Dragon Raja

44 - The Act Of Forgiveness

"If I had to place a bet, I'd put my money on the High Patriarch of Hydra,"

"Gee, thanks for having faith in me,"

Y/N leaned back against the loveseat in the middle of the room and scowled at Z's intolerable teasing. Or perhaps he was simply being brutal with his honesty.

"Come on, do you really think you stand a chance fighting that Chisei Gen guy by yourself?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I may not have a choice,"

There was an unsettling feeling that seemed like it was slowly creeping into her chest before she could even comprehend it.

"Well you had better make your choice quickly," Z stated with a sudden urgent tone.

Y/N perked her head up at him with furrowed brows, "Why is that?"

"Cause he's already here,"

-

"Sir, if you intend to fight, I should remind you of the casualties at risk—"

Chisei hummed in agreement, understanding that he should not risk getting innocent bystanders caught amid this predicament.

"I only wish to talk," he admitted, "if push comes to shove, I will be forced to take action,"

The room was on the top floor, a suite in a hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo. It had only taken his men but a few hours to figure out Y/N's location. If not for the work of his undercover spies keeping watch of her every move since the night of Masamune Tachibana's death, he feared it would have taken much longer to track her down. If that were the case, she'd be long gone out of Japan by then.

Surprisingly, even with Sakura and his men ready with their weapons at their side, the door to the suite opened wide, as if the individual who opened it were greeting welcome guests.

Chisei was met with a man he had never met before, his red eyes stared threateningly at him, ignoring the glares and pointed weapons aimed at his face.

"Are you a colleague of Y/N?" Chisei questioned, getting straight to the point.

The man shrugged, "If I am, are you here to exorcise me as well?" his voice was smooth and it almost sounded as though he were mocking Chisei. "If you've come for a fight, let's settle it outside, shall we?"

But the High Patriarch shook his head, "I need to speak with her," although, rather than a polite conversation, he'd lead it as more of an interrogation. The determining factor for a fight would depend on Y/N's cooperation—her willingness to turn herself in for her crime against Hydra. Her crime against him, breaking the only promise he had asked of her.

To his surprise, the man stepped aside and allowed passage to Chisei, "The rest of them stay out here,"

Chisei looked back at Sakura who glanced at him cautiously. He nodded in agreement.

"I hope you understand what will happen should Y/N cause any trouble," he said to the white-haired man, who had yet to introduce himself. Though Chisei had no need to know his identity, he could only assume that he would take precautions against him and his men. He was only here for Y/N. Anyone else associated with her would simply be collateral damage.

-

Chisei had found Y/N sitting with her back turned to him in the sitting room in the middle of the loveseat. In the dark, the room was illuminated by only two table lamps, a chill ran through his spine.

This version of her was darker, more angry. Like he had walked into the den of a raging beast who would kill anything that set her off.

A ticking time bomb.