Epilogue

Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the hearts of mankind. - Edward D. Morrison

* * * *

April 2010

Shinjuku, Japan

It had been nearly five months after Raven’s Gate’s demise, and slowly, things were settling down, and getting back to normal.

Or at least, as normal as it could be.

The top officials of the Japan government have somehow managed to cover everything up. And they have also managed to convince the members of the public, as well as their own subordinates within the government itself, that the entire story about Hati being a terrorist organisation under their command was a fabricated lie spun by the Raven’s Gate organisation.

Riou Takeshi had also managed to produce proper evidence that proved that Raven’s Gate was the one going around wrecking havoc, and also responsible for all the riots and fights that had broken out during that two month span when they were in control. And they were also responsible for all the deaths that have occurred.

The Hati organisation returned to the shadows, still carrying out their own brand of justice from within the darkness, with none the wiser. And with not a single person in the entire world apart from their own, knowing that the Phantoms of Hati had literally risked their own lives just to restore peace and order back to the world.

And miraculously, apart for one, the rest of the Phantoms of Hati all managed to return alive.

Sunny Chin, Phantom II of the Hati’s elites was very quiet for days after his sister’s death, barely speaking two complete sentences for days after that.

Riou Takeshi had made arrangements for the Drifters of Hati to retrieve the body of Selina Chin to give her a proper burial in the Aoyama cemetery, with the girl honoured as a heroine among the Phantoms and the Drifters of Hati.

But there is one Phantom who was mostly responsible for Raven’s Gate’s demise and had gone missing not too long after the final battle…

* * * *

On a Thursday afternoon, one can find Ren Kamizuki, Tohya Tanigawa and Sunny Chin sitting atop the rooftop of the Hati dormitory complex, several beer cans lying around them.

There was silence between the three boys for several moments as they amused themselves by watching the birds soaring about freely in the sky, and watching the people walking about below them in the streets, minding their own businesses.

Tohya was the first one to break the silence, taking a swig out of the can of beer in his right hand.

“She’s coming back, isn’t she?” Tohya asked quietly.

He didn’t even have to elaborate who the ‘she’ was. She had also been on the minds of both Ren and Sunny, along with every single member of Hati out there, ever since her sudden disappearance after the final battle with Raven’s Gate.

“Yeah. For sure.” Ren nodded. “She’s coming back. For sure. Right?” He muttered that last word beneath his breath. He then got to his feet, and on either side of him, Sunny and Tohya both looked up at him. “I have to go. I have another letter.” Ren pulled a blue envelope from within the back pocket of his jeans. “Another letter that I wished to give her.”

Sunny sighed to himself.

He had not really spoken much ever since his sister had died.

Sunny had become almost like a shadow of his former cheerful self, the exact opposite of his name.

Tohya and Ren have tried to include Sunny in as much of their activities as possible as a result, even occasionally dragging him to the reopened Starlight’s Hall.

“You might as well give up, Kamizuki,” said Sunny, a sombre tone in his voice as he slumped over where he sat, looking at the streets below him, the can of beer in his hand resting on his right knee. “Yagami is—”

“She isn’t dead!” Ren retorted with much more force than he had originally intended. “She isn’t dead…” He chewed on his bottom lip and turned his head away. “Please Sunny. Don’t take away my last hope. She’s still alive. As long as I can keep writing to her, I can still believe that she is alive.”

“Even though Yagami has never once replied to any of your letters throughout the past five months?” Sunny questioned, and Tohya glared at him.

“She isn’t dead.” Ren repeated once more like a mantra of some sort, his lips trembling slightly. “She isn’t dead. She’s still alive. She’s got to be…”

Tohya said nothing for several moments as silence fell between the three of them again. That had been a rather common occurrence for them throughout the past five months. Before that final battle, they could always find something to laugh and talk about. But now, they are hard pressed to even find a topic that they could even talk about.

Have the absences of both Yuri and Selina really affected them that much?

“Kami and Raven’s Gate went down with the mansion as was their fate,” said Tohya suddenly, referring to the fact that the mansion had actually caved in after that last battle, probably due to the age. Also, the fights that had taken place in the mansion had probably attributed to it, actually causing more damage to the structure of the mansion. “And it’s just as Yuri had said a long time ago.” He looked from Ren to Sunny and back again. “People have a side to them that they’ve kept hidden from everyone else. Probably…” Tohya let out a small sigh. “Probably, Kami is her side.”

Ren said nothing to that, and neither did Sunny.

“I’m going.” Ren said suddenly before he made his way towards the staircase of the rooftop, and started walking down it, until he’d reached the first storey of the dormitory complex, and left the building.

It was a beautiful day, and the sakura trees were all in full bloom as Ren walked through the streets of Shinjuku in order to get to Starlight’s Hall, with the petals of the sakura blossoms fluttering prettily down to the ground like pink snow.

Ren looked down at the blue envelope in his right hand as he walked, recalling the contents of his letter that he had penned to Yuri.

If truth be told, he is kind of tired as well.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Not knowing if Yuri was still alive, or if she is even coming back in the first place.

Ren wouldn’t blame Yuri if she wanted out of this life, especially since Yuri had actually sacrificed a lot throughout the past year just to take down Raven’s Gate and Kami.

And speaking of that insane leader of Raven’s Gate with the serious God complex, no one in Hati actually knew what had transpired between Yuri and Kami during that final battle. No one knew why Yuri was so persistent in going after Kami like this throughout the past year. And no one knew the exact reason why Jessica Kwok had actually gone after Yuri the way that she had.

That is still a mystery up till this day.

And it is probably something that only Yuri can answer.

‘It’s finally spring,’ thought Ren as a single sakura petal fluttered down from the tree overhead, and landed in his outstretched palm. ‘A springtime that we never thought we would ever get to see. The sakura blossoms are blooming prettily, Yuri.’ The wind blew the sakura petal off his palm, and Ren went on his way. ‘In this country that you have protected… I wonder how many tomorrows have come and gone since then? There is still corruption occurring everywhere. Hati’s duty had not yet ended. Where are you? The captain seemed to know where you are, but he wouldn’t tell me. And neither would the Elder.’

Ren glanced at the blue envelope clutched in his hand. ‘This is the ninety-ninth letter that I’ve sent to you. And this will be the last. I won’t send any more. Tohya told me to wait. He told me that you’ll return once you feel like it. I hope so.’ Ren soon found himself standing outside Starlight’s Hall. ‘I want to see you.’

A bell tinkled somewhere in the bar as Ren pushed opened the door, and entered Starlight’s Hall.

It wasn’t yet opening hour, yet like always, Mizuki Itou was present. The guy managed a small smile as he caught sight of Ren, and waved him over.

“Here,” said Ren, pushing the blue envelope over the bar counter to Mizuki who took it with an understanding nod.

Mizuki Itou had been the one tracking Yuri’s whereabouts, and sending the letters to her. For some reason, Yuri would vanish mysteriously once someone had actually gone to where she was rumoured to be, but letters would somehow always reach her.

“Another one?” Mizuki smiled before he placed the letter into his pocket. “And I’m glad that you’ve come as well, Ren.” Ren blinked. Mizuki smiled gently at him before lifting something from beneath the bar counter, and placed a medium-sized sky-blue box onto the bar. “This came just this morning. It’s unmarked, but it’s addressed to you.”

“For me?” Ren muttered before lifting the lid of the box, and spotting only two items within it – a black leather-bound book that seemed to be a journal of some sort, as well as a white envelope sitting atop the book.

Frowning, Ren took those two items out before waving goodbye to Mizuki, and leaving the bar. The bell tinkled somewhere in the bar as the door closed behind Ren, and he opened the book. A small note slipped out and fluttered to the ground, which caused Ren to pause in his tracks.

Bending down to pick up the note, Ren recognised Yuri’s writing on it immediately. He smoothed the note over, and read it quickly.

Ren,

I’ve finally finished my story.

My life story.

The proof that I’ve actually existed.

Ren raised a brow in confusion before he flipped over the first page of the leather-bound book, and read the first entry within it.

When a person dies, he doesn’t disappear. His memories don’t disappear either, but continue living on in the memories and hearts of those that he has touched during his lifetime.

Everyone has a lie. Everyone has regrets. And each hides a horrible past. Traitors stand on the ends of evil. Ends tied on the strings of good.

Living on without a loved one is difficult, but death is all but part and parcel of our life.

Our life as an assassin.

As assassins, there are many things in this world worth making sacrifices and giving up our lives for. I believe that we were each given our own tests and trials by the gods that stood watching over us to make us stronger.

When I learned of my own trial, I felt betrayed, broken and angry, but at the same time, happy and peaceful. That’s why I’m leaving this behind as my last memory.

This is my story…one of destiny.

Ren raised a brow before he decided to read the rest of the contents of the book at a later time, and slipped opened the letter that had came along with the book. Ren unfolded the letter before reading the contents of it, savouring every word carefully.

Ren,

Thank you for your letters.

All ninety-eight of them.

It gave me the courage to carry on with life even after Raven’s Gate’s demise.

Have you seen them? The sakura blossoms this spring. It seems to be especially beautiful this year. It almost seems like my mother’s spirit is watching over us, along with all those who died taking Raven’s Gate down.

My mother. Uncle Kenji. Miki. Michio-nii. Michiru-nii. Selina. And Yuuki.

So much has happened in just one year. So much unhappiness has come out of it. I finally understood what my uncle had meant back then, when he had said that the world needs Hati. We’re a necessary evil in this world.

It’s finally over.

The nightmare is finally over.

Raven’s Gate, that is.

I’m sorry for taking off without a word like that after the final battle, but I have some unfinished business to take care of. Something that I promised Selina before she died. Something that I’ve promised her to do on her behalf.

Our work…Hati’s work isn’t over yet.

I’ll be back soon, I promise.

I’ll be back before the last petal of the sakura blossoms fall to the ground.

-Yuri

* * * *

Mid-April 2010

Aoyama, Japan

It was late at night, and the skies were pouring with rain.

There is no one who would willingly go out in this weather, especially with it being this late at night. But if anyone even bothers to look out of their window right now, they would have seen a lone figure wearing a black coat, standing right outside an apartment complex.

Yuri Yagami has not taken her eyes off of the only lighted window on the second storey of the apartment complex that she is standing in front of, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat. A black choker with a silver dagger-like pendant hung from around her neck – the last thing that Selina had given her before she had died.

A rather grim expression was on Yuri’s face as she recalled what Selina had said to her moments before she had died.

That same conversation had been playing itself in Yuri’s mind over and over for the past five months ever since the final battle.

The last Apostle…Felicia Chan. I’m sure that she’s still alive. If Sam is alive, then she must be as well. They are a mistake that ought to be corrected. They are my mistake. Felicia was Sam’s accomplice when they framed me for murder in Singapore two years ago. She should have been dead. But apparently, like Sam, she has managed to cheat death as well. This will be the only thing that I’ll ever ask of you. Please, Yuri. Finish the job for me. Kill her.

The facial expression on Yuri’s face did not change in the slightest as she entered the apartment complex, heading up the stairs to the second storey. She then stopped right outside the only apartment on this entire level alone that still had light streaming out from the crack between the door and the floor.

Yuri did nothing for several moments before removing her hands from within her pockets, the rainwater dripping off of the ends of her hair and coat, and creating quite a puddle on the floor around her. With her right hand, she removed Odium from the holster by her side and released the safety catch on it, letting her arm fall down by her side to prevent anyone from seeing the gun in her hand.

Yuri then rapped twice on the door of the apartment, waiting for the door to open. There was a slight pause before a soft feminine voice spoke from behind the door.

“Who is it?” That voice spoke warily.

Yuri said nothing.

After a few moments, the door then creaked opened slowly before it opened fully, revealing a girl about two years Yuri’s senior standing in the doorway, dressed only in a white T-shirt and blue shorts. Her shoulder-length hair was dyed golden-brown, and there was a look of slight fear in her eyes which subsided slightly when she saw Yuri.

“May I help you?” Felicia Chan asked politely.

Yuri said nothing, but a slight smirk pulled at the ends of her lips before she pressed the barrel of Odium against the ribcage of the girl standing in front of her. Felicia’s eyes widened slightly as she looked down at the gun pressing against her chest, and then at Yuri who had a particularly dangerous look in her eyes.

“You’re…a Phantom!”

“I’ve come to collect a debt that is long due on the behalf of Selina Chin,” said Yuri emotionlessly. “Your death has long been overdue for two years. You’ve been on borrowed time throughout these past two years, and I’ve come to collect.” She then narrowed her eyes, pressing the barrel of the gun even further into Felicia’s chest. “Hell is waiting for you.”

A gunshot rang out.