Unknown Date Year XXXX
Grainy dust of what once was lay beneath their feet.
It dawns on them that they won't get out of this alive. They had sacrificed it all, their humanity, their homes just to bring about the end of their world.
It had been for naught. Even as they were hailed as gods among men, they still failed. There was nothing left but ruin.
"…this is the end, isn't it?" a voice usually so full of color and vibrancy was barely able to utter the words, as it cracked with every syllable.
"..No"
A man as fearless as a pack of wolves was the first to move forward, his crimson eyes blazing with fire as his injured body dragged towards hell itself, the dust had covered most of his ink-stained hair and turned it ashen.
His heart filled with terror as he watched him move further away, his throat too damaged to even whimper. He could not feel the bottom half of his body anymore. The bolder had crushed most of it underneath its hold.
He could not let him go- he had to do something. He had to get this fucking stone off of himself.
He was their leader, wasn't he? What good was he, if he could not even protect them-
Yet his body failed him.
ding!
He was alerted by bare feet hitting the ground next and his head snapped back up, a distinctive bell chiming in the wind.
ding!
Not a step behind his oldest friend, long blonde locks of hair fluttered through the harsh winds as the last addition to their group fell into step with the dust-stained alpha.
He could only watch as red eyes met gold. Like he was stuck in a play, he had no part in. one, that could only end in tragedy - Red eyes softened when their hands laced together to aid him.
Before the alpha could open his mouth, the blonde omega beat him to it "You said you would stay by my side no matter what hell awaits us, I'm making sure you keep your promise" the blonde lightly teased, it sounded almost believable if his eyes weren't abandoned of all light, his smile more of a grimace than genuine
the darker-haired of the two began laughing heartily at the irony. None of them had thought that promise, they'd overheard him make all those eons ago would become reality, but here they were right in front of those damned gates.
Nothing but the inky darkness stared back at them with indifference.
Hell held no mercy for the wicked.
", I-"
"I know, me too"
A self-deprecating smile splayed on their lips. It wasn't lost on him, the way their mouths trembled in their attempt to smile at one another.
"Marry me" the alpha looked too serious, not a hint of doubt on his face, as he took the southerner's hand gently, two of his fingers already lost in the battle "After, when this is all over, marry me" the alpha repeats.
They all knew there would be no after. None of them had the cruelty of heart to point it out.
"you'll show me the northlands?" the southerner asked with a fragility more aligned to a child frightened in the dark. There was none of the airiness left in the omega's voice, his body incapable of continuing the charade.
The pack leader snapped his eyes shut, praying for some sort of mercy- he'd never cared much for the deities above, but he begged anyway, not for himself. He'd gladly die if it meant the rest of his friends would be spared.
'…please'
"from the ice flowers to the frozen lakes. My city, the glass forest, the snow tigers. I'll show it all to you" He could not bear to listen any longer as the tragedy unfolded.
"It'll be an adventure then" the blonde smiled wetly.
"The greatest adventure you've ever seen"
The leader watched as golden eyes turned glassy, the shrill screams of the forsaken all around him. The omega looked at the man next to him, regret consuming his expression.
His chest squeezed into itself. He wanted- he'd just wanted everyone to be safe— they should have never made him their leader, he was unworthy of all six of them.
for a short moment, golden eyes turned to their leader. the blonde nodded at him with a small smile and the dominant alpha was reminded how much he had failed the omega. He'd promised to shoulder all his pain, and yet their roles were reversed.
What good were his promises..? in the end he had not been capable of keeping a single one of them-
Neither of the two even received the chance to properly be together, to court as their customs demanded.
the southerner squeezed the northerner's hand "In this life, in the next one. in every other after that, I'll marry you. I'll give you my all"
Red eyes crinkled into a smile at the declaration.
"I'll find you and I'll court you properly. Prepare to get wooed, princess"
a vow made in blood.
"it is Queen now" the blonde could not help but laugh, the northerner was still grinning as he took the southerner's hand to his lips, uncaring of the bloodied mess it had become, and kissed the back of it, like the thousands of times he'd wished to have done before. His lips lingered for a moment.
"We gave up those titles, didn't we?"
"Indeed we did" the blonde sounded at peace
".. I'll hold you to that promise of yours, northlander. I want a pretty courting gift"
"I'll think of something until next time" sharp canines flashed as the alpha grinned at his almost lover.
With excruciating reluctance, both parted from each other's hold. a lonely tear finally rolled down the omega's cheek, unable to bear to look at the northerner any longer.
There will be no next time, the boy had heeded and he'd only laughed at his warning
"Let my kin carry my mortal shell"
No-
"let the wanderer journey my spirit's unrest"
"Let this friend guard my secret truths"
no..
"as my foe bequeaths my wrongs"
this could not be his reality-
"Let the betrayer steal my trust"
when had the others-!
"as thy savior protects what once was held dear-"
A spell as ancient as the gates themselves left six voices in tandem. He could not breathe. He didn't want to bear the loss of two of them, how was he to survive when all six-
He tried to drag his body up from underneath, terror clawing up his lungs.
It was still not too late to stop them- desperately, his fingers dug into the bloodied dirt underneath. what had remained of his nails scraped against the grueling stone still immobilizing him, but it would not move.
He could hear their voices turn louder, or was it his consciousness blinding itself to everything else?
their words were unclear with the winds howling around them, but he did not need to hear their words to know what they were trying to accomplish.
He could feel it deep into his bones as they began concentrating their essence, their lifeforce trickling out of their marrow as blood would seep through every crevice of their body.
His attempt at moving the bolder turned more frenzied, growling and whimpering as it barely moved an inch. Please no-
He was forced to shut his eyes as a warm glow filled the crater.
Blue and Orange.
Yellow and Green.
Purple and Pink.
Stop! we'll find another way-
"thank you for leading us to victory, " The pack leader had not even realized he'd spoken aloud when the other alpha grinned at the rest of the group with his sharp teeth, red eyes now glowing blue through the black fog focusing on solely on him.
He was frozen into place in horror.
"Thank you for saving us . " Silver hair shielded most of his face, yet the storm still his parting words carried over to him
"..I didn't save you at all-" he choked desperately.
"you did, old friend. in any way a person can be saved, you saved us all" his most trusted bowed to him in gratitude as the pink glow dimmed.
He let out a pained cry, using all of his strength to move the stone. Most of his leg was still under it.
He felt the ground for his sword, the bottom half of his body still unresponsive to his will.
He would remain oblivious, as the six shared one final glance, their mouths opening as they faced the gates of all their doom-
It happened simultaneously. He was finally able to locate his sword. He clutched it tightly, moving towards his upper leg without a second to rethink his actions.
The sound one could only know when standing too close to a butcher slitting through a cattle rang through the field.
Obsidian Steel kissed flesh and bone in a grotesque arch as an oath was raised to the heavens and the earth beneath with the splatter of fresh blood-
His mind always fogged on this part, this is where it all had turned to hell.
"Gods save the-
August 12, Year X1012
"-my Lord, are you sure this plan holds promis-"
"We can't just surrender after all these years-"
"Those alphas are going to kill us-"
Kazutora rolled his eyes. "They won't" He's sure of it…
"How can you know that? You've heard the stories of them. One of their captains even called the Bloody Hallow!" Nicknames were usually exaggerated monickers, though there was still the nagging thought in his mind, that he might truly lead them all to slaughter with this.
"Are you questioning Valhalla's child?!" An elderly woman shouted towards the crowd. the previously outspoken omegas backtracked instantly "of course not!"
"of course not. …it's just-" One woman held her child to her chest with a white-knuckled grip. "..you know how this world treats the lesser kind"
gods did he know.
An omega is only allowed to breathe in this world as long as they are useful to the alphas around them. that is the first rule his sire had taught him.
He'd seen pets with more freedom.
Oh, but it was not all bad. in theory. there were laws to protect them. A possession they may be to them, if one believed in higher powers, they were also seen as a sacred gift from the gods, either to bless or curse you. Kazutora liked to think of himself as the latter. Most people would agree.
Legend said, that were a hand laid upon an omega, misfortune and misery would follow you to your demise. Likewise were you to protect and honor them, you would be regarded as an echelon of society.
Most alphas strived to be seen as such and called themselves gallant and honorable for protecting the weaker kind in times of danger. But here they were, the remaining alphas hiding in his sire's estate as the omegas were left to fend for themselves.
And now a whole brigade of alphas and betas were almost at the doorsteps of their once grand city. The troops of the mainland had already sieged the other four isles, those men were not the only ones ready to end the twelve-year-long rebellion of the southern isles.
Most of the soldiers were probably starved of omega touch, just waiting to get their hands on a willing victim.
And willing they would be. It was hard to claim otherwise when an alpha commanded you. Misfortune could hardly follow someone when an omega didn't object to the touch.
At least Kazutora would be spared of that. His sire's parental teachings-even if unknowingly- had made sure of that. A common alpha would not be able to command him into anything. dominant alphas were a dime in a dozen, so nothing of the sort would befall him.
But the same didn't apply to the remaining five hundred-something people on the isles. To think there were once hundreds of thousands of people living here. Kazutora took the mother's hand.
"I know what I am asking of you all must sound insane. To let the mainlanders come in without any resistance after your spouses and children were slain by their very hands-" His eyes fell to the babe on her chest, fast asleep and oblivious to what may befall them. He had the urge to take a chubby finger for a moment, but the urge left as soon as it came.
He looked back at the young face of the mother, his hand dropping back to his side. She was younger than him by at least a couple of years. She was just a child herself, he realized, her gaze searching for something like assurance, he couldn't give her. He could not falter, his plans could only succeed with their cooperation "But if you wish for the remaining children of these lands to know peace you must comply"
"but what about your father..? His Lordship surely-"
"He's no Lord anymore." Kazutora interrupted, any previous emotion gone from his face. Funnily enough, his sire would agree, though for wholly different reasons. "He forsook that title when he and his followers began the rebellion against the monarchy he swore an oath to. It does not matter what he wants. He will not live to see tomorrow"
"So this is really it? we are blindly putting our faith towards strangers that wish nothing but death to the rebellious traitors of the isles?"
"I am asking you to put your faith in me. I'll ensure no harm will come to you, so I urge you all. Go to your homes and don't come out until it is done. Barricade yourself if you must. Give shelter to those of you with none. Stay with one another"
"what if it was all for naught and you fail?" one of the women closer to his age asked.
"then at least none of you have to go alone" Most of them turned their gaze to the ground. The atmosphere was solemn. Kazutora tried not to get himself swept away by it and stepped away. "It is almost time. spread the message around. Midday I will lower the veil keeping them out. By then all of you should no longer be outside"
"What about you? Surely you don't intend to give yourself up to them" He wasn't. He had different plans for himself entirely.
"do not worry about me now, ladies" He grinned. "I am not caught that easily~"
He twirled around with one last look at them. "I'm off! the estate must be wondering where I am and I shall not keep them waiting-" A hand grabbed his arm before he could walk off. He turned around to see the elderly woman that had spoken up for him in the beginning, crows feet decorating her eyes. Her grey irises glinted with something he couldn't place.
"May the stars bless you, Valhalla's child" He raised his eyebrow at her and considered for a moment if the granny was one of his sire's sympathizers. In the olden days, the heir to the southern isles was called by that title. Back when the isles had still been a kingdom in its own right before the first kings had bent the knee to the House of Sano.
He was reminded of his sire's foolish ambition to make himself a King of a kingdom that had ceased more than a millennia ago.
His face remained carefully blank as he looked down at her, no light reflected in his golden irises as he ripped his arm from her grip, his charade gone.
"I am no one's child"
He was gone before somebody else could stop him.
When he made it to the estate, suspicion crawled up his spine.
Something felt off.
His sire and his small council of loyalists should be loudly rambling about war strategies to turn the tide, that would ultimately fail. Instead, there were some of the few remaining staff members carting barrels with black liquid towards the carriages.
He'd known his sire had ordered them to distribute sacks. So far he'd assumed it was to prepare for the upcoming ambush of the mainlanders, but the barrels were new..
Kazutora snuck inside through one of the staff doors, long abandoned by any actual staff. There were maybe three or four actual staff members still left in all of the estate and all of them were currently doing that.
So far his plans were moving along nicely. For months he'd fed the Toman scouts information. The only thing left to do was to disable the seal holding the veil over the main island as it was currently the last line of the main island's defense. the crown prince would seize the city by nightfall and have his sire's head on a spike as a souvenir for the old King in Central.
The twelve-year-long rebellion of the usurper would come to an end before the sun would herald a new day. Just like in the adventure novels he'd read as a child. Kazutora was surprised at how smoothly everything was working out so far.
He tiptoed up the stairs towards his quarters when a beta staff member noticed him "Lord Kazutora, there you are- We have to get you dressed! Your father has ordered your departure to be hastened" He had a feeling he had screwed himself over with his previous thoughts. "I was not to leave for another week-"
"We have no time. The ship to the Black Dragons will leave soon" The woman took a hold of him dragging him away. He knew this arrangement was made by that man in hopes of strengthening what was left of his man power, after Kazutora had so luckily returned to his side.
Funnily enough, the self-proclaimed King's last resort came in the form of an arranged marriage with a former foe of the kingdom.
It was less funny, that he was the bargaining chip in this.
"the black dragons have proposed a great deal. One hundred thousand men in exchange for you" he'd said to him when he'd entered the man's study a few months ago.
This was the first time he had seen his sire so joyous. The usually stone-faced man had been filled with glee "The tides of this war will turn in my favor!"
Omegas were a rare breed indeed. male omegas even more so. Rumored to have the ability to birth Dominant Alphas they were coveted, regardless of their station. Granted most did not survive childbirth, but it was a price to be paid. The False King could have gotten a Million men if he had played his cards right. Unlike in these walls, those people were not aware that the bargaining chip was damaged goods.
And by the time they would have realized, in his sire's delusion the war for the throne would have already been won and no consequence could befall him as king of the realm. Kazutora suppressed an eye roll.
"By the next full moon, you shall be in Black dragons' territory"
Sure, like Kazutora would have let that happen. Getting married to the second coming of stupidity in the form of Madarame Shion of all people. There was certainly a reason, years ago, rookies in their first great battle were able to defeat his troops in a matter of days. And now those same rookies were his sire's biggest obstacle. Arrogance had cost him, but men like him never learned.
By the time he was able to form a proper thought again, he was already in full wedding attire. A long gown with an unnecessarily tight corset was constricting his ribcage. in the southern isles corsets were scarcly used, but his sire was trying to make an impression on his new allies, it was expected of him to conform to their customs. A white veil was cascading down the back of his head his hair done in an intricately braided updo. He would have been impressed at the feat, considering that his hair barely reached his shoulders.
"Let us go to present you to your father-"
"Could you wait outside for a moment?"
"We have no time-" the maid argued, fearful of her master's wrath.
"Please? I am about to leave the only home I've ever known. I just want a moment to bid farewell" Kazutora gave her his most pitiful puppy-eyed look, that disarmed even the harshest governess he'd had.
"Fine. But you'll only have a minute" The beta stepped outside and Kazutora immediately went to work, shoving the box from under his bed open. He had no intention to arrive at that shoddy island, inhabiting his revolting dog of a fiancee. He cleared out a few old letters, his fingers lingered only for a moment, the bad handwriting throwing him, before discarding the thought. Finally, his hand touched the cold hilt of metal. He carefully pulled the dagger out. It was the length of his upper arm, the hilt itself carved with intricate constellations. The celestial bronze lay heavy in his hand before he quickly put it back in its sheath and strapped it to his thigh.
A knock on the door had him almost drop the dagger before it was tightly strapped in. "We really must go now-"
"I'm coming!" he called out, he quickly moved to the door before he backtracked to his boots, grabbed a much smaller knife, and shoved it in his corset.
Better safe than sorry.
At least the corset was tight enough, that the weapon wouldn't just fall out. That would be rather awkward to explain.
He was dragged towards the war room, where all those great alphan minds were coming together, to put a wrench in his plans. Not that he'd let them.
his stomach dropped when he came to the door. "-main island has been allocated. As soon as you give the signal, they will detonate. the Toman scoundrels shall not have anything but ashes to conquer, just as you wished"
"And you made sure not one spot would be left?"
"Indeed. The whole city and every living organism will burn before the sun reaches its highest point" Kazutora masked his shock as he watched all the men cheer around the table. His sire's cold eyes were indifferent to it. As if he hadn't just ordered for all of his remaining subjects to be murdered in cold blood. His hand unconsciously went to hover over the dagger.
His loyalists, too were laughing and clinking their cups together as they spoke of the atrocity they were about to commit. Parchment paper with doomed war strategies lay astray on the big stone table.
"What are you speaking of?" It took him a moment to realize that it was him who had spoken as all heads turned to him.
Most of the men leered at him and his sire did nothing to stop them, cold eyes narrowed as he stared him down. He was only an ant to the man. One that he would squash under the sole of his immaculate boot if it no longer had use for him. He'd done so before.
Kazutora unconsciously straightened, but didn't look away. The man hated it when he did that.
"Nothing that concerns you. Go wait in my office"
"Yes, father" he said through clenched teeth. Everybody in this room knew what stepping into the office would entail. He'd only have to endure it for another few hours, he told himself. It was all for the greater good.
"I'll gladly escort him, your majesty" one of the more bold men spoke up. "we wouldn't want him to disappear again, would we?" the man sneered. Yashida - He was the same age as his father, with silver streaks decorating the crown of his head. His best years were long past him. No one had told him by the way he gave Kazutora a self-satisfied smirk.
The man always seemed to take a lot of pleasure in tormenting him. He loved to point out his disappearances, whether he'd been gone for hours or years. Kazutora suppressed the urge to wrinkle his nose. It would not do him any favors right now.
"He has to stay presentable for his intended" was his sire's only remark on the matter, before his attention went back to the advisors next to him. Not bothering with the ant anymore. Of course. Kazutora was not surprised. He would have been shocked if he had actually intervened on his behalf.
Kazutora curtsied as was expected of him and turned right back the way he came from. Yashida was close behind him.
"You look particularly ravishing today, dearest Kazutora" Kazutora was very glad for the fact that he was spared of the ability to smell any pheromones, otherwise he'd be emptying his stomach all over the hallway if he so much got a whiff of the man's lustful pheromones.
However, it didn't make him immune to the unfortunate arm taking hold of his waist, nor his stinky breath in his face. "Can't his Lordship not at least wait until we leave the hallway?" The grip tightened. Kazutora's face remained carefully blank.
"Cheeky today, are we?" Kazutora took a desolate breath before shifting his face to a much more forthcoming and eager expression. He couldn't falter so close to the finish line.
"the homesickness is already setting in, is all, my Lord. I apologize" Kazutora gave him a shy smile as he averted his eyes. Alphas like him loved it when the lesser gender was unable to meet their gaze.
"Indeed it would be a tragedy, you would have been dearly missed" the man breathed into his ear. Kazutora unconsciously ducked away, before reprimanding himself and sliding back to the man's embrace. It would all be over soon. Just a few more hours.
"I'm afraid I don't follow, My Lord. would have?"
"Ah! I forgot nobody bothered to tell you. But as part of the marriage arrangement, the Black Dragons agreed to host all of us, which is rather splendid I must say! I heard their cuisine is divine. Not to mention I don't have to part from you now. We shall enjoy you for a long time. The gods truly blessed us. And those trifling Toman peasants will be left with nothing but a graveyard!" the man barked out before cackling to himself.
Kazutora swallowed, trying to focus on the important matters first. He could digest the man's obsessions later. "graveyard, My Lord?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion. He didn't even have to fake that part.
"As soon as we leave for the Black Dragon Territory, all five isles will go down in black flames. Your future spouse graciously provided your father with highly concentrated explosive tar. One spark will be enough to set off all of the detonators. The fire will consume everything in its path in a matter of seconds. The mana laced into it would even put that blue fire-spitting Toman captain to shame. Gods, I hope it manages to take the overblown crown prince and his lot out with it"
Kazutora distinctively remembered the old sack of shit had lost all of his four sons to said entourage. His mind was still reeling. this tar to be so destructive that it would rival the greatest fire-mana user in the history of the country was concerning to put it mildly. "and how will you detonate it?" He giggled forcefully into the man's side.
"His Majesty of course will trigger it as soon as we have reached a safe distance. The spell will only react to his voice" The man brushed his lips past Kazutora's neck. Goosebumps unwillingly appeared. By the looks of it, the man just got more excited at his body's reaction. Never mind that it was out of disgust.
"what happens if gods forbid something happened to him?" Kazutora looked fearfully at the man. "Do not fret, child. Your father will remain unharmed" Kazutora sighed in relief, which meant that were his father to die, their plan would not come to fruition.
This just meant that Kazutora would have to speed up his plans, his hand went to his thigh. He had hoped it would not come to this. It would ruin the perfect ending to the story he'd put together. He rolled his neck, his consciousness wandering to the furthest corner of his mind.
How unpleasant, he thought, before memory deserted him.
"I should thank you properly for always taking the time to explain everything to me" Yoshida became excited as he looked at the omega lifting his dress. All the more satisfying was the dumbfounded expression on his face when Kazutora looked back up at him with indifference, the blankness of his eyes a bottomless pit of blackness, the gold expelled to the outer edges of his irises before his pupils turned to slits. His voice had lost all lightness it previously had
"the invasion wouldn't have been realized without you"
the man instinctively stepped back. The mood had shifted yet he didn't know what the cause was, the only thing registering was his alpha instincts screaming at him to run. It didn't feel like he was standing in front of the same omega he walked into the hallway with.
Golden eyes glowed, never leaving him as Yashida shifted further away, his body trembling. the urge to run came to the forefront of his mind. Yet he couldn't move. His instincts told him not to make too quick of a movement, lest it cost him his life.
He didn't know what happened. How had he become the prey? His eyes unconsciously trailed towards the omega's tattoo, more specifically the beast branded on his neck. Sweat rolled down his back. His eyes unwillingly went back to the glowing eyes awaiting him.
This was no omega at all.
How had he- no, all of them been so oblivious to the tiger wearing sheep's clothing. His mind went back to the tattoo and he wanted to hit himself. The beast had never hid what he was.
He readied his mana into his trusted sword, passed down for generations in his family when he felt the shift in the air. Like an oppressive shackle circling itself around his neck, his mana vanished before it could even fully manifest. His eyes widened in alarm, his head immediately snapping back to the intimidating figure in front of him, and he stumbled back. "w-wha-"
"Sorry, no mana for you today~ You wanted to enjoy me, did you not?" the voice sing-songed in a mockery of his previous words.
The golden eyes had widened into dinner plates, a grin decorated his face. One would think it disarming in its description, but Yashida couldn't help but recoil. The omega looked insane, the unhinged expression seemingly enjoying the distress in the man as he toyed with him. In that moment realisation hit the alpha.
little, scrawny Hanemiya Kazutora didn't even see him as a threat.
Before he could even beg for mercy his head rolled to the floor. the expression on his face didn't even get the chance to switch to surprise.
The omega whistled an old folk tune as he kicked the head away like a ball. He cleaned the sheath of his dagger on the side of his ivory dress, before strolling back towards the direction he'd come from with a spring to his step.
one down. twenty-seven more to go~
It was a blood bath, he dully noted. He had left his sire for last, he realized.
His thigh throbbed with the deep gash his sire must have put there. His own breath halted, watching the fear in the man's so, so wretched, cursed golden eyes (what was left of them) disappear into emptiness.
He had it coming~
The superior gender bows to only one's own ego. he snorted.
In the end, his reaction to death was no different from the rest. Begging. Pleading.
(Kazutora used to plead too)
He wet himself as well. His sire that is. Blabbering, Bargaining for his life. Searching for compassion in the wrong place. Honestly, the man should have known better. Kazutora was his offspring, was he not? compassion was in their genetic code
(Kazutora made sure to take his time before killing him. Memories flood his mind of him heating the old man's old rusty knife, which he'd used to teach Kazutora particularly harsh lessons within the fireplace while he listened to "p-please Kazutora stop' enjoying his cries. Kazutora didn't know what to make of these memories now.
He watched him lie in his own bodily fluids. The blood had ruined the carpet he realized. His sire's study looked vastly different than it did just an hour ago. or was it two now? maybe even more? When had they even moved to the study? Destroyed furniture ripped apart, and littered maps made it hard to walk in a clear line to the window to check.
He could almost taste the iron in the air. Mixed with his sire's excrement. Truly revolting. But anything was better than the tobacco and lavender that usually coated this room. this house. This city. What a mess his sire had made. And like always it was up to Kazutora to clean up after him.
He looked out the window and his eyes widened. Evening was almost here.
His knees buckle. He quickly held himself on the windowsill. Tiredness overcame him. Like his body was finally registering the strain it was put under. He felt cold, too. so so so cold shivers ran up and down his spine. He tried to stifle the tremors, but his body wouldn't obey him. The hand still clutching the knife trembled. What was wrong with him? It felt like the limb did no longer belong to him.
The blood on him had long since cooled off. Sticking uncomfortably to his skin and clothes. His limbs felt a lot heavier. He suddenly had the urge to take a nap, closing his eyes just for a moment, the blurriness too much to handle.
The adrenaline must have exited his body, he concluded. The only thing left was a distinctive sound of haggard breathing (must've been his own) and the crackling of the last embers of fire.
No one was left. He must have killed them all. He could still hear their screams, their obscenities before he snuffed the light out of their eyes.
What had he done?
Bodies littered the hallway, all the way to the grand entrance downstairs. He made sure none of these warmongers were able to flee. It felt like eons had passed since-
He was so sleepy, rubbing his uncovered eye with his free hand before remembering how bloody it was. And now his face was as well. Disgusting. He ripped the least dirtied part of his dress just to remove the stains cloying his eyelashes together. At least his sight cleared a bit.
But he wasn't allowed to sleep just yet. His plan wasn't finished. He went through his mental checklist.
The civilians were ordered to not leave their homes. the troops would soon arrive. The gates to the estate were open for the taking.
The least amount of casualties was the goal. Kazutora saw to it. a lopsided smile crept onto his face. He had planned his sire's downfall meticulously. It had taken him years. He'd sacrificed the freedom he had been gifted all those years ago for this moment.
That man's greed knew no bounds and destroyed their isles in a matter of short years. The legacy their ancestors had built for centuries trampled beneath one man's lust for power.
The Valhalla Isles were a shell of what they used to be. When he was young, their ports were the center of trade with foreign countries. The most southern region of the empire. the first defense against foreign invasions for the crown.
Instead, it became its biggest enemy as the noble families of the south - with the warden of the isles front and center -started rebelling against their monarchs for power. Taking advantage of their moment of vulnerability to strike. Killing the crown prince Well that was on you, wasn't it?
He gasped at the sudden thought flashing through his mind. Don't think about that, he chastised himself.
And now his younger brother was out for their blood. Most of the traitorous families had already been slain by him. The dominant alpha had yet to lose a battle. The Invincible he was nicknamed. It was funny to think that the general and his commanders were Kazutora's age. In another life, they might even have been friends. What a ridiculous thought..
For years Kazutora fed his sire's enemies just the right amount of information. Watching his plans be foiled one after the other, covering his tracks, though unnecessarily as he was never deemed a threat, with his weak omegan constitution and all. He had a front-row seat to his sire slipping further into paranoia with every news of another fallen ally on the battlefield.
Too much of a coward to go to the battlefield himself now that the Invincible was too much of a threat to him. There were barely any soldiers left on their fronts. His sire would have never won. But his arrogance fueled by his advisors was unable to face reality.
Originally, he had intended for his sire to die by their adversaries' hands at the cusp of spring. Poetically symbolizing a new beginning for the Southern Isles as the decade-long war would come to an end.
His sire hated the fine arts to a T, calling them senseless endeavors for the weak. So Kazutora had been really looking forward to all the songs being written about his pathetic loss.
Maybe even a play would have been made. The traitor to the Crown was finally slain, without Kazutora ever having to lift a finger.
But the summer before, where the enemy was slain was a pleasant second choice. He'd just have to make sure, that even though no longer possible, the common folk would be under the impression it was the actual heir to the throne that had put an end to the usurper.
Otherwise, it really would have been for naught.
Kazutora would have only had to see to his own death to ensure the extinction of the duchy that was the Hanemiya Clan. Well, former now that he thought about it. The moment the usurper chose the rebellion, they lost their titles. Not that they meant much anyway.
He made sure that any if not every major strategy of their war council was eliminated in favor of his own tampered ones.
Sometimes he went as far as sending them to noble omegas of the other fraction. He knew the Toman troops were under the impression that their scouts remained undetected, but Kazutora could sniff out an omega immediately, especially a noble one. They never quite managed to discard their grace, drilled into them by a governess most likely. He would know. He used to have one breathing down his neck as well.
so the written letters with all their swirly handwriting were quite the giveaway. They didn't scream commoner, just trying to get by as they very much tried to make him believe. But Kazutora never corrected them in his own letters either. Always making sure an actual merchant was the one to take them to the mainland. He couldn't really afford to leave the isles.
Even if it was great that nobody bothered to acknowledge their kind most of the time, there were still risks not to be taken too lightly. Kazutora decided early on to take full advantage of his invisibility. He built his information network from scratch with the help of other omegas, that had taken to fleeing the isles. His omegan spies reach far and wide all over the divided kingdom. And the big players with their great battle plans and swords stayed none the wiser.
It was rather satisfactory to watch his sire slowly lose his mind as one front after the other collapsed in a matter of days. He silently rejoiced every time the war room became a shouting match full of accusations against one another.
It was almost worth the concurring drunken wrath his sire let out on him. At least he knew how to shut his mind off when it happened. He had trained himself well. He rarely had any memories of it afterward. And the bruises were easier to cover as his sire made sure to at least spare his face, since it was 'useful' as he'd liked to call it.
The crown's soldiers should arrive soon. The last missive told of the crown prince and his commanders successfully seizing the last front that stood before Valhalla.
Looking out the window though he came to the startling realization that the sun descended a while ago. Darkness slowly creeping in. He calculated enough time to ensure his escape from the estate.
How long had he been standing there frozen in time?
They had not arrived yet. So, there was still time-
clank! clank! clank!
He heard it suddenly. the distinctive sound only armor could make. The heaviness in their steps Slow but surely on their way. How had his mind failed to register them?
a lot of people were about to arrive. It was too late to run now. He contemplated opening the doors for them. That would be hilarious. He giggled. And now that he had started, he couldn't seem to stop himself. Something made him look back at the corpse lying by his feet. His wedding attire was definitely ruined. The least his sire could have done is not bleed all over him. He wouldn't have time to change now. That made him snort for some reason.
He looked at that man's contorted visage again. "Hey Duke Hanemiya, no King Hanemiya, right?- hey listen to me" he kicked at his face a couple of times, stifling his chuckles.
"Look alive, will you? Guests are about to arrive" he didn't know what made him start talking, but it was funny so he didn't bother stopping. "It's unbecoming of a man of your status to not greet his guests properly"
He crouched down, gripping the corpse's face.
"So ugly" he murmured looking at the blotchy face, blood was everywhere so it was really difficult to tell where his eyes- well eye - he must have gouged one of them out- started and where the rest should be located. "I always hated it when anyone said I looked like you. You're really ugly y'know? And I'm pretty for a fact. A lot of people told me. More importantly, a lot of pretty people told me. Granted they worked at the pleasure district, but that just proves my point. They've seen a lot of ugly mugs" he continued laughing, remembering stumbling upon the district once upon a time. the omegas had been lovely to be around. He wondered what might have become of them.
"Sheesh what a way to kill one's confidence. Anyway where was I?" he mused tapping his sticky pointy finger on his cheek.
"Ah yes, you're ugly" Here he was in his supposed wedding dress, covered in blood. The corpse of the monster beneath his bed before him was covered in his own piss and blood. It was hilarious. And he couldn't stop hysterically laughing. he was surely losing it.
"I killed so many people. I guess you were right…. I am a cursed monster"
The more it continued the more hysterical he felt, but he couldn't stop. He probably should have tried getting away before it was too late. But he was rooted in place, guffawing, clutching his sides, his laughter echoing through the halls.
Ahhhh when was the last time he had laughed so much? He'd enjoy it while he still could.
Being stuck in a house full of alphas was gonna suck. He might have told his people to barricade, that the troops probably wouldn't just descend upon them like starving animals. But the same didn't go for him. He was the offspring of the man who had caused them to enlist on the war front. He was fucked all way to hell.
He snickered. Feeling the hilt of his knife still clutched in his hand.
Ahh, He should probably end it, he hummed to himself. Yes, that sounded good. Before anybody could defile him. Not that there was much to defile anyway. That ship sailed long ago, he idled along, skipping over the corpse.
Well since he would not have time to burn his own body, they could still defile his body, he contemplated. Hmm...
Well, that was a problem for dead Kazutora, he chuckled. Mirth still dancing around his eyes, before he decidedly closed them. He didn't really want this room to be the last thing he saw before dying. Darkness was a better option. It wasn't that scary anymore.
He held the knife to his neck tattoo, that covered his scarred scent gland. He wondered what he could have smelt like if life had been kinder, what could have become of him...
But alas he would never know. Scentless, unwanted omega that he was. He grinned. It felt more like a grimace at this point, but nobody needed to know that.
He felt like a guest in his own body, floating above his physical being. He saw himself cutting in slow motion. The mouth of the tiger on his neck slowly dripped blood as the knife carved along.
Yet-
Before he even had the chance to slice deeper than the surface-
a tight grip enclosed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
His eyes fluttered open to a very strong hand encircling his wrist. He felt himself struggling to think, acting on pure instinct.
He tried moving but he was not given an inch by this brute. The hand around his own clutching harder. He hissed in pain, and the pressure finally let up. Making him drop his knife altogether with a hiss.
Finally-
Wait, nobody but he was supposed to be alive. How was a hand holding-
the distinctive smell of pine, smoke, and something he couldn't identify hid his nose full force. It felt like he was transported into the middle of the woods, with a campfire burning. The more he tried to avert breathing it in, the more his body betrayed him. His lungs couldn't seem to be getting enough of it. Did this man walk through a burning pine forest before coming here? It was a ridiculous thought, considering there were no actual pine trees in the isles.
He felt his body sagging into itself like a pathetic balloon losing air. But something held him up by his waist. Why was Kazutora's body leaning into it? He should be recoiling from it.
For the first time in a long time, an actual fear crept up his spine. He had never lost control of himself like this. His breathing became harder.
Something gently touched his cheek and his eyes immediately snapped up. Dark long hair in a ponytail. Just a few strands were out of place. He fought the urge to tuck them behind the stranger's ear. Thick eyebrows were furrowed in concern bewilderment. Thick lashes surrounded sharp eyes.
He inhaled sharply, eyes widening.
Gold met Rusty Red. ("You'll come find me, right?")
His knees buckled beneath him. Yet the grip on him remained steady, saving him from crumbling to the ground.
What-
He looked further down. He was met with the infamous crest of the crown embedded in black and gold armor.
Oh.
Oh shit!
Toman had arrived.