𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇

MIKAZUKI SLAMMED THE DOOR CLOSED, not even blinking as the walls around her father's office rattled. Asahi's office hadn't changed much, the carpet was still the same colour and the walls just as dull as they were ten years ago. The sorceress paused in her rage, her golden eyes settling on one of the pictures framed on the further wall, right behind where Asahi usually sat.

The picture was old, yet immaculately conserved. It was the three of them, before Suzuki was born. Niko was standing in the back, her golden hair a stark contrast against the other two, who just like their parents, sported a full head of black curls. Mikazuki stepped closer, straightening the frame as she inspected the photograph.

They all looked so happy, standing in front of the main house. Niko must have been fourteen at that time, a wide smile as she held the twin's hands. Keisuke had a more serious expression, but he still looked joyful enough, standing next to a younger, less deadly, Mikazuki.

"Did you ever care about any of us, at all?" She asked absentmindedly, the rage from before dissipating as her gaze remained glued to the photo.

Asahi buried his hands deep inside his pockets, standing on the corner of his office. His expression didn't soften, and only then did Mikazuki realize that the answer was probably not. In fact, she doubted Kinzoku Asahi had ever cared about anything at all. Anything that wasn't him, his fortune or the power he held as Master of Japan and defacto King of Sorcerers. All things Mikazuki would not hesitate to take from him.

Instead of doing the kindness of replying, Asahi threw the contract on the table, not even flinching as the paperclip came undone and the papers flew across the room.

"I am offering you a good deal, Mikazuki." Asahi spoke calmly, his voice steady and sure, like he was doing her a favour instead of imprisoning her with chains made of ink and clauses. "You should take it."

The sorceress stepped away from the wall, allowing the frame to bang against the wood as she circled the table, eyes now scanning the scattered lines. The contract looked air-tight, the kind of legal document that a man like Asahi reviewed on a daily basis. Her father might have been a sorcerer, but he was also a skilled businessman, meaning that whatever clauses were written into that contract were probably so tight she wouldn't be able to wiggle herself out.

Mikazuki let her fingers wander over the desk, ruffling through the papers carefully, yet not really reading any of it. In reality, this was exactly what she wanted; to have an in into his life, slowly burrow herself into every single piece of paperwork, every little detail that made the Kinzoku name so revered and respected, so she could set it all aflame and watch it burn.

But was it worth it? Allying herself with Asahi, no matter for how long, could only bode so well, and Mikazuki knew she would have to fight him at every single turn. This wasn't the walk through the park she'd envisioned, fantasized about for ten years, but, somehow, it was just as riveting and exciting, if not more. The sorceress halted her movements, hands hovering over the dotted line at the bottom, the pen Asahi had set down next to it looking more and more appealing by the second.

Asahi sighed.

"You can review the contract with a lawyer, if it pleases you." He added, his tone flat and uninterested.

Mikazuki nodded, setting the pen aside and looking up with a determined expression, eyes flashing gold as she gathered the papers in her arms.

"I want a new lawyer, one that isn't affiliated with the Kinzoku name or any of your holdings." She conceded, cheeks burning bright red now that, unbeknownst to her father, she was getting closer to her goal. "I'll review the contract with him and get back at you once we are done."

Asahi shrugged.

"Sure." He leaned to the side, fishing something out of his pocket. "Just remember what is at stake, darling."

The sorceress paused, eyes travelling south, to the photograph he held in his hand now. This one was different than the one framed to the wall. For starters, it was newer, yet the edges were faded and white folding lines ran along it, a testament to just how many times the man in front of her had pulled it in and out of his pocket. The photograph was ordinary, with a large house in the background, a bland happy family at the centre of it. On the left, a man, clearly a foreigner, with his arms around a woman with dark hair and shimmering golden eyes.

At their feet, sitting in the grass, two similarly-aged children, playing with a set of toy cars and a plastic shovel. Mikazuki turned the picture around, already knowing the words scribbled at the bottom. The sorceress could feel the gold inside of her stir, the threat lingering in the air despite the fact that Asahi hadn't said anything at all.

But he didn't need to, not when Mikazuki knew exactly who was in the picture. In fact, she knew it better than he did.

"Really?" She asked, her voice shaking with restraint. "You would dare use my sister, your own daughter, against me, just to keep me on a tight leash?" She threw the photograph at his face.

Mikazuki closed her eyes, picturing Niko's face, her radiant smile, holding her children in her arms. Then she imagined the same thing, but with blood splattered on the floor and a corpse in her sister's place, because that's what Asahi was threatening her with; the life of her sister, her nephews.

Asahi crossed the short distance between the two, standing over his daughter, towering over her despite the fact they were almost the same height these days.

"I would sacrifice an entire army to keep you on a tight leash." He snarled, voice filled with vitriol and so much hatred Mikazuki could feel her skin prickling with it. "But we not have one of those, so this was the next best option."