The VENOM Squad : Emperor Scorpion ft. Monitor Lizard

Chapter 40.2

While Sivir is preoccupied with Silvanna's presence, she fails to keep an eye on Nephila which is her original plan. She is having too much fun in fighting the famous princess of the Moniyan Empire that she temporarily forgets what she planned with Talon.

Meanwhile, after fighting the warriors of Princess Odette's army, Nephila is once again face-to-face with her former teammate.

"It seems that you still didn't get back to your senses," Hanzo states which push Hanabi to turn on her annoyed self. She tightens her grip on the Higanbana before lunging at him.

"And you're still proud as before!" she yells. Her Higanbana screeches against the Ame no Habakiri and using her sharp, spider limbs, she claws at him but he manages to dodge them before they could pierce into his flesh. After a few seconds of keeping their distance away, Hanzo charges forward.

As their weapons collide with each other, Hanabi's mixed feelings start to stir—making it hard for her to think straight.

"Not long ago, you hated me for being weak," she states. Hanzo swings his sword in an attempt to weaken her power by absorbing her energy but he fails to do so when the Higanbana whooshes across his weapon. It almost made Hanzo let go of it because of the sudden impact.

"When I tried to help, you hated me," Hanabi adds as the memories of their first mission in Mizuyama replays in her mind. The hateful words of Hanzo are still fresh in her despite the months of having her memories erased.

Getting ahold of her double blade, Hanabi makes another lunge but only got dodged. When Hanzo suddenly vanishes, she could feel his presence behind her and with a swift turn, she made a roundhouse kick, hitting him right on the chest, and sends him rolling on the ground. She once again aims at him with her Higanbana before grabbing some kunais and runs towards him.

"When I left the team just as you wanted, you also hated it."

That memory, too, is still vivid. Not only did she argue with him but it was also the time she confessed to him but still, she chose to part ways.

Hanzo regains back his balance and sweeps Hanabi off her feet, delaying her attack. The way she speaks sounds like she is throwing a tantrum but the more she talked, his confusion rises as well. Hanabi slowly stands and with gritted teeth, she states,

"And now that I am stronger, you also hate it. Why... is it so hard to make you appreciate me?"

The way her voice broke makes Hanzo realize that the woman in front of him is on the verge of tears. He is not yet sure because Hanabi is looking down at the ground. But his speculation is confirmed when she goes for another offensive attack with a poisoned kunai on her hand. She is shedding tears and it is enough for him to think how cruel he was to her before. As his realization sinks in, Hanzo just stands where he is as he watches her coming closer. He was hoping that if she gets to stab him, then her anger and pain would somehow be relieved even just by a tiny bit.

Hanabi is expecting him to react but even when she is about to stab him with her kunai, he did not move. Thus, she stops midway before she would regret something in the future. She tightens her clutch on her weapon that is directed right at his heart. If she plunges it in him, surely, he will die. But would it be a satisfying end? That question lingers in her mind.

"What now? Do you seriously want to die?" she mumbles. Yet instead of a verbal reply, she receives an unexpected response.

With his free hand, Hanzo wraps his arm around her back and pulls her close. A small clang on the ground is heard when Hanabi drops her weapon—still confused with the sudden change.

With a soft whisper, he says, "I'm sorry... for everything."

Just those four words are enough to break the walls that Hanabi built around her. She promised herself that she would no longer listen to him but she could not do it. Her tears rain down on her cheeks and her sobs are almost covered as she holds him with both arms.