Osorekaku-machi – Town Archives

"[No, no, no…NO! AGH!]"

Hatsu and Bansyou stood by the archives doorway, watching as Kiho tore through the shelves left and right, throwing scrolls and splashing ink over the ground. The Wormadam archivist hanging on the wall cowered in the corner, fearful of the mad cow's rampage.

"[How long has she been at that?]" Bansyou asked.

Hatsu shrugged. "[Twenty minutes?]" She tilted her head, dodging an entire shelf that smashed through the wall.

Kiho dragged her hands through the fur on her head, growling. "[That girl can't be any older than nineteen or twenty! I combed through every file I had on the exams within that timeframe, and there's not a single one mentioning a Buneary named Momo!]"

"[Maybe she skipped a year?]" Hatsu, once again, tilted her head and dodged two entire shelves being thrown her way.

"[This isn't funny!]" Kiho snapped.

"[I was completely serious.]"

Bansyou stepped between them, shoving his ears in their faces. "[Alright, both of you, chill out!]"

"[She's the one throwing stuff at me]" Hatsu said blandly.

"[I will kill you!]" Kiho roared.

Bansyou slammed his ears down, shaking up the archives and knocking the distressed Wormadam down from the safety of the ceiling. It calmed Kiho a bit, or at least enough to get her to back off.

The Diggersby sighed and asked, "[How confident are you that this isn't just a filing error? We've been through thousands of Takigawa by now. There's bound to be one that slipped past our notice. We can't keep track of everyone.]"

Kiho glared. "[There is no way someone like that escaped my notice. You saw how badly Gen got beat up. The reports speak for themselves. My house was standing one moment, the next it was flattened into a pile of wood.]" She scowled. "[I would definitely remember if she was assigned to train under someone outside the clan.]"

Hatsu scratched her chin. "[You don't suppose she's a spy.]"

Kiho broke out into laughter with a snort. "[A spy? Really? What idiot would actually sneak into Osorekaku and pose as a Takigawa? You'd have to be an idiot to fall for that!]"

"[Says the Miltank who's having a crisis of faith over her memory—]"

Kiho instantly kicked Hatsu square in the chest. The Passimian went flying back, yet remained perfectly postured as she gripped her toes into the floor. She stopped in front of the entrance, her dead-eyed expression remaining.

"…ow."

Kiho took a deep breath and finally calmed herself down, easing the tension in her muscles. "[Fine. Let's assume for a moment she is a spy. What exactly does she want?]"

"[Maybe it has something to do with Lady Amano's ascension ceremony?]" Bansyou guessed.

Kiho groaned, aggressively scratching her neck. "[Then why waste her time chitchatting down here? If she wanted to do something about the ceremony, she should be up in the capital.]"

Hatsu narrowed her eyes. "[You said she was with someone.]"

"[Tch. Some pretty boy Prinplup in armor. I don't know.]"

"…" Hatsu stared at her sister in mild annoyance. "[A…shiny Prinplup?]"

"[Yeah. How'd you know?]"

"[That's the eldest son of Lord Zennami.]"

"…" Kiho stared blankly at the Passimian. "[…What?]"

"[You have the worst tunnel vision, I swear.]"

Bansyou frowned. "[So, why is he here?]"

Kiho crossed her arms and groaned. "[It's not like he's prohibited from entering Osorekaku, but no one invited him as far as I know.]" She glared. "[Something's off about all of this. I don't trust those two in my town.]"

Hatsu glared. "[What's the plan, then?]"

"…" Kiho smirked. "[What plan is there? We're just going to do what we always do to problematic pests.]" Her left eye erupted with bloodlust. "[No point debating over a problem when we can just crush it.]"

Basil observed the trio outside the archives, skittering back onto the roof for privacy. He scratched his cheek, grunting. He had a feeling something like this would come up. With Marie's early capture, one of their problematic targets was showing her fangs.

There's no way they'll clear out of Osorekaku in time. A fight's inevitably going to break out. I could try manipulating the scene more…

He paused. Then he sighed.

She's going to find out eventually. There's no getting around it. Knowing her, she'll want to find a different way.

Basil stood up and glared over the town's horizon, sparks dancing off his hands.

Sorry, Melissa, but the fantasy ends here. You're about to learn the dark side of fairy tales.

Meanwhile…

Upon his return to his manor, Hidekage was greeted with Hanzo's arrival at the entrance. The Sneasler graciously invited the young lord into his home, ignoring the hole in the front entrance that was still under construction.

Servants gathered, setting up snacks and drinks as the two knelt around the table. Hanzo removed his scabbards and rested them on the floor by his side, as well as removing the tank on his back. It disconnected from the tubes feeding into his armor.

Once the arrangements were made, the servants bowed twice and made themselves scarce, leaving the two lords to themselves.

Hidekage put on his friendliest smile. "[Lord Himura, I am honored you made the journey down to see me. I am terribly sorry for the wait. I should've told you I was visiting the capital. It slipped my mind.]"

Hanzo bowed his head. "[I was willing to make the journey, and I didn't mind waiting. There's no need to prolong the matter. I'm just here to get your signatures for your next shipment of black powder.]"

Hidekage laughed. "[Oh, no need for the formalities. My servants went through the trouble of preparing these lovely foods. Surely, you could indulge for a moment.]"

He shook his head. "[I already ate.]"

"[They're not poisoned, if that's what you're concerned about.]" Hidekage grabbed a sweet bun and tore a chunk out of it. "[Mmm, delicious.]" He grinned. "[I really must thank you again for capturing Makiko. A shame she went down the path she did.]"

"…" Hanzo narrowed his eyes. "[Yes. Very tragic.]"

Hidekage leaned back on his hand and sighed. "[I spent all that time making her into a perfect assassin, and she throws away all my hard work. I have far too many projects I want to complete before my time in this world is up.]" He grinned. "[Perhaps I can have Takato finally wrest that formula that has escaped my grasp.]"

Hanzo raised his brow. "[Excuse me?]"

"[Oh, don't mind me. My eldest will be on business with Arcania soon. They have mastered the art of alchemy, you know. I even heard they have a potion that allows incompatible Pokémon to have children. It would…broaden the future of the Takigawa Clan to have more options.]"

The fur on the back of Hanzo's neck tingled. This man…

Hidekage waved it off. "[Could never get them to cough it up, but maybe my luck will change soon enough.]" He smirked. "[Enough of that. I'm glad to see Shizuka has been progressing under the elite guard. She performed excellently.]"

"[She still has much to learn, but she has potential like her sister]" Hanzo stated. "[I could even see a future where she becomes the captain of the elite guard in my place. She just needs time to mature.]"

Hidekage propped his knee up, resting his arm over it. "[Indeed. She's proven more useful than I anticipated. That's the tragedy of having so many children. A lot of them turn out to be disappointments. They can either serve as fodder for the truly special, or they die to spare themselves the embarrassment.]"

Hanzo maintained a neutral expression the best he could, resisting the urge to reach for one of his swords. "[That…seems a tad harsh, Lord Takigawa.]"

"[Come now, even your father knows how I operate my clan. I rarely pick specimens without a purpose. I breed the strongest children with my special bloodline to create unstoppable soldiers. Some Takigawa are just born unlucky. I do my best to make sure they reach their full potential, but sometimes your full potential is just…not good enough.]"

"…" Hanzo clenched his fists. "[I don't agree with that line of reasoning.]"

Hidekge chuckled. "[You've seen your fair share of combat, Lord Himura, but not quite like me.]"

He shook his shoulder until the right side of his kimono fell off. Hanzo glared as the old Sneasler lifted his right arm. Everything up to the elbow was replaced with a wooden mechanism vaguely resembling his arm. It resembled a thick wooden paddle with three metallic, purple-colored claws sunken into the frame on the end. He could hear it making a ticking sound like gears turning periodically. Hanzo could see some scarred burns up past the elbow.

"[A Takigawa's purpose is to survive. That's it.]" With a fanciful flick, the sunken claws sprung out of the wooden mechanism, extending to the length of a Sneasler's claws. "[Have I ever told you about why I came into power, Lord Himura?]"

"[I've heard stories.]"

"[Well, let me give you a refresher. I was a child during the Assassin Wars. My clan was a prominent power among assassins, though nowhere near the status it is today. Of course, times were changing, and assassins were becoming…unruly, to say the least.]" Hidekage glared. "[Utano Otohime, Great Gate's Sorceress of Disaster, was the one who destroyed my clan. So effortlessly, too. I barely managed to escape. My family was wiped out without resistance. Were they weak? Or was she just unstoppable? Who knows? Either way, I had nothing left to my name. Digging through the earth, clawing my way up from the bottom, scrounging for the tiniest morsel of food. It's amazing what we creatures can survive.]

"[I eventually discovered I was different from my fallen family. I wasn't just a survivor. I was…unique. Under normal circumstances, evolution comes from desire. In our wilder days, it was a means to get stronger in the face of death. Nowadays, it's a mental gain. Hardened warriors seek evolution to grow stronger. Others, by force of will, evolve into a form they're most comfortable with. Some are happy staying in their weakest state.]" Hidekage smirked. "[I once met this old Tyrogue. Despite his weaker form, he was a formidable swordsman. I can only imagine how powerful he would've been in an evolved form. A shame that I killed him, but he put up a remarkable fight.]"

Hanzo glared. "[What's your point?]"

"[I experienced similar cases of hysterical strength in times of crisis, but I can't actually evolve without a sharpened claw. I discovered my unique blood. I could increase my strength in small increments in times of great peril. The closer I am to death, the greater these increments. I experimented on the conditions to bring it out for years. I've discovered its effects are strongest in one's weakest state. I've experienced less and less of these growths after I evolved. The last one I ever received was during my last mission in Arcania.]" He retracted his mechanical claws. "[Doctors say it's some form of mutation, a kind that has more beneficial applications than detrimental.]

"[When I had Takato with my first wife, certain…circumstances allowed me to see the potential of my blood. It was a genuine curiosity at first, the worries of a father hoping his son didn't experience some random disorder that could hamper his life. But when I realized what Takato was capable of at a young age, I wondered how far my blood could boost a Pokémon's innate potential. So, in order to rebuild my clan and test my theories, I had more children. Little by little, I studied the effects of my blood. I got bolder in my approach, pushing the limits each day. I couldn't help myself. And when I helped Orochi take the seat of power, I was in a position to push those limits as far as I wished.]

"[I sought exceptional women with these kinds of bloodline traits to see how my blood could benefit my offspring. The results? Well, look at what I've created. My children might as well be the next stage of evolution themselves. I just can't help myself. It's like an artist moving on to his next big masterpiece after the last. I've created a clan that'll never die. It's funny. I am the last survivor of the original clan, and now I've made it virtually impossible for my bloodline to go extinct. Isn't that something, Lord Himura?]"

"…" Hanzo glared. "[What was this drunken ramble about exactly?]"

"[I've only had five drinks before I got here.]" Hidekage laughed, tucking his mechanical arm back under his kimono. "[You're the one who said my reasons for raising my children the way I do were harsh. The only thing I desire is the Takigawa Clan's survival. I've had so many children over the years that I've even lost track of a few dozen who don't even know I'm their father.]" He sighed. "[And every once in a while, you lose track of an egg. Funny story about that, actually. I was experimenting with this one bloodline that had an exceptional talent for using Sheer Cold—]"

Hanzo cleared his throat, regaining the Sneasler's attention. "[Regardless, in all your efforts to keep your clan alive, you've bred contempt from your children. Some who may wish to see you dead.]"

Hidekage smirked. "[I've had a few dozens squabbles here and there. Some wished to take my place as head of the clan, and I welcome the ambition. After all, if I were to die, then I no longer would have right to be the lord of the Takigawa. But if they want to kill me, they have to be prepared to bear the responsibility of that honor.]"

"…" Hanzo's glare deepened.

"[Do you want to kill me, Hanzo? I can see that hate in your eyes. You hide it well, but…well, there's a bit of bloodlust in there I admire.]" Hidekage snickered. "[You know, our two clans are so close, it wouldn't hurt if you were part of the family.]"

"…" Hanzo huffed. "[I'm devoted to my wife and child. If you intend to pawn off one of your daughters to me, I must respectfully decline.]" The venom in his tone was barely contained.

Hidekage shrugged. "[I figured you would say that. Oh well, I tried.]" He passed over the signed documents. "[I won't take up more of your time, Lord Himura. I thank you again for your continued support of the clan. I'll let you know what my latest experiments with the black powder entails.]"

"…" Hanzo stood up, strapping his scabbards and tank back on, and marched toward the entrance.

Hidekage picked up a gourd of wine and guzzled it. He sighed, wiping his lips. "[One more thing, Hanzo…]"

The Simisear stopped in front of the door.

"[The Himura Clan holds a great deal of influence in the empire. I'd be wise to remember your loyalties once you start working with Empress Amano in the future. We're all seeking a peaceful Virdis, but you must remember your place in all of this. We've been at this game longer than you.]"

"…" Without another word, Hanzo exited the Takigawa Manor.

Hidekage smirked. "[And an exceptional talent like yourself would be a terrible waste.]"

Mochizuki Hideout

Each passing day felt like another weight being added to their shoulders. The rebellion against Emperor Amano, after years of painstaking operation and meticulous planning, was a mere stone's throw away. The tension was palpable among the three clans who would storm the capital. Their actions will not make change overnight, but will see a shift in the empire's spirit.

Failure was not an option.

In preparation for the raid, Purin was hard at work making tools for the vanguard of their small army. With many powerful foes standing in their way, their rivals of the Takigawa Clan specifically, they needed every ounce of advantage they could muster.

Shingo watched his cousin work, still wondering what matter of contraption she had thought up for him. He had insisted he didn't need much, but there was no stopping the Fraxure once she had a project on the mind.

After what felt like hours, she set her tools down and unveiled the thin bracer she had been working on. "[Hold out your arm.]"

He obeyed and let her attach the item to his arm. She meddled with the straps until it was securely fastened. He stood up, waving his arm around to get a feel for the weight. "[Barely noticeable. Doesn't hamper movement at all.]"

Purin laughed, adjusting her lensed patch. "[I am a perfectionist toward my craft. Now then, place your hand over the bracer and channel those little Cut needles you make.]"

He did as told, funneling his energy through the bracer. He could feel his energy naturally shaping itself within the bracer.

"[Next, pull back on the bracer twice.]"

He did, and he heard a clicking sound inside.

"[Aim at the wall and squeeze your palm. You should feel a small trigger resting near your palm.]"

Shingo aimed and squeezed the hidden trigger, causing the bracer to unload a barrage of Cut needles into the wall. Shingo gasped. "[That's…]"

Purin laughed. "[Yep! Pulling on the bracer once lets you fire single shots. Twice unloads the whole thing. Thrice returns it to its dormant state. This will give you a bit of range to distract your opponents and throw them off their guard.]"

Shingo smiled. "[I never doubted your skill for a second, dearest cousin.]"

"[Yes, yes, I know. Keep praising me]" she said jokingly.

"[You would get along well with Pandora Day.]"

"[That's the crazy Growlithe you wrote about in your letters, right?]"

Shingo laughed. "[The very same.]"

A knock sounded on the Fraxure's door, and Daiki let himself in. "[Hey, Brother! Sorry to interrupt, but I want to get some training done. I made a new formula for my quicklime clones, and none of the Zennami guys want to help.]"

Shingo sighed. "[Why do I need to be the test monkey for your traps?]"

Daiki grinned. "[Because you're the foremost experiment on all things trap-related, or at least getting out of traps. So, if I capture you, then I'm clearly doing something right.]"

"[I cannot find fault with this logic.]" Shingo walked over. "[You made that new formula with the Ebisawa Clan's assistance?]"

"[They hold up to their infamy as the greatest trappers.]"

"[Hmm, hmm. Well, I've just about finished with Purin, so I'm free to help out.]" He nodded at his cousin. "[Thank you again, Purin.]"

She waved it off. "[Oh, save your well-deserved praise and get to work. I've got more equipment to make.]"

Shingo rolled his eyes with a smirk and closed her door behind him. He and Daiki made their way out back where the three clans were training. The Ceruledge was battling it out with a very excitable Issei, trading fast and brutal swipes. A group of Ebisawa were practicing one of their secret trapping techniques, which appeared to be a deformed area of destabilized earth based on the way an unsuspecting Zennami samurai disappeared into the earth.

Shingo nodded in approval. "[Seems everyone's working together nicely.]"

"[Yeah…pretty nice…]"

Shingo raised a brow at his brother's half-hearted reply, but then noticed where he was staring. Ue and Watora's sister, Zennami Renon, were engaged in their own training. Ue fired hardened scales from her battle bracers while the Delibird samurai used her sheathed sword to perfectly deflect the attacks.

Shingo glanced between his brother and the sparring match before smirking. He nudged the Frogadier's side and said, "[You know, you could try talking to her.]"

Daiki yelped, his face turning beet red. "[Eh?! What?! N-No, no, it's nothing like that!]" He tapped his fingers together awkwardly. "[I mean, she's kind of cute and all, but…she seems a little intense.]"

"[You're overreacting—]"

The second he took his eyes off the sparring match, a frigid blast of cold erupted over the ground. They gawked as Ue barely dodged a glacier of ice forming from Renon's quickdraw. The Delibird instantly sheathed her sword and gave chase again, creating slashes that generated glaciers of ice after the long-range Fraxure.

"…" Shingo patted his brother's shoulder. "[Okay, she's a little intense. Still, wouldn't hurt to have a friendly conversation with her.]"

Daiki sighed. "[Uh…right.]" He shook his head and glared. "[Never mind that! We came here to train!]"

Shingo nodded. "[That's the spirit. Now, show me these new clones of yours—]"

"[Shingo!]" The brothers halted at the sound of their mother's shout, and it sounded like it was coming from the front of the house. "[Get over here right now!]"

"[Mom?]" Shingo gasped.

"[That can't be good…]" Daiki mumbled.

The two brothers leapt onto the roof and sprung to the front of the house, landing where the Greninja was kneeling. Before Shingo could ask what was wrong, he recoiled at the sight of a cloaked Pikachu half-collapsed over the ground.

"[Stormbreaker?!]" Shingo gasped.

Jason weakly raised his head, glaring at the Frogadier. "Where…is…she? Ugh…" He faceplanted back onto the ground.

Daiki winced. "[Stormbreaker? Wait, is that your thief leader?! Ho-Oh above, what happened to him?!]"

Megumi picked up the Pikachu, feeling out his pulse. Before considering medical assistance, her face fell at the low growl coming from his stomach. She grimaced. "[Good grief…]" She stood up. "[Shingo, get Aunt Yasuko.]"

An hour later…

Jason collapsed onto the floor, sighing in relief after his meal. He had emptied his supply of rations faster than he expected, having raced across Virdis faster than he ever did in his life. He now understood how Petra was able to eat five times her size. He burned through so much energy that he was barely able to carry himself.

His only saving grace was knowing the secret passage to the Mochizuki Clan's hideout, using that to find his way to them.

Yasuko collected his plate and bowed to him. "[I shall leave you be to rest.]" She walked past Shingo, Daiki, Brooklyn, and Megumi, who were kneeling in front of the exhausted Pikachu.

Once the motherly Haxorus slid the door shut, Megumi was the first to break the silence.

"Stormbreaker. What brings you to our home unannounced?"

Jason groaned, pushing himself up and massaging his head. "Aside from nearly dying of starvation?" Daiki reached over with a cup of water. "Thanks." He snatched and guzzled it down.

Shingo glared. "Weren't you in Arcania on a peace mission?"

"Weren't you chasing Basil after he turned traitor? Why are you here?"

"…" Shingo sighed. "Yeah, about that. Brooklyn and I lost track of him somewhere in the empire. We considered turning back, but…well, I was so close to home." He groaned. "Remember when I joined the Foresters? When I said that I needed to get stronger before eventually returning home?"

"…" Jason glared. "So, that's finally happening. Your family's planning to stage an attack on the capital."

"Us and the allied clans joining in our cause. I apologize for not informing you, but this was a family matter. I couldn't ignore the call to action."

Jason sighed. "You should've sent a message or something. After what happened to Blitz, we wouldn't know what to do if Basil decided to get rid of you, too."

"A thousand sorrows, Stormbreaker."

He shook his head. "Forget that. There's a lot on my mind right now. Just tell me: did you happen to see Melissa on your way here?" Jason didn't even care he was spilling Melissa's secret in front of Shingo's family. He trusted them, and he couldn't be bothered with the deception right now.

"Melissa?" Daiki questioned. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Harlow, right?"

"Her, yes. Wait, is she here?!" Jason stood up, instantly regretting it as he fell over in a state of queasiness. "Agh…"

Shingo and Brooklyn shared a worried grimace with each other. "Uh…"

"She's here, isn't she? Is she okay? Did anything happen?"

Shingo raised his hands. "Stormbreaker, calm yourself. I can assure you, Melissa is in good hands."

"…" Jason's glare darkened. "What does that mean?"

Brooklyn hid her worried expression behind her wing. "Uh, what he meant was—"

"She's in Osorekaku," Megumi stated, taking a sip out of her gourd.

Dead silence blared through the room, horrified eyes landing on the Greninja who acted nonchalant at the admission. Soon, their attention fell back onto Jason, whose face turned pale as a sheet, an expression of abject terror creasing over his usually stoic face.

"W…Wha…?"

The terror soon twisted into something familiar, yet just as frightening. Rage gripped at the Pikachu, a hideous scowl taking shape as his body trembled with sparks shooting through his fur. In an instant, he lunged across the room, seizing Shingo by the collar and lifting him.

"SHE'S WHERE?!"

Shingo winced. "Stormbreaker, please understand—"

"You just let her walk into that demon-infested nightmare realm of a clan's territory?! Are you out of your mind?!" he snapped. "She has no idea what to expect there, and you sent her in alone?!"

Daiki frantically tried to separate the two. "Sh-She's not alone! The heir to the Zennami Clan escorted her as her bodyguard—"

"Did you ever consider what would happen if she gets caught?!" Jason roared. "Not even I'm willing to risk fighting the entire Takigawa Clan, yet you sent Melissa in there knowing what they're capable of?!"

Shingo grabbed Jason's arms, gently prying his grip away. "Jason. Calm down. You're still recovering from the journey over."

"…" Jason relented, falling back onto the floor and massaging his aching head.

Shingo sighed. "I didn't approve of her choice either, but you know how she is. Listen, I'm sure you haven't heard, but the Takigawa Clan was recently attacked by a formerly unknown assassin. The elite guard were sent to detain the assassin. It was confirmed to be Takigawa Makiko's doing."

"…Marie."

"Exactly. She's being scheduled for execution on the day of Lady Amano's ascension ceremony. When Melissa heard about it, well…there was no convincing her against it."

"Even still…" Jason growled.

"She's not the same Buneary from last year. She's gotten a lot stronger thanks to you and Tadhg. She can handle herself."

"This isn't a bounty hunter or one of the top wanted we're talking about. If she gets caught, she'll have an entire town filled with monsters descending upon her." Jason grimaced. "She could get herself killed."

"Don't you have faith in her, Stormbreaker?"

"Of course I do, but…she's not ready to face this side of Virdis. She's already been through a lot. That place is everything she isn't."

"…" Megumi lowered her gourd and sighed. "She seems strong enough to me, Stormbreaker."

"…How long has she been in town?"

Daiki counted on his fingers. "Uh, based around when she and Zennami left, I'd say…about a week?"

Jason growled. "I've got to pull her out of there." Before he could stand, Shingo reached over and pushed him down.

"Stormbreaker, you need to recover. Besides, if something happened, we would've gotten word by now. You didn't think we sent her in without some means of getting updates, right? We haven't received reports from our spies about any altercations as of late. They do plan on returning soon last I heard."

"…"

"Jason, she's not the same naïve girl that wandered onto our doorstep. If she can handle herself fighting Emperor Nero, she can take on a Takigawa or two."

"Nero…" Jason looked away uneasily, then shook his head. "No, no…I can't. All of this will be for nothing if we don't have her leading the alliance. This is her vision, and I can't let her take on these burdens so recklessly."

"What exactly is your view of Young Melissa, Stormbreaker?" Megumi chirped in.

Jason glared. "Pardon?"

"You speak with contradictions. You have faith in her, yet you worry ceaselessly about her facing the dark side of Virdis. If this girl is the supposed champion of hope I've been hearing about, then why does it sound like you waver when you praise her?"

"…" Jason looked away. "Look, I'm just worried about her. Is that so wrong?"

"…I suppose not." She returned to sipping on her gourd.

Daiki frowned. "I understand why you're worried about her, but why were you in such a hurry?"

"…" Jason covered his face and growled. "Something really bad is coming, and the Takigawa are connected to it."

Shingo glared. "What do you mean?"

"Before I left Arcania, I was tipped off about something going on behind the scenes. As it turns out, in the time after the Arcanian Massacre, some kind of deal was struck between them and the Takigawa. A deal they would be forced to oblige by when the time came." He clenched his teeth. "Arcania is working with Last Autumn."

Shingo and Brooklyn's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Eh? What now?" Daiki gasped.

Brooklyn spread her wings. "H-Hold on a moment! They're working with Last Autumn?! Are you absolutely sure about that?!"

"Heard the whole thing myself. Zana and the rest of the village have been secretly working with Last Autumn in exchange for their own salvation. A desperate bid to save themselves…and a form of retribution for the treatment their kingdom has faced."

"What kind of deal are we talking here?"

"…" Jason glared. "The Takigawa plan to eventually meet with the village for a crate full of special controller bands. These bands were designed to remotely control what appears to be an artificially created army."

Shingo's eyes widened. "They're…building an army?"

"One powered by the Scarlet Flame, it seems." Jason clenched his fist. "If I wasn't tipped off, they would've completed the deal without any of us noticing. We wouldn't have known, and we would've been completely blindsided by another invasion. I don't know when they plan to unveil this army, but it could happen any day now."

"W-Wait, if Arcania had the bands on hand, that means you destroyed them already, right?" Brooklyn asked.

"I would've, but Luna protested against it. Since they're fueled by the Scarlet Flame, destroying one could have disastrous consequences. I've seen the flame's power firsthand, so I had to take her claims seriously."

"Wait, so what did you do to stop them?!" Daiki yelled. "If they still have the bands, then…doesn't that mean the deal's still going to happen?! You just left them to continue business as usual?!"

Jason shook his head. "I left Luna in charge to sort out the mess. She should've sent a report to Umbra Clock by now. I'm leaving King Foirbeis to decide how to pursue the matter."

Shingo glared. "But Stormbreaker, they could've easily prevented communication."

"No. No, I know Luna managed to send out a letter. Besides, even if they did, Petra would've eventually come by and saw what was happening. She may look harmless, but she's the messenger of the Foresters for a reason."

"Even still, you left them to continue operations without any leverage. Isn't that risky?"

"…" Jason closed his eyes. "I saw how hurt Zana was. I understand the scars left behind from the Takigawa's massacre. That's why I left without resistance. Either she trusts us, or Umbra Clock has to take matters into their own hands to stall an inevitable apocalypse."

Brooklyn fell back, fear wobbling in her eyes. "So…what are we supposed to do?"

Jason sighed. "As of this moment, not much. All I care about now is getting Melissa out of Osorekaku before something bad happens."

Shingo shook his head. "The journey isn't worth it. I assure you, Stormbreaker, she and Zennami will be returning soon. I wish we could help with Arcania, but we have our own priorities. For now, you need to rest and recover. Have faith in Melissa."

"…" Jason covered his face and sighed. Of course I have faith in her. I just…can't bear the thought of seeing her in that dark place again. Never again.