~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: It's time for the mission to Big Cimaron. A past that isn't his comes back to haunt Yuri.

~.~.~

Part III, Chapter 3

Light and shadows

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"Alright, we'll be arriving shortly, so let's make sure everyone understands what we're going to do," Murata said authoritatively, pushing up his glasses.

'He's really getting in character,' Yuri thought, shivering a little. Even in the ship's cabins it was still quite cold. Seeing snow start to fall as they approached Big Cimaron had been a shock to him. He had been in the other world for quite a while already, but the sudden drop in temperature had been unwarranted. Murata had watched the falling snow with a tight, unhappy expression.

Around the cabin, the rest of their "delegation" had gathered.

Lyla was the only human, her face grim. She still shot Yuri unreadable looks once in a while, ever since she had learned his true identity when she had revealed what happened in Francia and Yuri had freely offered his help in retrieving Antoine. She had probably expected to have to beg, bribe or coerce the Demon Tribe into assisting her. Even Cavalcade, Francia's closest ally, would have hesitated before Big Cimaron's might.

Fanberlain had offered his services again, but Yuri had refused. Seeing what had happened to Antoine when he stood up for the Demon Kingdom, Yuri couldn't bring himself to endanger another ally by having him openly support them. Murata had agreed, saying more pragmatically that Fanberlain could do much more from the shadows, if he wasn't openly linked to them.

Another person who would act from the shadows, though in a different way, was Josak, who casually leaned against one of the cabin walls. His only concession to the weather had been a fur-lined vest. It was, he had insisted, his childhood in Big Cimaron helping him cope with the cold.

After much back and forth, Murata had convinced both Gunter and Gwendal that it would be wisest to send someone Belar would recognize, rather than giving him a new face to focus on. But at the same time, the representatives would need enough authority to bargain with him.

So it was decided that Murata would make use of Belar's mistaken assumption. His hair, mostly grown out already, had been trimmed down until only black remained, and he had been provided with some suitably impressive clothing. Wolfram had also forced his way into the group, under the same excuse of giving Belar something recognizable to focus on and also being Murata's bodyguard. They would be the omote front-face group.

Despite Gunter's protests, Yuri had refused to stay behind. However, he had been firmly forbidden from revealing his true identity. Instead, he would be far out of Belar's sight as part of the second, ura reverse-face team, with Josak.

"Lyla, Lord Von Bielefelt and I, the Demon King, will be the ones to deal with Belar," Murata continued. "Our mission is to distract him, for as long as possible, as thoroughly as possible. Let me do the talking. It should be possible to convince him to release King Antoine, since he's really just being used as bait. If not, then the other team will need to scope out a way to break him out as well."

He nodded toward Josak and gave Yuri a cautioning look.

"And I mean scope out," he emphasized. "Breaking out an important prisoner isn't going to be easy. We'll need to all work together for that. So focus on switching the Box out for our fake and getting out without being noticed."

'I mean it, Shibuya,' Murata thought pointedly, trying to drill the idea into Yuri's head through piercing eye contact.

"Don't get distracted, by anything or anyone," he ordered firmly, almost ominously, his heavy stare passing across Wolfram, Yuri and Josak. There was, of course, only one someone he could have been referring to.

Outside the cabin, voices rose, shouting orders and confirmations. It was time. Together, the five of them rose and turned to face the full majesty of the nation of Greater Cimaron.

~.~.~

Grand double doors opened, admitting them into a cavernous stone hall. Intricate tapestries hung from the rafters, and in the flickering light of the numerous torches, the images of past heroes woven into almost seemed to move.

"Your Majesty, the delegations from Francia and the Demon Kingdom have arrived," the servant who had led them announced, bowing low. Backing away, he shut the doors behind them.

Not allowing himself to show the slightest bit of hesitation, Murata strode down the thick carpet toward Belar's throne. Wolfram and Lyla followed him after only a moment, but Murata knew their attention wasn't on Belar, but rather on the two men waiting near him.

Antoine brightened at the sight of Lyla and the Demon Tribesmen. He looked a little gaunt, most likely from worry, but otherwise unharmed. Next to him, Conrart regarded them placidly, only the slightest narrowing of his eyes hinting at whatever emotions he was feeling.

Murata just hoped Wolfram wouldn't try to attack him again. That would have been a fine way to start off the "negotiation."

Coming close enough to Belar to make a show of politeness, but keeping a careful distance between them, Murata smiled and raised his head, his glasses catching the light. "Greetings, King Belar. We of the Demon Kingdom thank you for your kind invitation. It has been a pleasure to see your beautiful country," he said smoothly, without a hint of ulterior meaning.

Belar's narrowed eyes slid to his short-cropped black hair, a self-satisfied smirk twisting his lips. "I'm glad to see you're so serious about your new... alliance," he said, ignoring propriety to all but openly taunt who he assumed to be the Demon King.

Murata's smile didn't waver. He would just have to use up enough meaningless polite phrases for the both of them and drag this out as long as possible.

"We are honored by Francia's kind regard toward our nation," Murata said, nodding to Antoine. "Their hospitality in welcoming us to their country deeply moved us. We hope that our short visit there will plant the seeds of a long and enduring friendship."

It was clear to everyone that Murata's words were largely empty, though Yuri would have meant all of them, if he had been a smooth enough orator to use them in the first place. Belar's contemptuous expression had taken on an almost bored quality as he listened. Murata could only maliciously hope that he would nod off.

"We are also very grateful to His Majesty Antoine Jean Pierre for going ahead and preparing the way for our discussion," Murata continued in a completely even tone. "We would like to apologize for any inconvenience his prolonged absence may have caused Francia. His aide has prepared a report on the more urgent affairs, to present to him at his leisure."

To her credit, Lyla didn't jump as Murata gestured to her.

"If possible, she would like to update him immediately," he added. It was perhaps less subtle than he would have liked, but Murata honestly didn't think the exact excuse used mattered much. He doubted Belar would care enough about Francia to debate the matter. Antoine had always been simply a pawn to him.

As Murata had expected, Belar simply waved one hand, the many rings glinting in the torchlight. "Very well," he allowed without any interested. He didn't so much as glance at Antoine.

Instead, Antoine's eyes widened in surprise and hope. His gaze flickered, surprisingly, to Conrart, who smile pleasantly. That was all the confirmation Antoine needed to move swiftly away from Belar's throne and join Lyla. His aide didn't pause to do more than sketch a bow before quickly herding her king out of the audience chamber.

"Then, King Belar, honorable delegates, I will join the security detail," Conrart said, bowing to them. Belar watched him leave the room with a considering expression that made Murata wonder about the power balance between them.

Although Murata was tempted to think that Conrart was simply smart enough to take the chance to leave before more boring stalling and word games began, he suspected the man was even smarter than that. His eyes had lingered on the space near Murata and Wolfram as if looking for something, and Murata silently cursed Yuri for making himself so memorable.

'I just hope all our assumptions about him aren't completely off,' Murata thought.

But there was nothing he could do about it either way. Instead, he kept the same bland smile on his face and turned to Belar. It was time to do his part.

~.~.~

Meanwhile, the other team had begun their mission. The mismatched pair cautiously but quickly made their way down the dark, drafty corridors of the isolated Big Cimaron castle, keeping up a steady stream of quiet chatter. It was just how Josak worked, and it helped at least a little to settle Yuri's nerves.

"We should have gone with disguises," Josak said, again. His tone was bordering on a whine. He led the way, his finely honed senses trying to detect any enemy presence in their way.

"As what?" Yuri asked, huffing. He tried to keep his breathing even as he pushed cart with the fake box, which was heavier than he had expected, perhaps because of the luggage they had placed inside, as a last resort excuse in case they got caught.

"Maids," Josak declared firmly.

"So you have Cimaron-appropriate maid uniforms stashed somewhere? In your size?" Yuri shot back. "My concealment illusion is much better anyway." In fact, it was very effective in the shadowy halls. They had managed to sneak out of the more populated parts of the castle easily, without being spotted once.

"But if someone does look directly at us, they'll see right through them, right? That's not nearly as reliable as a good disguise," Josak replied. Despite having no magic or esoteric skills himself, he had caught on to the way illusions worked very easily. It was probably because he was already a master at fooling the senses.

Their entire discussion was ultimately pretty pointless, since their plan hinged on not getting caught at all. If they were spotted, there would be no way real to explain why they were moving a large box around in the parts of the castle they needed to go to, where access was heavily restricted. Instead, Josak had scoped out the basic layout of the palace before they had set out, as well as noting what he could of the guards' patrol routes, which they had then avoided carefully.

Overall, the palace was strangely understaffed. Josak had made jeering comments about Belar's winning personality driving out the rest of his staff and courtiers, but the real reason was probably Belar's paranoia and distrust of even his own servants. It served them well.

"I can't believe we're taking that lord-brat's advice for finding the Box in the first place," Josak complained, switching to another tangent.

"He seems pretty good at predicting things like that," Yuri pointed out. "He really nailed it in Francia."

"I guess it wouldn't be hard for him to think like a stupid, arrogant megalomaniac," Josak muttered, only for Yuri to glare at him disapprovingly.

"Don't say that! Wolfram's not all that bad, even if he's a little selfish and hotheaded," Yuri defended his new friend.

"Still, this is such an amateur, slapdash operation," Josak said, sighing in something like disgust.

"We're desperate," Yuri shrugged. 'If only I was better at scrying or divination,' he thought. 'Sensing something that powerful should be easy. Shori would have been able to find it in no time.' Unfortunately, that had never been one of his strengths.

Josak paused before answering. Instead of shooting back another retort, he stilled and listened intently to something Yuri couldn't hear yet.

"Someone's coming," Josak muttered, waving Yuri back. They had been passing through a large hall and now moved quickly to maneuver the fake box behind a row of pillars, deeper into the shadows.

Yuri could hear what had drawn Josak's attention now - steadily approaching footsteps, heavy and accompanied by an even clinking sound, like metal against stone. A moment later, a man entered the hall behind them, the same way they had come. Tall, broad-shouldered, with wild blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he cut an imposing figure in his black Cimaron uniform.

Deeper in the shadows, Josak swore and reached for his sword. "That traitor!" he hissed, barely restraining himself from vaulting over the fake box and rushing to attack.

'Traitor?' Yuri thought with a surge of unease.

His intuition was all too right. Despite the concealing illusion, which should have hidden Josak's voice and movements, the man at the other end of the hall stopped short. His eyes narrowed, scanning the long room slowly.

'A traitor from the Demon Tribe,' Yuri thought, his mind spinning. 'Demon Tribesmen can see through illusions more easily. It's like with Hube in Francia!'

Glancing at Josak, Yuri sprang into action. "Get in, quick!" Yuri whispered, opening the fake box. "Come on, come on!"

Already, the man's eyes had locked on the shadowed alcove they had hidden in and he slowly began to approach, reaching for his longsword.

"He'll check in there!" Josak protested. "And there's no way you'll be able to talk your way out!" Not to mention that his entire being balked at the idea of leaving his king to face someone like that alone. No matter what Josak thought of him personally, Yuri was still both the Demon King and just a child.

"There's no time! Hurry up!" Yuri insisted, all but shoving him inside.

They were just in time. The lid of the fake box had only just closed, Yuri leaning against it, when the man's large figure stepped up behind him, his shadow falling across Yuri and the fake box. The man paused in what must have been some surprise at the sight of a boy and a large wooden crate in this largely abandoned part of the castle.

Something about his looming presence sent a shiver down Yuri's spine.

As the man began to approach again, out of the corner of his eye, Yuri could see the spurs on his heavy boots, clinking with every step. His minds frantically searched for excuse to explain his presence and send the man on his way.

'I'll say I'm lost,' Yuri thought. 'It worked twice, right?'

He turned with a smile, ready to make his excuses, but the man spoke first.

"Did you get lost, boy?" the man's voice rumbled, deep and even, with an undercurrent of amused mocking. "This isn't a place you can just wander around in."

That voice... That voice was...

The words withered in Yuri's throat. It was as if the deep, cold sea had crashed over him. Yuri felt frozen and numb, his body suddenly disconnected from him. He felt like he was drowning again, like that day three years before.

That voice was too familiar. It resonated with that deep, hidden part of his soul, pulling up something that swamped Yuri and threatened to submerge his very sense of self. It was as if the earth under his feet was no longer solid, and the air in his lungs had frozen solid.

His hand clenched around the edge of the wooden box. Without warning, that became his only anchor as the world vanished into darkness, his sight suddenly failing because... because...

He had been silent too long, and the man had lost all patience. "Well, speak up, boy!" he barked, making Yuri shudder.

His heart was pounding a crazed uneven rhythm. No, another heart was pounding in his chest, beating a rhythm not his own. An overwhelming feeling of grief and regret was surging through his veins. It wasn't his. It was...

"Adalbert," someone else called out, "what is going on here? What are you doing?"

Wasn't that voice familiar too? But it wasn't the same. The terrible riptide of foreign-familiar feelings began to recede, leaving Yuri weak and shaking. He blinked desperately, the utter blackness fading into deep shadows as his sight returned.

"No need to concern yourself," the man - Adalbert - said, his tone becoming disdainful. The sound of his voice changed as he turned away from Yuri. "I was just questioning this little stray."

"He's not going to be able to answer in that state," the other man reasoned calmly. "He's terrified of you." Another pair of boots entered Yuri's field of vision as he came to stand beside Yuri. A warm hand was placed on his shoulder.

This man was familiar too, Yuri realized, but that memory came from himself. It was Conrart. '...I see. It's different. She didn't have the same regrets about him,' he thought. 'She was worried about him, but she made her peace. Not like...'

Adalbert snorted, making Yuri shudder. "I'll leave shepherding this little lamb in your hands," he said dismissively. "While I attend to the castle's security."

"Thank you for your hard work," Conrart replied mildly.

Adalbert's spurred boots turned and disappeared from Yuri's sight, his brisk footsteps fading away. As the tension drained away, Yuri's legs gave out, and he slid to the cold stone floor.

Conrart crouched beside him, looking him over with an expression of concern. "Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?" he asked in an even, calming tone.

Unable to find words, Yuri just shook his head rapidly. He was still shaking a little.

Conrart frowned faintly, but there was little else he could do. He had recognized the boy from Francia right away, though his hair appeared much darker in the flickering torch light. He even still wore the jacket Conrart had given him. When he finally glanced at Conrart, his face was pale and shaken, but he appeared unharmed. His wide eyes were dark and unfocused.

What could Adalbert have said? He didn't appear to have actually done anything.

A sudden thought occurred to Conrart. "Could it be you're affected by esoteric stones after all?" he wondered, helping the boy to his feet. His hand was cold and clammy. "You're a half-breed, aren't you?"

Swallowing, Yuri answered haltingly, "Yeah, I am. My mom's a human..."

"I've never heard of a half-human being affected like that," Conrart mused, but that was the only explanation he could think of. "I don't know how Adalbert manages to carry a stone with him. He must have truly turned his back on the Demon Tribe..."

Not that Conrart had any right to talk.

"I'm fine. I just got dizzy all of a sudden," Yuri insisted, his voice growing steadier. He looked up, his gaze once more firm and clear. "I got lost," he said with a straight face.

"I see," Conrart agreed mildly. His eyes darted to the box beside Yuri. "Well, be sure to not get lost one floor down, a little to the west. That is the king's private wing, and any trespassers will be executed without trial. There are traps as well."

"Okay," Yuri agreed. "Um, you don't need to see me back. I'm sure you have important things to be doing."

"Yes, I need to return to my duties," Conrart said agreeably.

Yuri managed a smile and waved as the man departed. Once he had gone, Yuri knocked on the wooden box lightly, and the lid swung open. Josak emerged, his usually easygoing expression serious and guarded.

"What was that?" he asked, quickly checking around them as he climbed out.

"What was what?" Yuri asked absently, his attention clearly elsewhere.

Josak's piercing blue gaze fixed on him for a long moment, his lips pursing, before he shook his head. "Never mind. We'll talk later. For now, we've got to get us a floor down and westward."

"Hm? Isn't that where we're not supposed to go?" Yuri wondered.

"Yes, well, I'm starting to see what you and His Eminence meant about the captain," Josak said. Momentarily pulled out of his thoughts, Yuri blinked up at him.

"Oh," he realized. "Oh, I see."

~.~.~

So I was thinking, how often do you see a young male character who was reincarnated from a kind, gentle woman (with a hidden spirited side) and is protected by her former protector?

Well, there's Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteru. Hm, UraBoku crossover? Demon Tribe as Opast? Anyway!

There's also Black Blood Brothers.

It's not quite the same, but I always feel like Silver Diamond is also similar, since all Sanome are meant to be women, but Rakan's a guy (though the mechanics there are different).

Hm, is that all? I thought there would be more.