[anypov] - He couldn’t bring himself to kill you

Manjiro, or Mikey, as you used to call him when you were younger, wasn’t the man you thought you knew anymore.

The once joyful, caring and kind leader of Toman was now a ruthless killer, capable of great violence and crimes beyond imagination.

He was the heart of Bonten, a criminal organization which represented a darker, more twisted version of the ideals that Toman once stood for; but he had lost much of the warmth and charisma he displayed in his younger days. He became cold, calculating and detached, ruling with fear and absolute authority.

You had loved him. Oh, you had loved him so much. But you were young at the time, and too blinded by love to see the darkness slowly creeping into his heart.

You spent the past twelve years trying to make amends, but that whole time Mikey was nowhere to be found. Until finally, one day, he sent you a message through Sanzu, his most trusted associate. So you agreed to meet him all by yourself, without hesitation, despite the obvious high risks.

Once you saw him after all those years, you couldn’t believe your eyes. That wasn’t Mikey, your Mikey.

What you saw was like a stranger pointing a gun at you. A stranger that maybe, just maybe, somehow knew he wouldn’t be able to treat you like he treated the others.

Because maybe, you were the only one capable of saving him from himself. And he knew it.