Ten years had passed.
Kagekami grew up under Arcturus's watchful eyes — helping Annie around the house, learning the shape of ordinary life, never quite understanding why his father looked at him the way he did.
One afternoon Kagekami was sitting in the living room watching television when Arcturus appeared in the doorway.
"Follow me."
Kagekami switched off the TV and followed him out of the city, through the edge of town and into an open field far from anything familiar. He looked around then back at his father.
"Dad, what are we doing out here?"
Arcturus turned. Ten years of frustration sat behind his eyes, barely contained.
"Ten years," he said, his voice low and tight. "Ten years I waited. For what. Nothing."
Kagekami took a step toward him and reached out, his hand finding his father's shoulder.
Arcturus's fist drove into his gut.
Kagekami crumpled to the ground. Before he could process what had happened the kicks came — methodical and relentless. He curled inward, hands over his face. A heel came down on his head and the world tilted sideways.
When it stopped Arcturus stood over him, breathing steady, expression cold.
"You are a mistake. You should never have been born. The mere thought of me being your father fills me with utter disgust. Killing myself wouldn't change the fact that you are absolute filth. Your birth was a sin, and I am the punishment." He looked down at him one final time. "I will make sure you live in hell."
He walked away.
Arcturus glanced back once at the boy lying in the dirt and thought to himself — Useless. His body is that of a regular person. I am a God and I can feel nothing in him — no power, nothing extraordinary. Perhaps the next one will not disappoint me this way.
Kagekami lay in the field for a long time. The tears came without permission and he let them fall, then wiped them away, then dragged himself upright and began the long walk home.
Annie was at the door when he arrived, arms folded, worry carved into her face.
The door creaked open. She saw him — bruised, battered, moving carefully — and crossed the room before he could speak.
"What happened to you?"
Kagekami lowered himself to the floor. "It's nothing, Mum."
She didn't argue. She got the first aid kit and knelt beside him, working quietly and carefully. When most of the damage was covered she tilted his chin up gently and looked at him.
"You're going to be a big brother."
Something shifted behind his eyes. The pain moved aside and made room for something else entirely — something fierce and protective that hadn't been there before. A smile broke across his face, slow and genuine.
Annie smiled back.
If my little sister is born he will hurt her, Kagekami thought. No. I won't allow it. Anyone who dares touch her will pay.
The door opened. Arcturus walked in, his gaze passing over Kagekami like he wasn't there.
Annie stood. "Honey — someone hurt Kagekami—"
"He's a man," Arcturus said without breaking stride. "Let him handle it himself."
Kagekami grit his teeth. He got up, walked to his room and lay down on his bed staring at the ceiling.
Mum, he thought. You're so happy with him. If I told you the truth about who he really is it would destroy you. I won't do that to you.
Months passed. Arcturus's abuse of Kagekami continued — quiet, deliberate, always out of Annie's sight.
Then Annie gave birth to a baby girl. They named her Sora.
Months after Sora's birth Arcturus sat in the living room cradling her, one finger stroking her forehead gently. Sora looked up at him with wide curious eyes. Then her tiny hand closed around his finger.
And snapped it.
Arcturus went completely still. Then slowly a smile spread across his face — the truest smile he had worn in ten years.
She inherited the Absolute.
Eight years passed. Sora grew up wrapped in Annie's warmth and Arcturus's carefully disguised interest, never knowing what either of them truly meant to the man who called himself her father.
One afternoon Kagekami took her out for ice cream. He let go of her hand for a moment and looked up at a large digital billboard overhead as it broadcast:
Following in her father's footsteps, Ms. Kasami has become the youngest S-Rank Protector in recorded history…
Ms. Kasami… Kagekami thought, staring up at the billboard.
He looked to his side.
Sora was gone.
His heart dropped. He spun around — scanning faces, gaps between people, every direction at once — and called her name. Nothing. He pushed through the crowd, calling louder, his chest tightening with every second she didn't answer.
Sora had followed a cat.
It had darted into a narrow alley and she'd gone after it without a second thought, certain Kagekami was right behind her. The cat vanished behind a stack of boxes and no matter how hard she looked she couldn't find it.
She turned around.
"Kagekami, the cat's gone."
Nobody was there.
She looked left. Right. The alley was empty. She called his name once, twice, and when nothing came back she crouched down on the pavement and began to cry.
A finger tapped her gently on the nose.
Sora opened her eyes. A girl was crouching in front of her, about Kagekami's age, looking at her with a calm and patient smile.
"Hello. My name's Saito. What's yours?"
Sora wiped her face with her sleeve. "S-Sora."
"Are you alone, Sora?"
Sora shuffled closer instinctively. "I lost my brother. He was buying me ice cream."
Saito studied her for a moment then stood and held out her hand. "Do you know the way home?"
Sora nodded.
"Then let's get you back."
Kagekami had searched everywhere. The ice cream stand, the surrounding streets, the park nearby. Nothing. His mind was already composing the worst version of every possible scenario as he turned and headed home, dreading the look on Annie's face when he told her.
He reached the front door. It opened before he could touch it.
A girl stood in the doorway with Sora's hand in hers.
Their eyes met. Something flickered in Kagekami's head before he could stop it — she's cute — and then Sora launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his waist.
He hugged her back, relief flooding through him, and looked back up at the girl. "Wait — who are you?"
Annie appeared behind her. "She found Sora after you lost her." The way she said lost her carried just enough weight to make the point.
Kagekami opened his mouth. Closed it.
Saito glanced at Annie. "I should be getting home."
"Of course." Annie smiled warmly. "Kagekami will walk you. And you're welcome here anytime, Saito."
Saito smiled and stepped outside. Kagekami fell into step beside her, the evening air cool around them, and spent the first half of the walk trying to think of something to say that didn't sound ridiculous.
"You live around here?" he finally managed.
Saito hesitated. "Yes."
He was about to try again when she stopped walking.
"Thank you for walking me." She said it simply, without looking at him.
"Oh." He stopped. "No problem. I'll — see you soon."
She walked the rest of the way not looking back.
Kagekami stood there for a moment longer than necessary before turning back.
Months passed. Saito became a quiet fixture in their home — appearing at the door, sitting at the table, occasionally staying for dinner. Sora adored her immediately. Annie treated her like she'd always belonged there.
Kagekami didn't complain.
One evening Kagekami woke from a nap to Annie calling his name. He shuffled out to the living room and found her by the door, coat on, bag over her shoulder. Arcturus was already outside, moving toward the car without looking back.
Annie turned to Kagekami and held his shoulder. "Your father and I are going out. We'll be back tomorrow." She looked at him steadily. "Protect Sora. Make sure she eats and bathes."
Kagekami nodded.
"The number of Ripper attack victims at the hospital keeps rising," she added quietly, almost to herself.
Kagekami's fist tightened at his side. "I'd do anything to protect Sora."
Annie smiled at that — the kind of smile that meant she believed him. She turned toward the car then looked back one more time. "Love you. Tell Sora I love her too."
She got in. Arcturus glanced once at Kagekami through the window — a flat, unreadable look — then pulled away.
Kagekami stood in the doorway until the car disappeared. Then he went back inside.
Arcturus took Annie to a five star restaurant on the other side of the city. Candlelight, white tablecloths, the kind of quiet that money buys.
Annie ate slowly, watching him across the table. He hadn't touched his food. He was staring at nothing, jaw tight, somewhere else entirely.
He hasn't even looked at his plate, she thought.
Then she heard him murmur something under his breath.
"Sora…"
Before she could react he shot up from his seat, nearly knocking the table. His voice rang out across the restaurant, too loud, too bright, something unhinged underneath it.
"As soon as she reaches the right age I will take back what is rightfully mine!" He laughed — wide and triumphant and completely wrong for the room. "I will have it all!"
The restaurant went silent.
A man at the next table stood slowly and placed a hand on Arcturus's shoulder, squeezing. "You need to sit down. Or else—"
Arcturus glanced at him.
The man came apart. It happened so fast that for a moment nobody understood what they were seeing. Then the screaming started and the entire restaurant surged toward the exits.
Arcturus's voice cut through the panic like something cold and absolute.
"Whoever opens that door will be a distant memory."
Everyone froze.
Annie looked up at him from her seat. Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Who — what are you?"