Mobile Legends Anthology

The Last Scarlet 8

After their dinner and with their heads calmed down, Hanabi used several pillows to divide the bed in two. They had no choice but to share the same bed and as long as nothing happens between them, it will be okay.

With the clock striking midnight, Hanabi could not find her sleep so she shifted to her side and clipped her arm to be her pillow.

"Hey, Hanzo. Are you still awake?" she asked.

"No," he briefly replied.

She rolled her eyes to the side because of his snobbish attitude. Nevertheless, she still spoke to him about what happened just a while ago.

"The demon you're controlling, how did you manage to capture him?" she asked, hoping that Hanzo would answer her. It's not that she would take advantage of him if ever she finds out his weakness but she might find herself sleepy if she hears a bit of story.

Hanzo, who was facing the opposite direction, shifted his position to face Hanabi whose eyes were fixed on him. Just like her, he used one arm as his pillow before responding to her question.

"I didn't really capture him. I simply stole the sword he is residing in and somehow, he recognized my strength so I was able to manipulate him."

His explanation was too brief and simple, and totally not an effective potion to put her to sleep. Thus, Hanabi asked why and how he stole the sword.

"I know you know very well how much the Shadow clan wants to rid of any evilness in the clan before. And the family that led them to purify the evil is my lineage, the Akakagi family. For years, they had been trying to find a way to permanently erase evil, but such thought is impossible itself. However, that truth didn't stop them, instead, it became a driving force for the family to continually do a ritual and seal all evil every full moon."

While Hanzo was speaking, Hanabi intently listened without looking away from him. At times, she would stare at his mouth and would unconsciously predict the next words he would say, then her eyes would look at his direction as if figuring out the numbers of eyelids he had.

"It was done for generations but a time came that the evil took shape and became a demon. They called him Hanekage and the sword that he is currently sealed in is the Ame no Habakiri. It is a powerful weapon that the Akakagi feared that it might be used by someone so in a mountain just across the Shadow sect village, they sealed the demon."

Hanzo paused for a while since he started to feel uneasy because of the gaze of the Scarlet ninja. Though she looked interested and willing to listen until he finished talking, her gaze was a bit too much for him to take. So as to look away from her, he lied on his back and stared at the ceiling instead.

"Reading the history of my family made me curious so I searched the mountain to find where they could have sealed the sword. It took me quite long enough to find it and longer to open the entrance. It was also heavily guarded and traps were everywhere. But since it's the great me whom we're talking about, those did not stop me from finding the sword."

This time, he did not willingly stop talking. Hanabi, with a swift move, covered his mouth and after clicking her tongue, she said, "Keep going with the story but do not interject any unnecessary comments. Everything you've said made sense but after you mentioned the traps everywhere, my ears started to hurt that I almost turned deaf."

Her roundabout way of insulting him made Hanzo slap her hand away from him. He shot a glare to her but only to receive a childish response—Hanabi stuck out her tongue at him. Instead of retaliating, he returned his gaze back at the ceiling.

"As I was saying, it took quite some time to get ahold of it. And not to mention, it almost devoured me whole the first time I held it. But Hanekage failed to possess me the way he wanted to. It seems that a demon like him can easily manipulate a human with a weak mind and body. Unfortunately for him, I, who had gone through hell, was the who found him so he became my underling."

A few seconds of silence passed when Hanzo wondered how Hanabi knew Hanekage's name when he never mentioned it before. He looked back to her but she was already fast asleep. He stared at her as if painting every small detail of her face into his mind. He didn't know when but he started to feel anxious because one way or another, he was beginning to deviate from his usual self. The very first rule he made for himself was to never get too attached with a client but that rule was slowly becoming a blur.

With the back of his index finger, he leisurely ran it from Hanabi's forehead down to her nose until it reached her slightly red lips.

"If y'er gonna kiss her, I'll think that y'er nothing but a wimp for taking advantage of a defenseless woman," Hanekage interrupted while watching them just from the edge of the bed. His sudden appearance made Hanzo flinch and at the same time, irritated that he forced him to go back to the Ame no Habakiri.

He didn't have to be told about something like that. He knew it better than anyone. However, he could not help but ask himself how his life would change if ever he lets Hanabi stay beside him. Would he be happy? Would he not regret it later? Still, the biggest question would be; does Hanabi want him by his side?

With the way she acted and spoke for the past few days, all he could think that he was simply an assassin who shall protect her until she reaches Kyoto. Hanzo admitted to himself that he cannot really read what Hanabi is thinking so it was a bit hard interpreting her actions. Not to mention, she seemed to be the type of girl who had a lot of mood swings.