had never even talked about it with Ai before. Thus, in this peaceful atmosphere, with the company of her mother's infinite radiancy, she got the courage to talk about it with her.

“Mama~” her cute voice rises once again.

“Yes~” Ai responds softly.

“What made you want to have us in your tummy~?” She asks Ai.

“Huh~?” Ai was quite surprised to hear this, but since she was such a kind hearted soul, she decided to engage with her daughter's curiosity.

“Well~ that's because, I wanted to be a mother that would be able to show love to my kids. At that time, mama had a hard time showing love for anyone y’know~.”

“But you were also an idol too, mama.”

“Yup~ back then, mama was a very selfish little girl, teehee~ I wanted to become a mother
and
be an idol at the same time.” Ai lightheartedly replies back with giggles.

“So then mama~! How did you feel when me and Onii chan were inside your tummy~” Ruby's curiosity grew.

“Ahaha~!” A chuckle escapes her as hee heart melts from Ruby's lighthearted intriguing questions, “I can say one thing for sure,” she states with a jollyful tone “My tummy used to always wobble and have bumps from the inside very frequently,” Ai relates.

“Really~?!” Ruby slightly pulls her head back as she looks to her mother as she was still tightly cocooned by her.

“Mhm!” Ai nods with a pleasant smile, recalling those days during her pregnancy, carrying her precious angels in her womb. “It was either you or Aqua who was kicking my tummy from the inside so much~!” she playfully exclaims

“Hehe~!” Ruby giggles hearing this detail from her mother “Was your tummy really big~?”

“Yup, it was reeaally big~ I had to carry
2 babies,
not one y’know~”

The lighthearted conversation between a beautiful mother and her cute little daughter continued regarding their birth.

“Mmm~” Ruby then leans her head back on Ai's chest once more, wanting to feel her sensation of her breast and the vibration of her rhythmic soothing heartbeats. “I'm so proud that I was inside your tummy mama~”

Ruby exclaims as having the honor for the famous idol who she worship to carry her in her tummy and give birth to her was one of her biggest gifts ever.

“Hmhmhm~” A gentle giggle escapes Ai’s lips, her heart overwhelming with affection and appreciation of her daughter’s words. “And I'm proud to be your mother~ Ruby~”

As some more time passed, Ruby had another question that she was eager to find an answer to.

“Mama, can I ask you one more thing~” Ruby’s cute voice filled their surrounding atmosphere once again.

“Go on~” Ai signals as her tone was really accepting, in the midst of Ruby’s head resting on her chest as she was cuddling with her hair.

“How did me and Onii chan even get inside your tummy~?”

“A-..” Ai’s eyes slightly widened from this question, as this was something unexpected.

Ruby withdraws from her mothers chest once again as she slightly lifted her head up and directly looked at her with an expression of wanting an answer.

“Aa~~...” Ai didn’t know how to respond to that, looking at Ruby in a slightly confused impression, cracking a slight faint smile with light giggle as well a slight frown as she thought about how to answer her question. She obviously doesn't want to reveal what makes a female get pregnant as this is far too inappropriate for Ruby to know at this age.

“Why do you want to know that~? Ruby~?” Ai said softly.

“Because I’m curious!!” Ruby retaliates, seeking an answer.

“Well~” Ai does not feel comfortable revealing her relationship with Hikaru yet to her kids.

“How did you become pregnant mama~!?” Ruby asks again.

“Y~you’ll find out when you grow up Ruby~~” Ai said with a smile and tinge of nervousness, trying to not spill the details to her daughter regarding this topic as someone so small like her shouldn’t know how women gets pregnant.

“I initially thought that you had us in our tummy magically, but then Onii Chan disagreed and said that we have a father! And he is the reason we exist! How does that work?!” Ruby went on.

“U-!!” Now Ai was put in a corner “How does my Aqua know all these things~?!” Ai questioned, as she was now really confused how her little boy knew about all this stuff regarding women getting pregnant. “He shouldn’t know about any of these at his age~!”

Ai persisted in telling her relationship with their father as well as what caused her to become pregnant. Her kids are still too young to know all that. Thus her only option left was to shift the topic.

“Uhm~... Ah! Ruby~!” She calls out, her tone changing into a more vibrant and engaging tone. Thankfully, Ai had come up with a thoughtful and a very attractive idea just in the nick of time. It was something Ruby could never reject.

“You see~ My tummy has been rumbling all day and growling at me for not giving it what it wants~” Ai said, as she slowly gave her stomach a rub around her center. “Would you mind hearing what my empty tummy wants to consume for dinner today~?” she said with a playful and delightful tone, giving her precious daughter the opportunity to cuddle her belly.

“Really?!” Ruby’s expression shifts drastically into an exciting and thrilling vibe upon hearing her mother's allowance for a cuddle on her very soft belly.

“Yup~” Ai nods, her smile getting wider as her little idea works like a charm, “Ahh~ it works like a charm~” She mutters in her mind as she was successfully able to drift Ruby’s attention away from the previous topic. Not that she minds her stomach receiving a small cuddle anyway.

“My tummy is definitely saying something, but I can't understand what it is, someone needs to be closer to it to hear what it's saying~” she further went on to attribute her own stomach as something that can speak on its own with a playful and attaching vibe.

Of course Ruby knows that her mother is indirectly offering to her what she wants to have for dinner because she will be the one to choose what Ai's stomach will consume.

“I'll do it.” Ruby gladly accepts as she withdraws from her mother's cocoon and slowly faces her head directly on her mother's abdomen.

She slowly and gently leans her face closer and closer, until her nose was the first to sink inside her soft and delicate flesh.

Ai was aware how much of a fragile and sensitive condition her umbilical area was from those unforgiving deep wounds, however, whenever Ruby lends her touch on it, she miraculously doesn't feel the pain at all, even when little pressure is being applied.

“Hehehe~” A giggle escapes Ai's lips upon feeling Ruby's nose getting absorbed into her stomach, specifically her belly button, as a relieving chill ravishes across her spine as Ruby gently thrusts her face slightly deeper into her umbilical area.

“So~ what do you think it wants to eat~?” Ai says with a playful tone, her gaze down on Ruby who was busy feeling her stomach.

“Mmm~” Ruby wiggled her head as her face was sunk into her flesh, making a few more chuckles escapes from her mother as she felt the ticklish sensation of her belly getting rubbed and cuddled.

The feeling of her mother's soft organs and her breaths which makes it rise up and down in such a rhythmic pattern makes her want to plunge her face even deeper in her mother's belly and wants to stay like this even longer. But she knows it greatly increases the risk of hurting her beloved mother, thus she decides and withdraws her head from it.

“I think… it's saying it wants to digest a really yummy cake!”

“Then… that's what we are going to make~!!” Ai exclaims with a jolly tone.

“But, how about your wounds, mama?” Ruby mentions the risk of hurting her critical wounds in the midst of cooking.

“The doctor said I can cook so long I don’t lift really heavy things, since cooking doesn’t require that much pressure on my tummy y’know~” Ai explains, her smile caring and laced with fondness as she was eager to do something that would lift her and Ruby’s spirits up.

“Mm~ Alright~!” As Ruby calmed down from all the heavy emotions, she cracked a faint smile, a smile of belongingness and attachment as she agreed to her mother’s idea.

Ruby got off from the sofa and reached her hand out to help her mother come out of the sofa too with as little physical exertion as possible.

“Thank you~ Ruby~” She thanks her before they both make their way into the kitchen.

Ai opens the cupboard to see what they have and decide what they want to make.

“Hmm~ let's see what we have?” she opens the cupboard

Ruby spotted some flour, strawberries and some white chocolate.

“Hah! We can make a really good strawberry white chocolate cake!” She suggests

“Sounds good! We haven’t baked strawberry cake together in a very long time~” Ai vehemently agrees to Ruby’s suggestion “Alright~ let's start by making the batter.”

“Mhm!”

“Ruby~ would you mind if you start cracking some eggs in one bowl whereas mama would prepare the flour mixture~?” Ai gently requests.

“No problem~!”

With lighthearted giggles of joy and fondness along with their perfect coordination, cooking was always something that lifted up their mood. One could say this was the best parent and child cooking duo. Ai taught Ruby some stuff about cooking like cracking eggs and learning how to whisk a batter.

Even though Ai did the majority of the cooking, Ruby just being there by and helping out with the smaller stuff was more than enough to motivate Ai to keep on doing her best as seeing her daughter working beside her overflows her heart with pleasure and appreciation, even if her contribution was little.

“Mama~! Look, the flour mixture is all smooth now~!” Ruby said with a great swell of accomplishment and excitement as she was able to whisk the batter until it was crystal shiny.

Great job! Ruby~!” Ai praises her delightfully with a charming smile of appreciation of what she had done, even though it was a bit messy as she got some batter on her clothes and on her surroundings on the table, it's not like she minded at all, rather she found it awfully cute that her little ‘baby’ daughter is doing all this, as she goes up to her and pats her head with pride.

“Hehee~” Ruby giggles, knowing she created a mess but also knows her angelic mother wouldn’t mind at all.

“Alright, now, can you whisk one more time as I put the strawberry chocolate mixture into the batter?”

“Of course!”

With their flawless teamwork, the mother and daughter successfully made their batter, and all that’s left was to put it in the oven.

“Alright, now… its time for the fun part~” Ai announces “The icing!!”

“Yayy!!”

Ruby, Ai and Aqua all had a peaceful family bonding moment as they decorated the cake all together. The taste and texture of the cake was extraordinary. Not even single crumb was left from the cake, ensuring everything went inside their bellies, even licking the cream of the plate the cake was in.

“Ahh~ that was tasty wasn’t it~?” Ai exclaims,

“Mhm! Very!” Ruby agrees very firmly.

“As expected, there is no better cook than you, Ai~” Aqua praises Ai despite having a straight and impassive face.

Ai blushes, her cheeks turning red from her little son’s compliment.

“Kyaa~! Aqua you’re soo cute and adorable my little baby boyy~!!” Ai squeals upon the overwhelming pleasure as she pulls Aqua towards her, giving him a very tight embrace and cuddles her all over, as she usually does to her little baby boy.

“Urgh~” Aqua, despite feeling slightly uncomfortable whenever his enthusiastic mother hugs and cuddles him so tightly everytime, it's not like he minds it, and since she does it so frequently, he has gotten used to the feeling of it.

As she cuddles Aqua, another idea pops into her mind. She gasps as she suddenly releases herself from Aqua.

“I know~!” Ai says “Why don’t we all have a bath together?!” Ai suggests.

Not even a second passes by as Ruby jumps in the air with excitement and agreement to her mother’s ideas.

“Yes mama!! Can we?!!”

“Of course!”

“Well, you two can have fun, I’m goi-” Before Aqua could finish his sentence, it was already predicted by Ai.

“Nope! You are joining us too~!” She says persistently.

“What?! Why am I a part of this?!”

“Because we are family!” Ai responds

“Well no, I’m not gonna be a part of this,” Aqua affirms as he turns his head around and folds his arm with a firm decision. Being cuddled by Ai so tightly was something he learnt to bear, even though he is technically a man who is in his mid 20s, but taking a bath with her was something he just couldn’t get used to as it always makes him uncomfortable when they are both naked.

“Sniff” Ai fakely makes a crying expression, her knuckles rubbing her eyes “Huhuhuh~~ my aqua doesn’t like me at all~ aaaa~” Ai’s voice further cries out in a fake emotion which unironically made it seem realistic as if she was crying and heart broken.

“Ahh!! Onii Chan!! You made mama cry!! You cold can you be?!” Ruby, Aqua’s younger twin sister, scolds him, even though she also knows Ai is fake crying just to further persuade Aqua.

“Errghh..!” Aqua grits his teeth, also knowing very well that this is just a tactic that his mother uses whenever she wants to persuade him to do something.

Even though he knows it's just a trick of hers, for some reason he just can't bring himself to still reject it when Ai makes that emotional expression, even though he knows it's just a game, which is why Ai always saves this for a final resort, knowing her son is a big softie and knowing very well he can't reject his mother's plea when she acts emotional

“Fine!” he comes to an agreement reluctantly

“Yeppie!!” Both Ruby and Ai raise their hands with joy, once again, successfully making Aqua agree to do what they say.

But there was another reason why Aqua agreed to their request. He had just seen Ai smile and laugh with such lively and vibrant aura, something he longed to see ever since they got kidnapped. He thought that the radiant idol who had such a charismatic smile every time, would never ever have this radiant aura again after what she and Ruby had suffered.

But this was for the first time in a very long time that he ever saw Ai have such a lovely and engaging aura, seeing Ai with such a pleasant smile was something she thought he’d never see. For months, Ai had barely even smiled, and the excruciating pain that was drilling on her stomach constantly made her erase that radiancy she once had.

Thus seeing his mother in such a good, engaging and lively state where the pain isn’t bothering her, he doesn’t want to be the cause of what erases it this time, so he’d rather do what she requested of him instead of making her upset.

“Aquaaa~! Hurry up and jump in already~!” Ai nags her little son with impatience who was the only one remaining not in the bathtub, whereas Ruby and Ai had already started splashing each other.

“I’m coming~” Aqua said, slightly bothered from.

As soon as Aqua put in both his feet, not even a second lasted where Aqua wasn’t showered with water splashes.

“Argh! Were you really waiting for me to get in the water just for that?” Aqua said, irritated from the constant barrage.

“Ahahaha~” Both Ai and Ruby chuckled, as their spirits rose even higher upon having Aqua getting involved in their splashing and being their target.

“Aqua~ why are you looking to your side, are you shy~?” Ai said, noticing Aqua isn’t directly facing them.

“Onii chan is really shy!” Ruby exclaims.

“Ehh~? You don’t have to be shy around us, we are one family~” Ai goes closer to Aqua and starts rubbing her with her bare hands around his face and pinching his nose gently.

“Arck! What are you doing?” Aqua said in slight confusion as Ai was pinched his nose and started rubbing all around his body with some soap.

“I’m giving you a bath of course! That's a mother’s duty!” Ai said.

“I can wash by myself y’know~” Aqua responds, feeling uncomfortable as her fanciable mother continued rubbing his back with a brush.

“Yes I know~ My Aqua is a really big boy, but I must use this opportunity I have right now in this limited time. Soon when you will be all grown up, mama won’t be able to give you a bath anymore~” Ai said with a delightful and caring motherly voice, wanting to maximize the time and advantage she has with her kids while they are still very young and small.

“Mama mama, give me a bath too~” Ruby begs, as she also craves her mother’s touch in the bath just as she was giving to Aqua.

“Mhm! Of course!”

Ai’s way of washing the soap of your body is by splashing more water. She happily and joyfully washes and rubs her little children's body, with each moment of this she cherishes in her heart, the playful times when Ai gives her kids a bath.

“Aqua~ you don’t always have to close your eyes y’know~”  Ai teases as she plays with her little boy’s hair with shampoo.

“Urrgh~ is it done already~”

“Aaaalmost~!”

Ai took her time in properly washing her two adorable little children, enjoying every moment of it.

“Now then, Ruby~ would you mind lathering Mama’s hair with some shampoo please~?” Ai very softly and gently requests.

“I’ll do it!” Ruby said without hesitation as she grabbed the shampoo bottle and slowly started to rub it on her mother’s gorgeous violet hair.

“Wahh~ mama, your hair is so silky and beautiful~!!” Ruby praises the beauty of Ai’s hair.

“Aww~ thank you!” Ai’s smile widens upon hearing her daughter’s compliment.

Soon Ruby lathered shampoo on every hair strands of Ai’s

While Ruby was occupied with her mother’s hair, this was the perfect moment for Ai to catch her little boy by surprise once more.

Without even a warning, she grabs her little boys elbow and pulls it towards her, then soon wrapping her arms and cocooning him, ultimately leading up to a tight embrace in the midst of their shower.

One could say Aqua’s face was just as red as a rose flower, as his face pressed on Ai’s boobs.

“A-a-... Ai!! What are you doing?!?!” Aqua yells as his nose starts to bleed.

Ai was such a tease, knowing that Aqua is the type to be completely embarrassed and flushed from such sudden embrace, especially when done on a bath, which is why loves to do it, teasing her little boy.

“Hm? Can a mother not give her little boy a hug?” Ai responds, a mischievous smirk planted on her face.

“B-but why here?!!”

“Ehh? Does it matter?” Ai retaliates as she tightens her embrace, rubbing her chin on Aqua’s hair. “We’re mother and son anyway~”

“A- you little~” Aqua mutters to himself as he gets absorbed by Ai’s hug, “She is definitely doing this on purpose!!”

“Ahahaha! Onii Chan’s face is so red, he is really shy when it comes to you Mama~”

“I hugged Ruby a lot on the sofa today, but I forgot to hug you~ Aqua~” Ai says whilst still drowning Aqua with her bare warmth, closing her eyes and focusing on syncing her soul with his little boy, all while Ruby was giving her a nice hair wash.

“Yeah, and you HAD to remember it right now hugh?!” Aqua mutters knowing this was Ai purposely choose this moment to balance it out to make him even more uncomfortable “Rrrgh! I’m never taking a bath together again!!” He declares inside his mind, as this was by far the most uncomfortable he has been with Ai, especially considering he is technically a grown man.

Ai brushes Aqua’s face swipes his hair bangs to the side, before connecting a kiss which Ai put all her love in it as she presses her lips tightly on his little boys forehead.

“Mmmmmmmuah!!” She gave him a long audible smooch filled with motherly love.

Aqua was already finished from the sheer closeness he is having with Ai, but upon feeling Ai's lips press his forehead for a while nearly made him unconscious.

The next day arrived. In the early morning, Ai’s long violet hair was shinier and silkier than ever, as it mingled and played with the breeze that was brushing towards her. She leaned her elbows on the handrails, gazing at the beautiful morning in the city, with her two little angels beside her on each side.

“Such a beautiful day isn’t it, Aqua?” Ai says as the vibrant wind refreshes their souls.

“Mhm,” Aqua nods, his mind still trying to figure out the current state of his mother’s wounds. But he had to admit that the view from their balcony in this particular day was actually breathtaking.

“Ai, does your stomach still bleed~?” He asks, wanting an update on her condition.

“Well, I guess sometimes~ but I think it is slowly starting to become less frequent~”

“But… I think your pain shocks are getting severely worse and more painful every time it strikes you. That's what's scaring me.” Aqua relates his honest observation.

Ai slightly turns her head, her pupil shifting away from the picturesque view of the morning city and towards her little son who was beside her.

She had to admit that he was indeed right about that, and she couldn't deny it. Even if the frequency decreased, whenever it occurs, it feels like someone is ripping her intestines out mercilessly.

As the wind kept on brushing past them, with Ai's angelic violet hair mingling within its breeze, she turned her body towards her little boy, a faint smile, yet filled with motherly appreciation, one of her hands gently reaches the back of his little precocious son’s head as she makes him collide with her belly.

“U-” Aqua was stunned that Ai gently pulled him towards her, as his face sinks on her soft wounded abdomen like a pillow.

“It will be alright Aqua~” Ai says softly with a reassuring motherly voice as he gives him a head pat while she gently pulls him towards her stomach, head enveloped within her soft flesh.

She just wanted to comfort his little boy, and the way she wanted to do so was to make the gentle touch of her critical wounds and Aqua more frequent, thus why she pulled him towards her delicate belly in the first place, to lend him reassurance regarding her stomach.

As Aqua was pressing on his mother's delicate flesh, he could hear the condition of her organs. It didn't sound too good but at the same time, just the feeling itself was so refreshing and soothing upon feeling the softness and the rhythmic rises of his beloved mother's belly, he slowly started to forget the worriness inside of him regarding Ai that he just had a moment ago. Maybe that was because of how overwhelming Ai's radiant aura was, especially the way she lends her warmth and affection towards her kids.

As upon the balcony, one could spot a little boy cuddling the crippled tummy of his loving mother.
 
“Mama~ I want to go outside~” Ruby tells Ai what she wants to do.

“Me too~” Ai also mimicked the same desire as Ruby.

“Then let’s go,”

A voice echoed through all 3 of their ears. Ai knew very well that voice didn’t belong to either of her two kids, but at the same time, upon hearing that voice and tone reverberating through her ears, it was someone she could never mistake where that charismatic and crystal clear voice belongs too. Though their minds did think it was impossible for him to greet them here, but nonetheless, their attention were attracted like a magnet from his call

Hooking up all 3 of them in a heartbeat, they all turned to their left, to where that voice came from.

And there they saw, that one individual who is the reason why Ai is alive today, that white haired, blue eyed fanciable individual, Gojo.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next day arrived. In the early morning, Ai’s long violet hair was shinier and silkier than ever, as it mingled and played with the breeze that was brushing towards her. She leaned her elbows on the handrails, gazing at the beautiful morning in the city, with her two little angels beside her on each side.

“Such a beautiful day isn’t it, Aqua?” Ai says as the vibrant wind refreshes their souls.

“Mhm,” Aqua nods, his mind still trying to figure out the current state of his mother’s wounds. But he had to admit that the view from their balcony on this particular day was actually breathtaking.

“Ai, does your stomach still bleed~?” He asks, wanting an update on her condition.

“Well, I guess sometimes~ but I think it is slowly starting to become less frequent~”

“But… I think your pain shocks are getting severely worse and more painful every time it strikes you. That's what's scaring me.” Aqua relates his honest observation.

Ai slightly turns her head, her pupil shifting away from the picturesque view of the morning city and towards her little son who was beside her.

She had to admit that he was indeed right about that, and she couldn't deny it. Even if the frequency decreases, whenever it occurs, it feels like someone is ripping her intestines out mercilessly.

As the wind kept on brushing past them, with Ai's angelic violet hair playing with the breeze, she turned her body towards her little boy, a faint smile, yet filled with motherly appreciation, one of her hands gently reaches the back of her little precocious son’s head as she makes him collide with her belly.

“U-” Aqua was stunned that Ai gently pulled him towards her, as his face sinks on her soft wounded abdomen like a pillow.

“It will be alright Aqua~” Ai says softly with a reassuring motherly voice as he gives him a head pat while she gently pulls him towards her stomach, head enveloped within her soft flesh.

She just wanted to comfort his little boy, and the way she wanted to do so was to make the gentle touch of her critical wounds and Aqua more frequent, thus why she pulled him towards her delicate belly in the first place, to lend him reassurance regarding her stomach.

As Aqua was pressing on his mother's delicate flesh, he could hear the condition of her organs. It didn't sound too good but at the same time, just the feeling itself was so refreshing and soothing upon feeling the softness and the rhythmic rises of his beloved mother's belly, he slowly started to forget the worriness inside of him regarding Ai that he just had a moment ago. Maybe that was because of how overwhelming Ai's radiant aura was, especially the way she lends her warmth and affection towards her kids.

As upon the balcony, one could spot a little boy cuddling the crippled tummy of his loving mother.
 
“Mama~ I want to go outside~” Ruby tells Ai what she wants to do.

“Me too~” Ai also mimicked the same desire as Ruby.

“Then let’s go,”

A voice echoed through all 3 of their ears. Ai knew very well that voice didn’t belong to either of her two kids, but at the same time, upon hearing that voice and tone reverberating through her ears, it was someone she could never mistake where that charismatic and crystal clear voice belongs too. Though their minds did think it was impossible for him to greet them here, but nonetheless, their attention were attracted like a magnet from his call

Hooking up all 3 of them in a heartbeat, they all turned to their left, to where that voice came from.

And there they saw, that one individual who is the reason why Ai is alive today, that white haired, blue eyed fanciable individual, Gojo.

He was standing on the handrails with no fear despite it being on the 6th floor of the apartment, his arms crossed as he leaned on the wall from the outside with his right shoulder, gazing down at Ai and her two little kids with his soul attracting blue eyes as the breeze brushed his hair, a relieving smile on his face as he was seeing the happiness from the bonding moments of Ai and her adorable kids.

“Haa~~” Ai’s eyes and mouth opened in shock and excitement from seeing him after such a long time, a smile of ecstasy implanted on her expression. She subconsciously releases Aqua from her, as her focus starts to devote solely to Gojo.

“Gojo sensei!!” she yells as she charges towards her with open arms.

Gojo hops down from the handrails to the balcony, getting ready to accept Ai’s wholehearted embrace.

She leaped up and collided herself with him, wrapping her arms around him as he leaned her face on his chest.

Gojo’s smile enlarged, from seeing Ai in such a pleasant and delightful mood as he pats her head. Memories started to flood his mind regarding her when she was that little cute girl as he got hugged by Ai's lighthearted embrace, feeling the purity, innocence and her overwhelming radiance as Ai collided with him. He still couldn’t believe that she was that same little girl he found on the streets the first day he got transported into this world. Such an incredible fate where till this day, she is still attached to him, along with her now even having two little kids as well.

Ai rubbed her face on Gojo’s chest. It was clearly visible that Ai had yearned for his company, but it wasn’t only Ai who longed for his presence as Ruby also came in charging towards Gojo too.

“Gojo sensei!!” She yells out, her arms also wide open just like her smile.

Noticing the voice of Ai’s adorable daughter also coming to hug Gojo too, he extended his right arm out while still rubbing Ai’s hair with his other other hand who was still engulfed in Gojo's warmth. He was delighted to also receive Ai's little angels touch as Ruby leaped from the ground, also aiming for Gojo’s body.

As soon as Gojo gets a good hold of Ruby, he tosses her high in the air. Instead of fear or shock, bottomless ecstasy swelled in her little heart as he was temporarily floating in the windy air. Her laughter echoed through the breeze as she exposed her limitless joy in the air, her smile wider than ever. The fear of falling off to the ground or off the building did not even enter her heart, because she knows that Gojo is here, and that everything will be fine.

Even for Ai, knowing just how overprotective she is regarding her little babies, not a single bit of fear or concern entered her heart when Gojo chucked her beloved daughter up way high in the air, rather she continues to press on Gojo’s chest with her cheeks as she closes her eyes, a wide smile of relief tracing across her lips. The reason for this was because Gojo had earned Ai’s complete trust, that if there was anyone who Ai were to let her kids do anything they want without her supervision or care, it would be with Gojo.

She heard Ruby’s joyful laughter in the air as her heart swelled in such exhilaration it was indescribable, understanding how much her kids enjoy their time with him.

“More sensei more!!” Ruby begged as he was caught by Gojo’s hand, wanting to be tossed up more.

“Hahaha! Sure why not?!” Gojo chuckles before playfully chucking Ruby high in the air once again, with Ai having no worries as to what they were doing.

“You had enough Ruby, its my turn~” Aqua barges in, wanting the same treatment that her twin sister was having.

Even though Gojo wasn’t blood related or anything, from the outside, if one were to look at them, Gojo was like a father to Aqua and Ruby and Ai’s husband, just by judging off their interactions filled with ecstasy and jubilation. One could say this was the father figure Ai had wished for, for her kids as well.

As Aqua, Ruby and Ai’s excitement slightly cooled down from seeing Gojo, they finally release themselves by detaching their bodies off him

“How long were you here?” Ai questions.

“I just popped up.” Gojo answers. “I was initially searching for someone, but then I saw you and your little kids viewing the city from your balcony, so I thought why don’t I come and say hi.”

“Ah, I see~”

“How’s your recovery going lately?” Gojo inquires, eager to get an update on Ai’s healing.

“Well~...” Ai places her hand on her midsection, figuring how she should word it. “It has been hurting a lot recently but I am feeling a bit better at the moment.” She said with brutal honesty.

If there was a person Ai can be honest with, it would be Gojo, and she would gain nothing by being dishonest to him and speaking false.

“I see,” Gojo places his thumb and index on his chin, making a pondering expression before making a very caring impression “Well, if you feel any kind of heavy pain, then let me know.” His tone held weight in what he was saying.

“I can tell… from what it looks, she probably is going through some severe experiences” Gojo mutters inside, as he can already observe her condition by a mere glance “But I’ll wait, and see just how severe it is.” He said in his mind as he still held the white pill within him, wanting to see if it was worth giving it to her.

He also tried his best to hide his inner sickness, thus before he came to meet her, he relieved himself, but even then, it had affected Gojo so much it slowly started to change his voice.

“Uhm~ sensei~! You sound a bit different~” Ai said with a slight tinge of concern and curiosity swelling inside her, noticing that Gojo’s voice is a bit deeper and more itchy then normal “Are you happen to be sick?” She asks.

He tried his best to hide his inner sickness, thus before he came to meet her, he relieved himself, but even then, it had affected Gojo so much it slowly started to change his voic

“Hu- eh? Sick? Nah I’m fine! Just suffering from a little cold, haha!” Gojo didn’t notice that he was leaking some hints already. “Anyways, you wanted to go outside right? How about we go and grab some coffee?” Gojo suggests.

“Great idea!” Ai admits.

“Let’s go!” Ruby yells.

“Hold up!” as always, if there were to be one person that would prevent them from going or ruin their joyful moment, it would be none other than Ai’s precocious little boy, Aqua.

“The doctor told you to remain indoors. Going outside would be very risky since your wounds would be now exposed to heaps of things.”

He reminds Ai as if he is her own doctor.

“Aqua~ you’re being too bossy~!” Ai said to her little boy, slightly irritated by his overprotectiveness.

“Its for your own good Ai. You still haven’t grasped just how severe your wound is~”

“No need for all this fuss, She is going to be alright for sure!” Gojo intervenes, declaring her safety with confidence.

“U-” Now even Aqua was unsure what to say, especially seeing Gojo’s firm confidence in ensuring nothing goes wrong.

“Yeah! If Gojo sensei is there, nothing will go wrong!” Ruby further reiterates.

Aqua sighs, as all the odds are against him.

“Fine~” 
  
The streets whistled with livelihood as Ai and Gojo were strolling across it, both having a wide smile of relief and satisfaction.

Both of them walked side to side with each other as Gojo held Ruby's hand from his right and Ai held Aqua’s hand from her left.

“Ahh~~!!” Ai embraces the delightful atmosphere of the early morning streets as they were strolling through “I haven't been to this type of walk in so long~~!! It's sooo refreshing!!” She squeals as her satisfaction and jubilation overwhelmed her.

“I feel ya, being stuck in that prison and then arriving home only to be restricted from social activities is a huge bummer.”

“Yup! It indeed is,”

Ai and Gojo conversed about many random things regarding their life stories as well as cracking jokes, filling the atmosphere surrounding them with vibrant laughs and giggles.

“Perhaps… it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be~” Aqua mutters in his mind as he was walking with them holding Ai's hand.

A smirk grazed his face as he could feel and sense the sheer happiness and vibrancy that was radiating through Gojo and Ai’s conversation with their laughs and giggles. Their smiles said it all. Not only that, but Gojo and Ai both match when it comes to their style of conversation. Both are very careless sometimes and take crucial things lightly.

Aqua thought to himself that, perhaps they were meant to be together from the beginning as they both shared very similar traits to each other.

“So, sensei~ what's going to happen with Yuuji~?” Ai asks Gojo regarding Yuji, that little boy who she also considers as her own son.

“Ahh… yeah~ about Yuji~...” Gojo breathed out, as he knew Ai would mention him sooner or later.

“You must be pretty devastated, right?” Ai assumed “You and Yuuji always had such a strong bond. He used to tell me about all the fun times he had with you,”

A little smile appeared on Gojos face upon hearing that from Ai, confirming his heart of the joy Yuuji received with the time he spent with him.

“Yeah, his kidnap did give me a jolt in the heart, but all I can do now is be patient for the correct move to do.”

“Correct move? What would that be?” Ai curiously wants to know.

“To beat him everyone up and get him back!” Gojo said with firm confidence as his wide smirk displayed his conviction.

“Hmhmph~” Ai chuckles, finding it quite relieving to see Gojos confidence. “But…” Ai then mentioned something she passed on a message from him. “I was told by my president that you told me to cut ties with Yuuji~” she says, her tone quite displeased as she thinks about it. “I never really understood why~”

“...” Gojo forgot that she told her this message. He knew just how much it would hurt her from the inside to hear this, so it's to be expected she would address this issue to Gojo.

“Just like you, Yuuji is also someone very dear to me~ I cherish him inside my heart just like how I cherish Aqua and Ruby~ I think of him as my own child along with these two~” she further expresses herself with brutal honesty, her voice slowly getting slightly emotional. “...and… I can't just disband him from me so easily. That's like saying to a mother to disband her little child only because her child is targeted. There's no way I'd ever disband my kid because of that~ in fact, I'd resort to protecting her with the cause of my life~.”

Ai's words were more heart touching towards Gojo then he thought it'd be, as she expressed her honest perspective of who Yuji is to her. It was the perspective influenced by her motherhood and her love for Aqua and Ruby that eventually brang this perspective of Yuji in her eyes.

“Maybe you're right,” Gojo said, “I guess I was too overprotective about you when I saw you in the hospital and heard all those terrible things you were suffering from.” He admitted “However,” Gojo said in a sharp and firm tone “If you want to confirm your safety, I'd still say advice you to cut ties with him,” He makes his stance clear “BUT, at the same time I won't stop you or tell you otherwise if you still want to be with him, I completely understand.”

He said what he had to say.

“Right now, im worried what is happening to him right now~ what if he is also being tortured too~”

“...he'd be fine.” Gojo said as his faint smirk remained, also trying to bear the atrocity within him as well. “He’s not a weak little boy after all.”

Gojo and Ai are just about to pass a pharmacy store, and little to their knowledge did both of them know that a violent outburst was going to erupt.
 
“Uah-!” A big and muscular erupts out of the store, with pieces of glass shattering everywhere. It was so close to where Ai was walking in the footpath, that he bumps into her with severe unexpected force, causing her to trip and fall down with great pressure. He hit the front side of her body, thus she landed on a sitting position quite violently.

“Grgah! Damnit!” The man ran, as if someone was chasing him.

“Ai!” “Aii!” “Mama!!” Both Gojo, Ruby and Aqua dropped their hearts upon seeing this happen to her. Their concerns were not because of the fact that she fell down and got hurt from the unexpectedness, but rather the condition of her critical abdomen.

All 3 of them instantly rushed to her aid, as she had a hand already pressing on her wound.

“Are you alright?” Gojo asks as he slowly lifts her up gently, ensuring no pressure is being applied to her wounds.

“Did you hurt your stomach?” Aqua asks the next question immediately after Gojo as she was getting lifted up.

“Mama!! Is your tummy hurting?!” All 3 of them stormed a question to her before she could answer, as she was still trying to process what had happened.

“A~ I'm fine~” Ai mustered out, her voice weak as she was slowly regaining her balance.

“Tch! That fag~! He should've watched where he was going~!!” Gojo turns back to the direction the fat and big individual who bumped into Ai ran off to, his voice laced with rage as he was pissed that he didn't even help her get up, clenching his fist as he felt like pummeling him into the ground.

“We can keep going~” Ai said, trying her best to keep her smile despite that shock.

“Mama~” Ruby went on to hug her, still unsure on her mother's condition.

“It'll be alright, Ruby~” Ai pats Ruby's head.

It was only a few seconds later that her world once again turned into an unimaginable hell.

With the pain of the jolt so catastrophic, she felt like getting hit by an electric cannon shot directly at her umbilical area.

“Umph-!!” Ai instinctively put her hands on her mouth to cover from the surge of what's about to come out, her eyes becoming red as the round of pain erupted inside her ruptured organs with excruciating agony.

“Ai!!” Gojo noticed Ai's terrific expression. This struck the core of his soul, from seeing her like this.

“Gglaagh!!” A pile of blood erupts from her mouth with great quantity as it splashes on the ground, a good portion of it hitting Aqua as he gets painted red from his mother's own crimson fluid. She tried her best to hold it in, but it was too much to hold in her mouth, thus she had to unleash it with a burst.

“Mama!!!” “Ai!!!” her two kids both screamed from horror.

“Shit..!!” Gojo finally came to an understanding just how severe and delicate Ai's condition is.

As Ai was just about to lose her balance with her body now surrendering to the unbearable suffering. Gojo swiftly closes the distance, covering Ai's mouth for her by putting a hand on her mouth to prevent more blood from flowing out,  his expression stressed and filled with anxiety and frustration.

She slowly got her to sit down on the spot, in the middle of the street, as the surge of blood had temporarily stopped from her mouth, but the pain continued to crucify her navel area mercilessly.

“A-aaa!!!” It was so excruciating her screams instinctively roared from her mouth, with slowly tears starting to shed from her pinched eyes.

She clutched onto her stomach, unable to fight the overwhelming pain on her feather soft abdomen as slowly, her red crimson fluid also started spreading through her garments too, telling them that it wasn’t only bleeding from her mouth, but from the wound itself as well.

Her two precious kids were beyond frustrated and terrified from seeing this, with Aqua calling the ambulance without a hesitation

“This is… really bad…” Gojo said in his inner monologue as he witnessed the once upon a time cute little adorable girl crying and squealing in intolerable pain that was drilling through her fragile body.

Out of everyone, Ai was one of the two people who had earned a soft spot in Gojo's heart. First it was Yuji, and then it was Ai.

“Sorry… Yuki…”

Seeing the absolute devastation Ai was in, it tore apart his heart too. As he was watching her suffer, the more he was inclined to feed Ai the one time pill Yuki gave him to consume.

“Tch, screw it!” He couldn’t see her suffer like this anymore. If he feed her this, everything would stop. Thus, he made up his mind and decided to feed her the powerful pill. As he grabs it out from his pocket, whilst she was still shrieking in pain, he gently opened Ai’s mouth by gently pulling down her chin for him to feed her this medicine.

Ai realized what Gojo was doing to him, but due to the severe pain, she couldn't respond to it. She saw Gojo holding a white pill in which he then inserts it right into her mouth.

“Everything will be alright, Ai~” He said in a whispering voice as Ai swallowed the extremely powerful pill.

“U~ what… is that~?...” Aqua wondered as he saw Gojo feed a pill inside his mother, but at this point, he had nothing but faith in Gojo in what he was doing. He knows very well that Gojo wouldn’t do anything that would cause Ai even more difficulties.

“Uughh…” Ai breathed out as her eyes remained closed.

“That should do it,” Gojo said before properly carrying Ai with both his hands as she remained what you can say ‘asleep’ on Gojo’s arm.

“W~what did you do~?!” Aqua urged to know the details of the situation.

“I fed her a pill that removes any kind of pain in her body, and heals whatever that causes it.” Gojo said.

“A pill?”

“It’s something you can’t find in this country, in fact you can’t find it anywhere else except for one specific place which has been kept top secret from anyone around the world.”

“...” He was speechless from hearing this, just hoping whatever he was saying was the truth.

“Will mama be okay?”

Gojo heard Ai’s daughter, turning his gaze down to her and spotting her terrified expression upon seeing her mother suddenly collapse like this. He could understand and empathize with her as to why she’d react this way.

“Don’t worry, she’d be fine,” Gojo tells Ruby in a reassuring and comforting tone “Remember what I said before? Everything will be just fine.” He says to further lift Ruby’s spirits up, trying his best to remove that heavy concern from her heart.

She sniffs, trying her best to keep her tears in her eyes, as it was on the brink of falling, she puts her hand on top of her mother’s which was placed on her belly while she was unconscious and carried by Gojo.

The more Gojo looks at the suffering Ai is going through right now, the more he realizes just how absolutely excruciating that tragic incident was for her, and the more his blood boils with wrath as the cause of this outcome leads all the way back to that one individual, Sukuna. He begins to regret not being by her side this whole time as he understands just how undeserving Ai is to such brutal harm.

At the moment, the last thing he wants is to tick off and throw a tantrum, exposing his own severe illness, rather he successfully kept his inner rage inside of him and maintained his coolness, especially in front of her little kids, and tried his best to calm their tension down.
  
“There you are,” Kenjaku said as he appeared on an empty beach, in front of a picturesque sun-setting scenario, where sat a little girl-like figure sitting on a tree branch, enjoying the magnificent sight. A crow was seated on her shoulder as it supervised her surroundings.

“So you finally caught me~” The crow girl said.

“Do you even know how hard it is to catch you in such an empty location, gosh you’re such a slimy tyke.” Kenjaku remarks.

“‘Slimy tyke’? Pfph! You have no matters talking to a deity do you~”

“Hah, so you really are one. No wonder I found your presence really weird.” Further confirming Kenjaku’s intuition regarding her being.

“Why are you so obsessed with looking for me?”

“Because there are some questions that I can’t find answers to, and who else can I consult them with to get my answers other than a deity.”

“Questions… ahh~~ everyone has questions that they are trying their best to find answers to. And as for some questions… they don’t even have answers…”

“But I’m sure of someone who has such a supreme ranking, like you, would be able to fulfill my questions.”

The crow girls smile enlarges.

“I can try my best.” she finally turns her gaze towards Kenjaku, her smile ever so mysterious that not even Kenjaku can read what she is thinking.

“First and foremost, are you aware of my connection to this world?”

“Hm? You mean… that you’re merely a reincarnation from a different timeline.”

“I see…” Kenjaku folds his arm, getting a better gauge of her understanding regarding the mysteries of this word “Then were you the one who reincarnated me in this world.”

“Hmmhmhmh~” The crow girl chuckles, “You’re quite quick and straightforward.” She acknowledges his sharpness.

“But why would you want to do that?” He further inquired to know her reasoning for her choice of reincarnation.

“You see, humans are very funny creatures.” The crow girl states “They are filled with lust, anger and sorrow. If one thing goes wrong or against their liking, they are willing to go to whatever length until they find their satisfaction, even if it means by taking one’s life.”

Kenjaku listened attentively to what she has to say.

“But humans don’t recognize the value of life at all. They only start to realize it when one close to them passes away, but then they forget about it again. So the reason I reincarnated a bunch of souls is to change this concept that is engraved within the human mind by giving them a second chance.”

“So you’re saying the reason why I exist here is solely because of your grace?”

“Hmm…. you could say that, but at the same time, not quite.”

“What do you mean not quite?”

“There was something else that forced your reincarnation into this world, but I can’t properly explain what it is. It's like a strong wave of emotions, negative emotions that formed into a condensed system that transcended to this timeline.”

“A strong wave of negative emotions… could it be…” the description that the crow girl gave him caught his interest even more as that explanation was very similar to cursed energy.

“But,” The crow girl continued, “I realized that if I let this strong wave of negative emotions enter this peaceful world, it will turn into an all out catastrophe. People will lose control, and violence will erupt everywhere because of his dense energy wave that would be crushing people.”

From this, Kenjaku firmly deduced that she was referring to Cursed Energy.

“So, I decided that… what if people from
that
timeline were reincarnated again, but without the concept of this evil energy, how would they go about living their lives, would it change and affect the environment, or would it remain the same.”

“Well then, from so far what is occurring, what is your conclusion?” Kenjaku asks for her opinion.

“I think it’s too early to conclude,”

“But would you take action if nothing changes…?”

“...hm… I’m not sure… actually,”

“Then…

Why not unseal the Cursed Energy that has been building up so much

? Waiting for it to be released in an outburst~”

The crow girl stayed silent, as Kenjaku’s tone changed to a more demanding and intimidating nature, leaking his wickedness.

“I think of all the reincarnations….” The crow girl spoke, her eyes narrowing as the weight of her words held volumes “You are probably the most immoral one out of all~”

“MHmhmm~” Kenjaku smirks devilishly, “I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“What is your motive really?” The crow girl sought to know.

“My motive~? I… don’t think I can tell you that… However, I think you we both know, that very soon… a major fight is going to take place,”

“...” The crow girl stayed silent, not denying the reality of his prediction.

“And that fight is also something I know that
you
are also looking forward to, aren’t you~?” Kenjaku said to her, his manipulative grin present. “But… you won’t be able to witness that fight in its utmost climax if you don’t release the accumulated cursed energy~”

“How devious you truly are…” She comments on Kenjaku’s thinking.

The refreshing breeze passes by, mingling the crow girls and Kenjaku’s crimson hair.

“Gojo Satoru…” The crow girl uttered.

“Hm? So you actually do know him.”

“Who doesn’t know him?”

“My fault,”

“I can say one thing for sure, the reason this world is so stable and maintaining its peace and tranquility, is all because of that man…” The crow girl states. “So I’m assuming your ultimate target is him, right?”

“You’re actually smarter than your appearance turns out to be~” Kenjaku compliments.

“So if he is your main obstacle that’s preventing you from creating the world and society you want to establish, you want me to unseal Cursed energy only to you so that you can crumble Gojo.”

“Precisely.” He acknowledges. “Gojo is someone who isn’t keen on investing with Cursed Energy any longer. He fulfilled his desire regarding Cursed Energy, thus he is no longer interested in it.”

“By the way, I think I should’ve told you a bit sooner, but not even I can guarantee granting cursed energy. It's something that I still haven’t learned to control to hand it to a specific person. All I can do is unseal the condensed amount of it that had been building up ever since people from your timeline started to reincarnate here. But… attaining Cursed Energy can also be attained by other means as well, and I’m sure you’re well aware of it.”

“Hmph,” Kenjaku lets out a small chuckle. “Are you saying this because of the trial we’re making Yuji go through?”

“Yup, that is one way of regaining it. But it’s brutal.”

“It is… and a bit time consuming too~”

After a moment of silence, an idea came up in Kenjaku’s mind.

“How about this, if we manage to kill Satoru Gojo, would you unseal Cursed Energy?”

“Hm?”

“I think that’s a fair deal? After all, you're clinging onto Satoru Gojo’s strength for this world’s balance and maintenance, am I right?”

“...” The crow girls’ gaze fell on Kenjaku once more as he proposed this deal.

“Of course, there'd be something in return to your favor if we
don’t
accomplish our task, and I can let you decide what that would be~”

“Really? Then…” The crow girl thought, “I’d erase you from existence if you don’t kill Gojo Satoru in the next coming year.”

“U…” Kenjaku was a bit startled from such a harsh and cruel retaliation. “How coldhearted of you~” He responds back with a smirk.

“In fact, I’ll even give you a hint.”

“A hint?”

“You’re not aware about this but, at this very moment, Gojo Satoru is suffering from an extremely severe illness.” She states. “It’s so severe he can barely concentrate on what he is doing. Sudden heart aches,severe dizziness are very frequent. Sometimes he can’t think straight. With all these factors, I’d say Gojo Satoru is at one of his weakest states right now.”

The crow girl informs Kenjaku regarding Gojo’s disease, which shocked him upon hearing such a news.

“So the unbeatable Gojo Satoru is suffering a severe weakness…” He says to himself.

“But that’s not all, what goes in your favor even more is that… currently, there isn’t any cure for his illness either.” She conveys, her gaze fixed back at the sun setting picturesque horizon, “There used to be a cure that was specifically made for Gojo’s recovery, but sadly, that medicine was used for someone else…” She continues to relate.

“I see…”

“So what that means now… is that Gojo Satoru will only continue to get weaker, until the sickness completely finishes him, so killing him face to face won’t be difficult anymore~”

“But there is one thing that’s bothering me~”

“Oh? What would that be?”

“Why would you go and tell me this crucial information? it’s almost as if you don’t want to win this deal.”

“Mhmhmhm~” The crow girl responds back with a chuckle “I’m just telling you the condition of Gojo Satoru only, not any of the outside factors, that’s all.”

“If you insist~”
  
Ai’s eyes slowly twitch awake, her senses slowly returning back to her after that unforgiving jolt that drilled through her ruptured organs in which she thought that she thought she would not survive from. At first, she thought she was waking up in the afterlife, due to how painful it was before she was unconscious.

But as her vision starts to get more clear, she sees the ceiling above her, and slowly sensed the normality around her. It was no floating skies that would take her to heaven or anything, she was just in a normal room.

She sat up straight immediately,

“Where~... am I?” Ai wonders, slightly confused as to the location she is in right now, looking left and right, realizing that she had been resting in this very cozy room this entire time. With the heater keeping the room warm as well as the blanket, mattress and the pillow she was on all objects that could make one be addicted to its touch forever. It was too comfortable.

But the first thing that came to her mind, was without a doubt, the absence of her kids from her presence.

She looked back down at her stomach, pressing her hand on her wounded area and gently rubbing it, noticing that the pain had completely vanished, at least for now. She also noticed that she had undergone a change of clothes too, due to the absence of the blood marks on her abdomen area.

Being quite stunned to think who could’ve changed her clothes, she more so wanted to know where she got transported to. The last thing she remembered before her consciousness snapped was Gojo feeding her some sort of pill before her eyes closed.

As she was in her own storm of thoughts, it wasn’t long until the door of the room she was in, opened.

Catching her attention as her gaze fell on the door, waiting to see who it was. To her relief, it was Ruby who happened to take a quick peep, and upon doing so, she saw her mother in a wakeful state.

“M~..Mama~?” She said in a whisper as she slowly entered inside the room more, to ensure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

“~Ruby~” Ai spoke, her voice still weak as she just woke up, but her heart was swelling with relief and tranquility.

It was seconds later that Ruby started screaming with sheer happiness and relief that she found her beloved mother wake up in good condition.

“...Mama!!” She jumps into the bed and wraps herself to one of Ai’s arms.

Due to Ruby’s yell, it alarmed Gojo and Aqua too about the situation. As soon as they entered, they saw Ai patting and cocooning Ruby as Ruby was in the midst of her sobs. To see Ai wake up in such a healthy state after spewing so much blood and screaming in so much agony, joy overwhelmed her.

But Ruby wasn’t the only one that was filled with relief and tranquility, but so was her twin brother, Aqua who also ran to her side, craving for Ai’s touch.

“Aqua~~... Ruby~~...” Ai said in a whisper, tears also instinctively shed from her eyes as she hugged both her twins closer to her chest, her heart overflowing with joy.

Gojo found inner solace upon seeing the site of a mother reuniting with her precious kids.

“Guess the pill was indeed strong…” He mutters to himself as he is observing Ai’s condition.

As Ai was embracing her two beloved ones, she also noticed Gojo’s presence, looking up while still cuddling Aqua and Ruby, a faint smile planted in her face, her impression still in quite disbelief as to what had happened, but nonetheless, she was happy, despite unable to comprehend the reality of her situation.

“Thank you~” She mustered these words to Gojo, tears flowing freely as she expressed her gratitude. She saved the detailed talks and explanations later, but all she was focused on now was her condition and the safety she was provided with.

Gojo went up to her and gave her a head pat, his heart also swelling in relief upon seeing Ai’s happiness.

After they cooled their emotions down, Ai sought an explanation.

“Gojo sensei~ why don’t I feel any pain on my abdomen anymore, even if I press it, it seems pain has completely vanished.” Ai asked

Further proving to Gojo that the effect of that white pill was indeed as success, his inner soul was finally able to have some rest as now one of the big issues he was facing has now been solved.

“Was it because of that pill you fed me?” Ai questioned further.

“Yup! You are now fully healed!” Gojo said confidently with a thumbs up.

“I can’t believe this is actually true~!! That pill actually did heal Ai’s organs and damaged internals~!” Aqua said in his mind as he was still mind blown from the effects of the white pill. He initially thought Gojo was bluffing about its effect in healing any kind of wound, but to now see it with his very own eyes and have Ai confirm her condition, he had a hard time grasping it.

“I must research more about this!!” He firmly made his intention in delving deeper into medicine to explore and research more about such pills, because to his knowledge, such a thing does not exist.

Ai still found it quite hard to believe such a straightforward and bold statement Gojo was claiming, as the concept of being “fully healed” seemed impossible for her after what she had suffered. Even if she isn’t feeling any pain right now, it’s still difficult for her to grasp the fact that her unrepairable crushed abdomen has now been repaired and recovered.

But nonetheless, she has hope in Gojo's words.
  
Ai walked back home with Aqua and Ruby, feeling like she had relieved the most difficult problem in her life ever.

Ai was still in a daze. She had a smile but her mind still goes back to the concept of the recovery of her damage as she was walking slowly with Aqua and Ruby holding each of her hands.

“Ai, are you okay?” Aqua asked.

“Hm? Yeah of course!”

“Mama, you seem to look a bit lost.” Ruby comments on Ai’s expression.

“U-, do I? Ahaha~ my heads been spinning a bit lately after I woke up~”

“It’s alright~!”

“Were you guys worried?”

“Heaps!” Ruby answers with utmost honesty “It was so scary to see you vomit blood like that~” she expresses her frightness from the scene she saw.

“Sorry for scaring you all like that~” Ai apologizes. “Hopefully it won’t happen again~”

“Ai, where’s Gojo?” Aqua asks.

“Oh, sensei? He said something urgent came up so he couldn’t come with us.” Ai informs “But what I wonder what that could be…” She monologues in her mind, wondering what Gojo was occupied with.
  
“GLAACKH!!” Blood explodes from Gojo’s mouth, his eyes red, his chest burning as he clenches it with his hand with his other hand on the wall in which he fought to maintain balance.

“Dammit…!! This is getting worse…!!” He said in his mind, noticing his illness have been driving him crazy.

“Good thing it only started now..!”

Despite feeling the immense chain burning in his chest, he was relieved that this only struck him right after Ai had just left home. He had feeling that he won’t last long until another surge would tackle him down. He didn’t want Ai to see his condition.

He had just used the pill Yuki made just for him so that he can recover from his illness. It only got worse by the day, to the point where he is struggling to hide it in front of people. It was already hard enough to hide it front of Ai, and he fears that he won’t be able to do it again.

His hands start shaking, his vision becomes blurry more often as his brain starts to get dizzy. After vomiting out a good portion of blood, he tried to sit down on the chair that was close to him, as the pain still lingered in his chest, making every breath difficult to breathe.

“Rrgh~!” He pinches one eye closed, his head spinning as if its about to shut down. “This is bad…”

The next thing he knows, his consciousness turned off as he fell from the chair.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Mama~ what are you making~?” Ruby’s voice chimed as she entered the kitchen, finding Ai stirring a large pot, her gaze fixed on its contents. Ai turned, her eyes alight with the vibrant spark that had gradually returned to her. She beamed at her daughter with a smile that was as bright as the morning rise.
“I’m making a special chicken soup!” Ai announced cheerfully, her voice lilting with excitement. She paused, leaning closer as if sharing a secret, “But… this is only for Gojo-sensei as a special gift~”
“Oh, I see~” Ruby responded knowingly, not a hint of disappointment in her tone. She knew well how much they all owed Gojo and felt grateful for everything he had done for them.
Curious, Ruby gently squeezed herself into the narrow space in front of Ai by the stove, her eyes never leaving her mother’s face. Ai looked down, raising an eyebrow with an amused smile. “Hm? What’s on your mind?” she asked, stirring the pot with one hand while watching Ruby’s every move.
Instead of answering, Ruby tilted her head up with a grin, then suddenly nestled her face into Ai’s soft, pillowy belly, letting out a playful “Mmppffh!” as she rubbed her cheeks against the warmth of her mother’s stomach.
Ai’s laughter bubbled over, filling the kitchen with a bright, joyful sound. “Yahahaha! Ruby!” she giggled, her free hand instinctively resting on her daughter’s head as she held her close, her heart swelling with affection.
Ruby finally lifted her face, her cheeks flushed from both laughter and warmth, gazing up to find Ai looking down at her with pure, unfiltered love. There was no hint of irritation—just a gentle, serene smile.
“Mama, does your tummy hurt?” Ruby asked softly, her fingers tracing gentle patterns against Ai’s belly, a flicker of concern still lingering in her eyes. She remembered the pill Gojo fed her with he claimed to recover her completely, but just wanted reassurance.
“Nope!” Ai answered, her voice tender, touched by Ruby’s thoughtfulness. She closed the lid on the pot and freed her hands, placing them gently on Ruby’s shoulders before pulling her close once more.
“Mama is all better now, Ruby~” Ai murmured in a delicate, soothing tone. Her hands wrapped around her daughter, encouraging Ruby to nuzzle into her stomach just like before, assuring her it was perfectly fine.
Ruby giggled softly, a rosy blush painting her cheeks as she leaned against her mother’s warmth, feeling her mother’s gentle heartbeat and letting herself be wrapped in that familiar softness.

“Hmm~ this should be Gojo sensei’s house…” Ai said after having to struggle a good minute to find Gojo’s place. She stood before a 4 store house.

She presses the doorbell and waits patiently for a response.

No one responded for the next 10 seconds.

“Hello~! Is anybody home~! Jog- I mean, Gojo sensei~?!”  She slightly yells out in front of the door as she presses the bell for the second time.

This time, she does get a response. The door opens up and her excitement rises as the door finally starts to open, eager to meet him.

But upon seeing who opened the door, it didn’t quite meet her expectations.

“Hey~” Geto greets as he was the one who opened the door.

“U-Oh~” Ai startled, “Hey there~!” She then greets him politely with her vibrancy.

Geto was the one who transported Ai to the hospital from Choi’s basement. She can’t forget his face after the favor he did for her, thus she was also grateful towards him as well.

“How is your healing going~?” He asks her, but knows the answer.

“What happened was, Sensei fed me a pill and it healed my wounds instantly!”

“I knew it…” He mutters in his mind, as he could even tell just by looking at her appearance that the wound isn’t there in her body anymore.

“So I came here to give him a gift~”

“I see…”

“Is Sensei home~?” She asks politely and with eagerness, her tone cute and appealing.

“Unfortunately he isn’t,” Geto informs.

“Oh, is that so~” She says in slight disappointment. “Did he go overseas again?”

“No, but is at Yuki’s place, recovering.”

“Eh?! Recovering~?” Ai was startled to hear that, as she was completely unaware of Gojo’s death granting sickness he is suffering at the moment.

“Oh you still don’t know about it?” Geto was surprised that Gojo was still concealing his condition from other people, despite how severe it has gotten.

“About..?”

“Satoru has been inflicted with a deadly illness and has been suffering from it for quite a while.” He decides to disclose his illness to her.

This revelation hit her like a bullet, with the expression of disbelief clearly painting her eyes.

“No way…” She says, her tone displaying her immense shock “But.. he never told me anything about it..!”

“Of course he didn’t. He hasn’t told anyone about it. Even I figured it out recently.”

“Then…”

“So… does that mean…” Ai mutters in her mind as she starts to realize something “That Gojo sensei was also suffering from the illness when he fed me the medicine?” She says, as she found it hard to believe Gojo was suffering from such a disease compared to the last time she saw her. She couldn’t spot the difference.

“Satoru was hiding his sickness from everyone, and I admit, it was actually quite hard to spot it too. But now it has gone to such a point where he can’t hide it anymore.”

A swell of severe concern and discomfort washed over her, her heart crumbling to hear such a cruel disclosure. But she hadn’t heard what would break her heart the most.

“Also…” Geto chose to let her know of the reality behind the purpose of that pill she was fed by Gojo. “You know about that pill Gojo fed you?”

“...Y~..yes?” she responds, finding it hard to speak as her mind still tried to absorb the cruel reality she was informed with,

“Yuki Tsukumo was the one who made it, and… she made it solely for Gojo~” He further reveals the unconveyed purpose of the pill.

“...Huh?” Her heart sank, a wave of extreme displeasure and guilt ravaging down her spine.

“Satoru’s condition was actually much worse than yours, but he chose to feed it to you because he couldn’t tolerate seeing you suffer the wounds that you got inflicted back in that base.”  Geto continues to convey the hidden truth casually, letting her know what the reality was behind the scenes.

Ai was speechless for a moment, still trying to process the information she is being showered with. A portion of her mind started to blame herself, for Gojo’s sickness and the fact that it would’ve been cured if it weren’t for her exposing her helplessness in front of him which caused him to feed the pill to her.

Her pupils shook, her brows furrowed, her heart began to crumble.

“Hahh.. But at the end of the day… It was his choice. Yuki san and I repeatedly told him to consume it but he chose to meet you that day and he ended up feeding it to you~” Geto sighed, as he also found the end outcome quite aggravating.

“But at the very least you’re alright now~”

With severe guilt, Ai felt like she didn’t deserve to be free from the pain after knowing the cost of it.

“I want to see sensei~...” She says.

“I don’t think that’s a great idea.” Geto advised.

Ai looks up to him from hearing this.

“Why not?”

“Sometimes, Gojo loses control of himself and does things he isn’t aware of. And when he loses control, it's a sight you don’t want to see…”

“...”

“Not only that, but he has been getting very bad heart aches and vomits blood very frequently, so it’s something you probably don’t want to witness at all.”

Leaving Ai speechless and heart broken after revealing this brutal disclosure, she felt completely empty. Even after feeling fresh from her pain, she felt so empty, as if she had accomplished nothing. She doesn’t even feel like acknowledging her recovery anymore after hearing at what cost she was granted this.

“...I see… well, thanks for letting me know~” Ai then turns back, her gaze on the ground as she walks away with a shattered soul. 
  
Ai sat on a chair in the dining room, her elbow leaning on the dining table as her face rested on her palm, staring at nothing but air, her mind circling around with the storm of thoughts inside of her.

Upon hearing the disclosure of Gojo’s crippled state, it has been bothering her mind the entire time, and she couldn’t rest easy until she meets him herself.

It feels terrible inside someone’s heart to be unable to support someone when they are at their weakest, when they themselves had saved you and from your weakest point and was the cause for you to return back to your highest. Especially for Ai, the uneasiness in her heart was immense, given just how much Gojo contributed to her life.

“Mama,” Ruby calls out to her.

She noticed her mother sitting at the table, doing nothing but stare at blank air. She could tell just by her look that she was distressed. She herself feels uncomfortable when she sees her mother in such a distressful state. The moment when her radiant smile that she adores so much disappears from her lips, that's when her uneasiness starts to swell.

She couldn't sit there and let her mother be so frustrated, rather she stood up and tried to do something that would cheer her spirits up.

“You look so sad.” she says in a slightly narrow and low tone. “I have an idea! How about we start making songs again together!” She suggests with enthusiasm, mustering a happy smile with hope that her mother would mirror hers.

Ai slightly turns her head around, her gaze matching Ruby.

She could tell Ai tried her best to muster a smile back, but she couldn't. Instead she patted Ruby’s head, her face still expressing sorrow and depression.

“Sorry Ruby, Mama isn’t feeling energetic today to upload a song. Maybe some other time.” Ai says softly, barely able to muster a faint smile.

“Mmm~” Ruby was slightly upset that Ai rejected her, but that doesn’t mean she gave up on making her mother happy and motivated.

“Ok, then… let's go out for a walk together mama!” Ruby then suggests another thing they could do together which had hopes in relieving Ai’s stress.

“Hm?” Ai was slightly surprised by Ruby’s persistence in trying to engage with her in something.

“Well…”

“Pleaasee mama~!” Ruby pleads, placing both her hands on her lap and leaning her face forward towards her.

“U~” Ai was taken aback by Ruby’s sudden closeness, it's as if she purposely wants to spend some time doing something together.

“It’s a really good day to go for a walk, let’s go.” Ruby’s adorable smile gets wider as her persistence gets stronger.

It’s to the point where Ai couldn’t reject it anymore, not when she sees her beloved daughter requesting her with that heart melting smile and such eagerness, it's something that Ai as a mother could never refuse, no matter how bad her mood is.

Ai musters a smile, conceding to Ruby’s persistence.

“Alright~” she accepts, giving Ruby another head pat.

“Yayy!” Ruby jumps in the air, as she misses the walks she has with her mother.

“Aqua, would you like to come along too?” Ai turns around to Aqua who was on the sofa, engrossed in reading about a book that has every single detail about Subdural Hematoma and about its potential cure.

“I’m a bit busy.” Aqua responds as his eyes are captivated inside the book of medicines.

“You never change, do you~” Ai comments, her smile still there as she leaves her little boy to be while she takes Ruby out for a walk. She doesn't show concern of leaving Aqua alone because Miyako and Ichigo would arrive here at any moment.
  
The streets were as normal as ever. Some stores were busy as groups yelled their cheers of wine, some stores were quiet, overall it was an average afternoon.

Ruby held her mother’s hand as they  strolled at the sidewalk of the street. A shell wide smile planted in her face as she felt relieved that she was able to convince her mother for a walk, just the two of them. She also missed these types of moments where it was just the two of them, her and her precious angelic mother.

Ai also had a smile on her face, though not as bright as Ruby’s, but just the fact of holding her hand as they walked together, just the closeness she is having with her daughter, it made her feel so much better than when she was at home all stressed. It reminded her of just how much she also adored these types of walks with her children.

“HmmHmHmmm” Ruby hums a tune as they walk together, gently and slowly swinging her hand while it is held by her mother.

“Ruby~” Ai calls out to her.

“Yes Mama?” Ruby responds immediately, looking back up at her, her vibrant smile there meeting her mothers.

“Thank you for bringing me here for a walk with you~ it feels refreshing.” She thanks Ruby.

“I know right?!”

They both share a laugh together, filling the atmosphere around them with a warm and chilling bond as their smiles and laughter echoed through the air.

They both had lighthearted conversations as they strolled across the street, talking about Ruby’s future goals, her boyfriend, about their albums and future trip plans and many more, laughing and cracking jokes in between, as it was a simple wholesome loving and bonding moment between a mother and her little daughter.

They had a good and long walk until the sun was about to start setting. As they made their way home, little to their knowledge did they know of an alcohol store that just erupted with violence due to an inner conflict inside of it as they were about to pass through in order to reach their apartment again.

“Hmmhmmhm~” As little Ruby was humming with a sense of pride and accomplishment after such a satisfying walk with her mother, they were walking their way home.

But upon reaching a certain store, the glass barrier broke violently with a man getting thrown outside with wall shattering force.

Luckily Ruby nor Ai were caught by that severe burst as they were right before it as they were about to pass it.

Upon the eruption of the sudden uncalled violence, it petrified their souls as Ruby immediately plunged herself into her mother's waist, wrapping her arms tightly around, with Ai also instinctively shielding and covering her daughter as they both took several steps back. Glass panels were scattered everywhere.

“Grahh!! Fuck you motherfucker, I’m gonna kill you for cheating with my girl!!” A muscular and bulky man stormed out of the store, charging at the man who got violently thrown with an axe.

Ai gasps as she immediately covers Ruby’s eyes, preventing her little soul from seeing such violence that her fragile soul doesn’t deserve to see.

The other man stands up and fights back. It wasn’t until more of each other’s gangs started to gather up, crowding the space and fight each other, turning into an all out brawl that involved groups of men in the middle of the street.

The moment Ai realized that this brutal conflict was only going to increase and grow bigger, she firmly grabbed her daughter's wrist and ran as far away as she could, trying her best to keep herself and her daughter away from any more violence.

They reached a traffic signal that was a fair distance away from the brawl that had erupted.

“Hahh… Hagh…”

Ai pants as she leaned on the pillar. Little did she know that she still wasn’t safe either.

“Mama, watch out!!” Ruby screams as she warns her mother and points behind her.

She skips a beat as she turns around and sees the bulkiest and most muscular guy yet on this street, towering above her as he glared down.

“So you must be Jack’s girlfriend huh?” He smiles wickedly at her.

Ruby goes behind Ai as they both take two steps back, shrugging in fear from his overwhelming presence. Ai sticks a hand back to cover Ruby while still facing the man, ensuring if he were to do any harm to them, she would be the one to receive it instead of her beloved little daughter.

“I~… don’t know what you are talking about~~” She says, her voice trembling and collapsing from fear.

The remaining citizens and public started to flee as the violence in the alcohol store only started to rapidly increase and get bigger, with crowds forming.

“You are stunning~ you got pretty eyes and pretty hair~” The man compliments, reaches and touches Ai’s silky hair.

Ai was too afraid to even fight back or at least prevent him from touching her hair, as she was afraid he might retaliate nastily if she did so, thus she let him fiddle with her hair, though she was disgusted by his touch.

He then moved his fingers and knuckles to Ai’s breast, pressing them, and then going down to her stomach.

“What a nice stunning body…” He says with fascination as he presses her soft body.

She started to have brain erupting moments, A severe PTSD strike, it's as if she is about to go crazy at this very moment and scream her lungs out. The dwarfing hand touching and harassing her body reminded her of that time how Baekho’s dwarfing fist brutally tormented her. The touch of the massive hand was symbolic to what she suffered 7 months ago, as her heart and body was starting to shake rapidly.

“Is the same thing going to happen all over again?” she thought to herself.

“C’mon hot babe, let’s go on a date.” The man freakishly said.

The next thing Ai saw as the man was done fidgeting with her hair was his dwarfing hand slowly coming towards her face, as his palm was about to cover her.

Ai couldn’t contain it any longer.

“KYAAAA!!!!!!!!!!” She screamed her heart out as she saw that nightmarish hand approaching her face. She doesn’t want to be a victim of any kind of brutal torture anymore. She has had enough.

But just as the hand was inches away from Ai’s face, his elbow cracked as it got bent the other way completely, shattering his bone.

“AHHH!!!” He screams in pain and clutches his broken elbow as it is now hanging with no connection to his bones anymore.

He looked around to see who was the cause of this devastating result, and saw none other than a man with red hair and crimson eyes that were redder than blood, standing beside him as he was the one to shatter his elbow before it reached Ai.

“YOU!!!” the man charged, his aura so powerful it even sent a shockwave as he was imbuing his terrifying power into his fist that wasn’t broken.

The moment Ai’s gaze also fell on this man who had stopped his hand from getting any closer to her, her heart also sank bottom deep.

Her soul got reminded of the haunted flashbacks. That hair, those eyes, it was all going back to her. Her skin couldn’t stop trembling.

“No…” She says in herself in utter fearstruck, as she vividly remembers who that person was. Her eyes revisioned that day where this very mysterious man invaded her house on the day of her twin’s birthday, completely ruining their enjoyment as he was the one who transported them to Choi’s base. But there was something that terrified Ai much more regarding this person.

During her time in the hospital. The constant brutal nightmares she had every single night, it always involved this mysterious man. It was always regarding him brutalizing her in her dream, mercilessly slaughtering her beloved kids in front of her eyes. So to think he appeared in reality right before her, she doesn’t even want to imagine the gruesomeness of the potential outcome.

Despite Ai’s entire soul and body being stunlocked with fear, she managed to push Ruby back a bit more along with herself to move a safer distance away from them as those two confront each other.

“RAHHHH!!” The man launched his vein popping fist with every ounce of his power directly towards Tenchu, only for it to be effortlessly stopped by his mere fingertips.

What Ai was witnessing was beyond what she thought a human was capable of doing, as prior to this, she could sense the death granting power imbued in that punch, so much so she thought it could bust through a wall layered with multiple steel.

Both Ruby and Ai’s jaws dropped upon witnessing the inhuman power of this mysterious crimson haired figure as he so casually stopped his fist with the fingertip of his 3 fingers. It felt so unreal that it felt like in real life cinema.

The bulky man was speechless, he had no idea how his fist that had every bit of his might in it, got so easily stopped by a man who didn’t look that muscular. But little did he know that this was probably his last day standing.

Tenchu then connected a one inch punch into his fist. That one inch man had such devastating power, it not only did it shatter the bulky man’s fist’s knuckles into rubbles, but it made his entire arm explode into a bloodmist, all the way till his shoulders, completely annihilating his arm.

The nearby pedestrians seeing this were petrified to their core, as they ran and screamed their lives out.

Ai herself was also terrified by such display of unreal power.

Tenchu only then went on to shin his knee, cracking it once more before finally delivering a critical blow to his vitals, making a hole in his body. He collapsed into the ground, as in no way shape would he ever stand up for the rest of his life.

The entire city block of people ran away. Ai was also about to run away too, but just as she picked up Ruby and attempted to run and not have any business with this ungodly mysterious being, her gaze fell on Tenchu one more time, looking at his piercing crimson eyes.

He then started to walk closer to her. Even though he had saved Ai from that man, that didn’t make things better for her at all. Ai immediately tugs Ruby into an embrace, squeezing her as tight as she can to her soul, so that no one takes her away from her, like the last time he did.

“My my…” he finally spoke. “If it isn’t the idol, Ai Hoshino… and her daughter.” His voice was menacing and had a piercing effect on Ai’s soul. “Why are you afraid? You should be the one thanking me that I saved you.” He says. His expression was calm and collected, not lashing out any hostility towards Ai and Ruby this time, but that didn’t stop Ai from not covering Ruby.

“Just leave us alone!” She shouts at him, her voice shaky as it was crippled with fear and emotion. There was no one else in the city block, besides her, her daughter and the man standing right in front of him.

The city was casted with an orange glow as the sun was setting. Flames surrounding them due to the eruption of violence that had occurred prior.

“I’ll tell you right now, I have no intention to harm you or take you anywhere. You aren’t of any use to me anymore.” He said to her, “So relax your shoulders.”

Ai still didn’t let her guard down yet, cocooning Ruby as tightly as she could.

Ruby could feel her mother’s heartbeat violently beating, her chest and breast shaking with terror.

“Mama~~” Ruby muffles inside Ai’s cocoon, shoving her face even deeper towards her mother’s chest.

“To think that you’d survive through Choi’s basement, you’re a chosen one y’know.” Tenchu remarks as he slowly starts to walk around Ai.

“Why are you here~!?” She asks him. “What do you want from us~!?” Her voice still trembling and shaking

“Hm?” Tenchu momentarily gazes at her, before returning it back straight, “Because I’m looking for a certain someone.” He says.

“Someone…?”

“Yes. And he is someone who you happen to know quite well.”

“U-...” Ai didn’t know what he was talking about, but it wasn’t until he name dropped that person’s name which shook her soul.

“
Gojo Satoru
.”

As soon as his name was mentioned, her skin started to shiver even more.

“G~ Gojo sensei~...?”

She was surprised to think someone like him would have connections with Gojo Satoru, someone so evil, merciless and powerful.

“W-what do you want with sensei?!” She says, a tinge of anger was spotted within her tone.

“Hmph!” Tenchu smiles. “Me and Gojo had some connections before you even met her…” He says, referring to their old life back in the jujutsu world, when he was identified as Kenjaku.

“And I’m pretty sure you’re aware about this by now…” He continues “That Gojo is suffering from a deadly disease…”

“How… do you know about it..?” She asks, finding it strange for this disclosure to reach him as well.

“That’s… something you don’t have to know.”

“Mama~” Ruby mutters softly, brushing her face on Ai’s breast. In response Ai temporarily shifts her gaze down to her beloved daughter and tightens her embrace, ensuring her that she will safe within her mothers warm cocoon.

“Ai.” Tenchu spoke once more. “You’re lucky that you have connections with Gojo Satoru,” he says.

She lifts her gaze up from Ruby, turning her attention towards him once again.

“What do you mean?”

“If you weren’t this close to Gojo~ you’d be dead by now.” He affirms, before asking her a rhetorical question.

“Ai.. do you know why the police aren’t here yet to arrest us~?” He asks.

“Right, why aren’t the police here? They should’ve all been arrested by now!” Ai mutters in her mind, finding the situation extremely frustrating.

“That’s because they know
who we are
.” He exclaims, his voice taking over the entire area like a deity.

Even though it still didn’t make sense for her, she understood this much, that they are a gang that not even the police can overcome, rather even they are feared by them. That’s how much of an overwhelmingly powerful gang they are.

“We are what they call “The unstoppable force” ruled by the king, Ryomen Sukuna.” He further relays to her. “However,” Tenchu goes on to say something that would make Ai speechless. “There is an exception.” He says.

“An exception?” Ai mutters to herself.

“An exception of someone who does have the capability to stop us. Someone who is so strong that he can overwhelm this entire force all by himself, and even rivals our king in terms of power.” Tenchu informs.

“And that… is the only threat we want to get rid of. Guess who that may be?” He gives her an opportunity to guess.

“Someone strong enough to overwhelm this entire group of people? Impossible! No one can do that!” She monologues to herself in her mind, finding the possibility of someone overpowering this entire gang including Tenchu’s abnormal monstrous power to be non-existent. She doesn’t think any person could have such power to perform such a feat.

“
Gojo Satoru
.”

She was speechless for a moment. She always thought that Gojo was strong, but to think he could perform a feat this level was something beyond her imagination.

“Gojo..? you mean, he… is even stronger than him~?” she mutters in her mind, referring to Tenchu as he couldn’t believe such a powergap existed between Gojo and the others. The fact that Gojo hid such immense strength from her as his demeanor was always soft and gentle towards her when treating, it was unbelievable for Ai to imagine Gojo hiding this much strength.

“That is why… killing you back then, might’ve caused us our life.” He said to her, as she now finally understands why they’d not dare to lay a finger on her and her daughter, and that was all because of her connection with Gojo.

“Then… Gojo sensei also has connections with Yuji, so why did you capture him if you know Gojo sensei also protects him too?!” Ai questions, finding it unreasonable for their search for Yuji.

“Good question.” Tenchu remarks. “First of all, this was a command from our ruler, as Yuji apparently has connections and is related to our king, Ryomen Sukuna, and if I tell you just how closely they are connected, you’d not believe me.”

“W-wait~ Yuuji… is related to their ruler~??” Ai mutters, already find it hard to believe such words.

“And secondly, as I mentioned earlier, Gojo’s in a terribly weakened condition, so even if he does charge at us, his assault will be significantly weaker.”

“There’s something.. I don’t understand,” Ai managed to speak up, even surprising Ruby by her bravery.

“Hm?” Tenchu was keen to know what she is unsure off

“With all this happening, just what does someone so little and small like Yuuji have to do with any of this? He is only a little kid~” She spoke, her tone laced with emotions regarding Yuuji, who she also considers as her own son “...yet… he is exposed and involved in so much violence and brutality that someone at his tender age… shouldn’t even come close to seeing such cruel stuff~”

“Ahh~ so is this your motherly nature you developed towards Yuuji as well~?” He asks her “That is certainly cute I must say~” A smile of appreciation forms in his face. To think that his son, Yuuji Itadori, would make such a bonding with someone so beautiful and caring, did indeed made him impress. However, Kenjaku wasn’t as soft-hearted.

“But… sadly, Yuuji doesn’t belong to you.” He says to Ai straightforwardly.

“But… he doesn’t belong to you either!!” Ai retaliates, raising her voice, “You’re just torturing an innocent child!” Her feelings for Yuji increased by the second.

“Well… I’m sorry to break it to you, but…” Tenchu begins to reveal the disgusting truth regarding his relationship with Yuuji. “If the bond you have with Yuuji is that of a mother that isn’t blood related, sadly… your authority over him pales in comparison to his own blood related father…”

“...huh?”

Words couldn’t utter from her mouth. She prayed she heard that wrong. Because, if the implications of what he said to her happened to be the truth, she couldn’t bear the atrocity and the weight regarding this disclosure.

Even Ruby was dumbstruck from this implication.

“Y~....Y~ou~... you gotta~ be kidding me~...?” Ai said, her words stumbling in her mouth.

“So… how about you stop your irrelevant connection with Yuuji and have him deal with his own family issues,” Tenchu said with a firm and piercing tone, declaring his superior authority over Yuuji than her.

At this point, Ai had no power to speak on. “Is this… what a father does to his child..?” She rhetorically asks.

Getting on his nerves this time.

“Is this how a father treats his own son?” She continued to speak, her tone firm and collected, but Ruby started to get even more worried as Ai continued to speak up.

“Mama~... Don't!” Ruby said, trying to tell her mother to stop.

“Yuuji doesn't deserve a father like you at all~!”

“Y'know what… maybe I should just kill you after all…”

Tenchus tone began to erupt in malevolence as his aura started to drastically change.

He took a step closer to them, attempting to slaughter Ai and her daughter once and for all.

It wasn't until a phone call beeped through his pocket.

“Who could this be now?” He took out his phone in a haste and aggravation, finding out that it was Uraume who was calling her.

“Uraume? What could she be wanting right now?!”

He accepts the call.

“Spill it.” He says in palpable annoyance.

“Lord Sukuna is calling you back to the base at this instant.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Yuji escaped.”

His throat caught dry momentarily, unable to utter a words for a few seconds after hearing.

“You gotta be joking…”

“I’m not, he took down all the CP combatants and broke through. We need you at this instant.”

“That’s just impossible though, I fought him when I brang him hear and from that level of power, there is no way he can even graze the higher CP subordinates.”

“Regarding his power…” Uraume speaks, a tone carrying the unpredicted and heavy revelation. “It seems as though Yuji has unlocked…”
  
His fist was drenched with blood. One hand carrying a head he snapped off during his assault, with blood dripping from its neck, making a crimson trail as he menacingly walked towards Sukuna’s palace. His eyes yellow, his forehead and clothes painted red from the crimson fluid of the entire CP subordinates he brutally crumbled.

Upon reaching the gate, instead of opening it, he shatters it violently with a strike which obliterates it into dozens of pieces.

“You annoying piece of little shit…” Sukuna utters as he sees his nephew breaking through his castle, standing right before him with a bloody massacre. “Look at the mess you’ve done! Who’s gonna clean it?! Hugh?!” He scolds.

“I’m a bit busy cleaning an even bigger mess… Sukuna…” Yuji responds back, his voice cold, deep and heavy, boiling with brutality.

He casually throws the head of one of the CP subordinates right at Sukuna with immense force.

Though he dodges it by swiftly tilting his head, that throw created a hole in his castle as it passed right through him, destroying a chunk of the steel brick, emphasizing on Yuji’s unimaginable increase in power.

“I see…” Sukuna narrows his eyes, placing his fingers on his chin as he observes very clearly regarding Yuji’s state. “It seems… you’re the first one… in this word… to unlock Cursed Energy.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The air Yuji exhaled from his mouth was heavy. His eyes yellow, like a raging beast, his gaze piercing through Sukuna.

A ravaging chill of excitement ravished his body as he stood up from his seat, giving his respect to his little nephew who so happened to be the first person to unlock cursed energy.

“Yes.. yes.. Yes!!” Sukuna yells, his getting wider and wider, “This is it Yuuji!!! This is what I wa-!”

“PHOOWW”

Before Sukuna even managed to finish delivering his respect, he was interrupted by a jaw rattling blow right into his chin, sending Sukuna flying back like a rocket, so much so it destroyed the layer of the wall in the castle, sending him outside.

“No one gives a shit…” Yuji responds back, blood slowly starting to form in his eyes, his fury of rage only escalating.

“EXCELLENT!!” Sukuna explodes from the rubble, blood flowing from his lip, his expression nothing but severe ecstasy.

“COME YUUJI!!” He yelled, his fist clenched with excitement, his body shaking with thrill as to what he was about to get into. “LET'S FIGHT TO DEATH!!”

As he was about to dart at Yuji, he had already closed the distance before he even began his assault, demonstrating Yuji’s newfund godlike speed once he obtained Cursed Energy.

“He’s fas-”

“PHAWW!!”

Sukuna was connected with yet another devastating, bone cracking left hand by Yuji, followed by a barrage of his fist mercilessly bashing through Sukuna’s body.

“GLAKH!”

His bones cracked, each fist he felt from Yuji colliding with his body was harder than a bullet train hitting you at full speed.

“BHOOM!”

Yuji’s fist erupts inside Sukuna’s stomach with an uppercut, his back popping out, his body lifted from the ground due to the godly force, even from a 6 year old child, his eyes losing its luster as a good pile of blood explodes from his mouth.

Yuji was merciless. He did not even think about giving Sukuna a second chance. All that was circling in Yuji’s mind was bloodlust, violence and killing intent.

He follows this up with another uppercut into his nose after his initial one to his midsection, lifting him up high in mid air, before popping up behind him and kicking him like a soccer ball through the woods.

‘PAAWMM!!”

The trees burst as a huge crater explodes from the woods due to the force Sukuna crashed into it.

Yuji took slow steps. Each step spoke of the closeness of Sukuna’s end. His eyes painted with bloodlust, his breath venomous, his fist glued with blood.

“GAHAHAHA!” Sukuna bursts out of the rubble of wood, his nose and mouth streaming blood from the destructive blows he received from Yuji.

“THIS IS IT YUUJI!!! GIVE ME MOREE!!” He yells, his soul pumping with a surge of adrenaline.

Despite Sukuna's burst of thrill regarding entering this fight, Yuji’s aura remained quiet, but erupting with malevolence at the same time.

Sukuna didn't hesitate any moment, tensing his muscles, clenching his fits, before dashing at him explosively.

“Embrace death… Sukuna…” Yuji utters, his voice not that of a kid, but a monster. He was not the least bit intimidated by Sukuna's fierce charge, rather he stood calm, his soul bursting in eagerness to crush the being in front of him

With the slip of his feat, Yuji disappears from Sukuna's sight once more the moment he closes the distance to attempt to strike him.

Yuji appeared behind him, his fist already imbued with cursed energy, all that's left was to collide it with Sukuna.

But due to Sukuna's insane battle experience, he was able to predict Yuji's movement, thus he already maneuvered his body accordingly into a blocking stance.

Even then, despite blocking Yuji's blow, it held so much unbelievable power, that Sukuna broke his forearms as the power and destructiveness of Yuji's fist ravaged and tore through his body, sending his body crashing back.

“Such… power…!!! Incredible!!” He mutters in his mind, gritting his teeth as he gets overwhelmed.

Sukuna manages to stop the momentum of his body getting flown back by hitting his legs at the ground.

But Yuji was relentless. If there was one being where Yuji would show no mercy to, it would be Sukuna.

As soon as Sukuna regained his balance and lifted his gaze up, the only thing he saw was Yuji’s death granting fist inches away from him.

The picture of death was painted in his fist as it approached with unforgiving force.

“POWWW!!”

With Yuji’s fist carving through Sukuna’s face, they crashed and collided with a massive steel, creating a huge crack as Yuji applied more force, further sinking his face into the crack.

This was the opportunity for Yuji to shower Sukuna with as many blows as he can since he is now cornered and stuck.

It was blow after blow. Crack and crack. Blood after blood.

It wasn’t until the wall gave up on enduring the merciless barrage of Yuji’s fist, as it shattered in a huge crack.

Sukuna was floating on the rubbles, his gaze getting blurrier after the amount of blows he took from Yuji.

The only thing his eyes were forced to see was the fierce figure of his 6 year old nephew glaring down at him.

“So this… is how much Cursed Energy amplified your physical capabilities… haha!” Sukuna chuckles, despite the severe pain he was in, he still smirked. “Fascinating…”

“Any last words?” Yuji spoke, his gaze piercing.

“Tch~ you really think you’re gonna kill me brat~?”

“You are powerless in front of me, accept you..r.. Fa~...”

With Yuji’s words ending up mumbling in the air, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes slowly closing.

“Phew~ that was close~” Sukuna said, wiping off the blood and sweat from his forehead. Yuji was injected at his carf with a drug that forces someone to knock unconscious, thanks to Uraume’s support.

“Lord Sukuna!” She shouts as she brings the medical treatment crew. “You’re badly hurt!” She kneels beside him and pulls out the bandages.

“Yeah… if he wasn’t injected any sooner… I could’ve really died…”

“What do you say? Should we kill him?” Uraume asks regarding Yuji as he treats Sukuna’s wounds

“Hmm…” Sukuna ponders. “Have you called Kenjaku?”

“Yeah he said he is on his way.”

“He’s the only person who unlocked Cursed Energy in this world. He has attained something too valuable for him to be killed, as unfortunate as it may sound.” Sukuna says, shifting his gaze to the unconscious 6 year old.

“Letting him roam in our supervision is far too dangerous now.” Uraume acknowledges, more so warning Sukuna about his decision.

“She’s right…” Sukuna acknowledges in his mind, monologuing on their brief one sided scuffle “If Yuuji retained the Cursed Energy control like he did back in the past, the next hit he was about to land on me, would be guaranteed… a Black Flash. The reason he didn’t hit it earlier cuz his mind was filled with rage and his Cursed Energy control was still rusty, but just before he got injected, his control had vastly increased, and his mind was cool. There is no doubt, that this little brat is a severe threat…”

“Don’t worry… I think I got the hang of this…” Sukuna tells Uraume.

“Wha- what do you mean~?” Uraume asks, looking up at him from his wounds that she was healing.

Sukuna looks down, at his fist, bringing it up before slowly clenching it into a fist.

“It won’t be long…” He pauses, “...Until I also obtain it too…”
  
“Ai~” Aqua peeped the door open very slightly, making that creaking noise. He tilts his head, peeping through the room, and saw his mother, laying down on her bed sideways. She was awake but her eyes were lifeless.

He heard all the details from Ruby regarding what Kenjaku revealed to them. It must’ve been a tremendous shock. But it wasn’t solely because of that, which caused Ai to completely lose it. First it was Gojo’s severely bed ridden state, and back to back she got informed regarding Yuji’s uncalled relation with such ruthless beings. At this point, she is just confused.

“Ai,” Aqua got the courage to open the door and walk inside the room. He knows that no matter what mood her mother is, Ai is Ai. She would never ever offend, show any aggression or reject her children. Aqua knows that all too well. “You haven’t eaten ever since the morning, do you want me to grab you something to eat?”

Despite Aqua being her own son, he acted as if he was her supervisor and guardian, ensuring she gets enough food and nutrition.

“Mmm~” Ai answered in a mumble, her eyes wrinkled, further revealing the weight that was pressing down on her soul after that terrific revelation. “Aqua~” she musters out barely, her voice weak and crippled. Her hair was scattered everywhere in the bed like a violet spread.

“Can you come to mama~?” She says, requesting for Aqua’s closeness.

“U…” Aqua wanted to get something for his mother to eat, but after hearing her request, he couldn’t bring himself to reject her, especially not at the current state she is in.

He assumed she just wanted her son’s company, longing for his touch, which she normally does.

Aqua got up on the bed and crawled closer to his mother. Ai, still laid down weak and unmotivated to do anything, she lifted one arm, signaling Aqua to come straight to her chest, telling him that she just wanted to hug and cocoon him and share her warmth with him as well as feel some of his as well.

At times like this, Ai adores the closeness with her precious kids.

Aqua didn’t hesitate, because he came to know that in conditions like this, his mother loves this the most.

He huddled closer, placing his head close to her chest, as Ai closed her arms around him, pulling Aqua right towards her heart, with her other arm tightening the embrace, before she closed her eyes and brought her lips millimeters away from his forehead.

Aqua felt the warm breath of Ai brushing his forehead and hairbangs. As always, the feeling was nothing but sensational.

“Mmm~” Ai brang Aqua closer, squeezing his little son into her soul, with the burning weight in her head slowly fading away upon the collision of her body towards her precious ‘baby’.

“Ai still treats me like I’m a little baby even though I’m turning 6~” Aqua mutters in his mind as his body is engulfed with her mothers warmth.

“Mhhmmm~~” Ai nuzzled her nose on her son’s forehead, her skin brushing off Aqua’s hairbangs.

Shivers quivering through Aqua’s inside due to the sheer closeness of her beautiful mother’s face towards his, feeling her direct breath in his face as well as the warmth which her breath carried. It was nothing but beyond sensational.

He could tell Ai was slowly drifting to sleep, and all she needed was something she can cuddle with as she relieves the unbearable stress in her mind, and there was no other better option than her beloved kids which she loved more than anyone else.

Aqua remained still, being the comfort source of her mother to relieve her distress, and as a bonus, he gets to absorb her mother’s own boundless warmth.

“This feeling… it can never get boring…” He mutters in his mind.
  
“Gkahckh!” a chunk of blood shoots out from Gojo’s mouth. He was blindfolded, wearing his usual dark blue coat, resting on a bed in a dark atmosphere.

“Tch… this isn’t getting any better~” Yuki responds, her voice dripping with the deepest concern, wiping of Gojo’s mouth and chin with a tissue. “Do you need another ometroza-”

“I’m fine,” Gojo cuts her off. His chest burning, his body weak, as if he barely has control over his own arms and legs. He felt like his brain was carrying the weight of the sun.

“Hahh…” Yuki sighs, her tension only escalating. “I’m gonna go and get you som-”

“I said I’m fine.” Gojo restates.

“No you’re not!” Yuki retaliates firmly. “For the past 5 hours you’ve been coughing blood and shrieking in pain. You need more treatment!”

“No… I’m going to Mexico,” Gojo exclaims, getting ready to stand up.

But that’s when Yuki’s hand smacks Gojo down to the bed.

“Has the sickness also caused you to think like this as well?!?!” Yuki yelled, her voice vibrating across the small room. “Going to Mexico… this is outrageous!!” She states “Let me guess… you’re going to fight Sukuna, huh?”

“Yeah… I need to bring Yuuji back~”

“Even before that,  you need to get your right mindset back!!”

“I think you know this pretty well… my mindset was never good, my options are always the craziest.”

“At this point, you’re setting yourself up for an early death!!”

“Yuki…” Gojo says, his voice low, but carrying a sense of desperation. “I just need… a little more… please”

“A little more what?”

“I need to push myself a bit more, I’m nearly there…”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The morning rose rather quickly, ever since that tragic back to back revelations as well as her horrific encounter with the person whom she feared the most last evening, Ai decided to leave everything at the back of her head and focus on what’s front. At least for now. She realized it isn’t going to get her anywhere the more she worries about it. At this point, she’d rather spend most of her time with her kids, intending to bring out as much joy as possible with them.

“Ruby~!!” Ai’s charismatic motherly voice vibrated across the room, as she attempted to wake up her sleepy daughter. “Wakey wakey~!!  The sun is very Shiny~!” She said, her voice filled with adoration and affection as she knelt down close to her bed, a wide affectionate smile placed on her lips.

It was honestly shocking. For Ai to shift her mood into such a vibrant and pleasing state after how gloomy and down she was last night. It was hard for Aqua to process such a drastic change.

“Mmhhm~” Ruby mumbles, her eyes still closed but signaling the enthusiastic mother that she is awake.

“Mhmhmh~!” Ai chuckles, seeing Ruby’s laziness to wake up, feeling the sense of normality for someone at her tender age to do this, it gives her a sense of tranquility in her heart, as she loves to see the natural instincts of a little kid persisting to wake up. She rubs her head, while leaning close to her.

“Ruuby~!” Ai said, her voice growing in affection and vibrancy “Mama is nearly done making breakfast, if you don’t wake up soon, the food will get cold. Oh and also!” She says as her voice shifts into a more exciting tone “Today… you and mama are going to do something really special~!” She says.

“Mhmm~ Alright~!” Ruby mumbles back a response, her eyes still closed.

Ai stood up and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Ruby temporarily as she goes off to finish preparing the breakfast.

“Aqua~ Can you help mama put the plates on the table~?” Ai asks, her voice tender and gentle. With a tone like that, any request would be irrefusable.

“Sure,” Aqua helped his mother carry the plates and the food to the dining table.

“Ai~ how come you are so…” Aqua spoke, but his voice hesitated.

“Hm? I’m so…” Ai looked to the side where her son was, as she was carrying the tray of scrambled eggs, curious to hear what her little boy had to say.

“...I -I mean… you are so happy and energetic all of a sudden, compared to last night, what happened?” He said, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

“Oh, aah it's nothing~! Haha!” She laughs it off, placing the tray on the table “I can’t be sad forever y’know~ or else, how can you and Ruby even engage with me or have a fun time if I’m all so gloomy and depressed.”

“Whaw… Ai has grown so mature now…” Aqua mutters in his mind, a faint smile instinctively forming as a sense of relieve swells in him to see Ai move on in life, despite the harsh and cruel reality she was informed with.

But of course, he knew that it didn’t mean Ai stopped caring about the people who she lost. Her heart still aches in pain, but she’d managed to lock up that pain inside of her, and bring out the vibrant energy that was dormant in her.

“Oh… and speaking about Ruby…” Ai notices her little daughter still absent in the dining room. “I need to wake up that sleeping beauty right now!” She says with a playful tone, heading over to their bedroom once more.

And once she enters, she finds her innocent little daughter drifted to slumber once more, evident with her little snores.

A sigh of affection escapes her lips, as she found this to be really innocent and dear to her heart to see her little girl falling asleep again after trying to wake her up for the first time. No sign of annoyance or irritation ever swelled her mind, rather she found it awfully cute.

Truth was, Ai loves to deal with such innocent and cute stuff like these with her little children. Thus Ai knelt closer to  sleeping Ruby once more.

“Ruuby~! You can’t sleep all morning like this~” She says, her tone still gentle, as she can never bring herself to bring out a harsh and heavy tone towards her kids, ever at all.

Because of it, Ruby was still soundly sleeping.

“Hmmm…” Ai placed a hand on her chin, furrowing her eyebrows slightly, wondering what could work to wake up her sleepy girl, but what else would pop in her mind besides a very cheeky, motherloving idea to wake up her beloved little daughter.

“Ah! I know~!” Ai exclaims “Hehe~” Letting out a cheeky laugh before leaning her face closer to Ruby’s so much so her breath was now brushing against her forehead and hairbangs. “This would definitely work~!”

And thus, Ai closes the distance of her face to Ruby’s sleeping soul, her lips pressing on her daughter’s cheeks.

“If you’re not going to wake up… then Mama is going to… Mmmmmmpmpchuah!” She delivers a long and affectionate kiss, planting a seed of love to her daughter, and it didn’t stop there.

“MMmmmpchua!! Mmpmmmpchuah! MMmmmpchua!! Mmpmmmpchuah!”

Ai continued her barrage of kisses, or more so, her barrage of love right at her sleeping daughter, her lips pressing onto her cheeks, her forehead and her nose, attempting to wake her daughter up by imbuing her love through her kisses.

What other affectionate and loving way can a parent wake up their child besides this?

“Mm~-” Ruby’s slumber slowly broke as she felt the touch of the moist lips pressing onto her continuously. Ruby moves her head side to side, but Ai persists.

“Mmmmpchua!” She kisses Ruby directly at her nose.

“Aa~” Ruby opens her eyes, getting quite overwhelmed by her mothers love barrage, but at the same time, she desperately doesn't want it to stop. She wouldn’t mind receiving kisses from a mother like Ai all day.

“Ah~ so you’re awake~!” Ai says, temporarily pausing her kisses, a wide loving smile grazing her lips as she looks at her daughter “Buut~! Mama isn’t done yet-!” She said playfully as she continued to shower her daughter with the limitless love that is stored within her through her kisses.

“Mmmmpchua!! Mmpmmmpchuah! MMmmmpchua!! Mmpmmmpchuah!”

“Kyaahaahaha~!!” Ruby laughs and giggles, as she feels the press of her mother’s lips all over face, swiping her head as her mother continues to deliver her relentless smooches of love.

“Mmmmmmmmpmpchuah!” with a one last long smooch directly at Ruby’s nose, Ai finally withdraws herself, ensuring Ruby is now fully awake from the barrage of love she delivered towards her. It was such energetic love that Ruby absorbed, she couldn’t be sleeping after receiving all of that from her mother.

“Hehe~!” Ai giggles with a wide smile, “How’d you like mama’s new strategy of waking you up?!” She asks, satisfied to see her new tactic working.

Ruby sat up, a smile also forming in her face “Mama! I want to be woken up like this every day!!” She said, spreading her arms open, signaling Ai that she wants a hug and a cuddle, in which Ai without any hesitation, closes the distance once more and cuddles Ruby to her heart's content

“Of course~!!” Ai happily accepts while cuddling her beloved.

They both withdraw after a good amount of embrace as Ai leans closer, her expression dripping with excitement.

“Guess what mama’s plan is today?” She said.

“What is it~?!”

“Today… we are going to resume our music album~!!”

Ruby gasps in complete astonishment. “Really Mama?!?!” She said with an uplifted thrill, standing up on the bed instinctively as her body ravaged with excitement, her expression said it all, reaching and gripping her mother’s shoulders. “We are going to sing together again~?!”

Ai’s heart melts as she sees the sheer cuteness of Ruby’s excited expression, her wide and beaming smile upon hearing this, her own smile widens, mirroring the same enthusiasm as her daughter.

“Yup~!!” Ai responds with an eager nod.

“Yeppie!!” She leaps up from the bed.

A chuckle escaped Ai’s mouth as she couldn’t help but laugh with joy and pleasure upon witnessing her daughter’s excitement.

“Mama, do you know what song we're uploading today~?”

“Yup! I have it all sorted. Buut.. first lets have our breakfast so we can gain all the energy we need for our new song okay~?” Ai said, leaning down close to Ruby and giving her headpats.

Ruby’s cheeks blushes red as she feels her mother’s delicate and gentle headpats as well as her closeness whenever she leans close to her with that motherly smile of affection. It's as if there is a radius of warmth and tenderness surrounding Ai.

But before she went back to the kitchen, Ai asked something which sort of confused Ruby.

“Ruby~ does your tummy hurt~?” She asks softly, placing her hands on her shoulders. Ruby could already sense the feeling of tension and concern rising up in her mother’s heart. At this very short moment when she asked this question, Ai's warm smile wasn’t there in her face, as she looked at Ruby with tension.

“Heh? Pain? N-no, of course not! I’m all better mama.” Ruby replied, finding this question to be quite unexpected.

“Are you sure~?” Ai asks softly, leaning closer and kneeling to meet Ruby’s level.

“Of course! Mama, is something wrong~?”

As then a faint smile returns to Ai’s face. But the uneasiness in her heart still hadn’t left. She pulls Ruby back to an embrace once more, squeezing her beloved daughter towards her heart, closing her eyes as she gets engrossed in the feeling of the  innocence and purity of her daughter’s touch.

“I’m glad~” Ai says, barely above a whisper. “If you feel any kind of pain, then please tell mama immediately, okay~?” Ai slowly draws back from the embrace, returning her hands back to Ruby’s shoulders, her face millimeters away from her.

She felt her mother’s warm breath hitting her nose, as she looked at her worryful eyes.

“I don’t want my little angel to suffer any kind of pain at all~” She says before closing the distance of their faces, planting one last long and delightful smooch on Ruby’s nose. A kiss that was imbued with the power of healing any wounds.

“Smmmmchua!” She releases her lips from Ruby’s nose, her smile widening before she stands back up, “Alright~ chop chop! Breakfast is getting cold!” her vibrant aura slowly started to return once again, as she left the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. However, Ruby still stood on the bed confused.

She could tell that her mother’s voice carried severe tension. But for what? She couldn’t begin to realize. But as a mother, she still could not forget that one scene in her heart, that will permanently keep on wounding her heart.

This concern of Ai’s, is only a spark of the true devastating breakdown she will face regarding Ruby, sooner or later.
  
“Okay!” Ai stood firmly, her hands placed on her hips, her smile expressed her thrill and her devotion towards this new song she is about to sing with her little daughter, “This song… is called… the ‘Violet Star’”

“Oo..” That name already struck Ruby’s interest, standing before her beautiful mother as she is instructing her with affection “Mama~ what’s this song about~”

“This song… is about how an idol was trapped in loneliness but she shined brighter than the world,”

“She shined brighter than the world…” Ruby murmurs to herself, before picking up a similarity “Mama, that sounds a lot like you~!”

“Hm?” Ai tilts her head, curious to know what her little daughter is talking about.

“You shine brighter than anyone else! Your charisma is so unmatched no one can even look up to you Mama~!!”

Ai’s heart dropped in the pool of love and adoration as it drowned deep beneath the moment she heard those words from her daughter as to how she views her mother. Her jaw dropped, her cheeks flustered red from the praise, her body instinctively rushed towards Ruby, tucking her in a tight, squeezing motherly hug,

“KYAAA~!!!! MY RUBY IS SOOO ADORABLE~!!!” She screams and nuzzles her nose on Ruby’s face, rubbing her cheeks side to side as she squeezes her tighter towards her chest.

This happens quite often where Ai loses control of herself and does what her body instinctively tells her to do whenever she gets flooded with overwhelming loving feelings. This only happens when it's regarding her beloved twins. Ai is still a young mother, thus she can quite easily get flooded with lots of affection from her kids.

Deep down, Ai is still suffering great regret and sorrow from yesterday, but at this very parent-child bonding moment, that worry seems to be extremely insignificant in her heart right now.

Truth is, she is trying to get a hold of this heavy distress by making herself busy and occupied with the things she loved the most.

Thus creating an album with her daughter was the best option, as it combines her two favorite things to do. Spending time with her kids and also singing and dancing, a good combination, which she hopes to remove the accumulated stress and concern in her mind.
  
After all the hugging, rubbing, nuzzling and cuddling, releasing all her affectionate out, Ai finally got a hold of herself and started to teach Ruby the lyrics, the momentum of their tune and the flow as well.

It was a heartwarming scene where the mother sings with her exceptional voice as an example for her cute daughter to imitate and follow as an example, as if Ai was the main source of guide for her daughter to follow.

And when she’d trip and mistake the flow or the lyrics, Ai would let off a gentle chuckle, her beaming motherly smile always present as she gently corrects Ruby by either telling her the mistake or repeating that line by singing it once more.

The room would glow up with overwhelming radiance as Ai’s voice echoes through the atmosphere whenever she sings for Ruby.

Surprisingly, Ruby’s adaptation was faster than what she had expected, as it took only a few errors before Ruby met her mother’s expectation.

“Waaw!! You did it Ruby!!” Ai praises with fascination, clapping her hands with pure astonishment from the growth of her daughter. “You’re all ready for the real thing~!!”

Ruby blushes from her mother’s compliment as well as a sense of pride as well. Even she could recognize her astounding growth in singing.
 
“Aqua~!” Ai turns around to her little boy who was spectating their song “What do you think~?!”

“You two synchronize pretty well, I think it's time to upload the real thing,” Aqua lays his remark.

“Aallright~!!” Ai stands back up with excitement, “Are you ready Ruby~?!”

“Born ready!!” Ruby exclaims.
  
Their practice for the real one was gradually getting better, but once they actually started to record their real performance, it was as if those two were born to do this. It was nothing like their rehearsals at all.

The difference in performance between the practice and the real one was so vast, it almost felt like Ruby was purposely hiding her true talent.

Ai’s voice held the melody and the rhythmic tune of the song, whereas Ruby’s voice held the sweetness and the overloaded cuteness. The mother would lead and her daughter would follow up, their voices synchronizing like a blossom. It was beyond perfection.

“KYAAAA!! MY RUBY IS SUCH AN ADORABLE ANGEL~!!!” Ai screams out once again, losing her control after they finished recording their final attempt, hugging and cocooning Ruby with a hug,

Ruby felt the squeeze quite tight, knowing that her clumsy and playful mother takes out her uncontrollable affection that is stored in her heart with these close moments, but she loves it.

“MMmmmmmmmpchuah!!” Ai delivers a long smooch on her daughter’s forehead, which was imbued with so much motherly affection that even Ruby’s skin started to crawl as she absorbed the sheer amount of love her mother’s kiss held.

“My Ruby is going to become a better singer than me anytime soon~!!” Ai compliments, placing her shoulder on top of her daughters.

“Heh?! No way! I can never reach mama’s level!!” Ruby denies Ai’s claim, despite acknowledging herself her own singing level, but to reach her mother’s level whom she views as a goddess was something that never crossed her mind.
 
“Of course you can Ruby~” Ai kneels down, her voice swelling with cheerfulness and radiance, her eyes sparkling towards her daughter with reassurance “You’re my daughter after all~ you have my genes!”

“Mm…” Ruby looks down  to the side, getting cheered up by her mother’s motivating words. She is indeed proud to be her daughter, and that her voice was a gift from her mothers side.

“Now then, how bout we make something together for lunch!”

“What should we make today, Mama?”

“Hmm~ any suggestions, Aqua?” Ai turns towards her son, wanting to see what his opinion would be.

“Not really sure, perhaps vegetable soup?”

“That’s boring!!” Ruby interjects, vehemently disagreeing on her brother’s choice.

“Ruby~! It's important to eat healthy, we can’t just eat junk every time.”

“But we had vegetables yesterday!!”

“That isn’t enough!”

“Your taste in food is so bad!! You’re boring Onii Chan!”

Aqua and Ruby began their back and forth as it only got more heated by the second.

“A- ahaha~! Okay okay~! How about we decide on something we all like~” Ai intercepts her twin kids' verbal scuffle with a chuckle, trying to cool them down. “Ruby~ what would you like~?” Ai asks Ruby this time, her tone still soft and gentle.

“Hm… I want… Pizza!!”

“We had pizza a few days ago!”

“Ok and?!”

“Wait wait wait,” Ai stops them once again, not wanting their scuffle elevated more, “What do you say we mix the ideas together?”

“That won’t taste nice, mama,” Ruby responds.

“Well…”

“Ai, what do you want for lunch?” Aqua asks.

“M-me~?” Ai was startled when her opinion was asked.

But that’s when an idea popped in Ruby’s mind. “Oh! I know!” An idea that she very commonly does every time when deciding a meal. Thus she dashes from where she was standing, towards her mother’s direction, leaping her feet from the ground with ecstatic force, with her face directly hitting and sinking inside her mother’s feathersoft stomach.

“Khyah~!” Ai squeals, feeling her stomach getting pressed and plunged deeply by her energetic daughter’s ecstasy. “Whoah~ Rhuby! Wha~t are you- Ahahaha~!!” before she even managed to ask, she erupted in laughter as she felt her soft stomach getting completely nuzzled by her daughter's face as it plunged deeply.

Its not like she minds it. Rather, she cherishes these moments deeply in her heart, and won’t even hesitate to allow her daughter to cuddle and nuzzle on her belly, surrendering her stomach to be a plaything for her. If it makes Ruby happy, it makes Ai happy by default.

“I want to hear what your tummy wants for lunch~ and that will be the final decision!” Ruby withdraws back temporarily, looking up to her mother with a smile which holds no sin or evil. It was all too innocent.

Ai smiles back, her heart melting on the level of her daughter’s attachment towards her abdomen, thus she embraces herself for another round of nuzzling right in her umbilical area.

“Alright~ hear it well and loud~!” Ai says, putting her hands at the back of her hips and leaning her stomach forward, further encouraging Ruby to nuzzle it once more, a tender smile grazing her lips, her eyes narrowing with affection.

“Hehe~!” With a smile of ecstasy from Ruby once she heard her mother’s positivity, she immediately plunged her face to the depths of the soft flesh of her beloved mother’s belly.

“Kghihahaha!” Ai breaks out a temporary burst of laughter as she feels her soft and delicate stomach getting explored by her innocent daughter. She got used to the feeling thus she was able to control her laughter as it cooled down after a few seconds, before only leaving a wide tender smile of affection in her face as her pupils were fixated on Ruby, her hands still resting at the back of her hips.

Ruby shuffled her face here and there, pressing deeper, swirling around as she heard the soft and delicate organs of her mother. With one more final gentle thrust, Ruby withdraws herself from Ai.

“So~ what did it say~?” Ai asks curiously, her playful and engaging tone still overwhelming in her tone as not a hint of irritation or aggravation was in her soul regarding what Ruby did.

“I think it said… it wants to consume some loaded fries with meat!!”

Ai chuckles once more, her heart melting with the suggestion Ruby brought up, as she knows that laying out the opinion of her stomach was only giving Ruby a second decision, and nethertheless, she adored it.

“What do you say~ Aqua?” Ai turns her gaze towards her little boy once more.

“Yeah… whatever, I’ll help either way.”

“Then it settles it!!”
  
“Are you going to stare at them all day?” Kenjaku appears behind the crow girl out of the shadow, who was sitting on a branch of a really tall tree which gave her the view right through Ai’s apartment window.

She was observing and spectating Ai spending her pleasurable time with her kids, making their lunch together. Ai was cutting the potatoes whereas Ruby was passing on the ingredients to her mother, and Aqua was organizing the shelf behind them, looking for ingredients.

“What’s your problem?”

“Nothing really, it's just… I don’t get why a deity like you would be obsessed with such a normal concept of a mother and her two kids. It's nothing but another ordinary life they are living.” Kenjaku spouts, finding the crow girls' interest in Ai to be meaningless. “They’re nothing but regular humans. They eat, sleep, get hurt, get happy together, what’s so special?” He folds his arm and leans his shoulder on the tree as he stands on the branch.

“It may seem like she is an ordinary human, an ordinary mother sharing her love with her kids like any other mother would, but…” The crow girl pauses, “She is different.”

“How so?”

“She went through a lot…” She states “Too much…”

“Hmm… I can see that, but why does it matter?” Kenjaku acknowledges.

“This world is so unfair to her…” She spoke with her voice carrying a tinge of sorrow and remorse “The world gave her so much injustice, when I think about it, it makes my own skin quiver.”

“Injustice huh…”

“Ever since she was a child, she was abused by her mother who was burning with jealousy because of her abnormal beauty she had even as a little girl.” The crow girl began to explain Ai’s journey of hardship “She got abused so much that one day, her mother kicked her out of the house. She was then left with nothing but clothes. No food, no nothing. She wandered around the city, and bumped into a group of bullies who then also beat her as well, accusing her to be from a rich family because of her looks. Even outside of her family, she still got abused. This… is the curse of lookism…”

Kenjaku listened attentively, as despite also not showing that much interest within Ai, he did sense some sort of relevance regarding her existence.

“But on that fateful day…” The crowgirl continued to relate her story “She met the most influential man, Satoru Gojo, who happened to get reincarnated on that same day as well. He was the one who saved Ai from getting further pounded by the group of bullies, and treated her with a snack. That was the first time Ai ever felt what kindness was like. Gojo Satoru introduced her to the feeling of gentleness and helpfulness.”
 
“I always wondered why this girl became so relevant at one point with our plans, and why Sukuna forbade us to kill her, guess she was the first light that Gojo met here. No wonder he treasures her.” Kenjaku remarks.

“It truly is amazing, to see someone so abnormally powerful like Satoru Gojo, to feel someone like Ai who is so much weaker than her, someone even more fragile than a normal human being. Despite the vast contrast within their strength and their ideals, they were able to match so perfectly together.”

“Anyhow, the world continued to pour injustice towards her. Even in her idol career, the curse of lookism afflicted her. Because of it, she was isolated from the rest of the group members, she felt the loneliness of what it's like to stand out the most.” The crow girl continues.

Kenjaku was able to relate this concept of loneliness to someone else as well. He is well aware of how it feels to be the strongest, due to him being friends with the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna who also suffered a form of loneliness due to his might which topples anyone before him.

“However, in the midst of her journey of her idol career, there she met your son… Yuuji Itadori.”

Now this part had all of Kenjaku’s attention as his eagerness rose regarding the explanation of Yuji’s relationship with Ai.

“But before they met, Ai was already informed of him by her kids, as Yuji protected them from bullies at school, thus a positive view already grew in Ai’s heart regarding your son even before they met. And when they did, her heart turned towards him even further. She was quite shattered to find out that Yuji lives alone without anyone else, no parents, no caregiver, no one else. The fact that he works alone and fights for his living all by himself at this tender age was quite a shock to her heart, especially considering the vast contrast with how Ai’s kids live compared to him.”

“Ahh~ let me guess, so that was her starting of her motherly demeanor towards Yuuji?”

“Pretty much~ that was only the starting, and their bond severely increased the next day, where Yuuji Itadori, was the reason for Ai’s survival from an unexpected brutal attack from the same individual who beat her up when she was a little girl.” She mentions the incident regarding Hakensu’s assault.

“That makes sense…” Kenjaku sat down on the bench as well, as he also stared through the window of Ai’s apartment.

As they were conversing they both saw Ai, Ruby and Aqua cracking jokes, laughing and giggling as they were making fries, Ai spinning Aqua around with ecstasy and pulling him towards her chest with a squeezing hug.

“That day… for the first time… Ai experienced what physical pain was like. A fragile and delicate girl like her, was pushed to the doorsteps of death. Never would I have thought someone so innocent and soft soul like her would have to endure such pain. Her abdomen was completely torn and shattered, even electrified from the culprit's gloves when his fist mercilessly drilled through her umbilical area.” As she expresses the sorrow and the pain Ai went through, she watches from a distance the current condition Ai is living, seeing Ruby muffle her face inside her mother’s soft belly, burying her face deep, feeling the softness of mother’s belly, making Ai bursts in laughter feeling her daughter’s face cuddling on her stomach.

Waiting for the fries to be complete in the fryer, Ai placed her hands at the back of her hips, her gentle gaze below at her daughter as she allowed her stomach to be cuddled by Ruby, with a wide motherly smile.

“Yuuji appeared at the perfect time before the culprit was about to deliver the finishing blow. With Satoru Gojo also intercepting and finishing him. Thereafter, Gojo rushed both Ai and Yuuji to the hospital.”

“I think I’ve heard enough…” Kenjaku says, getting quite overloaded with the amount of information the braingirl is dumping him.

“But there is something you might want to know regarding her.”

“That being?”

“Have you ever thought of someone living past death?”

“Living past death? What do you mean?”

“It's where you are still alive when you are supposed to be dead.”

“Can such a thing exist in this world?”

“Yes it can, for whosoever I choose.”

“So you have the ability to do that?”

“Yes, as a deity, I possess this power.”

“Well, what’s the relevance?”

“Ai… is living past death…”

Kenjaku stayed silent, waiting for her to further explain.

“In reality, she is living past her death. In short, she is supposed to be dead.”

“But you kept her alive?”

“Mhm,”

“Was this during the time when she was locked inside Choi’s basement?” Kenjaku assumes, as till this day, it still didn’t make sense to him that she came out alive from the brutal torture of that base.

“Precisely.”

“No wonder,” Kenjaku finally understands the reason “I knew it didn’t feel right for such a weakling like her to survive in that basement of hell.”

“The pain Ai felt far exceeded death. She got her abdomen completely crucified, the exact spot where she received her first wound which nearly pushed her to death. And during her second time, she wasn’t even completely healed. Even Ai herself was quite shocked to be alive after receiving a death blow into her already impaired abdomen. Besides, someone who possesses such a fragile and delicate body, who can ever believe she could make it out alive when it is targeted at her softest spot?”

“Then, why did you choose to save her?”

“Because… I just think that the outcome would be too sad to come to a reality. An idol dying from a merciless blow at the same spot she nearly died previously, leaving her beloved little daughter alone in the hellish basement, on the same day of her birthday. Who is going to protect her daughter, who is there to support her and shield her? If Ai’s life was lost, many other innocent lives would’ve been lost as a collateral effect.” The crow girl explains.

“What did she even do to deserve it? Why does she need to die the most cruel and painful way possible? She is just a mother who happened to give birth at an unusually early age. She just wants to give her love to her kids, what did she do that the world is so unjust to her?” The crowgirls voice raised in sympathy and sorrow.

“Then let me guess… you also twisted fate, and made Ai consume that pill didn’t you? When it was made for Gojo.”

“Hmph, you’re really sharp to catch on to things.” She smirks, complimenting Kenjaku’s sharpness. “However, consuming that red pill didn’t do much for her, in the long run at least.”

Upon saying that, it caught Kenjaku’s attention.

“What do you mean?”

“Its said that consuming this white pill would cure any type of illness, no matter how severe it may be, be it physical or mental. However, there is one thing that it can’t cure,” She pauses “
Death
. If you’re dead, how is the pill even supposed to function inside your body? The pill is strong enough to cure any wound, but unfortunately… it isn’t strong enough to revive someone.”

“So you’re saying…” Kenjaku interjects “That the white pill Gojo gave to Ai was meaningless after all?”

“Well… I wouldn’t exactly word it like that, but… what I can say is, this pill temporarily relieved the severity of her wounds, which makes it seem like she is ‘completely’ recovered, but truth is, that would only last for a limited amount of time, until Ai’s fragile stomach goes back to its repetitive routine of erupting death wrenching pain.”

“You might as well have her dead rather than make her suffer what she had gone through before once more.” Kenjaku lays his own opinion.

The crow girl sighs, knowing that Ai will eventually start to feel the unusual pain in her stomach sooner or later.

“This is really sad… It won’t take long until Yuki Tsukumo would also realize this fact as well, that the white pill didn’t actually fully heal the damage on Ai’s abdomen.”

“This all makes Gojo’s decision to be much more pointless.” Kenjaku comments, finding Gojo’s choice of making Ai eat the pill to be utterly useless if the pill isn’t even going to heal her to her fresh state.

“To be honest… I don’t think the white pill is necessary for Gojo…”

This startled Kenjaku, hoping he heard that wrong.

“...sorry?”

“The effect of the white pill, Gojo doesn’t really need it.”

“Are you serious? Gojo’s state is even more detrimental than Ai’s. Hasn’t he also exceeded death?”

“Yes he has… but… he is different from Ai.”

“As in?”

“Ai is only a fragile girl who is in her early 20s. She has no special physical features compared to a regular human. Her soul is soft. As for Gojo, for some reason, he has some control over his soul. He is extremely strong, both physically and mentally, even if he surpassed the limit of death for the standard of a regular human being, his soul can resist the outcome of death due to his persistence and will. The strength of his soul is on a different level, you can’t compare Ai’s soul to his. He is Non-standard.”

“Hahh…” Kenjaku sighs, finding it quite irritating that Gojo can just bypass things that are meant to be logical. “As always, that freak is always too strong…”

“But…” The crowgirl spoke “Despite all this, Ai suffered an even greater wound.” She informs.

“A greater wound than going past death?”

“Yup. It may not seem like it much to you, but if you were put in her shoes, you would understand.”

“What is it?”

“The physical torment she received was extremely detrimental and all, but however, those wounds don’t last forever, eventually it will heal. But the wound Ai received back in Choi’s basement was permanent. It will forever remain a scar in her soul. Even now her heart aches until she feels like it's about to burst. And that is…” She paused to take another breath, making the atmosphere around them fill with curiousity “Watching her precious daughter suffer torment so brutal that it
also exceeded death
itself as well.” 
 
The crowgirl also confirms the same condition regarding Ruby as well, and how it’s a similar situation to Ai’s.
 
“...seriously?” Kenjaku found that to be quite lame, “It's more hurtful to see someone else suffer than feeling the pain of death yourself? This world is more delusional than I thought.”

“You don't understand because you have no clue what heights their love reached. If you put the entire world and whatever that's in it on one scale, it won't outweigh Ai's love for her kids. It's evident when she used her own saliva in compensation for water to feed Ruby the painkiller instead of consuming it herself.”

She emphasizes the amount of love that Ai carries for her children, just how immeasurable it really is.

“Disgusting,” Kenjaku comments. “Feeding a child with their own saliva.”

“It's not disgusting when it's in a life or death situation, that action Ai did itself held many levels of love in order to do so in the first place.”

The crow girl elaborates.

“She saw her receive blows that realistically wouldn't be possible for her gentle soul to survive after that. Just like her, her beloved daughter’s stomach also got brutalized, but the fact that it was at this tender age of 5, and it being her birthday. The blood which gushed from her mouth due to the force erupting on her soft belly splashed on her mother's face. She was forced to witness this horror in front of her eyes. What her eyes captured that moment will forever remain as an unforgettable scar. You can say her seeing her daughter going through such a brutal catastrophe was more damaging to her than her own physical torment. No matter how happy she may be, deep inside, that horrific image, that petrifying vision still remains deep in her heart.”

“In the Jujutsu world, love so strong and heavy like this never existed.”

“That’s because your world was filled with heartless monsters. In this world, it's more peaceful and quiet. Humans are filled with emotions, love, anger, hatred, sorrow. And you’re trying to create this world just like how it was in your previous life, am I right?”

“Hmhmhm” Kenjaku chuckles.

“I think I know your reason for meeting me.”

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”

“It’s regarding Yuuji Itadori attaining Cursed Energy right?”

“Were you the one who granted him?” Kenjaku suspects.

“Nope, I can assure you that.”

“Then how is it possible for someone so puny like him to attain it.”

“Perhaps… he was pushed to the brink of his limit, at that moment, a surge of emotions erupted inside of him, causing that hidden power inside of him to be unlocked. But that’s just my guess though.”

“So to gain cursed energy, you need to get pushed to your limit, is that right?”

“I’d assume it's something like that.
However
… I feel like there could be another reason why Yuuji Itadori obtained Cursed Energy.”

“Another reason?”

“It could be… that another deity made his decision to grant him that power.”

“So there are more deities like you?”

“Yup, I’m just one out of many.”

“What are they like?”

“Some of them are filled with love and compassion, and some of them are just cold hearted, evil. Their presence lingers around in brutality.”

“Now that’s interesting.”

“So if it wasn’t Yuuji pushing through his limits, it could be that another deity chose him to wield it.”

“Hmm… now this makes me wonder… if Sukuna actually chose not to kill Ai off because he wanted to test whether a non-jujutsu sorcerer like Ai would be a candidate for attaining Cursed Energy…” Kenjaku speculates another idea in his mind “Meh, I’ll probably consult that with Sukuna myself. Either way…”

“I have one last question.” He states. “What happens when someone kills a deity?”
  
Ai carried the tray of golden crispy fries, placing it on the table.

Ruby already started drooling, as she followed her mother while she placed the tray of ecstasy on the table.

“It’s best when it's crispy and warm!” Ai says, ensuring Aqua and Ruby are seated on the dining table first before she sits in between them.

Ruby’s jaw has dropped ever since.

“Now~ all we need… is a sprinkle of salt! Aqua~ Ruby~ would you two mind doing the favors.”

“Of course!”

“Why not,”

They both closed in, inserting their fingers on the jar of salt, before raising it above the tray of tries and meat and sprinkling it on top.

Ai, her smile wide and bright, adores the cooperation of her two little kids.

“Mama, can we eat now~?” Ruby asks, unable to hold on her patience any longer.

“Ahaha~!” Ai laughs, finding it awfully adorable at Ruby’s expression. “Of course, lets all dig in as a family~!”

With the dining room lifting its aura in a spread of vibrance and radiancy of family bonding of a mother and her two little kids, it was merely a lunch just like many, but it held an overwhelming sense of affection and love.

“Aa-!” Ruby screams, nearly burning her tongue as she takes the fry away from her mouth.

“Careful Ruby, it's still very hot~” Ai says before picking some fries up with her own fork, and starts blowing on it gently “Here, mama cooled it down for you~” She says as she takes the fork closer to Ruby’s mouth and feeds it to her daughter.

“Mmm~” Ruby mumbles as she munches on the crispy fries, her cheeks red as her heart was sliding across the skies due to the taste.

“Haha~! You like it a lot, don’t you~ little Rubles!” Ai playfully teases.

“Mama I want more!” Ruby eagerly requests.

How can Ai even think about rejecting the overloading cuteness of the request of her adorable daughter.

“Of course! As many times as you want!” Ai picks more fries from the fork and blows on it before feeding it to Ruby.

Truth is, Ruby could eat by herself, but she just found it so much yummier, and more special as she is feeded by her beloved mother. She thinks that the breath and wind which blows to cool down the fries, sends blessings from heaven when her breath hits it before feeding it to her, making it much tastier and scrumptious. But this could also perhaps just be because of Ruby’s overwhelming obsession with anything regarding Ai.
  
“Ahh… that was good~”  Ai says, relaxed on the sofa, her voice heavy from how much her stomach consumed. She rubbed it slowly.

She intended to have some moments of solitude, wanting a little bit of time alone, just by herself with no distractions from the outside world or her family. Even with all the fun and joy her heart is receiving as she spends her time with her beloved ones, deep inside, her mind just can’t rest easy. Till now, all the fun time cooking and dancing, she was carrying the stress of what happened yesterday at the back of her head, trying to hide it, hoping that the joy she receives with her family and bonding would overcome it and make it disappear.

But the sad reality is, it always keeps on coming back whenever she isn’t occupied. The thoughts of Yuji and Gojo, it ragdolled her mind.

She closed her eyes slowly, breathing audibly, letting her body sink on the softness of the sofa.

Unfortunately, one of the consequences of being a mother is getting interrupted by their kids even on the times they just want to have a little bit of isolation. For a mother like Ai, having two twins who always begs for her attention, it's impossible for Ai to not get occupied by them.

And thus, to that result, Ai felt a weight dropping on her full belly.

“Mama!!” Ruby screams, jumping on the sofa where her mother was, landing her knees directly on her stomach.

“KgyaA-!” A shriek of pain escaped her mouth as the weight of her daughter landing directly on her full stomach did indeed startle her and made her uncomfortable. “Aw!” She mutters, pinching as the sting lasts on her stomach for several seconds.

Ruby realized what she has done, but it was tad bit too late.

“Ruby~” Ai says, her voice quite quivery from the sudden force that dropped on her sensitive midsection, but her tone held not even a single trace of aggravation or anger. Someone like Ai just cannot get angry with her beloved ones when they just yearn for her company and attention. Her little ones just want love which Ai cannot bring herself to ever refuse or reject.

“Please don’t jump on mama’s tummy after eating~” She says, patting Ruby’s head as she smiles at her faintly,

“Sorry~” Ruby says, her gaze dropping down in significant regret of what she did to her mother, but that’s when her body was suddenly pulled towards a soft and warm touch, her chest colliding with her mother. Ai didn’t allow Ruby’s sorrow to elevate any further as to what she did, thus she resorted to giving her comfort.

“It’s alright~” Ai says, her voice soft and tender, her cheeks sliding on her daughter’s forehead. “My baby girl has gotten so big~ it almost feels like I was carrying you inside my stomach yesterday~ hehehe~!” She says, her voice dripping with motherly warmth and tenderness. “You can’t keep on jumping on Mama’s tummy forever, can you~ Ruby~?”

“Mhm~” Ruby mumbles a reply as her face is pressed on her mother’s breast.

“You love clinging onto mama don’t you~? My little rubles~~” Ai continues to press Ruby tightly towards her soul, as she gives Ruby words of love, with a tone sweeter than honey and voice softer than a feather, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Hey Ruby~” Ai speaks once more, a really playful and loving question popping in her mind “I always wondered…” She says, her voice creating anticipation and curiosity. “Does mama love Ruby more~? Or does Ruby love mama more~?”

“Heh-?” Ruby was speechless for a few seconds, never even thinking that a question like this existed, but the more she thought about it, she had one firm answer from her side.

“It’s obvious, Ruby loves mama more!”  She says with confidence, lifting her head up from Ai’s embrace and looking at her with one of the cutest smiles.

“No~” Ai disagrees with Ruby’s answer, her smile just as cute as her daughters “Mama loves Ruby wayyy more~~!!” She says, her voice overflowing with love and playfulness.

“That’s not true~~!!” Ruby disagrees with her mothers answer, placing  her hands on the side of her shoulders and leaning closer.

“Yes it is~!” Ai persists.

The mother and daughter go back and forth playfully and affectionately, until a bell rang from the front door.

“Hm?” Ai pauses her nuzzle and cuddles with her daughter as she turns her face to the direction of the door “Who could that be?” She says.

But that’s when they heard a voice beaming with belongingness and a sense of high spirited beaming energy.

“Aii~!! It's us~!” The voice called out, something which Ai recognized pretty well.

“Could it be…” She says to herself in a whisper, her heart pumping with excitement and eagerness.

She gently releases Ruby from on top of her, putting her towards her side on the sofa. “Mama will be back~” She says to her before heading towards the door.

“Comiiing~~!” She yells out.

As she opens the door with excitement, the only thing she sees is a huge surprise before her eyes.

Her old B Komachi friends had come to pay her a visit after so long, ever since that tragic incident regarding her twins birthday.

“Ai Chan~!!” Takamine yells with unusual happiness and relief, to see her old friend all happy and healthy, after hearing all the catastrophic damage she had received.

“Takamina san~!!”

Both Ai and Takamine instinctively closed the distance to hug each other tightly and firmly.

What also made Takamine even more happy on top of this was the fact that Ai remembered her name, even after such a long time, which made her heart swell with appreciation. It tells her just how much Ai had changed and evolved as a person, from a once dishonest, lying individual who masks her true emotions to now being a much more honest and loving person. Just thinking about her evolution made her eyes watery.

“Aii san~!! How have you been~?!” Ari joins in after they both release from their embrace.

“I’m doing great, just a little bit stressed lately due to some events but… thank you so much for coming!!!” She thanks them wholeheartedly. “Please come in!!” She welcomes them with vibrancy.

Before the B Komachi bond with Ai was non-existent, and now, ever since she revealed to them her biggest secret, that she was a mother this whole time, their bond skyrocketed, as they began to respect Ai’s decision and respect her as a person.

After hearing the brutality Ai endured in that basement along with her daughter, on the day of her kids birthday was indeed a shot to their soul, to think that their precious group member had to suffer such undeserved treatment.

Besides that, Ai’s soul was uplifted tremendously, as their visit gave her a reminder that there are people out there who cares for her and remembers her and cherishes her in their memories. It was a huge hit to her heart. She welcomed them with utmost delightfulness.

“Auntie Takamine~!!” Ruby screams out with joy, leaping off from the sofa as she sees Ai’s friends, the B Komachi members coming to their house.

“My precious Ruuubyyy~!!!” Takamine squeals as her heart melts from the utter cuteness Ruby is letting off as she screams her name and sees her charging towards her with open arms. How can she ever reject such cuteness.

Thus Takamine also ran towards her, with Ruby flunging herself high in the air with Takamine catching her and pulling her towards her chest, spinning around and squeezing her tightly. They both shared giggles and laughs as Takamine cuddled Ai, her precious friend's daughter until her heart was satisfied.

That is also, another overwhelming pleasure Ai feels as she sees just how precious kind her group members bonding are with her beloved kids. It makes her heart swell with pride as a mother as she sees Takamine cuddling Ruby.

“Ai~ we brought you some delights!” Kyun informs her, as she was carrying a box of chocolates and biscuits.

“Woaah!” Ai’s eyes sparkled as bright as the sun the moment her gaze captured those luxurious expensive chocolate, her jaw dropped from fascination. “Is this really for us~?” She sought to clarify, closing the distance between her, her heart beaming.

“Yup!” Kyun nods with reaffirmation “It's all yours and your kids!”

“Aww~!!” Ai wraps her arms around Kyun and pulls her towards her body, squeezing her into an embrace

“Woah~!” Kyun was surprised by Ai’s sudden closeness and touch as she felt her body getting tightly wrapped by her.

“Thank you so muchh!!!” She says as she nuzzles her on her shoulder.

“Ahaha~ no problem Ai, this is the least we can do~” Kyun responds. She was quite flushed as this was her first time ever being hugged and cuddled by Ai.

“We also brought you ice cream as well” Nino adds.

“Ice cream?” Ai pauses her cuddling with Kyun, lifting her head the moment the word ‘ice cream’ entered her ears.

All the B Komachi members laughed at Ai’s still childlike demeanour, and that's what made them adore her even more. Her sheer innocence, the girls just could not reject her at all.

“Heyy~~ Takamine kun, I think you had enough fun with Ruby~ its my turn now!” Ari approaches Takamine who is still cuddling and hugging Ai’s daughter to her heart’s content.

“Heh?! I just had her!” Takamine persists.

“You had her the moment we stepped into the house!” Ari argues back.

“Well I got her first and I get to squish her like a teddy as many times as I want to!”

“That’s not fair! You can’t hog Ai’s kids like this!” But that’s when something clicked into Ari “Oh wait!” She turns around, searching for another small individual, realizing that Ai has twins, thus finally spotting Ai’s little boy Aqua besides his mother she charged towards him.

“Here we go…” Aqua breaths, embracing for impact as he knows what’s coming whenever Ai’s friends meet them two.

“Aqua~!!” Ari slides into the carpet, tugging Aqua into her chest, rubbing her chin on his blonde smooth hair “Ahh~~! Ai~ I can never have enough with your little angels~” She remarks and acknowledges, her cheeks red as she feels the little body she is squeezing close to her chest.

Ai also blushes as she is honored very deeply by Ari’s compliment, as well as the fact of seeing her group friend's obsession regarding her little twins she loves so much does indeed fill her heart with joy and pride.

Ai settled everyone in, ensuring everyone gets a turn to cuddle with her precious kids.

They all sat in the living room.

“So Ai! how’s life?!” Takamine starts the conversation, while having Ruby on her lap.

“Lifes been… quite a struggle lately if I’m being honest.”

“From what I’ve heard from Canan, you must’ve suffered so much~” Ari says, her voice laced with concern. “How is your stomach Ai~?” She inquires, knowing just how badly Ai’s stomach got brutalized.

“It’s… doing quite well, thanks to a certain… medicine I consumed,” Ai responds, placing a hand on her abdomen.

“A medicine?”

“Yeah~ a certain individual was so generous that he fed me a very powerful pill. Because of that, I’m so much relieved. If it weren’t for that, I just can’t imagine myself still being alive right now~” Ai says, her tone slightly carrying a tinge of emotion, as she is forced to bring up the individual who had fed her that pill, and that very same person who is endlessly bothering her after what she had found out yesterday regarding his state.

“I just… I feel so sorry hearing this~” Ari expresses her sincere feelings “Someone so pretty like you Ai… I just don’t know how any soul would have the audacity hurt you so bad~”

“I also heard your daughter got hurt too~” Takamine says, wrapping her arms around Ruby once more as she sat on her lap, pulling her back towards her chest.

“Yeah~ I’m honestly still concerned.” Ai responds honestly.

“That’s just… I just don’t have words to describe the cruelty… having your innocent and cute little daughter receiving such unforgiving treatment, let alone it being her birthday.” Takamine couldn’t get rid of her overwhelming sympathy.

A faint smile appears on Ai’s face, really appreciating her group members' concern.

“Thank you guys so much for caring about me~ it… it means a lot~” Ai says, her smile widening.

“How can we not care about you?” Kyun comments “You are our main star, you are the reason for our success in our career~”

“Y’know, one of the reasons that inspired us to visit you today was when we saw your new music video with Ruby that you uploaded today morning~”

Ai gasps, quite shocked to already find out her video reaching and spreading this fast. “Y-you guys know about it~?”

“Of course we do!!” Nino exclaims. “We were one of the very first viewers as well!!”

“Aii~!! You and your daughter when singing and dancing, Kyaah~~!! Its too cute~!!! I can replay that video all day~!!” Takamine squeals as she can still picture the music video where Ai and Ruby sings and dances together, the lyrics and their cute synchronizing voice and tone still ringing in her ears. She tightens her grip with Ruby even further, squeezing her towards her chest.

“Ai~~ you are the luckiest mother to have such adorable and cute kids!!” Takamine says, with a slight bit of envy, but mostly with joy and appreciation.

“Hehehe~! I can’t deny that one~ my babies are the cutest after all~!” She responds with overwhelming pride.

“Even now… it's still hard for me to grasp that you were actually a mother this whole time, ever since you returned from your first hiatus. You danced and sang on stage while having to look after these little ones. Its honestly… amazing. You must’ve endured a lot by yourself huh?” Mei comments. “Carrying two babies inside your belly at such a young age… It must’ve been tough”

“It was certainly a journey… but… it was more than worth it. Embracing motherhood was probably one of my most unforgettable life changing moments ever~” Ai expresses wholeheartedly “Carrying my tiny babies in my arms after they had just come out from my stomach, it’s definitely a moment I’ll forever cherish~”

“Kyaah~! I wish I could become a mother soon one day~ I want to feel what's it like to be a mother too! I want to take care of a cute baby as well~” Ari says in a quite sadistic tone.

“Ahahaha~!” Ai laughs, hearing Ari’s desperation in wanting to own babies. “You’ll become a mother one day… Ari san~”

“Ai san~ what do you think differentiates between an idol and a mother.” Nino asked.

“Uhm…” That was indeed a heavy question, which Ai had to give a thought in before answering. “Well… I guess the main difference is your priorities and responsibilities. Your fans will be there for you either way, and they will come to support you without you even telling them. But for a mother, it's a much greater responsibility for looking after the child as compared to the fans.”

Nino and all the other girls listened with their full attention as Ai spoke.

“If you don’t happen to show up at a concert which the fans are hoping to see you, that doesn’t mean they would hate you, but… if you don’t show up when your baby is begging for the mother’s touch or her time, that will deeply affect the baby. I’d rather skip my biggest ever upcoming concert in my life where the entire world would see me, if I had found out that my Ruby or Aqua is going through a really bad fever or cold. My heart would constantly incline towards my kids, and it won’t rest easy until I see them better and recovered.”

Some girls were a bit emotional as they heard Ai’s explanation, as it touched their hearts.

“Taking care of my child is much harder than taking care of my fans, but at the same time, seeing the end result of making my child happy is infinitely more heart filling than seeing my fans happy. Even if I don’t show my face to my fans for a few months, its not like I would lose them, I won’t have any concern. But… if a day goes missing where I don’t spend any time with my beloved ones, I feel like something very major is missing in my heart. When I see my fans cheering me on and their happy fans when I dance, I feel really good and all… but…  that feeling gets completely dwarfed when I see the cute smiles of my innocent babies after the hard work I did to make them happy. My heart just melts. So… that’s probably the biggest difference.”

Kyun was sniffing, her eyes watery but she tried her best to not let a tear drop.

“That was… indeed… a detailed answer, Ai~” Nino remarks.

“O- sorry! I probably rambled a bit too long~ Ahaha~!” Ai realized that she talked a bit too long for a simple answer.

“No it’s alright, in fact, hearing it actually gave me an emotional effect in my heart. Thank you Ai~” Nino thanks.

“So! Ai chan~!” Ari speaks up, an intriguing question popping up in her head.

“Yes!” Ai response, energetic and beaming smile on her face.

“What’s the most precious thing that your kids do to you which you adore the most~?” She asks with floating curiosity.

“O-oh~...” That was indeed a hard question for Ai, “Something they do which I adore the most… hmm…” Ai ponders, placing a finger on her chin.

After several seconds of thinking, she finally got an answer.

“Ah! I know!” An answer pops in her mind, creating more curiosity amongst her friends “It’s when Ruby presses and rubs her face on my belly~! For some reason, I just can’t get enough of it~!” She said with confidence and pride.

“That’s also my favorite thing to do as well!” Ruby calls out from Takamine’s lap, matching what she loves to do the most with her mother “I can cuddle Mama’s soft tummy all day!!”

“Aww~!!” “Kyaa~!!”

The girls erupted in utter cuteness from seeing the similarity of Ai and Ruby as well as what they find the most beloved and thing to do.

“Ruby~ what do you want to become when you grow older~?” Takamine asks, cuddling her even tighter.

“I..” Ruby pauses, reassuring her answer “I want to become a famous idol just like mama!!”

“Oh my~!! The cuteness just never ends!! MHmmhphphmh~~!!!”  Takamine shakes as to how adorable the mother and daughter bonding is, nuzzling on Ruby’s shoulders and hair.

“How about you~ Aqua?” Ari asks the little boy.

“I… I’m not sure…” He replies, his voice quite stoic.

“I think my Aqua is perfectly suited to be an excellent actor!!” Ai declares, her voice loud and clear, filled with confidence and pride.

“I agree~!” Mei expresses her agreement on Ai’s opinion. “His scene in Gotanda’s film was sooo amazing~!!”

“Yup!”

Ai and the B Komachi group chatted for hours, catching up with each other, having a wholehearted conversation which filled each other’s hearts with joy and tranquility. They laughed, shared jokes with each other, funny stories and many more. This was perhaps the first time Ai actually enjoyed being with B Komachi as a group. Her laughter and tender smile melted the hearts of the group, as the sheer innocency and cuteness it carried, their affection increased for her, as well as severe remorse, because they realized more and more how much of a gentle heart like Ai and her kids went through.

“Gosh that was a blast!” Ari said, preparing to take their leave.

“Ai-chan~! Thanks so much for having us~” Takamine expresses with wholeheartedness, waving goodbye as she stepped out of the front door

“No problem at all!! Thank you so much for coming~!! I can’t express how much it meant to me~” Ai waves back, standing behind with Aqua and Ruby standing in front of her close to her care. “Please come again~!”

“Bye bye~!!” Ruby waves with both hands, saying her farewell with a voice that radiated with cuteness. Her impression vividly told that she cherished these blissful moments with Ai’s groupmates.

As Ai closes the door, gently after her friends left, she shifted her attention back to her kids, shifting to her mother mood with her usual responsibilities.

“Alright, Aqua~ Ruby~ it’s already late, it’s time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed~!” Ai said tenderly.

“Mama, can you read us a bedtime story~?” Ruby asks, her expression such that the concept of ‘no’ doesn’t exist as an answer.

“Of course! I’ll be on my way~! Iet mama clean the kitchen first~!” Ai accepts with bursting joy and pleasure.

“Yayy~!” Ruby jumps as she attempts to run through the hallway to reach the bathroom.

But at that very moment, the very spark of the uncalled burst of pain, struck Ruby.

“A-” Ruby’s throat was caught dry as she felt a severe jolt of pain drilled past her little belly, as if a knife penetrated through her abdomen.

Feeling this excruciation reminded her of that horrific night. Her skin started to crawl. The nightmare returned to her, something that she hoped she would never ever remember, the time where she felt what the pain of death was like. That time where her little organs for violently crushed when a merciless fist ravaged through her delicate abdomen, it was a pain she can never forget, even if she wanted to.

Her legs instinctively stopped moving the moment her soft belly roared in agony, going from a motion of ecstasy to suddenly collapsing to her knees with unbearable pain.

“Gk-Kgyah!” Ruby squeals, pinching her eyes shut, her mouth wide open as she bears the intolerable agony her little soul is inflicted with.

Luckily, this jolt didn’t last long. It was only for a few seconds, but even that few seconds were tremendous damage to her little soul.

“Hah… hah..”Her breath leaving her mouth started to get heavier, her hands clutched on her stomach, as she still couldn’t grasp what had just struck her.

It was such a vast shift in liveliness, that even Ai was able to catch such a severe drop in enthusiasm. But for Ai, it was more than just that. Her bond with her kids had grown to such a level, that her heart starts to ache and physically pains when any of her babies are experiencing anything difficult.

That’s exactly what happened when that short excruciating jolt tore through her beloved daughter's body.

Even though she was occupied and busy cleaning the kitchen, she felt a severe wave of uneasiness, as if her heart was trembling, and that’s when her motherly instincts told her that something wasn’t right.

She stopped what she was doing, walked a few steps backward and arch her back to peep the hallway.

“Ruby~?” She says, as she spotted her daughter on her knees.

Ruby gasps immediately when her mother takes notice, thus she gets up as fast as she can, but her balance was stumbly, due to the weight of the shock she received from the jolt.

“Y~yes~?” Ruby answers.

“Are you alright~?” Ai starts to approach her, her heart telling her that something was wrong, but Ruby acted naive.

“Yes I’m fine mama~! I just tripped, that’s all~” She stood up and resumed her way to the bathroom.

Ai saw from afar, noticed that her steps were wobbly, and that she was pressing her belly with one arm. It didn’t suit right inside her to see her daughter like this. A wave of unease swelled within her as she saw her little daughter enter the bathroom from afar.

Ai’s brows furrowed, more tension started to surround her. Ever since that day when they evacuated from Choi’s basement, not a single day went past where Ai didn’t have concern for Ruby’s condition regarding her stomach. Not after the brutality she saw from her very own eyes. The blood bursting from her precious angel’s mouth, splattering on her as well as she took those merciless, death granting blows.

That image, that wound… will forever remain in her heart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“There is no cure to death. Every human and soul will have to test death, that… is an undeniable fact.”

The crow girl walked on the empty beach, her footsteps audible on the vast shallow shore. The sun setting, casting an unforgettable picturesque scene with her being the center silhouette.

“The one who lives past death… they will forever remain in excruciating pain… until… it exceeds death once again…”

“The only thing one can do is prevent the pain, but one can never erase it permanently. It is bound to return.”

Days have past, and the sudden jolts increased in frequency. When it hit Ruby’s stomach, it ensured that she was paralyzed on the ground with indescribable pain. She tried her very best to hide it from her mother, as she doesn’t want her mother to grow any more tension.

The revelation of Gojo and Yuji’s situation was already big hit to her. Adding her own condition on top of it, she worries what her mother would feel.

Ruby knows just how critically heartbroken Ai was when she was struck with those unforgiving blows. The severity of those deafening screams of her delicate angelic mother, begging the ruthless man to leave her and stop hitting her, it still vibrates in her ear and heart.

On the third night, she wasn’t able to hide it any longer.

It was a hot and burning night.

They were all sleeping at the huge queen sized bed with Ai being in between the two kids. During the hours of midnight, Ruby’s poor abdomen ruptured, but this time, it was bad.

It was severe, by far the worst one she had so far. 
 
“Kyagh!!” She breaks from her slumber, It was such pain she could not hide a scream, clutching her stomach as she rolled in a ball on the bed, feeling like something is drilling inside her soft organs.

“A- Aaa~!!” It was too much for her to hide at this point, her cries slowly raised in volume, turning into screams.

Within a heartbeat, Ai woke up the moment those screams entered through her ears.

She gasps, sitting up straight immediately, not mistaking from who those screams are from. She looked to her left and saw her beloved little daughter, curled into a ball, clutching her belly as she was screaming.

“Ruby!!” She immediately reached, placing a hand on her arms, looking over her to have a better look “What’s wrong?! Please tell me!” She desperately begs, her voice trembling with concern, as her gaze spots on to her daughter crawling in utter pain.

She doesn’t want to see or witness any of this. She wants her beautiful and innocent kids to be free from any pain and agony, she doesn’t want them to suffer the pain she suffered. After what she had seen what Ruby gone through, she prayed in her heart that she will never see her little angels she love so much to experience such pain again. She doesn’t to see them scream in agony. Yet here is her little daughter, fighting a pain that isn’t tolerable, she could tell just by seeing her enduring it, that her little soul is going through an excruciating experience.

Ai asked what was wrong, but Ruby couldn’t answer. Her world was only enveloped in pain and pain. Aqua also woke up from the noise, hearing Ai’s distressing voice and Ruby’s screams, he leaped up and went to their aid.

“Ruby!!” He jumped out of the bed, coming from the other side towards his little twin sister.

“Ruby~ please talk to me~!”

“AAa~!! Ma.. Aaa-!!! Mamaa~~!!!” She couldn’t utter a proper answer.

Ai gasps, as she witnesses the intensity of Ruby’s cry only increasing, her heart slowly crumbling, her eyes becoming watery upon witnessing the unexpected heartbreaking scene unfolding at this late hours of the night.

“One may wonder… ‘Why didn’t the pain hit Ruby earlier? The time when Ai was going through excruciating jolts that were rupturing on her stomach. Why wasn’t also suffering the same?’ The answer to that is quite simple~”

The crow girl looks up into the sky, as the sun is nearly setted, casting a red-orangish blow on the horizon. The cold breeze brushing her hair in the empty beach

“Both Ruby and Ai were pushed beyond death. If it weren’t for my intervention, they would’ve died against the life taking blows from the ruthless man in that basement that carved through their abdomens…”

“Just like how Ai isn’t feeling the pain in her stomach anymore because of the powerful white pill she consumed, similarly, Ruby consumed something that nulled the severe after effects after surviving beyond death. And now… unfortunately, that effect has now worn off~ thus, Ruby will now have to suffer the same soul tearing pain Ai suffered on her abdomen before Gojo fed Ai the pill.”

“But, what exactly did Ruby consume which nulled her pain for this long? What was that source she consumed that prevented the pain for this long?”

A crow comes from the sky, gently landing on the crow girls’ shoulder. She spreads her arms wide, and turns to the horizon, viewing the final moments of the sunset.

“

It was love

.”

“It was the moment… where she swallowed that unswallowable painkiller through the saliva of her mother while she was unconscious. That painkiller is said to only be able to be digestible when one swallows it with a form of liquid. But at that moment, there was no liquid, no form of water available.”

“But… Ai’s love for Ruby exceeded that situation. Thus she fed the pain killer to Ruby by putting it in her own mouth, to ensure it would be floating in her mouth with enough her saliva for Ruby to digest it, by opening her unconscious daughter’s mouth, and inserting that painkiller along with her saliva as compensation for water.”

“Ai ensured she would be producing enough saliva for the pain killer to smoothly go down her throat,”

“The source wasn’t the painkiller itself that Ruby consumed that prevented the pain from erupting in her abdomen, rather, it was the effect of the saliva that was infused within the painkiller.”

“To do something like that requires an insane amount of love for someone, the desperation for the one whom she love to survive, and to go to this length. The immeasurable amount of love that was imbued in her saliva, it was the cause of the excruciating agony in Ruby’s stomach to cease.”

The crow girl sighs, putting her hands down, as another wave of breeze brushes through her, the sun fully setted with the sky now enveloped in the darkness of the night. The beach remained empty. She further walked into the shore, her feet wet from the shallow water.

“But of course, as I mentioned before,
there is no cure for death
. Ruby was bound to face the consequences eventually. And that time appears to be now, as the love she had swallowed from Ai…  had sadly had worn out~”

“Glhackh!” Small chunks of vomit gushed out of her mouth, still trying to fight the unendurable sensation.

“Ai! Take her to the bathroom!! I’ll get some medicine!” Her little son commands like a doctor.

Ai lifts up Ruby, carrying her in her arms flat as Ruby was still shrieking in pain, pressing her abdomen tight. She rushed to the bathroom.

“Ruby~!! Please~ hang on~~” Ai said, her voice trembling.

“BLAUGHGH~~” A pile of vomit with hints of blood surged out of her mouth.

Ai’s heart started to ache and twist as she saw this, but she stood strong and allowed Ruby to release it all.

“Glhak! Hahh…” After Ruby vomited a good chunk of what was inside of her, the pain slowly started to cease.

Her screaming and yelling started to cease, but she was breathing heavily. Ai reached for a glass of water, giving it to Ruby to clear her mouth.

“Here~ drink some water~” Ai feeds Ruby the glass of water by her own hands.

“Are you alright~?” She asks, putting aside the glass, gently placing her hands on her shoulders

“...

sniff

… …

sniff

…” Ruby didn’t have words in her mouth. She didn’t know what to say. She looked up to Ai, tears filling up her eyes, yet to shed. Her expression broke her mother's heart, as she knows just how much pain Ruby was going through.

Ai knows why she was suffering this. It was not a normal stomach ache, rather its the after effect of the brutal aftermath from that basement of horror.

“Maamaaa~!! Aahhaa~!!” Ruby couldn’t hold her emotions any longer. She no longer had any choice to hide it, rather she begged for her mother’s support to help her. Thus she erupted in tears, colliding herself to her chest as she screamed and cried.

Ai in return covered her with her arms and tightly squeezed her.

“Ruby~~ what happened~?” Ai utters in a quivering voice, her tone shaking with emotions, nuzzling Ruby with her chin.

After eating some pain killer that Aqua got for her, the remainder of the night was passed inside Ai’s cozy cocoon, with Ai hugging and embracing Ruby with as much warmth as she can give.

What occurred just now had shook Ai’s heart to its core. At the moment, she put every single matter aside, and placed her daughter’s recovery over everything else.
    
With the sky casting its golden spread on the horizon, preparing for the sun to set, Ruby’s condition only got worse by the minute.

The whole day, she was laid in bed. Her severe stomach pain wasn’t the only thing she was suffering, but a detrimental fever. Her body temperature was unusually high.

Ai stayed next to the bed the entire day, giving her daughter company and ensuring her care. Her heart was drenched with concern. With the flick of a second, her condition drastically skyrocketed.

About 30 minutes ago, Ruby was screaming her lungs out from a relentless stomach jolt which had torn through her small and soft organs. It was so painful she started rolling and crying ferociously. Ai panicked, with her heart crumbling to pieces everytime she sees one of her precious kids going through such undeserved suffering. All she could do was hug Ruby tightly to her chest and press her lips on her forehead, hoping that it would ease down.

Aqua was frustrated. During his days as a doctor in his previous life, he had dealt with similar types of patients where they have severe type of unanticipated waves of pain on their bodies, in which he was successfully able to manage their healing and recovery. But for some reason, when it came to Ruby, it was not the same. She showed no signs of improvement despite how many medicines Aqua suggested for her, in which Ai bought. None of them were relieving her at all.

And as the evening came, Ai and Aqua remained next to Ruby, with their hopes on the brink of falling.

Ai sat by the bed, engaging with her in conversations, reading stories, singing some songs and many more that she hoped would cheer up Ruby, at the very least, make her smile. That’s all she wanted to see.

As much as Ruby wanted to express her appreciation and happy expression to her mother for supporting her and being by her side the whole time, she just couldn’t. All she could say was “Thank you, mama~”

Ai reached her hand for the ice pack that she had placed on Ruby’s forehead an hour ago.

“Oh my~ the ice is all melted~!” She remarks, lifting the ice pack, noticing that it had turned into liquid with bits of ice still remaining. Her gaze turned back to Ruby whose eyes were still gloomy and puffed from fatigue and pain.

She placed a hand on her forehead.

“Yawuch, It's still so hot~!” She says as she presses her fingers and palm, gently rubbing it. “Ruby~ are you feeling any better~?” Her voice laced with tension, willing to do anything for her.

“Mmm.. I still feel the same~..” Ruby musters a response, words barely coming out of her mouth.

“Do you want something to eat~? You haven’t eaten the whole day~” Ai asks, noticing that her daughter hasn’t eaten anything throughout the day, building another concern in her heart.

“M-m” Ruby gestures a no.

“Eh~? Why not Ruby~? Mama will get you anything you want!” Ai tries to convince, her words holding no trace of false. If Ruby wants to eat a 3 layered chocolate cake or a fried tempura topped with coleslaw, she’d order it immediately and get it for her beloved daughter.

However, Ruby swiped her head sideways once more, reassuring that she doesn’t want to eat anything.

Ai’s brows furrow even more, her heart soaked with tension. At the very least, she wants her daughter to eat something so that she doesn’t starve. But, she didn’t force.

“Alright~” Ai accepts, before getting up from her chair “Mama will get you another ice pack okay~” She says, her tone delicate and gentle, before leaning down forward and planting a delightful smooch on her forehead.

“Smmmchuah~!” She stands back straight and proceeds to the living room.

“Mmm~” Ruby exhales, as she feels the amount of love and affection she was injected with just by that one kiss of her mother, it probably felt better than consuming all the medicine she consumed today. Perhaps Ai’s love is the better source of healing  than the painkillers and ibuprofens. 
   
Yuki slammed the empty cup on the desk after drinking that last cup of alcohol. Her arms and head were leaning on the table, her eyes wrinkled, as if she hadn't slept for a few nights.

“Ugh~...” She was under severe stress, as she simply had no answers. “What the hell should I do now…~?” She says, her voice quivery, her eyes puffed, drunk from sleep deprivation. “That Gojo didn’t listen to me at all…!!” She says to herself in an audible tone, laced with some rage towards him as he always doesn’t listen to her advice and follows his own way. But despite all that, she also has hope for Gojo in his decision and what he is doing.

“Cursed Energy…” Yuki mutters, “Is he really going to unlock it in this world…?” She murmurs.

She sits a bit more straight, her face now resting on both her palms. “But besides Gojo… what’s going to happen with Ai and Ruby…?” She recalls, coming to a realization that medication isn’t enough to cure their wounds. Doubts started to circulate in her minds where those two’s wounds on their abdomen are even permanently healed.

“Are you troubled?” A voice of a clear radiant girl breaks her inner thoughts which was heard behind her

Startling Yuki, she sits up straight, immediately, turning around, lifting her guard up as she did not expect anyone to appear behind her without her not noticing it.

“Who are you?!” Just as Yuki’s gaze met the figure who appeared before her, she was astonished by the sight.

It was an angelic girl, as if her body and existence were made out of light.

“Wh-... what are you~?!” Yuki steps back, the presence of this little girl appearing before her completely ticking her off.

“I’m a deity,” She says, a warm smile on her face, “And I’m here… to inform you of a deep secret.” Despite her smile, her tone held grave seriousness. 
   
Ai visited doctors after doctors, clinics after clinics, hospitals after hospitals, even if it was an hour away. She tried all the options.

At first impression, the nurses and doctors thought that it was a simple situation, but upon further explanation and a thorough investigation, they simply had no answer. The only thing they could do was provide more painkillers and refer to other hospitals who may know of a solution to such a detrimental condition.

“So… Miss Hoshino was it?”

The doctors enter the room with a paperclip board, carrying the results of Ruby’s analysis.

“Yes!” Ai answers immediately, her heart thumping from her chest. Her voice carried hope. Hope that they found a solution for her little daughter’s heartbreaking state.

She sat straight from her chair. Ruby was on the hospital bed right beside her, with several pipes of different types of medicine going inside her body. Ruby’s expression was as usual. No sign of enthusiasm or liveliness. Her world was surrounded in gloom.

“So… Regarding your daughter…” He says as he was skimming through the details, not finding a single good result.

Ai’s full attention was centered at the doctor's words, her heart throbbing with hope. She just wants a solution for her daughter’s misery, she wants to see her little smile and her cheerful voice again.

“...Unfortunately… from the X-ray, blood test, and several other examinations, the organs of your daughter’s abdomen has been severely damaged. Its on the brink of even functioning, and its getting worse. The shape keeps on deforming, thus creating more pain waves in her body. I assume that’s the reason for the sudden screams. It's because her insides keep on deforming, and slowly it's getting corrupt.”

All this information dump shot bullets in Ai’s heart regarding her daughter.

“S~So~... is~ is there… a way for her to be healed~ Doctor~?” Her voice was quivering, her heart unable to carry the weight of what she was informed with.

“Unfortunately, us doctors have tried our best to investigate what the problem is, but it seems as though, there isn’t any… It’s something that’s happening naturally with no comprehensive reason.”

His words fell from Ai’s ears, knowing this is another failed attempt of the many hospitals she tried to find a way to heal Ruby. Her gaze slowly shifted to the floor, before her attention became blank.

“Ms Hoshino,” The doctor calls.

“...Yes..?”

Ai responds, her voice carrying no sign of hope or enthusiasm. It’s as if it had died.

“You said your daughter had gotten really deep punches on her stomach which made her lose lots of blood from her mouth, correct?”

“Y~ yes…” Ai answers, as it was referring to that moment when she and Ruby were stuck and forced to suffer the brutal torment.

“After that, did your daughter show some kind of aftereffect? Like severe abdomen pain, vomiting etc?” He inquires.

“Uhm… not really, not until now…”

“That’s the weird part,” He comments “If this is happening on her organs because of the damage her body received from those crushing blows, then why is it happening now? Why wasn’t it happening right after? That’s what I’m confused about.”

“Doctor… Ruby also isn’t eating much~ sometimes she goes the whole day without eating, and it’s making me worried.” Ai mentions, expressing her concerns.

“I can understand that,” The doctor responds “With her stomach so badly wounded and twisted, she doesn’t feel like consuming anything. Her digestive system is also crushed and barely functioning. So she would feel like puking out whatever she eats.”

“So she can’t eat anything?!” Ai raises her voice, each response she gets, it gets worse for her.

The doctor and Ai conversed a bit more, but sadly, they couldn’t come to a solution.

Neither does the doctor, nor Ai, know that Ruby’s soul had gone past death. Her life had practically ended, but was extended and saved from outside divine powers. They don’t have knowledge of this information, nor does the doctor, nor Ai herself know that the reason Ruby wasn’t suffering earlier was because she consumed a certain something which had temporarily concealed her agony.

And thus, it has now begun to reactivate. There is no medicine for the dead.
  
Aqua spent hours going over books after books regarding medicine, searching online. All his years and experience of being a doctor, yet nothing was helping to at least make his little twin sister feel a little bit better.

He wipes the sweat of his forehead, sighing with distress, as he is now truly concerned as to what could be causing Ruby such unforgiving agony.

Today, Ai didn’t take Ruby anywhere, they stayed home after visiting almost every hospital they could find.

Ai texted Yuki Tsukumo, the person who delivered her twins when she gave birth. However, no reply was ever found.

Truth was, Yuki Tsukumo was the first person that Ai resorted to, but sadly she couldn’t locate her, nor was she even replying her messages. 
 
This morning, she opened her messages, only to see no response once again.

Wait so you’ll be there?!

Yeah! You better bring your kids though,

Deal!

4 Months Ago

Yuki Senpai

Please, I need your help

My Ruby suddenly started to have really painful stomach aches

We tried every medicine but it's not curing her.

5 Days Ago

Yuki Senpai!

Are you There?!

Please answer~

Ruby has been vomiting blood and screaming in pain

We went to the local hospitals but they could not give a proper answer

I need your assistance

3 Days Ago

Please..

I don’t think Ruby can handle this any longer

Please respond. I need you the most right now.

Just now

Ai pressed the send button, hoping her dear friend would respond. As soon as she finished texting Yuki, she heard a deafening scream from Ruby.

“KYHYAAAAA!!!”

That scream tore through the walls, and tore through Ai’s heart the moment it passed through her ears. Her soul drops as she hears her voice breaking with that scream.

“Ruby!!” She rushed to her aid, storming into their bedroom, seeing Ruby clutching her stomach, trails of blood flowing out of her mouth, with burning tears squeezing out of her eyes.

“AAAK-!! YAAA-!!!!” She screamed, as if someone was drilling inside her delicate insides.

“Ai! The painkiller.” Aqua reached at the same moment Ai rushed towards her, handing his mother the painkillers.

She quickly grabbed it, and grabbed a glass of water, softly making Ruby sit straight, her heart bleeding as she was doing all this. Her eyes get watery every time she has to see her daughter suffer such excruciating jolts.

“Ruby~! Here, please eat this!” Ai brought the painkiller closer to her mouth with hands.

Her mouth was already open from all the screaming, giving her the chance to insert the painkiller.

“Don’t worry~ it’ll be alright~” Ai said with a shaky emotional voice as she carefully puts the painkiller into her mouth. Her eyes were watery, at the brink of shedding tears.

Ruby tried to cease her screams as much as possible so that her mother could feed her the medicine.

“Here~ drink some water~” Ai quickly grabs the glass of water after inserting the pill.

She approaches the glass closer to Ruby’s mouth, before feeding her the water too.

Ai slightly pulls the glass away as Ruby drinks half of the water, giving her the chance to swallow it.

But what happened next completely shattered her soul to the core.

“B-!!” Ruby’s cheeks were puffed, as if something was about to burst out.

“Ruby-!! What wro-”

“BLAUGH!!!”

Before she knew it, Ruby blasted a mouthful of blood, splattering it into her clothes and into Ai’s clothes as well, painting it all red. The pill also flew out of her mouth as well.

“AAAAA-!!!!”

This was the loudest Ruby screamed yet from all the jolts she experienced. This time, it was different. Anyone could tell from the intensity of her scream.

Ai’s eyes widened in horror, as to what she was witnessing.

Ruby clutched her stomach, squeezing her eyes closed with tears erupting from her eyes. It was as if someone was ripping her body in half. Her screams were so deafening Ai could hear the cracks in her voice,

“AAAAUGH!!! MAMAA!!!” She screamed, dropping her head on the bed, tears flowing rapidly.

“THIS HURTSS!!! KYAAAA!!!!! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!! MAMA!!! PLEASE HELP!!!!!” Ruby looks up slightly, opening her puffy eyes that are overflowing with tears, as she looks at her mother who was horrified by what just happened. This time, even Ruby begged for her mother to find something to release her from this suffering. This jolt, not even she could bear it any more.

That one desperate look Ruby gave to her mother was all it took for Ai to also erupt and break down as well. She was already on the verge of breaking into sobs, but she fought her hardest to stay strong, so that she can give her own daughter some relief and confidence that she will also get healed.

But upon hearing the severity of her scream, seeing the blood surge out of her mouth and feeling it splash on her body and clothes, just like how it splashed when Ruby gotten the real torment as Baekho’s fist mercilessly drilled through her body, her PTSD returned as that’s how exactly she is feeling right now.

“GHYAAAHAA!!!” Ai erupts in tears as she lifts up Ruby and hugs her so tight to her chest, it's as if she wants to absorb her.

Ai couldn’t control it any longer. Her lingering emotions, she burst it all out into screams and tears, her chest shaking with immeasurable sorrow from seeing her little angel suffering such pain.

She pulled Ruby, placing a hand at the back of her head and pressing it towards her chest as she cried her heart out.

Guttering tears drenched her cheeks as it fell on Ruby’s hair, dripping down to her forehead and reaching all the way to her chin.

They both hugged, screamed and cried.

Besides that time when she saw Ruby getting brutalized in Choi’s basement, she felt utterly hopeless. As a mother unable to relieve her daughter, it’s crumbling her heart. All she can do now is scream, cry and hug her daughter with her life, begging to end this nightmare.

Ai suffered spiritually just as much as Ruby is suffering physically. If her kids are happy, she is happy, if her kids are sad, she is sad as well. If they are feeling pain, Ai feels the same pain as well.

“I’m sorry~” Ai musters in between her relentless sobs, “AAH~!!!” She bursts into cries once again, unable to control her sadness and misery.

Aqua grits his teeth, tears also dropping from his eyes as he sees the heart shattering scene of both his mother and sister crying and screaming in pain.

But what could they do? Both Ai and Aqua had to bear seeing Ruby suffer all this, getting both their souls inevitably crumbled as they saw their precious family member screaming in pain.
  
3 hours after that unpredicted wave of pain, Ruby lost every ounce of energy in her body, as well as her voice from all the screaming and crying, resulting in her eyes to close, her body giving up her consciousness as she slowly drifted to slumber. Tear streaks were still in her eyes from all the crying.

Ai got a cloth and wiped the blood from her injured little daughter's lips and chin. She changed her blood stained clothes and dressed a new one carefully all while she was asleep.

Aqua has never seen Ai this depressed and inflicted with this much sorrow, but he can understand clearly as to why. He knows how much their mother loves and cherishes them, it's no surprise to see her in this expression after witnessing the reaction of his sister's wave of pain.

After Ai cleaned Ruby and placed a new bed sheet, she gently carried her and placed her softly with her head sinking on a pillow. She was still in deep slumber.

Ai saw her daughter in deep sleep, her chest and belly going up and down within each breath she inhales and exhales from her mouth. She knows how exhausted she is from all the pain and screaming that her little body gave up to, thus causing her to fall asleep. She needed energy, in which at the moment she had none.

Tears started to swell in her eyes once again, before it slowly started to drip down her eyes the more she looked at Ruby’s quiet yet painful slumber.

This time, she cried quietly, her tears continued to flow from her eyes, dripping from her chin. Even her eyes were swollen from all the crying, and she still couldn’t stop.

It got to the point that she covered her face with her hands, and sobbed soundly, sitting besides Ruby on the bed.

“Ai~” Her little son approached her, his face also painted with severe grief. He places a hand on her mothers lap who was breaking down in sobs once more.

Ai lifts her face slightly, and looks towards her side, seeing her little son next to her trying to comfort her, feeling his little hands on her lap.

Aqua saw how red her eyes were, as if it was about to come off. He couldn’t describe in words how emotionally damaged Ai is at the moment.

“Aqua~~” She says with a broken voice, her throat dry, stuttering with tears. Ai reshifts her sitting position towards Aqua now, her hands reaching towards her beloved son.

Aqua knew what Ai was about to do and he embraced for it.

Her hands gently reached the back of Aqua’s head and his shoulders, gently pulling him closer, before wrapping him tight towards her, with her cocoon tightening as her tears resumed to flow from her eyes the more she squeezed Aqua.

“Ahh~ a–... hhaa~!” She cried audibly as she hugged him.

Aqua closed his eyes, surrendering his body into Ai’s cocoon, as he allowed himself to be a source to relieve all of his mother’s stress. He could feel her chest shaking as she sobbed when he was firmly embraced, he could hear her heart beats.

He couldn’t express just how deeply wounded Ai is at this moment, even whilst Ruby is sleeping, he knows what she is going through.

They both felt severely helpless, after all the effort they put in. But the truth is, what can they do to cure death?
   
More than 10 minutes had passed. Ai still cocooned Aqua. Her sobs had calmed down, but that doesn’t mean her sadness faded away. Perhaps the only reason it had stopped was due to the comforting touch of her little son.

As for Aqua, this is perhaps the longest he had been embraced by Ai. Usually it's Ruby who always seems to be engulfed in her mother’s hugs, but this time, it was him, and no matter how severe or catastrophic a situation may be, this feeling truly is sensational. The warmth Ai carries within her touch cannot be described.

It wasn’t until the vibration of a notification from her phone which broke her and her son’s tender peaceful moment.

She slightly turned her gaze, whilst still remaining in the position of her hug, glancing at who messaged her.

Her eyes struck at the user. At first she couldn’t believe it, she stared at it for a bit longer, until her eyes fully confirmed to herself who it was.

She slowly released Aqua, and reached her phone, opening it. The first thing that popped up on her screen was her text messages with Yuki, and there she saw, her desperate call finally getting responded

Please..

I don’t think Ruby can handle this any longer

Please respond. I need you the most right now.

3 Hours ago

I’m extremely sorry for the late reply, I’ll be there ASAP.

Just now

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

More than 10 minutes had passed. Ai still cocooned Aqua. Her sobs had calmed down, but that doesn’t mean her sadness faded away. Perhaps the only reason it had stopped was due to the comforting touch of her little son.As for Aqua, this is perhaps the longest he had been embraced by Ai. Usually it's Ruby who always seems to be engulfed in her mother’s hugs, but this time, it was him, and no matter how severe or catastrophic a situation may be, this feeling truly is sensational. The warmth Ai carries within her touch cannot be described.It wasn’t until the vibration of a notification from her phone which broke her and her son’s tender peaceful moment. She slightly turned her gaze, whilst still remaining in the position of her hug, glancing at who messaged her.Her eyes struck at the user. At first she couldn’t believe it, she stared at it for a bit longer, until her eyes fully confirmed to herself who it was.She slowly released Aqua, and reached her phone, opening it. The first thing that popped up on her screen was her text messages with Yuki, and there she saw, her desperate call finally getting responded

Please..

I don’t think Ruby can handle this any longer

Please respond. I need you the most right now.
 
3 Hours ago
 
I’m extremely sorry for the late reply, I’ll be there ASAP.

Just now

A huge swell of relief showered her chest, sighing heavily as finally her one and only remaining hope answered her desperate calls.

I’m extremely sorry for replying so late, I’ll be there ASAP.

Thank you so much.

Just now

Ai messaged back instantly, before closing her phone, and closing her eyes, taking another deep breath as once more, her hope for healing her daughter swells in her heart once again.
  
The doorbell rang within 5 minutes.

Ai gasps notifying her that she had already come to her aid. She hastily proceeds towards the door, not even checking through the small hole as to who it is.

“Yuki senpai~!” She opens the door with haste, upon seeing her old friend arriving at her apartment.

“Ai!!” Yuki calls out, with a voice imbued with overflowing emotion and yearns to see her.

Instinctively, they both opened their arms and hugged each other with their hearts.

Ai closes her eyes as she feels Yuki’s touch, tears once again swelling in her eyes, in sheer relief as her hope to save her precious little daughter increases.

Yuki could already tell just how much Ai is mentally going through. As an experienced doctor, she could tell just by hearing her heartbeats as they embraced each other. The moment she saw the condition of her face, the moment she opened the door, just by looking at those eyes told her meanings how much she was suffering, not from her own physical body, but even worse, someone who she loves more and prioritizes more than her own self, her one and only little daughter, Ruby.

After some time, they both withdraw from the hug, and Yuki once again gets to see Ai’s severe mentally and spiritually damaged expression. Her eyes red, puffed, watery with tears of sorrow and misery, her cheeks, tainted with tear streaks from all the relentless crying, and her overall impression expressed her exhaustion as to the severe amount of pain and sadness she had to bear when witnessing her little daughters unforgiving waves of pain.

“I’m so sorry Ai~!” Yuki apologizes sincerely, her tone also getting emotional the more she sees Ai at this condition “I couldn’t come to you sooner~ I’m so terribly sorry that you had to bear through all this~”

Yuki knows the heartbreaking reality regarding Ai and Ruby’s condition. She knows that both her and her daughter suffered pain beyond death, and that they are only living through the grace of the deities. It's about time she lets her know about this sad truth.

“Thank you~” Ai says in a quivering voice, a tear finally shedding from her eyes after how much it had accumulated.

Ai welcomes Yuki inside and directly guides her towards their bedroom where Ruby was in deep slumber.

“U-... Yukkii?!!” Aqua freezes in his position, a ravaging chill drilling his insides as he once again sees his old colleague back when they used to work at that hospital in the countryside as close friends.

His jaw dropped, leaving him completely speechless. But nonetheless, their first priority was regarding his little twin sister.

Both Ai and Yuki sat down beside the bed. There, Yuki got a better look at Ruby.

“Oh my gosh…” Yuki mutters, seeing Ruby in deep slumber, but that’s not the reason why she said it. From the slightest glance, she could already comprehend the extent of pain Ruby went through in her abdomen. This slumber of hers is only a mere pause for the continuation of her intolerable torment.

She moves her hand swiftly and gently, before landing at her forehead.

“It’s so hot…” She remarks as she feels the temperature on Ruby’s forehead. “This fever… it’s not normal…” She comments “As to be expected, suffering beyond death wouldn’t afflict someone with normal fevers or sickness. This is brutal…” She reaffirms in her mind

“My Ruby has been suffering a lot~” Ai begins to speak, her voice still shaky, as the sadness in her heart continues to overflow “I’ve been putting ice packs on her forehead but nothing is cooling it down~” She informs her. “But what’s worse is… the pain on her belly keeps on getting worse~!”

Yuki narrows her eyes, attentively listening to Ai’s description as well as carefully observing Ruby as well.

“...a few hours ago, she was screaming from the top of her lungs~ She was begging for anything to ease the pain, Aqua and I tried every single medicine we got from the doctors but… nothing was working. She even cried towards me and begged me to do something to help her relief this… but..~”

As Ai was explaining what happened, she herself couldn’t control her overwhelming sadness as her describing that scene forced her to re envision it in her eyes, the scene where Ruby clinged towards her, screaming and crying, begging her to do something when the agony reached at such a point she was grasping for anything to relief her. Thus she began to sob once more, unable to hold back her tears from streaming down once again.

Yuki’s own eyes became watery as she saw Ai breaking down in the middle of telling her the heartbreaking moment of her daughter’s cry. Thus she pulled her towards her and wrapped an arm, firmly embracing her.

“I’m so sorry Ai~” Yuki musters in a whisper, sharing her sympathy.

“Sorry~” A sniffs, rubbing her eyes and her tears “..I.. got carried away…” She apologizes for breaking into tears in front of her while she was in the middle of explaining.

But Yuki found it completely normal.

“No~ please don’t apologize, I feel you sincerely~” She empathizes. Yuki knows just how much Ai loves her children, and seeing them in such a detrimental state, the only thing that would be abnormal is to not see Ai in such a terrible and emotional state.

As Ai regained her composure after that emotional breakdown by having to envision that traumatic and heartbreaking scene, she began to inform Yuki more regarding Ruby’s condition, trying her best not to explode in tears. It certainly wasn’t easy for her.

“After all that screaming, she got exhausted and fell asleep. She’s been constantly vomiting blood, and the more I see it, the more uncomfortable I get… I just… can’t bear it to see her go through this.” Despite Ai trying to maintain herself, she always gets emotional with severe sorrow when talking about this. She spoke, but tears continued to shed.

“Ai, how long ago did Ruby start to feel this unusual pain in her abdomen?” Yuki inquires.

“Like… a few days ago~ probably, about… a week,

sniff.

”

“So it started recently…” Yuki mumbles, placing her fingers on her chin as there was a missing piece on the puzzle, more like, a gap of information she isn’t aware of.

“That’s weird, the crow girl told me that there can be instances where the pain is delayed or prevented. For Ai’s case, it was because she consumed the white pill, which is why she isn’t having any severe reactions on her abdomen so far. But if Ruby didn’t show any signs of pain this whole time and only started now, does it mean that she had also consumed some kind of source that prevents the pain and that it had only worn off now?”

She contemplates deeply, trying to figure out the missing piece of information.

“Tch, this won’t get me anywhere if I keep on thinking to myself, I have to inform this matter to Ai either way, and maybe she can give me an answer.” She concludes to herself lifting her gaze up to Ai, preparing to disclose this hidden information.

“Ai..” She says after taking a deep breath, embracing herself to spout out the cruel truth regarding the two’s condition. “There is something very important that you must know… regarding your… and your daughter’s physical condition.”

“Huh…?” Ai stared at her confusedly,

“To say it in simple words… You and Ruby suffered such torment that exceeded death.”

“...” Ai looked at Yuki cluelessly. And so did Aqua who was sitting next to his mother, hearing what she has to say.

“To make it even simpler, You and Ruby… should be dead by now…” She states explicitly.

“...but…” As Ai was about to ask a question, Yuki already began answering it before she even completed it, as she knows what she is about to ask.

“Yes, you might be wondering why you two are even alive right now, but to make it easy to understand, a deity kept you two alive through her mercy.”

“A deity…?”

“Yes. Why and how? I’m not sure myself.”

“But how did you even manage to come to this conclusion?” Aqua asks, finding it quite unreasonable.

However, as soon as Aqua joined their conversation, Yuki was quite stunned by his intellect, and that straight off the bat recognized that he isn’t an ordinary child. His sharp mind flabbergasted her, in return she was pleased and proud that Ai has such a smart and intelligent child.

“Whaw~ you are quite the genius aren’t ya~” Yuki leans forward, temporarily shifting her mood into a slight playful vibe, pinching Aqua’s cheek.

But she doesn’t waste time to answer the question.

“Good question,” She remarks, folding her arm. “But believe it or not, deities exist, and it informed me directly.” She confidently claims, her words holding nothing but brutal honesty. “Otherwise there is really no other answer we can find. Especially if no medicine humans are capable of making isn’t working on her, what else would be the answer?”

“Ai, do you remember that when you received that blow on your abdomen, were you surprised that you were still alive even while you were enduring the excruciating pain?”

“Uhm…” Ai thinks back to that incident, where her stomach was carved mercilessly by Baekho’s sharp and unforgiving fist, she does indeed recall her shock of still being alive even after receiving a punch which carried enough power to shatter walls, directly at her feathersoft stomach. “Yeah~ I do…” She responds after thoroughly recalling that incident.

“Right, and I’m most certainly sure that Ruby had also felt the same way.”

Ai’s heart sinks once more as she is reminded the pain her innocent little daughter had also suffered.

“But to get to the point,” Yuki shifts to the main topic

“
There is practically no cure or medicine to heal you two completely, no matter how hard we doctors try.
”

She states. Her voice echoed through their bedroom, forcing a deafening silence for a few seconds.

“But… What about the white pill?! I thought it heals any state?” Aqua mentions.

“Yes it does, but the white pill cannot bring back a dead person.”

“But Ai and Ruby aren’t dead?!”

“They aren’t dead, but at the same time, their souls have exceeded death, meaning, whatever that caused them to exceed death, that cause will forever remain in them, until their heart’s stop pumping.”

Both Ai and Aqua stared at Yuki with disbelief, unable to absorb the cruelty and weight of this information. The concept of living past death had never crossed their mind.

“And if you’re wondering why you aren’t suffering or having those severe pain aches on your stomach Ai, it’s because the white pill had only temporarily prevented that cause to inflict on you.” Yuki tells her.

“So you’re saying, after a while, Ai will go back to her old condition, just like what Ruby is suffering now?!” Aqua inquires,

“I had to say it, but unfortunately, that is… the case.” Yuki narrows her eyes in sorrow, “However, I’m trying my very best to find solutions or sources that would prolong that prevention. Not even I can stand you and your cute little daughter suffering such cruelty.”

Ai was left completely speechless, she was barely able to utter a word after Yuki revealed to her about her and Ruby living past death. She had a storm of questions, but at the same time, she just couldn’t comprehend their condition at all.

“I’m sorry I had to inform you all about this, but… it’s best if you guys know.”

“So does it mean my Ruby will forever be in pain?!” Ai finally speaks out, her voice raised with emotion.

But that’s when Yuki places her hands on Ai’s shoulders, not wanting to give Ai the wrong idea.

“No,” She reassures “It’s not like that,”

“Then~!?” Ai says, her heart wavering, as the possibility of her little angel never being able to be healed again drilled through her heart.

“There are ways… trust me… I will not rest easy until I figure something out myself.”

Ai sniffs, trying her best to not shed any more tears.

Yuki withdraws and calms Ai down.

“The white pill is only one of the sources which prevents the effect of pain roaring inside ones body, obviously for a certain period of time. And just like the white pill, there is another source.”

“Another source? What is it?” Ai asks impatiently.

“Severe love.”

Ai blinked twice, staying quiet for a few seconds before responding.

“S~severe love~?!”

“Yes,” She reaffirms “But there has been something which I can’t make it make sense,”

“Hm?”

“If Ruby only started to feel the pain jolts right now, it would mean that before, something was preventing it, like how it is to you right now after you consumed the white pill that Gojo fed you,”

“I was also thinking the same,” Aqua shared his thoughts.

“Mhm…” She acknowledges his thinking, before turning her attention back to Ai.

“Ai, did Ruby happen to consume anything special after she got hurt?” Yuki asks.

“Has she consumed anything special…” she repeats to herself audibly whilst trying her best to recall back to that incident “Not that I know off… she had just been taking strong painkillers ever since then.” Ai informs “And once she had got better, or… at least I thought she did, she had stopped taking them, until now recently.”

“That’s weird, because usually, painkillers are nowhere near close enough to prevent pain from an individual who exceeded death. They start to get immune from the effect. It just simply won’t work. As for the white pill, it requires immense work to craft and make, with ingredients that can be found once in a millennia in the world, making it so powerful that even when someone surpasses death, it at least relieves the person, but unfortunately, it isn’t enough to fully recover it.”

“Well, I don’t remember feeding Ruby anything special, and she has been by my side ever since that day, so I’m not sure what it could’ve been.”

“Maybe not feeding her anything unusual, but, has she received anything in an extraordinary way perhaps??”

“In an extraordinary way…” Ai thinks to herself, trying to remember to the best of her ability before she recalls something unusual she did to Ruby.

“Ah!” Something clicks in her.

“Hm? Did you remember something?”

“Well… I don’t know if this could be the reason but… right after Ruby got really hurt from that brutal guy, I had a remaining painkiller in my pocket, just for an emergency. I didn’t consume it yet just in case something very tragic would happen, and it turned out my decision came true.”

“And then..?” Yuki’s curiosity grew regarding this matter.

“That time, Ruby was unconscious after she got severely hurt, and I was crying a lot too. There was also no water to feed her the medicine. So… what I did was…” Ai paused, a slight hesitancy found in her tone to reveal it “...I… put the painkiller in my mouth, and fed it to her from my mouth… with my saliva being the substitute for water.” She relates.

Yuki was silent for a few seconds, lost in deep thoughts and contemplation, blankly staring at her. Even Aqua had the same expression as her, as he was never informed by this detail.

Ai noticed both of their shocked expressions, and felt like she had to lay this out.

“I- I know this sounds weird~ but… it was nece-”

“THAT’S IT!!” Yuki clings into Ai’s shoulder, her expression suddenly shifting into a much more enlighted and excited impression, as if she finally found the answer she was yearning for.

“Huh-” Ai staggers back from Yuki’s unexpected closeness, quite confused as to why she suddenly got so thrilled by hearing this.

“That’s EXACTLY what the cause was.” She affirms.

“Wha-.. What do you mean~?” Ai was now totally lost on what Yuki was referring to.

“That pill you fed Ruby… through your very own mouth… it wasn’t the effect of the painkiller which prevented Ruby from suffering all these pain strokes until very recently, rather… it was that saliva of yours she consumed when you fed it to her,”

“Huh?! How is that possible?!” Ai sought an explanation.

“See, what was the purpose of going that far into feeding her the medicine through your own mouth? Because there was no source of water available around your reach right?”

“...mhm~” Ai nods slowly,

“And if it weren’t for taking that step to feed her whichever sort of painkiller you had, the attempt of at the very least making Ruby feel the slightest bit better by feeding it, despite your own catastrophic condition you were in at that time, and with no water, you took a step even further and fed it through your own mouth. THAT is a new level of love.” Yuki explains.

Ai stayed quiet, trying to process the information Yuki was dumping her. Though she does acknowledge that her feeding Ruby that pill was through the very bottom of her love for her. But she never expected it would contribute towards her healing this much.

“I don’t think anyone in the world has the courage to do such an action out of pure love and desperation for one’s kid, not even the usual mother would ever do that, even if they feel the sympathy and sorrow for seeing her child this injured, they wouldn’t think of such a possibility. THAT is probably why that action held such significance.”

Yuki further went on to elaborate.

Ai finally began to acknowledge her action, and slowly, a sense of motherly pride began to overflow her heart. Hearing Yuki’s hypothesis made her feel like she really is a mother who truly loves her children, not just from the perspective of an individual who’s opinion could be subjective, but rather an objective view.

But despite all this, the issue still wasn’t solved, and the uneasiness in Ai’s heart still remained.

“So then… how do I manage to do it again~?” She asked, “How am I going to help Ruby again from feeling all that pain~” Her voice hinted at her desperation for an answer and solution.

“You show her the same love you showed back then.” Yuki answers.

“Hm? Same love? But… how do I do that?”

“I’m not sure myself, but… at the very least you can do… is make her happy.” She thinks of ways for Ai in how to draw out that level of love again. “Take her to places she likes, give her what she likes to eat the most, make sure her heart is pumping with ecstasy, because the feeling of joy can also somewhat delete or remove what pain is like, thus the sensation of happiness and jubilation is what Ruby really needs right now.”

“Got it.” Ai absorbed every single word of that information, her mind magnetic in regards to her advice.

“And most importantly…” She mentions one last crucial factor “Don’t let a second past that your love isn’t making her heart quiver from the sheer affection. Not any kind of love can do this, only the love of a mother can replicate something like this. The main purpose of a mother… is to love.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Since the fateful night that had forever left a mark on Ai's heart, Ai she devoted herself entirely to her daughter, Ruby, whose innocence had been tainted by the cruelty of the world. Leaving everything behind and solely dedicated herself into showering Ruby with her love. She wants her to forget about the pain she feels by taking her into field trips, places where she really wants to go. She even got access to places where usually citizens aren’t allowed to even visit, solely because of her privilege as an idol, as well as other outside help from Yuki who also contributed in preparing these eventful places she could visit, solely for the purpose to fill Ruby's soul with tranquility and peace. Ai's eyes searched for any glimpse of happiness in Ruby's eyes that she could cherish and multiply.

On this particular day, Ai had organized an excursion to a secluded mountain top. This was no ordinary spot; it was a sanctuary known to only a chosen few, a place where the serenity of nature reigned supreme. Yuki had revealed the location to Ai, a secret shared with her by Gojo who happens to know about such heavenly places like this.

“Whaaw… mama look at that!!” Ruby points at the sparrows flying in a triangular pattern, as they were riding on the cable car to reach the mountain top.

“Mmm~ it's amazing right~?!” Ai remarks, her eyes astonished from the breathtaking view, as she carries Ruby with her, increasing her closeness with her than ever.

“Just… what is this place..” Aqua mutters in his mind, absolutely baffled by the heavenly greenery of the mountain they were looking down upon as they were climbing up the mountain with the cable car. “Such a place like this exists in this world?!” He couldn’t find words to describe the mesmerizing scenery they were witnessing.

“The green grass, the colorful trees, it’s like a hidden paradise!” Ai comments. “O- looks like we arrived at the top!” She says, noticing the cable car came to a stop, its doors opening for them to exit and enter a new realm of beauty.

“Waa…” Both Ai and Ruby were speechless the moment they stepped foot off the cable car.

“So beautiful…” She musters, her voice and gaze lost with its picturesque beauty. “Look at the flowers~ Ruby!” She says, slightly bending down while still having Ruby wrapped in her arms, taking a closer look at the bright daffodils.

“These Daffodils are soo pretty~!” Ruby remarks, her eyes and mouth wide open with astonishment. “Mama I want one!” She says, her voice echoing through the greenery with cuteness and innocence.

“Here~!” Ai picks a daffodil, before putting in between her ears, “There you go~!” She smiles as she looks at her cute beautiful daughter with a wide cheering motherly smile filled with affection and love. “My little Ruby looks sooo pretty~!!” She comments before pulling her closer into a warm, moist and impactful kiss right at her cheeks, her lips pressing her cheeks, shaking her face slightly as she plants a long smooch.

“Smmmcmcchuah!!”

Ruby blushes, her skin quivering as she absorbs the immeasurable love Ai pours on that kiss.

“Hehe~” Ruby giggles with a cute smile, her cheeks red, her soul taken to the 7th heaven as she feels her beautiful mother's lips on top of this heavenly atmosphere.

Ai replicates Ruby's smile as she sees her enjoying the moment, feeling satisfied seeing her beloved angel’s soul engrossed with the sensation of jubilation and ecstasy.

“Ai, let's go up the stairs,” Aqua suggests who was a bit further ahead of them, finding a wooden staircase going up in a pattern.

“Woah… so we can go even higher?!” Ai says in quite a surprise.

“Mama let's go!” Ruby says with impatience.

“Of course!” Ai nods, agreeing with her two kids vehemently, as she doesn’t want to hold their patience.

Thus the 3 went up the stairs slowly and steadily, cracking silly jokes as they went up. Ai still carried Ruby in her arms, nuzzling her cheeks very often.

“Mama’s being way too nice suddenly. I wonder why…” Ruby murmured in her mind.

Ever since that night, Ruby found it quite strange as to how much closeness Ai is giving her. She knows her mother can be very cuddly at time, but recently, she's always been cuddling, nuzzling and kissing her way too often. Not only that, but during the past few days, Ai took her to places she could not believe even existed. She's always feeding her food she always longed for, the tastiest of the tastiest, just for her. She noticed that she did not spend a single moment doing anything else besides spending time in her company. Her smile never faded whenever she was with her.

Ai was always nice, but to the extent that she is displaying recently was even off for Ruby’s standards. She left everything behind and solely dedicated herself towards her. It's not like Ruby minded. In fact, this was one of her dreams as well, where the world only revolved around her and her favorite idol, Ai. And it so happened to be the case where she is her mother. It just felt too good for her to be true.

Sometimes, not even Ruby herself can handle the amount of love Ai is relentlessly showering her. Her souloften gets overwhelmed by her warmth and closeness.

“And… we’re here~!!” They finally reached the summit of the mountain, and before their eyes was the picture of a heaven floating in the skies.

Each step Ai takes forward, the more their eyes get overwhelmed by the picturesque scenery.

All 3 of their jaws were dropped.

“Kyaa~!! Mama this is too beautiful!!” Ruby squeaks with utter astonishment. “Mama! look at that!!” She points towards a certain thing “It's a floating swing!!”

“Yeah~ I wonder how you get up there~”

“I want to swing over there~!” Ruby declares her want, her voice squeaky, echoing through the mountain top.

It was only the 3 of them.

“Mama, I can see all the clouds! They are beneath us~ and look at that…” Ruby continues to point at things which she never thought she would ever see.

Ai’s smile widened even more with overflowing happiness as she could feel her daughter's ecstasy rising further and further.

As Ruby’s gaze was engrossed with the breathtaking sight that was in front of her, Ai turned her face slowly, shifting her gaze from the mesmerizing view towards her daughter.

She saw the ecstasy painted on her cute little daughter's face. Her eyes widened with jubilation, her jaw dropped with an adorable smile. Seeing Ruby like this sends waves of tranquility in Ai's heart.

And so, as Ruby’s mind was engulfed in the scenario in front of her, Ai took this opportunity to nuzzle on her face once more.

Thus she slowly closes the distance with her face towards her, just as she slowly closes her eyes, so that she can concentrate on pouring as much love as she can. Ruby can feel her mother’s warm purifying breath approaching her, brushing off the side of her face as her nose slowly begins to sink on her chubby cheeks before she slowly moves her head sideways.

Ruby can feel her cheeks getting pressed by something as her eyes and mind were still captivated by the breathtaking view in front of her. She knows all too well what and who it was, and thus, she allowed her mother to nuzzle on her to her heart’s content. And it’s not like she’ll ever reject or persist.

Ai continued to synchronize her soul with her daughter, taking a step even further, as she lifts her head slightly, shifting from nuzzling her nose to then sinking her lips inside Ruby’s cheeks, pressing it firmly, her eyes still closed as she pours the love from the bottom of her soul, her lips only being the bridge that her boundless love would cross through to reach Ruby.

Once Ai slowly sunk her lips onto her, even Ruby was surprised, pinching an eye close, her back and shoulders and little body quivering with the amount of love she is receiving from her mother’s absorbing touch.

“M~-” Ruby squirmed slightly from the overwhelming loving touch of her mother, as she persisted in not letting go, rubbing her lips onto her cheeks, and giving her the smooch of her life.

She took Yuki’s words to heart.

“And most importantly… Don’t let a second past that your love isn’t making her heart quiver from the sheer affection. Not any kind of love can do this, only the love of a mother can replicate something like this. The main purpose of a mother… is to love.”

And thus she continued to cuddle Ruby, showering her with a barrage of relentless smooches.

“Ha… Ahaha~ M~a Mm~ Mamaa~~!!” Ruby squealed out in a low yet cute voice, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer affection and love her mother was pouring onto her with her kiss and touch. Despite how much Ruby loves receiving her mother’s love, even this was too much for her capacity.

It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she delivered her final kiss before releasing her lips in a loud “..MMMMPCHUAH!!”

It left Ruby’s cheeks pinkish red from all the nuzzling and excessive kissing from her Ai.

Ruby then finally turns her gaze towards her mother, shifting from the picturesque scene, and sees her mother carrying a smile which carries a lot of sadness in it, but she doesn't know why. Her eyes were quite narrowed, as her emotions were lashing towards her.

But despite the sadness that was inside her heart, Ruby couldn’t help, but feel goosebumps, a shiver ravaging through her skin, not because of how much closeness she is having with Ai, but rather, just how dazzling and breathtaking her mother’s beauty is at this very moment while she was staring at her.

To Ruby, her mother was even more beautiful than the heavenly sight in front of her. Her soul attaching sparkling eyes gazing right at Ruby’s own eyes, her heart melting faint smile, carrying the weight of the sadness and pain regarding her daughter, along with her breathtaking long silky violet hair which mingled and played as the breeze brushed through them.

“Mama… is an angel…” Ruby said to herself in a whisper, completely mesmerized by her mother’s unmatchable beauty, as she was carried by her. To think that she had just got a barrage of kisses by someone so beautiful like her, it makes her even more flushed. She feels like is the luckiest daughter ever to have a mother like Ai.

Within the very tender moment of the mother and daughter staring at each other on the peak of the mountain top with utmost affection and flowing sadness, Ruby broke the silence.

“Mama~” She said, her voice gentle and tender as the wind carried the sound and spread it amongst the atmosphere, “You’re so beautiful~~” She said, as her smile widened.

“M-” Ai widens her eyes slightly, displaying an unexpected expression regarding her daughter’s comment, but it didn’t take long for that sadness to be temporarily relieved from her heart as she heard her daughter’s lovely comment, sending a wave of tranquility in her soul. Her smile widened, mirroring Ruby’s.

“Thank you~ Ruby~!" She says.

Ruby didn’t have enough yet, thus leaning her face slightly forward, hinting to Ai what she wants to get from her.

A slight giggle escapes from Ai, her smile widening as she knows what it means when Ruby leans her face forward towards her, and thus she gives it to her wholeheartedly, with the concept of rejection not existing within their souls.

Ai leans forward as well, and thus pressing her lips on Ruby’s nose, planting a long lasting kiss on it.

As they both slowly pull back after that, they look at each other and laugh, with the atmosphere echoing in their wholehearted mother and daughter bonding laughter. 
 
“Mama~” Ruby calls out to her in a soft and cute voice, her tone carrying limitless affection

“Yes~?” Ai responds, her voice mirroring the same amount of affection.

“I want to swing on that~” She says, pointing at a distance towards the greenery meadow on the mountain on a certain tree where laid a swing hanging on its branches.

Ai turned her gaze towards where Ruby was pointing, and saw a perfect place to spend more peaceful and quiet time as well as give her kids a good push on the swings. She turns back.

“Sure, why not!” 
  
“Weee~~!!!” Ruby’s adorable vibrant voice radiated through the green flowery meadow, with her joy descending to the seventh heaven as she swung high up in the air, with none other than her angelic beautiful mother pushing her with love, caution, and passion so that she can feel the utmost satisfaction and joy anyone can get with a swing.

“Mama~!! Look how high I’m going~!!” Ruby screams with jubilation, as she reaches the peak of how high she is swinging, with the momentum stopping before she drops back to the opposite direction.

“Wow~! you’re going very high~!! Ruby~!” Ai says with vibrancy, as she steps aside, with her no longer needing to push Ruby anymore due to how high she is swinging.

“YAhahaa~!!” Ruby yells and laughs in ecstasy, her smile wide, absorbing the air as it clashes with her when she swings back up, her blonde hair mingling all over the wind.

Ai smiles with immense tranquility, seeing her daughter’s ecstasy, her smile, her adorable laughter, it gave her chills to see her innocent little daughter enjoying herself this much.

Despite seeing Ruby engrossed in the world of joy, she felt like someone else is also meant to be in the world she is in, feeling the same ecstasy she is feeling.

“Aqua~ do you want to swing to~?” Ai shifts her attention to her little who was standing right beside her, watching his twin sister receiving all the fun.

It didn’t suit right to her that she gives all her focus towards Ruby and disregards Aqua whom she equally loves.

“I’m fine.” He says stoically.

“Heh~? C’mon, mama can push you too~” Ai encourages, her tender voice dripping with motherly playfulness, as she kneels close to Aqua’s level, her face approaching close to his.

“Nah, I’m good, really,”

“Aw~ c’mon Aqua~ you need to learn how to have some fun too~!” Ai says to her precocious little son.

“Seeing Ruby enjoying herself this much is more than enough to make me happy and satisfied.” Aqua said, his voice and tone mature, with no sense of childishness or immaturity ever leaking out.

Sometimes it freaks Ai out as to how mature and adult ish his son can be sometimes. Sometimes she feels like her own 5 year old son is more mature than her, which makes her embarrassed the more she thinks about it, given Ai also has a childish side with her along with her deep motherly instinct.

If there was anything Ai would want from Aqua, it would be for him to be more playful, childish and selfish, just like how Ruby and her. Sometimes she just can’t relate to Aqua’s train of thinking due to how advanced he thinks, but she can easily relate to Ruby as they somewhat share the same personality and demeanor.
  
“Ruby~! Are you hungry~?” Ai asks her little angel with a gentle voice as she gets down from the swings after swinging to her heart’s content.

“Hm? well.. . a little bit!” Ruby says, turning around to her mother.

“Guess what~?” Ai kneels down to her daughter, lending her radiant aura to her, itching to surprise her “Mama has made some special burgers JUST for you two~!” She says with a playful and cheerful nod.

“Really?! Mama made burgers~!?” Ruby said, her eyes and mouth wide with shock, a big smile planting in her face, her little eyes sparkling as she had never expected for her mother to make burgers herself, because from her knowledge, Ai usually buys it from the fast food restaurants.

“Yup!” Ai reaffirms with a nod, her smile and vibrant impression mirroring Ruby’s, her heart quivering with joy as she sees the excitement of her daughter. “Mama worked really hard to make the best and yummiest burger ever!” She said pridefully.

They had peacefully settled under the big tree, sitting down with her two kids on each side, creating a joyful family bonding atmosphere under the shade.

“Now then…” Ai reaches towards her bag where she had carefully placed all her food for the day that would suffice for her kids. The moment she unzips the bag and slightly opens it, the smell and fragrance of the burger erupted out, completely snatching Ruby’s soul and throwing it into a desirous ocean where her heart is now craving for it.

“Waw! Mama~! It smells soo good!!” She compliments with a raised vibrant voice. Ruby had never smelt the fragrance of a burger this good before, indicating just how much effort Ai put into it, so that she can give Ruby the best of the best, better than what any fast food restaurant can offer.

“Heere it is~!!” She brings out the two boxes and distributes it to her two beloved ones.

Ruby shuffles forward, closer to her mother.

“Mama let’s open it!!”

“Go for it!”

Ruby gasps with excitement, eagerly reaching for one of the boxes, and she opens it carefully and cautiously, witnessing every bit of this glory that her mother had prepared for her and Aqua with so much of her hard effort.

As she fully opens the lid of the plastic box, her eyes gets mesmerized just by how stunning and mouth gobbling the burger looked, starting to drool instinctively as the irresistible smell overtook her soul.

“Ai, why did you choose to make burgers, instead of buying them?”

Aqua asks, as he knows that his mother most of the time, buy's fast food for them and doesn't make it at home, so it startled him when he found out that Ai had attempted to make burgers of her own, when it was completely out of character for her to do so.

That wasn't the only thing Aqua spotted, there was something which caught his attention even more. Just by the first glance of this burger, Aqua can immediately deduce just how much unbelievable effort Ai took to make such a stunning, heavy and filling burger. From looks alone, his mother's burger dwarfs any fast food restaurants. And they haven't even began their first bite.

“Well… Mama decided to make something special for you two y’know~ from Mama’s own hands, hehe~” Ai replied to him with a playful giggle, her smile beaming with cuteness. “..And besides..” She continues “Buying and eating burgers from fast food shops is nice and all, but, they never really make it the way they advertise it you see. HOWEVER, When it comes to Mama’s burger, you will never ever find a burger more delicious and filling than this!” Ai claims, her statement holding guaranteed confidence.

“I can see that already,” Aqua mutters to himself, already beginning to see the solidity and truth behind her claim.

The burger had two patties, topped with melted cheese, fried onions, crispy bacon, fried egg, salads and lots of sauce, which was also homemade as well. Little did he know that Ai baked the buns in such a way that it had melted cheese inside of it as well.

But the main purpose for making the burgers homemade for her kids wasn't because he wanted her kids to taste what the burger is. But it was to follow Yuki’s advice that she gave that night.

Making burgers takes a lot more effort than buying it and eating it. Ai purposely exerted as much effort as she possibly can to make the best, yummiest and most scrumptious burger possible, solely because feeding this act carries far more love to Ruby then just buying it. And love is the number one source Ruby needs to consume if she wants to cease her pain.

Ai had spent hours after hours, without them knowing, preparing and making these heavenly burgers. All the sweat that accumulates in her forehead, all that time she had spent in making the patties, sauce and buns, when she could've been doing anything else for her entertainment, each act of it is a means of love.

One is just how much effort she exerted, and the other is just how tasty she had made it to please her daughter, both of which can't be found when getting from a fast food shop. Thus this was done solely to dedicate her love to her kids, especially Ruby who is desperately in need of it.

“Mmm~ This smells heavenly scrumptious Mama!” Ruby praises her in a raised voice.

“Aww~ Mama has made it all for you two!” Ai’s smile widens with pride, his cheeks slightly pink.

But that's when Ruby noticed something which she didn't quite like.

“Wait… mama, where is yours?” She mentions,

“Mine? I only made it for the two of you~” Ai says as she gives her headpats.

Though it saddened Ruby as she heard this, she didn't give up.

“Aww… then… Mama take the first bite!”

“Wha- me?!” Ai was taken aback from this. “But this for you~ mama isn't really hungry, trust me~”

“No!” Ruby persists “Mama is going to eat from my share!” She says in a firm commanding tone “Ruby wants to eat from where Mama eats!”

This startled Ai, widening her eyes, as she thought to herself what it really meant.

“I feel that eating from Mama's bite makes the food more yummy, and showers it with blessings too!”

Ai's heart started melting from the words Ruby was uttering, her eyes getting watery. At this point, she couldn't bring herself to reject Ruby's offer any longer.

“A~alright~” She accepts and takes the first bite of the burger from Ruby.

“Here you go~” Ai hands back the burger back to Ruby after taking the first bite, still chewing some in her mouth.

“Yay!” Ruby said in beaming joy, as the fact that she gets to eat from the part where her beloved mother has bitten relinquishes her soul with pride and jubilation.

And, thus the part where Ai had taken her first bite is exactly where Ruby continued eating from.

“Ai, can you take the first bite for me as well?” Aqua says, his face slightly blushed but deep inside, he also wants to share the same treatment as she has with Ruby.

“Aww you two~ I made it for you guys and yet you two are feeding me~” Ai says, her heart flowing with appreciation regarding her children's consideration for her, something which she never expected. And thus she also took the first bite from Aqua as well, just like how she did with Ruby.

“Mmmm~!!!” Ruby hums as she was munching “It's Soo gooood!!”

“Really?!”

“Yes mama!” Ruby swallows the bite, “It's better than any burger I've tasted!!”

“Aww! My rubbles~!!” Ai blushes from her daughter's compliment.

“How about you Aqua~?” She asks her son for his opinion.

“I don't think there are words to describe how good the taste is.”

His words may seem like an exaggeration, but he meant it.

They spent their lunch sitting down on the clean grass, with Ai sitting in the middle and her two beloved kids beside her, like a loving family as they had their lunch by sharing it with their mother.

“You guys ready for dessert?” Ai says, her vibrant tone always present as she is full of surprises.

“There's desert too?” Aqua asks quite surprisedly.

“Of course there is, there is no meal without something sweet!” Ai exclaims. Since she has a sweet tooth, she is more of a desert person if anything, especially with her obsession with ice cream, cakes and pudding, despite her entering into her 20s.

"What's for dessert?!"

"Today... Mama made strawberry pudding!!"

Wooah~" Ruby's eyes and mouth widen from this desirous disclosure. “You're the best mama!” She leaps up and collides her body with her arms open at her mother’s right side, cuddling and rubbing her face on her shoulder

“Haha! Anything for my Ruby~” Ai playfully pinches Ruby's chubby cheeks before embracing her back and gives her headpats.

“Hehe~!” Ruby giggles as she feels her cheeks pinched gently by her mother.

“But Ai… don't you think you are over exerting yourself?” Aqua says as his voice intended his slight concern.

“Hm? No not at all! This is nothing!” She says firmly, “Mama can do anything for you two!” She claims with motherly pride.

“Yeah she is definitely pushing herself…” Aqua mutters in his mind.

“Ahh~ that was delicious!!” Ruby said, a wide smile of content grazing her face.

“Ruby, how are you feeling~?” She inquires about her condition.

“HM,” Ruby turns around, facing her mother with a bright and beaming expression of happiness. “I’m feeling really good. Thank you so much for bringing us here mama!!”

A sigh of relief escapes her lips, hearing Ruby’s pleasure also filled her heart with content and tranquility.

“Aaa…” Ruby yawns, as all the energy she exerted today had seemed to tire her little fragile body, with one of her eyes twitching with sleepiness.

Thus, Ruby huddled closer to Ai. She had such a bonding with her mother that she didn't even have to ask, because she knew very well that her mother would accept it.

In contrast, Ai knew what Ruby wanted, and thus positioned herself slightly so Ruby could comfortably place her head to rest on her belly. She looked forward to it actually, being honored to make her soft stomach her daughter’s pillow to rest her head. She adores the moment where Ruby presses her face on her stomach, it gives her chills like she never experienced before.

“Mmm” And with that, Ruby drops her head, landing and sinking into the feathersoft surface of her angelic mothers stomach, feeling her delicate organs moving, her slow breath making her belly rise up and down, which sends her soul to the 7th heaven.

“Ahh~~ Mama’s tummy is always the best~~” Ruby musters, completely relishing the moment whenever her head sinks into her mother’s soft flesh. She rubs her head on it a few times, before a playful and innocently mischievous intention pops into her mind, her smirk enlarging before suddenly drilling her face right into her mother's stomach, giving it a deep nuzzle as she pokes her face and nose directly inside Ai’s delicate belly, especially her belly button, so that she can give her delightful mother a laughter, knowing how sensitive and ticklish her tummy is.

“KYahahaha!” Ai bursts out a high pitched laugh as she felt her belly, more precisely her umbilical area getting pressed and nuzzled by Ruby’s nose.

After a little more of getting the fun out of her mother’s soft belly, which Ai permitted with pleasure, her soul slowly drifted to slumber

“Ahh my little rubles~” Ai said as she slowly and gently pats Ruby while she sleeps soundly on her soft belly.

Feeling of the weight of her daughter on her stomach always gives her chills as her motherly affection increases by the second.

Through the far left of her gaze, she saw Aqua reading a book, like he usually does,

“Aqua~” Ai says in a gentle and soft voice, ensuring it won’t wake Ruby up “Stop being so nerdy and come cuddle with mama~!” She says in a playful voice, extending her arm out, creating space for Aqua to enter her grasp.

“Hhh..” Aqua sighs, closing the book “Sure, why not,” He puts the book down and slowly and quietly approaches Ai, until he is close enough to where he could rest his back and head on her left breast.

Ai wraps Aqua around as he gets closer and leans on her body, cherishing the bond and closeness she is acquiring with her two babies at the same time.

“Ahh~ so good to feel both my babies close to me, huddled and cuddled~~” She says in a low-yet squeaky playful voice, her playful side leaking before nuzzling her nose and chin on Aqua's hair and forehead.

“Hmhmh” Aqua giggles, his soul feeling content upon his mother’s playful and delicate touch and her closeness, followed by a loving motherly smooch which was planted on his forehead which carried boundless amounts of love, even making Aqua slightly shiver as he feels the soft and moist touch of his mother's lips.

After a bit more of cuddling with Aqua and settling down, out of nowhere, Ai apologizes.

“Sorry… Aqua~” She says, her voice low and soft, her face still carried a smile but he could sense that her heart had carried a sense of uneasiness.

“Wh-why~?” He turns his up, to face his mother who was looking down at him with affection.

“This whole time… I was too busy with Ruby. I noticed that I’m always too concerned about her, and that everyt ime we’re together, I always give  Ruby the cuddles, hugs and kisses.” She says. As a mother, she noticed an imbalance of treatment of her love from her kids, and deep inside, she is feeling really uneasy. “Just a moment ago, I was too busy pushing Ruby in the swings, and before that, I was too engrossed cuddling and kissing Ruby, and somehow, I totally dismissed you~” She pauses, a deep swell of regret washing over here “I’m so sorry Aqua~”

Ai’s voice carried more emotion the more she thought about how one sided her love distribution was towards her kids. As she said sorry, Aqua could feel how much Ai meant it as it came out from the bottom of her heart. But this unbalance of receiving love did not faze him at all.

“Ai… please remember the priority. Ruby is in NEED of love and attention. Because of your devotion to give Ruby as much of your love as possible, this is probably why she hasn’t experienced any pain jolts so far, so you NEED to keep at it. You must keep on showering her with love.” Aqua said, his words holding nothing but reasonable justification. “Please… continue doing this and forget about me… for Ruby’s sake…”

“But…” Ai couldn’t refute what Aqua said. But even then, as a mother, it felt very wrong. “Still..!” She tightened her cocoon towards Aqua… squeezing her to her body “I love you too~!! Aqua~!”

Aqua felt just how much emotions were imbued within those words of her mother. Thus he remained silent and closed his eyes, letting his body loose and allowing himself to get absorbed into her mother’s boundless warmth.

“Whe… where am I?”

Yuji stirs awake, finding himself standing in a confined stone brick room, where his surroundings were nothing but dark empty void.

“Huh..?”

He was confused, not knowing why and how he came here, or what was going on.

“KYAAA!!!!”

His soul was pierced from the high pitched scream of desperation. That voice, he knew it all too well as to whom it belonged to. He turned around in a blink of an eye.

“AI!!”

He yelled out, as the moment he turned around, he saw Ai and Ruby, pinned and cornered by a monstrously muscular man, with veins popping all over his body, whereas Ai and Ruby watched helplessly as to what he was about to do to them.

“Alright bitch!! Time to suffer!!” Baekho said to Ai, loading up his fist with such power that could shatter through bones and steel.

“W- wait!! This is Choi's basement…!!”

Yuji recalls, realizing that he got kidnapped from this place by Kenjaku when he and Choso wanted to save Ai.

Yuji wasn’t there nor was he informed as to the devastation Ai suffered on that day, and thus, it is now replaying in front of his very own eyes.

He sees Baekho, one of Choi’s henchmen, about to release his fist with utmost ferocity, directly towards Ai’s delicate body, who was shielding Ruby from any harm.

“Stop!!”

Yuji yelled, as his body instinctively dashed towards the man, confident in his ability to stop him from what he is about to do. And thus he was fast enough to reach him just before he was about to release his blow.

But something was off.

It was as if Yuji's presence in the room wasn’t noticed by them, as if his existence in the room wasn’t in the same realm as theirs.

And thus, when Yuji attempted to attack him, his body only went through him, not even fazing him one bit, as if they were all intangible.

“Wha- what the-!!”

Yuji was now utterly lost, as to why his body just fazed through him. But it was right there, where he saw one of the most horrific and heart shattering things he could see.

“DHUMBBB!!!”

That deafening noise vibrated through Yuji’s ears like a bang. He hoped that it wasn’t what he imagined, as such a fragile and delicate individual like Ai won’t be able to hold it and be able to bear it at all.

As soon as he regained his footing after phasing through Baekho, he turned around in an instant, to see where that clamorous noise came from which nearly made his ears deaf.

The moment his eyes fell on them, it was as if several gunshots were shot in his heart, as the scene unfolding before his eyes was too horrific and heartbreaking for him to bear.

There he saw Baekho’s fist, disappearing inside Ai’s ever soft fragile stomach, along with his wrist, with blood squeezing out of her flesh from how deep his hand is carved inside of her. The sound of her organs getting crushed from his unforgiving fist was piercing his ears.

“GLAGGHH!!!”

With an outburst, blood violently erupted from Ai’s mouth, a crimson waterfall surging out, her eyes holding no pupils as her world was nothing engulfed in unendurable pain.

Yuji saw horror, as he never ever thought, the person whom he considered as a “mother”, and his favorite idol, receiving such fatal torment.

“Mamaaa!!!” Ruby’s scream penetrated the confined brick walls as she saw her beloved mother receive what seems to be ‘a blow of death’ right in front of her eyes.

“AIIII!!!!”

Yuji screamed with just as much despair as Ruby, but his voice held no relevance to them. As if his existence in this room didn’t intertwine with them.

Baekho finally withdrew his fist, leaving Ai’s spine crushed and shattered, with blood also spreading from the radius on her umbilical area where his fist had sunk. Her pupils still hadn’t return, the blow she received sent brutal shockwaves throughout her fragile body, as she slowly dropped down to her knees, her chin fully tainted with blood after the explosive surge from her mouth, tears swelling in her eyes as her soul couldn’t bear the pain anymore.

“GRGRRGYAAAH!!!!!!!!!!”

Yuji screamed and yelled from his inner lungs, tears building up in his eyes from the heart shattering scene he witnessed, charging at Baekho once more, jumping up with fist shooting down right at him. But nothing changed. His body went through him like how it did before with no effect.

“Gkah~” Ai coughs out more blood, from her mouth, her hand  clutched on her impaired and crucified abdomen, as she begins to cry.

“Aa~... AHh~!!” With tears rolling from her eyes as it was pinched close, forced to endure the pain she doesn’t deserve.

Seeing Ai like this had created a hole in Yuji’s heart.

That’s when he remembers vividly the warmth, tenderness and affection Ai gave to him throughout their bonding. He remembers very vividly how it felt to be embraced by her warm tender arms, getting cocooned by her as his face leans on her chest. He remembers the pattern of her soothing heartbeats when Ai squeezes him, he remembers the warmth he felt when Ai’s breath brushed his forehead on the snowy Christmas day.

He remembers where Ai invited him for dinner when he was starving and didn’t have anything to eat, and declared on that very day that she will be his mother from now on. He still remembers the softness of her belly as she offered her stomach as a pillow for him when they stargazed together after the dinner, and he could still remember the sound of her organs as his head sank into her soft flesh.

Remembering all this in his mind, and now seeing the state of his ‘mother’ in this world and what she had just received, the sadness and sorrow boiling in Yuji’s heart could not be described.

Ruby, who was right next to her mother, erupted in tears and screams, so loud the entire room was reverberating, as he could tell her soul was completely shattered when she saw what the brute had done to her angelic mother.

She hugged and clinged onto her mother who protected her from that life ending blow, and in contrast, suffering pain in her soft and fragile stomach that is beyond death.

Tears were also flowing from her eyes from the physical pain, she wanted to cry, but when she opened her mouth, only blood would cough out, a testament to her damaged organs. Her throat was dry. Neither did her or her daughter had anything to eat or drink for the past day.

The pain even prevented her from speaking. All she could do was retaliate the embrace back to her daughter who was so tightly squeezing herself to her.

Yuji watched all of this in horror, and the worst hadn't even come.

Baekho towered before their two helpless soul, pulling his arm back as he charged for the final finishing blow, a smile which carried no remorse or mercy permanently grazed in his face, as he was about to end the two of them.

He saw all this taking place with disbelief.

Both Ai and Ruby hugged each other tightly, hoping for a miracle, as his fist had just launched towards them at death granting force.

Yuji yelled from the top of his lungs

“
STOOOOOPPP!!!!
”

Yuji was transported into a dark, empty city, droplets of rain shot down from the sky like a machine gun, drilling his clothes soaked. It was midnight

“Wh… where am I now?!” Yuji said to himself, utterly confused.

As just before, he was inside a confined prison room, and now he is in the middle of an empty city in the middle of a storm.

He walked along the empty road, traffic lights flickering.

“H-how do I get out of this?!” He said, knowing this isn't reality “What is happening to me?!”

And in that very moment, he heard a scream tore through the city, echoing across the roads and the alleys.

Yuji's heart jumped to his throat once more, as that voice of that scream was someone whom Yuji knew well.

He viciously ran towards that voice, and saw at the corner of a street, under a tall lamp light where Ai was cornered, covering her daughter and one more figure which he still couldn't quite grasp properly, from none other than his own father, Kenjaku.

He saw Kenjaku, who is known as Tenchu in this world, standing before Ai and two kids in a miserably helpless state. His left hand was drenched with blood.

He then noticed that Ai's chin was drenched with blood, and that there was a hole on her stomach, as if someone stabbed through her and took organs out of her abdomen.

But that's when he noticed something which completely broke his heart to pieces.

That is… that Kenjaku was carrying organs and flesh in his hands. He immediately came to the conclusion that it was Ai's organs who was torned out by his heartless and ruthless father.

“
AIIIII!!!!
”

He dashed towards them, with rage that cannot be described.

“
KENJAKUUU!!!!!!
”

His scream was heard from miles away, shaking the city with its voluming, as he charged at him with all his might, putting every single strength into his fist.

But as he was getting closer to them, it was as if his interference, his existence hadn't been recognized by them despite screaming from his lungs.

“No way it can't be…” Yuji said in his mind as he approached closer and closer to Kenjaku with his fist pulled.

And as he landed the punch, he fazed through it just like last time.

“What is happening to me?!?! What is going on?!?!” He yelled out loud as Kenjaku was still menacingly staring down at Ai.

“Kenjaku!!! I'm here!! Fight me!!” He yells again as he charges back, throwing kicks and punches, yet all of it was just pointless.

“Ai… how far are you willing to go?” Kenjaku said to her, in the midst of Yuji throwing barrages at him.

Yuji paused as he heard Kenjaku speak.

“I just don't get this pointless relation you have with him, he is not destined to be with you.”

He said to her, finding her stance to be unreasonable.

Ai, while blood was still dripping from her mouth and stomach, she got the courage to speak and defend her position, despite the injury and pain she is bearing.

“Neither… is Yuji… destined to be… with you.. either..!!” She said in between few breaths, finding it difficult to speak with all the pain and loss of blood she is enduring, she was pressing a hand on her stomach, where Kenjaku had penetrated his hand through.

But one thing which Ai said magnified Yuji's attention towards her.

“...Yuji??!” He turned around in a gasp.

And there… he saw what he could not believe to be true. Even though this reality he is witnessing at this very moment is false, even in the real world, he can never see it happening what his eyes were witnessing.

And there was, his own self, behind Ai, bleeding all over his body, two stab holes on his chest, one his shoulder and a feared and a deep scar on his forehead. He was laying on the floor, helpless and defeated as Ai was in front of him, shielding him with her arms out, like how a mother would towards her child at a time of danger.

“No way…” he muttered in disbelief. “Wha… what the fuck am I doing there?!?!” He said to himself, “And why is Ai protecting me?!”

A storm of thoughts were erupting in his mind. But that’s when he heard their conversation continue, in which his heart crumbled even more the more he heard them.

“...How can… a mother… not protect… and shield… her son… when he is in danger…?” Ai said, her words shaky as it uttered out of her mouth, the pain still throbbing on her umbilical area, where her organs were ripped off brutally, her vision getting blurry from all the blood loss, her garment painted red from the blood that was still continuously flowing from her wounded area.

As soon as Yuji heard these words, and the fact that Ai is going this far into risking her own life to save him hit his soul to the very core. And thus, tears started to accumulate in his eyes, unable to control his emotions.

“Ai…” he whispers to himself as he stares at her horrific fatal condition, still fighting for balance as she stands in front of his own dead self.

“Oh please… you're not even her mother,” Kenjaku retaliates. “You're nothing but a stranger to him.”

“Even if that's the case… I consider him as my son, just like my own two kids… And so, and as a duty of a mother… I'm willing to give up my life if it means that he’ll be safe.” Ai said with a few pauses, “...I mean… after all… he saved my life, and I owe him more than what I'm capable of~ He protected me… when I was in danger. He protected.. clahck!!” A cough of blood interrupts her speech, but she persists and continues, rubbing the blood stains of her chin and mouth with her wrist “...he protected my kids too~... Yuji deserves a fair life, a childhood like everyone else… where he receives the love of a parent and affectionate nurture… and most importantly…” Ai pauses, shifting the tone of her voice as it becomes deep, expressing her rage and dislike towards this “...he never ever..!! deserves a father like you..!!”

With that, Kenjaku couldn't listen to it anymore, thus he decided to finish her off completely, by thrusting his hands through her solar plexus, thus ending her fragile soul and taking her life away.

“Mamaaa!!!” Ruby screams from behind as she witnesses a horror she shouldn't be at this tender age.

And there was Yuji himself laying on the ground, helpless, too injured and exhausted to even utter a word.

“No… no.. not again…” Yuji said to himself as he witnessed the horror beholding in his eyes.

Kenjaku wasted little time and ended Ruby's life right after stabbing her heart, and all Yuji could do now was just watch the misery taking place before his eyes, with tears rolling down his cheeks.

And when Kenjaku got to the Yuji who was incapacitated on the ground, Yuji's heart began to ache severely, as it was about to erupt at any moment.

“Ack!” He grips his chest, specifically where his heart is located. He could feel th burning pain. The pain of death approaching near as Kenjaku got closer and closer to killing the other Yuji.

He knew… that the moment Kenjaku finishes him, he will also be finished along with it.

His vision became blurry, falling to his knees as he was about to submit himself to the inevitable brutal outcome.

Slowly his eyes closed, and thus, the world surrounding him became dark once again.
   
“YAAAHHHH!!!” Yuji blasted up awake, finding himself tied up tightly into an unknown room.

His breaths were heavy, panting and sweating.

“What… what was that…?” He said to himself audibly. “Wh..where am I? Is this… another dream too?!”

“No it isn't.”

He heard a voice just above him, coming from one of the pillars of the room.

It was a girl's voice, somewhere in her late 20s.

“Wh-who are you?!” Yuji asks violently, shifting his gaze up and spotting a pretty woman with blonde long hair sitting on top of the pillars.

“Gosh, you don't have to shout and be so rude~ y’know, it's only us who are here.”

“Then… What do you want from me?! Why am I here?!”

“You getting locked up here has nothing to do with me. I'm not involved in any of it.”

“Then…”

“You got locked up here after you got unconscious when you got injected by the drug in your carve. Do you remember fighting Sukuna?”

“S-sukuna?” Yuji said confusedly, his memories still hazy. “W-wait.. yeah… yeah I remember!!” His memories finally starting to click in.

“Mhm, and they had locked you up here after all that shenanigans.”

“Tch!” Yuji grits his teeth as he attempts to break free by trying to break the locks tight into his two hands and legs.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” the girl warns before Yuji tries even harder

“Why not?”

“Because those locks are fixed with explosives inside of it. The moment they break, it will erupt, and you'll die either way.”

“Hmm…” Yuji had doubts about her words, but there was something else wanted to know at the moment.

“Anyhow, just who even are you, and how do you know all this?” He asks her straightforwardly.

“I'm a deity,” she states “I know everything regarding what happens, so it's nothing special.”

“A deity huh? So do you have special powers?”

“Mhm, each deity has their own special powers.”

“Each? Wait so there's more than one?!”

“Yes, there are heaps of deities, and I'm just one of them.”

“Then what is your power, and… why are you even here??”

“I'm the deity of dreams.” she states.

“Dreams?” He says confusedly before something clicking in his mind “Wai- don't tell me that yo-”

“Yes indeed, I'm the one who showed you those two dreams.”

“Two dreams… so you really do know…” Yuji reaffirms, “But why?! Why would you show something so brutal and disturbing.”

“Showing dreams to humankind is one of my ways to convey and inform them of certain information and alarm them of certain events in the future. The dreams I showed you… were not fake…” She claims firmly.

“Then… you're telling me that… AI IS DEAD?!?!” Yuji exclaims abruptly, still in disbelief of her claim “Wait no! That can't be true! Because in the last dream, I died! And I'm still alive!”

“Yes, I know,” she states, her tone confident and calm. “I showed you these two dreams to inform you of the past and the future.”

“Huh?!”

“The first dream where you saw Ai and Ruby getting tortured in the Choi’s basement was something that had actually took place in the exact same manner,” she informs “And the second dream, is me conveying to you what will very likely happen, in the future, unless you do something very extraordinary that prevents it.”

“What will happen in the future…” Yuji thought about what she said for a bit, as he goes back and recalls what he saw in the second dream.

Upon finally recalling it, his blood began to boil, his muscles tensing with anger as he can not accept that level of atrocity.

“There's no way…” Yuji musters, his voice deep with rage, veins emerging out of his body. “... I'll ever let Kenjaku lay a finger on Ai..!!” he states with overwhelming dedication.

“Hey careful, if you bust any of those restraints, it's going to explode.” the deity warns.

“Don't worry, I'm going to be fine.” Yuji affirms, his voice suddenly calm and composed, as if he had swallowed all the anger that was built within him.

“Stay a far distance because this might be noisy.” He warns the deity this time.

“Oh please, us deities won't die from such feeble explosions.”

“That's good to hear. Ok then.” Yuji breathes in, inhaling the air and calming his mind, focusing on how he obtained that one ability back in the jujutsu world and intending to apply it again.

With a swift moment, Yuji effortlessly freed his arms from the locks. It only took a few seconds for the explosives to activate, causing an extensive explosion, which was fixed to guarantee the death of whoever that breaks free. But for Yuji, he was the exception.
 
“
BOOOOMMM!!!!
”
 
The explosion bursted out of the underground alleyways and several flows, creating an earthquake on the surface above them.

“What’s this, Uraume?”

Sukuna asks, sitting on his throne in his palace while being bandaged from the severe wounds Yuji inflicted on him on their one sided clash.

The explosion caused Sukuna's castle to tremble severely.

“There's no way he could've…” Uraume musters, finding it unbelievable that Yuji would break free and escape alive from that explosion.

With everything in the underground basement getting completely destroyed, Yuji comes out of the smoke, completely unscathed.

“Amazing…” the deity praises, widening her eyes as she could see the silhouette of Yuji in the smoke, noticing he survived it despite the scale of the explosion.

She jumps down to the ground, meeting Yuji's level and giving him her respect.

Yuji finally walks out of the smoke, his eyes yellow, indicating his bloodthirstiness.

“How did you do it?” She asks, curiousity taking over her.

“Reverse Curse Technique,”

“What is that?”

“It's one of the complex abilities that I managed to obtain in my previous world.” Yuji says as he lifts up his hands, clenching it as he imbues Cursed Energy into it, exercising his Cursed Energy manipulation, “...And now that I have attained Cursed Energy, I can apply the same method to it as well. I was healing and regenerating my body simultaneously as I was disintegrating, until the explosion finished.” He explains

“Interesting…”

“Tell me… who should I kill first, Kenjaku or Sukuna?”

“That's completely up to you,” The deity responds “However, since you've impressed me so much, I can tell you this.”

Yuji listened attentively to what she was about to say, knowing it will be crucial for what his next action would be.

“Sukuna won't die unless you kill Tenchu, who is known as Kenjaku from your world.”

Stunning Yuji from this absurd disclosure, he urged to find out the reason

“Wh-why?!”

“Because of a special contract they made with another deity.”

“Fair enough with me,” Yuji expresses “Thinking back about that dream, to stop that reality from coming true, I MUST kill Kenjaku either way,”
  
“Lord Sukuna, should I go and see what occurred down there?” Uraume seeks permission, bowing down in front of him.

“Hmm…” Sukuna barely listened to what Uraume was saying as his thoughts were still diverted into the essence of Cursed Energy.

“There's no need.”

A voice appeared behind Uraume, making both of their hearts drop, with Uraume turning around in an instant and saw their biggest fear.

His presence itself made the atmosphere surrounding them heavy with suffocation.

“It can't be…” Uraume muster in disbelief, her eyes witnessing what her soul didn't want to accept. “How… how did you…?” She could barely speak, as her astonishment in seeing not even a single sign of any kind of damage from that explosion made her speechless.

“Reverse Curse Technique huh?” Sukuna was able to figure out the cause for Yuji coming out unscathed.

“That's right,” Yuji reaffirms.

“So you've already gained Cursed Energy to that level in such a short time, impressive.” he smirks,

“I don't know why you're all happy, when your days in this world are counted.”

“Rrrgh!!” Uraume picks up her scythe and charges at Yuji in the midst of their conversation, attempting to end his life after hearing his confidence regarding Sukuna's death.

But before she could even comprehend what was happened, Yuji’s fist already ruptured inside her abdomen wrist deep, crushing her organs brutally.

Her eyes widened as her body absorbed the force. She felt like she was going to explode from the strength imbued in that punch.

“BLUAGH!!” She gushes out blood out of her mouth before collapsing into the ground, unconscious.

“As I was saying,” Yuji resumed his conversation after knocking Uraume out cold effortlessly, as if she was nothing but an insect distracting his attention. “Your days are numbered…”

“So are you here to kill me?” Sukuna asked.

“I really wish,” Yuji replied, before popping in front of Sukuna's face once again with inhuman speed due to the enhancement of Cursed Energy.

And with a blink of an eye, the next thing Sukuna felt was his chin getting struck down by Yuji's heel as he spun a down round house directly at his jaw.

Sukuna crashed through the palace’s wall until he reached the very bottom floor.

“Pleugh!” He sits up and wipes up the blood from his lip, his head dizzy, his vision blurry after taking an unexpected jaw shattering kick.

“Unfortunately…”

Yuji's voice appeared behind Sukuna, making him gasp as he turned around.

For the first time in his life in this world, Sukuna felt what nervousness was like. Including the entirety of his lifetime, including the jujutsu world, this would be the second time Sukuna felt what fear was like. The first was with his fight against Gojo, going up against his overwhelming strength, getting pushed to the brink of death despite having the aid of Mahoraha and Agito.

This was the second time. Against his own nephew.

“...I have to kill someone else before I kill you..” Yuji utters as he approaches Sukuna calm and steadily, his expression emotionless, no sign of sympathy lingering in him.

“But before that… at the very least, let me enjoy… beating ever living
shit out of you
.”