SHADOW

Episode 12 : HUNTERS PART II

(In the Shadow Realm, Sora has awoken and Tsume and Takashi sits next to him. He tries to force himself up but Tsume holds him by the shoulder advising him not to force himself up)

Tsume: Take it easy kid. I suggest you lay down for now

Takashi: Who did this to you, son? (His eyes slowly closes as he loses consciousness again) Sora! (He tries to wake him)

Tsume: We should let him be for now. His body hasn't recovered and don't forget he got poisoned. He is lucky to still be alive

Takashi: Dammit! (Bites his lips)

Tsume: Go and rest old man. He will be fine

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(Back at the Hunter's Tower; Ken stands in front Saki)

Ken: So you are cousin to blondie (Saki ignores him)

Shane: I'm glad you finally decided to join us

Ken: You two have met before? 

Shane: Yeah. I met her in a bar 

(FLASHBACK: Eight months ago after Saki left the Realm. After she was done talking with Saito and was exiting the bar; a man wearing a coat with a cigarette in his mouth stands before her)

Saki: Step aside

Shane: (blows out cigarette smoke) My name is Shane and I'm the leader of the Hunter

Saki: What does the leader of an organization of mercenaries want with me?

Shane: (holds his cigarette in between his index finger and middle finger) I would like to recruit you. My organization needs someone of high caliber and you my dear will be an incredible addition

Saki: Slow down old timer. Don't call me dear. And what makes you think I want to join your little fan club (folds her arm)

Shane: (throws away his cigarette) This little fan club may have a job that needs you to kill Saito

Saki: (yawn) I can kill Saito whenever I want without asking you for help or your stupid club house. Moreover, he is not my priority right now

Shane: Sora Render is your priority cause your father gave him the Death Scythe instead of you so sad (scoffs)

Saki: Watch your mouth

Shane: Whatever! Anyways whenever Saito becomes your priority how do you intend to get past his security and we all know Saito is not stupid (gives her a pamphlet) Think about it

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(Back to the Present)

Shane: Ken here will show to your chambers

Ken: Alright. Follow me (They go inside and makes their way up a stair. Saki walks behind him) May I ask you a question (she ignores him again) I will take your silence as a yes. Why did you you leave the Realm? What happened between you and blondie? (She says nothing walking behind him) Wow. Stops in front of a door) Here we are

Saki: (tries to open the door but it won't open) How do I open it?

Ken: So she talks

Saki: Are you with the key?

Ken: You want me to answer your question when you've been ignoring me, now is that fair? (She stares at him) Just place your hand on the knob and channel your Shadow element on it. Only you can open the door once you do that

Saki: (does as he said and the door opens) I still go back sometimes (closes the door after entering the room)

Ken: (sighs and goes down the stairs and meets Shane on his way up) Hey

Shane: Tomorrow you are gonna tell Saki about the Hunters code and after that give her this (hands him an old paper)

Ken: (surprised) A job request?! Why so soon? 

Shane: I want to see how good she really is

Ken: Don't you already know that? I thought the whole essence of you being the one that recruited her was because you trusted on her abilities, am I missing something here?

Shane: Just give it to her

Ken: And where are you going?

Shane: We are done talking Ken

Ken: You are acting strange. What's really going on? (Shane ignores him and continues his way up the stairs) Everyone is really in the mood of snubbing me. Bunch of t***s! (Saki drops her bag on the ground and lays face front on her bed exhausted)

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(Back at the Realm in the evening, Tsume is getting ready to leave for her house)

Tsume: I will be leaving sage

Takashi: Alright. I will stay here till he wakes up

Tsume: Okay. I will come tomorrow to check on him (makes her way out of the house. Few minutes later Sora opens his eyes again)

Sora: Hey

Takashi: Sora!? You are awake?

Sora: Yea (sits up) You patched me up?

Takashi: No. Tsume did but she couldn't get all the poison out from your system but she...

Sora: She what?

Takashi: I don't understand what she did. She can explain better when she comes tomorrow

Sora: I see (lays back)

Takashi:Is Saito the one that did this to you?

Sora: Nah. Esme. She is a succubus

Takashi: Ah! They are very formidable. Once fought one in my youth...

Sora: (cuts him off) She told me where to find my father

Takashi: That means you bested her. So where is the bastard hiding?

Sora: (chuckles) Sorry but Saito is mine

Takashi: Take a good look at yourself. You can't defeat Saito at your current stage, fool

Sora: I know my strength and am not gonna let him go on anymore. Every breath he takes is an insult to my mother. He has to pay for deserting she and I. He has to pay. I swear on my mother's grave I will kill him. Even if it's the last thing I do Saito must die by my hands

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(Saito stands at the roof top of the Hunter's Tower furious and shortly afterwards, Shane joins him)

Saito: How dare you keep me waiting, have you forgotten who made you what you are? (Stares angrily at Shane)

Shane: (Bows) Forgive me my Lord. It won't happen again

Saito: (folds his arm) Got any news for me?

Shane: I've got bad news and good news

Saito: Start with the bad one

Shane: A collector came to collect Esme's body

Saito: Who killed her? Was it Ken?

Shane: Sora Render. Your son

Saito: (smiles) I will only say this once (opens a portal and shoots a spear at Shane's left leg. The spear pins him to the ground) I don't have a son

Shane: (groans in pain) My apologies my Lord. Would you like to hear the good news now?

Saito: (tilts head) Do you want to die?

Shane: Saki Render has joined us. I was able to convince her to join (tries to pull the spear out)

Saito: (shoots another spear at his right leg. Pinning both legs to the ground) That's for touching my spear with your filthy hands. Has she settled in nicely?

Shane: Yea. Ken showed her to her chambers. S-She is probably resting (groans in pain)

Saito: I see. And have you given her the job request?

Shane: Ken will give it to her tomorrow morning

Saito: Nice. Everything is going according to my plan (snaps his fingers and the spears disappear) I guess it's time I visit my baby boy (chuckles)

Shane: You're going back to the Realm?

Saito: (smirks) There's no place like home

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The following day Ken was laying on a field enjoying the morning breeze until Saki interrupts him)

Saki: Where is your master?

Ken: He's my teacher, not my master

Saki: What's the difference?

Ken: He asked me to give you this (gives her the old paper)

Saki: A job request?

Ken: Yea. You can start whenever you want (walks past her) Walk with me Saki

Saki: Huh? Walk with you? Why should I walk with you? 

Ken: (speaks to himself "curse you Shane") Just come with me 

Saki: Why?

Ken: (grits his teeth) There's something I gotta give you just come with you (leaves without her and Saki slowly walks behind him. He walks into a dark room and Saki stands outside)

Saki: You still haven't told me why you brought me here

Ken: (bends over an old luggage) Is that why you are outside or are you afraid I might hurt you? You know now that we are gonna be working together you should trust me

Saki: I don't have to trust you to work with you. It's not as if this organization has a goal or something and I bet you can't lay a hand on me even if I close my eyes

Ken: See we are bonding (comes out with a short coat with H which is the emblem of the Hunters embedded on the back. He gives it to her) Don't return without finishing your mission, Never let yourself be taken captive and finally if you were caught, kill yourself we don't want anyone disclosing our location (she puts it on)

Saki: Who made the rules?

Ken: I don't know, probably Shane

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Inside Saito's house at Sina, a bald woman kneels in front of him unwrapping the bandages she wrapped on him)

Saito: How am I doing?

Lucy: The injuries you sustained from your previous fight with Seth has healed. Your body is back to 100%

Saito: Excellent. Now about the preparations. Hope we are ready to welcome her

Lucy: Everything has been taken care of. Josh is unexpectedly good

Saito: One more thing; Do not underestimate her

Lucy: Noted

Saito: (stands up from his chair) Well I'm off

Back at the Hunter's HQ, Saki is getting ready to leave)

Shane: I see you are getting ready to leave. The coat looks good on you (limps from the stairs)

Saki: What happened to both of your legs

Shane: Freak accident. Did Ken give you anything

Saki: Yea (brings out the old paper Ken gave her)

Shane: You are to find and eliminate Josh. He is the emperor in a village in the outskirts of Sina. He makes his wealth off the people's effort

Saki: Since when did the Hunters start working for the people?

Shane: We do all kinds of job so long as it involves killing and us getting paid

Saki: So I'm to find and eliminate him

Shane: This is what he looks like (hands a picture of Josh) Don't be fooled by his good looks, he's very cunny

(In the Shadow Realm. Tsume comes back when Sora is sleeping. She runs a few tests on him without waking him up)

Takashi: How is he doing?

Tsume: The poison is no longer in his system. He should be fine

Takashi: I'm glad (exhales)

Tsume: Did he say who did this to him

Takashi: Yea. But it's not Saito

Tsume: Then who?

Takashi: A succubus. I believe he fought her to acquire where Saito is hiding

Tsume: Did he find out where he is?

Takashi: Yes he did

Tsume: Then what are we waiting for? Let's hunt that monster down

Takashi: I don't know where he is. Only Sora does

Tsume: What do you mean you do not know where he is

Takashi: He refused to tell me. Said if Saito is going to die that he will die by his hands

Tsume: What the f**k did you just say? Sora can't defeat Saito. Are you guys insane? He refused to tell you and you just left it like that? Why haven't you taken a peek into his memory get the location or you can no longer do body and link anymore? 

Takashi: Tsume....

Tsume: Don't say my name. What had old age done to you? You really need to stop going easy on Sora. Saito will kill this boy

Takashi: I'm well aware of that but something in me wants to believe in Sora and as long as Saito doesn't attack the Realm then he is Sora's problem and not ours

Tsume: He killed Seth. He killed Sakura. Don't tell me you have forgotten (tears drop down her cheek) I miss them so much

Takashi: I miss them too but I haven't forgotten. Saki left because I couldn't protect her father, my student. I can never forget (hugs her to console her. Sora lay there pretending to be sleeping while listening to their conversation)