Saito sat in a chair on the outside of the castle's emergency room, watching through the glass window as the doctors were working on his body. Saito had his hands together underneath his chin watching the process go on for about thirty minutes. A doctor began walking towards the door as Saito rose from his seat. The medical expert opened the door and looked at his King.
"How bad is it?" Saito knew a thing or two about being electrocuted and it really hurt the body. The doctor could not look him in the eyes which only made speculation worse. "Tell me the truth."
"Captain Imrahil… suffered considerable electrical damage over his entire body, it is amazing that he is still breathing after the fight he went through. However, his left arm in particular suffered the most from the battle."
"You are stalling, how bad."
"Captain Imrahil's left arm is currently unresponsive due to his brain not able to get the correct movements to his arm. We can try and help him but he only has at best… a twenty percent chance of his arm fully recovering and using it. I'm sorry sir."
The doctor turned around and returned back into the room and left the King alone. To Saito, it felt like he failed once more at something he could have prevented from happening. First was his choice not to kill the Pope when he first infiltrated the building the leader was staying in. Second was his short sidedness of not having a backup plan if he were to escape the second time he invaded the place. Finally is his failure of arriving sooner to aid his captain in a fight he could not win alone. Saito held his left hand in front of him and gripped it while turning his head to the window where he saw the man.
"I promise, I will not fail again… I can't fail again…"
"You are being too harsh on yourself dear." Saito felt a hand touch his right shoulder. He turned and found his wife next to him and looked through the mirror to the patient. "There was nothing more you could do Saito, for you to have arrived in such a timeframe is nothing short of amazing considering that you were flying with your own wind magic."
"I know… it's just if I had pushed myself even harder I might have-"
"You would have had a case of magic overuse which would have helped no one. You need to let it go Saito. Now, Louise… said that she has a plan for what we should do and asked for you to meet her in the war room."
The pause when Henrietta said Louise's name signaled to Saito that she still was not the happiest person about the former friend being in the same castle of either owners. Saito began walking slowly away from the emergency room's window and to the hallway alongside Henrietta. Both walked in silence, trying to read what was on the other's mind, neither succeeded in the endeavor.
Both adults saw the door up ahead and opened it when they got there, showing only Louise in the room with a map on the center table with figures on it. She looked up, saw who it was and returned her vision to the map.
"Whatcha got?" Saito asked.
"There are three armies nearing the borders of the country and another in hiding to the east. Comparatively speaking we have-"
"Louise." Saito simple said as said girl raised her head to the King.
"Ya?"
"Where is the Pope."
"Here." She pointed on the map which showed a small town on the northern border between the country and the sea. "Scouts have reported that they have a sea navy and are using it to bring in solders safely."
"Two against a void mage, a familiar and an army…"
"So, you are thinking the same thing then." Louise smiled as Saito nodded. Henrietta meanwhile was wondering what the two were saying but since they both having the same idea, it only meant trouble.
"What are the two of you thinking?"
"Simple really. We go in, kill the Pope and Julio, leave and let the rest of the foundation collapse without them." Louise said as Henrietta was shocked at hearing such a ridiculous plan but she quickly turned to see Saito did not object.
"Saito, this is an even worse plan then the last you participated in. If anyone is going with you, it will be me."
"Sure, and we will leave Louise who is branded a wanted person in command of the military. Despite us being separated for ten years, we still have unison in our teamwork which is better than ours."
"I will not allow you this to happen."
"Oh, and you have a better plan? Why not let this war drag out and have damage to the country and its people, that sounds like a much better idea then letting two people who are probably the only two who can pull this mission off. And also, this war will end if we kill him." Louise said as Henrietta had no idea what she was going on about but Saito did.
"The successor to the papacy." Saito realized as Louise nodded.
"Exactly, the successor is actually one of my own men. If we kill Vittorio, he will become the new Pope and will immediately end this conflict."
"That is the problem, we need to kill him. He has escaped three different times from me; to be honest, sneaking in would probably lead to the same result."
"Who said anything about sneaking in?"
"So we are blasting are way in, shock and awe?"
"Yup, we cause havoc and confusion within the ranks of Vittorio. We go for him, and take him out."
"He'll expect this." Saito said as both ladies looked at him. "He told me that you and I should meet him to decide that fate of this war. Don't you think this is a bit worrisome that the plan we made involves you and me?"
"Words matter little when they have no value in a fight."
"You two really believe you can take on an army by yourselves and emerge victorious?" Henrietta questioned as Louise smiled.
"If Saito here broke the spirit and backbone of one army ten years ago, I don't see how he can't do it again alongside me."
The final word out of her mouth did not come as an insult but to Henrietta, it was an insult that the two were getting close to each other once again. Both herself and Saito are married and have a beautiful child yes, but things were getting out of hand with the recent events as of late. This could very well be the last time she sees him with that ring on his finger and hold any value to him.
"Then it is decided?" Louise asked.
"I see no reason as to why this wouldn't work out." Saito commented as both humans answered turned to the Queen for her input.
"I… I have no answer."
"We don't need your answer. In the end, the only input that matters is ours since we will be the ones who are going to be performing in it." Louise commented.
"Saito, are you really going to go along with this plan, this is suicidal!?"
"And the last missions weren't? Look, if the lives of two people can end a war that could very well cause a complete and utter genocide of the human and elven races, I am willing to take that risk."
Saito spoke true on the matter. If indeed he and Louise failed in bring down the Pope now, all hell would break loose for everybody in the world, both innocent and guilty. Nevertheless, Saito knew he had to do this, if not for his people and the people of the world, then for himself since this seemed like his fault. Henrietta just stood there wondering how these two could say that and not be lying to themselves.
"You two… are completely insane."
"And yet you are married to one of them dear." Saito commented.
"Then are we done blabbering? We need to get ready for tomorrow." Louise said and walked out of the room, leaving the two to squabble as a couple.
Author's Notes – I know this chapter was extremely short AND I just said I was going to do at least 2k AND quite possible badly written but the next, and most likely final chapter, will be… very interesting to you people… I hope.