Chaos.

That was what had descended upon them. Kuresaki barged into his own study, ignoring the headache forming behind his eyes. It hurt to look into the shadows. His light magic felt as if it were burning him from the outside. How could he have almost fallen for that Accursed's trap? He tore open a hidden shelf, breaking the seal on a drink and downing much of the contents. Its burn joined with the already present smolder seeping through his veins.

Someone else entered his study, the open door letting the noise from outside enter for a moment. Voices and shouts mingled together with the clank of metal footsteps. It was cut off as the door shut.

"What in the goddesses name do you think you're doing?" The duke's face was red, burnt from the exposure to the sun as well as his rage. "I wasn't done talking to you yet."

"I'm done speaking with you." Kuresaki set down the bottle. It hadn't helped. He still felt shaky.

"The people are in complete chaos out there," said Duke Momose, flapping his hands. "If we don't do something to calm them down fast, they may tear themselves apart."

"I've already sent men to catch the Accursed. We'll bring him back and finish what we started."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about your little stunt out on the stand."

Kuresaki turned to Aizen, sneering at the old man.

"It was a trick of the Accursed," he said. "He nearly got me, but I didn't fall for it."

"Don't lie to me Kureskai, I saw it with my own eyes. You were about to form a contract and become an Accursed!"

Kuresaki's hand tightened. No, he hadn't. There was no way he was so weak that the Accursed could have tempted him to the slide of darkness. He was stronger than that.

Aizen was still talking.

"…if Mortag hadn't been there everything would have fallen to pieces. The people look to us, the last healthy leaders for guidance and you just went and—I can't allow it to pass without consequences."

The shadows around Kuresaki's eyes depend as he leaned forward.

"What are you saying, Aizen?" said Kuresaki. "Are you going to punish me for doing my job?"

"Your job was to kill the Accursed and his wife to boost the morale of the people. Not to let them and their accomplices escape while nearly succumbing to the darkness yourself. Unless…"

Aizen blanched. He took a step back, fear spreading across his face. The same fear he had worn when facing Cain.

"You're one of them," he whispered.

Kuresaki bashed his fist against the table. Aizen jumped, his back hitting the door in his retreat.

"I would never join the side of those murderous scum," growled Kureskai. "It was a trick. The Accursed gave up his relic on purpose to convert one of us. He wanted to weaken us, but it didn't work."

"But..."

"I am not one of them."

Aizen swallowed, beard bobbing as his lips trembled. "Then… you won't mind if we do an internal investigation and hold you for a few days."

Hold him for a few days? As in imprison him, right now after the Accursed had escaped? When he was the strongest light magician and general, they had?

"We don't have time for your nonsensical politics," said Kureskai. "Our first priority is to find that Accursed and his—"

Aizen jumped.

Someone had tried to open the door. It ran into the Duke, causing the man to scuttle around the edge of the room to let it swing open. An old guard entered, shaky and pale as he regarded the tense atmosphere.

"Sorry sir," he said. "But I think… you've both been summoned."

Kuresaki glanced at Aizen. He looked confused as well which meant he hadn't commanded the summons.

"Who has summoned us?" said Kureskai.

The soldier licked his lips. "I… can't say. I'm sorry, but you have to see them for yourself. I can't... I'm sorry can you please just come with me? Otherwise, I'm not sure what will happen."

What was this old man talking about? It was obviously some sort of ploy, maybe some of the other nobility had set up to catch him or something. Either way, he knew going in without all the information was foolhardy.

"Soldier," said Kuresaki. "I order you to tell me who it is and why we're being summoned."

The soldier trembled. "I-I'm sorry sir, I can't."

"Oh?"

Even after an order, he still refused. The anger he had become so familiar with these past few days was still there, simmering along with the liquor he'd consumed, but it had dampened. If he still had the relic, he'd have gotten furious. Angry at this man for refusing to listen. He'd already gotten angry at Aizen for his wild accusation.

Not wild. Sound. Kuresaki had been acting out of hand, all because of that relic. If this unobservant hound had noticed it, then the others definitely had.

I'm still being influenced by its lingering effects.

Kuresaki put a hand to his forehead, taking a deep breath. He felt some of the immediate panic leave, clearing the buzzing from his mind. He wasn't calm, there was too much at stake to allow himself to relax. But at least he was in control. Somewhat. Aizen was right. He hadn't done his job properly and allowed anger to cloud his judgments. Maybe it was still influencing him.

"Alright," said Kureskai. "If they want to do an internal investigation, I won't fight it."

He'd have to prove to them that he was on their side. That the Accursed was the truly evil one in this situation. Once that was all taken care of, he could resume his position with a clear conscious.

"You will?" said Aizen. "That's great um, okay. I guess that's why they're calling for us. I didn't think they'd jump to the idea so quickly."

Kuresaki decided not to comment.

They followed the skittish man, walking back through the halls to the main antechamber. His trepidation grew as they were led to one of the back rooms, a space they used when they wanted their meetings to be private.

Sweat erupted on Kuresaki's palms. He wiped them on his pants, ignoring the guard and Duke as he walked in, ready to face their accusations. The room was filled, as he expected, with the generals, nobles, and magistrates of Mosall. What he didn't expect to see was Cain standing at the head of the room.

Cain surveyed Kuresaki, especially interested in his presence. The general had almost made a contract using Cain's relic, thus almost becoming a new Accursed. Had even a small portion of the contract been completed, Cain would sense it. His vision swam with dark swirls. Of fear hovering over the other occupants of the room. It ebbed like a heat wave, pinpricks of light scattered among the mass. He searched through the shades to find the outline of a man. It was shaken and stained from exposure to the relic, but no pure blackness clung to his soul. He was clear.

"What is he doing here?" shouted the Duke. He'd frozen, too surprised and scared to do much else.

Kuresaki wasn't in that boat. The moment he'd spotted Cain, magic condensed into his hand forming into a light sword. That was not good. It was still within the parameters of their predictions, but it was more toward the less desirable side of the line.

The General barreled through the room, expertly avoiding tables and people as he wordlessly attacked. Cain waited until the last moment to dodge, Kuresaki's blade cutting into the floor.

"Run!"

Kuresaki's cry jolted the others from their daze. Most of the men leapt to their feet, fleeing for the still partially open door. A few brave others formed magic in their hands, weapons already taken from Cain in advanced.

"Where are you looking Accursed?"

Cain raised his arm, coating his forearm in a thin sheet of arcane magic just in time to block Kuresaki's attack. The General pressed his position, forcing Cain to take a step back.

"You'll regret coming back here," he growled. "You should have run when you had the chance."

Cain's face darkened. He wordlessly held his place, most of his attention on the rest of the room. The door had shut thanks to the trapping spell they had laid activating without a hitch. People banged at the door, unable to break the spell. That was not what he was most worried about.

Three of Cain's allies occupied the room. Hikaru Ishibashi, the ex-Colonel of Mosall single-handedly held back three other spellcasters. It helped he had a weapon and gems to bolster his strength, but it was still a great feat. Behind him, Hiroaki Ogata assisted with an occasional spell while the duke's daughter, Itzumi Momose held her ground with only the barest of fear.

The spell on Cain's arm suddenly broke. Light sliced into his flesh. It burned and sizzled, the damage spreading farther than a normal wound. No grunt escaped Cain's lips, but his teeth clenched as his attention finally snapped back to Kuresaki.

Fine, if this man wanted to pick a fight with Cain, he'd better be ready to deal with the consequences.

Power ebbed from his arm. He swung, thrusting it toward Kuresaki who attempted to bat it away. It partially worked, the force of the magic knocking the sword from his hands. But the General was not one to let the absence of a weapon hamper him. Before the light from the blade could vanish, he had another light spell in his hands, this one with the power to kill. Cain decided to meet it head-on.

He pulled from his essence, calling on the arcane magic inside him. His spell released at the same time Kuresaki's did. While the General's was large with the intent to destroy, Cain's was the opposite. Small. Intricate with the intent to control.

The spells met their collision twisting and pulling at the air. People screamed, others flew from the power of the blast, and none flew farther than the General. His spell had been redirected and disrupted, drained of power before being hurtled back toward him. It hit him square in the chest, sending him careening into the desk at the back. The wood cracked under his weight, sending splinters hurtling through the room.

The man did not rise.

Silence seized the room, broken only by the chocked cries of those that couldn't contain themselves. The three men who had been attacking Hikaru stopped, shuffling back as they prepared to defend those still alive, their expressions grim.

Now, how should Cain defuse this situation? Before he could choose a method, Hikaru took the initiative.

"Please, if everyone could just calm down," said Hikaru. "We don't want to fight."

"Sure, you don't," said a scathing tone. "You'd rather we just let you quietly slaughter us without resisting." Murasame had remarkably kept quite after being forced into the room. Well, save the occasional promise to pull Cain apart the second he had the chance. Other than that, he'd been the epitome of a perfect hostage.

Hikaru bristled in frustration. "That's not what I meant. We just want to talk."

Muresame's eyes darted to where the general lay. "Great conversation," he said. "Except he just killed our best general, so, no I don't think we'd like to have any conversation with you."

"He's not dead," said Cain.

The room tensed at Cain's voice. He hadn't spoken yet, silently looming over them as Hikaru and Hiroaki had summoned everyone into the room. Murasame studied Cain with the same expression he'd been using the whole night. Confusion laced with loathing.

One of the commanders approached the General. He gently patted at his cheeks, his voice shaky as he pronounced. "He's stunned."

"Wake him up," said Cain.

The man did so, Kuresaki stirring.

"What…" Kuresaki clutched his arm, eyes focusing on Cain. The brows on Kuresaki's forehead curved so high they were in danger of splitting his skin. He pushed to his feet, tittering as he struggled to call forth another spell in his hands.

"Please stand down, Sir," said Hikaru. his voice was clear and firm, but his expression was strained.

"It seems I underestimated your insubordination, Formal-Coronel Ishibashi," said Kureskai. "But I hope you don't underestimate my dedication to the Goddess. I can not stand down when an abomination to her kingdom stands before me."

He took a shaky step forward, the room holding their breath as they watched their general struggle to stand.

"You will," said Hikaru. "Because you are in a room full of this city's leaders. What do you think will happen to them if a real fight breaks out between you and Cain?"

Kuresaki stopped. His gaze swept over in the cowering people all huddled by the door. Murasame grabbed his shoulder, whispering something in his ear. Whatever if had been, Kuresaki didn't seem to like it. He shrugged off the arm with a scowl and took another step toward Cain.

"I will not let you destroy this city," said Kureskai. "Whatever plans you have, they will fail." He turned to the cowering men. "Is this the best Ashuron has to offer? Have you all turned docile at the barest hint of a threat? I didn't think the nobility were so weak."

The people bristled. One of the soldiers, unable to contain himself in his anger shouted. "It's not our fault! How can we fight against an Accursed? He took out my guards so easily."

It had been a simple stunning spell, not anything difficult.

"He threatened my family!"

Okay, Cain had not done that one. He'd just reminded them that he could destroy the entire city if he wanted to. So, it had been an indirect threat. But now that it had started, they were stirring like bees. Their anger had been provoked by their leader

"Who says you're not working with him?" said a noble. "You were going to use that relic!"

That comment hit Kureskai like a blow. He took a step back, throat bobbing as fear flew to his eyes. It was time to end this mess before its energy exploded

"The other Accursed are on their way," said Cain. His voice carried despite the noise. The clamor stopped for a moment before surging back a second later

"My Goddess, they're coming here?"

"What do you mean the other Accursed are on their way?"

This last one came from the Duke. He had sunk into one of the few surviving chairs, knees giving out as he gazed slack-jawed at Cain.

"I mean exactly that," said Cain. He'd been able to sense a great movement of darkness shifting toward him, coming closer by the day. He wasn't positive, but it was the only thing that made sense. The assumption was helpful to his current situation. "I've betrayed the Dark Djinn and his followers want me dead. They're coming to kill me."

Cain cradled his arm, tracing the gash left from the magic. It still stung from the light magic, his whole arm numb. Though his healing had already activated, the speed was significantly slower than before. It made sense. This was the first time since becoming an Accursed he'd been hit by a light blade.

"Then fight them and die."

Cain eyed Kuresaki, the one in the room with the most fight left in him. "As appealing as that plan sounds, I'd rather not die, so I'd like your help in destroying them."

"Like we'd ever help you."

Kureskai closed the distance between them. Cain's expression remained cold as Kureskai got in his face.

"Get out of our city," he said. "Take your wife and your accomplices and leave. You abominations can destroy each other like rabid dogs over a scrap of trash."

Ah, now this was where Cain couldn't contain his anger. It had grown when he saw how sick Kyoko was. When he'd seen how far the marks had grown on her arm. They had gone back on their promise to protect her and keep her healthy.

"You seem to misunderstand a great many things here, General Kureskai," said Cain. "You believe that I am the one that needs your help. That is untrue."

Kuresaki opened his mouth to reply, but Cain didn't give him time to do so.

"The Accursed have already marked Mosall for its destruction," he said. "You see, as you sat and did nothing, Sozen spread dark seeds throughout the population, infiltrated your medical facility and left your city too weak to defend itself. He's likely behind the fig tree's withering. You clearly have no leadership ability that I could make use of, and to top it off, Kyoko's illness has gotten worse."

Cain's hands balled into fists.

Calm. He thought. I will not let my fear of her fate control me.

He nearly succeeded. A small sliver of his anger showed. It manifested as a twisting stream of veins crawling up his arm from the relic, a single clink of armor forming around his wrist. Kureskai saw this, taking a step back even as a spell condensed into his palm.

Though Cain hadn't moved, the whole room was strung tight, likely to break with a single tug. Hikaru, the only calm man in the situation stepped forward, situating himself between Cain and Kureskai. By his position, he was prepared to defend either of them.

Cain now addressed Kureskai specifically, letting his anger show. "You are failing," he said, "You let a wolf in sheep's clothing irreparably damage this city, so excuse me if I don't give a damn if you want to work with me or not because not one of you is strong enough to stop me. Now sit down!"

Kureskai's retreating knees hit a chair. He stumbled, his spell highlighting the whites of his eyes. Slowly, his magic retracted. He sat, tense as if ready for a strike.

"Fine," said Kuresaki. "We… No, I'll listen to what you have to say."

The veins and armor around Cain's arm melted away. Hikaru sheathed his sword, the action signaling for the rest of the room to relax.

"I'm glad we're finally clear on this."

He paced back to the center of the room, every eye watching him as he stopped beside Hiroaki and Itzumi. Everyone else Cain trusted was with Kyoko. She needed the protection and he needed the peace of mind.

"For most of you, your duties will not change," said Cain. "Continue to keep the city running and keep the people calm. Panic and despair will only serve the enemy. If you are caught purposefully spreading dissonance, I will assume you to be an enemy."

He saw throats bob, glances exchanged to other members. They were confused by his actions. An Accursed speaking strategy instead of killing them? They likely though Cain meant to trick them or something. They were listening to him now because of fear. He hoped to add logic to the mix.

"Our main concern is the army headed our direction," he continued. "We currently only have one outpost up and operational. The Eastern outpost. While it has a relaywell, we haven't used the connection to our full advantage. We'll need to set up a system in the ranks so that if communication is lost, we discover it immediately."

He paused, everyone waiting for him to continue. He then looked to the man standing beside the Duke, fanning the man's face with a wind spell.

"It is common practice," said Cain, "to take notes and document tasks assigned when within a council meeting. Or has your common sense died from the rot as well?"

The man's face turned red. No one moved. They were too scared to take the initiative. He was about to point to a random person and assign them to start writing when a female voice broke through the silence.

"I'll take the notes."

It was Itzumi, the Duke's daughter. Though her eyes didn't connect with his, she grabbed a sheet of paper from Hiroaki's pile, already scrawling quickly. Good. He was happy it was someone he could likely trust taking the notes. Her father let out a small moan, face melting with fear as he watched her write.

"The other three outposts will need to be recovered as well," Cain continued. "With the Northern and Eastern outpost having higher priority."

"It's impossible," cut in Kuresaki. "We're too weak. You'd be sending those men on a suicide mission."

That got a few concerned looks, as well as a few hissed admonitions toward Kuresaki for admitting how weak their military currently was.

"Sir, don't be so careless," said one of the men.

"The General brings up a good point," said Cain.

This admonition made the soldier freeze. He was surprised, as was most of the room. Was Cain doing something as humane as agreeing with someone who opposed his statement? More than one person was slack-jawed, flabbergasted by Cain's behavior.

"We don't have a choice," continued Cain, ignoring their confusion. "The alternative is to leave us blind to any incoming attacks. While we may spot an army approaching from any direction, a small stealth attack would be almost impossible to prevent until they were upon us. Besides, I don't expect our forces to remain weak for too long."

Cain gestured to the table where Hiroaki sat.

"We have the plans for the inhibitors," said Cain. "As difficult as they are to create, we should be able to complete at least one before the army arrives." If they were lucky.

"You mean they're real?" said the Duke. While skeptical, the hope was undeniable from his face. It mirrored most of the expressions in the room. They were confused, afraid and unbelieving. Why would an Accursed try to engineer an item that would ultimately weaken him and leave him more vulnerable? It would be the first of many contradictions that would weaken their assumptions against him.

"Yes, they are real," said Cain. "The mercenary Kanae was not lying when she said she had them. If we are lucky, not only will it help bolster our defenses, it will dampen the rot and prevent any of the dark seeds from sprouting." Not to mention help him fight the constant threat of madness on his arm.

Someone whistled in disbelief before choking upon realizing they had made a sound. Kuresaki looked the most likely to say something, eyebrows boring into his forehead. Yet he remained silent, the skepticism unsaid.

Murasame suddenly waved a hand.

"Hold up a moment," he said, the loathing from before gone in his expression. "You're… being serious, aren't you? You want us to work together to destroy the other Accursed?"

"Is it not obvious?" said Cain.

Mursame just stared in shock.

"Can the inhibitors really help cure the rot?" said another person. They were slowly relaxing, no longer terrified as the room ebbed with the whispered conversations.

"We don't know," said Cain. He looked to Hiroaki, who took the initiative.

"If the rot is linked to any dark magic, then yes, we believe the inhibitors can help ease the symptoms," he said. "But as for curing it, we will only know that after the inhibitor has been built and tests have been run."

"Can an inhibitor really do all that?" said someone. "That seems too widely convenient."

"They can," said Cain. "I've personally felt the power they have on dark magic. If you remember, the king originally wanted to have one sent here shortly after they were designed. Despite his best attempts, even the decoys were destroyed. The Accursed expended a lot of their resources to destroy them as well as their designs. Only one survived the onslaught."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Murasame muttered.

Cain decided to ignore that comment. It was a good sign. They were starting to talk, pitch in comments and mutter amongst themselves. Though not all of it would be beneficial, he was finally getting them to help.

"I want as many of our light and rune specialists as we have working on this," said Cain. "It is one of our top priorities. While—"

Someone knocked at the door. The people standing in front of it jumped aside as a large man walked in before quickly shutting the door. The trapping spell had long since faded away, but no one had noticed.

"Good timing," said Cain. "I assume it's the palace?"

Dorr nodded, eyeing the destroyed room. "I take it they didn't want to cooperate?"

"They're coming around," said Cain. The comment elicited a few muttered curses.

Door walked carefully through the mess, a large basin cradled in his arms. He set this on the only surviving table, the one where Hiroaki and Itzumi now sat.

"Should I call for them?" said Dorr. "Let them know we're ready?"

"Not yet."

Cain waved for the Duke to come forward. The man froze, eyes bulging.

"W-what, do you want?" he stuttered.

"For you to do your job," said Cain. "We have a direct line to the palace. Answer their call."

Sweat trickled down Aizen's face, staining his white beard with a crusty layer. He managed to rise from his chair long enough to plop into a seat before the basin. Cain situated himself in a position where he could watch from the side but remain unseen. The others in the room shifted accordingly, staying well away from him.

"Act as if I'm not here," said Cain, still instructing Duke Momose. "Speak freely, and request for backup to destroy the evil Accursed who has taken over your city."

Hikaru let out a snort of amusement. Itsumi raised her head at the sound, exchanging a knowing grimace with Hikaru before returning to her notes.

"E-evil Accursed?" said Duke Momose. "S-surely you w-would want me to—"

"Oh just shut up and do as the Evil Dark Lord says," called Murasame from the back. "Or move aside and I'll do it. I'm ready for this meeting to be over so we can start plotting behind his back."

While Cain had always admired Murasame's honestly, he wasn't sure it was helpful in this situation. He'd only managed to make the tension worse.

"As always, you demonstrate your unique talent for subtlety," said Cain.

"Hah?! What was that?" Murasame stepped forward but was halted as someone physically held him back.

"Don't anger him, Colonel," said the man. "He'll kill us if you don't stop."

"Your friends are wise," said Cain. "I'd listen to their words."

That, of course, set him off again. Cain ignored him, returning to address Aizen.

"If you would please, Duke Momose," said Cain, snapping the man's gaze from Murasame. "Return the call."

When he continued to hesitate, Kuresaki stepped up, He slumped against the desk, activating the proper runes. The water swirled until patterns formed to reveal a face. It wasn't the face he had been expecting.

"Duke Momose," said Kouki Takarada. "And General Kuresaki. I'm so glad to finally hear from you. I've been trying to reach you for hours."

"We've been… preoccupied," said Kuresaki. "There's something we need to report."

"Hold that thought for a moment," said Kouki. "If you remember, we were tracking a huge cluster of monsters near the capital. As of three days ago, they changed course. It seems they're headed directly for the Broken Hills."

Silence fell. Faces turned an unnatural shade as they turned to stare at Cain.

Well, shit. I didn't expect it to be real.

Kuresaki's hands gripped the basin so hard they turned white. "What happened? Why are they headed here?"

"There… may be several reasons," said Kouki. "That Accursed and the woman that was with him, Kyoko. Are they still there?"

"Unfortunately," said Kuresaki. Then his eyes narrowed as something dawned on his features. "Then they are coming for him."

It wasn't as if he hadn't told them. But with this, it finally seemed to sink into their heads that Cain was not friends with the other Accursed.

"No, not entirely," said Kouki. "We think they're interested in—"

"We'll drive them out," said Kuresaki. His eyes raised to Cain's as he said this, a promise in that glower. "Maybe kill them if we get the chance."

"No, don't do that," said Kouki horridly. "You need to use him."

There was a beat of silence.

"Excuse me?" said Aizen, bewildered and a tad horrified by the suggestion. "We're talking about an Accursed, a human whose soul has been damned in exchange for dark power. How can we use that?"

"By using what he wants." It was hard to see from here, but it seemed as if Kouki was shuffling papers based on the rustling from the other side. "We apprehended one of their most credible spies in the palace gaining troves of information. Much of it has to do with their plans with Ashuron and such, but a lot of it included info about the other Accursed. There was a whole section just for Cain."

Kouki was probably talking about the information on Prince Kuon, not Cain, but the room didn't need to know the difference. What exactly was Kouki's angle on this? Cain listened closely, knowing their stories would have to match if they didn't want to arouse suspicion about loyalties. Political finagling like this was not an uncommon thing in court life, and Kouki was one of the best. He had to be, as he was the Arch Duke of Ashuron's Capital.

"Cain is being hunted by the other Accursed," said Kouki. "It likely has to do with the wife you say is with him. Apparently, the other Accursed want her dead and, well, Cain doesn't. It's heavily implied he's in love with her. You're in a better position to tell me if that's true or not."

A twisting of the truth, but one that worked better in their favor. It helped that the story was coming for the palace. Cain could use this to better control them.

Murasame snorted from the back of the room. "They're disgusting. But not in the cute way. In the gross way."

"It seems to be true," said Kuresaki. He hesitated, no doubt wishing he could ask more about how to use Cain without said being in the room.

Kouki plowed on as if he hadn't noticed Kuresaki's hesitance. "Good, then promise to protect her or whatever in exchange for having him help protect the city. Based on the info we've gotten the man is probably desperate enough to do whatever you tell him to do. Is he still in captivity?"

"About that…"

The two exchanged a look, neither saying anything.

"He hasn't escaped from the city has he?" said Kouki.

"No, he's still here."

"Then I trust you to do what you think needs to be done," Kouki continued in a brisk voice. "Just a warning, he is very powerful so you might not want to piss him off. The last thing I want to talk about is what to do about the towns surrounding Mosall. With the army heading your way, we're going to send out an evacuation order. With so little time, the only place they can seek refuge is in Mosall."

"You want to send them all here?" said Aizen immediately. "The rot is still spreading. We're going to be hard put just to protect the people we have here from that army."

"You just have to hold out long enough for us to get there," said Kouki. From here, Cain could see the grim look on his face. "The king is following with his army and the champions. If you can hold out for the three days it takes to catch up…"

He trailed off, the room hearing the uncertainty even in their Arch Duke's voice. Cain hadn't been lying. Their situation was worse than they'd imagined.

"I have to go," said Kouki, looking behind him. "The king is leaving as soon as possible. I'll have someone call to check back and give further instructions. We… have hope. May the light guide you."

The call dropped, and Kouki's face disappeared.

The room buzzed with hushed voices on the brink of rising. They were scared now. More scared than they had been before. How should he approach this?

"So, that's it then?" said Kuresaki, breaking the silence before Cain could figure out what to say. His gaze was lowered, body tense as he forced out the words. "You say you're helping but you just want to keep your wife safe. You'll use us and abandon us if it helps you."

It was a fair question if one followed the logic given by Kouki. Cain's ultimate goal was Kyoko's protection, which meant he could abandon them at anytime. Unless…

"The best way to protect her is to kill them," he said, voice low. "She's too weak to move anymore. This is the only option I have."

Faces rose to meet his gaze. For the first time tonight, they believed him. With Kouki's fabricated story, he'd given Cain the foot in the door he needed to gain and keep control. They were finally listening.

Cain pushed off the wall, situating himself back at the head of the room.

"Well, men," said Cain, his voice low in the silence. "You heard him. We have a lot to prepare."

Koga, one of the few original lieutenants left of the beautiful city of Mosall, couldn't believe what he was seeing. His face remained passive, yet every few seconds his arms would spasm with the need to move. To fight. To do—something. There was no way the city he loved was handing itself over to an Accursed. It was impossible.

Though his mind rejected it, he couldn't stop the reality from playing in front of him. The leaders, men who had pledged themselves to the service of Ashuron and the Phoenix, were siding with an Accursed. They were rolling over and admitting defeat.

The spasms continued as did the discussion. It was only through sheer willpower and love for his city that he didn't rush the Accursed right now. He wanted to yank out his sword and slice it through the Accursed's throat, yell at the cowards that called themselves men. The need was so great that it was making him physically ill to fight against his instinct.

But still, he didn't move.

Not yet, he told himself. Attacking now was foolish. He'd lose. Get others killed in the scuffle. Later. What he'd formed a plan. A way to assassinate the Accursed or trick him into leaving. Maybe that's what the others were doing. Maybe they were playing along as well.

His attention now wandered to the others in the room. The men he'd worked with. He judged them, watched their pleading gestures, their frightened eyes. Sweat mixed with desperation created a pungent haze that sickened his already churning stomach.

Duke Momose doesn't have the capacity to play subservient then betray Cain. That groveling is real. Kuresaki seems too dazed to be making any plans. He was going to use dark magic anyway, I can't trust him. Renuseke is a coward. Cayden is a meathead. Hiroaki and Hikaru have already shown their true loyalty. Murasame… I have no clue about that one. He wasn't in here long and he came over with Cain.

Not a single person he could trust. It was him and only him that wished to fight this hostile takeover. Was it really so easy to destabilize their city?

Apparently, it was.

Koga bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Thanks for reading!

And welcome back everyone!

I am dead. Dead. Please, do not resuscitate. That chapter SUCKED to write.

We are now officially on the last arc. I know I said the last arc was the last one but that one expanded much further than I expected it to so… yeah. Here we are. But now I have an end in sight. My goal/plan/resolution is to have this finished by the end of the year!

…Wow, that means no breaks whatsoever. We have a truckload of stuff to get through, so I hope you're ready for a ride! I'm certainly excited to have this done. I think I might cry at the end.

Thanks again for reading and for your infinite patience with me. Once again, if you have any questions, comment, concerns feel free to message me! I reply slowly usually, but I will respond.

Updates: Every other Friday.

-Blushweaver

Lol Blushweaver, you are daft if you think your readers wouldn't take up necromancy in order to resuscitate you. Also, did you know that's how resuscitate is spelled? We really messed up the pronunciation somewhere along the way.

-im0ut0