Chapter 20

Somewhere or to be exact Somewhen.

In an eerily silent night, the world seems to hold its breath, as if awaiting some mysterious revelation that only darkness can unveil. Shadows dance and sway, casting eerie silhouettes upon the ground, while the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze adds a whispering soundtrack to the nocturnal symphony.

In the distance, the faint call of a nocturnal creature echoes through the night, an atmospheric music that utters the hidden mysteries and untold secrets of the night. However there more creature lurking, in fact several of them, several men wearing Noh mask with trick eyebrows are seen slowly walking in the dark. With every steps they make the creatures of the night turn silent, afraid the this men would turn to them cutting with their katana sword. With every steps they take the men slowly draw their katana from the scabbard. As they drew closer to the lone house beside the temple their malice erupted like a volcano scaring the animals and incest alike as they scurry away from the Men with mask.

The men with mask stop their movement ,guarding the perimeter. One of the men approaches the door with a determined walk, their movements lacking the grace. There's an air of impatience about them, as if urgency drives their actions. With a violent tug, they grab the door handle, rattling it forcefully, the wood creaking in protest against the sudden aggression but the result is to be expected the door swing open violently, the door crash to the adjacent wall causing a sounding sound. The sound echoes though the house disturbing the peace and quite that pervaded it.

In the wake of the door being forcefully open, one of the resident of the house, a beautiful woman who has long, flowing black hair and light brown eyes abruptly wake up . As her bleary eyes adapt to the darkness, she look around the dim room, shadows dancing in the corners like specters of the night.

A sense of unease crept into her consciousness, an instinctual response to the unfamiliarity of being awake at such an hour. Perhaps a distant sound had stirred her. With cautious movements, she sat up in bed, her senses on high alert as they strained to discern any hint of danger lurking in the darkness. The air felt heavy with the weight of the unknown, tinged with a palpable sense of apprehension

She asses what is going on and came to a conclusion.

The woman look at little girl sleeping beside and say "Akeno wake up" she shake her lightly as not hurt the little girl.

"Mother what is it?" ask by Akeno who at this time and in the moment is only 10 years old without her reality getting shattered yet.

The beautiful woman who is Akeno's mother say with reassuring tone "Don't ask Mother any question ok? just follow me"

Akeno just nodded just like any innocent child they will always believe their parents , well some of them at least.

The parent and child tried to run away from the mask man but the man is able to catch up to them fast.

"Shuri!" called by one of the men as he approach Akeno and her mother who's named is Himejima Shuri.

----

After me ,Akeno and Rias enter the door, The door brought us here or I brought both of them here in the past at the exact time Himejima Shuri died in the hands of Himejima family.

Akeno and Rias look at their vicinity ,surveying on what so special at this place. Rias does not see anything special or maybe Rias just completely forget about it just like her engagement to Riser, like really girl 

 but for Akeno this is a special place for her. This was the place where she lost her mother and place full of 'bad' memories that she does not want to remember.

"Where are we?" asked by Rias to me with confused tone but she is sure that they are still in Japan because from the distance is a Japanese house standing still surrounded by mask man with katana at hand.

I turned to my left, meeting Rias's puzzled gaze with a playful smile. "You're asking the wrong question, my dear Rias-chan," I remarked, relishing in the mystery of the moment. Pausing for a beat, I watched as confusion furrowed her brow, before I gently booped her nose.

"It's 'When are we?' that's the right question," I continued, my tone lighthearted yet tinged with intrigue. With a mischievous glint in my eye, I turned to my right, where Akeno stood, her emotions swirling like a tempest cause by house from distance.

Akeno stared at me, her eyes narrowed with curiosity as she began to ask her question. "Are we..." she started, but I cut her off with a quick response, eager to play the mysterious role.

"Yes, we are," I interjected smoothly, a hint of amusement dancing in my eyes. I anticipated her next question, already formulating my response in my mind.

"Are we in..." Akeno attempted again, but I beat her to it once more, my answer delivered with a confident flourish. "Yes," I replied, my tone teasing yet enigmatic.

Akeno's smile grew wider, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she prepared to ask her next question "Did we... ". But before I could utter a word, she suddenly kicked me in the shins, causing a sharp jolt of pain to herself but not mine. She winced as she bit her lip in discomfort, a sight that only added to her allure.

"Okay, I'll stop," I conceded, raising my hands in surrender as I relented from my playful antics, at least for the moment. I could tell she was eager to get to the bottom of our current situation, and I didn't want to keep her waiting any longer.

As Akeno recovered from the unintended blow she inflicted upon herself, she asked again, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Did we time travel back in the past?"

"Yes, yes we did," I confirmed with a smug smile, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her once more. "And it's pretty easy if you ask me," I added, unable to resist a playful jab as I waited for their reaction.

I am the King of Time and Space after all.

"

Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah, you can time travel?" Rias interjected, her voice breaking the flow of our conversation as she turned her attention to me with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"Yes, Rias-chan, you heard right," I confirmed, my tone laced with a hint of amusement as I addressed her surprise. "I can pretty much do that. As you can see, we are in the past, to a time when Akeno almost got killed and her mother died."

Rias's shock was evident, her eyes widening in astonishment as she processed the information. It was understandable, she had yet to fully comprehend the extent of my abilities, unlike Akeno, who seemed to be taking the revelation in stride.

Before Rias could delve further into her questions, however, Akeno beat her to it, her voice tinged with urgency as she posed the most important question of all. "Are we planning on saving my mother?" she asked, her gaze searching mine for reassurance.

"No, we are not," I replied in a serious tone, watching as Akeno's expression shifted from hope to devastation in an instant.

Hearing my answer, Akeno's anger flared, and she stormed in front of me, her emotions boiling over as she began to hit me in frustration. I let her, understanding the depth of her pain, and pulled her into an embrace, trying to soothe her trembling form.

"Akeno..." Rias began, but I silenced her with a shake of my head, urging her to give Akeno the space she needed to process her emotions.

As Akeno gradually calmed down in my arms, her tear-stained cheeks glistening in the moonlight, I gently wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, offering her a small comfort in the midst of her turmoil.

"Did you calm down now?" I asked softly, my voice gentle as I looked into her eyes with concern.

"Yes," Akeno replied, her voice steady despite the lingering sadness in her eyes.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for her inevitable questions. "As to why we're not saving your mother... it's because it could have serious consequences for the future, especially for both you and Rias," I explained, hoping she would understand my reasoning. "And I want to address another problem here as well, so it's two birds with one stone."

"What other problem?" Akeno asked, confusion clouding her features as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Before I could respond, however, she seemed to come to a realization, her eyes widening with sudden understanding. "Do you want to kill my father?" she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"No no no, if you want me too do it but no" I denied her question entirely as fast as I can. I then started walking towards the house.

I look back to Rias and Akeno " Come on we don't want to miss the show, Sorry Akeno I don't mean it like" I urged them to follow me and apologized to Akeno at the same time.

We then moved toward the house.

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Author desu: this chapter is brought to you by chatgp. I will be using chatgp in the future just so you know.