A/N: YAY! A new chapter, firstly I'm going to thank you all for the follows and favourites from last chapter. I really wasn't expecting to gain that many at all. Anyway on with the show~

-Chapter 13-

A World Without Light

"Reo told me you had some plans, Chihiro." Akashi sat poised on the edge of Mayazumi's desk heterochromatic eyes boring into the intelligence specialist. The elder male just nodded reaching to his right retrieving a very thick black folder and a collection of various coloured pens before handing them to Akashi. The Fire king made a mild noise of acknowledgement before opening the folder eyes scanning over the pages briskly taking in every single important detail.

"Would you like to go over it using a map Akashi-sama?" Mayazumi queried reaching for the foldable cardboard map of Teikou stored within the top draw of his desk.
"That would be appreciated." Akashi replied gratefully taking the map slipping off the desk and sitting in the chair opposite Mayazumi before laying out the map between them. Mayazumi slid a box of coloured counters across the table to the redhead who caught the container with ease opening it gracefully.

"Lets start with the statuses of the other four kingdoms. Hand me the Light Kingdom folder Chihiro." Mayazumi complied sifting through the largest pile of folders on his desk for a moment before retrieving one the word LIGHT written on it in gold.
"Here, Akashi-sama." Akashi soundlessly grabbed the file out of Mayazumi's hands opening it to the front page. A brief report on the current status of the Light Kingdom sat before him along with a basic synopsis of the strengths and weaknesses of Light mages even if they were basically irrelevant as mono-Light mages are incredibly rare.

"So Ryouta did manage to keep Daiki off his land. Interesting, I didn't peg him as able to stand against him. Water logically should triumph over Light as it one of the strongest elements. Ryouta obviously has kept his habit of bucking the trend." Akashi spoke calmly placing a ling of alternating gold and cobalt counters along the border shared by the Water and Light kingdoms. He flipped the file shut with a satisfying snap handing it to Mayazumi who placed back on top of the pile. A moment passed of the Shadow-Wind mage sifting through his papers in search of the Water kingdom file before handing the navy and silver folder to Akashi.

"Daiki has done as expected. Attempt to take Ryouta's land, fail, and proceed to throw a minor tantrum while his subjects regroup." A black counter is placed over Touou on the map marking the Water Kingdom out of action. Moments later Mayazumi wordlessly places a pale grey counter over Kaijou. Akashi nods in approval; the Light kingdom would be weakened for some time. "Wind Kingdom, Chihiro." The strategist silently takes the Water Kingdom folder back from Akashi retrieving the emerald green file of the Wind Kingdom.

"I didn't expect that of you Shintarou, a loss to Tetsuya. Evidently something went amiss in that battle, or the Shadow Kingdom has gained an unexpected ally." A dark grey counter lands on Shutoku a line of leaf green and sky blue counters placed along the border separating the Shadow and Wind kingdoms. Down, but not out. The Wind kingdom would need time to regroup but would take nowhere near as long as the Water Kingdom. Midorima had always been unusually resilient, then again so had Kuroko. The scuffle between their kingdoms would be one to continue watching keenly. As things currently stood it could go either way.

"And Tetsuya?" Akashi asked placing the Wind Kingdom file back himself leaving his hand outstretched in waiting. Mayazumi grabbed the black and pale blue file from the middle of one of his numerous piles handing it to his King without hesitation.
"Here, Akashi-sama." The redhead took the file wordlessly flipping it open elegantly laying it across the table. Mayazumi looked on intently, the Red King had possessed a strange obsession with one Kuroko Tetsuya for as long as he could remember. Gradually, as Akashi had fallen further and further from sanity that obsession had gotten to a psychopathic level.

Akashi made no comment as heterochromatic eyes scanned over the Shadow kingdom file pausing every so often to place another pale blue counter on the map. Finally a white counter with a black dot in the centre is placed over Seirin as the Fire mage flips the folder shut placing it back atop Mayazumi's Kingdom tracking pile of paperwork.

A white and red counter is placed over Yousen the capital of the Earth Kingdom before the pair of mages lock themselves into talking through the strategy. Red and purple counters are placed over the Fire and Earth kingdom border in varying formations. A line-up will stay for only a few minutes before being shifted again by the other. The vicious circle continues until a setup is found both King and strategist are satisfied with Mayazumi taking down the formation on a paper map attached to the wall with a series of coloured pushpins.

"We attack in three days, there will be a meeting at 1900 tonight to discuss this with Reo, Eikichi and Kotarou." Akashi speaks with authority, an order not a discussion point.
"Yes, Akashi-sama." Mayazumi replies watching as the redhead stands sweeping the counters back into their container flipping the lid shut with a satisfying click before tossing it at Mayazumi who catches it on instinct.
"I will see you tonight, Chihiro. Make sure a basic outline of the attack plan is written out by then." With that Akashi leaves long crimson coat flying behind him as he sweeps from the room.

"Yes, Akashi-sama." Mayazumi replies yet again watching as the door closes silently behind the Mad King of the Fire kingdom. He mechanically folds the cardboard map slipping it into his top draw along with the counters before turning to his computer and beginning to type away a blinding speed. If his king commanded it he would deliver, no matter the cost of the request. Mayazumi knows he's practically the servant of evil but it could always be worse. At least he's not forgotten, not anymore.

-Consumed by Shadows-

"Status of Akashi Seijurou?" Hanamiya half asks half demands of Seto just as the other mage walks into the room.
"Getting crazier by the second." The brunette replied flopping into the seat beside his king reaching for his custom silver and black headset.
"Aside from that?" The magister demands tapping away at his keyboard in a frustrated manner. Their most recent hacking attempt on the Fire Kingdom had been blocked like every other attempt on all the other kingdoms. They desperately needed information from the inside but gaining said information was getting no easier. Strategists and surveillance officers were getting smarter as time went on. One day getting into kingdom databases would be absolutely impossible.

"79 hours and decreasing until the planned attack on the Earth Kingdom." Seto replies beginning to type up a report on the most recent battle between the Shadow and Wind kingdoms. Hanamiya just grins usually apathetic eyes twinkling with elation, wisps of flame and shadow curling off his skin in anticipation.
"He is the last King to fall, once the final fly is tangled the true games can begin." The Magister cackled menacingly voice gradually rising in volume. Seto just sighed shaking his head in mild disapproval gradually watching the purple flames rising off his master's body gain intensity.

"Calm down Hanamiya-sama, we don't need to repair the surveillance room in the middle of a giant mind game." Seto stated calmly continuing to type. Hanamiya abruptly stopped cackling returning to his previously composed state. Tiny tendrils of magic still danced along his skin but any other sign of his power hungry breakdown disappeared into thin air.

"Soon Teikou will know the reality of a world without light."

A/N: Ooh things are starting to heat up a bit (pun entirely intended) Thank you so very much for reading please follow, favourite and review if you enjoyed. Just as a for warning this is going to go in a very psychological direction very soon as I can't imagine Hanamiya playing a fair game based purely on magical strength alone. So, if you don't like mind screws I won't blame you if you stop reading. Also sorry about the AkaKuro hints if you don't like the pairing, don't worry it's not my favourite either but it feels kinda necessary for my plot to work.

Thankyou for reading
-Angel