The moon is playfully peeking in between the clouds and the shadows performed a slow dance to their benefactor.
The garden fountain's soft murmuring provides a perfect counterpoint to the cicada's song and the night wind rustles the leaves of the nearby trees in a sluggish manner.
The window on that unnamed villa showed the silhouette of two men sitting between an old lamp.
The flame on the lamp was steady. It was a contrast to the conversation taking place between the two shadows.
"This is very unusual, Sadao. We could have met elsewhere more comfortable," Hunter carefully laid down his teacup.
"Any place is comfortable between friends, isn't that right, Mr. Wang?" Sadao looked at Hunter directly. The thin smile he showed was like a sheathed blade; non-threatening but terrifying at the same time.
"Are you saying we are not friends?" Hunter offered the same smile.
"No. I am asking if you are comfortable enough," answered Sadao.
"Ah...so the question rebounds," Hunter sighed.
"As it should. We are, after all, the respondents in our deal," Sadao decided to cut to the chase.
"You are asking for sincerity now, this far in our agreement?" Hunter asked levelly.
"I have to. Some developments have pointed to a slight deviation from the spirit of the contract," Sadao pointed out.
"Is that why you brought an army with you?" Hunter asked even though there was no one visible except for the two of them.
"My and your bringing people here suggests that neither one of us trust the other so let us stop this unseemly dance," Sadao said between controlled breaths.
The wind shifted and the flame of the lamp flickered.
The shadows also bristled like the hackle of a wild animal.
"You are talking about the incident with Saki. I am sorry for not being straightforward," Hunter said without emotion.
"Then or now?" Sadao studied Hunter's face as the flame painted it in ever changing colors.
"You don't get to suggest whether I approached you with dishonorable intent or not!" Hunter gripped his teacup tighter.
"And you don't get to endanger my niece or anyone from my family!" countered Sadao.
"That was an unfortunate incident, I am truly sorry," Hunter slightly bowed his head.
"And the Flame Scrolls, were those not central to your plan?" Sadao asked hotly.
"You and I both know that there was to be mutual sharing of information. Our scroll and yours were always in the picture," reminded Hunter.
"Tell me now, Mr. Wang, was there ever anything else that you wanted? Depending on your answer, I respectfully suggest that you prepare for the consequences." Sadao brought his hands under the table.
"There was a lot that we didn't know. That much I would admit. That is why we were not prepared for what just transpired involving Saki. But If you think that we would approach you with such cowardly tactics, then you don't really know us."
Hunter also brought his hand under the table.
"Are you saying you could have just taken what you wanted and the deal was because you thought you were being benevolent? Isn't that disrespectful on its own?" Sadao said acidly.
"Do not put words in my mouth, Sadao. All I am saying is that, yes, we could have treated you like enemies and just took what we wanted by any other means but we didn't. Not because we look down on you but because we equally fear and respect the Homura," said Hunter without a trace of flattery or arrogance and Sadao withdrew his assumptions.
"Then you really didn't know?" Sadao hated that he showed uneasiness in front of Hunter.
"We didn't even know what we did not know. If you would only allow us to show our sincerity, you would understand that all we ever wanted was to completely decode the Fox Scrolls. Our family was never after the fortune that came with the scrolls. Those were incidentals. Our findings indicated that the other half of the mysteries we have been chasing lie within your knowledge and we could never obtain those by force or guile," Hunter explained.
"Let us say I believe you, Mr. Wang, although my niece will never be convinced by your words alone, can you offer us anything more than them?" Sadao asked.
"I am afraid all I have for the moment are just words. Even the scrolls we hold, and I fully intended to share them with you, contain just those. We have been led by our faith in words. I am not asking you to do the same, but concepts like honor and justice will always have its foundation in faith," Hunter breathed deeply and brought his hands out signifying he has nothing else to offer or to hide.
"You could have shown more care, Mr. Wang. Your actions would have convinced us more than your words ever could. I could say that how you came to us with so little information meant that you were callous and arrogant. A person so imprudent will just bring with him chaos and destruction. Spare our family. Spare my niece," Sadao regretfully declared.
"I am sorry, Sadao. More than you could ever know. You are right, it was arrogance. It was pure hubris but you can't say that I am a man who doesn't learn from his mistakes. I will make this right. Give us one more chance," Hunter pleaded.
"I am not in a position to grant you your request but let me ask you this: how much does Saki's life mean to you?"
It was at that moment that one of the shadows decided to act. It didn't matter which one but his arrow would start the chaos that they have long sought.
He let go of the arrow and it sailed silently towards Sadao.
Sadao sensed the killing intent directed towards him. He brought out his hands that were obscured by the table and pulled out his tanto.
Hunter did not even flinch. He knew that Sadao wasn't trying to attack him but Duren who was hiding in the shadows jumped instantly to the side of his master to defend him from any threat.
Duren's sword was laid diagonally across Hunter's chest but from Hiroshi's point of view, it was pointed at Sadao and he too, launched from his concealment and in the blink of an eye, slashed at Duren who responded to block the attack as fast as it was.
No one saw Hunter pluck the launched arrow in mid air.
The lamp rolled on the tatami and instantly blazed.
Even as both sides withdrew to a safe distance, the whole estate came alive with shadows instantly leaping from their hiding place.
The night was filled with sounds of drawn swords and cocked guns. The two groups stared at each other, ready to eviscerate the opposite side if given the signal.
Hunter knew the arrow was launched at Sadao but he never gave the order. Sadao knew that the killing intent did not come from Hunter but somebody wanted him dead. The tension is high and they both knew that a mistake here would lead to an even greater catastrophe.
They acted like true leaders would.
With signals from their masters, swords were re-sheathed, guns were tucked away and they both left the villa in the spaces between heartbeats.
When the moon peeked again, the only shadow that remained was the one that launched the arrow.
It's eyes glowed a diseased yellow in the darkness. He stared at the fire consuming the house and when satisfied that his work is done, he left amidst the song of the cicadas.