The mumbling of the guests mingled with the clinking of glasses and plates. A refreshing breeze drifted in through the open window, carrying the salty scent of the sea. In the corner of the small Hunter's Tavern on the Greek island of Rhodes, a young woman wiped the wooden tables as her short, ash-blonde hair fell across her face.
The sun shining through the window bathed her skin in a warm golden glow.
"How long have you been back in Greece now, Alectrona?" asked a familiar voice.
Alectrona turned around and saw Elias sitting at the table behind her. One hand on his glass, the other leaned on the back of the chair, and a smile came to her face.
Alectrona placed her hand on her hip and said: "For a month now — or only a month."
Elias laughed and added: "Long enough to run the place while sleeping."
Beside the two, almost unnoticed, sat a man. His fedora hat lay on the table in front of him, next to an empty glass. He examined a coin, which he held between his thumb and index finger. No one paid him any attention, but his gaze calmly moved back and forth between Elias and Alectrona. Something seemed to have sparked his interest.
Elias leaned forward slightly: "Tell me, Alectrona… the tournament next week at the Colosseum — won't you be participating?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Me? Tournaments are not exactly a waitress duty."
"Sure," he grinned, "But you're not just any waitress."
"If you say so," she replied.
"Your body is even more athletic than mine; when you came back, I thought you'd been in the military or something; Remember when we used to play Hunter all the time."
Alectrona took a deep breath: "That was a long time ago — Even so… Hunter is not a woman's job."
Elias shook his head: "Nonsense. That may have been the case once, but nowadays there are a lot of female Hunters."
A brief moment of silence, then Alectrona shrugged: "So you're going to participate?"
"Of course, any hunter from the city," he said proudly.
A small smile appeared on her face, "Well — if you want to lose that bad, then I'll accompany you."
Elias grinned triumphantly, "I am much stronger now than before, you will see, you have no chance!"
"I'll see about that."
Just as the two of them were laughing, someone called out from the bar for Alectrona. She gave Elias a quick nod, "I have to get back to work, hero of the tournament."
"That's okay, I'll stay a little longer."
As Alectrona walked away, Elias contentedly pushed the glass aside — then a click sounded beside him as a coin fell on his table in front of his eyes.
The gold coin landed directly in front of him with a smooth spin.
Elias looked up and saw the man with the hat in front of him. He had stood up and was on his way outside.
"You've decided on a devilish woman."
Elias looked at him confused: "What do you mean?"
The man turned towards the door and replied laughing, "You'll find out soon enough," before taking a step towards the exit, he added: "I have to go, kid, your drink's on me."
"Wait," Elias called out, "Where are you going?"
The man paused briefly and, without turning completely around, looked at him out of the corner of his eye: "The shadows guide me on my way," he looked briefly up into the air and after a short pause, "Netherlands — the Netherlands could be interesting."
"That's quite a long way," Elias frowned, "Are you sure? You'll miss the tournament? There will be some strong hunters to watch."
The man glanced briefly over his shoulder, a small but visible smile on his lips.
He put on his hat, pulled it low over his forehead, and said, "I have seen all sorts of strong Hunters, certainly even stronger than those who will be participating."
"You can't possibly know that yet," said Elias, but the man just smiled.
"What's your name, anyway?"
"I don't have a name," he said, "Though, what most people call me is, Akuma."
With one fluid movement, the man turned to the door and briefly raised his hand in farewell.
"Good luck, Elias — at the tournament and with the lady."
Then he disappeared through the door.
At the same time, another place in the world, the steady ticking of a clock filled the room. Ryo sat in his office, leaning back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling.
A notepad lay in front of him, on which something barely readable had been scribbled.
"The tournament…", he murmured quietly to himself.
"I can't leave the office unattended," but the recent events left no room for inactivity. A month has already passed since Shinji's attack and Ryo's new arm.
"Kagami and the others should be on their way to the Netherlands today."
After a moment of reflection, he took a deep breath, pushed back the chair, and stood up.
"I guess I'll have to pay 'him' a visit…"
His footsteps echoed softly through the hallway as he entered the elevator. The elevator descended to the lowest floor, as the doors opened and he stepped out, he felt it immediately.
"I will never get used to this feeling," the feeling of Kagami's ability, which blocks all abilities on the lowest floor.
He walked purposefully down the corridor until he stopped in front of a cell: "Long time no see."
Something moved in the darkness, a man slowly raised his head in the cell before Ryo finished his sentence,
"Hanzo…"
"Ryo…" he said in a rough voice, "What brings you down here?"
Ryo stepped closer, "I'm setting you free."
Hanzo blinked, "Why? I betrayed you — why don't you let me rot here?"
"You did that out of loyalty to Akechi," Ryo said.
"And now that he's dead, I won't do it anymore?"
"No… but I understand Akechi better now. He is no longer our enemy," a short pause, then Ryo continued, "I'm on the trail of his killer, but I have to leave and until then you have to hold the line here."
"Me?" Hanzo shook his head, "Why not someone else?"
Ryo clasped his hands behind his back, "People know you and you know people; you were always there by Akechi's side, and since he was the previous boss, I'm entrusting this to you."
A brief silence followed. Then Hanzo said quietly, "So you've figured it out."
Ryo nodded, "Yes I already suspected back then that something was wrong — now I'm sure of it."
Then he added: "You may not have fought with all your might back then, but unlike Yorihito, Akechi chose you of his own accord, and I trust him. Akechi's decision."
A brief silence fell over the two of them, "Come on out. You know the way."
Together they went back down the corridor, up the floors, until the elevator doors opened again.
Ryo went to the desk, turned to Hanzo: "You know this place, I'll spare us the long explanation."
Hanzo nodded.
Ryo took his coat, turned to the door, as he threw it over his arms.
"You are in command now; hold your position while I am gone."
"Yes," said Hanzo, before Ryo left the office.
Outside on the training field, there was a lot of activity. In the middle stood Yusei, surrounded by hunters whose breath was visible in the cool wind. With a skillful swing, he parried a blow, spun and knocked the hunter to the ground.
"Keep it up!" he shouted, but before anyone could react, Ryo walked past him, raised his hand and said, "Come with me."
Yusei caught up to him, "What's wrong?" as he tried to keep up with Ryo's fast walking speed.
"We're flying abroad," Ryo replied.
"Where to?" Yusei asked, confused.
Ryo adjusted his coat, placed a hand on his katana, and said,
"Greece."