Chapter 33

Bunny had actually swept the temple grounds with Rei, even though she hadn't believed it. Her mind was somewhat clearer now. She gazed at the horizon; the sun was just beginning to set. Where was Mamoru? He was supposed to pick her up. An uneasy feeling suddenly came over her.

"What's wrong? You look troubled again," Rei said, handing her a bottle of water.

"I don't know, Seiya is gone, and Mamoru was supposed to pick me up, but he's nowhere to be seen. What if something happened to him too?" she voiced her concerns out loud.

Then, a figure stumbled up the temple steps. Because of the unfavorable angle of the sun, they could only see silhouettes.

"Look, Bunny, someone's coming. Maybe it's Mamoru," Rei suggested.

But as the figure approached, they recognized Angel's blonde curls rushing towards them.

"Amaya? What are you doing here?" Rei asked skeptically. Since the day at the Crown, she didn't trust her. Her intuition warned her to be cautious; something wasn't right here.

"I was at the hospital with my father earlier, and I ran into Mamoru there. He had to step in for work and asked me to let Bunny know that he won't be able to pick her up," Angel explained.

Bunny felt a weight lifted off her chest; if Mamoru was working, at least it meant he was safe. Angel forced a smile. "Shall we walk home together? It's getting dark, and your parents are probably waiting, right?" Rei looked concerned at Bunny; she was reluctant to let her go with Amaya, but she didn't say anything. Bunny was just relieved not to be alone and gratefully accepted the offer.

Seiya was still sitting on the dark floor, working on the letter for Taiki. Of course, it was addressed to both brothers, but he had little hope that Yaten would read between the lines. Everything now depended on whether Taiki could decipher his message. His throat still burned from thirst, but the only liquid available to him was the liquor. Not yet. He knew he had to resist as long as possible. He quickly reviewed the letter one last time.

"Now it's up to you to find me, brother," Seiya thought, rising with the paper in hand. He pounded on the door with both fists, hoping someone would hear him. "Hey! Is anyone there? Hello?!" he shouted. It remained silent for a while, but then a voice sounded through the door. "Quiet in there!"

"I've finished the letter you demanded from me," Seiya shouted back. He wanted the letter to reach Taiki as quickly as possible.

"Slide it under the door," the male voice murmured. Seiya prayed that nothing would be noticed; he folded the paper twice and slid it under the door. "Your paper's pretty grimy. I'll pass it on, and now be quiet in there."

Seiya sighed with relief and slid down to the floor by the door. The whole situation still felt unreal to him. But now all he could do was wait. Wait for his fate, wait to see what the Black Moon had in store for him, and wait for his brothers' help. He had also considered writing a letter to Bunny, but he decided against it. The people from the Black Moon seemed dangerous, and he didn't want to put her in unnecessary danger. Tired and plagued by pain, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. In his mind's eye, he saw his beloved Bunny lying in his arms. He drew strength from that memory.

Mamoru slammed his fist in anger on the desk. It couldn't be true! He had actually fallen into Celeste's trap. He would have never thought she would betray him like this. But he was to blame for this situation himself. If his blind jealousy hadn't driven him to contact her, this wouldn't have happened.

Bunny would probably have left him; he was now quite sure of that. But then at least her life wouldn't be in danger. Shin was more than dangerous; he couldn't risk being seen with Bunny. He was truly caught in a dilemma and had to plan his next moves carefully.

On one side stood Celeste, who wanted to force him back into the clutches of the Black Moon, from which he had escaped five years ago. The Black Moon would open another dark chapter in his life; he knew exactly what awaited him – drugs, smuggling, and human trafficking were just parts of this vast organization. If he were to return to the Black Moon, he would once again take lives; he had been the best hitman Celeste knew. She surely wouldn't just want him as a doctor; she'd want him back as a killer too.

On the other side stood Shin, whose father he had shot eight years ago. In front of his son's eyes. Since that day, Shin had sworn revenge, and he was ruthless. Mamoru had painfully experienced this himself when Shin had tortured and then executed his best friend and right-hand man. He still had the images in his mind of how horribly battered the body had been when he found it. Even the thought sent shivers down his spine. At the time, he had tried to put an end to it all; it had been a bitter battle, and until an hour ago, he thought he had won that battle. All of this was over five years ago.

He didn't even want to imagine what Shin would do to Bunny. He couldn't risk that. But to go back to Celeste, who had led him right into the open trap like this? His head was pounding. He could barely believe the mess he had maneuvered himself into. These five peaceful years had made him careless.

He heard the door behind him open. His body tensed; even without turning around, he knew it was Celeste striding toward him. Mamoru felt her hands wrap around his shoulders from behind. "Tick tock, tick tock," she laughed in his ear. Angrily, he grabbed her wrist, twisted her arm behind her back, and pressed her head onto the table. "You're a piece of work," he hissed down at her.

"Do you know me any differently? Let me go, and we can negotiate. We both know you won't do anything to me." Slowly, he released his grip, and Celeste freed herself with an elegant twist. She opened a cupboard and poured Scotch into two glasses, handing one to Mamoru and nodding towards the sitting area.

"Well then, my dear. Have you made your decision?" Her tone sounded more confident with this question.

Mamoru's forehead was furrowed; he was still pondering and trying to find a way out.

"Who?" he finally asked. Celeste glared at him. He apparently saw through her.

"Shiori, Shin's sister."

"Why?"

"Since when do you ask so many questions? Are you in or not?"

"Not so fast. I want to know why, and furthermore, you'll guarantee Bunny's safety for me."

"Yes, I already promised you that about your bunny. Angel is with her right now. Shiori has taken over the business; she's the brains behind Shin..." Celeste paused briefly and placed three pictures on the table. Men Mamoru still knew from his past, the first was his mentor, the second he vaguely recognized, Celeste's accountant, and the third was responsible for planning the deliveries.

Mamoru raised an eyebrow in question.

"All dead within a few months. She gives the orders; Shin is just the executor. You're the only one who can help me, who can take on him. Mamo, I know it wasn't quite fair, but I need you," her tone had changed, and her gaze pierced him. Mamoru looked over at her.

"You do realize that if I eliminate Shiori, the target on my back will get even bigger." Celeste said nothing but nodded thoughtfully.

"If I were to do that, listen carefully, I said if. Then we need a good plan to get them both at the same time," he growled. "And one more thing, even though you were like a sister to me, I never want to see you again after this. This will be the last joint action." Celeste pressed her lips tightly together.

"Fine. Once I have her head here, you're out for good. What are your plans for the songbird?"

Mamoru rubbed his fingers over his eyebrows. Right, there was still the issue with Seiya.

"I need to think about that, but for now, let him stay in Tokyo. Do you still have good people for me?"

"None as good as you, but if you want, you can have Diamond and Saphir on your team. They're not the brightest minds, but they can follow orders and are skilled with weapons."

Mamoru rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I need professionals. Have you forgotten what happened last time? They're just kids!"

"Mamo, last time, you were also only 17, and even a year younger than them right now."

Mamoru let out a tired laugh. "Are you really comparing me to them now? Do I have to remind you of my training? Do I really have to remind you of what your uncle expected from me when I was a kid?"

No, he didn't have to. Celeste had gone through the same schooling back then. That's what had bonded them. She took his hand, her eyes burning into his. "One last time, the two of us against the rest of the world. At least try it with them; you'll see they're not that bad."

Mamoru got up, stopping halfway to the door. "Tomorrow afternoon, I want to see what the two of them can do. Then we'll see." He needed distance between himself and Celeste, to calmly think about everything that had happened here. There were several major issues that had come to light. Shiori and her brother were the biggest, but how should things go with Bunny, and how would he proceed with Seiya? His head was bursting with questions. Those were the ones he needed to find answers to now.