"Cocytus. A river in the underworld of Greek mythology. A frozen hell that spares no traitors."
"Augusto in Tokyo?"
It was dinnertime, but Takanashi responded promptly. After listening to Nathan’s story, he furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.
"I’ve already reported this to Shindo. Where is the shopping mall where Sera is being performed?"
"Evisu Garden,"
A large shopping mall spanning between Shibuya and Meguro.
"We need to shut it down immediately. There's a possibility explosives have been planted..."
At that moment, Takanashi's phone rang loudly. It was from Shindo.
"It's Shindo. Hello?"
Takanashi quickly switched the call to speaker.
"We have a serious situation! A bomb threat just came in!"
"!"
Both Nathan and Takanashi gasped.
"They're speaking through a language translation software, but our analysis indicates the original language was Italian. It could be Augusto, just like Ando-senpai said. The message says if Sera isn’t performed, the bomb will go off..."
"Shindo, it’s Ando. Syunka is in danger. You need to secure her safety."
"That’s impossible! The threat says if we change the prima donna, they'll detonate immediately. There are a lot of people there right now!"
"Deploy negotiators. We need the bomb squad as well. Start confirming and removing any explosives immediately."
Takanashi gave the orders without delay.
And then, half a day later...
Unaware of the potential explosives, Syunka and the others began their preparations for the long-awaited autumn Sera performance. There were noticeably more restricted areas than usual, and the crowd seemed to consist of more men than families or couples. It was an unusual sight, but the mall was still bustling and lively.
Some of the audience had come specifically for the Sera performance, while others, who happened to visit, smiled as they received complimentary tickets. It was a peaceful scene—aside from the unusually large number of security guards.
Among the crowd, Syunka spotted a familiar face: Shindo, with his light brown hair and slender frame.
"Mr. Shindo!"
She waved and called out to him. He briefly wore a stern expression but quickly replaced it with a smile.
"Long time no see! This is amazing—I’ve never seen ballet before."
"Did you come to watch?"
"Well, uh, I’m off today, so I thought I'd check it out!"
"Is that so? Oh, um... how is he doing?"
"Ah, well, he’s doing fine. But, you know... he’s such a workaholic..."
"..."
Could it be that he’s forgotten about me? Even though I've lost my phone, if Shindo could reach him, we should’ve been able to communicate. Why hasn’t he contacted me? But then again, I haven't reached out either...
As Syunka pondered, Shindo lowered his voice and asked,
"Um... have you noticed anything unusual?"
"Huh?"
"Something strange... it could be a bag or maybe a box..."
"We’ve been tidying up the area for Sera. There were a lot of lost items, but we handed those over to reception... is something wrong?"
"No, just... please be careful. If anything seems odd, we’re here. Tell me or any of the security guards if you find something strange. Don’t touch it—just report it."
His voice was unusually firm as he warned her.
"Understood."
"Good..."
Shindo then returned to his previous spot.
Were they cleaning for Sera? The security guards were moving back and forth, checking between the shops and even the shrubbery.
"His demands are that the audience must not be evacuated, the Sera performance must go on safely, and the prima donna must not be replaced... Is that it?"
Takanashi's calm voice echoed inside the white van parked in Evisu Garden.
Inside, precision equipment and radios were set up, making it the stronghold for the operation.
"Yes, there's no mention of money or anything like that. If we don't meet his conditions, he says he'll blow the place up immediately."
"Any suspicious Italian tourists?"
"None."
"Have we checked passports?"
"We went back six months, and they're all genuine. No forgeries... but Mr. Ando brought up something odd."
"What is it?"
"Apparently, some people 'buy' passports and family registers to enter the country illegally... so they're not forged, but real."
"...That's troublesome. We know what Augusto looks like, right?"
"Yes, but we haven't found him. We're considering the possibility that he's had plastic surgery."
"I see..."
If a bomb went off now, there would be numerous casualties.
But the motive remained unclear.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the van.
"Ando."
Through the window, Takanashi saw amber eyes that were unusual for a Japanese man. In plain clothes, Ando looked quite rugged.
Could he figure it out?
Takanashi thought for a moment before asking Nathan.
"Why would Augusto stage an incident like this?"
"It's because of me. Take a look at this."
Nathan handed over a phone, likely belonging to a woman, with a white, notebook-style cover.
A video of Augusto began to play.
"By targeting Ms. Aono, he's trying to shake you... no, it's revenge."
"Yes. Let me negotiate with him."
"No."
"But—"
"If you provoke him, he'll hit the switch. Speaking of which, didn’t he blow up an old castle in Italy? What was the trigger?"
"A laptop. He set everything up so that when the laptop was opened, the explosion occurred. He used cameras, bugs, and information about the higher-ups to lure them into a false sense of security."
"A trap... If he's aiming to take you down, then the bait must be her."
Nathan's breathing grew uneven.
"I underestimated Augusto. That’s all there is to it."
"You can't predict a psychopath. This isn't the time to place blame. We need to focus on resolving this. We'll talk later."
"...Understood."
"But if she is indeed the bait, how would he pull it off?"
"Now, it's all set. How does it look?"
Sophia, a tall, blonde woman who had joined the team as part of the staff, said as she stepped back.
Intelligent and poised, she had put her vocational school training to full use in setting up the stage.
At the far end of the main street in Evisu Garden, a circular stage had been erected in the square.
It had been checked the night before, and the lighting was positioned to create a stunning visual effect in the evening.
Though they couldn't perform the entire Divine Comedy, the stage was designed to highlight the main points of the story, with each scene syncing perfectly with the video projection on the screen.
"I'm going out for some shopping,"
a few members of the ballet troupe said as they left, leaving Syunka alone in the powder room they'd rented as a makeshift dressing room.
The others had gone sightseeing. Since there were only a few translators, everyone naturally moved as a group.
It was nearly evening.
Syunka began to undress, taking off her blouse to change into her costume.
She removed the hairpins from her hair and reached for her comb and styling products.
Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she gently stroked her chest, calming the nervous flutter inside.
But, despite the nerves, excitement filled her. It had been a long time since she had danced ballet, and now she would perform the role of Beatrice.
The prima donna had offered her the part, knowing that Syunka had been practicing alone and suggested, "Since this is a performance in Japan, you should be the one to take the lead."
Lorenzo was just as Francesca had described—cheerful, honest, and "adorable."
She had heard he was currently dating their male manager.
As she reached behind to unhook her bra, the door suddenly swung open without hesitation.
Syunka was sure she'd locked it. She turned around just as he was already standing behind her.
At first glance, he looked like one of the ballet dancers—tall, with tanned skin. But as soon as she noticed his eye color, her mouth was covered.
The man reflected in the mirror had orange hair, light blue eyes, and a face she recognized—a face with fine wrinkles, like a panther's, one that was unforgettable once seen.
His strikingly well-formed features brought back vivid memories of her time in Italy.
"It seems we both remember our brief, fleeting encounters," he spoke softly. "But this is the first time we've exchanged words. You must be Syunka Aono... the Japanese art buyer and former ballerina."
Syunka tried to move her head to look at him, but her entire body felt like it had rusted, her joints creaking in resistance.
Augusto loosened his grip, then gently smiled, running his hand along her shoulder.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Augusto. Born in the west of Italy and abandoned in that town. I survived by sheer will and rose to control the very place. Yes, I was called the capo of Clan Gello. If you’ve been staying here, you must have at least heard the rumors, right?"
Their eyes met directly.
His pale blue eyes resembled a frozen lake in winter. Beautiful, but cold and devoid of life.
Fear gripped her—what would happen if she screamed or moved?
Augusto’s rough hand, veins bulging, gently rested on Syunka’s slender neck. Even without squeezing, it felt like her throat was being constricted.
"Do you know a man by the name of Nathan Blackmore? There’s no way you wouldn’t. You must have sensed him here."
Augusto’s left hand slid down Syunka’s body, reaching her lower abdomen. As his hand softly caressed, her body seemed to lose its warmth, as if her lower half had vanished.
This was different from Livia.
The aura around him was overwhelming, entirely different.
He could easily command the entire space around them.
"I’m curious to know what Nathan experienced."
"!"
Augusto brought his face close to Syunka’s ear, licking it with his tongue. He then lowered his mouth to her neck, nibbling before sharply lifting her face and fastening a black lace choker around her neck.
(He’s going to kill me.)
That thought flashed through her mind, but Augusto suddenly released his hold, giving her some relief.
Syunka gasped for air, her chest heaving as she breathed in deeply.
Augusto lifted the necklace Nathan had given her, gazing into the mirror as if comparing it with the choker.
"I thought the black lace choker would suit you."
With that, he removed the necklace.
The fine chain slid off her neck, and as Syunka followed it with her eyes, she found herself looking up at Augusto.
"Do you like it? Or do you prefer leather?"
With a bang, Augusto placed his hand on the mirror, slowly letting it fall. Something slid down the glass.
It was a bracelet made of silver and leather.
The one she had given Nathan.
It was now blackened.
From the blood—it was instinctive. She knew. He had shot Nathan.
"Now, Beatrice. It won’t start without you. If you refuse to play Sera, I’ll blow this place sky-high right now."
"W-What are you saying?"
"You’ve heard about the bombing in Italy, haven’t you?"
Syunka nodded. She had learned of it after returning home, feeling chilled to the bone.
"Who do you think was capable of setting that up?"
Augusto’s provocative attitude made Syunka’s mind grow clearer, sharper.
"... What’s the point of doing something like that?"
"Oh, you’re stronger than I thought. Only three women have dared to glare at me like that. One of them is dead. But since you’ve shown some courage, I’ll tell you. I’ve lost everything. No, I should say it was stolen. By that man who indulged in you. He betrayed my trust and destroyed my organization. So, I swore to take everything from him."
"He didn’t take anything... He just did what had to be done."
Syunka could feel strength returning to her as the tears that had threatened to fall retreated.
Augusto watched her, amused, but with a sense of admiration in his gaze.
"Is that so? Winning someone’s trust, stealing information, and passing it to others—if that’s not theft, what is?"
"If that’s the case, then you—"
"I gave what was needed to those who sought it. Who do you think developed that town? Before I returned, it was stuck in the past, a backward, outdated dump just like it was 28 years ago. I brought order to that place. The few theaters, auction houses, museums—they were all tiny, used only by locals when they remembered. There were no visitors from outside."
"But that’s what led to your downfall, wasn’t it?"
"Oh?"
Augusto snorted.
"That’s right. It was in that theater that you and Nathan met. And when you purchased Beatrice, everything crumbled. I have nothing left to lose now. But there is one thing I want to see before the end."
Augusto whispered:
—The sight of the traitor descending into hell.
"If you don’t dance, I’ll send everyone in this building to the afterlife right now. Will you go to Paradiso or Inferno? By the way, your lover is in Cocytus. You may never see him again."
Augusto’s hand softly stroked Syunka’s neck one last time.
"Don’t take off that choker. If you do, the bomb inside will detonate, and the blade will sever your neck. You’ll be sent to the afterlife immediately."
He clicked something on the choker, then exited the powder room.
Syunka touched the choker. There was something hidden in the clasp at the back.
(Is this really a bomb...?)
As soon as she was alone, the tremors she had been holding back surged forth, and she collapsed onto the floor, unable to stand.
No matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find any explosives. There were no suspicious vehicles, and no suspicious individuals seemed to be inside the surrounding buildings either.
Time continued to tick away relentlessly—it was already sunset.
The Sera was about to begin.
"We need to get the guests out quickly," Takanashi muttered, discreetly gathering plainclothes police officers to implement a plan where they would switch places with the guests while quietly evacuating them.
They had to make up a story to avoid arousing suspicion. Naturally, some of the regular attendees resisted.
They were slowly but steadily guiding the guests out without alerting Augusto, but progress was slow.
Just then, Nathan's phone rang.
"Hey, I’ve made an incredible discovery!"
Nathan frowned—this was an emergency, after all—but Leonardo on the other end of the line sounded excited.
Takanashi signaled him to put the call on speaker. Leonardo’s voice echoed inside the van.
"I was looking into Augusto, trying to figure out where he was before Clan Gello."
"Did you find out?"
"Yeah, Milan. The biggest church there—he filed a 'denunciation'..."
"A denunciation...?"
Nathan scribbled the word in Japanese and showed it to Takanashi, who could speak English but not Italian.
"Twenty-eight years ago. That church emptied out because of Augusto’s denunciation."
"Leonardo, this is urgent. Stick to the main points."
"Got it. Augusto was an orphan, and that church on the outskirts of the city cared for kids like him. But one day, something happened. It later turned out to be just an accident—he injured someone in a car accident. The church pressured him to atone, but it wasn’t his fault. The light was green; the pedestrian had darted out unexpectedly. But that wasn’t what Augusto denounced. He accused a young priest of forcing inappropriate relations with a woman. That’s what caused the dismantling of the Milan church."
"The accident and the woman don’t seem related. Was it an act of revenge?"
"Exactly. After that, he got picked up by local thugs and joined their gang. But by taking on all the jobs no one else wanted, he rose quickly to become the leader."
"And then, when the time was right, he took out the higher-ups..."
"Everything after that pretty much follows the rumors."
Nathan felt a strange, unsettling sensation, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.
An accident framed as an incident—and yet he denounced the priest over a woman?
He really wanted to beat the priest, didn't he?
"If he exposed that inappropriate relationship, he should be seen as a hero. He could have returned triumphant, but instead, he joined a gang in Milan and never went back to Monte Luce."
"Something's not right," Nathan muttered, glancing at Takanashi. Takanashi's calm face hardened as his eyes sharpened.
"This isn’t like him. Why did he prioritize the accusation against the woman and the priest?"
"Yeah. He could’ve easily just claimed the church framed the accident as an incident. It wouldn’t be hard to lie, saying they did it to reduce the number of orphans."
"And yet, he chose to focus on the relationship with the woman... and the church actually accepted it? Does that mean..."
"That it might be true. It could’ve been the real reason," Takanashi speculated.
"Leonardo, why the woman?" Nathan asked.
"A photograph was submitted, of the priest and a young woman."
"A photo? Could you send it over as proof?"
"Got it."
An old photograph appeared on their computer screen. A blonde woman with light blue eyes. Nathan furrowed his brows.
"Is this...?"
"Do you recognize her?" Takanashi asked.
Nathan pulled out a locket pendant. The girl in the picture... it was possible she could grow up to look like the woman in the photo.
"Yeah, they look alike."
"I found the locket at that church. Judging by her age, what do you think? Could she be the same girl?"
"Once she grew up, she’d be too old to be adopted out. If she stayed, she might have ended up helping out at the church. Let me check... here it is. The only one who fits the profile is a woman named Emilia. If she’s still alive, she’d be around 47 now."
"If she's still alive?"
"Her scandal caused the church to be dismantled. Whether that's why or not, no one knows where she went."
"What about the priest? What was his name?"
Nathan conveyed Takanashi's question.
After a few moments, Leonardo responded,
"Pietro."
Gradually, the sky deepened into indigo. Augusto stood in the penthouse of a hotel overlooking Evisu Garden. No matter how vast and luxurious the room was, nothing could comfort him now.
The casino bar "Il Santo della Forza"—the Saint of Strength. How ironic, for a saint to steal from others and turn orphans into criminals. Yet, this casino bar, bearing such irony, had brought great profit to both Augusto and Monte Luce.
Strangely, standing here made it all feel like another world. Unlike Monte Luce, Japan’s air was a deeper shade of blue, making everything seem modest. Even Ebisu Garden, despite its glitz, didn’t feel overly loud. It faintly reminded him of the theater that had barely stood in Monte Luce.
—But that’s what led to your downfall, wasn’t it?
The audacious rabbit's words echoed in his mind, along with the gaze that had pierced him. Those eyes had forced Augusto to remember the past.
"You promised we'd be together forever... You betrayed me first, Emilia," he muttered to himself, words that would reach no one.
Checking his wristwatch, he saw it was nearly time. He left the room. As he passed by, a female staff member called out.
"Mr. Pietro, your room service is on its way..."
"Sorry, I’ve got an urgent matter."
With a polite smile, he stepped into the elevator, donning his silver-gray jacket. When he reached the first floor, he ignored the bustling security staff and walked out of the hotel.
To the final episode→"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Final Episode
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