22nd Noble Lion Moon, 908 – Telo Martius

"Aww, you boys don't have to deliver this to Fort Gladius for me—"

"We'd be delighted, Miss Vibiana!" said the Sandslash soldier as he took the package from the eyepatch-wearing Meowstic. "You do so much for us around here. We would be honored to carry out your delivery."

The Weavile soldier smiled blissfully. "Plus, it gets us away from training for a day, so that's nice."

Vibiana giggled. "Perhaps you will find the time to paint in peace, Pollux."

"Wouldn't that be the dream~?"

Quaxwell bowed to the friendly Meowstic, then asked, "I have to ask why you insisted on making treats for the Foresters? Though they are our allies, they are still under suspicion with Emperor Nero."

She smiled coyly at them, twisting her ear around her hand playfully. "Is it wrong to offer sweet delights to our new friends? You boys understand that we have to make a good impression after all the hard work they must be doing up there, right?"

Melted by her charms, the trio of soldiers grinned and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes, of course!"

She giggled. "Thank you again for doing this. Oh, and make sure not to let Centurion Decimus know about this little delivery. We wouldn't want him eating the treats, would we?"

"Oh no, of course not!" the Sandslash soldier exclaimed.

"Do a good job, and maybe I'll add a little treat for your dinners tomorrow~."

Their grins grew wide. "Thank you, Miss Vibiana!"

"You three are so sweet. Now, best be off with you."

"Have a wonderful day, Miss Vibiana!" They bowed once more to her before exiting the training hall.

She waved to them as they walked out the entrance, then gracefully strutted to a window, leaning back against the wall. She took a deep breath before tilting her head up and smiling at the open window. "Told you I had a run of things around here."

On the other side of the window, hanging outside the training hall, Jason scanned the open space to make sure he was alone. He leaned back into the wall, arms crossed, and asked, "You gave them the collar, right?"

Lillia giggled. "Oh yeah. I trust them not to open it on their way there. They wouldn't want to upset Miss Vibiana, after all."

He smirked. "I thought you were a priestess back in Algus. When were you so good at manipulating people?"

"Jason, sweetie. I worked in a church. Manipulating is kind of a part of the job, for the good or less than good reasons." She grinned. "I'm not above spicing up the requests with an extra flair of charm."

"Well, at least you're more subtle than Marie." He glared. "Petra will be making her rounds over at Fort Gladius today. Once she returns to Umbra Clock with it, Pandora and Enoch will examine the collar. Hopefully they can find a way to break them off and negate the effects."

Lillia frowned. "I heard what happened the other week. I'm surprised New Chariot would resort to such methods to keep everyone in line."

"I'm not. I've been around Nero's goons long enough to get the full picture." He sighed. "Invasion day is scheduled for the end of the Autumn Moon. Will you be ready to neutralize the trainees when that happens?"

"Preparations are already being made."

"Good."

"How's Harlow holding up on her end?"

"I'm pretty sure she's starting a gang in prison."

"Aww, our little cinnamon roll is becoming a bad bunny~."

"Heh. Yeah."

"…You're still worried about her, aren't you?"

He sighed. "I know she can take care of herself. I saw it with my own eyes, after all. I'm just…not used to feeling this stressed over someone. Only other person I've stressed over was Eadwulf, but with Melissa—"

"You two care about each other a lot. I understand."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Lillia smiled. "If it helps, she's as strong as she is because she knows she has you backing her up. She went through a lot to get here, but you stuck by her side and never gave up on her. It's no wonder she admires you so much."

He smiled softly. "Heh. The feeling's mutual." He shook his head before straightening up. "I should get back to the palace before someone starts wondering where I am. I'll come by next week for a progress report."

"Aye, captain."

Jason stepped away from the wall and made his way back out into the city. A tenseness weighed on his chest, the reality of their goal sinking in little by little each day. The stress of keeping up the act was tough enough, but the anticipation of what was to come stood true.

By the end of next month, we're actually…going to war.

Martius Palace

After sneaking past the guards, Jason causally traversed the hallway to return to his patrol. It was a mostly boring routine, but thankfully one that didn't leave him nearly as monitored. He didn't capitalize on the privilege too much, lest Nero get suspicious of his insistence to do palace patrol.

The Krokorok left him wary like no other he faced. Facing demonic ringmasters, crime bosses, and maniacal princes couldn't compare to the nonchalant, yet calculating emperor who lazily drifted about his day with an air of cunning and unbreakable god complex. The idea Nero could even be a potential candidate for Last Autumn's heir system spooked him in ways he couldn't admit.

Even without Last Autumn's support, Nero was already a force to be reckoned with.

Jason sighed. Keep a cool head. You've got another month to get through after this.

"Hey! Stormbreaker!" Jason tensed up and stiffly looked over his shoulder. Approaching him from behind were Commander Nemesis, Commander Terminus, and Saturn. The three towering figures loomed over the Pikachu, an aura of malice surrounding each of them.

Jason kept an even glare and looked up at them, his expression cold and unwavering. "Can I help you with something?"

"…" Saturn was the first to break the eyes, his expression shifting to a more neutral one. "We've been looking around for you. You're supposed to take be taking your break, remember?"

Jason blinked, having not realized the time slipped by. "Oh. Right. Uh, thanks."

Terminus crossed his arms. "Emperor Nero wants us to keep an eye on you, but he also wants us to make you feel welcomed." He bowed to the thief. "We are requesting you join us for lunch while Emperor Nero is off during his chariot practice."

Nemesis, however, growled. "This is inane. Why are we being friendly to this little rat? He hasn't been here for that long, and the emperor is making us act nice around him? He's nothing but an inferior westerner—"

Terminus raised his axe hand at Nemesis threateningly. "This is a direct order from the emperor, and you will oblige. I will not hear another word of this insolence."

"…" The Charizard backed down, spewing smoking in protest.

Saturn rolled his eyes and bowed to Jason. "My apologies for Nemesis' behavior. He's not exactly a people person."

"I don't exactly trust you, either," Nemesis commented. "Considering your own history here."

Saturn glared. "And my actions prevented an incident similar to what happened last week, so I ask that you kindly shut your mouth." He nodded at Jason. "So, will you be joining us for lunch?"

Jason wanted to say no, mostly because he didn't trust Nero's guards, but figured it was better to bolster relations in hopes suspicion was thrown off him. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Very well. Thank you for the invitation."

Telo Martius Colosseum

"HI-YA!"

Racing circles through obstacles of rotating spiked pillars and mud traps, Nero gripped the reins of his two Rhyhorn steeds pulling his golden chariot. He tugged the reins, commanding the charging rhinos at the exact moment to steer around the rotating pillars and mud traps. Though the turns they made were rough and could surely startle an unexperienced rider, Nero kept perfect balance inside his chariot as he laughed.

"Woo!" Fortuna cheered. "Go, Nero! Woo, woo, woo!"

Ceres grinned wolfishly. "He really knows how to excite a crowd. I can see the sweat flying off his chest."

Orochi narrowed his eyes. "He is remarkably skilled. Not an ounce of fear in his eyes as he maneuvers through the course."

Tiberius nodded. "That's my son for you. Nero always had a knack for danger. He took up chariot racing days after evolving, and he became a natural talent at it. He destroyed many of our skilled riders in the chariot battles. He's undefeated in skill."

Orochi snickered. "How amusing. I underestimated the young emperor. He's a lot less lackadaisical than I imagined. His attitude could use some improvement, however."

Tiberius sighed. "My apologies for any misfortune my son brought during your visit. I do hope this hasn't soured our relations."

"Think nothing of it. I hold respect for your rule, Lord Martius, therefore I will uphold our treaty even if I must deal with your nuisance of a son."

"Heh. Thank you." Tiberius glared. "So, what's new in Great Gate as of late? How is young Riko doing? When do you plan on having her ascend as empress?"

Orochi hissed with laughter. "I have her set to become empress of Great Gate during our Aurora Revival Festival."

"Aurora Revival Festival? That's about four months from now. You plan to have her ascension before the new year."

"Indeed. My darling granddaughter deserves to have her special day remembered throughout our history. I believe she is ready to take on my mantle."

"You place a lot of faith in her ability."

"She's as cold and calculating as her father, my dear son, and as wicked as her mother. She's the perfect heir to the Great Gate Empire, and she'll serve to make it a dominant power across Virdis." Orochi scowled. "Unlike that soft-hearted fool, Kazuyuki. He didn't have the ambition to advance Great Gate's status. Look how much I accomplished in over two decades compared to what he did."

Tiberius narrowed his eyes. "You must've despised him deeply."

"…" Orochi sighed. "Truth be told, it was one of the hardest decisions in my life. I was his closest confidant, and I only wanted to do what was best for our empire. We simply couldn't play passively in a changing world. It was for our own good."

"Hmph." Tiberius looked out at the damaged colosseum as Nero continued his laps around the arena. "Well, I wish for young Riko to have an impactful future as empress. She will make a fine ally."

"Indeed. The future of Virdis rests in the outcomes of our alliance." Orochi narrowed his eyes worriedly, turning away from the Krookodile. "I just hope our ideals remain aligned with what's to come…"

"Hmm?"

"Oh. Nothing. Talking to myself."

Martius Palace

Jason joined Nemesis, Terminus, and Saturn in the dining hall as a group of servant girls started them off with glasses of wine. Jason took note of the timid Heliolisk servant as she poured Nemesis' drink. The brutish Charizard snorted in her direction, causing her to flinch and scamper off after bowing.

"It's only been a couple weeks—" Jason snapped his attention back onto the high-ranking guards as Saturn raised his glass to him. "—but I'd say you're earning your keep around here. You made a wise decision allying with the New Chariot Empire. It's for the best."

Jason picked up his glass, watching as the wine swirled with gentle spins along the neck. "We Foresters adapt to any hardship that befalls us. This was the most logical route."

Terminus nodded. "Agreed. In the search for power, one must be willing to abandon their pride. I, however, had no such issue. I abandoned my own allegiances long ago, and now I loyally serve under Emperor Nero. He is truly the god his people hold him up as."

Nemesis scoffed. "He's a disrespectful slacker. No amount of good he's done for our empire will change my opinion of that."

Jason raised his brow. "You don't think too fondly of the emperor?"

"My loyalty is strictly for Lord Martius, not his ungrateful brat. Even from the moment he hatched from his egg, the world seemed to revolve around him. He was raised to believe he was superior to everything, and he looks upon us of the older generation with contempt. We were the ones who heralded New Chariot's strength for the last two centuries, and now he believes he's spearheading us into a new era."

Saturn chuckled, sipping his wine. "He kind of is. He's still pushing for alchemical weaponry to be employed into the military, right?"

"Tch. We've survived on traditional tactics for years."

Jason huffed. "There is a degree of truth in relying on tactics from previous generations. What works then can still work now. However, you could learn from the Great Gate Empire. I hear the ninja clans that once frequented their land would utilize whatever they got their hands on to further their strength. Fair play is reserved only for duels, not war."

Nemesis scoffed. "Who speaks of fair play? This is a matter of our pride."

Terminus shook his head. "Pride has no place in war. It's a right reserved only for Emperor Nero."

Saturn nodded. "He's right. Tradition is only as strong as the present times. Firearms are becoming more popular. Portable cannons that can pierce through our elemental defenses."

Nemesis rolled his eyes. "Neither of you have room to talk when it comes to pride and loyalty." He threw the entire glass' worth of wine into his mouth and slammed it down on the table. "Servant girl! Another!"

"Y-Yes, Commander Nemesis." The timid Heliolisk scampered over with the wine pitcher and poured him another glass.

Jason sipped his wine before asking, "Am I right to assume you are the only one native to the empire, Nemesis?"

The Charizard scoffed. "I was born and raised into the military before I was ever a Charmeleon. These two wandered into the emperor's good graces sheerly through happenstance."

Saturn shrugged. "I like to think I was being clever at the time." He sipped his wine.

Terminus scoffed. "You only got into the emperor's good graces because you ratted out your friend."

"Hmph. It was a strategic maneuver."

Jason raised his brow. "So, someone else tried to escape the colosseum before?"

"Aye, and I was almost a part of that daft prison break."

"You really are a former prisoner of the colosseum."

Saturn nodded, staring at his reflection in the wine. "There's only two ways to stay alive in the colosseum: be the strongest or surround yourself with allies. I had two acquaintances during my…oh, how long was it? Eleven years? Practically raised the youngest when he became of age to participate. We formed a tight connection, utilizing strategy to get us through as many matches as we could. We got stronger and smarter, but it was never enough to win all one hundred victories.

"So, one day, one of my acquaintances came up with a plan to escape the colosseum. He planned to start a fight in the prison, too large to stop for just a couple guards. His plan was to make them use the large transport elevator to send a small army down and break it up before sneaking aboard. I didn't believe it would work. The guards weren't stupid enough to leave it empty for anyone to take to the surface, and even then there would be more guards waiting. He kept going on and on about countermeasures and…it all became a drag after a while."

Jason glared. "So, you…"

"…I did the only logical thing: I ratted out the plan to a guard to save my neck. Both my acquaintances were detained, but the youngest was spared since he wasn't directly involved with the planning. They don't just execute prisoners here. It has to be made into a spectacle. So, my friend was set up for a match. He wins? He walks free. He loses? Well…tch, no one wins against the executioner."

Nemesis huffed smoke. "A shame I missed it. You don't always get a chance to watch Tyranno maul someone."

"Tyranno?" Jason asked.

Saturn nodded. "He's a beast of a prisoner kept locked up and released only for special occasions. Execution matches, and he's won every single one he participated in. No one beats Tyranno and lives."

"…I see."

"After that, I was rewarded for my decision and eventually released from prison. I worked my way up the ranks and proved my loyalty to the empire." He shrugged. "Our youngest did eventually earn his freedom about a year or two ago, though he left making it clear I'd pay for the betrayal. Haven't seen him since."

Jason glared. "You are a truly despicable creature, you know that?"

"Heh." Saturn sipped his wine. "That's life for you."

Terminus shook his head. "A sickening tale. You would betray your allies for a grab at power?"

Saturn glared at him. "And I suppose you wouldn't make the same grab?"

"Only for what was rightfully mine."

Jason sipped his wine and asked, "What's your story? How'd you end up as Nero's bodyguard?"

Terminus scoffed. "My past is my own, rat. I still hold little trust in you." He closed his eyes. "That said, for what can be said, it was a disagreement of rights that I had with my brothers. A tradition held up in my family, and I lost it. I was the oldest, yet I lost to my younger brother. A natural talent at fighting, they called him. He earned his keep, and I decided not to fraternize with those who deny me my rightful dues."

"You ran away from home," Jason guessed.

"And I eventually found my way into the clutches of New Chariot's forces. I fought valiantly, fending off waves of soldiers for hours before I eventually collapsed from the exhaustion. I was sure I'd end up in their colosseum, but news of my valiant resistance earned me an audience with Nero, a time before he was made emperor. He took a liking to my brutality, so he gave me the chance to become a soldier. I rose up in the ranks, and he gifted me a rare ore from an ancient time…" He gestured to himself. "Turning me from the weak, aimless Scyther I once was into the powerful, uncontestable Kleavor I am today."

Nemesis scoffed. "And it made you even more of a suck-up to Nero than you already were."

"And yet he favors me over you, you boorish lizard."

"Tch. Ungrateful whelps."

Jason leaned back in his chair. "I'm quite amazed you follow the same man, yet have such radically different views of him. Emperor Nero must truly be a powerful figure in the empire."

Saturn nodded. "You don't know the half of it, especially given he wasn't originally slated to be the emperor."

Jason paused sipping his wine and set the glass down. "What do you mean?"

Nemesis raised his brow. "You don't know?"

"The west's knowledge of the east's history is vastly limited, I'm afraid."

Terminus nodded. "I don't blame you. Even before I came to New Chariot, I didn't know a whole lot about the Martius family. They weren't quite as…present compared to nowadays, all thanks in part to Emperor Nero's movements in the war."

Saturn nodded. "Believe it or not, there was a brief civil war in New Chariot days before Nero ascended to the throne."

Jason raised his brow. "Really? With who?"

"With the one who was supposed to become emperor: Mercurius Martius, the first son of Lord Martius, and Emperor Nero's older brother."

Fort Gladius

"Alright! Break time, Foresters! Be back here in thirty minutes!"

With repairs on Fort Gladius underway, the boys were finally given a needed respite from the intense labor, breaking off into groups to catch their breaths. Fabrice and Klaus walked off to meet up with the girls who were hard at work hanging laundry on clotheslines.

"How's the work coming along, ladies?" Klaus joked, earning a choir of hisses from them. "I'll…take that as a decent."

Ursula pinched between her eyes. "How many shirts do these soldiers go through? Seriously…"

Enora groaned dramatically, stumbling over into the awaiting arms of Fabrice. "My poor fur is frazzled from all the suds drenched across my forelegs. I look like a mess!"

Fabrice smiled sweetly, tilting her head up. "You sure? You look as beautiful as ever."

She purred and booped her nose against his. "You're just saying that~."

Jewel frowned. "Could you two save the lovey-dovey crap for later?"

Klaus glared at Luna. "So, did you get it?"

She smirked, digging into a basket of clean towels and revealing the package wedged underneath. "Got the delivery from Lillia's favorites as instructed. They seemed quite smitten by her."

Marie snickered. "It makes me shed a tear in pride."

Fabrice, as he stroked Enora's back while she purred against his chest, asked, "So, when is Petra supposed to get here?"

Ursula shrugged. "Haven't seen her yet. Maybe she got held up—"

"WHERE THE HELL DID MY SANDWICH GO?!" they heard a soldier shouting from nearby, frantically staring at his empty plate.

The Foresters shared a look with each other before frowning. "She's here," they mumbled.

Ursula leaned her head back and exclaimed in as low a voice as she could, "Petra, you can come out now!"

They heard rustling from a tree above them and looked up to see the honeybee fairy poking her head out from the leaves. She had a tiny piece of spinach stuck to her cheek as she smiled at them. "Heeeey."

Marie grinned. "You know you're supposed to stay hidden, right?"

Petra licked the spinach off her face. "I didn't get caught, right?"

"Eh, fair."

Luna looked around quickly before pulling the package out of the laundry. "Catch." She tossed the package up, which Petra caught and hid inside the leaves.

"Thank you for choosing Petra's Mail Delivery Service!" she exclaimed.

"SHHHH!" they hushed.

"Oops, sorry! Oh, I mean…sorry," she repeated quietly. "Ooh, before I forget…" She ducked back inside the tree before lowering down a sack by a rope. "Here you go."

Ursula caught the bag in her arms and set it down. "What's this?" She opened the top, and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh. My."

Enora pulled away from Fabrice and peered inside. A wide grin split across her face. "Oh yes~! Pandora, you have done us proud."

Inside the sack were a few items: canisters filled with a sticky adhesive, flammable wire, and individually wrapped canisters of explosive discs.

Petra giggled. "Pandora left instructions on how to properly set up the bombs thanks to the diagram you made of the fort. Place them exactly as she specified, and this place will go boom-boom!"

"Shh!" Klaus hushed.

"Oh, I mean…booooom," she whispered.

Jewel held one of the bomb canisters and snickered evilly. "Oh, those soldiers are going to so regret belittling us~."

Luna wagged her finger. "Now, now, we shouldn't seek joy in another person's suffering regardless of their attitude towards us. We are professionals—"

Marie smirked. "Hon, you're not a knight at the moment. Shelve the chivalry."

"…" Luna smirked at the sack. "I suppose I could indulge in a little evil for now."

Fabrice crossed his arms. "I can't believe we're actually going through with this. Bombing the dam and drowning a city. I never thought we'd go this far."

Ursula closed and tied up the sack. "Don't worry. Sid's leading the charge, remember? She and her group will make sure everything goes smoothly after we initiate the plan."

He smiled to himself. "Well, she was my mentor when I started out, so I suppose I have the utmost confidence in her skill."

Enora glared. "I'm not looking forward to the getting to Telo Martius part of the plan, though."

Ursula waved it off. "Eh, details. We'll be fine."

Klaus looked around. "Uh, by the way, have any of your girls seen Basil recently? He was supposed to help us with construction today, but he never showed up."

Luna raised her brow. "Huh. No, I haven't seen him—"

"Oh, don't worry about Basil," Marie chirped in. "Commander Decimus ordered him to clean the fort's outhouses. He'll be gone a while."

Enora gagged. "His sacrifice will not be forgotten…"

"Agreed," Fabrice said.

Luna smiled up at Petra. "Get back to Umbra Clock safe, Petra. And no snack stops."

"Awww…fine." The honeybee fairy ducked back inside the tree before taking off into the sky with the package secured in her messenger bag.

Fabrice smiled at the girls. "Anyway, since Klaus and I have some time off, we can fetch you girls some drinks."

Ursula sighed. "You're a lifesaver, Fabrice."

Enora wagged her tail and fluttered her eyes at him. "Try and get me some lemonade, please~."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll see what I can get, my icy vixen~."

"Ugh, make it stop!" Jewel groaned.

Amongst the chatter, Marie turned away from them, glaring in the direction of the woods. You picked a bad time to go the mad scientist route, Basil. Don't do anything too stupid to yourself.

Meanwhile…

"Uuuuugh…hck…! Keep it together, Baz."

Secluding himself away from the soldiers, Basil trudged deep into the wooded parts of Fort Gladius. Resting against a tree, he kept himself upright as toxins dripped down his forehead like sweat. Flames flickered uncontrollably under the back of his uniform all the way to the tip of his tail. He panted heavily, clawing at his skin as he felt himself heating up.

He clenched his eyes shut, pausing a moment to take a deep breath, then raised the syringe filled with clear blue liquid. He ejected a few drops to push the air out before hovering it over his exposed arm.

After composing himself, he pressed the needle through his arm and pushed down the plunger, injecting himself with the concoction. Once the syringe was empty, he pulled it out and tossed it aside before collapsing onto his rear. He clutched his throbbing arm, resting his head back against the tree and taking slow, deep breaths.

Tooks me months, but I finally managed to reverse-engineer Iris' formula. Just got to keep running tests on myself. I've done this before, so it shouldn't take nearly as long for my body to adapt. Ugh, still need to run preliminary tests on Potion SFP-17. That one's going to be a pain.

As he focused on his breathing, he glanced around the tree, catching the tiniest glimpse of the soldiers' shadows marching through the fort. Though quivering in pain, Basil grinned like a loon, containing his laughter.

The war on New Chariot is a month's time away. While everyone else is carrying out the plan, I'll be busy conducting tests, among other objectives. Just need to bide my time. He clutched his arm, sparks of red and blue crackling off his skin. What joyous excursion awaits me over the horizon? Oh, I can hardly contain myself~.

Martius Palace

"Mercurius Martius. I've never heard such a name before."

Nemesis scoffed. "His relationship with Nero was…tense. It's partly why he has such a reputation for being a lazy figure in the royal family. Since he wasn't in line for the throne, he focused more on immediate gratification. Throwing parties, sleeping with any woman he fancied, practicing his chariot skills, and anything he could think of. For a time, he didn't care about taking the throne."

"So, what made their relationship tense?"

Saturn glared. "Mercurius didn't quite take after his father in furthering New Chariot's goals. The empire has always been about expanding its influence and territory. Mercurius, however, wanted to put an end to the warring state of the empire and seek peace with the other kingdoms, an idea unheard of since the treaty signed with Great Gate."

Jason glared. "There was actually a time where New Chariot wanted to put an end to their war on Virdis?"

"Hard to believe, I know. Mercurius managed to get a seat on the council, so he had a lot of sway even under his father's rule. There was resistance at first, but he made some leeway in his plans. There was a stir of change coming from his ideals." Saturn glared. "The problem, however, was how he went about spreading his propaganda."

"Like an attempt to demilitarize New Chariot," Nemesis grunted. "Back when we still had some land dispute with Algus."

Terminus scoffed. "And let me tell you, Algus doesn't exactly back down from a fight."

Jason's eyes widened. "He actually tried to limit your military presence?"

"A lot of soldiers were discharged from service, and that put a strain on some families who relied on the military income. There was a massive increase in poverty over the course of three years."

Nemesis continued, "And he used a good chunk of our resources to make peace with Algus, which just ended in a bloody massacre since they assumed it was a trick. Mercurius didn't take the hint and kept insisting that peace was possible, but our reputation didn't earn us much in the way of chances. Emperor Tiberius attempted to dissuade his son, but he became a pushover when he retired from the military, so he gave up after a couple lectures."

Jason glared worriedly. "So…where does Nero come into all of this?"

"…" Terminus sighed. "Nero visited some of the towns that were affected the most by the discharges. He saw the struggling families, and even heard a couple soldiers ended their lives when they couldn't afford their homes anymore. One of his harem girls was even left to fend for herself because her parents couldn't afford to feed an extra mouth. So, Nero eventually confronted his brother and…"

"It turned into a two-week civil war," Nemesis growled. "I remember every damn detail of those two weeks, and…I can't even describe the sheer terror I felt as Nero led his soldiers. Everyone assumed he was some slacker, but…he was terrifyingly efficient. He didn't kill a single soldier that allied with Mercurius out of obligation, but he personally had a hand in executing his guards. And…eventually, he reached Mercurius and killed him. Just like that."

Jason felt the warmth draining from his face, picturing the lazy emperor marching through the palace and dragging two hulking guards by their bloodied scalps. "Well…damn."

Terminus leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "Nero overhauled everything to guarantee not a single person in New Chariot was stuck in poverty. When he puts his mind to something, he's one of the most dangerously efficient men I've had the honor of working under. And he pushed to capitalize off war to guarantee that promise for hundreds of years. A never-ending war against the world to keep his people living their best lives."

"…" Jason finished his wine and pushed the glass aside. "All of that in almost a decade…"

Saturn nodded. "And that's why we're grateful to earn our keep under him. Nero is not a man to be messed with."

Jason glared down at the table. Someone like that as an enemy is the worst-case scenario. He's so fixed on his goals that the idea of getting him to sign a treaty with Umbra Clock just became that much more impossible. How the hell do we persuade someone who is willing to drag the entire world through flames into giving up his ideals?

"Excuse me, gentlemen." Jason snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the Gardevoir servant entering the dining hall. "My apologies for interrupting, but Emperor Nero has returned and requests your presence. Emperor Orochi will be departing back to Great Gate momentarily."

Nemesis finished the last of his wine and stood up. "Bah. Like I want to spend another second around Nero. Count me out." He marched off before the Gardevoir could protest.

Terminus rolled his eyes before standing and bowing to the servant girl. "The rest of us will be out soon. Thank you." She bowed back and left the hall.

Saturn finished his wine before standing. "Duty calls, Stormbreaker. Best not to keep the emperor waiting." The two soldiers made their way out of the dining hall.

Jason lagged behind, his glare darkening as his mind drifted to the unpredictable Krokorok, before scooting out his seat and following after. "Right…"

With everyone gathered outside the palace, Nero, his father, and his soldiers stood before Orochi and his two bodyguards, their stances formal and upright. Despite himself, Nero humbly bowed to the Seviper emperor. "Regardless of any hard feelings, it was a pleasure having you stay at my abode, Emperor Orochi."

Orochi bowed in return. "You were a most generous host, Emperor Nero. I see a bright future for the likes of our two empires. I hope to return one day and see a proper conclusion to your city's battle royales. Perhaps in my retirement after my dear Riko ascends the throne."

"Heh. Well, I do hope to meet her in person one day. If she is to be my ally, I best get to know how to handle her."

Orochi snickered. "I'm afraid she would be too much for even you to handle."

Nero smirked. "You underestimate me."

Gemini narrowed his eyes dryly. "I can't even tell if he's talking about a meeting in the war room or his bed chamber," he mumbled. Jason looked away, hiding an unintentional snort.

Tiberius bowed. "Thank you again for visiting, Emperor Orochi. We'll be sure to send out your shipments before the end of the month."

"Oh, take your time. I'm in no rush." Orochi nodded to his bodyguards. "[Himura. Takigawa. It is time to depart.]"

The samurai Simisear and assassin Hisuian Sneasel bowed to him. "[By your command, Emperor Orochi.]" They rose and started first down the palace stairs.

However, before Orochi could follow them, they immediately stopped and held their arms out in front of the Seviper. Curious, Nero peered around the snake's head and saw a group of his soldiers marching up to the palace steps, and they appeared to have two people huddled within their formation.

Orochi hissed. "Is this your idea of a joke, Emperor Nero? I hope you weren't planning to hold me hostage."

"I didn't call for them." Nero stepped around his fellow emperor and descended the stairs with Terminus and Jason close behind. Once he reached the bottom step, his soldiers stopped and bowed to the mighty Krokorok who looked upon them in mild annoyance. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Forgive the intrusion, Emperor Nero," the leading Hydreigon soldier apologized. "We escorted your guest to the palace as you instructed."

Nero raised his brow. "Guest? I didn't send for anyone."

"But the letter he carried had your seal marked on it."

Nero groaned. "I'm telling you, I didn't send for anyone. Who the hell did you bring into my city—"

"No need to act so hostile, Emperor Nero. They are doing their jobs, after all."

The emperor narrowed his eyes at the voice in the center of the formation. "Wha…?"

The voice immediately alerted Emperor Orochi from atop the steps. "By Ho-Oh's light, is that…?"

Jason glared. What's going on?

The soldiers parted and let the two guests step toward the emperor. "As you can clearly see, you sent out an invitation to me about two weeks ago. It has your mark, doesn't it?"

Nero's eyes widened, but not at the letter the figure was holding, but at the man himself. His shock settled, and he clenched his teeth and growled in annoyance. "Ugh. You. I completely forgot…"

Jason felt an unnerving chill as he stared at the pair, as if he recognized the leading figure.

Standing next to Nero's guest was a Tinkaton, dressed in a heavy brown cloak with her hammer concealed under it. She wore a pair of goggles over her eyes, perhaps to protect them from the sun.

The guest of honor…was a middle-aged, yet strong-looking Sceptile with an arm made of twisted roots.

"Tch. Well, welcome to Telo Martius…Terrowin."