Chapter 6 : The bitter reunion

Mikuya was alone in the training field, her movements fluid and precise as she continued her relentless training. The air was thick with tension, a heavy silence that only her breath and the sound of her feet hitting the ground could break. She was pushing herself harder than ever, knowing that there was no room for weakness in her world.

Her muscles burned as she performed one complex move after another, each one more demanding than the last. Her movements were graceful, deadly, and filled with purpose. With every swing of her blade, every strike she made, she could feel the heat of her desire for vengeance. But today, something was different. Something in the air felt off.

She paused, wiping the sweat from her forehead, her eyes scanning the surrounding woods. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched, but she wasn’t afraid. She had become used to this—used to the loneliness, used to the empty feeling that had taken root inside her ever since Saito’s death. Her family had never cared about her, never truly been there for her. Now, she lived for herself, and herself alone.

Suddenly, the brush moved. A shadow stepped forward from the trees, and Mikuya’s body tensed, her hand instantly reaching for the weapon at her side. But as the figure emerged, her heart skipped a beat, and she narrowed her eyes. It was them. Her parents. The ones who had abandoned her and Saito long ago. The ones who had used them as nothing more than tools.

Mikuya didn’t flinch. She didn’t even feel a wave of emotion. If anything, it was just another chore that she had to deal with. Another battle she had to win. But there was a small part of her, buried deep down, that couldn’t help but feel something—anger, pain, betrayal.

Her father was the first to speak, his voice icy and commanding as always. “Mikuya, you’ve outlived your usefulness. It’s time to put an end to you, just like we should have done years ago.”

Mikuya remained silent, her face impassive. “You always say that, Father,” she replied coldly, her grip tightening on her blade. “You never were my parents. You were just power-hungry monsters. You abandoned me and Saito.”

Her mother scoffed, stepping forward with a sneer. “Spare us your pathetic excuses, Mikuya. You’re nothing but a failure. Just like your brother. Saito never had any worth. And neither do you.”

Mikuya’s eyes flashed with fury. The anger she had been holding in for years boiled to the surface. “I remember,” she said, her voice low and venomous, “how many times Saito and I tried to get your attention. How many times we begged you to notice us. How we tried to show you that we were worth something. But you never cared. You ignored us, and when Saito was sick, you didn’t even visit him. Not once.”

Her father’s eyes darkened with annoyance, but he said nothing. Her mother, however, shot back, her voice dripping with disdain. “Saito was weak. And you are weak, Mikuya. You were always just a tool to us. A weapon to be used, nothing more.”

Mikuya’s hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as memories of her childhood flashed through her mind. The lonely nights when Saito would cry in his bed, begging for their love. The countless times she had tried to win their approval, only to be met with cold indifference.

“You were never parents to us,” Mikuya continued, her voice breaking through the cold air. “You never cared about me, or Saito. All you cared about was your damn Agency and your precious missions. We were nothing to you. And I finally understand that.”

Her mother’s eyes flashed with anger. “You’ll regret this, Mikuya. We’re here to finish what we started. You’re nothing but an obstacle now. We don’t need you.”

“I’m not the weak little girl you used to control,” Mikuya snapped, her voice sharp. “And you won’t kill me like you did Saito. I won’t let you.”

Without warning, she lunged at her father, her movements too quick for him to react. She struck with deadly precision, using every ounce of her training to overpower him. Her father staggered back, his hands reaching for his weapon, but Mikuya was already on him, disarming him with one swift motion.

Her mother, seeing her husband faltering, screamed for the soldiers to advance. Dozens of heavily armed soldiers emerged from the trees, weapons drawn. Mikuya didn’t hesitate. Her body moved like lightning, her strikes calculated and efficient as she tore through the soldiers one by one. They tried to swarm her, but each attack was met with a fierce counter. Mikuya’s blade danced through the air as she took them down—soldier after soldier—each blow faster than the last.

“You think this will stop me?” Mikuya shouted, her voice filled with icy resolve. “You think you can kill me the way you killed Saito?”

Her mother watched in disbelief as Mikuya dispatched the soldiers with ease. The weight of their failure pressed heavily on them. They had never expected Mikuya to be so strong—so resolute.

“Mikuya…” her father gasped, struggling to stand. His gaze shifted to the soldiers still lying defeated on the ground. His heart hardened once again, and he managed to spit out, “You’re a monster, just like Saito was. We made you. And now we’re going to finish you.”

Mikuya didn’t respond. Instead, she turned toward her mother, her eyes cold as ice. With one final surge of speed, Mikuya knocked her mother’s weapon from her hand and slammed her to the ground. “You’re nothing to me,” Mikuya spat. “You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as me.”

Her mother winced in pain, her face flushed with fury. Her father staggered forward, pulling out a hidden blade, and made a final attempt to end Mikuya's life. But she was ready. With a swift move, she disarmed him and drove him to his knees.

“You’ve always been pathetic,” Mikuya muttered as she stared down at her father. “You’ve failed me. You failed Saito. And now... you’ll fail again.”

Her parents, beaten and broken, lay in the dirt, realizing too late that their cruelty had cost them everything.

Mikuya stood over them, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. The rage inside her slowly began to calm. Her heart was still heavy, but the satisfaction of seeing her parents brought to their knees was undeniable.

With a final look at the two people who had never loved her, never cared for her, Mikuya turned away, walking into the distance.

“You don’t matter anymore,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Neither of you.”

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