Five hours of sleep was not enough for Hiroaki to process what he was hearing right now. His jaw was somewhere near the vicinity of the floor and unlikely to close any time soon. His companions didn't seem to have the same issue. Kanae was muttering several curses, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Kyoko. Hikaru was slowly shaking his head, a mixture of awe and horror painting his face.

"Rosa is inside Lady Kyoko's essence?" he said. "Just… how?"

"It's a long story," said Cain. "And involves some of Kyoko's past. I'll let her explain it to you if she wishes to share it."

There seemed to be a lot of crazy stories going around. Like how Kuon, the crown prince of Ashuron eventually became the Accursed Cain sitting in front of them. That was one Hiroaki would really like to know.

"When did you find out?" said Hikaru. "Is Lady Kyoko going to be okay?"

"She learned about it a few nights ago," said Cain. "And as I said, the Accursed have been aware of it for weeks. It's why they're coming here." He looked scared just saying this, which was doubly upsetting. Anything that could make a man like Cain look afraid was not good.

Hiroaki reached out for a chair, his hand missing the mark a few times before he finally managed to sink into one. The walls of the already small bedroom felt much closer than before.

"By the Gods," he muttered. "And the city very nearly executed her."

The second he said it, he wished he hadn't. Everyone tensed as if pulled by strings. Hiroaki had to remind himself that these people weren't just powerful. They were loyal and protective of Kyoko. Enough so to give up everything else for the sake of protecting her. At least, that was the way Hiroaki saw it. He really didn't know much about their motivations or backstories, but he knew Kyoko was near the center of it.

Kanae swore, this time loudly enough to make Hiroaki's ears ring.

"This is what's got her so anxious," said Kanae. She ignored the pointed look from Cain as he gestured to the sleeping patient. He needn't have worried. Kyoko was completely out. "She was being weird and upset and… hell, she even suggested… Damn it Kyoko!"

"What do you mean?" said Hikaru, looking worried.

Kanae paced the room, each step increasing in strength until it was a wonder she didn't put a hole in the floor. "She was so freaked out when she woke up. Not in the usual freak out way, mind you. In a quiet way. Actually worrying about her safety. I thought she'd finally managed to find a sliver of self-preservation but no, it's a flaming phoenix demi-god inside her essence!"

"If you wake her up with your shouting it's not going to help," said Cain.

Kanae clamped her mouth shut but didn't stop pacing.

"What are we going to do?" Hiraku's voice was soft, eyes glazed in fear. But like a flicker of candlelight, the fear was gone, hardened into an unmovable resolved. "What do we need to do to help her?"

"I'm not sure." Cain turned his attention to Hiroaki. The mage tensed under his steady gaze. "This is why I asked you to be here. Normally I wouldn't trust any but these two with something like this. But if anyone is going to find a way to cure Kyoko- to help revive Rosa, it will be someone like you, with knowledge in medicine and magic."

The statement didn't help Hiroaki's confidence. It flattened it under the weight of that responsibility. It didn't help that he was already at the head of solving the cure for both the rot and the tree while keeping tabs of the number of people possessed by dark seeds. Not to mention spearheading the project to make the inhibitor.

"I can't do it." He felt distinctly ill. "There is no way."

Kanae growled at him. Literally. It scared the daylights out of him that a human could make such a sound. His skin heated and sweat broke out across his whole body.

"You're not going to help?" she said.

"T-that's not the problem," he floundered. "I'm already doing so much, there's no way I could dedicate the proper time to this. And besides, I still haven't figured out how to cure the marks that are on her shoulders, let alone what they even are."

"They're my fault." Cain's voice was low, dark bangs shrouding his eyes. What swirled within them was a mixture of pure loathing and pain directed at somewhere within. "When I completed the contract with the Dark Djinn, I went on a rampage. Kyoko snapped me out of it, but in doing so she sustained those injuries. That's the source of her curse, Mage Ogata."

His words left an echoing silence. While Hiroaki gaped at yet another bit of startling information, he noted that the other two weren't surprised. Their silence seemed to be made of something other than shock. Anger, if he'd have to guess at Kanae's, and sorrow for Hikaru.

Hiroaki placed a hand to his forehead, letting the new piece of information stew a second before continuing. "But even knowing that, I'm not sure I could help. Father was more studied in curses and coding. I focus more on medicine."

"We don't have a choice," said Cain. "I don't trust anyone else with this knowledge. It will have to be you."

He said it with such power Hiroaki really couldn't deny him. He nodded slowly, wondering just how he was going to manage to add this to everything else he had to do and research.

"It's possible that the things you're studying will overlap," said Kanae, as if she could read his mind. "Just get really good at delegating your workload. There is little you have to personally do if you delegate things correctly."

He took her advice, letting the meaning sink in. He wasn't the best at overseeing multiple large projects, usually managing barely one. It was Iizuka that took care of most of the details. Maybe he could lean on her again for support.

The other three were staring. He hadn't given his answer verbally.

"Alright," said Hiroaki, letting his words become a promise for himself as well. "I'll do my best. It will slow down the process a lot, but I think we can manage it." As long as nothing crazy happened. "But knowing what caused her to fall sick… Cain—no. Prince Kuon, you shouldn't get near Kyoko. It makes her symptoms worse."

Hiroaki expected at least some spark of anger, but Cain answered blandly. "Cain is fine while I'm like this. And yes, I am well aware of the effect my presence has on her. Which is why I've called the two of you." Cain now turned his attention to Hikaru and Kanae. "We need someone guarding Kyoko at all times. People we can trust."

"I won't leave her side," said Kanae immediately.

"And I'll be there for whenever you need sleep," said Hikaru.

The mercenary eyed Hikaru warily. "I'm not sure I trust you."

"What? How? I helped you all escape."

"I wasn't talking about loyalty. I was talking about ability. You were laughably easy to take down yesterday."

Hikaru let out a nervous laugh. "To be fair, I had just gotten out of prison with Cain and they really didn't give us much to eat or drink."

Indeed, his body bore the marks of fatigue. His usually straight posture was slumped, his skin dull and wrinkled. He was clean, sure, but visibly exhausted. Had the man even slept since the meeting last night? Even if he had, it couldn't have been much more than what Hiroaki had gotten, and even he felt like he could lay on the ground and fall asleep in an instant.

"Plus, I wasn't trying to hurt you," said Hikaru in a last ditch effort to save face. "just stop you from hurting the Duchess."

The answer didn't seem to be enough for Kanae.

"We also have Maru and Dorr," she said, dismissing him. "The idiots that Kyoko worked with at the syndicate. Horiuchi and Yukie will recover in a week. They were injured trying to get you out Cain. We're lucky they weren't killed."

"We'll add them to the rotation once they're well enough to join," said Cain. "And Hikaru, I already have you commanding a battalion to secure the area around us. You won't be able to guard Kyoko too often. We'll need more allies."

Hikaru deflated while Kanae looked offended at being told she wasn't "enough."

"Then I guess, we'll need to find some more people we can trust," said Hiroaki, though where they could find loyal and skilled warriors to guard Kyoko was anyone's guess.

Cain nodded. "In the meantime, Kanae, Dorr, Maru and Hikaru will have to be enough."

Hiroaki didn't think anything was enough. Kyoko's measly guard, or his role as her healer. But it seemed that was how they were going to operate from here on out.

The next day brought the news of their takeover to every corner of the city. It wasn't that Cain had ordered the information to be spread. It had done so on its own, passing from officials to soldiers then to every family member and friend that could be warned. The Accursed Cain and his evil wife had taken over the city. It couldn't have circulated faster than if Cain had ordered it to be done.

He took it as a good thing, allowing him to walk along the edges of the city without having to stop and threaten every soldier that encountered him. He was checking the state of their defenses today. While he had men reporting to him on the current state of their shielding circles and spells, he didn't trust them to be honest. It turned out to be the right assumption.

"This spell has decayed," said Cain, pointing to one of the gems set into the stone wall. "How long has this been broken and why haven't you sent out a request for maintenance? This was not in the reports." At his words, the scribe he'd compelled into following jotted down some frantic notes. The captain in charge of this section of the wall turned purple.

"It failed about a week ago," said the Captain "We, uh, have other things taking precedent." At least he answered. It had been about fifty-fifty so far between those that answered honestly and those that refused to even talk to him. This captain was visibly biting back his tongue, his hand constantly twitching on his sword, but he didn't appear to be lying.

"Regardless, failing to notify your superiors of this fault does no one any good save your enemies," said Cain. "I don't think I need to spell out to you why that would be a bad thing."

The captain clamped his mouth shut, visibly seething. For all Cain knew, the captain had reported the broken gem, but his superiors had kept it hidden from Cain. No one was very forthcoming with information. So Cain was forced to do things a little differently than he would have liked. Which included personally inspecting most of their defenses and noting what didn't match up with the report he'd been given. Which damn near everything.

He continued through this part of the city wall, checking his scribe's notes every so often to make sure he was taking them properly. Inspecting the whole city wall was a long process, and one that would take a few days he didn't have. He'd need to prioritize his attention based on where the Accursed were likely to strike.

"Die! Vile Accursed."

Cain broke from his current inspection, effortlessly batting away the magic that had been shot toward him. In a second, he was in front of the soldier who had sent the spell. The man jerked back in fright, then collected himself enough to strike. The attack was laughably frantic.

Cain caught the spear in his grasp, tearing it from the man's hand. The soldier stumbled forward falling flat on his face. A group of what was probably the man's friend suddenly pressed forward, as if they meant to help.

Cain turned sharply toward them. It wasn't just the glare that caused them all the freeze. It was his whole countenance. The dark aura he held even in the blinding daylight. They stilled under his gaze, torn between wanted to help their friend and running.

He left them to their trembling, addressing the still fallen man.

"Get up,"

The man scrambled to his feet, jaw twitching as he attempted not to cry. Cain thrust the spear into the soldier's hand. The man barely caught it.

"In general, telegraphing by shouting your attack is not a good idea," said Cain. "Also, attacking an Accursed alone is suicide. Coordinate with your fellow soldiers."

The man gaped, evidently very confused. Cain most mostly angry. He turned to the watching group, gesturing to the man.

"Who is his commanding officer?"

When no one came forward, Cain ground his teeth in frustration.

"I'm guessing you're a new requite?" said Cain. "Probably scouted to fill the ranks since you're not sick with the rot."

The man, more a young boy than anything, looked at Cain as if he had read the future in the stars.

"Don't neglect your training," continued Cain. "You've got only a few weeks to prepare for your first war. As you are right now, you'll be one of the first killed when the dogs are set loose. Train hard, because your life depends on it."

The man swallowed, nodding as if he were considering Cain's words. At least someone was.

He left that section of the wall with a completely different set of stares following him. No one knew what to make of his actions. Whatever conclusion they drew, Cain didn't care. As long as they listened and obeyed that was the important part. There was a certain freedom in allowing himself to act without worry about his reputation. It couldn't get much worse than it already was.

He released his scribe once they were done with the day's inspections, the man fleeing without looking back. The next hour was spent pouring over the notes and comparing them to what he had been given. What he found wasn't great.

They've let their defenses fall away so much, he thought. I'm surprised the city is still standing.

Doubtless they'd relied on the aura of the fig tree for much of their protection. Now that it was sick and resources were few, their negligence was coming back to bite them.

It's not like he didn't plan to upgrade many of their spells and circles. Lory had allowed Kanae to memorize a lot more than the inhibitor's plans when she was in the palace, and the woman was thorough with the variety of her knowledge. It would just take a lot longer as they had to both repair and upgrade as they went. And time was not on their side.

A sudden jolt vibrated through his veins. He clamped a hand down on his vambrace, muscles straining against the surge of terror. It built despite his struggles to shit it down. To stop the tremors running through his body. His breathing came in ragged intermittent breaths as his vision fuzzed and flickered between black and white shades. He was panicking. Despair clawing at his insides as it threated to burst in a wave of dark power.

Tendrils of darkness crawled under his relic and up his arm. His grip tightened as he pushed against the panic. Pushed against the dark threatening to swallow him whole.

It took a few minutes for the tremors to stop and even longer for Cain to get his breathing under control. He pulled his hand off the relic, the metal leaving indents in his palm. The black marks on his skin were gone.

What had that been?

Body still shaking, Cain numbly picked up the papers that had scattered to the ground. He'd never spontaneously had an attack like that. There'd always been some sort of trigger that caused him to go into a rage. Was his hold on his emotions and magic getting weaker? No, that made no sense. He'd gotten better at coming back during the few times he'd been swallowed.

Except Kyoko had always been the one to bring him back.

He felt the now familiar build of panic whispering for him to set loose. Kyoko was his light. His tether to sanity. She was sick, and he was responsible with not only her safety but of the entire city's. The number of responsibilities he'd taken had accumulated tenfold, increasing the stress on himself emotionally. Still, he was used to stress. Used to high stake situations. He had years of experience leading and fighting for his life. Nothing quite of this scale but it shouldn't affect him this much. But it was, and he felt weaker than he'd ever felt.

I haven't taken care of myself. He almost laughed at the thought, remembering Kyoko's reprimand. She'd called it. He hadn't slept enough or eaten enough. Hell, he hadn't taken the time to recover from being separated from his relic. He'd ignored any potential consequences from being parted with it for three days and pushed himself as hard as he could. There was only so far his determination could go.

He eyed the pile of reports, weighing his options in his head. There was more than enough to work with right now. He didn't need to go through everything yet. It was time to allow himself a break. He jotted down a few more spells to get from Kanae, stowing his notes away with a safety spell. He'd taken possession of a study recently vacated by an office worker who had died from the rot. It wasn't big or even stationed in an optimal easy to access area, but it would work. There is just one more thing he needed to check on before he rested.

He left the office, ignoring the people who scrambled away as he passed. Their white and gray souls flickered with varying degrees of damage. The sight of the souls didn't distract him as much as it had when he'd first turned. The world was still dull, gray and dead depressing, but a little less so when he concentrated on the good souls around him. He could see people's expressions again, maybe even their eye color if it was especially striking.

He neared the tree, his steps slowing as he grimly took in the sight. The dark aura emanating from it had gotten worse. It drifted from the roots, a sickly haze of purple and black. Any light that still permeated the tree was small and spread out more toward the bare canopy. Whatever was happening was originating at the roots, that much was obvious.

He passed through the gates, choosing not to acknowledge the guards with a courtesy nod. They tended to jump and curse when he did that. Inside, he saw dozens of robed researches working diligently to gather more samples. He didn't see Hiroaki among them.

Who he did see was a man with a scar on his left forearm, dark hair swept back from a fair face and a scowl that could match Kuresaki's in its depth. He turned as Cain approached.

Murasame's expression morphed into distress so extreme it was comical. Lines grew so deep in his forehead he might have aged eighty years.

"What are you doing here?" said Murasame, his tone accusatory.

"Overseeing," said Cain. "I am now in control of this city, and the tree is one of our top priorities."

Murasame snorted. "Overseeing my ass. You usurped the previous ruler and stole his city. You're here to be seen. To let the rest of the people know that you're in control."

Well, there was that too. He wasn't annoyed by Murasame's attitude. His open hostility was refreshing to the cowering obedience most everyone else had shown him. He didn't know when it had happened, but he'd grown fond of Murasame. Or at least, of riling him up.

"If you knew the answer, why did you ask?"

Murasame responded as Cain predicted. With more curses and comments about terrifying the general populace with his demented appearance. What was more interesting were the comments he didn't make. Comments he'd had no trouble making the night before.

Cain let the remarks roll past him, surveying the area around him. He made mental notes of where the guards were stationed, the few spells in place to protect the area. He'd need to increase the protection around here as well.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" said Murasame, evidently put out for being ignored. "I'm going to stab you in the side."

"Try it and see how that goes."

Murasame's gaze didn't leave. He was still annoyed, but there was a searching quality to his heavy scowl.

After a moment, he spoke. "That was a lie, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"That you betrayed the Accursed to protect your wife. You were never on their side to begin with."

It wasn't hard to keep his face neutral. The surprise that might have shown was muted by his magic. He concentrated instead on turning to Murasame and assessing him. His aura. What he could see of his expression.

"What makes you say that?" said Cain.

"Stuff," said Muarasame. At Cain's unimpressed stare he finally rolled his eyes and said. "Look, despite looking like a freaking creep the only person you've killed was another Accursed. Then you were the only one to stay with us when the other mercenaries revolted, and you almost single-handedly saved the outpost. Hell, you were a decent soldier for the little time you were in the ranks. Crime went down a lot in the area you were in. It just… people don't change that much."

Cain remained silent, waiting for Murasame. He was visibly ruffled at this point, like what he was saying went against everything he believed.

"If it was only about Kyoko, you'd never had put her in any danger. Never have bothered to help if it wasn't needed. And if you had been trying to infiltrate and gain our trust you were doing a bang up job of it. I'd imagine you'd be a lot more cunning if that was your goal. Which means you're being earnest. You do want to help."

Silence fell at this declaration.

"I'm surprised that you're the first person to come to that conclusion," said Cain honestly. He felt as if he were seeing Murasame in a whole new light.

Murasame snapped back. "The hell I am. You've already got a dozen people following you."

"They all know who I was before I became an Accursed," he said, careful with his words. He may like Murasame, but that didn't mean he trusted him. "You're the first person who only knows me as Cain to guess the truth."

Murasame mouthed silently for several seconds, questions and irritation flitting across his face. But he kept them back for a few minutes, instead kicking at the ground as he kept an eye out. He was technically here on guard duty and Cain was distracting him from that.

"I don't approve of your methods," he eventually said. "But... I understand why you did it. If there's one thing in the mercenary ring that I miss, it's the efficiency. Too much red tape can be a hassle to deal with in emergency situations like this. And diplomacy was obviously not working."

"Then you trust me?"

The look Murasame sent him was sharp. "Hell no! Well, kind of. I trust you to be true to what I know you to be. Which is an arrogant distasteful dangerous ani—" He clamped his mouth shut, looking as if he were chewing glass when he next spoke. "I know you'll put your own interests first."

That, Cain could work with.

"Didn't seem like that yesterday," said Cain. "You were ready to, what was it? 'Start planning to overthrow me behind my back?' "

Murasame snorted, words dripping with sarcasm. "You're an Accursed who just took over the city and corralled all the leaders into one room. Excuse me if I thought you were about to enjoy a massacre."

"Then, you're willing to work with me?"

"As long as I think it's in Ashuron's best interest."

"I'd like you to do something for me."

Murasame didn't seem surprised, though skeptical. "You don't waste time do you? What do you need?"

"Someone on the inside." Murasame's skepticism increased. Cain checked for eavesdroppers before continuing. "Kyoko is a target. It's only a matter of time before someone attacks her. And while I need to find more people to guard her, I also need people watching for assassinations, kidnapping, or the like. And after yesterday where you openly opposed me, it puts you in the position to do that."

"You want me to spy for you."

"Essentially, yes."

It was just as important as having actual guards for Kyoko. If he could preventively dissolve the attack, then Kyoko would never be near danger in the first place.

Murasame chewed on his answer, looking uncomfortable. "I'll keep an ear out," he said. "But I'm not going to put myself out there looking for trouble."

"That's not enough." Maybe if he had more guards and resources, he'd take Murasame's offer, but not now. "I need you keeping an ear to the ground, actively searching for the things I won't be able to see coming."

"You're lucky I'm even offering to help." Murasame ruffled his hair, his withering glare showing just how little he cared for Cain. "I don't want to put my head on the chopping block for your sake."

"Then don't be stupid and get caught."

"You-!"

Murasame let out a slew of curses. At least he didn't stomp away like an angry child this time.

"Fine!" he said at last. "Fine, I'll be your blasted spy and get myself killed in the process. Do you realize just how many people out there hate you? How many have already tried to set something up to kill you?"

"I don't care about those attacks." None of them could really do anything to him. "It's Kyoko I'm worried about."

"Ugh, don't remind me of your gross obsession."

He continued to grumble, the threats to his safety barely audible.

"So how are we going to do this?" said Murasame. "Am I just going to find you and tell you when something is going on or are we going to get some sort of secret coded message?"

Cain was about to elaborate when he noticed a physician walking toward them. The man was a way off, climbing over and around the enormous roots jutting out of the ground, but his destination to them was unmistakable. Murasame noticed the approach as well, wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut.

"Um, we found something," said the physician. "Different. Mage Ogata said you'd want to see…"

"Lead the way," said Cain. "We'll finish this later, Murasame."

Leaving Murasame at his post, Cain crossed through the roots and approached the base of the tree. Up close, he could appreciate how enormous the trunk was. It would take Cain full three minutes to walk around the base without any obstacles. Its ability to dwarf him felt on par with the Capital's palace.

Cain saw the aura before he saw Hiroaki. Originally blocked from his side of the trunk, he now had a perfect view of something new. Different from the general darkness that hung around the tree.

This aura was pure black. It bubbled and sputtered with a slow thickness, almost akin to boiling molasses. Were he to reach out, he wondered if he'd be able to touch it.

"What is this?" Disgust laced his voice.

Only now did he see Hiroaki kneeling over the mass. Cain had to squint to see past the thick aura. That's when he finally saw what had brought them over.

The tree was rotting.

Not like it had been doing before, browning and slowly shriveling as trees did when they were sick. This looked wrong. A sinister black that looked frighteningly similar to certain marks that painted the bodies of the ill.

"It's getting worse," said Hiroaki. He was carefully biopsying the rotted part, working with his assistant as they handed him proper tools. "We've never seen this before. It's… and all the assessments show us that… I can't believe."

"Breathe, Hiroaki," said Cain, hoping he sounded soothing. "I can see it as well. The aura around the tree has gotten much worse in the past twenty-four hours."

Which was a terrible sign. He doubted the timing was a coincidence. He heard a nearby physician mutter as much, though the implication as to why it happened was more accusatory.

Cain ignored them.

"Oh hell, that doesn't look good."

Murasame had followed. No one seemed surprised or told him to stop as he came closer, inspecting the rotten wood.

"Did you just leave your post?" said Cain, annoyed.

Murasame waved a dismissive hand. "Naw, I was done a while ago. I was just hanging to see how things were going." His rudeness had more than one assistant gaping. A few of them sent Murasame silent prayers as if he were on his death bed.

Cain resisted the urge to sigh. "I have a feeling you'd get along well with my cousin." He didn't do what he was supposed to either.

"We need to check the base thoroughly to make sure there are no other spots like this," said Hiroaki. "And we should probably cut this part away completely."

"What do you think is causing it?" said Cain.

"I have no idea." Hiroaki was now measuring the section and taking more notes. "We need to get below the tree roots and see if there's any decay there."

That's right. Cain had been about to inspect below the tree when Kyoko had called him away with her necklace. The place was still barred due to a powerful dark aura that killed anyone that got too close.

"It looks pretty similar to the Shueman's rot to me," said Murasame. He shuffled back over to Cain, lowering his voice so that the others couldn't hear. "Any of your dark-friend pals have something that does this?"

"They're not my friends," snapped Cain. "And no, not that I know of. I don't know most of the other Accursed identities, let along their abilities."

Murasame clicked his tongue, the noise not quite enough to cover the muttered "useless". He kept talking before Cain could comment.

"You mentioned something about finding people to trust earlier," said Murasame. "It's why I came over. I wanted to give you a piece of advice."

"Alright."

"You're not looking in the right places."

Cain gave him a flat look. "Yes, I figured that out on my own."

"Moron. I mean that you already have what you need."

He was doing this on purpose, he had to be. But Murasame continued to stare in a way he probably assumed was meaningful. Eyebrows raised and eyes wide with expectation. He blinked it away a second later.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

Cain answered with a soft growl. He took it back. Murasame was annoying as hell. Always was, always would be. Murasame let out an impatient breath through his nose, finally relenting as if he were explaining something obvious.

"Who in this city does the public trust more than anyone else? More than the generals. More than even the duke?"

There was someone like that?

"Who?" said Cain.

"What do you mean who? Has no one told you about our 'local hero?' as everyone has dubbed him."

"Hikaru?" He'd heard the title thrown around but hadn't thought much of it. Since when was his reputation that good?

"Yeah, figures he wouldn't tell you," said Murasame. "The man is a local legend. Didn't listen to the orders to retreat and saved the city at great risk of his own life. It helps he also has an excellent reputation. The people saw him side with you during the trial and they're confused since a good portion of them trust his actions. Hence why the city is in total chaos but only a few have actually tried to run. They know he's working together with you and believe he will keep them safe."

An honest smile crossed Murasame's face, open with admiration as if he were one of those people who believed in Hikaru.

If people really did trust Hikaru and now he was on Cain's side…

"I think I get where you're going with this," said Cain. "Use that to find people loyal to him and by extension, me."

Murasame snapped his fingers, pointer finger raised as he grinned. "Precisely."

Thanks for reading!

Not much to say except we are still moving! Lots of great questions and theories to be had so far. I grin gleefully at all of them. And I'm sorry to say that Imouto did not find a decent pair of pants. Oh well. Thank for everything! Kay, time to post. I'm done.

Oh my gosh, Thisgirlreadswords, at the end of the arc where Cain became an Accursed, I had Imouto write an April fools chapter to post to mess with you all... then it was too boss and I didn't post it. But Kyoko totally became an Accursed and defeated the Dark Djinn. Pretty sure Kuon died, the Pheonix was the true bad guy and Kanae and Shin had to become the king and queen to rule over Ashuron. It was nuts.

PlumpF, As a refresher for you and any other confused souls, those who use light magic are descendants of the royal family (Due to the light magic Rosa bestows upon those she completes contracts with). Usually the closer they are to the main line, the stronger the magic. Seeing as the kingdom is over a thousand years old, you can imagine that the line has spread out quite a bit.

No Imouto to help in this chapter. She is in Thailand. Gone away from me and doing great things. Like being a tourist.

Next chapter in two weeks!

-Blushweaver

(Thank you to the wonderful Guest that pointed out I had accidentally overwritten this chapter. It is now back up. :) )