Scandals and Puzzles

[Word Count: 2998]

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Ruby Tsukumo was a peculiar baby with an undeniable fixation on her mother. From the moment she was born, she would eagerly seek her mother's attention, captivated by every interaction. However, when it came to her father, Leo, Ruby's demeanor took a neutral turn.

During their initial encounter, Leo held Ruby up by her armpits, and she couldn't help but gawk at her father's striking appearance. It was clear in her baby mind that he was undeniably handsome, even causing her to drool in admiration.

Leo was well acquainted with the attention his looks garnered, having received countless glances and stares while walking the streets or engaging in devil hunting. Although it didn't particularly bother him, as he had mastered the art of warding off unwanted attention with a single glare, it did become tiresome.

Acting on instinct, Leo adopted a confrontational stance, addressing the baby in his arms. "Got a starin' problem, bud?" he threatened.

Ruby was taken aback by her father's sudden display of hostility, causing the drool on her lip to fall off. Leo's intimidating glare was the result of years spent as a Yakuza and devil hunter, capable of sending even the most confident individuals running with a single look.

Since that interaction, Ruby maintained a certain distance when it came to her interactions with her father. Even before her death and subsequent reincarnation as Leo's child, she had some knowledge of Devil Hunters, albeit limited. The truly skilled Devil Hunters were regarded as formidable monsters. Ruby distinctly remembered one of Ai's performances being interrupted by the news of a Devil attack. The specific name of the Devil had slipped her mind, as its showing had not been particularly impressive. However, what remained etched in her memory were the image of a black-haired man with a stitched scar across his left cheek and a cream-haired woman with an eye patch over her right eye.

As a team, they effortlessly vanquished the Devil, reducing it to a gruesome heap of gore and scattered body parts. The contrast between the lively performance Ruby had been enjoying and the brutal scene of the Devil's defeat stayed with her.

Ruby recognized that her father belonged to this league of formidable hunters. She inadvertently stumbled upon a recap of Ai's performance, only to witness Leo slicing through Devils with ease. Swarms of lesser-feared devils fell before him, while the biggest threat was left mutilated on the side of the street. Leo, despite the carnage he had just unleashed, appeared unscathed, his uniform immaculate.

This realization left Ruby with a certain level of unease whenever she was in Leo's presence. If he could effortlessly tear apart devils, why not her? However, as Ruby would soon discover, Leo possessed exceptional control over his strength, especially when it came to his little ones. Unless it involved protecting his family, Leo's gentler side was rarely seen.

The only true fault that marred Leo's character was his rough personality. He had a tendency to be crude and seemed oblivious to the mood of the room. However, despite his flaws, Ruby couldn't envision anyone else as the perfect partner for Ai. Leo possessed strength, a certain level of care, and undeniable handsomeness. The one area he seemed to lack in was reliability. Being the strongest devil hunter meant little if it didn't translate into tangible success, the kind that brought home the proverbial bacon and secured their future.

Speaking of money...

"...There's a substantial scandal being concealed here," Miyako's thoughts wandered toward financial gain. She hadn't signed up to be a mere babysitter for someone else's children.

"Scandal?" Leo's voice interrupted, arriving back home unnoticed by his kids.

"When did he get here!" Ruby and Aqua thought, taken aback by Leo suddenly arriving behind him.

"That's right," Miyako proudly declared, pointing a finger at Leo. "Just imagine how much the tabloids would be willing to pay for information on the supposed strongest devil hunter and his idol wife. Ah~ I can already picture it. If I sold it to a weekly magazine, I'd be swimming in cash."

Leo appeared unperturbed by Miyako's scheming, but Ruby and Aqua were thrown into a panic. They didn't care about Leo's reputation; their primary concern was Ai. If news of the scandal broke, her career would be left in ruins.

"Ah! What do we do? Do we kill her?" Ruby blurted out in a panic.

Aqua shook his head, dismissing the idea. "That's not an option. She has a considerable advantage in size. The only one who could do it would be..." His voice trailed off as he glanced at Leo, who had settled down on the couch. Aqua felt a twinge of unease. Could he really rely on the man who had ordered his death in a previous life?

Ruby, is surprised by Aqua's willingness to resort to murder. Like father like son, huh? "I was joking, but..." she hesitated. Despite her reservations, if it meant saving Ai's career, what lengths would she—or rather, they—be willing to go to?

Meanwhile, Miyako searched through various documents, desperately seeking Ai's maternity records. Leo observed her, his arm resting on his knee as he propped his head up with his hand.

"You serious about this?" Leo questioned, feigning indifference. He had everything to lose if his relationship with Ai was exposed. The potential backlash and tabloid frenzy would be the least of his worries.

"I don't give a damn anymore, I'm going to do it," Miyako declared, a touch of madness in her eyes.

"Hmmm," Leo hummed, his gaze fixed on Miyako as she finally found the maternity records. "I may not particularly care about my reputation, but Ai cherishes her idol status. If her dreams were suddenly shattered, and you were the cause..."

Leo's voice trailed off, leaving a vague threat hanging in the air. Miyako turned to face him, scoffing in defiance. "And what would you do?"

Leo gave her a serious look, devoid of his usual crudeness or playfulness. His eyes locked onto Miyako, reflecting her silhouette.

"I'd kill you."

Miyako and Aqua were taken aback by Leo's chilling declaration, their nervousness swallowing them. In contrast, Ruby couldn't contain her joy.

"Yeah! You tell her, Papa! No one messes with Mama!" Ruby cheered enthusiastically.

Miyako attempted to suppress her nerves with a scoff but failed, her shaky hand reaching for her phone to capture images of the records.

Aqua watched anxiously as Leo withdrew his hand from his pocket, reaching for the familiar presence of his knife. Miyako's greed had pushed them to this point. If they didn't intervene, she would vanish, never to be seen again.

With quick thinking, Aqua hoisted himself onto the coffee table, mustering an air of authority.

"O-O, foolish mortal. Thy heart's thirst cannot be quenched by champagne," he declared, his words now dripping with eloquence instead of baby gibberish.

Startled by the unexpected voice, Miyako swiftly turned around, her nerves already frayed from Leo's earlier threat. She wasn't prepared for another complication.

To her surprise, Miyako found Leo casually observing Aqua, who sat on the coffee table with a raised eyebrow.

"You can talk?" Leo inquired, his tone casual. He seemed neither surprised nor concerned about Aqua's sudden mastery of speech. Nevertheless, Aqua continued to address Miyako, disregarding Leo's remark.

"I... I am a Divine Messenger. Your careless rampage can no longer be overlooked," Aqua proclaimed with conviction.

"A Divine Messenger?" Miyako practically gasped, struggling to find the right words. Then she pointed at Aqua. "Wait, the baby is talking? This can't be real."

"Uhhh... Even if you say God sent you, I don't believe in religious stuff, so..." Miyako nervously responded, her eyes darting around as she desperately searched for a plausible explanation. "Oh, I know, this is a prank, right? Like those TV shows, Ai is in, where they prank the managers. I've heard of that."

Ruby, catching on to Aqua's plan, climbed onto the coffee table, while Miyako continued to scan the room for signs of a hidden camera.

"They must have gone to great lengths. There's a hidden camera somewhere here, right?" Miyako reasoned, trying to make sense of the situation.

Leo watched the grown woman start to believe in Divine Messengers disguised as babies and muttered to himself, "She can't seriously be buying into this, can she?"

Realizing her quest for a hidden camera was futile, Miyako turned her attention to Ruby.

"Now, now, Ruby, it's dangerous to be up on the tab—" she began, but before she could lay a hand on Ruby, the little tot smacked her hand away.

"Know thyself! I am Amaterasu incarnate... the god you people speak of," Ruby confidently declared, giving Miyako a glare that mirrored one of Leo's famous expressions.

Despite the sheer stupidity of the situation, Leo couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. His little girl was embodying the iconic Tsukumo family glare. What father wouldn't be proud of that?

Miyako, on the other hand, was far from proud. She was utterly bewildered, baffled, mystified, perplexed even.

"Goddess..." Miyako whispered in shock.

"You are on the verge of abandoning the gods' will... For the sake of immediate financial gain," Ruby's voice took on a chilling and disgusted tone. "Ai Hoshino has been chosen by the God of Entertainment, and her twin children, too, have been entrusted with a grand destiny. It is your duty to protect them. Your actions have defied the gods, and if you persist, you shall face divine punishment!"

"Divine punishment!?" Miyako repeated, panic flooding her voice. "What does that entail? Tell me specifically!"

"Specifically?" Ruby hesitated, panic creeping into her voice. "Specifically..."

"You'll die," Aqua interjected, saving Ruby from her momentary uncertainty.

"Yes!" Ruby confirmed. "You'll die!"

"Nooo!" Miyako cried out, consumed by a deep sense of dread. "That's terrifyingly specific!"

Leo's pride evaporated. "Are you fucking serious?" he questioned, his earlier threat apparently not meeting the divine standards. Such bullshit criteria.

Aqua, seemingly the only one to acknowledge Leo's outburst, acknowledged the ridiculousness of the circumstances. Ruby was too engrossed in her character, and Miyako was too preoccupied with avoiding her impending demise to notice the redundancies.

"What... should I do?" Miyako asked, her fear palpable.

"The answer is simple. You must protect the mother's secret, dote on these children, and obey their every command," Ruby commanded with an air of authority.

A sense of pride engulfed the twins, particularly Ruby, who had shouldered much of the burden. Miyako willingly accepted the terms, sealing the pact.

Now, the challenge lay in securing Leo's collaboration to ensure the success of their elaborate scheme in the long run. The problem was, Leo saw through their façade. No matter how they approached it, they couldn't manipulate him in the same way they had manipulated Miyako.

"And you," Aqua mustered his confidence, pointing directly at Leo. "The same applies to thee."

"Huh?" Leo responded, adopting his signature Yakuza look, as he prepared to confront the one-year-old. "Are you threatening me, God? I'll fuckin' drop you."

Aqua couldn't help but shiver as chills ran down his little body. A head-on confrontation with a grown man capable of taking on devils without hesitation was an unwinnable battle. He needed to resort to his trump card—Ruby.

Glancing at Ruby, Aqua saw that she understood his silent message. Crawling forward, Ruby raised her hands, signaling that she wanted to be picked up.

Leo's eyebrow twitched, but he couldn't resist the sight of Ruby's puppy eyes. With a resigned sigh, he picked her up.

"Papa," Ruby uttered, gazing at Leo with her best attempt at puppy eyes.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Leo and Aqua shared a silent understanding, their eyebrows twitching in sync. Aqua, too, adopted the puppy dog eyes.

Leo sighed, knowing he would help Ai regardless. If his little manipulative brats sought his assistance, who was he to deny them?

"Fine, fine, whatever. I'll play along," Leo relented, a smirk forming on his face. He then pointed at Aqua with a warning. "But don't think this is over, God. If I ever see you, you're getting punched in the mouth."

Aqua gulped, his confidence wavering as he found himself on the receiving end of Leo's intimidating gaze. He quickly composed himself, reminding himself that he was supposed to be a Divine Messenger. However, deep down, he knew that crossing paths with Leo could lead to a world of trouble.

With Ruby safely cradled in Leo's arms, a mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes. She had achieved her goal of enlisting his cooperation, and now it was time to solidify their alliance.

"Papa, we need your help," Ruby pleaded, her voice laced with both determination and innocence. "Mama's career and future depend on it."

Leo's stern expression softened as he looked down at Ruby, his daughter's unwavering trust tugging at his heartstrings.

"You greedy little goddess, I already said I'd play along," Leo conceded, his voice filled with a mixture of resignation and affection. "Whatever it takes."

Ruby beamed, a triumphant smile lighting up her face. She nestled closer to Leo, basking in the warmth of his embrace. It was a rare moment of unity and determination shared between father and daughter.

As Ruby and Leo shared their tender moment, Aqua's troubled gaze remained fixed on Leo, filled with conflicting emotions and unanswered questions.

He couldn't deny the reservations he held about Leo, because he was believed to be the one who orchestrated his previous life's demise. However, the more Aqua observed Leo's actions, the less convinced he became of his involvement. Leo was not one to shy away from confrontation; in fact, he faced danger head-on, battling devils fearlessly. This contradiction perplexed Aqua and cast doubt on the accusations against Leo.

"Was Leo truly responsible for my death?" Aqua pondered silently, the weight of uncertainty pressing upon him.

Contemplating his past, Aqua's mind drifted back to the time before he became Aquamarine Tsukumo, when he was known as Gorou Amamiya. Memories of his dedication as Ai Hoshino's trusted doctor flooded his thoughts, the anticipation of assisting her in delivering her precious babies.

Crunching leaves beneath his feet accompanied Gorou's footsteps as he left the hospital, elated and proud. The night air held a sense of anticipation, signaling that the call he had been waiting for would soon come.

A small smile adorned his face as he reveled in the joyous thoughts, only to have the tranquility shattered by a voice calling out to him.

"Hey, buddy," a mysterious figure called from behind Gorou. "Are you Ai Hoshino's doctor?"

Startled by the sudden presence, Gorou glanced back and saw a shadowy figure obscured by a hoodie. Unease gripped him, although it paled in comparison to the aura Leo emanated. Summoning his courage, Gorou turned to face the enigmatic stranger.

"She's using an assumed name," Gorou began, his voice steady. "Even if you saw her in the hospital, how do you know her family name, which was never made public?"

The stranger seemed taken aback by Gorou's unexpected confrontation, caught off guard by his assertiveness.

"Are you affiliated with her?" Gorou continued, taking a step forward with calm determination. "May I have your name?"

Without warning, the stranger abruptly turned and sprinted away, initiating a chase that led them deep into the forest. The dense canopy enveloped them, concealing the night sky and casting an eerie darkness over their path.

Thoughts raced through Gorou's mind as he ran, considering the possibility that the man could be a stalker, especially given the timing, with Ai on the brink of giving birth.

Determined, Gorou pushed himself harder, increasing his speed as he pursued the stranger through the labyrinth of trees.

Eventually, the chase reached its climax, with Gorou losing sight of the man at the end of a trail that descended into a cliff.

Cursing under his breath, Gorou scanned his surroundings in a frantic search for his elusive pursuer.

"Where did he go?" Gorou muttered, panic gripping his heart as he spun around, only to be met with a chilling sight.

Over his shoulder, the man he had been chasing lunged at him with a knife, plunging it into Gorou's chest with brutal force.

"Tsukumo sends his regards," the man uttered callously before shoving Gorou off the cliff's edge, sending him hurtling into the abyss below, his consciousness fading into darkness.

.

.

Gorou's awareness slowly returned, a faint sound of his ringing phone piercing the veil of his disoriented state.

"My...phone... Has Ai gone into labor?" he mumbled, disoriented in the pitch-black abyss that surrounded him.

His attempts to move proved futile, as if his body had been rendered immobile, and a desperate sense of urgency washed over him.

"I need... to get up," Gorou whispered with determination, straining against his limitations in vain.

Time slipped through his fingers, slipping away as he fought against his immobility, driven by an unwavering determination to fulfill his duty.

Inevitably, darkness consumed Gorou's senses, leaving him adrift in a void of nothingness, the weight of his unfulfilled purpose lingering in his fading consciousness.

.

.

Aqua's senses jolted as a hand reached out to gently pat his head, causing him to let out a startled gasp. Following the arm connected to the hand, he discovered that it was Leo who had approached him.

"You good?" Leo asked, his tone lacking overt concern but his eyes revealing a glimmer of care.

Aqua quickly wiped away the tears that had welled up in the corners of his eyes, nodding meekly in response. Leo concluded the comforting gesture with one final rub before withdrawing his hand.

The memories of helplessness still fresh in his mind left an unpleasant taste in Aqua's mouth. Despite his lingering suspicions, Leo stood as the prime suspect in Gorou's murder. Yet, as he looked at the Leo before him, doubts crept in. In his own peculiar way, Leo demonstrated a deep sense of care for his family, including Aqua.

However, asking Leo directly, "Hey, did you have Gorou Amamiya killed?" would inevitably expose Aqua as a reincarnator. The repercussions were too uncertain. How would Leo react? How would Ai respond? What would result in Ruby?

With a heavy heart, Aqua made the difficult decision to bury his doubts and suspicions deep within himself. The memory of Gorou's tragic end loomed over his perception of Leo, casting a shadow of uncertainty. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit, but Aqua couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to the story, that Leo's involvement might be a misunderstood fragment of the truth.