Sunlight. It was so warm and calming. Like the embrace of spring. Like a mother's caress. It purified all worries. It soothed the heart. He felt like a child once more. The innocence which was forever lost to time...

Storm clouds. They threatened the end of it all. The skies darkened. Any sign of warmth had vanished. Loneliness was his only mistress. One by one, like loud thunders, they shook his very being. Takuma's and Aki's words of discipline cut him. Paul's unwanted touches tainted him. The demon's shadow fell upon the husk that was left, claws tearing right into his very soul, killing whatever shred of happiness there was left. One by one, his loved ones appeared and vanished in the span of a moment, like fleeting fireworks in the night sky. Then the light was entirely snuffed out, and he remained alone in the void, drifting aimlessly through the darkness.

And yet, he swore he would never shed tears again. If the world was so cruel that it would do its worst to destroy a child's smile, then he would not give back that which it truly desired. He was no sunlight. But as a last act of defiance, he would be the candle that burned away the surrounding darkness, until the very end.

"When did you last smile on the inside, Hajime?" Shishima's voice echoed in his mind. There were no signs of malevolence or mockery, only pity.

Count Kage walked out of a snowy alleyway, Hajime's unconscious body resting on his back. The snowfall had only grown wilder on that night. As he approached the gates of the Shirayama mansion, a part of him could not help but feel sorry. In his eyes, what he did back then was fully justified. It was vengeance, it was self-preservation, it was what a youkai in his position would do. Logically, Shishima had no reason to regret any of his actions, especially since the lives of mere mortals were insignificant when compared to his own kin. And yet, after the blood oath which bonded him and Hajime, he kept finding more and more similarities between them. As much as he loathed the very notion of it, he could not help but sympathize with Hajime's plight.

Much to his surprise, the mansion's gates opened all on their own. From afar, through the snowfall, a figure was running in their direction. It was Ben. He wore no winter clothing, just his formal suit which made him look like an office worker. His oh so delicious panic could be sensed from a distance.

"Hajime!" Ben shouted as soon as he caught sight of them. "Count Kage...?" he wondered aloud upon seeing who was carrying his partner.

"Less talking. We need to get him inside," the count instructed and got Hajime off his back, the two of them putting his arms over their shoulders.

In a matter of minutes they were upstairs in Hajime's bedroom, the mansion's warmth being a much-deserved welcome.

"How did he end up like this?" Ben asked as he pulled a cover over the sleeping one.

"Drop the act, you know full well what happened," Count Kage coldly replied, catching him off guard. "I know all about your little spying hobby, so don't think I wasn't aware that you knew exactly where Hajime was and what he was doing."

Ben shook his head in disbelief and said, "Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Know that Hajime and I are not just friendly acquaintances for the public's eye," Count Kage continued while dusting the snow off his expensive tuxedo. "In fact, I have been secretly helping him behind the scenes with his latest spying endeavors, without even you knowing of this, computer boy."

"How can that be...? Hajime would share anything with me, how come he's never told me anything about this?"

"I used some of my own influence to help you two catch the Spawns of Shishima, and you were not even privy to this information. How pathetic!"

"Really now? If you are an ally, as you so claim, then surely Hajime can confirm this once he wakes up," Ben suggested as he stared at the count defiantly. "And if I may, you've been suspiciously reclusive for quite a few years now. Yet at social gatherings you only seem to hang out with Hajime as of late."

"We're both men of similar age and societal status. Surely there is nothing wrong with that?" Count Kage dismissively replied as he walked to the open door. "If you care about your safety, you best not dig up any information on me." He tipped his top hat as a faux farewell and disappeared in the corridor.

Ben stared behind, listening intently to each step of the count until he was sure that he left. Once he felt the coast was clear, he sighed deeply and gazed down at Hajime. While asleep, he always looked so peaceful, so content. While awake, there was always an underlying worry in his attitude. There used to be a time when Ben believed that humans subconsciously sought problems to solve and enemies to confront, as those gave a semblance of meaning to one's life. But in hindsight, most people truly sought safety and comfort; they did not actively chase dangers or tried to find wrongs to right.

For all intents and purposes, Hajime should have dropped his detective career and focused entirely on his family business. But if he did, what role would Ben have in his life? Hacking was a domain mostly sought after by governments and terrorist groups, and Hajime was way too law-abiding to ever use his partner's skills for malicious ends. As much as it pained him, Ben had to keep his current job if he ever wished to stay close Hajime. And there, in that position, it was probably the closest they ever were.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Ben secretly downloaded and read the document on Hajime's life from the WEB computer he had hacked. The revelations shook him, he could only fathom how traumatizing that rape experience must have been. It brought back bitter memories of his drugged stints in London clubs late at night, where the line of consent was blurry at best. In hindsight, teenage Ben was both lonely and lustful, so throwing himself at every willing man was expected. What happened to Hajime was way worse, and in that matter he had no choice. Carefully and tenderly, Ben caressed his cheek, wishing he could find a way to soothe his wounds and make him see that there was a kindred spirit close to him, someone who would be willing to listen to each of his grievances, however many. Then Ben himself could also drop his faรงade of a dry and pragmatic man that came with his domain.

Sadly, for all the efforts he made, there were still so many barriers left between them. A part of Ben wondered if he would ever be able to achieve his goal of winning Hajime's heart. But until then he had that special moment between them. A fleeting moment, that was all it took. The desire, it was too strong, he could no longer rationalize his way around it. He wanted him, he needed him then and there. A voice in his head was yelling at him to not do it, but everything else overruled it. His face got closer to Hajime's until he could smell his breath. Their lips met. What was supposed to be just a short kiss became much more. Their tongues played around as Ben greedily tried to taste more of his mouth.

And then Hajime opened his eyes and that moment of passion ended as soon as it began. Taken aback by his shocked expression, Ben broke the kiss and backed off in fear.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Hajime uttered, but no response came.

Awkward silence ensued.

The tip of a walking cane collided with the marble floor from the Shirayama mansion's entrance. Count Kage stepped outside and admired the wild snowstorm. It seemed like countless lifetimes had passed since he last witnessed such cold weather. It felt so overpowering, as if nature was struggling to bury man's shelters and creations into a new ice age. A part of him would have liked that.

Even though mankind proved itself worthy to be spared his wrath, on some level Shishima did loathe the fact that he had lost the game for Earth. Those humans were nothing but slightly more intelligent apes who had been permitted to overstep their boundaries and reshape the world according to their whims. They only became the apex predator because of their minds. Had lions been able to think and operate like humans, he was certain that those shaved primates would easily be overpowered and driven to near extinction. But alas, Hajime had emerged victorious at the end of their last conflict. The resigned Count Kage sighed, watching his cold breath in the snowfall. He would keep his end of the bargain no matter what, for his beloved Nekohana's sake and for his own sense of honor.

As the count got enveloped in black smoke and vanished from the mansion's premises, he was unaware that from afar, a camera had witnessed his magic disappearance from the safety of a parked vehicle.

"Did you see that?" the shocked cameraman asked.

"I saw it well. We've got to email this the boss right now," the driver replied.

Somewhere far away, in a large office surrounded by thick walls made of metal, the recording played on a computer screen in front of a round table where six old men wearing expensive suits were staring in awe. It did not take long for them to murmur among themselves.

"Gentlemen!" a voice spoke from the head of the table, prompting them all to look at the back of a leather-covered spinning chair. Although much younger than them, he still sounded detached and authoritative, with a distinct Eastern European accent. "I believe tonight's revelations have altered our course of action." A pale hand reached for a tray and picked up a large cigar. In the room's light, the golden wristwatch glistened like a most precious adornment.

"That is indeed the case, sir!" one of the old men was quick to agree. He sported a thick mustache and spoke with a heavy Irish accent. "So the mysterious Count Kage returns from his European vacation and all of a sudden he's hanging out with Hajime Shirayama. Something fishy is definitely going on here!"

"Aye, do you think he's one of them Spawns of Shishima?" asked another man. He had a large graying beard and a huge bald spot on the top of his head, and he spoke with a thick Scottish accent. "How else would he just vanish like that if not for demon magic?"

A chaotic debate ensued among the six men, one that was silenced once the one at the top of the table turned around to regard them. Even if most of his body was shrouded in shadow, they could still feel those cold blue eyes pierce them.

"Gentlemen, with all due respect, you're not piecing this puzzle correctly." He took a hit from his cigar and in a matter of seconds smoke filled the room. "I want you to think back to five years ago, when our planet was threatened by Shishima. Count Kage claims that his parents were murdered by the Spawns of Shishima, but once this supernatural entity disappears what does he do? Does he use his resources to combat the cult which took the lives of his parents? No, he sends a public email to the presses that he will be off on a lengthy European tour in order to cope with the heavy loss he just suffered. Then nobody sees him until his sudden return two months ago. Furthermore, the once reclusive count all of a sudden starts throwing balls and socializing, with our target especially."

"Well ain't that a funny coincidence?" a third old man wondered aloud. He was cleanly shaven and spoke with a Florida accent.

The one sitting at the front of the table tapped his cigar loudly, allowing its ash to fall into the tray. "I don't believe in coincidences. After the Spawns were captured, our target claimed that Shishima indeed returned. The encounter happened in Count Kage's basement and he emerged victorious, having exorcised this threat to mankind once and for all. Of course, the count and his staff all supported his story, but don't you think it's a bit too convenient?"

"That it is, sir!" the Irishman was quick to agree. "I've already asked our agents to spy on Count Kage's mansion and see what they can find."

"Good, bring me all the evidence. Gentlemen, I have a theory as to what truly is going on, but I'm afraid I cannot share it at tonight's meeting. The hours are growing late and I am busy," his dismissive tone was all they needed to hear.

Although the six men were the heads of the world's richest families, they all got up from their chairs and bowed their heads as a sign of respect for the one shrouded in shadow. He regarded them coldly and took another hit from his cigar, then he puffed out more smoke as he watched them leave through the exit door above which the proud symbol of WEB was carved on a large golden plate.

Once alone, he reflected on the happenings of that night. The henchman who had infiltrated their headquarters in Sagakin was caught on camera talking to himself. More so, an invisible force was blocking the door in the office where they tried to catch him. It was also interesting that the verbal patterns, physique and body language of Achilles seemed to match those of Hajime Shirayama. With each new revelation, more of his suspicions were proven right.

"A monster like Shishima can't be exorcised with just some salt and a few primitive chants. They're all lying - he's still out there," he murmured to himself while crushing the finished cigar into the ashtray. "And I finally know where he's hiding."

The place where Jack and Lori slept every night turned out to be a five star hotel in Sagakin. Rooms were spacious enough for a double bed, fridge, TV, bathroom and even balcony. The heating system was swift, so much so that they never felt the cold weather from outside once they set foot in. After spending most of their night at a fancy restaurant, Lori expected her boyfriend to be tired and crash asleep like a log. Setting her walking frame aside and throwing off her winter jacket, she sat on the bed. But much was her surprise when he instead brought the small dining table in front of her and said:

"You had the guys help you build a new RexStars deck? Guess what, I also built my own! So I'll gladly accept your challenge."

"Oh my, someone is full of energy tonight," Lori remarked after casting a glance at the clock on the wall which indicated the hour was 11:55 PM. "By this time you're already in bed and moaning about how hard your job is."

"What can I say? That tsukimi sure does wonders," Jack jokingly remarked while placing his new deck and setting his cards.

"Well then, who am I to refuse a challenge?" she replied in a similar fashion and took out her deck.

After both players set their shields and drew their hands, the regular duel began.

"I summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw," Lori said.

"Already a creature on your first turn?" Jack commented while charging mana.

"Heh, as long as it's legal. Anyway, my turn again, I summon Kodamanma GS, Gil Gil Doll and return a shield to my hand without shield trigger. Braid Claw, break his shield!"

"No shield trigger, I'm afraid. But still, I'll do this - I cast Mendelssohn." He revealed the two cards of his deck which were Momoking Rex, Orai Hero and Bolshack Momoking NEX. "Both are Dragons, both go to my mana zone tapped."

"Nice early ramp, but do you think you can survive what's coming?" she teased with a sneaky smirk on her face.

"Heh, do your worst."

"You asked for it, Jack! I summon Bunbun Churis. Then I reduce his cost by 3 and, since I played another creature this turn, I reduce his cost by 3 again and evolve Bunbun Churis into Gagaga Gaial Brand with only 2 mana!"

"Wow Lori, Bad Brand got a RexStars version too?"

"Don't act all surprised! Anyway, since I have one card left in my hand, Master Gogogo Gangan Galaxy - I summon Gogogo Brand for free and draw a card! He has speed attacker, so I attack with Gogogo Brand, double break his shields! Gagaga Gaial Brand, break his final shields!"

With just one swoop, Jack took all four shields to his hand and frowned. "Again, no shield triggers."

"Since I played him with cost reduction, I destroy Gagaga Gaial Brand after his attack. Star Evolution, Bunbun Churis remains. But, when Gagaga Gaial Brand leaves the battle zone, I untap all my tapped creatures and grant them speed attacker!" Lori announced, enjoying the shocked expression on her opponent's face. "Yes, that's right, I have another attack phase with them! Bunbun Churis, todomeda!"

"Not so fast there! Revolution 0 Trigger - I've got not one, but two Bolshack Dogiragons!" Jack was quick to reveal the top card of his deck. "I put Mega Manalock Dragon in the battle zone and freeze one card in your mana zone, then I evolve him into Bolshack Dogiragon and force battle your Bunbun Churis, destroying him! Now for my second Bolshack Dogiragon..." The next top card was Alcadeias Momoking. "Oh no, an evolution creature, that means..."

"Your second Bolshack Dogiragon fails and you can't use any more Revolution 0 Triggers. In that case, Gogogo Brand, todomeda!" Lori ordered, thus cementing her victory.

Jack laughed heartily and said, "Oh boy, that must be your fastest deck yet!"

His girlfriend rubbed her nose proudly and replied, "What can I say? My Beat Jockeys need to be blazing fast if I am to keep up with the times."

All of a sudden, Jack's phone buzzed and he immediately checked it. "Oh no, it's the boss. Wonder what he wants at this hour." He answered the call and walked into the bathroom.

Lori paid him no mind and picked up her cards, shuffling her deck. The all out rush strategy had proved more efficient than she expected. It seemed that both Ben and Hajime were right with their suggestions. Mentally, she thanked them both and wished them good luck with their latest mission.

"Babe, I've got some bad news," Jack said as he walked out of the bathroom. "The boss called me at the office. He has a special errand for me to run."

"Is he crazy? Who wants errands to be done this late at night? Besides, I thought your offices closed after 8 PM," the frustrated Lori reasoned.

"I know, I know." He walked up to her and kissed her on the lips. "I promise I'll be back as quick as I can. One way or another, you'll find me sleeping next to you when you wake up!"

"That better be the case..."

Hajime got up from his bed and faced Ben, who was pale as a ghost. The awkward silence in the room was broken when the burning question was asked again:

"Answer me, what in the world were you doing?!"

"Hajime, I... I..." Ben was at a loss for words.

"You what? You thought you could just betray my trust like that and take advantage of me? You decided to sexually harass me when I was at my lowest?" Hajime's questions cut deep, he walked up to him and pressed his finger against Ben's chest. "Tell me, here and now, just what the fuck is in that head of yours?!"

The pressure was more than he could handle. Although Ben's own spy training had taught him to resist interrogation, in this case he could not detach himself emotionally at all. Unable to hide it anymore, he raised his voice back and said, "I bloody have a crush on you, that's what!"

Hajime lowered his shoulders, taken aback by the revelation. "You what...?"

"It's the truth. I didn't want it to happen, but it did, gradually. I... I'm sorry that it had to come to this, Hajime. I really thought I could get a hold of myself and keep it locked in, but after all these years I've finally had enough."

Hajime sat back on his bed, still unable to comprehend the entire situation, and bitterly chuckled to himself. "It just had to be me, huh? I always have the shittiest of lucks..."

"Forgive me for not being entirely honest with you. I really thought some words were best left unsaid. But, seeing how we've gotten to this point..." Ben pulled a chair and sat down in front of Hajime. "Do you mind if I told you a little bit more about myself?"

"What is there to say? After what you did..."

"Just lend me your ear for a couple of minutes! And afterwards I'll do whatever you want me to do. If you want me to piss off back to my country and never speak to you again, I'll oblige you. But, for my own conscience's sake, please..."

Hajime looked him in the eye. His expression was both cold and tired, and with a placid voice he said, "Go on, I'll listen."

Ben sighed, a grateful smile on his face. Then he began:

"I was born and raised in London. Both my mother and father were influential politicians in the United Kingdom's parliament. You could say I was like you, raised in the upper class and receiving good education from an early age. At school I felt lonely, because all my supposed friends were only interested in me helping them with their homework. Our friendships always ended when we left the school ground. Back then I didn't really care that much for human connection, as my parents always insisted I focused more on my studies. Then puberty hit and everything went downhill for me. I soon realized I had no interest in girls, but rather in boys. Back then, the United Kingdom's politics were swinging heavily in a conservative direction and my parents were avid traditionalists. As such, I had to hide my true sexuality. Eventually I was accepted to a prestigious all boys high school and had to move out and live on campus. There, without my parents' supervision, I could finally be my true self. First came the gay clubs, then the drugs, until it escalated with me having sex with every man who wanted me, regardless of age. Most of them were abusive, I recall mornings when I woke up in a stranger's apartment and was only permitted to leave after another round of sex."

"Man, that's terrible! Didn't you care that you were degrading yourself?" asked Hajime.

Ben shook his head and said, "No, I didn't. I was lonely, I wanted to at least feel desired by someone. Deep down I knew that nobody would ever want this antisocial freak to call their own. Despite my wild lifestyle, I was able to finish high school with top grades. Of course, the next step in my academic career was attending the University of London. Once there, the party life continued. But then I met Edward..."

"Edward?" Hajime repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"A fellow first-year student who was part of the sports club. One night I had overdosed on something, can't really remember what, and stumbled out of the bar. I was a total mess, I might've collapsed on the sidewalk and made a total ass of myself. In hindsight, I probably already did back in the club. Edward found me while he was out on his night jog and helped me get back to campus, into my room. When I woke up the next day, I found a note left by him with his phone number and a dinner invitation. To say I was taken aback would be putting it mildly. We caught up later that evening and he took me out. Edward was very concerned about my health, and while I told him it was no big deal, he insisted I sobered up and focused on my studies, on my future. At first I laughed it all off, but he was so beautiful, so charming, so funny, so supportive... he disarmed me until I had no choice. That dinner ended up being our first date. For the first time in my life, I had an actual relationship and a man who truly cared about who I was, not just my looks. It was probably the happiest moment in my entire life."

"Are you okay?" Hajime asked once he noticed that tears were forming in Ben's eyes. "Listen, if this is too much for you, we can both go to sleep and continue tomorrow."

"I'm alright," Ben replied and was quick to wipe his eyes. "I was studying to become a computer engineer, he was studying to become a professional athlete. Edward's dream was to represent the United Kingdom at the Olympics. Little did we know that our dreams would come crashing down during our second year. One cold winter afternoon, I went to Edward's dorm room to see how he was doing. I found him with a thick rope tied around his neck, hanging from the ceiling. My entire body went numb, I couldn't comprehend what I was witnessing, it was as if the entire world was collapsing. That image still haunts me in my nightmares from time to time." Ben paused as he relived that dreadful moment in his mind. He recalled undoing the knot and catching his lover's body, desperately searching for a pulse, performing CPR as best as he could, all efforts being in vain. "Edward was gone. The one man who could love me had been taken away from me just like that."

"Ben, I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Hajime said, but he was at a loss for words. He found it strange, how in one moment he was furious at Ben and wanted to kick him out of his mansion, but then in the next he felt immense pity for the man.

"Before calling campus security, I searched his room for a suicide note," Ben continued, making a great effort to keep his emotions in check. "All I found was a small laptop hidden under his mattress. It was mostly empty, but I found a single notepad file on his desktop entitled 'For Ben'. Once I read it, my life changed forevermore."

"What did it say?" Hajime asked, now fully interested in the story.

"Edward was not what he seemed. His parents had both worked for the MI6 and had trained him from a young age to become a spy. He was part of this 'new generation' of children who were supposed to become the United Kingdom's super spies, as corny as that sounds. But he grew tired of that lifestyle and chose to defy his parents by studying sports rather than something more suited for his domain, like I was. This and his relationship with me were his way of rebelling against his parents and living life the way he wanted. Unfortunately, due to his upbringing, he still had the habit of snooping around. He loved going through his parents' files while at home when they weren't around. One day, he discovered in his father's folder a document which was labeled as top secret. Unable to resist the urge, he went through it and discovered that someone in the government was conspiring with the secret services to create a small microchip implant that would be able to track all British citizens. It was in the early stages of development, but when he read that they had more nefarious intentions, like mapping the brain and possibly reading the thoughts of those chipped, he decided this was too Orwellian and something had to be done."

"What did he do?" Hajime wondered.

"He went on forums and spread the truth as rumors at first, then he outright tried advocating against it. When you are one person against an entire cabal of elites, what can you do other than blow the whistle? Perhaps a part of him knew he would be caught, because he wrote that document as a final goodbye to me and asked that if he were found dead one day that I forget all about him and move on with my life." Ben paused for a moment and swallowed a sob. He would not allow himself to shed tears that should have dried a long time ago. "So I did as he requested. I called campus security and lied through my teeth that Edward had killed himself. After that revelation, I lost the will to finish my studies. Unable to keep going, I sank once more into my old habits. But this time, it would not last. One of my roommates, who was also concerned for my health, outed me to my parents. To say they were disapproving of my lifestyle would be an understatement. They forced me into rehab and had monitored all of my activities during the rest of my campus stay. Once I got my diploma at the end of my second year, they pulled some strings and got me into the MI6 as a hacker in the hopes that such a career would straighten me up, both literally and figuratively."

"So that's how you got into the field..." Hajime commented.

Ben nodded. "Little did they know that getting me into the secret services proved to be a blessing in disguise. Now I had all the resources at my disposal to discover which government official was responsible for the microchip conspiracy and bring him to justice. To cut a long story short, it was a dangerous task, especially since I knew that some of my superiors were still in his pocket, but I managed to keep the level of anonymity that Edward couldn't and had the top secret documents leaked to the presses. The prime minister at the time was exposed and imprisoned for life. Edward had been avenged. But now I was stuck with this job I didn't fully want due to my parents. I soon realized that the nature of my work had made me lonely, detached, rational, cold... almost like a robot. I could trust few people, I always had a strict schedule and tasks to fulfill on short deadlines. There was barely any meaningful human interaction while at that office." A bittersweet smile grew on Ben's tired face. "Perhaps on some level, you hiring me and helping me move to Japan was a blessing in disguise. Looking back at these past few years, working with you has been the most pleasant experience I've had since graduating college. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Hajime." He got up from the chair and straightened up. "I've said my piece. Once more, I'm so sorry for what I did. I don't know what came over me, perhaps I've compared you to Edward way too much all these years. I just need to accept that you are not him, you are your own person, and I shouldn't impose myself onto you."

"Why did you compare me to him?" Hajime asked with a lower voice, almost a whisper.

"Not physically. You have the same determination he had. You both tried to make your own paths in life. And, perhaps above it all, you both cared about justice above all else. In this ever-maddening world, such men are harder to find. Even the police, they don't truly care about justice at the end of the day, they only care about keeping order. They only fight for the establishment and nothing more. But you and I both know, that justice is more than upholding the law. Justice comes from doing what's right, no matter what."

Hajime stared at Ben in awe. Never once did he expect someone to share his beliefs on such a fundamental level. That speech would have made someone like Savark proud. Hajime wondered when he truly became obsessed with the concept of justice. Was it when Ken was murdered? Or when he became an avid fan of detective novels? Perhaps it was when he was all alone in that dark room, on the bed, being molested by Paul, and nobody came to his aid until it was far too late. Since that ripe young age he knew that there were plenty of evils in the world and not enough good people to fight against them. This was the moment when his obsession with justice had been born. And it persisted even as the years passed and he had buried that traumatic memory far in the deepest corners of his mind. But now, as he looked back at it all, he realized that this was the reason he felt so uncomfortable around strangers, especially men. This was also the reason why he had so few male friends. On a subconscious level, getting too close to another man triggered his mental defenses and pushed him back in his shell. One that was tough to crack, but patient and persistent men like Ken and Jack were ultimately successful. But what about Ben? All this time he had been nothing but supportive of most of his endeavors and never once backed down from executing his plans. But he was different from the other two, since he was an introvert by nature and could not easily break Hajime's social barrier. This was the reason why their relationship had mostly been professional, with occasional bouts of friendship. The flurry of emotions he was experiencing proved too much, so in the end Hajime spoke up:

"Ben, listen, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. You're right, it's late and we're both tired. Let's just go to bed and we'll sort this out tomorrow."

"If you want me to start packing my luggage-"

"Nothing of the sort! Our partnership is far from over, I need you now more than ever to combat WEB. But right now I just don't know what to say to you, so I think it's best we both get some shuteye."

A hopeful smile grew on Ben's face. "Thank you, Hajime, for everything. Good night!"

Jack stepped in a dim office room and looked at the large computer screens hanging above his boss, one displaying the Shirayama mansion while the other displayed the Kage mansion.

"Jack Thornton, reporting for duty, sir!" he saluted.

"There has been an unexpected development, Jack. It seems our target is holding a terrible secret," his boss replied, a tinge of excitement in his voice.

"If I may ask, what exactly is he hiding?"

The hand with a golden wristwatch reached for a mouse and with just a click, a compilation of clips was displayed on a third screen.

"Let me frame this for you and you can draw your own conclusions, Jack. One of Hajime's henchmen breaks into our offices tonight. Our cameras catch him talking to himself. Some kind of supernatural force blocks an office door long enough for him to escape. He's also caught on camera dashing through the air with an unstable rope. Eventually he crashes near an alleyway and some invisible force drags him in the shadows. Fifteen minutes later, from the other end... Count Kage emerges, not with the henchman, but with an unconscious Hajime Shirayama. He drags Hajime all the way to his mansion and afterwards he is caught on camera disappearing in a puff of smoke."

"No, this can't be possible," Jack uttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I told you that our target's story about how Shishima was exorcised out of existence was too good to be true. The same can be said about Count Kage, who embarked on a five year vacation in Europe and none of our cameras have ever caught sight of him once. There were no spent bills in his name either. How are we so certain that the Count Kage we have now on camera is the same as the reclusive young man who was obsessed with European antiques?"

"Sir, you don't think that he's..."

"He may be, or perhaps he's just an avid worshiper of Shishima, maybe even Shinobu's successor. But what we know for certain is that he is working together with our target, who has been successful in capturing the Spawns of Shishima only after their deity denounced them. The picture couldn't be any clearer."

Jack clenched both fists. "Hajime, I trusted you, I thought of you as a friend... and you just go ahead and ally yourself with Shishima?!"

His boss's question was distant but also expectant, "What will you do then?"

"I'll keep spying on him. And I'll bring both him and Shishima in WEB's custody even if it's the last thing I do!" Jack replied, sheer determination in his voice. Such a betrayal would not go unpunished.