ABALA SA pagbabasa ng mga nagkalat na profiles sa tatlong malalaking computer screen si Hades sa harap niya nang mga sandaling iyon. Pero nakatuon ang atensiyon niya sa anim na profiles na naroon. Tatlong babae at tatlong lalaki--lahat ay alam niyang sagabal sa mga plano ng big boss ng grupo nila.
But then, there were a few things that the big boss didn't know about those six. As Hades hovered his fingers on one of the profiles on the touch screen and zoomed it for better reading, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the name written on it just beside the picture of a 17-year-old Japanese girl.
"Who would've thought this girl would actually survive that kind of ambush? The gods must have been good to her at the time, huh?" Hades mumbled with a snort as he looked intently at the picture.
Oo, ang tinutukoy ni Hades ay walang iba kundi ang labing-pitong taong gulang na si Kourin Shinomiya--or as for now, the girl was using the name Rin Fujioka. But no matter how many times she changed her damned name, she would always remain a Shinomiya. Which was, of course, the revered name that not only Hades, but also the rest of the group truly loathed the most.
Pagkatapos niyon ay tiningnan pa ni Hades ang iba pang profiles na naka-display sa screen. But the hatred he originally displayed in his eyes upon seeing the Shinomiya clan princess' profile was doubled at the sight of a man's profile that he was looking at for the last.
"You know, if you really hate that man, you should do something now in order to eliminate him for good. Para naman makaganti ka na rin nang tuluyan sa iniwan niyang sugat sa iyo," wika ng isang babae mula sa likuran ni Hades. Hindi na siya nasorpresa pa sa biglaang pagpasok ng babaeng iyon sa silid kung saan siya naroroon. After all, he didn't lock it.
"You think I didn't know that, Themis?" Hinarap ni Hades ang babaeng tinawag nitong Themis. "Kaya nga ako gumagawa ng paraan para mapalabas siya nang tuluyan sa lungga niya."
But Themis replied with a smirk and approached the large computer screen where the six profiles were displayed. Her sight landed on one particular profile, though. "Why would an international actress like Mari Minefuji actually involve herself with those damned families, anyway? She should've remained where she is, where the spotlights are."
"Well, one of our members knew more about her. In fact, I just got the report he had hidden from us for two years about that woman."
Kunot-noong tiningnan ni Themis si Hades sa sinabi nito. "You forced it out of him?"
"Coeus gave it to me after conducting a thorough search in each of the members' rooms. Well, hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit itinago ni Hephaestus ang report na iyon sa atin. The reason was personal and still has something to do with Ryuuji Mikazuki and Shiro Nishikawa," Hades explained and handed the said report to Themis.
Pinasadahan ni Themis ng basa ang nakapaloob sa report na iyon. Pero lalo lang lumalim ang pangungunot ng noo niya bago hinarap si Hades. "Mari Minefuji is a Shinomiya? How in the world did that happen?"
"Don't talk as if you don't know the family tradition, Themis," tanging nasabi ni Hades at hinablot mula sa babae ang folder na naglalaman ng report. "She was chosen long before she was born to fulfill the role of the revered 13th Knight of the Sky--the one who will guard the four clan leaders and the leader of the Shrouded Flowers from the shadows. The elders had already relinquished Mari's identity as a Shinomiya from the world the moment she was born. Nanatili siyang nakatira sa poder ng mga Shinomiya. Pero hindi siya kilala bilang panganay na anak nina Ryuuji at Rina Shinomiya. She was known as child prodigy who had risen to stardom fast and a ruthless warrior whose skills had exceeded that of the Death Stalker's ability in terms of combat. Kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit pati siya ay nakaligtas sa pag-atake. At wala na ring dapat ipagtaka kung bakit pati si Zeus, hindi alam ang tungkol sa pagkatao ni Mari."
But the woman only answered the statement with a conscending snort as rage started to overwhelm her. "Nag-uumpisa na yata tayong lumaban nang kanya-kanya pagdating sa mga iyon."
"And yet the others were still focused on one goal and that is the destruction of the clan that we truly loathed. Nagkataon lang na may kanya-kanya tayong target na hindi natin napatay two years ago."
Themis had to admit, Hades was right. Magkakaiba man sila ng mga taong pinupuntirya, isa pa rin ang nais patunguhan ng ginagawa nila.
The group was aiming to destroy their targeted families once and for all.
Soon after, Themis' focus shifted to that of a particular profile displayed on the upper right side of the screen. "What are you planning to do with that boy now that you've captured him?"
"I'll let Oceanus appease his anger about that boy for now. Then I'll decide what to do after that. That is, if Zeus won't decide to enter the scene since he'd also been after that boy for some reasons."
"You mean, he hadn't done anything to capture this Seiichi Yasuhara before?"
"Seems that way. That's because a certain Reiko Kirisaki was always beside the boy to make sure no one hurts Seiichi. That girl's sword skill is something, I tell you. She could've been a perfect recruit if I didn't know she was clueless about everything related to the Shrouded Flowers."
"So you're saying this girl wasn't present at the time of the abduction?" amused na tanong ni Themis nang maisip ang tungkol doon.
"Phoebe knocked her out before she could even have a chance to fight. Pero may isa pa akong ipinagtataka pagdating sa babaeng iyon. Phoebe said this Reiko Kirisaki is a practitioner of the Lightning Dragon Twin Slashing Kodachi Style." At sigurado si Hades na hindi na lingid sa kasamahan niya ang tungkol sa kenjutsu o sword technique na tinutukoy niya.
Bigla ay napaisip si Themis sa sinabing iyon ni Hades. Until realization hit her. "Who in the world would teach that complicated sword technique to a girl like her?"
"There's only one person I know - and that would be Hayato Akashi, one of the few who had mastered the Shichi RaiRyuuKen kenjutsu."
"And to think that man happens to be the Wilford siblings' uncle, as well." Themis couldn't help but to laugh at the realization. "Tingnan mo nga naman ang pagkakataon."
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