Throne of Glass
Part Two: To Wage a War
Firstly let me just say, after all I've heard about the previous chapter, I should have done more to prepare readers for it. I'm man enough to admit I made a mistake. I wanted it to be a surprise, but it was clearly much too sudden. Just because I've known about it doesn't mean you all did.
That being said, there were still others who simply did not like the negative turn this has taken, I get that. I can't please everyone, I already came to terms with that deciding on Kaguya. So I'm writing this story the way I want to, for whoever enjoys what I want to tell.
Chapter 40: The Devil's Due
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"Kyoshiro Todoh, yes?"
The voice that suddenly spoke to him was oddly childlike, they knew him by name but he had never heard it before.
"Who is this? How did you contact me?" Todoh demanded.
"That is unimportant right now." The voice brushed him off. "As we speak, young Kururugi is making his way to the top of the government bureau. I imagine he has something very interesting to ask Lelouch vi Britannia. Not long ago, someone might have let slip a little secret, about what really happened to his father."
The old man's eyes widened. Whoever this person was, they knew far more than they should.
"What is it you want from me then?" He questioned. Asking how he knew all this was irrelevant at this point.
"You're a smart one aren't you? See I know who is responsible for killing the boy's father, and I am rather certain you do as well." The child's voice was thick with arrogance, a grating sense of superiority. "Yet here you are, bowing to the killer of your lord, even as he snuffs out your comrades one by one. How unbecoming of a man like yourself."
"Get to the point." He spat out. "I don't need someone lecturing me on my own choices."
He could hear the child's revolting smile. "Right. Well, I believe you have for yourself a once in a lifetime opportunity now. A chance to avenge your countrymen and take back everything that brat tried to steal for himself."
Todoh frowned. Even as everything he believed in was slowly stripped away, he had resigned himself to the fate his actions brought about. "Just what are you implying?"
"Suzaku is already going to confront him, you will have only this one chance…to kill Lelouch." The child laughed. "I have an agent within the settlement, but he is unable to get to the bureau itself. You, however, can do just that."
"Are you out of your mind? What good would that do now? He has far too many fanatically loyal followers. I would be discovered, and they would carry on in his place."
"My agent will be able to help with that. He shall take the blame, I will have him get himself caught. I'm sure you can make that work, yes?"
Todoh narrowed his eyes. It sounded too good to be true, too sudden. "Why go through with this, what do you have to gain by helping me?"
"Let's just say you and I have an enemy in common. I'd like nothing more than to see that vile hellspawn crash and burn in his moment of glory." The mysterious voice told him with sadistic glee. "Though, if it eases your suspicion, there is one thing I could ask of you. A particular island in your little nation is of great interest to me. In the future, I would simply like access to it."
Could he do it? Should he do it? To finally avenge Genbu, make good on the promise he made back then?
"Regardless of what you decide, Suzaku has made up his mind already." The child continued. "Is that honor you once so righteously clung to as dead as your compatriots?"
The Japanese man clenched his teeth.
He had already lost everything that truly mattered to him. He had nothing left to lose.
Todoh reached for his IFF control.
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Fighting through more pain and anguish than he'd ever felt before, Lelouch guided a quaking hand through his suit until his fingers found the object they sought. In his hand he held the onyx queen piece. In the other, the king piece Kaguya once carried.
With rage fueled determination, Lelouch brought the two objects together. Base to base, a beeping sound rang out, before the top of the king piece opened up. Revealed to him was a small red button, hidden within the chess piece. His thumb caressed the switch as a choked laugh escaped him.
He could end it all, so easily. Destroy everything, take it all away. And all it would take was…
"So, this is the extent of your own power." Lelouch heard the foreign voice of a woman, in a bemused tone. He struggled to face her, to see who had come to mock him. "What a paltry display, your highness."
The woman knelt in front of him, her green hair cascading around his eyes. "Don't tell me…you don't want it to end here, do you?"
I'll find you again, assuming you make it out of this alive. Don't go dying on me now, my little prince.
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Following her escape from combat with Emilia, Kallen had remained idle nearby the government building. As far as she was concerned, her job was finished. If that knight ever showed her face again before Cornelia got here, she would have to stop her, but that was it. At this point, the vast majority of their forces were no longer engaged with Britannia. Their only goal now was to corral them to ensure they all reach the bureau at the same time. Most of their reserves had already evacuated through the lower levels of the settlement.
Everything had proceeded according to plan, the battle had already been won.
Something out of place caught her eye however, as she caught a glimpse of what she assumed to be the Lancelot pass over her, landing on the roof of the central structure. Not long after, the Megumi doing much the same. Kallen frowned at that, she wasn't aware the two of them were supposed to be meeting Lelouch up there. He was there awaiting Cornelia alone, they shouldn't be there.
All three of their knightmares' communications were offline shortly after, leaving her with a feeling of apprehension. After waiting a few moments in indecision, the Lancelot and Fukushū left the rooftop, meaning only the Megumi remained.
Kallen had no idea what any of that could have meant, but she had serious doubts it was anything good.
She had no more reservations about finding out for herself.
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Thoughts raced through his mind as he fought to maintain control of the hyper specialized knightmare. Todoh admitted a begrudging respect for the masterful user of such a complex machine. He was barely able to keep the thing airborne. But that was hardly his most pressing concern.
He had gone through with it, struck down the Britannian exile who tried to rewrite Japan itself for his own gain. But if was to try to undo what Lelouch had already wrought, he had a long way to go. The boy had extensively weeded out most everyone in any position of power that stood against him. Until now, Todoh had stood by and watched this happen without attempting to abate it in the slightest. Suzaku was in this just as deep as he. For whatever reason he fired upon Kaguya, he didn't know. Maybe the girl got in the way. But the boy was the one who wouldn't immediately turn on him knowing the truth.
He would have to find a way to spin this so he could keep his position. Lelouch would leave a sizable vacuum of power behind. At this point, Todoh alone couldn't fill it, but he could use the opportunity to take part of it for himself. Make a start at righting these wrongs to his country.
But before all of that…
He answered an incoming contact, schooling his voice. "Lelouch, what's going on, why are you leaving the bureau?"
He would have to first pass this trial. "Clovis listen to me."
"Todoh?! What are you doing in the Fukushū? Where is Lelouch?" The former Viceroy demanded.
"There's been an attack, someone got into the government bureau. Lady Kaguya is with me, she is fatally wounded. And Lelouch…Lelouch is dead."
"What did you just say?" He could hear the other man's utter disbelief. He had to press this while the prince was in shock.
"We must get Kaguya medical attention immediately, Clovis. She may yet live. We can discuss the rest afterward."
"I…yes, we must." His voice was distant, but he went along with Todoh's words. "I'll prepare a team, hurry to the Mirai at once."
"I am on my way." Todoh responded, cutting the message.
He breathed out. There would still be an interrogation later, but he had a good lead on convincing the prince. If the child spoke truth about an agent, perhaps they would be apprehended before then. If not…he would have to make it work.
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The massive and complex building was deathly quiet, not a soul in sight as Kallen navigated the empty halls. She'd only been here a handful of times for obscure reasons, the passages totally unfamiliar to her. She did know however, she only needed to make her way to the top. It didn't take her too long to find an elevator she could use, finding roof access from there wasn't difficult either.
Eventually Kallen found herself in a garden made in the same image as the ones at the Ashford mansion. Two tributes from two different princes. But her examination of the garden was cut short when her eyes came to stop upon the body lying not far off.
The girl's heart froze, and she stumbled over herself scrambling to kneel beside the fallen young man. Centered in a growing pool of blood originating from the hole in his chest, Lelouch lay on death's door.
Kallen frantically checked for signs of life, some measure of relief found with the shallow rising of the prince's chest. He still yet clung to life, but Kallen knew full well he would not last long. The redhead tore the sleeves of her suit, doing whatever she could to stem the flow of lifeblood. It was then she realized in horror that a second wound marred his back as well. Shot from behind, then another intent to execute.
This was without a doubt a betrayal of malicious intent.
Doing the best with what she had, Kallen then hoisted the prince upon her back. He was much lighter than she expected. She began to take a few steps toward the remaining knightmare utop the roof when she stopped. Taking the Megumi would be a clear sign to whoever did this that someone else had been up here.
Lelouch, Suzaku and Kaguya were present, and two of them were now gone. Kallen did not fail to notice that a second red pool was not far from Lelouch's body, with a trail indicating he attempted to reach it. Considering Megumi was the frame left behind, it was likely Kaguya was the other one shot.
Which meant there was another traitor.
She has no doubt Suzaku was complicit in what happened. Why he would do something like that was beyond her, but she was far from assuming otherwise. That still left her in a dangerous position. If Suzaku of all people had betrayed Lelouch, who else was in on this coup? Kallen had no way of determining if others were part of it who didn't come to face him directly. Who could she trust when the ones he trusted the most shot him in the back?
With that in mind, she carried the prince back the way she came. It was a deathly silent journey, her own ragged breathing the only thing she heard. Even Lelouch's own breath was too quiet, it constantly made her fear he no longer was.
But all she could do was march forward.
Nearly out now, she crossed through the grand entrance hall before the exit. She would take her own knightmare, and figure out who she could reach out to to get help for Lelouch.
"Stop right there, Kallen."
The redhead's step faltered as someone called out to her. From around the corner came Emilia, a gun in her hand halting her escape.
"Now that is not what I was expecting." The snowy haired knight spoke, taking steps toward her. "Someone else got to him first huh? All's not well in the prince's domain is it?"
"Out of my way Emilia." Kallen replied, eyes searching for a way out.
"I don't think so. Hand him over, he's coming with me." Emilia answered.
Kallen's grip on the prince tightened. "Not a chance."
"Don't make this difficult. In knightmares we may be on even footing, but I have extensive training in marksmanship and hand to hand combat. You honestly think you can beat me?" The knight threatened.
"I'll take my chances. Kallen replied.
Emilia glared at Kallen before holstering her weapon. "Let's settle this then." She raised her hands, adopting a fighting stance. "I'll show you, just who I am."
Gently, Kallen placed Lelouch down on a nearby bench. She would really rather not leave him, but she had no choice.
Kallen sank low, mirroring a ready posture. She was no stranger to a little brawl with talentless thugs, but she took Emilia's warning seriously. Taking her down would not be easy. But regardless, the woman was in her way.
Kallen had no time to waste. With adrenaline fueled aggression, she lunged at her opponent. Emilia sidestepped the initial punch, aiming to sweep her legs out from under in return. The redhead took step back to avoid it, before reaching into a pocket on her thigh. Her faithful pouch was carried within, the blade hidden in the pink item brandished against the knight.
Emilia wanted to duel to prove something, but Kallen couldn't care less. All that mattered was getting through her.
Surprise crossed the other woman's face for a brief moment as the blade reached for her throat, but she reacted far too quickly. She caught Kallen's wrist, twisting the knife from her hand. It was instantly apparent the older woman was physically stronger than her. She held Kallen in an iron grip as she delivered a swift blow to her gut. Her breath lost, the girl collapsed in a coughing fit.
"That's really all you got? Some cheap trick with a lousy pocket knife?" Emilia scoffed, picking up her treasured blade. "I expected more than that."
She tossed it away as Kallen struggled to regain her footing. She gasped for air, her lungs refusing to cooperate. "We're…not done yet."
"I think we are, actually." Emilia swatted her back to the ground, Kallen unable to properly defend herself. But she couldn't give up, she had to win. Even as her jaw ached at the blow and her vision swam.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Kallen heard another voice. Through blurry eyes she tried to make out who was now by Lelouch's side as Emilia turned around.
"Did you do this?" The other woman demanded of the knight.
"No. It appears they have a little coup on their hands." Emilia replied coolly.
It was Cornelia, Kallen realized. She had arrived, like Lelouch wanted. His sister, she couldn't have been involved. "Cornelia." She called out with a pained hiss. "Please…help him."
The heavy frown on the princess' face betrayed no inner thoughts as her gaze swept over her brother.
Taking a step toward the newcomer Emilia addressed the general. "Princess Cornelia, that man is-"
"I am well aware of who he is." She interjected. "That's why I'm here."
She turned her sharp eyes to Kallen. "You. Who did this?"
Finally getting her breathing under control, Kallen responded. "Some of our own. I don't know who or how many. Please. If you don't do anything, he will die."
"He is a traitor guilty of treason countless times over." Emilia argued. "I am taking him to face punishment for those crimes."
Cornelia, her fists balled tight, looked down upon the deathly pale face of her brother. The man who had, mere moments ago, seemed unstoppable. Lelouch, the one who could save Euphemia.
What was she to do?
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The heart of the Tokyo Settlement was eerily empty despite the large-scale battles just beyond. It would be perfectly simple to sneak away into the night, even without his power. For Rolo, such infiltrations were easy as could be.
He had a very straightforward assignment here, one that he completed only moments ago. Directly from master V.V.: To ensure that Lelouch vi Britannia perceives Suzaku Kururugi pulls the trigger. He didn't need to know more than that, nor was it his place to ask why the director specifically ordered him to determine the best way to inflict the most damage possible to the exiled prince.
But in that moment, Rolo decided that a single bullet targeting Kaguya Sumeragi would be much more painful than any other wound he could inflict.
Since the master instructed he not kill Lelouch outright, as he had another that would do that. A way to gain a favor as he put it. It was more complicated than his previous assassinations, though at times he was instructed to implicate certain others with his actions. It seemed the director had a personal grudge in this assignment.
The boy's mission was not yet complete however. He had never been asked to do what he was about to, but he wouldn't question it either. Annoyingly, the scarcity of people was actually making it more difficult; seeing as Rolo was told he should get himself caught. He didn't really care so much for the order, but he would carry it out. As long as he was needed, it mattered not.
Finally, he encountered a group passing nearby. It couldn't be obvious, he had to look suspicious, but that wasn't too difficult to accomplish.
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His mind was numb by the time they reached the Mirai. He was living a nightmare, one he couldn't wake from. The short flight allowed him time to process what had transpired moments before.
Suzaku was tricked, made to be the fool he was. He didn't know what actually happened on that roof, but he was certain whoever called him, the child who revealed something he shouldn't know, was responsible. But the revelation came far too late, the damage permanent.
"Suzaku, keep your silence." Todoh commanded. "I will speak with Clovis…to figure this all out."
Then there was his former sensei. Apparently he knew all along what Lelouch had done. From his point of view, Lelouch had systematically eradicated all traces of his way of life, what was left of it after the invasion anyway. He could see why, after all Suzaku felt the same, for the briefest moment. But that wasn't who he was, not anymore. The boy felt deeply hurt, but despite that…it shouldn't have ended that way.
Now Lelouch was gone. Kaguya very well soon to follow.
He didn't answer, as the two of them landed within the mostly barren hangar of the airship. Clovis was there to meet them, along with a medical team anxiously awaiting them.
Todoh rested the young lady upon a stretcher before his eyes met Suzaku's. Silently he told him to go with her. Whatever the older man had planned, it wasn't Suzaku's concern. All he really cared about now was Kaguya's wellbeing. So he followed the doctors as they rushed her away for what aid they could provide.
Todoh for his part, now faced the cold fury of the former Viceroy.
"Tell me what happened, Todoh." The blonde man demanded, his voice sharp.
"What were the three of them doing up there? Who did this?"
"A Britannian assassin, I presume." Todoh answered, his tone level and calm. "From what I gather, Suzaku and Kaguya were lured there as well, I don't know how."
Clovis remained silent, his eyes narrowed to razors. His foot tapped repeatedly as Todoh could see the prince's racing thoughts. "How the hell did anyone manage to get through our line unnoticed?"
He snapped his head back up to the colonel. "And what about you then? What were you doing there? Last you told me your IFF was damaged then this?"
This was the crucial part. "I believe the assassin was using one of our knightmares. I witnessed suspicious behavior from one of them. I deactivated my own IFF, to prevent him from realizing I was on to him. That is also why I did not inform you, they were listening in on our communication."
"One of our own?" Clovis repeated to himself. "I should have noticed something was wrong."
The man fell into thought once again, Todoh watching him without a word.
"Prince Clovis, sir." A soldier approached the two of them with a salute. "An unknown Britannian was just apprehended nearby the government building. We're bringing him to the Mirai for detainment."
Clovis looked to Todoh with wide eyes. "It appears we've found your assassin."
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"There is no one else I can trust. Anyone could be a traitor." Kallen pleaded to the woman standing beside Lelouch. "He was waiting for you, he wanted your help. Now he needs it."
Emilia stepped toward the princess. "Your highness there is no room to debate this. He will-"
"That's enough, Lady Strauss." Cornelia snapped. What could she do in this situation? Emilia was a knight of the emperor, she couldn't supersede her authority like anyone else. If she was to protect her brother, it would have to be from both those who betrayed him, and from their own father.
So really, she only had one option.
"I will bring him with me to Britannia, under my protection." Cornelia decided.
"Your highness, you can't defend him after all he's done!" Emilia protested.
"He is a prince of the empire, and my brother. I will do all I can to keep him safe." She nodded to Kallen. "You are welcome to come with us as well, to see to his health. I imagine you don't wish to stay behind."
"You can't be serious!" Emilia cried out. "I will not allow this."
"We'll let his majesty decide what will become of him." The princess replied. Assuming he cared enough to pass any judgment, she would protest on his behalf. A part of her actually believed their father would be amused with Lelouch's actions. A man like him wouldn't execute Lelouch for that. No, he'd find a way to use him.
She had to rely on that theory.
"We can't stay here." Kallen spoke up, moving to where Lelouch rested. "Not long from now the entire building is going to collapse in on itself. He was luring your forces here into a trap. If you refused him in the end, you would have been caught in it as well."
"That's why the resistance around the bureau was so scarce?" Cornelia realized.
"For what it's worth, he really wanted you to accept him." Kallen told her. "You are the only reason your army hasn't already been completely wiped out."
"How can we even escape?" Cornelia wondered. "That airship has cut off our fleet, we have no way out."
"You'll have to order a complete retreat. I don't think Clovis will actually fire on you, but I can't say for certain." The redhead replied. "If you don't withdraw, you're as good as dead. So you have to take that chance."
"How long do we have?" The princess asked.
"Lelouch had control of that. But whoever did this will try to hide the evidence. We don't have long." Kallen answered.
"Then we'll go." Cornelia decides, picking up her brother to carry on her back. "Whatever else you have to say can wait, Strauss."
The knight's further protests died on her lips, but Kallen could see she was not happy. For her part Kallen couldn't argue. She knew full well the outcome was far from perfect, but she had to accept it all the same.
Lelouch would live, for now.
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Before Clovis was young boy with Britannian features. He couldn't be older than Lelouch, yet he was the assassin who took his life. The boy said so himself.
Bound to a chair, the boy was only lightly bruised. It seemed he was unusually cooperative. It didn't take much of anything to get him to confess to his actions. Beyond that however…
"Who is your master, who ordered the attack?" Clovis repeated the question.
"Even if…I told you, it wouldn't make a difference to you." The boy told him with a deifant grin.
"Was it Schneizel? Or the emperor himself?" Who else could have the power to get someone in here like that?
"Ask me all you want, I won't tell you that."
Clovis growled as he spun away, pacing through the interrogation room. Todoh stood a ways off, the only other in the room.
He replayed the events as he understood them in his head. What he knew for certain, that Suzaku, followed by Kaguya, went to the rooftop for an unknown reason. This boy was an agent of a mysterious third party, not affiliated with Cornelia, that was absolutely not her style. He claimed to be the one to shoot Lelouch, and was oddly eager to admit it.
Lelouch was dead, Kaguya on her way to follow.
And Todoh apparently became aware of the boy's presence, attempting to stop him. He went in alone, trying to get the drop on the bastard. But he failed.
"Todoh." He called to the Japanese man, he gaze still a mile away.
He glanced at the former Viceroy. "What is it?"
"By the time you arrived on scene, that boy had already succeeded?" He asked.
Todoh nodded. "Yes. I imagine Kaguya attempted to protect Lelouch. But it did nothing so save him."
"Who exactly was your target?" He demanded of the boy.
"Lelouch vi Britannia. Was not that clear?" The boy responded.
"Then Kaguya was collateral? What was the point of calling them both there? Was that your doing as well?" Clovis pressed, mind running as quickly as the questions.
"My mission was to eliminate your high command. From the top down. You would be on that list as well, Prince Clovis. But that might be asking too much of me."
He didn't reveal who actually brought the two of them there. But he did suspect the mastermind was the reason. How he did that he couldn't determine. Far too much of this was unknown to him, even though the obvious answer was handed to him. His culprit was right in front in front of his face, completely at his mercy, and yet…
Why did he suspect Todoh was lying to him?
His explanation was strange, but justifiable enough. Regardless of that however how could he be guilty of anything if this boy was the one to pull the trigger? Was it his eagerness to accept that guilt? It certainly seemed out of place, given his refusal to admit to anything further than that. So why?
That was it. Clovis realized it as he ran through what he knew another time. One question; that's all he needed to finally know for sure.
"One more thing, Todoh." He began. "Did you realize this boy was a threat before, or after he went inside the bureau?"
The other man narrowed his eyes, gaze focused on the prince. He hesitated in answering only a moment, he response measured. "I was wary of his movements beforehand, but those worries were confirmed when he entered the building."
Clovis breathed out. "I see."
Without wavering a second, he drew a firearm from his coat, and put a bullet into Kyoshiro Todoh's heart.
The older man's eyes were wide with shock, he stumbled back, colliding with the wall as he fell. Todoh coughed out, a hand clutching his chest. "What…are you doing?"
With open contempt, Clovis towered over the fallen man. "You told me you went silent because you did not want this boy to track you. He would not have been able to do so, if he was not in one of our knightmares. If he entered the bureau, he would have left it behind."
His breathing labored, Todoh allowed himself a small grin. "You are smarter than I ever gave you credit for…Viceroy."
"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one to shoot Lelouch." Clovis spoke, lips curled in a snarl. He pointed a finger to the bound assassin. "His master put you up to it. That's why he is so willing to cover for you."
He ran a hand through his hair, anger and pain alike flooding him as he worked it all out. "I just don't understand. Why? After all that's happened, as far as we've come…Why now?"
Todoh gave a strangled laugh. "Do you…really have to ask that? This Japan…it is not the one I loved. My comrades, my people…they are all gone. This isn't my victory. So I simply…kept the oath I made to that…bastard seven years ago. I would…I would be the one to cut him down."
Clovis stared at him, unable to comprehend the madness he was hearing. "You are a pathetic fool. What you have done…has doomed the people you claim to love. Their dawn was on the horizon, and you have snuffed out their guiding sun."
Todoh snorted. "Any Japanese who looks to that boy as a savior…is a traitor to their-"
He coughed, blood splattering the prince's boots. "I die…with my honor…"
Clovis clenched his fist, in a moment of fury, he raised the gun to the helpless boy's head. The split second of fear that crossed his face knowing nothing he could do would prevent him from pulling the trigger…did little to appease his righteous ferocity.
The weapon fell from his hands. Clovis slumped into a chair across from the lifeless boy. He wasn't even sure if he actually did anything. He didn't care.
The prince rested his head in his hands as despair finally overcame him.
"Damn you Todoh. Damn your honor to the pits of hell."
"Damn it all."
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The trip out of the settlement was uneventful, if not stressful. Princess Cornelia ordered a complete and total retreat of her forces. The paper thin morale of her troops finally broke, and Britannia wasted no time fleeing back to the bay. Nearly all of the defenses had withdrawn, in order to escape the impending trap once they converged on the government bureau. Due to that, they were unable to properly muster enough units to chase the escaping Britannian knightmares.
Without the commander of the Mirai, the great airship did nothing to prevent them from boarding the returning vessels at sea. In time, the defenders would come to understand this is when Clovis learned of the fall of Allen Ashford, who was slain by a cowardly assassination.
Regardless, the rebellious lord's deeds were what won the day. As dawn broke through the night, it was upon a nation that saw victory over the Holy Britannian Empire.
The symbol of Britannia's tyranny, the imposing government building at the heart of the Tokyo Settlement, was brought low in a planned demolition that collapsed the settlement into ruin.
Below it, hidden away inside the megastructure, was a single tower standing tall amidst the destruction. The first building of the city belonging to the nation called Yoake.
But tomorrow still awaits.
Throne of Glass, part two;
End
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Thank you all for sticking with this story as part two comes to a close. I know this is hardly the ending anyone really expected, but…I never intended for anything else to happen. Both in the original story, and even more so in Throne of Glass, I came to realize something about Lelouch's fall.
He was never meant to win the way he wanted to.
This is the end result of the path of blood he chose. The road he takes isn't one that brings him to victory. It's one that leads to his own destruction. Because in the end, his own hypocrisy is what allows V.V. to strike such a devastating blow with such success. The mistakes, betrayals and lies through R1 lead to his downfall, and ToG Lelouch is no different. Even if he started to see the better way, that doesn't erase what he did.
Of course, the story isn't over yet.
I am going to begin reworking part one along with updating part three. I don't know what that schedule will look like, but it's become clear to me seven years working on a story leaves quite a disparity in quality from one end to the other. The end result will be the same, but there are parts here and there that really didn't age well. Along with general mistakes and the like.
I can say though, chapter one will be revised before 41 is uploaded. But I might take a bit of a break before then. I did write 3 chapters in the span of a month. That's a lot, for me at least.
I'll see you all then, as we enter the final part.