CHAPTER ELEVEN: HE RESCUED HER ONCE
Sora slowly awoke from her trauma-induced slumber. As she sat up, she realized that she was inside another limousine, and both Kaman and Shima sat watching her. Sora's head was still throbbing; just keeping her eyes open was painful. Once she regained focus, she sat up straight and stared out of the tinted, glass window, hoping that the scenery might calm her nerves; it did somewhat.
Sora refused to give in to her emotions in the clutches of Shima and Kaman. She wanted to kick and scream and attract attention to the limousine they were traveling in, but she couldn't bear the exertion. She was still exhausted, a fact that puzzled her. She had slept so much that she expected to be better-rested. More importantly, Yin was missing, and that worried her. Yin didn't seem to support the enemies Sora now faced; in fact, she seemed more like an omniscient oracle. She had ominously arrived and had given Sora such prophetic information, and just as ominously, she had vanished. What had happened to Yin?
Shima coaxed Sora to rest her head in her lap, but Sora refused and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. There wasn't any reason whatsoever to rely on Shima this way. Sora would rather keep her distance, and the limousine did allow this. She was still wearing Kaman's sweatshirt and lacked shoes, and Kaman tried to make a light joke about it. Sora didn't find this funny. It wasn't a joke to her that she didn't have any pants to wear or shoes to protect her delicate feet. Of course, Kaman and Shima chuckled about this. Sora still wasn't bought.
I don't understand why they are being so nice to me. Well, not so nice. They are making fun of me. But does this mean that the leader is benevolent? Sora thought harder about the term "benevolent" and corrected herself. Kidnapping someone can have no benevolent cause. Perhaps it only means that the 'boss' isn't such a terrible person. Sora corrected herself again. But he ordered these inhuman freaks to kidnap me! Whoever the hell he is, he couldn't have found more pathetic henchmen.
"Who are you?" Sora suddenly demanded.
"I'm Shima," Shima purred seductively. Sora drew back, confused by Shima's openly flirtatious demeanor. She hadn't pegged her as a lesbian. "And this is Kaman. We're your captors, love."
"Ridiculous!" Sora snapped, fed up with her jokes. "I want to know what you are! What the hell is a Contractor?" Sora leaned forward in her seat, clearly both emphatic and desperate, waiting for an answer.
"If you knew, you'd have to die," Kaman replied calmly, unfazed by Sora's outburst.
"Or we'd have to erase your memory," Shima added. "Are you willing to risk losing your Black Reaper forever?" Sora swallowed hard.
"What do you mean?"
"He's a Contractor as well, didn't you know?" Shima teased.
"But what does that mean?" Sora begged.
"Shima's already said too much," Kaman snapped, glaring at his companion. "You're better off knowing less." Sora sat back in her seat dejectedly as Yin's warning resurfaced in her mind. The less you know, the greater your life's worth....Right now they need you. If you compromise their existence, you will die.
"Did it work?" Mao asked Hei as he and Yin arrived at the park. Yin released Hei's hand and wandered over to the fountain, placing her hand in its icy water.
"It seems like it," Hei replied, pulling up the hood on his jacket as water began to drizzle from the sky. "You're in luck, Yin." Yin nodded.
"Remind me of this plan," Huang snarled. He had heard nothing of it until now. "And where the hell is Sora?"
"Mao and I devised a plan to reach the leader of the operation," Hei explained calmly, aware that Huang was bound to lose his temper shortly.
"What plan?" Huang sat up abruptly, letting his newspaper fall into the woodchips.
"Sora was still very unconscious when Hei and I took her to Li's apartment," Mao began carefully. "I suggested that she might have an appetite when she woke up, so Hei cooked her some food. That was when the plan came to me.
"We crushed some medicine and cooked it into the food. It wasn't enough to kill her, mind you. Just enough to put her to sleep. Then we left, instructing Yin to feed and water her."
"She's not an animal," Hei interrupted, somewhat perturbed by Mao's choice of words.
"Pardon me," Mao muttered, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, Yin fed Sora, Sora fell asleep again, and Hei returned-"
"You weren't supposed to go back there!" Huang shouted. "You weren't supposed to lead the enemy back to-"
"That was the point," Hei insisted. "We want to know who's behind this. Sora should have woken up around the time I left with Yin, and the henchmen should have her now. And with this rain, Yin's surveillance specters should have no trouble finding them." Huang was beyond fuming. If it hadn't been for the rain, Hei was certain he would have seen the steam billowing out of his ears.
"Exactly," Mao continued. "We're taken directly to the center of the organization." Huang sighed.
"The Syndicate gives us orders for a reason," he snarled. "They know what's best to-"
"They're underground," Yin said suddenly. Everyone turned their attention to her. "Miyabita Production House." The name Miyabita only continued to verify Hei suspicions. It absolutely had to have been Kanbimura who had taken Sora. His motive was clear enough; he greatly valued his blood. To him, it was only natural that each of his children repays him for it.
"I think I read something about that place in the paper," Huang said, seizing the paper up from the ground. He began flipping through it frantically. This caught both Hei and Mao's attention. "Here it is!" he announced once he found the correct page. He pointed to an article, and Hei leaned over him to read it. Mao hopped into Huang's lap, despite Huang not appreciating this. The article read:
KANBIMURA ANNOUNCES NEW PROJECT. Kanbimura Ichiro, heir to Kanbimura Industries, announced yesterday that he will be directing all promotional activities related to the launch of Sakura by Kanbi. The launch of the luxury perfume was highly successful, but Kanbimura claims that he is eager to take his plan to the next level. "It begins with the perfume's inspiration: my younger sister, Sora. Her favorite flower was the cherry blossom." he says. He goes on to explain that though she left the family and has lost her father's favor, she still shares the same prominent blood. "That is why I dared to use her 'new' last name on the bottle. I'm reaching out to her and hoping that she hears me." This afternoon he has arranged an open photo shoot at the Miyabita Production House. Girls from across Japan are expected to attend in the hopes of becoming one of six gorgeous faces for the Sakura campaign. Kanbimura also had this shocking promise, "I expect that my sister will be present as well. It is only fitting, as it was my initial intention to make her the face of Sakura." One thing is certain: if Sora were to attend, she would quickly reclaim her high standing in the modeling world.
This article had certainly shocked Hei. It was not Kanbimura himself, but his oldest son that had arranged for Sora to be kidnapped. What motive could he possible have for kidnapping his younger sister? It made absolutely no sense.
"How the hell did you read this and say nothing?" Hei demanded, seizing Huang's collar. Huang smacked Hei's hand away.
"When I read this stupid thing, I had been under the impression that Sora was safe with Yin and you were doing your damn job!" he shouted, standing up.
"Huang, you could have saved us a lot of trouble either way," Mao pointed out. "Now we know that Ichiro is the one who has her."
"The only thing we don't know is his motive for taking her," Hei sighed.
"Perhaps we do," Mao suggested. "There's a photo shoot at the production house today, Hei. Perhaps Sakura was Ichiro's vision, not his father's. And perhaps he's angry that Sora wants no part in it."
"So you're suggesting that Ichiro intends to force Sora to join the Sakura campaign?"
"Yes."
"Are they still at the production house, Yin?" Hei asked.
"Yes," Yin replied softly.
"Let's go, Mao," Hei said, his desperation propelling him forward.
Sora recognized where Kaman and Shima had taken her this time. For whatever reason, they had found a blindfold unnecessary. She hadn't set foot anywhere near this street, let alone inside the building, in two years. More importantly, she had never anticipated doing such a thing ever again.
"Do you know where you are, love?" Shima asked. Sora nodded as another puzzle piece was revealed to her.
"Miyabita Production House," Sora whispered, following Shima through the underground parking lot toward the back entrance. Kaman had to nudge her forward every so often. Sora didn't want to enter this place. It was one of the many places in Tokyo that her father owned, and that she despised with every fiber of her being.
"I suppose that saves us an explanation," Kaman said, sighing. Sora turned back sharply to look at him.
"No it doesn't!" she snapped. "How should I know why you've brought me here?" Kaman looked past Sora to Shima, who simply shrugged and grabbed Sora's hand. Sora attempted to resist her, but Shima was a bit stronger than she let on. She led Sora through the back door and into the building.
"Why am I here?" Sora demanded as Shima dragged her down the hallway leading from the back door.
"You can't guess?" Shima teased.
"Why would you tease me like this? Do you find this funny? You psychotic, lesbian b-"
"I'd hold your tongue, Sora," Shima interrupted. "Me? I joke because it keeps me happy. I exist only to carry out the orders of others. I exist to escort obnoxious, spoiled, teenage girls to lives of fortune and promise. Why the hell shouldn't I joke? And mind you, I most certainly am not a lesbian!" Sora had no idea what she was talking about as usual.
"Obnoxious and spoiled?" she scoffed. Kaman put a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Let it go," he told her calmly. "You have better things waiting for you."
"Waiting for me where? In hell?"
"In Kanbimura," Kaman replied. Sora frowned at him.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped. "Why do you think I left in the first place?"
"None of that matters," Shima said, pointing to something. Sora forced herself to gain control of her emotions. Kaman gripped her shoulder tightly, perhaps to reassure her, but this gesture was ignored.
Sora at last looked up at the door they had led her to. It was a dressing room, and her name was stenciled on the door. Sora attempted to back away when Shima opened it and pushed Sora inside. Sora stumbled forward and was surprised to find three women waiting for her. They all frowned, most likely at Sora's battered appearance, and one stepped behind her and closed the door.
"Let's get you cleaned up," the one who had closed the door said. "I'm Yuta, this is Hana, and this is Tsuki." Yuta gestured to each girl as she introduced them. The two girls smiled at Sora.
"We have a bath waiting," Tsuki said, leading Sora into a small bathroom. Sora, despite the mysterious circumstances, was so relieved to see bathwater that she began removing her clothes instantly, unaffected by Tsuki's presence. She could hardly question why she was being pampered like this. Still, Sora couldn't help but relish in the scented oil that had been poured into the bath. It smelled just like cherry blossoms.
Once Sora finished bathing, Tsuki provided her with a robe, and the three girls began to make her over. Sora had her hair blow-dried and styled in light waves. Her hair had certainly not looked this good in the past few days. Yuta painted her fingernails and toenails black while Hana did Sora's makeup.
"Can I ask what this is about?" Sora asked after finally mustering up the courage to speak.
"Your photo shoots," Hana replied. Sora started.
"My what?"
"Your photo shoots. You're one of the six faces of Sakura." Tsuki explained. Sora seemed possessed at that moment.
"Who's directing?" she asked, void of emotion.
"Ichiro," Yuta replied with a smile. "If I may say so, your brother is absolutely hot."
"I suppose that's true," Sora said airily. "Are you all finished?"
"Well you have to get dressed, silly," Yuta replied. She removed a white, baby-doll styled dress from a garment bag and held it up for Sora to see. The three girls then helped Sora into it and gasped. The dress fit her perfectly, falling three inches above her knees. For Sora, it felt nice to have clean clothes, but she was still in a haze after receiving the information she had been given. It explained so much and so little all at once. The three girls took no notice of Sora's behavior. They simply slid red flats onto her feet and touched up her makeup.
"And now to your shoot," Hana announced, taking Sora's hand. "You're going to be the prettiest of the six."
"Thank you," Sora mumbled.
The girls led her to the studio where Ichiro and prominent fashion photographer, Ikeda Hatori, as well as many other staff members, were waiting for her. Sora had been disconnected from earth until that moment, the moment she saw her brother standing there. Behind him was the set Sora was to shoot in. The backdrop was jet black, and an impressive replica of a cherry blossom tree stood on the right side, its branches, covered in false blossoms, hung gracefully above the set. Sora noticed the photographer lick his lips as she entered the room, but her mind was entirely focused on Ichiro. He was so happy to see her that he appeared not to realize the circumstances that had gotten her there.
"Sora!" Ichiro exclaimed, approaching her. "You look beautiful." Hatori stepped forward as well, extending his hand. Sora ignored it, causing the dejected photographer to drop his arm. Ichiro embraced Sora, who allowed it but did not return it. She simply stood there with her arms at her sides.
"How are you doing?" Ichiro asked. Sora rose an eyebrow.
"Take a guess," she said calmly. "No penalty." This was a phrase the two had used with each other often, growing up. Ichiro was shocked to hear it leave her lips.
"Well, I hope," he muttered. Sora drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It was difficult; she could feel the fire igniting inside of her as anger consumed her body.
"Wrong," Sora said softly. Ichiro was suddenly overcome with sympathy. He attempted to embrace her again, to soothe her, he imagined. As he prepared to wrap his arms around his younger sister, Sora slapped him across the face boldly. He froze for a few moments, entirely taken aback by Sora's behavior. Every person in the room stopped what they were doing to watch. The other five faces of Sakura had initially been jealous of their competition; now it was only confusion that housed their minds.
"Why have you brought me here?" Sora demanded, fighting back her tears. For once, she was actually winning the battle against them.
"I wanted you to reclaim your position in our empire," Ichiro replied, trying to take hold of Sora's hand. Sora quickly snatched her hand from his reach. "I've missed you. Do you hate me that much?"
"I do now," Sora said between clenched teeth. "How could you do this to me? What the hell were you thinking?"
"I just...wanted you to come back," Ichiro said, releasing a great sigh.
"You are lying to me," Sora said firmly. "This is about much more than business. After degrading me at the launch and after everything I've been through, did you expect me to come back happily?"
"I hadn't anticipated it being this difficult!" Ichiro shouted, angered by Sora's ungrateful attitude. "I wanted you to want this, too!"
"So you kidnapped me?"
"That wasn't how things started, Sora. I only wanted to see you again. I sent you so many letters and emails and text messages and I called your phone so many times. It hurt me to think that you hated me too."
"I never hated you, Ichiro," Sora whispered softly. "But I knew what you were going to say, and I was tired of hearing it. I don't belong to anyone. Kanbimura can't put a price on my life. He has no right to do that!"
"Why, then, have you been wandering around town with that strange boy?" Ichiro pressed. Sora frowned.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"The boy that accompanied you to the launch party," Ichiro replied. "It's like he's manipulating you. That audacious attitude you brought with you astonished our parents-"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Sora snapped. "Li is not manipulating me."
"It's certainly obvious-"
"And how is it that you know where I've been with him?" Ichiro sighed heavily.
"I had employed a man to keep an eye on you in town. I was waiting for an opportune moment to confront you. I was waiting for him to give the word."
"You were spying on me!"
"My intentions were honorable, I assure you!"
"How could you call spying honorable?"
"That man was only to keep an eye on you," Ichiro said quickly. "He was simply going to report back to me when it seemed you were ready to talk. Then he ended up dead, which was entirely unexpected. I almost didn't know what to do. The Contractors said they had a better tactic, which I allowed. They had noticed that boy with you and brought it to my attention. Then I, too, took notice of that strange boyfriend of yours; it made me sick just seeing you with that low-class-"
"I love him!" Sora shouted angrily. Ichiro was again taken aback by this. He could hardly control his anger.
"And how dare you! That common, unworthy fool. After the second Contractor died, I realized that only he could be responsible, and I decided to try a different route. I launched Sakura earlier than planned and invited you to the launch party. You brought that thing with you."
"I'm a fantastic painter, Ichiro! How dare you-"
"It was beautiful, certainly, but your bringing that suspicious boy with you made our parents irate. It angered me even more. He was ruining everything I had planned for you!"
"Did you think I was going to come crawling back into this family? That I would beg to carry that name?" Sora shouted back. She couldn't believe the things she was hearing. "Those men scared me spit-less! Did you honestly expect me to return with those freaks? Are you crazy?"
"It's you!" Ichiro returned. "I hadn't hoped that it would come this far, but it did. I never wanted any of this. Only you....That dress looks beautiful on you, Sora. You look beautiful." Sora frowned, stepping back.
"What the-" Ichiro stepped forward and handed her a bottle of Sakura. "Now go. This is the start of your new career." He pushed her toward Hatori, who stepped back. He hadn't been informed that the guest of honor was being held against her will. Whispers were ringing throughout the crowd as people slowly came closer to the feuding siblings. They were trying to comprehend everything that was being said, but it appeared nearly impossible. What were Contractors? What was this poor girl doing here in the first place?
"I will not!" Sora shouted adamantly, throwing the bottle onto the floor. It shattered, and the pink liquid splattered Hatori's pants and seeped into the carpet. Hatori stepped back, slightly angered by this. Still, he could say nothing. No one could utter a word. The awkward silence continued, though some people excused themselves from the room quietly. Ichiro looked up from the mess to Sora.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Me? I could ask you the exact same thing!" Sora clenched her fists. "How the hell could you do this to me? Why would you do this to me? All for perfume? For your empire? You sick bastard, I hate you!" Sora had shouted those final three words with such conviction that her body grew weak, and what she heard her brother utter next had her on her knees.
"I love you, Sora! With all my heart!"
"You rescued me once," Sora said, tears streaming down her face. She had lost the battle after all. "I looked up to you. Why would you do this to me?"
"Because I love you! I've always loved you." Ichiro paused for a long time. "But the love I feel for you is forbidden, Sora."
"Is...forbidden?" Sora repeated, looking up at her brother expectantly. Some already gasped. They understood. Ichiro dropped to his knees before her.
"Incest is perhaps the most corrupt of all things." he whispered softly. Shima and Kaman had known, as well as Yuta, Tsuki, and Hana, but others, like Hatori, had not. In fact, upon hearing this, Hatori dropped his camera; the lens popped out and shattered. "A brother isn't supposed to yearn for his sister's lips. A brother isn't supposed to fantasize about his younger sister, Sora, but I couldn't help myself. And I tried so hard. Everything about you was perfect, precious, and beautiful, and I was a sinner for you." Ichiro reached out to stroke Sora's cheek. Sora smacked his hand away and jumped up off of the ground. She began to back away from Ichiro slowly, her stomach tossing, lurching, and twisting itself into knots. It was a great surprise that Sora didn't vomit. She had never expected her brother to say such a thing. Ichiro had rescued her from an attempted rape before, but the thoughts he carried in his mind seemed to rival the other man's vile intentions.
"But you..." Sora mumbled, trying to understand what was happening.
"When I stopped that man from raping you, I can't be sure it was brotherly love that compelled me to do so," Ichiro whispered softly. "Jealousy fueled my body then; I couldn't let another man touch you."
The audience they had acquired all appeared to be just as sick. Many staff members had managed to flee. Hatori, as well as the five faces of Sakura, also tried to leave the room. Kaman and Shima, as well as Yoru, Domeki, and others, restrained them. Sora didn't know what to do. Her body was frozen with fear.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone else in the room, the Black Reaper waited patiently on one of the rafters. What he heard made him nauseous and caused such ferocity in him that he had to grip a pillar to prevent him from jumping down to Sora below. The Reaper felt as though Sora still had unanswered questions, and he imagined he owed it to her to let her acquire the answers.
"Does She know?" Sora managed to ask. Ichiro looked up at her.
"She does," he replied, fighting back his own tears.
"And...He knows as well?"
"Of course not," Ichiro assured her. "Father would kill me for it."
"He ought to," Sora said, trembling. "You're beyond sick."
"Sora, I can't help the way I feel," Ichiro pleaded. "I love you."
"Shut up!"
"I love you."
"STOP IT!" Sora shouted.
Hei couldn't take it anymore. He had to rescue Sora. It was his only option. It didn't appear that Ichiro had a sane bone in his body, and Sora would learn nothing more from him. Seeing her so devastated and confused was hard enough for Hei. However, seeing that incestuous pervert dare to call himself Sora's brother enraged him.
With his rope secured to the rafter, Hei secured his mask to his face and propelled himself off of it. As he did so, he threw out a second rope, which wrapped itself around Domeki's neck. He quickly eliminated the already crippled Contractor. Once he landed, he prepared to face the other three. Once again, he was unconcerned with Kaman. He had to beware Shima, as there was no telling where she might place her force fields. As for Yoru, though he had seen him once, he had never witnessed his powers and remained uncertain. Hei quickly determined that his safest bet was to kill Shima next. She was unpredictable.
"I was waiting for you to make your appearance," Yoru said, stepping forward. "However, you probably should have killed me while you had the chance."
"Don't be ridiculous," the Black Reaper said. Sora couldn't mask her relief. It was far too overwhelming. "It will be just as easy." Yoru scoffed at this, lunging at the Reaper. The Black Reaper jumped out of the way at the last minute, thrusting his foot into Yoru's back. Yoru fell face first to the ground.
The Reaper spun around just in time to see Kaman lunging at him with a dagger. He withdrew his own blade and the two clashed. Kaman recognized the Reapers synchrotron radiation only after it was too late. Electricity flowed into him from the matched blades and his body began to convulse wildly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Soon he too, fell to the ground dead. Sora began to back away from the scene nervously. So he is one of them. She thought sadly. He electrocuted me after all. Is he really the hero I made him out to be?
Yoru returned to attack once more. Shima had no adequate time to use her force fields; her comrade and opponent were far too close to each other. Yoru glowed bright as lasers shot out of his eyes. The Black Reaper hadn't anticipated this, and was just barely able to dodge a beam as it rushed past his face. He jabbed his elbow into Yoru's neck, which again sent him tumbling. This time, however, Yoru managed to stay upright.
Ichiro at last managed to get up off of the ground and withdrew a gun from his belt. Sora's eyes widened at this realization, and she panicked. Despite watching her muse murder multiple people, she couldn't help but love him.
"Look out!" Sora shouted. Bullets pelted The Black Reaper's coat and ricocheted off, flying in all directions. Sora ducked behind one of the pillars in the studio. Ichiro continued to release bullet after bullet. The Reaper saw this as an opportunity. He grabbed hold of Yoru's collar and spun him around. Yoru's body proved a shield, and soon Ichiro had emptied the barrel of his gun into Yoru's body, which the Reaper let fall to the ground afterward. When Sora peered around the pillar and saw this, she gasped and tried to control her emotions. She had never seen so many murdered people before in her life. Please stop! Please!
Shima had used the barrage as a decoy. Meanwhile, she crept to where Sora was hidden and snatched her up. Sora screamed and tried to fight Shima off. Her scream alerted Hei, who panicked somewhat. Glancing over in Sora's direction, he noticed Shima's hold on her. I have to find a way to separate those two! Hei thought frantically. Sora actually managed to land a punch in Shima's face, but Shima slapped her back and dragged her out of her hiding place. She tugged Sora out by her hair, causing Sora to whimper and yelp helplessly. Despite the pain she felt, Sora still fought Shima off as best as she could. She imagined that if she could stall, The Black Reaper would have time to rescue her.
The Black Reaper took off charging towards Ichiro. Hei was determined to kill him.
Sora was fighting Shima off desperately, using every ounce of strength she had left. Shima was being rather gentle with Sora, all things considered, as Sora had managed to keep from budging from her current position. Shima tugged a lock of Sora's hair harder. Sora yelped again, crying. Hei hated hearing Sora's pain; he nearly felt it. But Ichiro was keeping him from rescuing her. The Black Reaper and Ichiro had gotten into a fist-fight of sorts, though Ichiro couldn't land one punch. Whilst Sora attempted to free herself from Shima's grasp, she noticed the Reaper grab hold of her brother's wrist. She saw him begin to glow blue.
"PLEASE, DON'T!" Sora begged, screaming at the top of her lungs. The Reaper immediately released Ichiro, but not before kicking him hard in the stomach. Ichiro fell backward and hit his head on the floor, blacking out. Hei couldn't believe Sora had asked him to spare her brother's life after the atrocities he had committed and would continue to commit until Sora was his. It almost angered him that his effort was nearly in vain. They would have to keep running. However, Hei saw how exhausted Sora was, and how fragile. He had to indulge her for now until he had a better chance to finish Ichiro off. He couldn't let Ichiro live after he had hurt Sora so greatly. The Black Reaper wouldn't allow it.
"You're quite the lively brat, aren't you?" Shima snarled, still fighting with Sora.
"Let me go!" Sora shouted desperately. Sora managed to wrestle her hair from Shima's grasp. She tried to punch Shima again, but she missed. Instead, Sora drove her fingernails into Shima's neck, causing Shima to snarl with anger.
"You ungrateful-" Shima noticed the Black Reaper charging towards her and at that moment the Reaper fell. He had fallen for it again. Sora rammed her knee into Shima's stomach, and Shima smacked Sora across the face.
"You psychopath!" Sora shouted, continuing to wrestle with the crazed Contractor. She was beyond determined to serve Ichiro, even as he lay unconscious on the soiled carpet.
"You will not-"
"Sora, don't move!" came the Reaper's voice. Sora spun around and then immediately froze as a blade rushed past her arm and lodged itself in Shima's chest. She had felt the cool air, and the blade had in fact grazed her arm, drawing blood, but she didn't care. Sora didn't even look back at Shima's body; she merely dashed into the Reaper's arms, bawling uncontrollably. By this time, all the staff members, Hatori, and the five faces of Sakura had fled the room. Hei didn't worry himself. The Public Security Division would hear about this in no time, and all of them would be under ME before tomorrow was over.
"It's not...over..." Shima gasped, drawing her hand up to the gaping wound. "There are more. The enemy...is always...a step ahead...." With these final words Shima passed on.
"We have to hurry," the Black Reaper said, wrapping his arm around Sora's waist. Sora threw her arms around his neck, and the Reaper secured his rope to the rafter above. Using the rafter, he guided Sora out of the emergency exit and onto the street, remaining in the shadows. Sora followed him silently, trusting him to protect her no matter what.
After gaining some distance from the Miyabita Production House, the two at last settled on the roof of an abandoned building. The Black Reaper was clearly exhausted, and sat down, leaning against the parapet. Sora stood beside him and looked out over Tokyo.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
Hei had taken what Shima had said seriously. There was something he was missing, something that should have been blatantly obvious. Was it the Syndicate? Did they have something to do with this? Neither he, nor Huang, nor Mao had any idea why the Syndicate had been preoccupied with Sora in the first place. This bothered Hei immensely. She's safe for now. Hei though, relieved. I promise I'll protect you. This will end. And then I'll tell you the truth.
A/N: Yes, this chapter was intense. I really wanted the villain to be unpredictable, his villainy even more so. I was really excited when I came up with the idea of incest, and it seemed to fit fantastically. I feel as though I've been writing just to get you to this moment. I really, really want your opinions about this, and though I'm never one to beg for reviews, this time I will kindly ask you to leave one. I really hope this villain intrigued you.
Also, I promised that I would explain a small hint I've been leaving in the chapters from the moment Sora was kidnapped the first time: the limousine. It's not a major clue, so I did expect you to overlook it. Just in case any of you were particularly observant, I thought I leave it for you. Kanbimura and his family are filthy rich after all...
Chapter twelve is called "Innocence" and details a bit of romance between the Black Reaper and Sora. To me it was much needed after all of this. Be in expectation of it! Thank you so much for reading!
