I'm so sorry for not being able to update faster. I've been busy for a full week. It's hard to keep up my writing mood, but finally I'm done with this chapter. So, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't worth waiting. I've tried my best.

I hope I'm not upsetting anyone for my very late update.

Well then, enjoy reading!

November 21st; the date when a vigilante group headed on their mission to protect the people, when the Vongola was still a vigilante group. Under the vast clear sky and after a fierce battle between Vongola and Mare, one girl that resembled Haru kneeled on both knee in front of Giotto's profile, covered with bruises as she held her one upper arm helplessly.

Even though she was defeated, she never retracted her cold red eyes from staring at him in such way that no one could understand. "Why? Why did you kill so many people? You're only 17 years old" Giotto questioned.

"I love it. It makes me more powerful and sublime. To see people under your control, seeing them right below you, you're the only who I see right above me. I really want to make you suffer more than ever, Vongola" he stared at her malicious red eyes, but it wasn't the only characteristic he saw in those beautiful eyes. He sensed something else.

"Okay, I'll give you another chance to live" his sudden voice startled everyone and snapped G.

"Oi, Giotto! What's gotten into that mind of yours! You can't just let her live for what she had done!"

"Don't jump to the conclusion, G. There's no reason for me to let her live, other than for her to see her own heart" he eyed on her intently.

"Are you retarded? I'll annihilate your family if you let me live" she frowned.

"I know of that and I know how strong your family is. But you can't defeat us for you even can't see through your own will. You're like all the normal girls who still seek for a true self"

Hearing that, she glared indignantly at him and said with low menacing voice "…Take that back. I'm not like any normal girl"

"I'm a man and I won't take back my words" he said simply.

"You're annoyingly amusing, Vongola. Then I'll accept whatever you throw at me. I'll prove you that I'm not normal"

Feeling she was challenged for a game, she boldly accepted it. But for that, she had to form an alliance with him. Disputes came out of his guardians' mouth, moreover he didn't tell his reason, but just seeing the unfettered determination from his eyes, they fell at silence. If she killed after forming an alliance, she would lose the game.

She knew about his hyper intuition and she could tell that he knew about her hatred of losing. Despite that, she accepted the alliance without any consent from her guardians.

The next day, she was called by Giotto to spend months with him in his base. Just when she was just arrived at her assigned room, she was called to accompany him to have a lunch outside.

The bosses were sauntering around the town while Giotto tried to find a place for lunch.

"I don't get you, Vongola" her voice made him turned to her. "Why do you want me to accompany you just for your precious lunch while you can't eat at your base?"

"Anna, I'm bored with eating at home. It's been a while since I ate at the town" with hands inside his pocket he answered casually. "And call me Giotto"

"Okay then, Vongola. About the game, what should I do?"

Hearing another "Vongola" his eyes twitched and he sighed. "Try to know yourself better. Easy, right? Just come to me if you find out the answer" he shrugged.

There were lots of things she confused about, his actions, his words, and most of all, his decision of letting her live. Truthfully, she didn't like being given remission, especially from a guy with a contrary regimen to her way of living as mafia. She killed people while he helped people.

"Miss, watch out!"

A voice was heard and crate had almost hit her to her face, but Giotto quickly held onto it. An old man was seen carrying it and seemed that he couldn't handle the weight. "Are you alright?" he asked the old man.

"B… Boss?" the old man seemed very old and fragile, wobbling his two legs. "I told you, you're in no shape to carry this stuff. Let me help you" he said worryingly.

She watched him helping the man thoroughly. There was a feeling of disgust in her face. An old and fragile man like that, she didn't like that kind of people. Fragile people made the world worst, deteriorating the society, and it was a satisfaction to kill such weak person for her.

How badly she wanted to end the life of that weak and old man, but for the sake of not losing the game, she had to bear with it.

After helping, they went to the restaurant he always went to. The owner cheerfully greeted them and took them to Giotto's usual spot, on the second floor. Like any customer did, they ordered a meal and waited, although Anna's meal was ordered by Giotto since she refused to eat with him. While waiting, she looked around to the people on the second floor.

"You must be wondering why the townspeople here didn't recognize you" his voice surprised her. "Eh? I should be. I mean, you know my reputation"

"Here's your meal, boss" the waiter delivered their meal and gave a friendly smile to them before leaving.

"That person even smiled at me" she added. "Your reputation hasn't made its way here yet. So, we should be glad about that" he said as he picked the eating utensils and was going to touch his food.

"Why did you help that man?" she interrupted him.

"Huh? It's natural to help him. He's older than me, too. What? What you usually do to an old man like him?"

Even with her kept silence as she stared at him with peeved face, he instantly realized. So, he put down the eating utensils gently.

"Listen, Anna. Human was born with a connection. We can't live without it. Interaction between one another, helping others in need; that's how I connect to other people. It makes me feel alive and wanted"

"I'm familiar of that mentation. Because my connection between another is through taking lives"

"Instead of killing, have you ever thought of converting your power to help?"

"Killing is my way of living and it's fun" she said indifferently.

"Hmm… is that so?" there was an increase of intonation in his question, seemingly because of wondering.

"Shut up or I'll leave right now" she said and then ate her food, despite what she just said. Somehow, it was amusing to see her behavior. Nevertheless, he started eating too.

After achieving the goal to eat had done, like what he usually did, Giotto confronted the owner directly and although the owner insisted him not to pay, he still paid. He really felt thankful for the boss's generosity and somewhat felt bad. But Giotto stated he was just like another costumer and needed to pay.

"Thank you so much, boss" the owner left them.

"Why did you pay him when he said you don't have to? What good does that do to you? Helping other people" she questioned.

"It's in my nature. Besides, they give me countless of supports just by living their daily lives. And that's all I need from them. I know you don't understand what I'm saying, so don't try to understand now"

Feeling underestimated, she furrowed her eyebrows and grabbed his collar.

"You—"

BAM!

Group of Mafioso from another family appeared and abruptly kicked the door. With smug looks on the Mafioso's faces, they sent fear to the citizen inside but let them ran outside, away from the restaurant. While Giotto and Anna, who were at the second floor, they weren't noticed by the Mafioso. As she was going to go down downstairs, Giotto held her wrist.

"This isn't your call. Just stay and—"

"Stay put, Vongola"

Guns were pointed at them, surrounding the two. Then, a man with brown fedora hat showed up.

"I guess the second floor is good. Take him to the first floor. Don't let him move. Oh, and leave the girl here" with a simple command, he said and then walked towards their table while the other Mafioso took him downstairs.

He was in a very inappropriate manner as he sat at an empty table with weapon ready in his side. "Hey, you girl. Come here" he beckoned at Anna and she approached him, standing next to him. "Why are you with him? Why is he always got all the beautiful women?" he looked at her rather like wanting her.

"He's boring, you know. With me, you can get everything you want"

"Boring?" she raised a brow and the chuckled mysteriously. "On the contrary, he's very interesting. Aside that, about you said about what I want… Then, I can kill as many as I want?" she asked as shadow covered partial f her face.

"Eh? Why would an innocent girl like you want that? You're teasing me, aren't you?" he grinned and faced her.

With a smirk, she placed her hand on his shoulder and just when thought she was going to do something that would please him, she harshly kicked his stomach with her knee, surprising him and blood sprayed from his gaped mouth. The man was kneeling as he held onto his stomach in front of her figure.

Standing in front of him, she crossed her arms while putting thoughtful looks. "Now then… I can't kill you, but what should I do with you? Perhaps a slow painful pain would do? But before that, I guess need to save that idiot blonde, so wait for me" from the second floor, she jumped down.

But no one was there. It was a dead silence. She looked around, but clearly no trace of even a single life on the first floor. It's such a hassle, she thought. Truthfully, she didn't want him to die by the hands on other. She planned to kill him after she won the so-called "game".

Her mind was too focused on searching him that even her sharp sense didn't sense a presence behind her, holding a gun that was aimed at her. When a clicking sound was heard, she just noticed a presence, but before she could fully turn back, the gun was shot.

Suddenly, a black cloak blocked her view and it bounced away the bullet. A figure of a familiar boss appeared standing by her side with cloak.

"What the… where did that cloak came from?" the man felt surprised. "Wait a minute, I thought my subordinates have detained you!"

"Ah, they're sleeping at the moment. Just give it up. I'm tired of our endless confrontation"

"Tch. There's no way would I lose on you!" in an instant, he ran away from them, leaving his subordinates behind.

As Anna was going to chase him, all of the sudden Giotto pulled her hand to him and closed her eyes with his larger hand.

"Forget it. Remember the game"

His words strangely calmed her bloodlust. His low and deep voice, his authoritative tone froze her and made her stood still. It was very surprising because no one could ever do that to her, making her stopped her attempt of preying. The shocking fact never leaved her mind.

Even when the nightfall came and she was on her room, lying down on her bed with eyes opened, she kept thinking about that afternoon. The thought about the game wasn't the one that stopped her. She could lose her goal of winning from her bloodlust, but Giotto's voice oddly managed to immobilize her for a moment. She wasn't able to sleep because of it.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't shut her eyes. Therefore, she decided to take a night walk at the town alone. The night breeze was cold and she was the only one walking along in the dark. Emptiness, cold, solitariness, she didn't mind feeling those. She was used to it before meeting Giotto.

And now another thought went to her mind. All her life had been cold, bloody red, and nothingness. But slowly all that feelings drifted away from her, ever since Giotto came to her life and let her live. Face expressed blankness and thoughtfulness, yet spoke indescribable confusion, walking aimlessly alone in dark and dangerous hour.

But the aimless stroll stopped as she spotted two bandits whom were blackmailing a helpless pregnant woman and a 6 year-old girl. No one was there to help them and she didn't even care less, so she whirled around and was going to walk back, avoiding the scene.

"Don't touch my mom!"

She suddenly halted in surprise and slowly whirled around hearing the voice. With gaped mouth and gobsmacked face, she saw the little girl was actually stood up for her mother. Moreover, she seemingly didn't care about the size of the bandits that were obviously larger than her.

Looking at her eyes, she could tell that girl didn't hesitate to help her mother. Although a child was never on her killing list, of all the people she killed, of all kinds of personality she had known, she was very stunned by the girl's bravery.

Somehow, that changed her perspective a bit. But as she was too frozen by the sight, one of the bandits spotted her standing not too far from them.

"Hey, you! Come here!"

She ignored it and turned away as if didn't care, but one of them pointed a dagger at the back of her head, making her stopped. "Are you deaf? I said come" he threateningly pointed it at the back of her head.

However with ease, she whirled around and stared at him with no fear on her red eyes. The bandit was bewildered by those eyes of without fear. "Don't look at me like that!" he shouted.

"What? I just can't take my eyes off a good entertainment"

"What?"

In a flash, one bandit had been tossed over to a wall so hard that it incapacitated him. The mother and the child were embracing each other while trembling helplessly as they saw what was in front of them giving them even more fear than what the bandit gave them. With bruises all over his body, Anna was at on top of him pinning him on the ground as she pointed his own dagger at him with sharp red eyes.

"I know what you're thinking. Even though I'm all malicious and evil, I actually bring no harm to children. I won't ever burn an asset of the world's future. But people like you make my blood boil"

She took a glance to the back, to the girl whom was terrified. "That girl will be useful for this wrenched human society, but you…" she raised the dagger as the man was trembling in myriad of fear.

"You don't have any reason to live"

As the dagger was going down to his throat, all of the sudden, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her to a hug, and much to her surprise, it was Giotto.

"That's enough"

The bandit with fidgety movements stood up and ran as he carried his friend away, away from her. "Why did you stop me? Those men deserve to die. I thought delivering justice is your job"

"You're wrong, Anna"

"What?"

"There's no need for anyone to die for the sake of justice"

His remark made her flinch in surprise. One simple remark from a man she hated really caught her in surprise for she never knew such thought existed, but the message he purposely delivered to her was the one that stunned her. Then, he stood up and helped the family to get away from the scene, helping them to stand up. The mother and daughter had safely walked away, but then a sharp tip had touched the back of his head.

"It's always about the game, isn't it? I don't know what you're planning, but I don't like it. You're contaminating me. I've had it with your unclear game" she furrowed.

"Go ahead" he stood up and whirled around, holding the dagger firmly that it made him bleed. "Kill me, if you can"

The eyes that spoke the words, the unshaken eyes of his which no sign of hesitation, only resolution resided within those calming eyes. With those stare she felt shaken. For the first time ever, she lowered the dagger willingly.

Along the way back, she spoke no words and Giotto didn't have something in mind to say, too. Perhaps their atmosphere was quite heavy. He wasn't stupid to realize that. He knew, very well. Silence mingled with their footsteps, even when they arrived in front of her room.

She was about to open the door knob, but suddenly she felt a hand on her head, gently brushing against her black hair. "I appreciate that you were trying not to be you back then. You were about to kill for justice, that's a good improvement. Keep seeing through that heart, okay?" with a gentle smile that strangely soothed her and blood that dripped from his hand, he left her went taken aback.

"My… heart?"

What do you know about me, Vongola?

I won't ever stop killing… until this body rot

But you…

You're corrupting me…

3 days without interacting with Anna, but not even once did he try to ask her why she was avoiding him. But the avoiding might be cancelled as Giotto and Anna were invited to a party at the restaurant they saved. It was none other than a mask ball, where everyone used mask to cover their identity.

As they arrived there, Giotto greeted the owner.

"Ah, if it isn't the boss himself. How did you know behind this mask is me?"

"Ahaha, I have sharper intuition than you thought" he replied merrily. "It's a nice party, by the way"

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to organize this party. So, you have my gratitude. Oh, and you haven't introduced me to this girl. Who is this lady? Your girlfriend?" he teased. "No, she's my step sister, Anna. We were reunited few days ago, actually. And she's kind of introvert"

"I never thought you have a sister. Well, nice to meet you, young lady" he held her hand like a gentleman would do, as a sign of introduction. "I'm busy at the moment, so please enjoy the party" he said and then walked away.

"I can't believe he fall for that" she voiced.

"It's true, though. I always wanted a stubborn and dangerous sister like you" he said simply, which astonished her.

"You're a lot weirder than I thought" she retorted, but he oddly took that as a compliment as he was just smiling being said that.

But aside that, more people in the place meant her bloodlust was even harder to control. She was just glancing around her surroundings with domino mask covered her red eyes. While Giotto was talking to another guest and she saw a woman that matched her criteria, she followed that woman to the restroom. There was nothing that could describe the dire situation of the woman's life, since she was alone.

As the woman put her foot into the restroom, Anna reached her hands for her neck, slowly and waiting for it to reach her fragile-looking neck.

"Hm? Is someone behind me?" the woman looked back, but no one was there, so she closed the door and went inside.

Outside the restroom, leaning against the wall, Giotto restrained her while shutting her mouth. He kept on holding her until the woman left without noticing them. He sighed in relief and said "I can't take my eyes off you for a second, can I?"

Having restrained like that, she struggled and then he let her go. Without saying another word, she left to the party ahead of him, much to his confusion.

As the party went on, she was very perplexed and overwhelmed by the crowd. She didn't know how long she could hold on. The thought about "seeing through own heart" was really confusing for her let alone to have an addition of hardship in controlling bloodlust as a new problem. Even though she was at confuse state, she didn't show it and remained calm and cool.

While everyone was looking at one direction, which was the organizer of the party who made his speech, she spotted a familiar man took an expensive vase and hid it under his jacket and went to the restroom.

The person let out the vase with smug face written all over him. He uncovered his mask and giggled mischievously. He jerked as he heard the sound of the closed door. He nervously and slowly turned around to the door and spotted a girl with mask on.

"Aren't you in the wrong side? Don't tell me, you want to know what I'm doing?" he prepared his dagger.

"Just when I thought you give up on being a troublemaker" she sighed.

A moment after she said that, he recognized whose voice that was. His face turned pale and terrified.

"I-I'm not afraid of you!" he ran towards her with the dagger, aiming it at her. However, surprisingly for him, she gripped it with her finger grip only, with index finger and middle finger clashed and gripped the blade. The sinister smirk on her face, the unnerving aura that surrounded her figure, it could be the last thing he ever saw and felt in his life.

-0-0-0-

Three guests were walking along the hallway, talking about a topic and smile curved on each faces, also talking how great the party was.

However, they were walking towards a place that they might want to reconsider. As they were having fun talking and one of them reached his hand on the door…

"Hey, what's this?"

They were stepping into a puddle of water coming from inside. Having no feeling of something wrong whatsoever, but with curiosity, they opened the door and took a peek inside.

The place was painted with blood and the person they saw tainted with bruises and blood, but surprisingly still alive with head sank into a wash basin full of water.

"Anna, wait!"

Giotto was running chasing Anna inside the mansion, but she hurriedly reached for the door of her room and locked it. He banged the door repeatedly and kept calling her.

"Anna, please come out now! What happened to that man isn't your fault. He's a bandit, so please open up and we can talk this through!" he kept banging the door.

"Please…" he gradually stopped and desperately placed his forehead onto the door. She, too, did the same on the other side as Giotto had gone calmer. His feeling was very messed up. He wasn't happy or delighted at all. Anxious and wistful covered his face.

How was he supposed to deliver his message if she kept avoiding him? How and in what way could he say that he wanted her to be happy, to smile? And how could he tell it to her that she was already become a precious person in his life?

She had become a figure of a precious little sister to him, one that he wanted to protect with his life. But as long as he couldn't reach for her, she would go even further away from him. He could tell what would happen in the future if she stayed as what she was now.

Using the power of the ring, he once took a peek into the future, where her descendant would obliterate her own friends, including his own descendant. Personally, he wanted to take her to the good side more than he wanted to prevent such future.

Then, she and Giotto leaned their back against the wall at the same time, both sliding down to the floor, as if their mind were as one. She gripped her chest and her expression turned softer, like her ice had melted, though the kind of softness was the painful and mixed-up one.

"I'm sorry" his voice made her flinch.

"All of this may confuse you. We're supposed to be enemies at the first place" he paused briefly. "But when I saw something unusual in you, my opinions changed about you. I want to know you, to spend time with you, to be a big brother to you. Most of all… I want you to figure something within you"

"I hope… you'll find out why I let you live"

After that sentence, all went quiet. Strangely, for the first time she felt touched over words, his words. She who was known and supposed to be a psychopath just felt the sincerity of his remark. It took her seconds for brave enough to stand up and open the door, but he was no longer there.

Even if it was just a month, her mind was swayed with the thought of every bit of his kindness. And she had gone through a month without hurting anyone. Every day he showed her his act upon helping people and slowly in each day, in every kindness he showed, even if no one unless Giotto could ever see that, her everlasting stone heart had been shattered and soft heart would replace her former heart.

Since Asari had a dojo, she went there to meditate, but her focus lost for flashback of the good deeds he had been showing her disturbed her. Then, Giotto came in with a lunch for both and asked her to eat together there. Even though it was snowy outside, it wasn't as cold inside that dojo.

They silently ate their lunch and Anna's stare was blank over still thinking about the entire month. All of the sudden, she felt tickled from her legs and it was an ant. That sight when she felt tickled dazed him.

"You're ticklish, aren't you?"

"I… I'm not!" she said sheepishly.

Of course his intuition spoke otherwise. He tickled her and she couldn't help but to laugh and even cry over the tickle. It was the first smile she put, and it was a smile that he had never seen in any girl. It was pure happiness, warmth, and soothing.

He kept tickling and so they rolled around the dojo until they stopped and she was on top of him, with her cheery smile. "You have a lovely smile, sorellina {sister}" he caressed her hair and then she snapped.

She hastily got up and surprisingly put a mirthless face. Seeing that, he said "You brought warm clothes, right? Let's play with the snow outside"

She simply nodded, although she was hesitating. Snowy day… it was always the day in every year she killed more people, a December that she always looked forward to.

But now, it was all different. For the first time, she felt reluctant to see the snow, to be on it, like she was afraid that she would kill anyone at that snowy time. Somehow, she didn't want to see the red on the snow again.

Nevertheless, she still went outside with him. His guardians, except for Alaude had already there and greeted her with warm welcome, which grew her eyes wider in stunned. They made a big snowman together joyously. Even the cold winter didn't stand a chance against the warm they delivered to her.

This was the first time she felt really happy as she and Giotto smiled at each other in sincerity and happiness, like they completely forgot their problems and enjoyed the moment of time.

"Boss!" cheery voices of children approached them. As they came, they immediately ran to Anna.

"Hey, hey. You're the boss's little sister, right? Play with us!" the boy in that group demanded merrily. All of them came to Anna alone. She was rather fluttering seeing the children. She never held a grudge or anything against kids, but at that moment, she began to love them as she smiled alongside them.

Giotto himself also smiled happily seeing her smile, her complete change of behavior. But mostly, the happiness she felt currently was something he could never trade for, one that he would always fight for. He never meant to make her as an important existence in his life, and yet it happened. But he was glad that happened.

Even though he let her live only to make her realize her wrongdoings, to change her into a better person for her family and anyone, he couldn't be more happier that he had found a figure of a little sister.

However, that joyous moment on December 25th didn't last long.

BANG!

A huge blast was heard, silencing their merry laughs.

"Boss! Otto Family has breached inside this place!" one of his subordinates came in rush.

"Otto? Aren't they the ones from that restaurant?" Anna questioned Giotto.

"They are. Anna, get inside and hide the kids quickly. If Otto Family comes here as complete one, this place can be a battlefield for a war" the way he said it, she realized this was close to dire situation.

With that, she and Lampo guided the kids inside to a safe place. "Wait here, okay? I have to check the situation" he was going to leave them, but Anna tugged his shirt.

"I'll do it. Wait here with the kids"

So, she cautiously skulked her way outside, in case if the enemy had already went inside. Noises of the fight echoed throughout the place. She might expected the fight turned on Vongola side, but as she was already outside and hid behind the wall to hide herself, there were Giotto and his guardians were fighting, separated from others.

If it was human, Giotto could deal with it no problem. But the enemies were lump of metals and strong, too. Not to mention the rest of the human Mafioso that surrounded them. Bruises covered each group, however she was glad that Giotto got the minor bruises.

BAANG!

A gunshot was heard loudly and set her eyes wide as she saw blood sprayed from Giotto's shoulder, penetrated through his arm. A man machine aimed its gun part to him.

"Primo!" his guardians screamed in unison.

Anna was horrified by the sight of it. Even his guardians couldn't lay a finger to help him because the foes prevented them from doing so. With widened eyes and aghast looks, she saw through the Vongola boss was shot again towards his waist. He kneeled on one knee, holding the pain.

The boss of Otto approached him and pointed his gun to his head. Just when he was about to pull the trigger, a footstep they heard stopped the boss. To their surprise, it was Anna came with shadow casted over her face.

"Wh… What are you doing?" Giotto said in low voice.

"I've had it…" she mumbled in shaking voice.

When she stepped a foot outside, it was the end of Otto Family. The Mafioso, the machine, all was scattered and killed brutally. Amongst the pile of corpse, she was standing with her back on Giotto and the guardians, rather in solitariness. As if time had stopped that time, everyone was standing still, as if they were frozen.

With body that tainted with the blood she killed, she spoke without looking back "As the boss of Mare Family, I'm here to break the alliance between Vongola and Mare"

"…What?" Giotto was gobsmacked by her declaration.

"We will hide ourselves from the world and erase our existence from the history. Now that you know I can't be your ally, I won't let you hurt my family"

"No! I don't care whether you start killing again, you and your family have become a part of us. Leaving isn't the answer, Anna! Would you let your future generations to carry on your sins? Would you have the heart to let your future child to carry the solitary life you chose?"

Having heard the question, she turned around a bit and said with conviction eyes, "I do"

"If you want everyone's safe, then this is goodbye, Giotto—oh, and the game… I won" with her finally words been said, she left them in gobsmacked. But for Giotto, it was a nightmare.

Ever since that separation day, he heard nothing about the Mare's wrongdoings, even about their existence. Just like she said, they forever disappeared, from history and their lives. Despite they were erased from the history, the existence of Anna was never erased from his memories.