"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 15

"Cocytus. A river in the underworld of Greek mythology. A frozen hell that spares no traitors."

The apartment prepared for her protection was designed for a single occupant, making it more than sufficient for Syunka alone.

It was simple but clean, and most importantly, it offered the reassuring security of police protection. She had been advised to avoid any unnecessary outings.

Even for work or shopping, she would have an "escort" accompany her. Since she didn't go out much at night and had been limiting contact with Izumi, it wasn't too difficult for her. However, the issue was the duration.

Would she make it in time for Sela? And above all, she was worried about Nathan.

She would grasp the necklace he had given her and face the anxiety that crept up on her at night. Takashi had mentioned that Nathan would not be returning.

She didn't know the details of how he was living in Italy or what he had been doing. But she knew he had some kind of belief or vision driving him.

All she could do was believe in him.

"...Nate..."

She whispered his name, but it was swallowed up by the empty room, disappearing into the silence.

Augusto had vanished.

Since leaving Livia’s apartment, he had somehow managed to evade the police’s watchful eyes. While Livia was being monitored under suspicion of knowing something, no relevant information had been uncovered.

Nathan thought to himself,

（He’s as sharp as ever.）

All of Nathan’s business consulting work had been halted, and the same applied to the other executives. The entire operation had been shut down.

The casino bar "Il Santo della Forza," once lit up as if it ruled over the night, was now nothing more than a massive, dark structure. The eerie silence surrounding it loomed over the city like a shadow.

The executives were being slowly cornered, and as soon as enough evidence was gathered, they would all be arrested in one fell swoop. Augusto intended to flush out the traitor before that happened.

That’s why they hadn’t informed the executives about the information leak.

Nathan considered whether he should stay at home to maintain the appearance of normalcy, but he knew Augusto would need to be at Rocca di Luce to monitor his subordinates. Yet, Augusto was nowhere to be found.

Nathan’s steps led him to the Hôtel Paradiso. The manager served him coffee without a word.

"Augusto has disappeared..."

His voice, almost a growl, was lower than he expected, but the manager responded without missing a beat.

"Did you underestimate him?"

"I didn’t mean to, but it turned out that way... That was just an excuse."

"He’s survived harsh environments, after all. Comforting yourself is pointless, isn’t it?"

"Yeah."

"What are you looking for?"

"Where he’s headed... his destination. He never opens up to anyone. I don’t know anything about his private life."

"He knows everything about you guys, though. I heard he went to Monaco."

"That’s not where he’s hiding. Livia..."

She had been found dead, with a message believed to be directed at the police left behind:

"Meet me at Rocca di Luce."

Nathan covered his mouth.

"What will happen if I go?"

"Is there really an option not to go?"

He had thought it over countless times, but what could he possibly gain by not going? The only lead he had on Augusto’s whereabouts was at Rocca di Luce.

"If I don’t go, Augusto will lose any interest in meeting us..."

"And if that happens, it’s all over, isn’t it?"

"Why can’t they catch him? How did he manage to fool their surveillance? Does he have someone on the inside...?"

Come to think of it, when Leonardo was found, there had been talk of something like that.

"Damn it."

He cursed himself for forgetting and ran a hand roughly through his hair.

"There’s only so much one person can do. Try to calm down a bit."

"Manager... do you know anything about Augusto? Like his childhood or anything?"

"No, I don’t. All I know is that he used to belong to a different organization, but after killing their capo, he used the customer list and the bar he inherited to start his business here."

Nathan had already handed over the customer list to Leonardo and asked for protection. Their safety should have been secured.

But Augusto...

Where would he go?

The next day, a police vehicle sped toward Rocca di Luce.

Onlookers peeked out to see what was happening, while a loudspeaker warned them to return home due to the danger.

Amidst the almost parade-like scene, there was a lone man dressed like a vagrant.

Tall, with a lean, muscular build, he resembled a panther.

Nathan borrowed a local police officer's uniform and entered Rocca di Luce with Leonardo.

The abandoned castle, which had lost its master for centuries and now also Augusto, echoed with the sound of police footsteps on the stone corridors.

Nathan adjusted his gloves, glancing around with a tense expression. Based on the map, officers had been stationed at all entrances and exits, ensuring not even an ant could get through.

Nathan and Leonardo proceeded through the underground passage until they reached the grand hall.

It was eerily silent, devoid of any signs of life.

Dust and cobwebs covered the surroundings, and furniture reminiscent of the castle's former glory lay scattered haphazardly.

As the bomb disposal team examined potential hazards, they discovered a laptop on a marble table.

"Augusto isn't here," Leonardo said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Yeah. If this were a trap, there'd be signs of it being set," Nathan replied.

He stood in Augusto's seat, scanning the surroundings. What could be seen from here? The town of Monte Luce. And the casino bar "Il Santo della Forza." All the glory Augusto had built. But was that all? What had Augusto been aiming for?

"Everyone, don't miss even a single hair!" came a commanding voice. Amid the intense search, Nathan uncovered a hidden camera, followed by a recorder and surveillance footage—all neatly in place.

(Something’s wrong...)

Would the meticulous Augusto really leave behind such crucial information?

"These are evidence of the case. Transfer everything," one officer instructed.

Excitement began to spread among the team. Even Leonardo started to smile as he wiped the sweat from his face. "Incredible, we have complete information on all the executives..."

The voices of the others sounded distant to Nathan, as if from another world.

Something’s wrong.

His instincts screamed it as an officer reached for the laptop on the marble table.

"That's a trap—!" Nathan's warning echoed in vain as the laptop was opened.

Augusto's mocking laughter and the words "You shouldn't have opened it" reverberated through the grand hall—moments before Rocca di Luce was blown to pieces.

The scorching heat seared his throat, accompanied by a foul stench.

The stones that had supported the castle for so long were shattered into dust, and the explosion’s shockwave caused the walls and ceiling to collapse, turning the ancient building into a pile of rubble in an instant.

Smoke and dust swirled around, a thick white fog enveloping the area and obscuring visibility.

A knight's statue had shielded Nathan, leaving him unscathed.

His ears rang loudly, but fortunately, he was not fatally injured.

Desperately, he began to dig through the debris, struggling to move his body.

Grabbing the radio, he strained to speak, but there was no response. Only silence and rubble surrounded him as the radio crackled faintly in his hand.

"Leonardo!" he called out, his voice raw and burning.

There was no way he could have died from something like this... Dragging his injured body, Nathan attempted to escape from the collapsed Rocca di Luce. The light of hope still flickered in his eyes.

A faint groan reached his ears.

Nathan followed the sound, pushing aside the rubble. He uncovered Leonardo’s face, his glasses shattered, and his lips cut.

"Are you alright!? I'll call for an ambulance now," Nathan said urgently.

"That... that was the detonator, wasn't it?" Leonardo muttered.

"Probably. But we have to get everyone out. Leonardo, if you’re alive, help me," Nathan replied.

"Hahaha... You’re a funny guy... My ribs are busted, you know..."

"Just stay still. Don’t lose consciousness. I’ll call for the doctor helicopter, ambulances, everything."

The exposed sky above was eerily peaceful, a bright blue that seemed unaware of the explosion or anything else.

Nathan watched as pigeons flew away, heading beyond the casino bar. Not towards the town or the sea, but to a desolate place.

"Nathan... No, Ando..." Leonardo’s voice was faint but determined.

"Before the explosion, I saw it... where Augusto's money was going..."

"What?" Nathan asked, his focus sharpening.

"The church at the edge of town... Even though no monks or anyone are left there..."

"Where is it?" Nathan pressed.

Leonardo pointed in the direction the pigeons had flown, further west than "Il Santo della Forza."

Nathan stood, staring straight into the setting sun, looking in that direction.

"To be continued"→ "Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 16

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