Chapter 11: In the Court of the Crimson King, Part One

The Jade Dragon, referenced in this story, belongs to Feuerpanda.


Yuki approached the Crimson King slowly. She was the only one in the Training Room outside of the ominous figure observing her from the pillar.

"Ah, Yuki…" The Crimson King greeted. "I assume my men have been treating you well? I saw you conversing with the Emerald Emissary…"

"…Well, yeah…" Yuki replied. If it wasn't obvious, she was nervous out of her mind. After all, the hound mentioned that he had a hands-off approach to new recruits, so why was he observing her personally?

"Well, it is understandable that you are nervous." The Crimson King mused, pacing the Training Room. "After all, most new recruits feel this way…"

Yuki sighed. At least he wasn't suspicious of her yet…

"Regardless, I suppose I will explain my motives for talking to you personally." The Crimson King spoke. "I need you to watch over a subordinate of mine. His name is Kyushei Ryuu. I suppose you would recognize him from the political campaigns in Shang Mu."

"Well, I don't really keep informed on Shang Mu politics, so I have no idea who he is." Yuki explained. "Who is he?"

"He is a close ally of mine, and I need you to watch over him. Today, he is being interviewed alongside that imbecile called Zao." The Crimson King explained. "As such, the public environment of the interview would cause an ample opportunity for an Assassin to… Put him out of the picture."

Yuki nodded. Of course, someone as high profile as him would be a target for assassins, so why shouldn't she accept? It might just get her in the Court, and therefore, close enough to privately kill…

"So, Yuki…" The Crimson King began. "Do you understand this assignment? It is one of high priority, and I believe you would do it effectively. I would send the Emissary, though today is his break day, and everyone else has an assignment today. I may operate underground criminal activities, though I am not amoral towards my men…"

Yuki was in deep thought. Amoral? So if he was this benevolent ruler towards those who worked for him… "How do you treat those outside of the Kakuchu?" Yuki asked the Crimson King.

The Crimson King's shadowy eyes narrowed. "And why do you ask?" He inquired.

"Curiosity." Yuki simply replied. "I heard you killed a few spies personally, including a Tea…"

The Crimson King seemed to chuckle slightly. "So, you heard about her, didn't you?" He asked. "I would ask if you were a Red Scarf, though you are very clearly not one, if Lavender Doctor's story is true. You don't have any connection, so I assume you overheard my Court talking about that incident."

Yuki nodded. "I did." She replied. "Though I have to ask… Just how close was she to actually… Succeeding?"

The Crimson King sighed. "Pretty damn close, if I must admit." He spoke. "To be expected from a Tea, though that's beside the point. She wanted to collapse this organization from within by killing me, so she snuck past my Officers and my Court to face me… Though I swiftly… Explained her mistake. Though I do not wish to talk about that anymore."

"Understandable." Yuki simply replied. "So, where am I going to meet Kyushei? Is he in the building right now?"

"He is." The Crimson King replied. "You'll meet him at the front entrance upstairs. This whole complex is near his house, so it should be easy to get to him if you make your way out."

The Crimson King would stretch his arm towards the way Yuki entered only yesterday. "Just go out that way. There will be a staircase leading up to the surface. Go into the main streets, make a right on Midori Avenue. His house will be the newest out of all the surrounding houses. Do not disappoint me." The Crimson King growled before disappearing. Yuki was utterly shaken, though she took a deep breath and advanced to the staircase…


Yuki was outside the front entrance to Kyushei's house. It was quite fancy, though it seemed to be new. The price seemed to be extremely exorbitant, so how did Kyushei afford to live here?

Though Yuki's thoughts were interrupted by a red Dragon walking outside in a sharp, dry-cleaned suit with a dark red tie. He looked as if he were ready to go out and take on the world itself, a confidence in his eyes.

"Ah, you must be Yuki, right?" The dragon asked, holding out his hand. "The King has told me a lot about you. Supposedly, you're the one that's going to guard me, right?"

Yuki noted the dragon's strange mannerisms. Though something also wasn't right. How did he know her real name? Wouldn't the Crimson King refer to her as a generic guard?

Yuki sighed and shook his hand. "Yeah, yeah I am." She spoke. "And I assume you're Kyushei, right?"

The dragon bowed. "Why yes, I am!" He said before rising up, placing a hand on her back, causing the bird to squawk in surprise. Kyushei would immediately retract his hand, being incredibly flustered. "My, Yuki! I'm terribly sorry if I surprised you!" He apologized. "Is there anything I can do to make it up?"

Yuki took a deep breath. "No, Kyushei, you don't need to do anything. You just caught me by surprise." She replied as a limousine rolled up towards the front entrance.

"Well, that appears to be us!" Kyushei spoke as he got into the limo, beckoning Yuki to follow him. The falcon would get in the other side of the vehicle with the dragon.

"Ah, Kyushei!" The limo driver greeted. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend! Looks pretty damn young, too!"

"Ah, no no no, my dear friend! I would never even dream of being close with someone as young as her romantically!" Kyushei responded to the driver. Yuki would notice something suspicious about him. That thing being his balled up fist…

"Relax, relax! I was only kidding!" The driver laughed off. "So, we're going to the Shang Mu Convention Hall, right?"

"Correct, sir!" Kyushei responded. "Thank you for your service!"

The limo driver would tip his hat. "Anything for the next Mayor of Shang Mu!" He responded, rolling up his window to the back, leaving Kyushei and Yuki in private.

"So, apparently you must be doing well." Yuki noted. "Especially if an average civilian is willing to call you the next Mayor before the election even finishes."

"Well, you'd be correct!" Kyushei replied. "After all, when all your competition is just a diminutive, egotistical red panda, what else would you expect?!"

Yuki laughed off his statement before growing serious. "So… What is your relationship with…? Him?" Yuki asked.

Kyushei's smile was wiped off of his face as he sighed. "He… He's a close friend of mine," He spoke. "I have helped him in his operations, and he has helped me."

"So why aren't you a member of the Court?" Yuki asked. "If he really trusts you that much, shouldn't you be a member of the Court?"

Kyushei's eyes started to glare at Yuki, chills going down her spine… "You're really curious about me, aren't you?" He asked. "Well, it's understandable!" He innocently shrugged off, his menacing atmosphere going away. "To be quite honest, I don't know myself!"

Yuki was looking at him. Something strange was going on, because he seemed to be sweating slightly… Though she didn't make it obvious that she was suspicious of his claims.

"So what is your history in politics?" Yuki asked. "Clearly you're someone well-versed in persuasion if you're the leading candidate."

"Well, at first I was a lawyer, then I became a Congressman!" Kyushei spoke. "After a few terms of that, I decided to go for a mayoral run!"

"I see…" Yuki noted. "So, what do you plan on doing when you win?"

"Ah, now that's the spirit!" Kyushei replied. "Knowing that I will win, rather than doubting it! Now, I plan on making Shang Mu greater than both Shang Tu and Shuigang! Finally, not only will we maintain our friendly relationship with the two, we will have a say in the world's politics!"

Yuki was slightly worried from this statement. There was no Affinity Soup to cure him of his greed like there was for Taiki all those centuries ago, so this was very… Concerning…

"Now, what do you plan on doing?" Kyushei asked Yuki. "What do you plan on doing in the Kakuchu?"

Yuki knew that this Kyushei guy was really close to the Crimson King if his mission briefing to her was accurate, so if she told him the truth, he would likely bail out on her and tell the King himself… Then it wouldn't be pretty. "I plan on working for the Crimson King from this point forward if I do join his Court." She replied simply.

"And what if you don't make it in?" Kyushei asked. "After all, wouldn't it be a shame if you don't get the position you wanted?"

Yuki shrugged. Though if she were honest, she wouldn't know what to do if she were denied. If she were denied, she couldn't simply run away, the Court would be following her. She also wouldn't kill the Crimson King, so she would be stuck. Stuck as a lowly grunt for the rest of her life, with nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide…

"So, if you are a potential member of the Court, what's your Affinity?" Kyushei asked. "You must have a powerful Affinity to even be considered potential."

Yuki was shocked that Kyushei had knowledge of Affinities, though given that the rest of the Court and even the Crimson King himself had them, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise. "Well…" Yuki began. "I can create and control Ice. What about you?"

Kyushei chuckled. "Well, that's a secret…" He spoke. "After all, if a magician never reveals their secrets, why should I?"

Yuki raised an eyebrow at this statement. It was already strange enough that he had a close connection to the Crimson King despite not being in the Court, but now he's not willing to reveal what his Affinity is? Something isn't adding up…

"We're here!" The Limo Driver said through an intercom in the limousine. "Please get ready to exit the vehicle as soon as possible. And Kyushei, good luck in the interview."

Yuki sighed. "Kyushei, I'll be watching you from behind stage." She spoke, getting ready to leave.

"Well, thanks, Yuki!" Kyushei replied. "I sure hope to see you again!"

"Yeah… You too…" Yuki spoke as she left the car at the opposite direction of Kyushei. She would then sneak past several guards towards the back of the stage, waiting for the interview to begin…


Yuuto was in the Shoheki Break Room, watching the TV. Despite living in another kingdom, he took interest in worldly events. After all, such events dictated the future of his job, and just what sort of circumstances he would have to operate in that region.

"AND NOW, LIVE FROM THE SHANG MU CONVENTION CENTER!" A confident, booming voice announced. "PLEASE GET READY FOR THE 732nd ANNUAL SHANG MU MAYORAL CANDIDATE INTERVIEW!"

The Boss would then walk in the Break Room. "So, Yuuto, keeping up with world events?" The Boss asked as he sat down next to the feline.

Yuuto would sip on some wine. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He replied. "To be quite honest, this Kyushei guy… He looks like he's gonna win, but I just have a bad feeling about him."

"And why? Because it would put more surveillance on our tech trading?" The Boss asked.

"No." Yuuto replied. "I just have a bad feeling about him…"


"And now, it is time for both candidates to take the Oath." The announcer spoke. "Do both of you swear to tell the whole truth regarding your policies and plans regarding Shang Mu?"

"We do." Both Kyushei and Zao replied.

"And do both of you swear to be civilized during this discussion, as a reflection of our calmness as an Origin Kingdom?" The announcer asked.

"We do." The candidates replied before beginning the debate. An Interviewer would then position himself at an equidistant position from both Zao and Kyushei.

"So, beginning with Zao…" The Interviewer spoke, holding a bunch of paper. "What are your thoughts on the fact that you're not going to win, given the polls?"

Zao was absolutely furious. "Why do people keep saying that?!" He shouted, pointing at Kyushei. "That bastard kept copying all of my policies! A bigger, better Shang Mu?! I promised that first!"

Kyushei kept eerily calm, despite his opponent's fury. "Perhaps you did." He admitted. "But the difference between my plans and your plans are that my plans are not built around satisfying some titanic ego. Besides, didn't you swear under oath that you would be civilized?"

The audience murmurs in agreement. Zao was still furious at his opponent, with Kyushei still showing his confident, formal self.

"Kyushei, what will you do about the underground crime lords running rampant in Shang Mu?" The Interviewer asked. "In particular, the Red Scarves and, more recently, the Kakuchu, have been causing chaos in our streets. What will you do to combat them?"

Kyushei smiled. "I will be sure that my forces will put those ne'er-do-wells down for good. No longer will families lose their loved ones to the underground weapons and information trades of the Kakuchu, and nor will they lose their loved ones to the general awful anarchists of the Red Scarves." He spoke. "I will make sure that they and any other underground gang will suffer for their crimes in Shang Mu."

Yuki was somewhat intrigued. What would the Crimson King think about this? Was Kyushei… Lying under oath? Or were there ulterior motives behind him?

"Zao, what would you do?" The Interviewer asked.

Zao would then sigh, trying to keep his nerves calm. "While directly stopping the Red Scarves and the Kakuchu is admirable, I believe that our best course of action is to provide better education towards our youth about gang violence." He spoke. "At this point, the only thing we can do is slow their growth until they fall under."

The audience murmured amongst themselves, the Interviewer shuffling his papers in utter silence.

"Kyushei, what will be your actions towards Shang Tu and Shuigang?" The Interviewer inquired.

"As it is right now, I do not see any need to change our positions with the other two Origin Kingdoms unless either of them attack us again." Kyushei spoke. "It is better to coexist rather than to senselessly annihilate each other."

The Interviewer would then turn to Zao. "And you?" He asked.

"To be quite honest, why fix what isn't broken?" Zao asked in response. "Our diplomatic positions with both Shang Tu and Shuigang have never been better!"

"Indeed. It seems this is in bipartisan agreement." The Interviewer replied. "Now then, Kyushei. What is your plans for the military?"

"My plans are to keep the budget the same. However, we must fight for our allies in Parusa during their civil war. After all, the rebels in the region that seek to destabilize their government must be stopped! I can't just sit idly by and let innocent lives die!"

The Interviewer shuffled his papers again. The noise was actually beginning to wear on Yuki's ears. "And you, Zao?" The Interviewer asked.

"The prospects of the Sky Battalion are promising. Such revolutionary technology should be invested so that we can conduct our military affairs near and far!" Zao answered.

The Debate went like this for an hour. It actually started to bore Yuki, so she decided to watch for threats about half an hour in. But even then, nothing was going on. No one was entering, no one looked suspicious, or reaching for any firearms…

"And that's all the time we have for today." The Interviewer spoke after about a half an hour. "Next week, your votes matter, vote for your next Shang Mu Mayor…" The Interviewer spoke in monotone, as if he were bored and he already knew the outcome from this interview…

Kyushei would then walk backstage, seeing Yuki. "So, any suspicious activity?" He asked.

Yuki responded by shaking her head. "Nope, didn't see anyone or anything." She simply replied. "Quite honestly, I don't know what the Crimson King was worried about."

Kyushei would then sigh. "Thank goodness, Yuki. At least I know you have my back in this." He spoke. "Now then, let's take you back to base. I'm sure you're hungry for lunch, correct?"

Yuki nodded. "Yeah, I'm actually somewhat hungry." She responded, though she had a sudden realization. "Wait, wouldn't it be suspicious to go back to base? Given you're a major political figure, wouldn't it be bad if people tracked your connections to… Them?"

Kyushei stroked his chin. "Hm, that's a good point. Any restaurants, then?" He asked the falcon.

Yuki thought for a bit, realizing that she didn't know anything about Shang Mu's restaurants or attractions. "Well, shouldn't you know somewhere?"

Kyushei would then snap his fingers. "I got it!" He exclaimed. "How about the Jade Dragon? I hear it's really good!"

"Sure, why the hell not?" Yuki responded. "Might as well try something new."

"Excellent!" Kyushei spoke. "Then let's get going!" The dragon spoke as the two made their way to an oriental restaurant...