23 Chapter 23: Akemi Monoma 

A sleek black Lexus LC Convertible, with the car's top up, cruised through the bustling afternoon highway of Musutafu, its smooth movements and refined exterior drawing the attention of drivers and pedestrians alike.

Solomon and Kanata sat comfortably in the back seat, engaged in quiet conversation. Solomon donned plain black sweatpants, a matching baggy hoodie, and black sneakers. While Kanata wore a form-fitting black t-shirt that emphasized his lean yet muscular physique, dark blue jeans, a pair of black leather sneakers, and a black gold skeleton watch adorned his wrist.

Unlike his normal appearance, his tousled hair was combed back, falling carelessly over his broad shoulders, with his beard shaved to only leave a light stubble that reached down to his neck.

"This is nerve-wracking," Kanata mumbled, clenching his fist on his lap. "Why are you so relaxed?" He asked, glancing at Solomon.

"Because, unlike you, I have nothing to fear." She replied, bringing out her phone to look at the data regarding the machine learning for her AI running back home. "Beside? Why are you scared?" She looked at him through the side of her eyes. "Do you still have feelings for her?"

Kanata's whole demeanor suddenly changed as he gave Solomon a deadly glare. "I am not. Please don't say that again."

"Right." She nodded, returning her attention to the data on her phone. "So there is no reason for you to be scared, is there?"

"You are right, my daughter." Kanata nodded, glancing at the chauffeur who deftly navigated the busy streets, his eyes focused on the road. He was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed mustache and a bald head, and he wore a crisp black suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie, exuding an air of professionalism. "I shouldn't be scared, and I also need to piss."

They had both decided upon him calling her 'daughter' when in the presence of others to avoid drawing any strange glances at them. Solomon still found it weird, but she had no choice but to get it because she would be hearing it more.

Her sentence halted when she locked eyes with Kanata's deadly glare. Looking away, she mumbled. "I swear to God, that woman lives rent-free in your head."

The conversation stopped, with only the low news playing on the radio. [The world champion in Chess, Zara Ahmed, challenged Dr. Kwame Acheampong to a Chess Game. Dr. Acheampong has yet to accept...]

As the Lexus approached the hospital, Kanata spoke up while looking at the message on his phone. "Head to parking lot B5-V19."

"On my way, sir." The chauffeur responded, expertly maneuvering the car through the hospital's parking structure.

Descending to the third floor below ground, the car finally came to a stop in visitor parking lot 5. The area was well-lit, the fluorescent lights casting a cold glow over the concrete walls and floors, with several other cars parked nearby and the faint hum of the hospital's air conditioning system providing constant background noise.

As the chauffeur shifted the Lexus into a parking space, he quickly exited the car, opening the door for Solomon and Kanata and stepping back. "We've arrived, sir. I'll be waiting here for you once you're finished."

Kanata nodded his appreciation as he stepped out, followed by Solomon, who put her phone away. "Now, where is mommy?" She asked playfully as someone suddenly gripped her shoulders, causing her to leap into the air in fear and run away. She turned around to see no one standing where she once stood, but Kanata was staring bloodshot at something behind her.

'Ah, the cliché part in a movie.' She thought, noticing a looming shadow over her. 'She's right behind me, isn't she?'

Just then, a hand grabbed her shoulders, but she was expecting it, so she didn't jump or run away. "You are healthier than before." A calm and collected female voice spoke from behind her. "You can even walk and speak." She continued her voice closer to Solomon's ears. "What happened during the years we were away?"

'Well damn. I already blew my cover.' Solomon chuckled internally, not moving a muscle. 'But is this really my mother? Last I checked, she had no---' She came to a realization. 'Ah. Her copy quirk.'

"Let her go." Kanata growled, walking forward.

Akemi chuckled, her voice sounding like music. "What? I can't greet my own 'daughter?'" She asked, patting Solomon's shoulder. "Say hi to mommy, Amethyst."

Solomon looked into Kanata's eyes, understanding the unspoken message to 'shut the fuck up.' "Daughter?" He scoffed, his eyes glaring daggers at Akemi. "Daughter, my ass."

Akemi ignored him and instead spoke to Solomon. "Face me, girl."

Solomon decided to follow along and turned to face the woman who smiled down at her. She stood gracefully tall at 186 cm, her small breasts and buttocks proportionate to her lean physique, giving her an elegant and statuesque appearance. Her features were delicate and refined, complementing her willowy figure, possessing the same amethyst iris as Solomon, with her slick blond hair parted to the right with bangs hanging over her right eye.

Akemi wore a tailored black blazer with an elegant silk blouse tucked into a pair of high-waisted, slim-fitting dress pants. A black leather belt cinched her waist, and she completed the look with a pair of classic black pumps and a silver Patek Philippe chronograph watch.

"Good girl." Akemi smiled, looking right into Akemi's eyes. "Now say hi."

'To speak or not to speak.' Solomon thought as she held Akemi's eyes.

Noah replied. [It would be best if you obey her–]

Akemi suddenly slapped her across her face, still smiling. "You BITCH!" Kanata roared, charging towards Akemi with clenched fists, but before he could even move a few feet, black tendrils shut up from his own shadow and held him in place. "What the fuck is this!?" He shouted, trying to break free but no matter how much force he put in, the tendrils didn't budge.

Ignoring Kanata, Akemi looked down at her daughter, who was now holding her right cheek. "This is the first time I have hit you in years, Amethyst, and I don't like it." She whispered in a charming voice. "I hate to slap you again."

'Oh. An abusive mother.' Solomon thought, staring wide-eyed at the ground as she massaged her cheek. "Hi---"

Before she could finish her sentence, she received another slap on the other side of her face. "I feel like the villain here." Akemi sighed. "I don't like this feeling, but I have to teach you respect before you grow up to be like your father."

"I will fucking KILL YOU!" Kanata roared, adrenaline coursing through his body, but he was still unable to break through the tendrils.

Akemi didn't even spare Kanata a glance and said. "Now try again, Amethyst."

'This didn't turn out as planned.' Solomon gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Calming herself, she looked up into Akemi's periwinkle eyes. "Hi, mother." She replied, smiling charmingly. 'An abusive mother. Who would have expected this turn of event?' She thought, keeping her smile.

"Mother..." Akemi tilted her head. "I don't like that. Next time it's mommy." She smiled, patting Solomon's head. "You did well. I am sure you will grow up to be like me."

"Like you?" Kanata growled, glaring daggers at Akemi. "You fucking wish."

"What do you mean?" Akemi finally glanced at Kanata while turning Solomon around to face the trapped Kanata. "She clearly looks like me. Look at her eyes."

Kanata snarled, his anger boiling over. "She may have your eyes, but she's nothing like you. She's a million times better than you'll ever be."

"Oh, is that so?" Akemi raised an eyebrow, her smile never fading. "Well, then I must be an excellent mother to have raised such a wonderful daughter."

"You didn't raise her!" Kanata bellowed, veins bulging in his neck as he strained against the tendrils. "You abandoned her! I raised her, and I made damn sure she didn't turn out like you."

"I raised her for six years, more than you did, but oh well. I guess you were the one who made her capable of talking and walking when she didn't need food." Akemi sighed, feigning disappointment. "Well, that's a shame. I was hoping we could have a pleasant, civil reunion. But it seems you're not interested in that."

She snapped her fingers, and the black tendrils retreated, releasing Kanata. He stumbled forward, breathing heavily, and stood protectively in front of Solomon. "Stay away from her," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

"Oh, please," Akemi said, rolling her eyes. "I have no intention of harming my dear Amethyst any further. I simply want to teach her some manners."

'It was my fault.' Solomon thought, glancing up at Kanata. 'I should have expected this .'

"Is that how you teach her manners?" Kanata growled, giving Solomon a sorry look. "By hitting her?"

"I admit, it wasn't the appropriate approach." Akemi pursed her lips, her expression softening for a moment as she glanced at Solomon, still rubbing her sore cheeks. "But I've been away for so long. I wasn't sure how else to get your attention."

"Don't give me that shit." Kanata snorted, his anger still simmering. He wanted to punch her smug face, but the memory of the black tendrils stopped him. "Let's just get this doctor's visit over with, and we will be on our way."

He said, pushing past her and dragging Solomon with him, heading for the elevator. Akemi stumbles and regains her balance. "A rapist is stealing my daughter!" She cried. "Help! Oh, somebody! Help me!"

Kanata froze in his step, looking back at the crying Akemi. He quickly rushed back to her, dragging Solomon with him, handing Solomon over to her, and stepping away.

'Holy shit.' Solomon thought as she glanced at the crying Akemi. 'This woman is crazier than I expected. She is nothing like her online persona.'

[I suspected as much, sir. I am sorry for not informing you earlier.]

'Not your fault.' She replied. 'I should have expected this from her first phone call.'

Akemi smiled. "Good boy." She praised Kanata as tendrils rose up from her shadow, cleaning her tears. "How was my acting?" She asked, chuckling. "I had to learn how to cry for a movie I was starring in. It's pretty impressive."

Kanata didn't hear anything she said as he looked around, trying to spot anyone while breathing heavily. Noticing this, Akemi frowned while hugging Solomon from behind.

"Stop acting like that." She said as the tendrils retreated back into her shadow. "No one was close by. I made sure of that." She smiled. "I don't want to cause more harm to you than I already did. Just look at your driver."

Kanata turned to the chauffeur, finding his body headless laying on the ground, blood covering the ground and some of the back tire of the lexus.

"He saw too much." Akemi explained, stopping her from looking at the Lexus. "So I had Cerbera take care of her."

Kanata stared at the headless body, his heartbeat accelerating. "You killed him?"

"Now, why would I do such a vile thing?" Akemi gasped, her eyes widening as she hugged Solomon from behind. "I am not a villain. Cerbera did it."

"Who the fuck is Cerbera?!" Kanata growled, looking around for the person Akemi mentioned.

She smiled, pointing at him. "Right behind you."

Kanata's body suddenly froze as he felt something heavy breathing down his neck.

A massive dog made of shadow emerged from the darkness behind Kanata, her presence enough to send chills down his spine. She was an imposing creature, standing at an intimidating height of 7 feet, dwarfing Kanata's 6 feet stature. Her body seemed to be made entirely of an inky, fluid-like substance that constantly shifted and undulated, giving her an otherworldly appearance.

Her head was adorned with three pairs of glowing purple eyes that seemed to pierce through his very soul, and her mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth that glistened menacingly. Cerbera's long, sinuous tail swayed behind her, its tip adorned with a row of sharp, thorn-like protrusions.

Solomon stared at the massive beast, feeling her heart skip a beat. Despite her monstrous appearance, Cerbera's eyes held a hint of intelligence, making her even more unnerving.

[It would be wise if you didn't look into its eyes, sir.] Just as Noah informed her, Akemi covered Solomon's eyes with her palms.

"Cerbera is my loyal companion," Akemi explained, her voice a mixture of pride and affection. "She's an extraordinary animal with a quirk that allows her to manipulate shadows. She was the one who created those tendrils that restrained you earlier, and unfortunately, she had to take care of our dear chauffeur."

Kanata's fists clenched in anger but he quickly released them. He didn't know what animal was behind him, but he knew better than to challenge it. "You're mad." He spat, his disgust evident.

Akemi sighed, shaking her head. "I prefer to think of myself as a resourceful individual who does what is necessary," she replied dismissively. "But I do feel like the villain right now, which I don't like since the villain always loses." She mumbled thoughtfully.

"Now, let's put this unpleasantness behind us and focus on the matter at hand," Akemi suggested, her voice regaining its usual calm and collected tone. "Our daughter needs medical attention, and I'm sure you want to see her well again as much as I do."

Kanata gritted his teeth, knowing she was right. He couldn't afford to let his anger get in the way of Solomon's well-being. "Fine," he growled, his voice laced with contempt. "But after this, I want you out of our lives. For good."

"I will think about it." She replied as Cerbera shrank into Akemi's shadow, blending seamlessly into her surroundings. "Though that would depend on her quirk. I can't seem to have another child."

"Maybe because Ethan is an old fucking man." Kanata mumbled loud enough for Akemi to hear.

She looked at him through the side of her eyes, smiling. "It would be helpful if you didn't talk about my husband like that." Her smile widened, mimicking the smile Solomon showed him the first time they met back in their apartment. "Or else I will seriously consider killing you."

Kanata stepped back, shivering. "R-right."

"But you are right." She nodded, returning to her normal self as she held her hand out to Solomon, who obliged and held her hand. "I think he is too old to have a child." She sighed. "Too bad. I was already planning on naming the child Neito Monoma if it's a boy or Neita Monoma otherwise."

Shrugging, she continued. "Well, whatever. Now, stop hiding and send us up." She suddenly said, staring at one of the pillars in the parking lot.

The man who had been hiding behind the pillar emerged, his presence seemingly going unnoticed by everyone except Akemi. He was a tall, lean figure with dark hair and a mysterious air about him.

"Yo." He waved at Kanata as he greeted him. "Name's Yoshio. One of Mrs. Monoma's guards."

"He is one of my men," Akemi explained as Yoshio walked towards them while cracking his fingers. "He will take us directly to the doctor's office. I rather not be seen by people."

"I will send you now." Yoshio said as he extended his hands the black ooze-like liquid began to emanate from his hands before shooting toward Akemi and Solomon, enveloping their bodies. The black liquid that had enveloped Akemi and Solomon disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, with both of them nowhere to be seen.

"Cool right?" Yoshio asked, staring at the wide-eyed Kanata. "A space-based quirk. One of the only few in this world."

Kanata glanced at the man. "Are you not sending me?" He asked.

"Sorry, but I can't." Yoshio shook his head. "You are technically not the child's legal guardian, so you can't be with her while she has her checkup."

Kanata had suspected as much. He couldn't fully trust this man nor Akemi, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. Seeing as the man had teleported them directly to the office, he expected the man would teleport them after the test was over, so he decided to wait for them. But first he needed to use the bathroom.

Turning on his hill, Kanata walked to the elevator and pressed the button. He only had to wait a few seconds for it to arrive as the door opened for him. Entering the empty car, he turned to lock eyes with Yoshio for a moment before the door closed.

"Weird bunch," Yoshio mumbled, shaking his head. "That little girl would-"

Suddenly, he felt a dark, sinister presence looming around him. It was a familiar sensation that sent chills down his spine. It was the presence of certain death. One he felt a few months ago when he angered Akemi.

He looked around cautiously, trying to pinpoint the source of this ominous feeling. As he scanned his surroundings, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure approaching from the shadows.

"Fuck..." He mumbled, staring motionlessly at the man. "You are here for me, aren't you?"

"You are a smart one." The man in the shadow said, his deep, chilling voice echoing throughout the parking lot. "And yes, I am here for your quirk. Warping, if I'm not mistaken."

Yoshio chuckled. He had heard stories of the infamous villain, but he never thought he would come face to face with him. "How did Cerbera not sense you?" He mumbled, keeping his eyes on the man.

"That dog?" The man in the shadow questioned, his eyes glowing sinister red. "I have my ways."

"Of course, you will," Yoshio muttered, closing his eyes. 'Just my luck. I knew I should have stayed in hiding and avoided drawing attention to my quirk.'

Everyone else would be happy with getting a powerful quirk, especially rare ones like space, time, or a probability-based quirk, but he never was as he knew quirks like that would get him too much attention. Especially when the hero organization would try to recruit you or villains would keep attempting to kidnap you for your quirk. He tried to hide his quirk, but Akemi discovered him a few months ago and forced him to work for her.

Now, standing before him is One---

Before he could finish his thought, a hand made contact with his face, sending agonizing pain surging through him. A pain so unbearable that he couldn't even utter a sound. It felt as if his very essence was being ripped from his core.

"I am sorry, Yoshio Kurosawa," the man said, his voice tinged with a hint of twisted satisfaction. "I have been wanting a space quirk for a while now."

Yoshio could barely hear what the man said as the man let go of his face, causing him to fall to his knees before falling face first on the cold, hard ground.

'Hahaha...' He chuckled internally, feeling his consciousness sleeping. 'Why did I get a quirk like that?...' he thought as his mind went blank.

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Author's Note

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Debate of 'The man in the Shadow.' Now you know where he got his Warping quirk for. I feel bad for Yoshio though. Created him just for 'The man in the Shadow.' to take away his quirk and leave him an empty husk.