Konnichiwa mina. I'm back! I should be sleeping but oh well. Sorry this chapter took so long. Freshman year killed me. Pre-med isn't as easy as it seems. Did I mention that I'm minoring in Japanese? WOOT! So anyways…I hope you liked the last chapter and that you reviewed . For now, let's get back to DWF!!
Chapter 9: "Don't Pick The Rose"
Miaka was speechless, horrified, betrayed, and grief-stricken at the very least. The person who she had risked her life for was now trading HER for MONEY. Pain struck her from the inside, as if a thousand knives were stabbing at her heart. Immediately her body went numb, the hairs on her body standing up. The only time she had remembered feeling like this was when her father had left their family.
With all of her strength she tried to regain her arm away from Genro's circulation-cutting grip. To no avail however, his grip just tightened.
"IIE! LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD!!" Miaka screamed, choking on her words.
'Chichiri, help!' she pleaded to herself. Not that it would help anyways.
"Suzaku no miko eh?" the baron rose an eyebrow, examining the struggling girl in front of him. "She does look quite foreign…Do you have solid proof?"
Genro 's body tensed as he felt and heard the struggles of Miaka next to him. This was so much harder than he could have ever imagined. Why couldn't this just be as simple as it seemed? She was just another annoying woman who he didn't want in his life, or so he thought. He was pretty sure she would be safe, so why was this so HARD?
"If you fail to think so later I give you my permission to do what you want with me, and I do not take these words lightly." Genro spoke with the most clarity he had ever had in his voice. He knew the baron had always felt insecure with his bandit habits and no longer would he have to pay booty for his capture.
"Very well then" the baron concluded as he walked behind his desk once again. Miaka's body began to shake, and for the first time in years she REALLY cried.
Her head fell to the ground unable to watch what happened next. Everything spun around her head, making it hard to make sense of anything. Everything she had been through with Genro, all the trust she had given him. And in the end she fell prisoner to another fraudulent man in her life.
"Genro, your business has been of great help to me, however, I am busy with taxation files, so if you could find yourself to the door, I would be much obliged." Baron Li walked towards Genro, handing him a hefty sack of gold. The money clinked together, making the air dense and the situation seem even more severe. Genro took hold of the suede bag, holding it guiltily.
"And what of the Miko?" Genro looked away from the trembling girl next to him. If it were possible, his insides felt as if they had genetically molded themselves into a black hole. Each tremble he felt through her arm, gave way to another pang of unknown angst.
'God damn. I don't deserve anythin'. I really am a horrible person.' And he knew it clearly. The money in his other hand was clear proof. How could even he, the leader of a group of bandits, stoop this low? And why could a task such as this, seem so harmful, even if HE thought it was harmless?
In his chain of pitied thoughts, Genro was surprised when a violent yank came from the girl whom which his hand had vice gripped earlier.
"Get out. Now, you insolent, filthy, lowlife." It was not only a demand, but also a sharp, stinging growl coming in between Miaka's sobs.
Genro knew he deserved every name she laid upon him, but yet somehow, her words still shocked him more than he would expect. Her head was faced away from him, and her body looked as if it were slowly caving in.
"You heard the girl, Genro." The Baron chided in. The older man eyed Miaka's body in greed, waiting for the bandit's exit.
"What are you going to do with her?" Genro shot back, enraged at the filthy looks the baron was giving Miaka. He couldn't leave her to the desires of a corrupted man.
"I will pass her to the emperor safely. You have no need to worry." The baron hissed, annoyed at Genro's presence.
"Do I have your word?" This was his last attempt at making sure Miaka would be ok. Already, his plan was beginning to fail.
"You have my word. Now go." Baron Li began to walk towards Miaka, hoping to speed the transaction.
The bandit realized that walking away now meant he could never be a true man, in Miaka's eyes. As much as he tried to convince himself of how it wasn't a big deal, deep down, it mattered. What choice did he have?
With a painful intake of air, Genro turned towards the door, refusing to look back. The building became a long tunnel, with an invisible weight pushing him back towards Miaka. Finally he got to the door, slamming it behind him. Slowly in a daze, he lowered himself, sitting against the door.
'Wha's wrong with me ? Wha' have I done?'
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"Your majesty, are you firm on your decisions regarding Kouto? The board is behind you, however, some believe that we need more time."
"Kou, if we don't set up our defenses now, the villagers in the farming regions will be put into great peril."
The young board messenger grimaced at the thought. The emperor, once again, was right. He looked back at the young man in front of him. The emperor was the same age as he, making it awkward to address him in such a formal way. How this boy had managed the pressure of taking the throne at the age of six, was beyond anyone's belief.
"I will address the board immediately. How..?" Kou was cut off abruptly.
The emperor stood up quickly, his facial features changing as if they sensed a forthcoming danger. Kou bowed immediately, surprised by the emperor's sudden actions.
"Kou, we will have to continue later. I think, that I may be needed somewhere urgently." With those words, the emperor stripped his royal, hat, shoes, and robe off and took off down the main hallway as if he were a commoner.
Kou stared back in disbelief.
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Miaka collapsed to her knees in the commons of Barron Li's office. Rage and grief were understatements as to what she was feeling. Was it her fault that she always met men such as Genro? She looked down at her numb hands. A pale color crept up her limbs, turning her body cold. She heard a rustling of robes and looked up.
"No need to cry, Priestess, Genro only means business and he won't ever change. Why don't we travel somewhere more comfortable?" The baron held out his oily hand to her.
Miaka looked up in rage at the disgusting man. He'd have hell to pay before he touched her in any way. Without thinking straight, she spit at his feet, letting her emotions get the best of her.
Barron Li clenched his fists in rage. NO ONE, treated him in a rude manner. "Ungrateful bitch. Who needs Suzaku anyways?" He hissed through his teeth. In an action that surprised Miaka with greater force than she expected, the baron grabbed her right wrist. With his strength, he began dragging her to the back room.
"Iie! Hentai! LET ME GO YOU SICK ANIMAL!" Miaka screeched trying to regain her wrist and balance. To her disbelief, however, Barron Li was much stronger than his robes hid, and slowly he was winning.
When they reached the door to the back room, Miaka began to panic even more. In front of her was a room with plush couches, a fireplace, and a large bed framed in the middle. She grabbed onto the door's frame struggling for her life and if not that, her virginity.
"Stop playing games you child. Continue making this hard on me and you will not like the consequences." Baron Li grabbed the door and slammed it on her hand, forcing her to let go.
Miaka screamed in pain as she heard the solid crunch of bones breaking. Squinting her eyes in pain, she heard the baron lock the door. She began flailing her legs, trying to kick his legs from under him. Barron Li used this to his advantage and threw her frail body onto the bed.
"Iie!!" Miaka screamed, praying someone heard her.
"Stay still god damnit." The baron growled as he mounted his body on top of hers, disabling the use of her legs.
It was then that Miaka felt a foreign lump from underneath his robes, pressing roughly against her womb. Tears began streaming freely down her cheeks. As it stood now, dying would be easier.
He carefully tried to lift her school uniform's skirt with one hand, as he pinned both her hands to the bed. Miaka flailed more violently, trying to shake him off her middle area.
"I'm warning you priestess. I can make this much harder." He added as he began stripping his own robes off his body with one hand.
"Iie!" Miaka screamed. 'Please, just kill me instead'
Suddenly she felt one of his hands reach for between her legs as he tried to rub an area no man had ever touched. Miaka, shocked, tried to press her legs together, allowing him to go no further.
"Really now?" the baron chuckled. Instead of continuing, he reached for her waist and grabbed the lining of her underwear, giving it a firm pull. It ripped easily with his strength and he then he continued to rip the other side.
Miaka tugged at her arms, hoping that she had an advantage since he was only using one hand to hold them down. Her wriggling however only made him grip harder. Miaka flinched as his nails cut through her skin.
Annoyed, the baron took his free hand and sent it soaring at Miaka's face. The slap not only left her face numb but also made the room echo with an eerie ring. Miaka screamed in pain. Never had she imagined that she could be violated in such a way.
"STAY STILL!" he yelled, spit showering her face.
With his free hand he threw her underwear across the room and then reached for his remaining robes, which quickly came off.
"IIE!" Miaka screamed with what little power she had. Not a single layer of fabric was left between them and she was in her panic mode. While the baron tried to uncross her legs with his knee it gave Miaka more room to flail. She tried to knee him in a place she knew all men kept sacred but she missed and kneed one side of his butt.
"BITCH!" he yelled. He then once again took his free hand and lifted it into the air. This time he clenched it however, he then sent his fist flying towards her face.
Miaka screamed, but before she could finish, she felt her world fall into blackness.
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Genro sulked outside the door, digging through his feelings, trying to convince himself that what he had done was right.
His thoughts were broken however when several horses galloped towards him, obviously in a rush.
"GENRO!" Chichiri ran angrily towards the bandit leaning against the large, golden door.
"WHERE. IS. MIAKA?" the monk demanded.
Genro refused to look up at his companion. "She ran off. How should I know?" he bit out harshly.
"I thought you were going to show her around?" Mitsukake growled from under his breath.
"Look, who cares? Ya' guys can go on without me. Mkay? " Genro feebly pushed himself up and walked towards Chaos.
Chichiri stiffened at Genro's words. Had the bandit not been protecting Miaka this entire time? He sensed a great deal of danger pertaining to Miaka. It was almost as if she had called to him a few minutes ago. Genro knew where she was; the evidence was written all over his face.
Enraged Chichiri began to approach Genro, determined to get an answer out of him. Mitsukake, however, beat him to the punch.
"Where the hell is Miaka?" Mitsukake now had Genro lifted by the collar and was looking him eye-to-eye.
"Git yer damn hands off me!" Genro squirmed under the large man's grip.
"Tell me. NOW. Or I swear I will personally cut off both of your family jewels. Not that you've got them anyways." Mitsukake roughly shook the bandit.
Genro let his defenses down. What did it matter if he got hurt now? He had already screwed it all up anyways. Either way, the two men were going to harm him. If he told them, Miaka still had a chance. He was certain however, neither would allow him near Miaka again, something he could not fathom.
"I fucked up. Ok?!" Genro bit down harshly.
'It's better her be safe than not being able to see her again.'
"HOW?" Chichiri sucked in a breath of nervous air.
"I..I. Fucking hell. I traded her fer money ok? I thought I had good intentions, but when I saw tha baron lookin' at her like that…and he gave me his word that she'd be safe."
"YOU WHAT?!" the two men, clearly enraged now, screamed in his face.
"Don't tell me ya guys didn't notice. Tha' girl's tha fucking Priestess of Suzaku. If I can trade her fer money, frame tha corrupted baron, n' then give tha money away…everythin' will be solved. When I made tha initial deal, tha baron agreed ta pass her right over to tha emperor. Just, something feels really wrong."
"YOU, are an asshole!" Mitsukake screamed at him.
Chichiri shook his head in disbelief. "Genro, just tell us where the baron is."
Genro nodded his head towards the doors behind them. "Let me down. I have no reason to be here anymore."
Chichiri read Genro's face, studying it hard. Yes the bandit had traded Miaka for money. It was now registering in his head however, what the man had attached to that.
'"frame tha corrupted baron, n' then give tha money away…"'
"No, Mitsukake bring him with us." Chichiri brought out his hat holding it in front of the large doctor. Something nagged the monk from inside, telling him to bring the bandit.
"This will take us to the baron." Chichiri added as he watched the two men disappear into the black depths of the hat. "Bomb's away…" the monk sighed, hoping they weren't too late.
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"Well?" the emperor demanded.
The doctor walked outside of the bedroom with a glum face. "She's going to live but it will take a while to heal both her physical and emotional pains. She twisted her left ankle and right wrist, broke her left hand in three places, broke two ribs, and her face will be swollen for a long time."
"And what of her virginity?" the emperor added in.
"Thanks to you, she lost nothing physical today. However, emotionally I'm not sure."
The boy gave a sigh of relief. For some reason, the fact that she was still a virgin calmed him much more than it should of. Shouldn't he just be relieved that she was still alive?
"For now this is all I can do. I will be back later to check up on her." The doctor turned, and walked down the gated pathway.
The 18-year old emperor peeked inside the large, flowery room. Purples, greens, and golds lavishly decorated the large, empty room. By far this was his favorite guest room but it saddened him that this would be the first time he would have to use it. On the large bed towards the back lay the mysterious, bruised girl.
Something called him closer to her, as if she was asking for him to be at her side. Somehow, he had sensed danger towards the south side of the palace and what he found had not been pleasant.
~Flashback~
He ran through the halls, quickly approaching the danger he sensed. He wasn't sure what was making him do this but for some reason he trusted his instinct. The hallways seemed longer than usual and it didn't help that he wasn't sure where his instinct was leading him.
Suddenly, when he passed the door to the baron's headquarters his sense of danger shot through every fiber of his being, making the hairs on his arm stand up.
"IIE!"
"BITCH"
That was all it took for him to barge into the room. What he saw, was by far the most disgusting scene he had ever come by.
"LI, SHOU!" the emperor screamed towards the naked man on the bed as he thrust his body towards the older man.
The emperor, after tackling the baron off the bed, cornered the man in the corner. He unsheathed his sword, holding it tauntingly close to the baron's jugular.
"Ho-Hotohori. Do you not grant me my private time at all?" the man hissed through his teeth.
"NOT if THIS is how you spend it!" Hotohori spat at the man as he nodded his head towards the motionless body on the bed.
Hotohori heard the clanking of approaching guards who had caught on to the commotion.
"Guards!" Hotohori yelled towards their direction at the door. "Take this man to the lowest level of the prison. NOW." Hotohori released his sword, but not before cutting the baron's neck, enough for it to trickle small drops of blood.
While his guards approached the baron, Hotohori walked towards the bed slowly, afraid of what he would find.
Laid in a crumpled heap upon the bed was a small figured girl, no older than 16. Her clothes were ripped, face bruised and swollen, and her wrists were bleeding heavily. It wasn't her wounds that made him speechless however, it was her presence. Something was special about her, and the feeling sent chills rushing down his back. His throat began to close, and his eyes became glassy. A surge of spontaneous emotions raged through his body at the sight of this girl.
He knew immediately he needed to fetch a doctor, and send her to a better-suited room. Hotohori turned to a few of the remaining guards, "Run and get the palace's best doctor and tell him to come to the south-wing guest room!" The guards all nodded and ran from the room.
Hotohori turned back to the bed, grimacing at what he knew had to be done. As he bent down to pick up the tiny girl he got a good look at her face. She had long eyelashes that covered what must be gorgeous eyes, her pale porcelain skin shaped her jaw line and cheek bones. Her deep chestnut colored hair was draped across the sheets of the mangled bed. It looked as if she had put up quite a fight.
Deep down, the emperor hoped with all his being that somehow he had gotten here soon enough. He would have to let the doctor determine that.
Gently, making sure he was touching anything broken or bare, Hotohori picked up the girl and walked her swiftly over to the south wing.
Once he got to the guest room he laid the tiny girl down gingerly on the bed and waited for the doctor outside the room. When the doctor arrived he issued Hotohori out of the room so he could inspect her closely. The emperor took one last glance at the mysterious girl and closed the doors behind him.'
~End Flashback~
Hotohori shuddered at the memories that were still fresh in his mind. He glanced back at the girl on the bed. His curiosity slowly crept on him and quietly he entered the room.
What was it that drew him to this girl? He walked up to the vacant chair next to the bed, smoothed his robes, and sat down. Hotohori realized that she would need a hand to hold when she woke up, someone to comfort her. He wanted to make sure that that person was him. And so he waited for when she would wake up.
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When Chichiri, Mitsukake, and Genro exited the darkness of the hat, they found themselves in a place almost as pitch black. Softly lit torches mounted the stone walls a couple meters away. Cobwebs adorned the corners of the ceiling, and rancid smelling liquid ran in streams between the cobblestones.
"The prison? This isn't a fucking joke kid" Mitsukake grabbed for Genro's collar again.
"Joke's on me I assume?" a voice chided in behind the group.
Genro turned to see a bloody Baron Li chained to the stone wall behind them. Suddenly all the rage he had held in surfaced itself at the sight of the filthy man in the jail cell.
Mitsukake sensed Genro's rage and released him towards the baron.
"What tha FUCK did ya do ta Miaka?!" Genro threw a swift punch towards the baron's solar plexus.
After flinching for a couple seconds, he looked Genro in the eye. The old man snickered. "Let's just say she won't be able to summon Suzaku anymore. A rose may seem a beautiful thing to pick, but later when you're bleeding it will not."
Genro had no words for the repulsive man. His insides shook at the thought at what he had done to Miaka. Inside Genro couldn't figure out why he felt so strongly to protect this girl. Could it be his guilt driving him for revenge? And why did SHE, as a woman seem different, than all the others? Genro looked down at his 'wolf bite'. He could feel it pulsing beneath the bandages. Was this the reason that made him question his sanity?
Genro's anger flared as he reached for his fan, seconds away from incinerating the baron to a heap of ashes.
As he pulled the fan in front of him he felt a hand grab his wrist sharply.
"Genro, we need to get to Miaka. He's going to die anyways. I'm sure the emperor has a good plan for him. Ya know?" Chichiri focused his energy on finding Miaka and sent it towards his hat once again.
"Ta hell. I'm killin' this guy with my own hands!" Genro tugged for his hand but Chichiri kept a firm hold.
"After you Mitsukake." Chichiri grabbed the enraged, shell-shocked Genro and pulled him in behind.
"Let go of me ya damn monk! " Genro yelled in front of him, trying his best to stay out of the hat. It didn't help however, that the darkness in the hat was acting as a greater force and it easily sucked in the two men.
When the three men landed in a heap they had to shield their eyes from the difference in brightness.
"Git' offa me!" Genro squirmed from underneath Mitsukake who purposely held his sitting position on top of the bandit.
"Ok kid, this is how it goes. If Miaka is…well…you know, I will return the same courtesy that you bestowed upon her. " Mitsukake grabbed a chunk of Genro's fiery bangs and pulled until the bandits neck refused to stretch further. "Glad we got that straight."
Genro remained silent, trying to control the amount of emotions floating around his head. Oddly enough he wasn't worried for his own life, on the contrary it was Miaka's life that he feared for. The thought disgusted him, considering that his entire life he had disliked women. To him however, Miaka wasn't just a woman, she was Miaka. Something that still didn't make sense to him.
Mitsukake stood up next to Chichiri, allowing Genro to regain his posture. The doctor was still confused as to why Chichiri requested that the repulsive boy continue to travel with them. He was certain however, of his trust for Chichiri, which allowed for him to accept the bandit's presence.
Chichiri continued to sense Miaka's life form beyond the door in front of him. It was weak and faltering, but it was there. Knowing what was best, he grabbed Genro and shoved him towards the door. "After you."
Genro sighed and closed his eyes. He refused to look at what his failure had brought upon Miaka.
"NOW!" Mitsukake yelled from behind him.
Genro grabbed for the handle, and pulled, shielding his eyes as he entered. He heard the two men gasp behind him, making him feel even more on edge.
'Please let her be alive.'
"Get OUT!" roared a foreign voice.
"Wha-?" Genro, confused opened his eyes at to whom was yelling at the three men.
In front of him stood a regal man of similar age, guarding an occupied bed. The man wore delicate robes colored of the national colors of the south…
"Oi!" Genro yelped. Why was the emperor here?
"Do you have any decency?" the emperor asked the three men.
"Genro. You idiot! Bow!" Mitsukake hissed from the floor below him.
"Ahh, your majesty, my apologies for the intrusion. This young man has something to say." Chichiri pushed Genro forward with his pole.
"Wha? Ah shit Chichiri." Genro looked up at the emperor, trying his best to fade out the girl who lay behind him.
The emperor returned an interested look towards the bandit. " Does it have to do with the woman?"
"I-I. Damnit. Yea. She, I mean, Miaka…I thought I could frame tha Baron Li, by trading her fer money. I swear, I was gonna give it away. He said he wouldn't harm her…" Genro's hands trembled as his nails cut into his palms. None of this should have happened.
"Why on earth would you try to frame the baron that I hired? Let alone you traded a HUMAN being, not an ITEM!"
The emperor inched closer to the bandit, dumbfounded by his stupidity.
Genro's gaze dropped. The answer had seemed pretty easy earlier…
"The baron that ya hired happened ta also be the reason why yer farming regions are producin' less. He's been taxing 'em so much that several families have lost their farms. Last I checked, it was illegal ta tax them. They're supposed to receive taxes from him n' I can guarantee ya, they never did. Ever wander why he's got so much extra money than what ya pay him?" Genro looked the emperor in the eyes.
Everything he had originally had believed in came out truthfully. The emperor deserved to know why his country was in ruins.
The majestic man in front of Genro stood in his spot motionless. Everything the bandit was telling him made sense. He had indeed been questioning the baron's intentions recently. But why trade THIS girl? There were plenty of other girls for hire on the streets, much to his distress.
The emperor's train of thought was halted when the bandit broke the silence. Chichiri and Mitsukake stood there expectant of him, knowing there was one more important piece of information that Genro was leaving out. One they had been shocked to learn only a few minutes ago.
"A-And.... She's tha Priestess of Suzaku"
The emperor stifled a gasp. How was it possible? The fairytale he had believed in as a boy was possibly surfacing as reality. He turned back to the bruised and battered girl that lay on the bed behind him. Walking to her bedside, he took a better glance at her. She looked nothing like the commoners in any region nearby. Her style of clothing also surprised him; never had he seen such an outfit.
It was when the emperor moved that Genro caught a glimpse at Miaka. Her face was a gruesome purple-black. Her wrists, hands, and ribs were heavily bandaged. It took a long hard stare to see if she was still breathing or not. Her liveliness seemed to have left her long ago, leaving a show on her presence. The sight sent chills down his spine and his guilt weighted down his body. He didn't deserve to be in the room.
"What proof do you have?" The emperor asked.
"I-I just know. She was doin' strange things since I found her. Call me crazy, but she seriously fell from tha sky 'n landed on me…" Genro trailed off as he remembered when he had first met the girl in front of him. It felt like months had passed by instead of days. He remembered their interesting talks on Chaos, their bickering moments, and the accidental pervert-like moments; all of which seemed like a ray of sunshine compared to what was happening now.
This girl had saved his life, been able to properly use his tessen, and even gained his best friend's trust. Somehow, those things hadn't been enough to feed his greedy wants for other plans.
With that last thought, Genro found it unbearable to stay in the room. He turned his back to Miaka, and walked towards the door where Chichiri and Mitsukake stood.
"Not so fast. You deserve this Genro." Mitsukake shook his head at the bandits approach and grabbed Genro to turn him back to Miaka.
"Let go of me ya bastard! I've seen enough!" Genro growled at Mitsukake. He needed a release of feeling, a quiet place to run away.
"Fell from the sky?" The emperor finally asked Genro. Chichiri and Mitsukake listened intently. Neither of them had been sure of the girl's identity, nor had they known what had happened between Miaka and Genro.
"Yea. If ya think I'm mental then, fine. Tha girl was also able ta destroy over 100 Kutou Region bandits. She set an entire forest ta flames." Genro answered. He knew that by saying these things the emperor would take better care of her. She needed it.
The emperor studied Genro for a few seconds contemplating on the truth of his words. There was no need however. He knew the bandit was not lying. There was no proof as to why he knew that, just instinct.
"Very well then, my name is Hotohori. If you're story is true then I ask you to please leave this woman alone. I'm sure she is already hurt enough by your betrayal. Since your intentions were decent, I will not arrest you, but I will have you watched by my guards over the next couple of days. I will need you for questioning."
"I, I just want ta go back to tha mountains. Ask tha other two what you need" Genro replied to the emperor. He glanced back to Chichiri and Mitsukake, both annoyed at his ignorance.
"And you two are?" Hotohori asked to the two other men.
Both Chichiri and Mitsukake bowed. "Chichiri and Mitsukake, your majesty." Chichiri answered. "And this bandit knows much more about the priestess than we do." There was no way he was going to let the bandit get away easily.
"Very well then. I will request your stay at my palace then. Genro, you are not to be allowed anywhere near the South Wing. You will be watched at all times by my guards. If you so as try to escape, I will have you arrested for the harm of the Suzaku no Miko."
Genro sighed. He deserved every ounce of what was being dished to him. Why though had Chichiri and Hotohori wanted him around if Miaka had been hurt on his account? He didn't deserve her friendship or time after this. What confused him however, was that somewhere he felt that staying away from the south wing, would cause more emotional pain than he realized.
Genro took one last glance at Miaka and turned to walk for the door where guards were already waiting.
'Miaka, I'm sorry…'
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Hey guys! Next chapter is already in the making! Stay tuned!