Enchanted by His Beauty; Kamisato Ayato X Reader

Chapter 37: Gambit's Ploy

At that moment, Ayato's breath seemed to halt, his very world-shattering before him. He stared, aghast, the vibrant lavender of his eyes gradually draining of all emotion, leaving behind a hollow void. How could the Commissioner, a man who had once been an ally to his parents, be capable of such cruelty? His entire family had been torn from him, all because of the betrayal by Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke. Within him surged a whirlpool of emotions: seething hatred, an unquenchable thirst for retribution, and an unsettling resolve.

Takayuki's face remained untouched by guilt. "The world believed that Kayo, the ill-fated wife of the wretched Kamisato, met her end due to a fungal toxin fifteen years past. It's true, she did. But what they didn't know was that I was the architect of her demise. The pathetic girl sought to alert the Shogun, so I ensured her silence by allowing one of her loyal maids to lace her afternoon tea with poison."

Ayato's breaths came in heavy, ragged bursts, each inhale a searing reminder of the burning turmoil within him. His jaw clenched so tightly that it seemed as though his teeth might shatter from the force. Every fiber of his being was consumed by the knowledge that his entire family, his parents, who had meant everything to him, had been mercilessly taken from him by the hands of Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke. The weight of that truth pressed upon him, threatening to crush him under the unbearable burden of loss and fury.

Kujou Takayuki lowered his sword, turning his cruel gaze towards his soldiers, his voice like a whip crack in the tense air, "Shut down this demon-worshiping shrine!"

"Yes sir!" A few soldiers wasted no time in unleashing chaos upon the sacred place.

They vandalized the shrine with a ruthless passion, shattering statues that had stood in silent reverence for generations. The harsh clatter of stone meeting stone echoed through the once-serene grounds, drowning out the sacred silence that once filled the air.

In their madness, the soldiers desecrated offerings, casting them aside with callous disregard. Ornate bowls, once cradling tokens of faith and devotion, now lay shattered, their contents strewn haphazardly across the floor like fallen stars. The rich, earthy scent of incense, once a soothing balm to weary souls, now mingled with the acrid tang of destruction.

Fortune slip boxes, once carefully tended by the shrine's keepers, were kicked over with a disdainful boot, their vibrant slips of paper fluttering like wounded birds. Each slip, once a beacon of hope and guidance, now lay trampled and forsaken.

The once-pure waters of the purification fountain were tainted as ladles, wielded with reckless abandon, were hurled carelessly to the ground. The clinks and splashes seemed to mock the sincerity that once graced the ritual, their harsh sounds a crude intrusion upon the sacred rhythm of the shrine.

Yae boiled with a fury that threatened to consume her. How dare they defile this holy place? The fire of indignation blazed in her chest, her teeth sinking into her lip, a futile effort to contain her fury. This shrine, where she had devoted much of her life, now lay violated by these buffoons.

With a twisted smile, Kujou Takayuki closed the distance to Yae, his voice a nasty whisper in her ear, every word dripping with spite, "Do not even consider the thought of using your power against me. You and I both know that your precious God teeters on the edge of existence, her life hanging by the sliver of a sword. Her physical form may be no more, but as long as her consciousness endures, so does her life. And that sword, the one I possess, will crumble to dust should you dare to obstruct my plans. You wouldn't want your beloved Shogun to meet her end, would you?"

The tranquility of the sacred shrine was ravaged by the barbaric hands of soldiers as they seized a group of trembling shrine maidens. Panic ignited their voices, their frantic shouts echoing through the once-peaceful grounds, "Release us!"