The end is near. I promise. This could be the second chapter to the epilogue [all in all, including this one, we have three chapters left].
The Game of the Alleged Crimes
The Spymaster
Control.
A true illusionist's first rule in his or her life would all be about control. It is a vital factor in all of their illusions and the primal foundation of their philosophies and ideologies. It's the first puppeteer – for the one who has the most control of their mind and heart and power would always have the favour of the battle scale.
Mukuro Rokudo, as an exclusive member of the Vongola Famiglia and trusted (male) Mist Guardian of the Decimo, is believed to be one of the powerful illusionists of their time – obviously implying that he had full control of everything; his mind, emotions and power. In a battle, one would die first before he sees the great illusionist lose control because fact is, Mukuro Rokudo never loses his cool.
However, in his current predicament – the illusionist was beginning to see spots in his possessed vision and was trying in vain to bring his nerves under control.
I would see you fall, Ricci. He thought as he willed his breath into a more steady state. No one will stop me and I will destroy you.
He passed by cylinder prison cells that all contained a human being. The eerie way that the victims floated in their containers made Mukuro tremble again, especially when he could almost feel the chemicals caress his passive state. There were also tubes and other mechanics attached to the prison cells and unlike his state when he was in the Vindice water prison, the victims were not chained like some criminals.
Instead, there were needles attached into their veins – Flame veins to be précised and it was draining them. Coloured liquid was coming out of the tubes where the needles end and went straight to another smaller cylinder container beside their cells.
This was how Ricci chose to get the Flames from their person.
It was almost like cattle. Or in some literary sense, like how vampires take their food. Or for some realism, it was rape. He was taking something that should be given or willed freely. He was taking something forcefully.
Other than the Flame Stealing, Vongola Emblem wielding bullet that Ricci had made, it clearly seemed that he had somehow found a way to keep his victims alive enough for them to continue manifesting Flames for him. However morbid the process is.
Breathing now stable, he continued to guide his puppet around the laboratory, making sure that he had not missed a single detail regarding the engineering and interior of the room.
Their information concerning the idea of Ricci being a novice to their Flames has been proved false by the chamber – it just shows how much Ricci would be willing to learn, to invest for this assumingly, 'new' idea.
"Ah, Lombardi!" Ricci's voice called at him from one corner. "What took you so long? Hurry up and come here! I need you to send these information to our new men." There was a certain edge on Ricci's voice that almost made Mukuro's brow rise in question but as per usual, the Mist Guardian held it in.
"Sir? New men?" It was a curios question however, he had learned that as Ricci's assistant, Lombardi was allowed to question some decisions his employer would make – sometimes. He approached Ricci's table with slow caution but there were hints of cowardice there, just for the purpose of playing the clueless subordinate.
"Yes, yes! Hurry up will you?" Ricci was beginning to throw various envelopes on the table's edge and Mukuro watched patiently. "It looks like Vongola had managed to take a sniff of some of our plans – ha! But, we're a step ahead of them. As always!"
It had worked. Some moves of the Famiglia was working if the look on the professor was any indicator now that Mukuro was close enough that he could see the sweat flow down from the man like drizzle. Though many people could not see it, Ricci was already panicking.
Of course, with more than five of his men and co-investors now dead. It was simply the small mind-fuck that the Decimo was playing.
"Now that our virtual and online communication vehicles are hacked by those god-damned Famiglia, I will now resort to these ancient way of sending messages but you, my dear Lombardi shall make sure these messages reach their receivers well, do you understand? Use any man you want – pay them however much they need as long as these messages reach their destination." Then, the man had all but pushed the missives into Lombardi's waiting arms.
"Of course sir." Lombardi replied as he retreated to exit the laboratory. He had seen enough.
Making sure that he had sent all of the men under Lombardi's wing into the destination of the missive's places, Mukuro firmly locked the door of his private chamber and immediately reached for the nearest solid furniture that he could reach.
He was beginning to feel faint and he could feel his Flames waver as another alien – but comforting power bestow him. Not directly to him but he could feel it nonetheless.
When he was younger and when his Family was still yet to inherit the throne of Vongola, Mukuro could only sustain this act of possession for a few hours before he could exhaust himself and his host. So the years had gone by and Tsunayoshi Sawada had all but crucified himself for Vongola – all of them had grown and became strong.
Mukuro knew that he was at his limit. He was strong, of course. He won't be Vongola's Alpha Mist and spymaster if he wasn't at level with his peers. But it has been months since he was away from his physical body and he had played the dangerous game of possession for far too long already.
For a record, it was the first time he had played the possession game again after Tsunayoshi had cleansed his stained eye all those years ago. It was a wonder he already had so much control over such power. He no longer needed the illegal possession bullet when all he has to do was injure the other person enough that he could sink his own Mist Flames into the target.
It was a back-up plan that he and Tsunayoshi had thought of when they receive Lombardi's request to enter the manor for private matters with the Decimo. And the soonest that the door of Tsuna's office shut behind the said man, he alerted the Mist Guardian to do the task.
Lombardi never noticed the slight shadow that always lingered a few metres from the Vongola Boss. Tsuna could always protect himself, but after the Millefiore incident, the Guardians and the rest of the Famiglia could have never calmed down if there wasn't anyone hovering beside the young Don. So, during the visit, Tsuna was never truly alone with Lombardi – gods, he almost laughed out loud when Lombardi attempted to buy the rings from Vongola.
After injuring the poor guy, Mukuro quickly set the preparations with Chrome's help. He allowed himself to relax on a protected, hidden chamber and willed his soul to come out and possess Lombardi.
Then the spymaster went to work.
Fighting the urge of another headache, Mukuro quickly reached into his pocket and took the crumpled paper.
He had one copied out before he sent the missives. He had used his Flames to open the letter to avoid any links that would point to Lombardi or any spy job just to make sure that Ricci or the others would not smell any suspicious movements and would continue on their track.
This was his last day doing the spymaster's job and he had to make sure he had everything memorized and imprinted into his memory before this alien and familiar Flames that was already wrapping his brain into frenzy pull him out of Lombardi's body and into his own.
Reading his hurried handwriting with blurring vision proved harder when Lombardi's body began shaking.
The pressure was almost outstanding and with that proof – Mukuro knew that Chrome wasn't the only person near his body now.
His darling Chrome could pull strings that could make Mukuro react but this one – it's more pressured, more urgent, so Tsuna that he could laugh.
It was just a tiny mistake – him losing control over his emotions. His earlier rage with the experimented bodies back at the laboratory could have started the stress. He almost broke out, and he had used every single ounce of his remaining Flames to romp down the anger that somehow showed on his body back at the manor.
Stress between a separated body and soul is dangerous – that proved his theory. Mukuro didn't know before.
He pulled Lombardi's body from it's depressing state and immediately rummaged into the nearest drawer; finding what he was looking for he took quick and careful steps towards the bathroom and held the paper in front of the sink. He lit the lighter he had found and set the paper on fire.
Mukuro let it drop when the flame neared his fingers then he let his hands hold unto the sink as he fought the next wave of headache.
Tsunayoshi is being impatient. He thought as he could feel the Sky Flames beating his Mist into submission and order.
When the paper and proof was nothing but left over ashes, Mukuro lit his Flames in such a low standard so he couldn't start the alarm on the professor's laboratory. He doesn't know if such a thing existed of course since he wasn't able to go through a thorough search but it was better to be safe that be caught.
He doesn't like the idea of being turned into cylinder prison cells and made into a Flame source anyway.
The light indigo of his Flames came out not a second longer, and he willed it to scatter the ashes into the different sections of the bedroom – turning the ashes into specks of dusts that no machine or any technologies could track down.
His Flames set into work and Mukuro let Lombardi's body slid down the cold tiled floor of the bathroom.
When he finally leaves this body, Lombardi could and could not suffer a mental trauma. Who knows? This was a heavy experiment of spy work; fortunately, Mukuro was confident that the trauma would not last long. Lombardi will only just get confused at having the supreme control of his body taken from him.
The last ash was scattered, the speck no longer visible.
And then, his soul's eye closed.
His eternal body, relaxed as he finally allowed the Sky Flames gather his spirit.
Of course, Tsuna's Flames might pressure, but the Tenth Don would never beat their Flames into full submission – no, they – the Guardians are given the freedom to let him.
And Mukuro let the Don gather him into a warmth of Sky Flames and lay him into his own, capable body of a true spymaster.