At Nightfall, An Akaza x Reader

28. Zero

You hit the ground in the infinity fortress like a brick. What had you done wrong? What put you in this position that had you summoned immediately like this?

Your hands traced the wooden ground as you began to push yourself up, only to have your hair yanked to force you to lock eyes with ruby spheres.

"Tell me, what is your number?" The demon lord asked coldly.

With a trembling lip you managed out, "One."

"That's right. You're lower moon one." He let your head drop before he straightened up. "What have you done for me other than lessen Akaza's work load? A slayer with hanafuda earrings saw me recently. Were you not tasked with clearing that city of slayers?"

"I did- they must have arrived when you d-dihhh," your quick words were immediately choked by the tensing of your muscles as they were forced to contract.

"I did not permit you to speak. You should know not to interrupt me." You nodded feverishly at his words.

"I should remove your ranking for your incompetence alone," he started to walk away from you, the pain caused by his blood began to lessen. 

You paled immensely despite the relief in your body.  "Master, I'm sorry for my insolence. It won't happen again," your voice wavered as panic welled inside of you.

"You're right, it won't."

His hand raised as he reached out towards you. This was it, you were being removed from the twelve kizuki.

But your number was not clawed out as you anticipated. You heard something heavy slink out from your left which caused you to whip your head in that direction. Though the moment you made eye contact with the mass of muscle, it's needle like tip pierced into your neck and made your whole body tense.

"However, you are not completely useless. I wonder if you can handle this much blood," the mass pulled back almost as fast as it came to you. While the pain in your body was intense, nothing compared to the pain in your numbered eye.

You writhed and choked on the strain your body endured, but Muzan seemed to be unbothered.

"Consider this a chance at redemption. You will be my aid, you will learn to do things I tell you to without question and you freedoms will be heavily restricted. I do not wish to have to look for you so you will remain within arms length, understand?"

You nodded as much as you could while the cells of your body multiplied. Your vision was beginning to white out as he seemed to direct his attention elsewhere.

What you could recall from here was seeing the bottom of black hakama pants walk past you as Muzan spoke to their owner. Then suddenly, you fell through.

---

"Wake up."

You didn't even know you had lost consciousness. You found yourself lying on tatami mats, a thin blanket strewn over your form. Though immediately as you registered that nothing was familiar about this place, you shot up in a sitting position, catching sight of the one who demanded you wake up.

Your grayish blue, star speckled eyes met multiple yellow ones.

Upper Moon one.

You could read that kanji as clear as day.

"Where-"

"That doesn't matter," he said pointedly as he stood up. "You missed what that man said before he dismissed you. You'll be working alongside me for a limited time to keep you on track."

You shakily began to try and get up, your eyes bouncing around for a reflective surface.

You scrambled to the nearby teapot where it seemed the ravenette was partaking in a cup before deciding you've been unconscious too long. 

Upon looking into the reflection, you can took in the weight of your reality. Your eye read zero. You were not a upper, nor a lower moon. You did not know where this put you in the hierarchy, there had never been a zero that you were aware of.

"What about Akaza? He doesn't know why I  was summoned," you murmured, mostly to yourself, but it seemed your companion could hear the faintest of noises.

"He's been sent on a mission. You will be allowed limited visitation until master deems you to have earned more freedoms." He deadpanned.

You nodded slowly before you tore your eyes away and looked at the other, "Y-Your name. What is it?" You inquired.

"Kokushibo. Now focus, we are searching for the blue spider lily in this town. We'll be gathering information from others under the rouse that we are newlyweds to give the illusion of approachability. We've got from now until sundown to settle a story, so sit and discuss," he gestured for you to do so.

--
Thirteen hours earlier.

"Akaz-"

Dok!

It happened too fast for him to do anything about it. You were summoned by Muzan, but why? He didn't summon lower moons to the infinity fortress due to them constantly disappointing him, and he knew damn well that none of the upper moons were dead. Did you request to challenge one? No you couldn't have, you looked completely surprised.

It was odd.

He went dumbfounded to the spot you once stood and touched the spider lilies that remained. Deep down, he hoped you would be alright.

Upon returning home, he found himself summoned in.

"Go to Kyoto and find me a new cover I can assume," the ravenette demanded once Akaza was in the fortress.

He wouldn't dare ask where you were or what happened to you. Questioning the lord on something like that would be foolish.

Slowly, he bowed, "Yes, master." He scanned the wood beneath his feet for any signs of your blood, but he knew very well that could have occured anywhere in the building.

And so he left with a pit in his stomach to Kyoto. Now was not the time to make mistakes. If it were important or if he were deemed worthy to know of where you were, Muzan would have told him.

He just hoped that you weren't dead.