Chapter 21: More animal than human?

'What should I do?' Kanata crammed his brain, massaging the bridge of his nose. Tomorrow was the 9th, the day Solomon might have to meet Akemi, and he hadn't found a way to make her give up her custody.

'She would agree if I asked her since she never wanted Solomon, but no lawyers want to help me in this case.' He didn't understand why at first. After all, he had turned his life around. He showed all the lawyers proof of owning a 4.4 billion yen mansion and his new credit card from Shogun's Vault, which proved that he had a net worth of over 50 billion yen, yet they declined his offer once they heard the woman he was going against was Akemi.

He tried to rationalize the lawyers' refusal to take his case, but it didn't make sense to him. Akemi was the daughter of the Hero Public Safety Commission Director, but that shouldn't have mattered, right? Or was there something he didn't know about? He decided to do some research and was surprised by what he found.

'How did she even manage to marry that man?' Kanata groaned, clenching his eyes shut. 'How did that bitch manage to make Ethan Monoma marry her?' He couldn't understand. She was always beautiful, as much as he would hate to admit it, but to marry the richest and one of the most powerful men in the world?

'No wonder they won't help me.' He sighed in resignation. 'Anyone would be intimidated by anyone with that much power. Even I am. I mean, her net worth is so high it is now counted in dollars instead of yen.'

"You always look so tired when you come here." A familiar voice drew his attention. Kanata turned to see the rabbit woman sitting on the empty stool beside him at the main counter of the nightclub that he had started visiting regularly.

She wore a tight-fitting black dress that clung to her curves and showed off her long legs. Her hair was styled in loose waves that cascaded down her shoulders, and her makeup was impeccably applied, accentuating her sharp cheekbones and full lips. "Don't tell me you were waiting for me?" She smiled, her blue eyes locked on Kanata's brown eyes.

He has been coming here for the past few days every night to drink his frustration away, and every night he would meet this woman, and they would talk about random things. She was the one that told him about most of the lawyers that rejected him and the real estate agent he bought his 4.4 billion yen mansions from.

He would call her his second friend after leaving prison, Solomon being the first, but he didn't even know her name. Returning to his drink, he said, "You are the one who is always coming to me. Find someone else to bother. I am sure there are other wealthy men here since it is so close to Hikari Heights."

She took the glass of champagne the bartender had poured for her and sipped from it. "You are right." She watched as couples danced together, their bodies swaying to the beat, and groups of friends laughed and joked at the bar. The clink of glasses and the murmur of voices created a symphony of sound that filled the air. "But I find you more interesting."

"Why?" Kanata asked, staring at his reflection in his glass. Even with all the money he had, he hadn't taken the time to clean up his appearance, still hosting long messy hair similar to Solomon's that covered the left side of his face, with his beard growing long. 'Damn, I am handsome.' He grinned, not seeing anything wrong with his appearance.

"That's exactly the reason." Maemi chuckled, smiling at him. "I like your confidence."

Kanata turned to look at her, his eyes lingering on her ears for a while. "You know, I am interested in your quirk." He said, his eyes meeting hers. "Just curious. Do you have mating seasons like rabbits?"

At his question, a deep blush appeared on her face as her rabbit ears moved toward the back of her head as if they were trying to hide, and the bartender cleaning a glass while listening to their conversation, snorted and covered her mouth, trying not to laugh out loud.

Kanata noticed her expression and the bartender's but continued. "I have always been curious about animal-related quirks. Are you more of an animal than human?" He asked, holding their eye contact. "Like the chief of police? Does he eat dog food? Does he enjoy pissing to mark his territory?"

The bartender let out a small laugh but quickly hid it with a cough as Kanata continued. "So, do you have a mating season?" He asked once more, pausing. "...and would having sex with you people be considered bestiality?"

The bartender dropped the glass she was cleaning and covered her mouth, quickly rushing to the door that led to the back, bursting out laughing as soon as she passed through the door.

Maemi stared blankly into Kanata's eyes before sighing and shaking her head. She seemed to be struggling to keep her composure. "Follow me." Without saying anything else, she walked away.

Curious, Kanata finished his drink in one gulp before hurrying up to catch up with her. She walked in silence, her heels clanking against the ground as she led him to a hallway guarded by two huge men, each standing over 2 meters tall.

"Hello, Miss." One of the men greeted Maemi politely. His bulging muscles strained against the tight-fitting suit, and his bald head gleamed in the dim light. Kanata felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized how intimidating the man looked. He wondered if he could take him in a fight, but he quickly dismissed the idea as foolish.

The other one looked at Kanata up and down with a critical eye as if assessing his worth before sneering. The guard was equally imposing, with a thick beard and a scar running down his cheek. "Did a VIP send you to bring him?"

"No, he is the VIP." She said with a grin, pointing at Kanata. "And he wants a room for just the two of us."

The two guards glanced at each other before bursting out laughing. "I never knew you could joke, mam." One of the men said in between laughter.

"I thought you were just a gold digger with a good face, but your jokes are also on point." The other man added, patting his partner's shoulders.

Kanata glanced at Maemi, who didn't seem affected by their taunt, before looking at the two men. 'I should have worn showy clothes. Then I doubt they would be laughing.' Kanata thought, looking down at the casual black pants, gray sweater, and gray sneakers he wore. His entire fit cost around three hundred thousand yen, but no one would notice because they looked normal.

Maemi shot Kanata a sidelong glance, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked, her voice tight with impatience.

He knew she wanted to speak in private, but the way things were going, it would cause too much trouble and effort to convince them he was rich, so they might as well go somewhere else. "We should just go somewhere else." he said finally, hoping to put an end to the awkwardness.

"Yeah, skedaddle before we make you." One of the men chuckled, calming down.

"Damn. I haven't laughed that hard in a while." The other one added, patting his chest. "You are a funny one, Miss."

Sighing, Maemi reached into Kanata's pocket, and before he could react, she pulled out his wallet. His eyes widened in horror as he quickly reached for his wallet, just as she opened it and brought out his credit card.

"..." Everyone froze as they stared at the card she held.

Made from the finest materials, it features a sleek black design with accents of gold and platinum, giving it a timeless and elegant look. It features a metallic finish with the Shogun's Vault logo engraved in gold and personalized with the name of the cardholder, Uchimura Kanata, in elegant gold letters, with a VIP engraved beside his name in platinum, making it a truly unique and exclusive card.

"Fuck." Kanata snatched the card and his wallet from her, glaring. "The fuck were you trying to do!?" He growled at Maemi, who silently stared wide-eyed at him, her mouth hanging agape.

Ignoring her expression, he turned to leave. "You just soured the mood." He mumbled, putting his card back into his leather wallet embossed with the Shogun's Vault emblem, a wallet that came with the card. "I am leaving."

Suddenly, the second guards appeared in front of him, a friendly look on his face. "I didn't recognize you, sir." He said, bowing deeply. "Please allow me to lead you to your private room."

'The fuck?' Kanata stared at the man, feeling the wallet in his pocket. 'Ah.' He realized what was happening. 'So, he recognized the exclusive card for Shogun's Vault top dogs?' He glanced at the first guard who was shivering while staring at the ground.

Kanata knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of fear. He understood that the powerful always elicited a sense of unease and caution from others. He wanted to put the guard at ease, but as he reached out to touch his shoulder, the man flinched.

"Please!" The man suddenly roared, getting on all fours and begging, tears flowing down his eyes. "Please, I didn't recognize you. Forgive my insolence."

'Fuck! So dramatic! Kanata thought, looking at the crowd gathering around.

"A fight?"

'No, it's not.' Kanata replied, trying to think of a way to solve this problem.

"What quirk does he have to make that massive gorilla kneel?"

'Money?' Kanata thought before deciding to act like a rich bastard. Spitting on the ground, he stepped on the man's hand. "Next time, be careful who you talk shit about because if I were in a bad mood," He grinned from ear to ear, his pupil dilating. "I would have exterminated you and your family and prevented those disgusting genes from being passed down."

The madness on his face sent shivers down the spines of everyone who saw, causing them to instinctively step back, like prey in the face of a predator. Kanata noticed the reaction and thought, 'Damn. I pulled off the crazy rich man quite well.' He chuckled internally. 'Is this my talent? Acting--'

"Ye-yes, sir!" The guard on the ground shouted, interrupting his train of thought. "I will learn from this mistake! Thank you for forgiving me!"

'Dramatic!' Kanata roared, clenching his teeth as he watched more people gather. Even the DJ stopped playing his music. 'Am I the protagonist?' He thought, noticing he was in the center of attention.

But upon looking at his current situation, he realized. He wasn't the protagonist. He was the fucking villain. He had his legs on a kneeling man's hand while threatening to kill his entire family. This wasn't what a protagonist would say!

'I better get out of here.' He thought as he walked forward. *Crunch* 'Huh?' A noise caught his attention. Looking down, he noticed he had put all his weight on the man's finger he was standing on, crushing it. '???'

"What are you doing to my employee?!" A female voice roared as someone pushed her way through the crowd. A middle-aged woman dressed in a suit stood across from Kanata, her face contorted in rage. "Who do you think you are? Coming into my club and attacking my employee?'

'She must have misunderstood.' Kanata thought, which was understandable, seeing the current situation. 'I should resolve this. A handshake should do.' He smiled as he raised his right hand to give the woman a handshake.

"He is about to use his quirk!" Someone roared.

'Huh?'

Through the side of his eyes, Kanata noticed a seven-foot-tall man charging at him. The man's broad shoulders and muscular frame fill the room with a palpable sense of power. In addition to his already massive frame, his head is that of a male lion, complete with a thick mane of golden fur and piercing amber eyes that lock onto Kanata. He was dressed in a suit that all the nightclub guards wore, but he had a golden tie, one that only the head guard wore.

"Fucking bastard is done for." Someone whispered in the crowd that now formed around him.

"Yeah, poor dumbass thinks he can come here to cause trouble."

'I can understand the confusion.' Kanata thought as he followed his instinct, honed from six years of non-stop fighting in prison, ducking down to dodge the Lion guard's grab. 'But I need to explain the situation before it escalates---'

He suddenly found himself jumping up, with his right knee connecting to under the jaw of the guard. His knee attack carried more power than a fully swung sledgehammer, completely smashing the guard's jaw and sending him flying into the air.

Kanata lightly landed on the ground, watching as the guard fell to the ground with his eyes rolled back into his socket and blood flowing out of his mouth. 'Fuck.' Kanata thought, a forced smile on his face. 'My body countered and attacked by itself. How convenient.'

The entire nightclub went deadly silent as they stared at Kanata standing over the strongest guard, knocked out cold on the ground. 'Was I always this strong?'

"Then you must be fighting people with a defense-based quirk, and a strong one at that," The doctor's words echoed in his mind. "Because your punch is equivalent to being hit by a wrecking ball."

'Damn.' He chuckled, clenching his fist. 'It's like I was cock blocked from knowing I had a quirk my entire life. What is odd that everyone I ever fought up until now had a strong defense-based quirk.'

"Put your hands in the air." A firm yet reassuring voice commanded.

Turning, Kanata saw a muscular man with broad shoulders, an unnaturally long neck, long, blond hair combed dramatically to the left, covering his left eye, and dark, heavily-lashed eyes. He wore a tight-fitting black leather jacket with silver accents and a matching pair of leather pants. He also wore a pair of black boots with silver buckles and a high collar that covered his neck up to just below his chin. On his waist, he wore a thick black leather belt with a silver buckle that prominently displayed his hero name initials.

"Best Jeanist?" Kanata mumbled, sighing. 'He is a new hero, gaining fame quickly due to being a flamboyant, charismatic, passionate, and dedicated young hero. He is also known to have a chill personality.' He smiled. 'I don't care what he is doing in this club, but I am sure I can talk to him.'

Kanata decided not to raise his hands since it would be a sign of hostility like earlier, so instead, he placed his hands in his pocket.

"He's about to pull out a weapon!" Someone suddenly roared.

"WHAT!!!" Kanata roared, but before he could react, Best Jeanist waved his hand, sending out a burst of energy that rippled through the air, causing the fabric of Kanata's clothing to come to life. The threads twisted and turned, writhing like serpents as they rose to surround him, binding his arms and legs tightly. 'Fuck.' He thought as he fell face first on the ground.

"Another victory for justice and for those we protect!" Best Jeanist said, striking a pose as everyone in the club started clapping.

"Best Jeanist for the win!"

"You will be in the top twenty soon, Best Jeanist!"

"Who-hoo!"

"Serve that bastard villain right."

'What the actual fuck just happened?' Kanata thought as he laid on the ground, deciding not to struggle and escalate the situation. 'Is this what is known as the domino effect? Shit.'

The police arrived soon after, and they put him in handcuffs, throwing him into the back of a big truck, a truck he had seen on the news that was always used to capture powerful villains.

All the while, Kanata didn't resist, fearing escalating the situation. He soon found himself sitting in one of the holding cells of the Musutafu City police station.

"What are you in for?" One of the prisoners in the cell beside him asked. "I am in for beating up a guy I bullied to near death who thought he could stand up to me." He said as if prideful of his accomplishment.

"I am here for being too rich." Kanata chuckled, looking down at his handcuffs. 'And like that, I will have more stain in my record---'

*Clank* The noise of his holding cell door opening drew his attention as he looked up to see a police officer opening his door. "Mister Uchimura!" The policeman called out as Kanata quickly stood up. "You are free to go."

'Huh?' Before he could react, the police officer unlocked his cuffs and handed him back his wallet, with his credit card on top of it.

"I will lead you out." The police officer led the silent Kanata out of the police station, before saluting and leaving.

Standing in front of the police station, Kanata looked up at the night sky. 'The police are corrupt.' He knew they let him go because they saw his card, but he wouldn't complain. The corruption saved his record. 'But these past thirty minutes sure were chaotic. I still can't understand what happened.'

"You are lucky to be rich." A familiar voice drew his attention. Standing under a tree nearby was Maemi, who was staring at him.

"YOU!" Kanata growled, stomping toward her. He said standing in front of her and looking down at Maemi. "You caused all this!"

"I thought you would have a gold or premier card like normal rich people, so I wanted to use it to scare the guard, but..." She stared into Kanata's eyes. "Who are you? Why do you have a VIP card?"

Kanata looked down at his card, putting it in his wallet. "I am an investor." He replied, sighing. "But why did you take my wallet without my permission?" He asked, shooting a glare at her.

Maemi flenched, looking away. "S-sorry." She mumbled in a meek voice, one he had never heard from her mouth.

'Ah...' Kanata sighed, staring at her. 'She would never speak to me the same way now that she knows how rich I am.' Now he understood those K-drama protagonists that would live as poor men to find a wife.

Maemi noticed his expression, realizing what was happening. Gathering herself, she turned around. "I will tell you everything you need to know since I caused you so much trouble." She said as she walked away. "Let's continue our conversation that was interrupted earlier."

Kanata was about to leave but followed her, curious about what she was about to say. They walked in silence through the street, arriving at a dark empty park. Maemi sat on one of the benches as Kanata sat on another one, keeping his distance from her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Maemi spoke. "Regarding your question." She began, referring to his 'Are you more animal than human?' question. "I say it depends. Take me for example. I grew up like a normal human but with rabbit ears and stronger legs than an average human. When I turned twelve, I started experiencing puberty, which was when I became more 'animal.'"

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Once it started, I started experiencing 'heat' in response to mating or other stimuli. Sometimes, I even ovulate in response to the presence of a male or the sight, sound, or smell of another male." She chuckled. "Disgusting, isn't it?"

Kanata didn't say anything and just stared at the ground as she continued. "This continued through the years, getting worse with each passing day. Of course, I managed to control myself until I married my late husband when I was twenty-five and finally gave birth to my daughter at twenty-seven."

She smiled. "Once I gave birth, I returned to being a normal human. I didn't get in heat just because of the presence of another man, nor did I have to hold back my urge to assault another man."

Kanata stayed silent.

"But my twin sister was different." She mumbled, her voice growing grim. "Her puberty started at eight, and it was worse than mine. So bad that she attacked my father, trying to 'mate' with him when she was only nine. Of course, he fought her off due to his superior strength, but she only got worse.

"Day by day, she became more 'crazed.' My parents were forced to lock her in her room because she would have done the unthinkable if she had been allowed to leave." She choked on her words. "Every day at every hour, moans came from her room as she pleasured herself."

A shiver went through Kanata's body but remained silent.

"On the night of our tenth birthday, my father entered her room when I and my mother were sleeping..." She went silent, causing Kanata to draw a conclusion to the story himself, but thankfully, he was wrong. "He killed my sister."

"She was too deranged to keep on living. She was constantly in heat, and letting her keep on living was torture." Tears flowed down her eyes. "He called the police on himself and the state my sister was found in when they arrived and immediately sealed the case.

"He was charged with rape, murder, incest, pedophilia, and much other fucking crime he didn't commit." She cried, her voice growing louder. "He was sent to prison after a trial that was a hundred percent against him, much to my and my mother's protest, and there he was tortured and killed by other inmates who saw him as a sick man."

She turned to look at Kanata, who didn't dare look up from the ground he was staring at. "And guess what?" She asked with a chuckle. "My daughter." She choked, tears and mucus soiling her face. "She is just like my sister."

A shiver went through Kanata's body. 'That's why she was in the hospital two days ago.' He thought, recalling her swollen eyes when he met her after his examination. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling.

He looked at the bawling woman, confused about what to do. Should he pat her back? Hug her? Would she accuse him of sexual assault even though he was only trying to console her? Was it even his place to console her?

What even was her name?

So, he just sat there with her as she cried her heart out.

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Author's Note

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Bro...