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When breakfast was over, Akira went to look for the Chief while her old team members returned to their rooms. Each of them had their thoughts on Akira after their short interaction. It was impossible not to think of her because she was always a small but undefeatable figure.

Now, she had fallen from the glorious pedestal everyone had put her. Some of the team members felt sorry for her, while others felt pleased with her downfall. They all knew that changes were inevitable, and their world was not a simple one.

It was a dog-eat-dog world.

One of the team members used their phone to log onto an untraceable website as soon as they stepped into their simple room. The person was a little anxious, the hands trembling a little. However, the face remained calm as they checked the messages in their dashboard. 

The person, who had transferred a lot of money for the full information on Akira, had sent a new message. Their last interaction was about kidnapping Akira and sending her to Europe.

[I understand the price cannot be too low. I am willing to pay the required amount if you can guarantee that the girl will be brought to me.]

The person smiled a little. Did this client still not understand that Akira was not a stupid girl? Did they think she was a sack of potatoes?

[Transporting her is not possible at this time. She is under secure watch. Consider your options for travel. If you come to Japan, I can guarantee contact.]

The person thought for a moment. The client seemed like they did not have the flexibility of movement. They were probably under surveillance or in a situation that disallowed international travel, or they would not request for Akira to be transported to Europe. 

The smile widened. 

[Alternatively, I can organise a special hunt. I think it will satisfy your requirements without personal contact. Ask for more details if interested.]

The other party did not seem to be online, so the individual in the Immortal Sword Valley logged out of the website. They were not afraid their client would choose anyone else for the task. It would not be easy for anyone to get a hold of Akira. 

In another part of the valley, Akira was sitting in front of the Chief like a schoolgirl caught misbehaving. She felt distressed because she held the Chief in high regard in her heart. He was a big part of the creation of the person she was. 

"I won't scold you." The Chief sighed. "I do not understand your decision, but I will not disapprove. I think it is too late for that. But I want you to live a good life. Are you sure that this Kaito is your future?" 

The man looked at the young woman he had trained for years and felt a deep sense of loss. He always thought that he would be able to keep her in the valley, and she would take over from him someday. But he realised that she was not interested in the lifestyle. 

She was a good samurai and agent and could take down the most vicious criminals. However, her heart had never been with being a hero of justice. She had a different vision for her future which involved mundane things like music, art and food. 

A tough man like himself could not understand her choices, but he had no right to stop her. She was brought to him when she was only eight years old. She did not have the right to choose her path because she had nothing at the time.

She was a helpless child. 

He had always wondered if he should have taken her back to her parents in Mountain Ridge. Of course, he also did not have the right to send her back. The woman who brought Akira to the valley seemed to know some higher-ups above himself. 

He was instructed to provide adequate training and turn her into a fine samurai. He was not allowed to give her information about her former family, but he was not to stop her if she gained the ability to learn the details herself. 

He was glad he had not tried to act like a hero and fight to return the little girl to Mountain Ridge. 

Yes, she might have lived a rich girl's life with the Yamazaki family. But she would have been raised around people with dark hearts and hidden intentions. And who knows if she would have survived? If someone was willing to sell her off once, what would stop them from doing it again? 

"I am sure, Chief. I will not regret my decision." Akira said firmly. 

She remembered the promise she and Kaito made to one another. She would believe in him, and he would believe in her. She was the kind of person who would always live herself an exit strategy in case things went wrong. 

However, she had gone all-in with Kaito despite knowing his background. She would never abandon her. And she would not believe that he abandoned her. 

The Chief sighed. "I thought you would say that." 

"Will you help me find him?" She asked with a bit of dependency. 

"I have already looked into the recent happenings in the Shadow Brotherhood. It seems that Kaito gave up his management rights of the Shadow Brotherhood to his second-in-command a few weeks ago. The current head of the operations is Ayumi." The Chief explained. 

"Yeah, I have met her." Akira made a face. 

"Kaito seemed to have secretly withdrawn his most trusted members from the Shadow Brotherhood. I assume that the separation between him and Ayumi was not as amicable as it seems on the surface." The Chief said with a lifted brow. 

Akira thought back to the occurrence that led to the division. It seemed that Kaito had taken her words seriously. She did not believe that Ayumi would let things go after her love for Kaito was scorned. 

"I should also warn you that there is a bit of unrest due to Kaito's recent actions." The Chief added. 

"What actions?" Akira leaned forward with tension in her limbs. 

"You child!" The Chief was exasperated. "When he decided to begin a domestic life with you in Mountain Ridge, he abandoned his responsibilities. I have told you before that Kaito is considered a necessary evil." 

"He has filled a crucial niche that even we, in the unorthodox law enforcement branches, cannot. He eliminates evils that cannot be handled by the legal arms of the government. If he is not available, a lot of people will be unhappy." 

"Can't another assassin take over?" Akira asked. 

"How can it be so simple?" The Chief sighed. "An assassin who can gain the protection of the government is not easy to come by. In the past, Kaito was hunted by governments before he proved his worth. And it is more than his skills." 

"Kaito proved to the powers that be that he goes beyond earning a few bucks as a mercenary. When he accepts a mission, he is diligent in checking the background of both the client and the target. He does not take on tasks without merit." 

"And when he eliminates a target, he provides the government with sufficient materials to prevent public pushback and unrest in case questions are asked. Furthermore, his skill level eliminates conflict since no one has ever seen him kill anyone." 

Akira nodded in understanding. 

"With his whereabouts unknown, some assassins will be vying to become the next chosen one. It could get messy. Moreover, some people have been looking for an opportunity to get revenge on Kaito. What better way than to take out his woman and child?" The Chief said with anger and frustration. 

His sword would taste blood once he met that man. How could he leave Akira in this mess?

"I will find him," Akira said with conviction. 

"Don't forget you have a limited timeline." He looked meaningfully at her abdomen. "If someone can manage to make Kaito disappear, it has to be someone much stronger." 

There was a long silence. 

"Are you sure he did not leave of his own volition?" The Chief asked a difficult question. 

If Kaito was hiding, it would be impossible to find him. 

Akira's mind went back to that morning after.

{What do you propose?" She asked.

"An oath of trust." Kaito leaned close to her. "Believe in me, and I will believe in you."}

She lifted a hand and touched that ring she had around her neck. 

"No. He would never leave me." 

In truth, she was afraid. Really afraid. 

She was not a stranger to being abandoned. Everyone in her life always left her. And she had sworn to never let anyone leave her again. She never wanted the burden of wondering if she was good enough for people. 

But she held on to Kaito's promise. 

She would believe in him. 

He would not abandon her.