Akashi's POV
"Where the hell is she?!" he spat, grabbing Aomine's collar in undeniable rage.
"Calm down, Akashi. We won't find her if you don't use your brain," Aomine said as he holds onto the redhead's deadly grip.
Akashi could practically feel himself slipping further into his anger as a million different thoughts ran through his mind.
He warned her, and yet...
The moment he received the text from her saying she'd be heading to the game anyway, he almost completely lost his mind.
He rushed to the venue as fast as he could and realized it was far too late when the audience erupted in hushed discussions about Fukuda Sōgō's missing ace.
"Did he leave his team to play against Kaijo? Wahh, he's insane,"
Akashi's vision turned crimson red and he immediately looked for Momoi, silently praying that the blonde was just with her all along.
"I'll kill you," he said, his baseless threat making the pink-haired girl shiver in fear.
"I-I'm really sorry, Akashi-kun. Aomine-kun called for me suddenly and I had no choice but to leave her. B-But I swear, I didn't think she would get lost!" she explained frantically.
The tanned male clicked his tongue and gestured her to stand behind him and away from the emperor's lethal gaze.
"Akashi, you need to calm down. Shogo's a dick but he won't do anything illegal. Plus, he's risking his title as an athlete. I think we need to-"
"Daiki," he seethed, making the male flinch. "You saw what he did to Himuro Tatsuya, and you still think he can't hurt a helpless girl?" he said, referring to the incident that broke out just a few days ago.
Haizaki Shogo was a dangerous and violent man. He joined the Teiko Basketball team in middle school and earned himself the right to play for the first string.
However, during their second year, Akashi forced him to quit the team, deeming him too turbulent and too unstable for his own good.
Of course, Shogo didn't take the order lightly and it wasn't until Akashi heard of his fist fight with Himuro Tatsuya that he remembered the words he said to Akashi that day.
"I'll crush you. I'll crush your team. I'll crush everyone you love until you bow your head in front of me. Believe me Akashi Seijuro, I'll ruin your life."
"We'll find her Akashi. But first, you really need to calm down."
* * *
It's been almost an hour since Sayuri went missing and the whole of Seirin plus Rina got involved in the search.
The skies were dark and the bulk of the crowd was mostly inside the stadium, preoccupied with the match between Kaijo and Fukuda Sōgō.
Akashi wanted so badly to call the authorities and her parents for help, but Rina knocked some sense into him, reminding the boy that Shogo was in fact, still a high school student, and that meant any reports made on minors will require more paperwork and less of the actual searching.
Akashi never felt this emotion before. His condescending attitude and the immense trust he puts on himself makes it very difficult to even feel worried about others. But this was never the case for Sayuri.
She was the one person Akashi could never afford to lose. Take everything away from him; his parents, his intelligence, his emperor eye, his basketball - he didn't care. All he wanted at that moment was to have Sayuri back to him, safe and sound.
"Aomine!" Kagami called from a dim-lit area outside the venue.
The boy's voice caught both Akashi's and Aomine's attention and they both ran to where he was.
"Is this hers?" Kagami asked, pointing to a navy-blue scrunchie left on the ground.
Akashi leaned down to take a closer look, his eyes widening, "That's hers," he replied, sure of his assumption.
As if on cue, his phone's ring tone fills the air and he immediately reached out for it from his pocket. He noticed the number of an unknown caller and accepted the call.
"If you want her back, fight me. Oh, and don't you dare bring anyone else," hearing the voice from the other side of the line immediately made his blood boil.
"Unless, of course... you want something to happen to her," the voice chuckled.
"You know where to find me, Akashi Seijuro."
Akashi couldn't even say anything. Words couldn't describe the wrath he felt upon hearing his voice.
He clutched the phone tightly in his hands.
"Sorry, I need to go to him alone," he stated, turning his dark gaze to the rest of them, everyone eagerly waiting for him to explain what the call was about.
He turned his attention to Kagami, looking distressed from the suspense, "Thank you."
He nodded at Aomine, knowing that he'd immediately understand what he wanted to do.
* * *
When he got to the Teiko Middle School campus, he didn't expect the feeling of nostalgia to be completely blocked away.
He felt nothing running through the familiar courtyard and felt nothing as he robustly pushed the gymnasium's door open.
Just as he expected, a tall, dark-haired boy sat across the basketball court on the bench, a familiar girl's head resting on his lap.
The crimson in Akashi's vision intensified as he saw the boy's hand indecently caressing her sleeping face.
He hastily ran towards them, eyes glowing in red and yellow.
"Get your filthy hands off her."
He didn't waste any time. He hastily reached towards his empress, eager to feel her warmth as a safeguard that she's still there.
"Whoops, not so fast shorty," Shogo laughed. A stark glare of light caused him to take notice of the small knife he held in his hand, its blade placed dangerously close to the blonde's neck.
Akashi froze in his tracks, not willing to risk her from getting hurt.
"You know, I had a little bit of fun with her while waiting for you," Shogo grinned. "You've got a pretty good girl wrapped around your finger Seijuro."
That was it.
That was all it took for Akashi's emperor eye to activate.
Without even thinking twice, he predicted the boy's next move, effortlessly snatching the knife from his hand and swinging it hard towards his face.
The dark-haired boy could barely dodge it but his eyes widened at the sudden shift in Akashi's aura.
He laughed maniacally, "Interesting. Akashi Seijuro finally showing his true colours over a measly girl,"
Akashi retracted the knife and moved in quickly until he grabbed a hold of Shogo's head. The boy clearly struggled with the sheer power of his actions and before he knew it, he was helplessly forced onto the floor, knees digging into the ground painfully as Akashi held his head in place.
"Lower your fucking head, Shogo."
The dark-haired boy's eyes widened in fear as he saw Akashi hold the knife tightly.
"You made the wrong move to mess with me, you asshole."
Shogo felt his life flash before his eyes as he followed the sharp knife's movement. He swore he saw Akashi almost thrust the object in his throat, when suddenly, he halted his advances.
"Sei-kun,"
Every cell in Akashi's body responded to her voice.
The softness and the mellifluous tone of her plea immediately snapped him back, and he could feel his darker self retreating like it was never there.
His eyes darted to the girl in front of him, her eyes drowsy from her unpleasantly, deep sleep.
The view before her made her clasp her mouth with her hands. "Seijuro...what.."
Just before he could say anything. The abrupt sound of the door swinging open filled the gymnasium.
To Akashi, everything felt like it was in slow-motion. From the time Aomine and the others bursted through the door, to the moment he dropped the knife and ran to her in unexplainable relief.
He held her so, so tight that he couldn't believe he managed to survive all his life devoid of her in his arms. From her comforting warmth and the sweet scent of her hair, to the way she subconsciously clutched onto the fabric of his shirt - it truly felt like waking up from a fever dream.
As he held her in his arms, he placed his right hand on the top of her head, stroking it lightly to make sure she's alright.
He noticed the tears running from her precious blue eyes, and the sight made his heart sting.
No, no, please. Don't cry.
He held her face closer to his chest, trying to block the voices of Aomine and Kagami ferociously screaming at Shogo from her ears.
"Seijuro, what's happening..." she sobbed, her tears uncontrollably falling from her pained orbs. He looked down at the clueless girl and swore he felt his heart shatter to pieces at the sight.
"Shhh, it's okay Princess. I got you," he assured, still caressing her hair lovingly to soothe her.
It was at that moment that he felt an overwhelming feeling consume him. It was a feeling he swore he'd never allowed himself to feel again after discovering his father's affair.
He looked down at the girl and placed a gentle hand on her right cheek.
"Sayuri,"
He had to tell her now, or else he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
"I love you."