Shuichi Akai's anxious and cold warning was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool; it only stirred a weak ripple in Akemi Miyano's chaotic heart before quickly sinking and vanishing without a trace. She looked deeply at Kanjuro, into those profound eyes that seemed capable of swallowing all light. There lay all her childhood dependence, her ignorant youthful longings, and now, a seemingly reachable hope of saving her sister.
Kanjuro felt her gaze and captured the almost imperceptible disregard for Shuichi Akai's warning in her eyes. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened with an air of total control, his voice gentle yet containing an unquestionable power:
"Akemi, do you not believe in my strength?" He lightly raised a hand, pointing into the void as if pointing out his domain. "Look at the current situation. Even the entire Japanese Police force has had to bow their proud heads before me and sign a humiliating treaty. A mere Black Organization that hides its head and shows its tail," his contempt was blatant in his tone, "what does it count for in my eyes? Finding your sister is but a simple task for me."
His words were filled with ultimate confidence, even arrogance, but combined with the various "miraculous" and terrifying events he had orchestrated before, one couldn't help but believe him a little. Then, he shifted the topic, accurately pointing the spearhead at his invisible opponent, his tone carrying a hint of "heartache" for Akemi as if it weren't worth it for her:
"On the other hand, this Shuichi Akai, an elite FBI agent..." He scoffed. "He repeatedly claims to be doing this for your own good, but in reality? He's just using you, using your worry for your sister, treating you as bait to lure me out, leaving you in danger without a care. He even went as far as to pressure and threaten you... This is what you call a 'friend'?"
Kanjuro's voice grew lower, carrying a bewitching magic. He stared into Akemi's eyes and delivered the final, most lethal blow:
"You must believe me, Akemi. In this world, only I am the one who truly cares for and loves you. Could it be... the memories we shared growing up together, that affection..." He paused deliberately, letting every word hit Akemi's heart, "cannot even compare to this sudden, ill-intentioned FBI mole?"
Akemi Miyano listened quietly. The previous struggle and pain were gone from her face, replaced by a strange calm—a sense of relief as if she had figured everything out and let go of all burdens. She even smiled slightly, a smile carrying a bit of bitterness, a bit of insight, and an unshakeable determination.
She sighed softly, her voice steady and without hesitation, as if stating the most natural fact in the world:
"Kanjuro, you don't need to explain these things to me."
Her gaze fell tenderly on his face, filled with a nearly devout trust.
"I've known you for so many years. Do I not know what kind of person you are? You wouldn't even deign to deliberately belittle or step on Shuichi Akai, because you simply don't need to."
She shook her head slightly, her tone clear and resolute:
"Because to me, he... simply cannot be compared to you."
She took a small step forward, proactively closing the final distance between them. Then, under the gaze of Shuichi Akai in the distance, whose eyes were nearly spitting fire, she gently yet unhesitatingly leaned her head against Kanjuro's chest, snuggling into his embrace. She closed her eyes as if she had found her final home and said softly:
"And this time... I am truly willing to believe you."
These words, like a final judgment, completely severed the fragile bond between her and Shuichi Akai, and fully entrusted her own fate to this unfathomable demon.
Kanjuro felt the submissive body in his arms with satisfaction. He reached out and gently stroked Akemi's hair, his movements full of possessive comfort. He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the distance of space, landing precisely on the enraged sniper on the far hill, his lips curling into a cold, victorious arc.
On the hill, Shuichi Akai clearly saw the scene of Akemi Miyano nestling into Kanjuro's embrace through the sniper scope, and he also saw Kanjuro's provocative and mocking gaze.
Bang!
He could no longer suppress the inner fury and the stinging pain of complete betrayal. He slammed a fist hard into the dirt beside him, kicking up a cloud of dust. He gritted his teeth so hard his gums nearly bled, and his always calm and sharp green eyes were now burning with a raging fire and a deep sense of powerlessness that threatened to consume him.
He had lost. It wasn't just the failure of a sniper mission; he had completely lost the trust of his 'friend' Akemi Miyano, watching helplessly as she threw herself into the demon's embrace. Without losing a single soldier, Kanjuro had easily dismantled his plan and snatched away the person he wanted to protect (or rather, use), relying solely on words and precise manipulation of the human heart.
Shuichi Akai slowly lowered his head, pressing his forehead against the cold sniper rifle, breathing heavily. The bitterness of failure and dread of Kanjuro's terrifying methods flooded over him like a cold tide. He knew that the confrontation with Kanjuro was far more dangerous and desperate than his decade-plus of maneuvering with the Black Organization. This man was, in every sense of the word... a monster.
Kanjuro held Akemi Miyano, feeling her submissive snuggle, but the cold scrutiny deep in his eyes did not dissipate. Verbal submission was pleasant to hear, but he needed more concrete proof; he needed to see how far she would go to betray her past for him. His gaze turned toward the small hill again, and a cruel yet effective test plan instantly took shape.
"Let's go, Akemi." He put his arm around her shoulder, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable command, "Let's go meet your 'old friend'."
Akemi Miyano's body stiffened slightly, instantly understanding his intention, but she did not resist. She just nodded gently, allowing Kanjuro to lead her, appearing to stroll leisurely but actually moving very quickly toward the hill where Shuichi Akai was hiding.
On the hill, Shuichi Akai had just barely managed to break free from his rage and sense of powerlessness, and was quickly dismantling his sniper rifle to retreat. However, as soon as he stood up, he saw Kanjuro bringing Akemi Miyano, appearing before him like a ghost! They were so close he could even see the cat-and-mouse playfulness in Kanjuro's eyes.
Shuichi Akai's pupils constricted. Almost as an instinctive reaction, he abandoned the disassembly and used the sniper rifle in his hand like an iron club, swinging it fiercely at Kanjuro with lightning speed! This strike contained all his anger, humiliation, and his skills as an FBI ace—fast, ruthless, and precise!
However, in front of Kanjuro, this sharp attack seemed so clumsy and ridiculous.
Kanjuro didn't even move his feet; he just casually raised a hand, fingers spread, and precisely and nonchalantly caught the rapidly swinging barrel! That force, enough to shatter bone and flesh, was like a drop in the ocean in his hand, instantly vanishing into nothingness.
Shuichi Akai's face changed drastically. He wanted to change his move, but Kanjuro's wrist just flicked slightly!
An irresistible, terrifying force traveled up the barrel. Shuichi Akai felt the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split, his entire arm went numb instantly, and the sniper rifle flew out of his hand! He was pulled forward by the massive force, his defenses completely wide open.
Kanjuro didn't give him any breathing room. His movements were elegant and cruel, as if he weren't fighting but performing a bloody show. He stepped forward, his elbow slamming into Shuichi Akai's chest like a sledgehammer!
"Ugh!" Shuichi Akai let out a muffled groan, feeling his ribs let out an overburdened moan. The intense pain almost suffocated him, and his body fell backward uncontrollably.
But this was only the beginning. Kanjuro's figure followed like a shadow. Before he hit the ground, another sharp knee strike hit his abdomen! Following that was a rain of punches and kicks, each strike cleverly avoiding vital points but bringing extreme pain and humiliation. Shuichi Akai, the 'Silver Bullet' who struck fear into the hearts of organization members, was now powerless before Kanjuro, being beaten at will like a tattered doll, blood seeping from his nose and mouth, staining the grass beneath him.
Throughout the entire process, Kanjuro's gaze would occasionally flicker toward Akemi Miyano standing to the side. He was observing, enjoying every slight change in her expression.
Akemi Miyano stood there, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her knuckles white. Seeing Shuichi Akai being beaten so brutally, seeing his pained, curled body and the blood constantly overflowing from the corners of his mouth, she was not entirely without feeling. That was, after all, someone she once regarded as a comrade. A flash of pity and complex emotions crossed her eyes, and her lips trembled slightly.
However, when Kanjuro's gaze swept over, she took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed all her churning emotions. She met Kanjuro's scrutinizing gaze, and the slight flicker in her eyes gradually turned calm, finally transforming into a near-numb, resolute firmness. She did not open her mouth to plead for mercy for Shuichi Akai, nor did she look away; she just watched quietly, as if proving her choice to Kanjuro.
In his intense pain and dizziness, Shuichi Akai also saw Akemi Miyano's gaze, which had finally settled into indifference and resolution. A despair deeper than his physical wounds, bone-chillingly cold, instantly submerged him. He never imagined that the trust and friendship he and Akemi Miyano had carefully built while supporting each other in the organization over the years would be so fragile and easily discarded before Kanjuro, this 'old classmate' with unfathomable thoughts who had been gone for over twenty years.
Just then, Akemi Miyano spoke. Her voice was somewhat ethereal, yet it clearly reached the ears of both men:
"Kanjuro... do you still like to test the human heart this way, just like before?"
She moved her gaze away from Shuichi Akai's battered figure and rested it on Kanjuro again, with a look of seeing through it all.
"Back then, you had people bully and isolate me... was it just like now, simply to prove whether I would become resentful, whether I would fall and become just like those people because of it?"
Kanjuro finally stopped his abuse of Shuichi Akai. He brushed off non-existent dust from his hands, as if he had just done something trivial. He turned to face Akemi, a 'pure and honest' gentle smile appearing on his face as he admitted frankly:
"Yes." His tone was as relaxed as if he were discussing the weather. "I was thinking back then, what would you become in the face of such malice? Would you resent, would you fight back, or would you... be like a small flower that stays pure even in the mud?"
He looked at Akemi with a twisted sense of appreciation:
"As it turns out, you surprised me. Even when bullied, your eyes remained clean. Toward everything around you, and even toward those who bullied you, you still kept a sliver of timid, yet unextinguished kindness. It was very interesting, and very... precious. So, I chose to appear later and 'help' you."
After hearing this, Akemi Miyano let out a deep sigh, which contained too many complex emotions—relief, bitterness, and perhaps a trace of resigned sorrow. She looked at Kanjuro and finally revealed a faint, weary, yet incredibly firm smile:
"I see... but, it doesn't matter."
She took a step forward, proactively taking Kanjuro's hand. She looked up at him, her eyes clear, her tone gentle yet stubborn:
"Because to me, none of that is important anymore. Regardless of the initial reason, the time spent with you, the way you protected me later... to me, they are all real. They are the... warmest parts of my memory."
These words, like a final token, completely surrendered her soul. She chose to forget the pain and only remember the carefully designed 'warmth,' using it as the reason for her descent.
Kanjuro smiled with satisfaction and squeezed her hand back. Meanwhile, Shuichi Akai, lying on the ground, listening to this conversation and seeing Akemi's posture of complete surrender, finally couldn't hold on any longer. His vision went black, and his consciousness sank into endless darkness and despair. He had lost, utterly and completely.
Kanjuro let go of Akemi Miyano's hand, his gaze falling on the collapsed, semi-conscious Shuichi Akai. That look was like looking at a piece of trash about to be discarded, without a single ripple of emotion. From somewhere, he pulled out a handgun with an ancient design and a cold metallic luster, his movements smooth and natural, as if this were just an ordinary step in his daily routine.
He didn't hesitate at all, not even giving Akemi Miyano a moment to prepare mentally. He raised his hand and aimed the muzzle at the center of Shuichi Akai's forehead.
"Bang!"
The gunshot was exceptionally piercing on the empty hill, startling the birds in the distant woods.
Shuichi Akai's body jerked violently, then went completely limp. A clear bullet hole in the center of his forehead gurgled with warm liquid, staining the green grass beneath him. Those green eyes that were once as sharp as an eagle's now lost all their luster, staring hollowly at the grayish-blue sky over Tokyo Bay, frozen in eternal shock, anger, and resentment.
Kanjuro slowly lowered the gun and turned his head, his gaze falling on Akemi Miyano's face again with a near-cruel inquiry. He was waiting for her reaction, waiting for a possible breakdown, a scream, or even the slightest hint of sadness.
However, there was nothing.
Akemi Miyano's face was as calm as the water in a deep pond. She didn't look at Shuichi Akai's body; her gaze remained on Kanjuro from beginning to end. In that gaze, there was no fear, no sadness, not even a ripple, only a deep, almost eerie tenderness, as if Kanjuro had just casually brushed away a fallen leaf rather than ending a once-vibrant life.
She spoke softly, her voice gentle, carrying a weariness and understanding from having experienced the world:
"I always hoped to change you... I've hoped for that since I was very small."
The corner of her mouth curled into a bitter yet accepting arc.
"Later I slowly came to understand that you cannot be changed. Whether as a child, or later when we separated after graduation, or even now... certain things in your bones will never change."
Hearing this, a flash of genuine surprise crossed Kanjuro's eyes, which then turned into deeper interest. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Oh? You seem to... know a lot of things?"
Akemi Miyano finally moved her gaze away slowly, landing on Shuichi Akai's gradually cooling body, but her eyes were still hollow and without focus, as if she were just looking at an inconsequential object. Her voice was very light, as if talking to herself, or making her final confession to Kanjuro:
"I know... you killed quite a few people back in elementary school, right? Those classmates who used to bully me and then mysteriously transferred or disappeared completely... I know about all of them."
She raised her eyes and looked at Kanjuro again. There was no fear in her eyes, only a deep, pitying confusion:
"Back then, I was always thinking, Brother Ye Xiao is such a gentle person, he protects me, he smiles at me... why, why would he always be thinking about killing people?"
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