Ch. 7 — Blades Turned Inward

The city was quieter than the grave.

After the battle with the construct, no bells rang, no cheers rose. The people whispered in alleys, soldiers stood at corners with their hands never far from steel. The air itself felt heavy, as if every breath carried suspicion.

And every whisper had the same name.

“—The monster in crimson. ”

“—The fire that burns us all. ”

In the barracks, Arata sat on the edge of his bed, cigarette burning low between his fingers. His katana lay broken against the wall, its glow faint, nearly gone.

He exhaled smoke, gave a tight half-smile faint and bitter. “—Funny. Save ‘em from demons, fight my own copy, and somehow I’m still the villain. Guess I really can’t win with these people. ”

With his Draconic Eyes, glowed faint behind his shades, picking up whispers drifting from the streets outside.

“—He’ll turn on us soon. ”

Each word burned sharper than any wound.

Aris stood outside the barracks door, listening in silence. She hadn’t knocked, hadn’t spoken. She could feel the weight pressing against him—yet she knew no words could lift it.

They’ve already chosen, she thought grimly. The question isn’t if they’ll betray him. It’s when.

Her grip tightened on her saber.

And in the Council Chamber, the whispers turned into plans.

Not shouted debates this time, but quiet agreements, signed in secret. Orders drafted under torchlight. Men and women who once cheered his victories now sealed his fate with trembling hands.

“Tonight, ” one governor whispered.

“Chains, before he wakes the fire again. ”

“If he resists? ”

“—Then the city will be safer without him. ”

The decision was made.

And beyond the walls, golden eyes burned with cruel delight.

The Crowned Demon whispered into the black fire, his smile sharp as a blade.

“Yes. Strike your own flame. And when you do, the darkness will finish what you began. ”

Midnight fell heavy on the city.

Torches flickered in silence as squads of soldiers moved through the streets. Their armor clinked softly, their blades wrapped to mute the sound. Faces were pale, jaws tight, eyes shifting with unease.

They weren’t marching to fight demons.

They were marching to bind their savior.

In the barracks, Arata sat at the window, cigarette glowing faint in the dark. His broken katana rested across his lap, cracked steel catching moonlight. He didn’t look surprised.

His Draconic Eyes focused—glowed faint crimson-white behind the shades, seeing them long before they reached his door.

“—So, they finally decided. ” He a faint smirk, bitter, smoke curling from his lips. “. Guess I should be flattered they needed a whole squad. ”

He stubbed out the cigarette, rising slowly. The katana groaned as he lifted it, the fire within still alive despite the cracks.

The door creaked open. Soldiers filed in, blades drawn but hands trembling.

“Renji Arata, ” their captain barked, though his voice wavered. “By order of the council, you are to be detained until further notice. Surrender your weapon. ”

Arata tilted his head, let the corner of his mouth quirk sharp. “—Detained, huh? That’s a polite way of saying ‘we don’t trust you anymore. ’”

The captain’s jaw tightened. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. ”

Arata chuckled low, shaking his head. “It’s always hard when you’re pointing swords at the wrong enemy. ”

The soldiers shifted nervously. Some looked away, others gripped hilts tighter.

And then Aris stepped in.

Her saber gleamed faint in the torchlight, her eyes hard as steel. She stood between Arata and the squad, her voice cutting sharp.

“Lower your weapons. Now. ”

The soldiers froze.

“Commander, ” the captain stammered, “he’s dangerous—”

“He’s the only reason you’re breathing to argue with me. ” Her voice carried iron. “Stand down. If you move against him, you’ll answer to me first. ”

The room hung heavy in silence—steel against steel, loyalty against fear.

And outside, far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s golden eyes glimmered with cruel delight.

The barracks filled with steel.

Soldiers stood rigid, blades trembling in their hands. Aris held her saber high, her glare sharp enough to cut through the silence. Across from her, the captain’s face twisted with fear and duty colliding.

“Commander, ” he said, voice raw, “if you won’t give the order—then we’ll act without it. ”

At once, a dozen swords raised, tips gleaming in torchlight, all aimed at Arata.

Arata leaned against the wall, broken katana resting lazily across his shoulders. His thin smile was faint, bitter, but his eyes burned behind the shades.

“—Cute. Guess saving your hides a hundred times doesn’t buy me much credit. ”

He stepped forward, the floor groaning under his weight. The soldiers flinched but didn’t move.

“You really wanna test this theory? That the monster you’re afraid of is standing right here? ”

His voice dropped, sharp as flame. “Then swing. But don’t cry when you find out which one of us burns harder. ”

Aris’s saber flashed between them.

“Enough. ” she barked. Her voice cracked the air like thunder. “If you draw blood here, the city is lost before the demons even strike. ”

But the soldiers didn’t lower their blades. Whispers crawled through their ranks, poisoned and sharp.

“—If we don’t act now. ”

Fear outweighed loyalty.

Arata’s let out a small, lopsided smile faded into something harder. He shifted his grip on the broken katana, flames sparking faint along its edge.

“—Tch. Figures. ” He glanced at Aris. “So what’s the play, Commander? I carve through ‘em, or I let ‘em tie me up so they can all sleep at night? ”

Aris’s jaw clenched. Her saber wavered a fraction, torn between orders and truth.

And in that frozen heartbeat, the choice hung heavy—

Fight the men he bled for.

Or surrender, and prove them right.

Far beyond the walls, golden eyes gleamed.

The silence cracked like glass.

One soldier, face pale and drenched in sweat, lost his nerve. With a strangled cry, he lunged, blade flashing toward Arata’s chest.

Arata moved on instinct.

His broken katana snapped up, steel screaming as it met the strike. Sparks burst, fire surged from the crack in the blade, and a torrent of flame erupted across the room.

The soldier was hurled back, crashing into the wall with a scream. His armor smoked, scorched black.

The squad recoiled in horror.

“—He burned him. ”

“—He couldn’t even hold back. ”

“—He is the monster. ”

Their blades trembled, but this time with rage as much as fear. The whispers they’d carried for weeks ignited into shouts.

Arata lowered his weapon slowly, flames still crackling along its edge. His gave a dry tilt of the mouth curved bitter, sharp. “—Didn’t even swing to kill. Guess that part doesn’t matter, huh? ”

Aris stepped between them, saber raised. “Hold your ground. He defended himself—nothing more. ”

But the soldiers didn’t hear her. The poison in their ears was louder.

“Chains won’t hold him. ”

“End it here—before it’s too late. ”

Steel scraped as more soldiers advanced, their eyes wild.

Arata’s a wry smile faltered for the first time, replaced by something colder. His Draconic Eyes glowed faint behind his shades, crimson-white light piercing the torchlit gloom.

“—Guess that answers my question. ” His voice dropped low, raw. “Doesn’t matter if I fight for you or bleed for you. You’ve already decided what I am. ”

The flames flared hotter along his cracked blade, the air trembling with heat.

And in that moment, every soldier saw not a man—but the fire they feared.

Far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s golden eyes gleamed, his smile sharp as a knife.

The barracks exploded in chaos.

Steel clashed, torches shattered, shadows danced across the walls. Soldiers surged forward, blades flashing, fear twisting their faces into rage.

Arata met them with fire.

His broken katana swept wide, sparks bursting into waves of heat that knocked men off their feet. He deflected strikes with brutal precision, every movement sharp, controlled.

But the flames betrayed him.

Each burst lit the room like a furnace, scorching walls, searing armor, branding terror into every watching eye.

“He can’t control it. ”

“He’s burning us alive. ”

The shouts cut deeper than steel.

Arata’s jaw tightened. His let the corner of his mouth quirk was gone, replaced with something harsher—pain hidden beneath fire. “—Tch. Holding back, and still you see only flames. ”

He pivoted, parried another strike, flame bursting from the crack in his blade. A soldier stumbled back, screaming as fire kissed his shoulder.

More voices rose. More fear turned to hatred.

Aris fought at his side, saber flashing. She struck not to kill but to disarm, shouting commands that no one obeyed.

“Stand down. He’s not your enemy. ”

But her words drowned in chaos. To the soldiers, she was just another shield for the monster.

“Even the commander’s turned. ”

“They’re both cursed. ”

Arata’s chest heaved, his fire flaring wild with every breath. His Draconic Eyes burned crimson-white, his vision slowed, sharpened. Every strike he could end in blood—but he didn’t.

Not one soldier died by his blade.

Yet each time he spared them, the fear in their eyes grew sharper.

“—Damn it, ” he muttered, deflecting another blow, flame roaring against the walls. “. Doesn’t matter what I don’t do. They’ve already decided. ”

Outside, the city stirred with commotion. Civilians gathered, watching the barracks windows burn with firelight. To them, it was simple.

The flame had turned.

And far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s laughter echoed through the ruins.

The barracks shook like a furnace about to burst.

Soldiers pressed from every side, blades flashing in the firelight. Aris fought desperately to push them back, but the tide was endless. Her saber struck, parried, disarmed—yet for every sword she turned aside, two more came for Arata.

And still he held back.

His broken katana moved with brutal precision, parrying, deflecting, never striking to kill. But his restraint only stoked their fear. Every time fire flared from the cracks in his blade, soldiers screamed, retreating in terror.

“—He’s losing control. ”

“—The fire’s devouring him. ”

The words cut deeper than their steel.

Arata’s chest heaved, his thin smile long gone. His Draconic Eyes blazed crimson-white, his vision slowing the storm around him. He could see every strike, every opening—he could end it all in an instant.

But he didn’t.

“—Damn it, ” he muttered, blood dripping down his arm. “. If I don’t stop this, they’ll tear each other apart. ”

Another blade nicked his side. Another scream rose. Fear spiraled into frenzy.

Arata’s jaw clenched. He had only one choice left.

He roared, driving his katana into the floor.

Flame exploded outward, a torrent of white-hot fire spiraling through the barracks. The shockwave hurled soldiers off their feet, shattered weapons, and scorched the walls black. Windows burst outward, firelight spilling into the night.

The city gasped as the barracks glowed like a volcano, the roar of fire drowning every whisper.

When the flames died, soldiers lay sprawled across the floor—alive, but scorched, groaning in pain.

Arata stood at the center, smoke rising from his body, his katana cracked beyond repair. His chest heaved, his let out a small, lopsided smile faint, bitter.

“—Didn’t kill a single one of you, ” he muttered. “But I bet that won’t matter, will it? ”

The soldiers stared up at him, their eyes wide, trembling—not with gratitude, but with terror.

“—He could have ended us all. ”

“—That wasn’t restraint,that was proof. ”

And outside, the civilians watching the fire from the streets whispered the same.

Far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s golden eyes gleamed in the black fire. His smile curved, cruel and calm.

“Yes—burn your own trust. Every choice he makes only proves me right. ”

The stage for betrayal was nearly complete.

The Council Chamber reeked of smoke and fear.

Soldiers stood bandaged along the walls, their armor blackened, their eyes still wide from the inferno in the barracks. Civilians filled the galleries above, their voices a storm of whispers.

“—He burned them. ”

“—Didn’t kill them, but he could have. ”

“—Too dangerous. too powerful. ”

The governors and generals shouted over one another, their fury louder than the flames.

“No more excuses. ”

“He nearly destroyed the barracks. ”

“He cannot be allowed to walk free. ”

The verdict hung in the air before it was even spoken.

Aris stood at the head of the table, saber at her side, her voice cutting like steel.

“He held back. He didn’t kill a single man. You all know that. ”

But her words met only rage.

“Held back? You call that restraint? ” one governor spat. “He bathed your men in fire. What happens when he stops holding back? ”

“He’s a weapon we cannot control. ” another roared. “If he stays free, the city burns with him. ”

The chamber shook with agreement.

Arata leaned against the railing at the center, arms crossed, his broken katana strapped across his back. His gave a wry smile was faint, bitter, but his voice was steady.

“—Figures. You people never cared about what I didn’t do. Only about what I could. ”

He tilted his head, shades glinting in torchlight. “—So what’s the plan? Chains? Execution? Or do I get the honor of exile this time? ”

The council’s silence was answer enough.

Finally, the captain of the guard stepped forward, his voice heavy. “Renji Arata—by order of the council, you are to be bound. Effective immediately. Until the danger you pose can be. controlled. ”

The chamber erupted in shouts—some cheering, others crying out in anger.

Aris’s hand gripped her saber so tight her knuckles turned white. Her voice cut, raw with fury.

“You would bind the only shield you have left? Then when the demons strike, who will save you? ”

But the council did not bend. The verdict was set.

Far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s golden eyes burned brighter, his laughter low and cruel.

The chamber’s air turned to iron.

Soldiers advanced, chains in hand, their steps heavy against the stone floor. Torches flickered, shadows stretching long across the walls. Above, civilians held their breath—some in fear, some in cruel anticipation.

Arata didn’t move.

He stood at the center, arms loose at his sides, broken katana strapped to his back. His wry smile curved faint, sharp with bitterness. “—So that’s it, huh? Save you a hundred times, and this is the thank you. ”

The soldiers didn’t answer. They closed in, the clink of chains louder than the whispers.

Aris stepped forward, saber drawn, her glare cutting sharper than steel.

“Stand down, ” she commanded, her voice like thunder. “If you put those chains on him, you doom this city before the demons even arrive. ”

The captain’s jaw tightened. His voice wavered but held. “Commander—the council has spoken. ”

Aris’s blade wavered, caught between duty and loyalty, law and truth. If I raise this saber, I turn against my own. If I don’t—I betray him.

The soldiers closed around Arata. One reached forward with the shackles.

Arata chuckled low, shaking his head. “—Don’t bother. If I wanted out, you couldn’t hold me. I’ll play along—just to see how long it takes before you realize who your real enemy is. ”

His let the corner of his mouth quirk curved sharp, but his voice dropped raw. “—But when the walls fall, don’t expect me to bleed for you again. ”

The chains clicked shut around his wrists, glowing faint with sealing runes. The chamber gasped, whispers hissing like knives.

“—They bound the flame. ”

“—Maybe now we’re safe. ”

“—Or maybe now we’re doomed. ”

Aris lowered her saber, her chest heavy, her voice caught in her throat. She wanted to shout, to fight, to cut through the chains herself. But all she could do was watch.

As Arata was led from the chamber in shackles, the city that once called him savior whispered only one word.

Far beyond the walls, the Crowned Demon’s laughter echoed in the black fire, golden eyes gleaming with triumph.

“Yes—perfect. The blade has turned inward. When the darkness comes, they will find their flame bound, and their doom assured. ”

The trap was complete.