"WELL, SERIOUSLY, this is the first time you've actually volunteered to assist me in dealing with that hardheaded woman," hindi napigilang komento ni Takeru habang tinatahak ni Mamoru ang daan patungo sa tahanan ng mga Wilford gamit ang Ford Expedition nito.
Mamoru chuckled as he was speeding up his car. "Pareho lang kayong matigas ang ulo, Takeru. Kaya ako nag-volunteer na samahan ka dahil hindi ko pa pinangarap na magkaroon ng World War 3 sa pagitan ninyong dalawa ng babaeng iyon sa oras na magkita na naman kayo."
Takeru responded to that with a snort, though. "She just insists on doing things her own way. That's why she always finds herself in trouble."
"And yet you're still willing to stay by her side despite knowing she doesn't need your help. Para namang hindi ko alam kung gaano mo siya kamahal hanggang ngayon, Takeru. Handa ka pa ring protektahan siya kahit ikaw mismo ang sumira sa dapat sana'y simula na ng maayos na buhay para sa iyo."
"Why are you saying that as if I had a terribly disorganized life?"
"Hindi nga ba?" naghahamong tanong ni Mamoru. "You were supposed to ask for her hand in marriage more than two years ago, even before she received that invitation from Lord Ryuuki. Bago naging kayo ni Yasha, kahit si Daryll na mentor mo, hindi ka kayang kontrolin sa pagiging rebelde mo. And yet I've been surprised to learn that Lady Shouda chose you to protect the Peruvian Heliotrope Crystal."
"The order for her to do that actually came from Lord Ryuuki," Takeru confessed without looking at Mamoru. Kaya naman hindi niya napansin ang pagguhit ng pagkagulat sa mukha nito. "After that, I decided to change my ways. At least I tried not to be a failure for his sake." 'More especially for Lord Hitoshi's sake…' Pero hindi na lang niya isinatinig iyon. He had to keep that fact a secret for now.
Wala nang imikang namagitan kina Mamoru at Takeru hanggang sa marating na nila ang gate ng Wilford household. But curiosity, surprise, and eventually fear took them over upon seeing scattered bodies kahit na nasa labas pa lang sila ng gate ng tahanang iyon.
The worst part was the fact na alam ng dalawang lalaki kung anong agency nanggaling ang mga iyon base na rin sa suot ng mga ito.
"Don't tell me we're too late?" Takeru muttered as he continued to look around. Agad siyang nagmadali sa pagbaba sa sasakyan at tinakbo ang pagpasok sa loob.
"Takeru, wait up!" Napabuga na lang ng hangin si Mamoru sa kilos ng kasamahan niya. Halata niya ang matinding pangambang naramdaman nito dahil sa nasilayan. Kaya naman hindi niya lubusang maintindihan kung bakit nagdesisyon si Takeru na talikuran ang isang bagay na tiyak niyang makapagbibigay saya sana sa buhay nito.
Pero saka na lang pagtutuunan ng pansin ni Mamoru ang tungkol doon. Duty comes first and he had to prioritize the safety of the people they needed to save. Kaya naman sumunod na siya kay Takeru sa pagpasok sa bahay. Agad niyang napansin ang ilan pang nagkalat na mga katawan ng kalaban sa paligid. But it looked like those goons didn't enter the house.
And that only means one thing.
'Sa dojo!' Nagmamadaling tinahak ni Mamoru ang direksyon patungo sa nasabing lugar. But he was surprised at the sight of several more bodies lying around the area. Nang mapatingin siya sa entrance ng dojo ay ganoon na lang ang amusement at pagtataka niya at the same time nang makita niya ang hawak na baril ni Yasha.
"How in the world did that woman come in possession of that thing?" Si Yasha kasi ang huling taong aakalain ni Mamoru na hahawak ng ganoong klaseng sandata, if he was to base it on his initial knowledge about her. But now...
"Are you okay?" agad na tanong ni Takeru nang matiyak na ligtas nang makalabas ng dojo ang magkapatid.
Napabuga ng hangin si Yasha sa kabila ng sorpresang naramdaman nang makita niya roon si Takeru. "It looks like the news reached you that fast."
"Did they hurt you?" usisa naman ni Mamoru nang tuluyang makalapit sa dalaga.
"You're here, as well? Great! Ano na naman ang kasalanan ko sa mundo at dalawa pa talaga kayong nagpunta rito?"
"We're supposed to be the ones to deal with these jerks. Pero sino ba naman ang mag-aakala na nagawa ninyong magkapatid na patumbahin silang lahat," sagot ni Mamoru at muling pinasadahan ng tingin ang paligid.
"Si Ate lang ang dapat mong bigyan ng credit pagdating diyan," sabad ni Raiden. Siyempre pa, ikinagulat iyon ng dalawang lalaking kararating lang.
Hinarap tuloy ni Yasha ang kapatid. "Kailangan talagang ipangalandakan mo sa kanila iyan?"
"What? I'm just telling the truth." Agad na umilag si Raiden nang tangkain na naman siyang upakan ni Yasha sa naging sagot niya. Nagtago siya sa likod ng tatawa-tawang si Mamoru. "Besides, I'm not even that skilled enough to actually aim at my opponents that way. I could only do fatal damage to them at close range as soon as I thrust my sword to their vital parts. But I prefer thrusting it to their neck to the point where I could also do a through-and-through lethal damage to their spines."
"Do you know what I think?" ani Takeru na kumuha sa atensyon ng magkapatid. "You're both brutal fighters. You just need further training. And Yasha, how did you even manage to shoot them between the eyes during that kind of critical moment?"
"I told you, Takeru, don't underestimate my ability to take risk to the point of even studying everything about sharpshooting and applying them." Tinanggal ni Yasha ang magazine ng baril na hawak niya at tiningnan iyon. "One more bullet."
"But why would they attack you and your brother like this?" tanong ni Takeru habang napapatingin sa paligid.
But neither Yasha nor Raiden decided to speak. Mukhang may silent understanding ang dalawang ito na huwag sabihin ang isa sa posibleng rason.
"It's a good thing wala sina Lolo't Lola rito. Kung nagkataon..." Hindi na naituloy ni Raiden ang nais niyang sabihin nang bigla siyang makaramdam ng kilabot sa naisip. Yasha pulled him close and hugged him for a short while.
"Pasalamat na lang talaga tayo na may kailangan silang asikasuhin sa Kyoto." Yasha sighed and faced the two good-looking guys in front of her and her brother. "Thank you for coming kahit medyo nahuli na kayo ng dating."
Nagkatinginan naman sina Takeru at Mamoru at saka hinarap si Yasha.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, please. Don't treat me as if I'm some sort of a damsel in distress here. Graduated na ako sa pagiging ganyan since two years ago." Napatingin si Yasha sa paligid, lalo na sa nagkalat na mga katawan ng kalaban niya kani-kanina lang. "Do you think you can help me clean this mess?"
"Gagawin naman namin iyon kahit hindi mo sabihin," saad ni Mamoru at saka tinawagan ang mansion para magpadala ng mga tauhan nila na mag-aasikaso ng mga "kalat" sa tahanan ng mga Wilford. Ilang sandali pa ay natapos din iyon at saka muling hinarap si Yasha. "What are you going to do after this?"
Hindi agad nakatugon ang dalaga na ipinagtaka naman ng tatlong lalaki, lalo pa nang mapatingin si Yasha sa hawak niyang baril. "I guess it's about time I tell you what I know... and that includes my mission given to me by the previous head of the Shinomiya family."
xxxxxx
HABANG nagaganap ang mga iyon ay tinungo naman ng magkapatid na Satoru at Hotaru ang isa pang lokasyon kung saan namataan ang pagsugod ng mga tauhan ng Dark Rose. Under Kenji Azuraya's orders, they proceeded to the Yasuhara household.
But the Nanasaki siblings' hearts sank at the sight that greeted them upon arriving to the place. There were obvious signs of struggle judging from the drag marks and slashes. Sa totoo lang, hindi nila maisip kung anong klaseng labanan ang naganap doon.
"We need to head inside," sabi ni Satoru na tinanguan na lang ni Hotaru.
Pero laking-gulat na naman nilang dalawa nang makita ang mas malalang bakas ng labanan doon. Gunshots and sword marks were all over the place. Basag na mga figurine, wasak na throw pillows, pinunit na mga canvas painting at tumilapong mga flower vases--ilan lang iyon sa mga patunay na hindi basta-basta ang naganap na labanan doon.
"He's not here."
Agad na napalingon ang magkapatid sa pinagmulan ng tinig na iyon. Hotaru frowned while Satoru remained impassive upon seeing Theron emerging from the dining area.
"Lord Theron? How come you're here?" Hotaru couldn't help inquiring at the sight of the Miyamoto clan prince.
"I've been informed of what happened. Mino-monitor ko ang mga kilos ni Seiichi kaya nang may makita ang mga tauhan ko na sumusugod dito, rumesponde na sila. But it was an ambush. Kaya naman hindi na nila napigilan ang pagdukot kay Seiichi," Theron gravely informed before he scanned the area.
Napaikot na rin ng tingin ang magkapatid.
"It might have been one hell of an encounter around here," Hotaru commented.
But the expected response from Satoru didn't come. Kaya naman agad na napatingin ang dalaga sa kuya niya. Yet she saw him eyeing a certain spot in that room na sinundan na lang niya ng tingin. At laking-gulat niya nang masilayan ang isang bagay na hindi niya aakalaing makita roon, of all places.
"You've got to be kidding me," tanging nanulas sa mga labi ni Hotaru at sinundan si Satoru sa pagpunta nito sa parteng iyon.
The siblings and Theron saw a Chinese sword with an iris flower as the guard's design. And it was a familiar weapon to the siblings, lalo na nang tuluyan na nilang nasiyasat ang kabuuan ng nasabing sandata na itinusok doon.
"There's no doubt about it. This is Lord Hitoshi's missing Iris Sword," pagkumpirma ni Satoru bago tangkaing hilain iyon mula sa pagkakatusok niyon sa sahig. But he stopped midway at the sight of a picture where the sword was stabbed onto. "Lord Hitoshi... and Seiichi Yasuhara?"
Napatingin na rin sina Hotaru at Theron sa litratong nakakuha ng atensiyon ni Satoru.
But Theron's focus was shifted to another as soon as he had a glance of the picture. "Meron ba talagang nakaukit sa espadang ito noon pa man?"
Agad na tiningnan ni Hotaru ang tinutukoy ni Theron na mga nakaukit sa espada. "I've never seen this etched passage here before. Ikaw, Kuya?"
Pero iling lang ang naging tugon ni Satoru. And silently, he read the passage etched on the blade of the revered Iris Sword once belonging to Hitoshi Shinomiya.
'A sword once forged by the Heavens and the Earth must entwine two destined flowers' estranged fates under the guidance of the Ethereal Sky.'
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