Chapter 2: Special Assignment

The next morning the four of them gathered together out front as Baka sleepily said, "Do you guys get up every day before the sun is even up?" Ryu nodded before saying, "Early bird gets the worm. Let's get over to the castle entrance to see who Hakushiki wanted us to meet." The three of them quickly took off with Baka trailing a few feet behind as he tried to fully wake up. As they came to a stop at the gate, the porter started toward them while saying, "Am I going to have to get used to you guys coming through here often?" Ryu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as he smiled and said, "Yes sir. We joined the heroes army, so we..." Baka suddenly crashed into Ryu's back as they both tumbled to the ground. Chinmoku started to giggle to herself while Megami tried to push Baka off of him. As Ryu got back to his feet, he dusted himself off and annoyingly said, "What the heck man?" Baka was still sitting on the ground as he tiredly rubbed his eyes while saying, "Sorry boss. I am still half asleep." Ryu sighed as he ran his hand through his hair before turning back to the guard and saying, "We will frequently be coming in and out of the city. We have joined the heroes army." The man nodded as he said, "I will notify the rest of the soldiers, so they are aware. You are free to enter."

The four of them swiftly made their way through the city streets till they stood back at the inner gate near the training fields. Jax was nearby practicing as they walked up. He set his weights down on the grass before wiping his brow and excitedly saying, "If it isn't the golden rookies. The captain should be here any minute to introduce you guys to the head honcho of our unit." A very tall man suddenly appeared behind him. He had a very pale complexion and was wearing an outfit similar to Chinmoku. His grey hair was flat and combed over to the side as his flame orange eyes stared down at him. Jax was clearly unaware of his presence as he said, "Just a heads up for you guys, the boss can be pretty scary sometimes especially if you get on his bad side." Ryu cleared his throat as he pointed and said, "Jax, behind you." He went completely pale as he turned around to face Noburu Fujiwara the rank four hero and protector of the Kingdom of Ryze who started to lean down while emotionlessly saying, "Is that how you really feel about me?" They watched as he broke into a sweat while stuttering, "No sir... You are Awesome.. I was just trying to spook the newbies is all." The commander continued to stare at him for several seconds before cracking a grin and saying, "I am just messing with you Jax. You don't have to be so tense. Thank you for watching over our newest recruits."

Hakushiki was walking over toward them from the gate with two other people next to him as he loudly said, "Jax get back to work." He quickly stood at attention and said, "Yes sir" before running past them. As the vice-captain came to a stop next to Noburu, he turned toward them and said, "You four, this is the First Prince of Ryze Tensai Tokugawa and next to him is my comrade Akudoi." The heir to the throne was a very trustworthy looking individual. He appeared to be in his late twenties with a light brown pompadour hairstyle and a neatly trimmed beard to match. His demeanor made him appear stern but understandable at the same time. He was wearing a dark blue tunic adorned in gold with a normal sword on his waist bejeweled with three rubies in the hilt. His grey eyes were kind as Ryu glanced over at Akudoi. He was the most flamboyant person he had ever seen in his entire life. He was wearing a hot pink tracksuit with two white lines running horizontally on the arms and legs. His pitch black hair was short and styled similar to a curly shag. He had a pair of gold framed sunglasses resting on his pointy ears with a lollipop in his mouth. His hands were in his pockets as Ryu noticed the white whip clipped to his pants bedazzled with light pink diamonds.

They bowed as Ryu said, "It is an honor your majesty. My name is Ryu, this lovely girl next to me is Megami, the sleepy looking one right there is Baka, and finally our resident ninja Chinmoku." The Prince smiled as he said, "No need to be so formal. You can save that title for my father. It is a pleasure to meet the person that defeated Hakushiki." Ryu started to rub the back of head in embarrassment as he said, "I just got lucky. I knew some of his moves since I was the last person to tryout, and it allowed me to get the drop on him." Akudoi smirked while mockingly saying, "Those fairy instincts didn't tell you that he was going to beat your ass huh Hakushiki?" The vice-captain turned away while loudly tsking in frustration as Noburu coldly said, "Now, now, Akudoi. Don't poke the bear if you can't beat it in a fight." The rank seventeen commander put his hands up while saying, "Sorry sir." Chinmoku's dad turned his gaze to Ryu as he creepily smiled and said, "Will you indulge me in a sparring session, so we can truly see how skilled you are?"

Before Ryu could reply, Chinmoku suddenly interjected as she stepped in front of him and said, "Stop father. Please don't do this." The rank four hero laughed for a minute before his eyes settled on his child with a frigid stare as he said, "Daughter please don't be so outspoken. It is unbecoming for a lady of your status." She quickly shadowed away behind Ryu as she shakily grabbed his arm. He instantly became irritated as he sternly said, "I think a little sparring session is a great idea. Is here good?" The first prince sensing the tension between them stepped in and said, "Let's take this one on one inside the castle walls to avoid disrupting the public." Noburu's gaze refused to waver from Ryu as he excitedly said, "That is a fantastic idea. Please follow me everyone." He turned on his foot and started walking toward the inner gate with all of them following behind him. As they entered, they found themselves in the gigantic open plaza Ryu had seen from a distance the day before yesterday. As they came to a stop, Tensai clapped his hands to get everyone's attention as he said, "This should be a good spot for you two to get acclimated with each other. Ryu go a few paces to the right while Noburu goes to the left. We will back up a little bit, so we don't get wrapped up in y'alls fighting." They both nodded as they started to walk away as the prince loudly continued, "Please do not go crazy. We are all on the same team so let's not destroy the city."

As they both got into position to begin, they locked eyes with each other before Noburu suddenly vanished. Ryu was unable to sense him at all with Detect as he quickly casted a powerful Protection spell on himself just as a push kick smashed into his stomach and sent him flying backwards. He tumbled several yards before coming to a stop in a heap on the ground. As he struggled back to his feet, he casted Heal while conjuring a triple layered Barrier around his entire body. Just as he finished restoring himself, another blow shattered his shield, and something crushed his right ankle. He bit his cheek in pain as he used the wind to ascend high into the sky while casting Tornado. The air started to violently thrash as a cyclone formed around him. He swiftly healed himself again as he tried to figure out how Chinmoku's dad was hiding himself without a trace. He was given little time to mull it over as something that felt like a blunt object slammed into the side of his head. He shot like a rocket out of his twister into the cobblestone fracturing the pavement. His ears were ringing as he said, "Earth Sanctuary" causing the ground to rumble as the dirt, concrete, and rock churned around him forming a protective dome. He quickly used shadow magic to disappear into the darkness while conjuring four clones of himself just as the terrain he had used as a shield exploded open.

Ryu watched as one of his copies was instantly obliterated as he commanded the rest to separate. As he healed himself for the third time, he formulated a strategy for each remaining replica as he tried to figure out Noburu's trick. As the first one was destroyed, it detonated into a brilliant ball of white light. Unfortunately, he still failed to see anything different just as the second clone was dispatched. It blasted black fire across the area around it, but it failed to stick to anything that was moving. Ryu was growing desperate in hiding as he anxiously awaited his final test. The last copy ruptured like a geyser as it was annihilated causing water to rain down on the battlefield. He scanned the area when he noticed some drops dripping off of seemingly thin air. He was baffled for a moment as he studied it closer. He could see straight through the space, but something was there as the vapor continued to roll off of it. That is when Ryu realized Noburu was utilizing Shadow and Light magic together. His ability to disappear was because of the spell Prism and Darkness Shroud. As he emerged from hiding, he casted Cloudburst causing dark clouds to suddenly blotch out the sky above them as rain started to pour down. He quickly enhanced his speed, strength, and sensory organs as he closed his eyes.

As he stood still, Hakushiki smirked in the distance while saying, "I knew he was no match for Noburu. He doesn't even know what to do now." Chinmoku angrily puffed her cheeks while snapping back at him, "Ryu never gives up and always figures out some way to give himself a chance to win. You are just jelly because he didn't have to think this hard to beat you." The first prince raised his hand for them to stop bickering before saying, "Watch carefully vice-captain. I believe the kid is about to do something spectacular." Ryu suddenly got struck again across the side of his ribs, but this time he managed to block it with his arms avoiding any major damage as everyone stared on in shock. They were certain it was a fluke till he weaved to his right to avoid another blow that smashed into the cobblestone. They all watched in complete awe as he continued to dodge and deflect several more strikes. As he pirouetted through the rain, he spun on one hand like a break dancer to avoid another attack while encasing his free arm in darkness. As he flipped upwards, he swung his fist while saying, "Shadow Punch." It appeared his uppercut landed on something that was invisible in front of him as he hopped away. His hit managed to crack Noburu's prism while staining it black.

Everyone watched in complete shock as Chinmoku's dad reappeared in front of Ryu. His magic disappeared as he dropped his focus to wipe his lip. As he pulled his hand away, he saw crimson on it from a cut. A murderous aura started to fill the air as he suddenly launched himself at Ryu with incredibly speed just as a stern voice yelled across the plaza, "Stop!" A loud boom echoed throughout the city as a rush of wind blew past everyone watching. Ryu's katana was centimeters from Noburu's neck while his dagger was centimeters from Ryu's side as Tensai's commanding voice said, "That is enough. You have proven his strength hero, now drop your blade." His eyes were burning with excitement as he stared at Ryu with a big smile on his face before saying, "I really wanted you to feel the effects of my poison. If he had been a smidge slower in speaking up, you would be putting on a fantastic show for them right now." Ryu cracked a grin as he said, "You wouldn't have seen it either way." His sword was imbued in ice freezing the air around it as he pulled it away. As the first prince approached them, he said, "I think we have found the group of fighters for that special assignment we were discussing, don't you agree Noburu?" Chinmoku's dad nodded without replying as he turned away. Megami quickly chimed in as she asked, "What do you have planned for us?" Hakushiki had left shortly after the fight was over, so Akudoi said, "You four will be the prince's bodyguards twenty four seven."

Chinmoku suddenly spoke up from behind Ryu as she said, "I thought my brothers were already protecting you, your majesty." Tensai sighed as he said, "Unfortunately, our other hero Amai was summoned to the Kingdom of Okane by Nezumi. Every region was required to send one of their hero armies because apparently, something big was discovered about the demons. Your brothers had to go with her since they are her vice-captains." Ryu suddenly knelt down to the first prince while saying, "It is an honor to protect you Sire." Tensai grabbed his arm and lifted him back up while saying, "No need to bow. I am just grateful that I was able to find such capable warriors to take the time to watch over me." Noburu's vile voice cut through the moment as he said, "Your friends can handle this assignment on their own Chinmoku. Come with me back to the mansion. You have a duty to fulfill as the only daughter in our family, or have you forgotten while you have been away." She started to shake as tears streaked down her cheeks before quietly saying, "No." He slowly turned toward her as his glaring eyes descended upon her. He was clearly agitated as he said, "What did you say?" She was struggling to speak at this point as fear overwhelmed her. She managed to shake her head no which was enough for Baka as he stepped in front of her.

His voice was gentle and caring as he whispered, "Don't cry. You are to beautiful to be sad." She looked up at him with a pouty face that give him the bravery to turn around and suddenly say, "She is staying with us sir." Noburu was a blur as he closed the distance to him. They were inches apart as he callously said, "I will kill you if you don't stay out of this kid." Baka remained unfazed as he stared into the furious eyes of the rank four hero before finally saying, "I plan on marrying your daughter one day, so we might as well start to get to know each other, so I think I will stay very much in it." The first prince cleared his throat as he said, "I would be honored if you let your daughter personally guard me till her brothers are able to return Noburu. You would gain future considerations with me if you would allow her to stay on this assignment for now." Chinmoku's dad continued to murderously stare at Baka for several seconds as an awkward silence fell upon everyone. He suddenly turned away from him and said, "As you wish your Majesty." As he stormed off, Ryu grabbed Baka around the neck and gave him a knuckle sandwich while saying, "You know he would of beat you into next week right?"

Chinmoku swiftly hugged Baka as Ryu let go of him to everyone's surprise. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she quietly said, "Thank you" to him. Megami even got in on the fun as she lightly punched him in the arm while saying, "Maybe I judged you to quick. You did good." Akudoi started laughing so hard his sucker popped out of his mouth. As he pulled another pink one out of his pocket, he said, "You guys are crazy, and I dig it. You got me on your side for sure." As he put the new one in his mouth, he pivoted on his foot and started to walk away back toward the city while waving goodbye. The prince smiled as he motioned for them to follow him toward the castle while saying, "Let me give you guys a tour of my home and get you introduced to the staff. I want to make sure nobody gives any of you issues when you are coming and going from the palace." As they made their way into the building, they all stood dumbfounded as they marveled at the exquisite design of the interior.

The ceiling rose high into the air with a beautiful grand white chandelier hanging from it. Guards were standing at attention around the room as a stunning bifurcated staircase led to the second floor in front of them. Their was multiple doors scattered across each wall to the right and left but none of them compared to the gigantic ones underneath the stairs. Everything was such a shiny white with gold accents and intricately carved designs. The floor was clearly marble as Ryu looked down and saw his reflection off of it. Tensai had briefly disengaged from them as he spoke to some of the guards. As he came back, he cleared his throat before saying, "If you look to both of your sides, you will notice various doors on each wall. Some of them lead to the kitchen, the servant quarters, the barracks for the guards, and storage. If you ever need assistance please do not hesitate to ask the soldiers stationed inside this area for guidance." As he finished, he started walking across the open space to the doors under the staircase. His shoes clacked across the floor before he came to a stop and pushed the handles to the entrance open to reveal a dazzling ballroom.

The walls were a warm cream color with multiple oil lamps hanging throughout that made the place feel more welcoming. There was several light brown round tables arranged in a half circle on the opposite side of the room. It was noticeable where the royal family sat because their was only one horizontal table in the middle of the others directly in front of them. The prince continued across the hall to the opposite side while saying, "This is where we have any parties or celebrations within the castle. We do not have anything coming up, so we probably will not be in here often." As he came to a stop, he grabbed the handle to another set of doors that was behind the banquet table. As he pushed them open, the sunlight flooded into the room as they made their way out to a radiant courtyard. Everywhere Ryu looked was covered in flowers. They had elegant statutes throughout with various colored roses, tulips, and lilacs covering the bases around them.

Dead in the middle of the field was the prettiest gazebo he had ever seen. It was dark blue with a white table and matching chairs sitting inside of it. It was completely surrounded by light blue gentian as Tensai suddenly said, "My mother loved gardening when I was little, so I make sure her flowers are tended to everyday. I frequently stop and admire the view from the second floor railing throughout my day. The sight of this area brings me a feeling of peace when life is chaotic." Ryu could tell from how well maintained and pristine the courtyard was that the person who cared for it was very diligent as he said, "Your mother sounds like an amazing woman. Only a person with a big heart could grow something so heavenly." The prince nodded as he looked away from the garden with a smile on his face as he continued into the main part of the castle. As they exited the courtyard, a short kid crashed into his side and fail backwards onto his butt. The hood of his navy blue cowl with specks of gold fell down from the impact to reveal his thick dark brown curly locs. His face looked just like the first prince but younger. He was much more slender compared to Tensai and was wearing a huge pair of circular glasses. As Ryu got a closer look at him, he was pretty sure the kid was only a few years apart from him which would make him a young teenager. Tensai quickly reached down to help him up while saying, "Brother, are you okay?"

The kid smacked his hand away as he scrambled to his feet. His dark green eyes were full of rage as he said, "I don't need your help. I am fine on my own. Just stay out of my way." As he finished speaking, he shoved his way past Tensai and quickly disappeared down the hallway. Baka failed to realize his context clues as he said, "Geez, that kid was rude. What was his problem?" Ryu and Megami started at him in astonishment as Chinmoku pulled him down and whispered in his ear, "That was his brother you big dummy." His face turned red like a tomato as he fell to his knees and said, "I am sorry sire. I didn't mean anything by what I said. I am just a stupid bloke." The first prince squatted down and put his hand on Baka's shoulder as he said, "No need to apologize for what you didn't know." Ryu sympathetically asked, "Is everything okay?" Tensai sighed in defeat as he stood back up before saying, "He hates my guts for what happened a few years ago. I was to ambitious in my early twenties and paid the price for it. Follow me, I will show you." The prince headed straight back down the hallway in front of them before arriving at a double door.

As he went inside, he paused to give them a moment to process the image of the bed written King. His majesty was pale with long dirty blonde hair and a light brown beard. The veins near his neck were black as he laid peacefully on the bed. As they all continued to stare at him, Tensai somberly said, "We had received a few complaints about a group of bandits lurking near our border causing harm to our citizens to the north. The heroes army refused to handle the situation because it was not related to demons, so I saw it as an opportunity at the time to gain support amongst the people. I told father I was going to destroy the scourge with or without the soldiers." He paused as he held back tears before continuing, "In fear of me getting killed by myself, he conceded and allowed the troops to go with me. This caused minimal security to be around to protect the castle. Shortly after we got into the mountains, a bunch of lower demons started attacking the city forcing the heroes to leave my parents side. In the chaos, an assassin got within in the walls and stabbed both of them. Unfortunately, help did not arrive to my mother in time, and she succumbed to the same poison ailing my father. We managed to save his life but have been unable to rid his body of the toxin. Magical healing only stops the movement of the drug through his system." He choked up for a moment as he struggled to retell the pain he carried from his mistakes.

As he tried to suppress the grief in his heart, a single tear rolled down his cheek. Ryu quickly glanced over at Megami to see how she was holding up. To his surprise, she was taking the story harder than the prince who had lived through it as alligator tears flowed freely down her face. Ryu tried to be supportive as he said, "You shouldn't beat yourself up sire. How could you have known? You were trying to protect your people from a threat." Tensai nodded as he said, "You are right, but I will always blame myself for leaving and so will my brother Kurushimi." He walked back over to the door and opened it before saying, "If you do not mind, I need some time alone now. I want you guys to figure out a schedule amongst yourselves that allows one of you to be with me at all times. Please have whoever draws first watch meet me in the morning." They all nodded as they exited the room and walked back out to the courtyard. Ryu finally spoke up as he said, "Does anybody want to have the early morning shift?" Megami quickly looked away while Chinmoku started to whistle. Baka started to twiddle his thumbs. Ryu sighed as no one answered before saying, "I will do it then. Who wants middle of the day?" Baka quickly said, "Me" as he thought about all the amazing food that him and the Prince would probably eat for lunch together every day. Megami snapped her fingers in defeat as she swiftly said, "I get the afternoon." Chinmoku smiled as she put her hands on the back of her head in relief that she got the evenings.

As they exited the inner gates, an orange glow was starting to bathe the city as the sun descended from the sky. Baka decided to break the silence as he said, "Do you guys want to come over to my uncle's house for dinner?" Ryu's stomach growled as he nodded causing everyone to chuckle as they followed Baka. It took them longer then Ryu expected as they made their way far south of the city. It was clear as he glanced around that they were heading into the slums. There was multiple buildings with boarded up windows, graffiti on the walls, and homeless people sleeping out in front of them. He also noticed several poorly lit alleyways with shady characters lurking in the shadows as they made their way deeper into the squalor district. As they neared a building sporting a bright red neon sign that said Velvet Room, a beautiful woman in skimpy white lingerie started waving at them. She had long wavey black hair as her hazel eyes locked with Ryu's. He instantly turned red as he looked away while Baka said, "Hey Bernice!" She smiled as she came over to them and grabbed Ryu's hand while saying, "Did you bring us some business today Baka?" Megami quickly snatched his arm back from her while angrily saying, "He is not interested so how about you back off skank." Bernice giggled as she pushed his face up, so he was looking at her before flirtatiously saying, "His blushing tells a different story little girly."

Megami quickly quipped back, "It is only because you are practically naked right now. Do you have no self-respect?" She turned her focus to Megami as she pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear while saying, "With a body like mine, I have the upmost confidence in myself. You are just projecting your insecurities onto me." She paused as her finger ran down Megami's chest before stopping as she continued, "You shouldn't be ashamed of your body though. Many men would do whatever you say with a figure like yours. I can show you how to wrap this one here around your finger if you want." Megami was flustered because she did want to be with Ryu in the way she was talking, but she was way too shy to be that forward with him. Baka chuckled to himself the whole time watching her make the two of them uncomfortable as he finally said, "Knock it off Bernice. These are my new friends. His name is Ryu, hers is Megami, and the one next to me is Chinmoku. Is my uncle home?" She nodded before turning around and sauntering off while saying, "You two are free to see me whenever you want, so please stop by again."

As she disappeared back into the building, Baka motioned for them to follow him as he started to walk down an alley to the right of the building. A small house was positioned behind the brothel as he stopped at the door and said, "My uncle can be a little rude, but he is really nice deep down. I just want to give you guys a heads up." They all nodded as Baka started to knock. Almost a minute passed before someone finally cracked the entrance open and raspily said, "Who is it?" Ryu was shocked as he noticed that his uncle was Taikutsu. The man sighed upon seeing them as he asked, "Why did you bring these guys with you Baka?" He smiled as he said, "These are my new friends uncle." It finally clicked for Ryu on how Baka was able to absorb the vice-captains punches yesterday as he said, "You have the same ability as him don't you?" Baka was shocked he knew his uncle's special skill as he asked, "Do you two know each other?" Taikutsu ruffled his hair as he frustratingly said, "Your new buddy here is my old leaders apprentice. We met at the guild." He paused as he turned around and started to walk away while loudly saying, "You all might as well come in."

As they made their way inside, Ryu wasn't surprised by the lack of furniture and décor. He got the vibe from Taikutsu that he was a minimalist from his brief interactions with him. There was two rooms on the back wall with a bathroom in between them. A black futon sat to his left acting as a couch for the small living room. To his right was an old square wooden dining room table with four foldable chairs sitting around it. On the wall past it was a silver refrigerator with a sink and stove next to it to match. There was several light brown wooden cabinets above and below the basin as Baka quickly motioned for them to take a seat. He briefly disappeared as he went into his room before remerging with another chair. Taikutsu groaned as he stirred a pot of stew on the stove while muttering to himself, "Now there won't be enough for me. What a pain." As they all settled in at the table, Ryu decided to ask, "What is for dinner?" Baka smiled as he said, "We caught some rabbits the other day, so tonight is hare stew. You guys are going to love it. My uncle is like a chef." Chinmoku's eyes lit up with excitement as she asked, "Is cooking one of your abilities?" Taikutsu shook his head no as he said, "I had to learn because Jinsoku would beat me up and down our training fields if his meals were not delicious." At the mention of his master, Ryu decided to pick up their conversation from the other day as he said, "Speaking of my teacher, can you tell us about what happened to him in his past and why he left me an ominous warning."

Taikutsu sighed as he took some bowls out of one of the cabinets and poured everyone their meal. He continued to stay silent as he distributed them and sat down at the table with them. As he started to eat, Ryu stared at him in disbelief as he went, "Uhm." Taikutsu glanced up as he swallowed and said, "Yes?" Ryu couldn't believe him as he asked, "Are you going to answer my question?" Baka's uncle nodded while saying, "I will. Can we eat dinner first kid? I don't want my stew to get cold." Ryu reluctantly decided to wait as he leaned back and started to dig in. As they all finished their meal, Taikutsu yawned as he sleepily said, "Well it is getting late. I reckon you four should take off to make sure you get enough rest for your assignment starting tomorrow." Baka had a puzzled expression as he asked, "How did you know about that uncle? We haven't spoken to each other today." Ryu was intrigued as well as he added, "Also, you haven't told us anything about Jinsoku yet." Taikutsu sighed as he plopped back down while saying, "You get three questions at that is it otherwise we will be here all night. So what do you want to know?"

Baka insisted again for an answer as he asked, "Are you following me? How did you know we were guarding the prince now?" Ryu dove out of his seat to try to stop him from asking his question because he wanted to know as much as possible about his teacher. As they fell to the ground, Taikutsu said, "I still have friends in the heroes army that tell me things. I asked them if they could keep an eye on you for me. Two questions left. What's next?" Ryu groaned in frustration as he got up and said, "That was clearly obvious Baka. He is a former vice-captain so of course he still has informants in the military." He smiled in embarrassment as he sat back down and said, "Sorry." Ryu sighed before locking eyes with Taikutsu and asking, "What caused Jinsoku to leave his position amongst the heroes?" Baka's uncle started to rub his chin while saying, "Great question kid. Certain circumstances made him realize that powerful figures that were supposed to be beacons of good in the Empire were secretly really bad people."

Ryu smacked his forehead as he frustratingly said, "That is so vague Taikutsu." He shrugged his shoulders while saying, "I never told you if I would give you the answers you were looking for kid. Last question." Ryu groaned as he ruffled his hair. He was struggling to figure out what information was more important to try to learn first as Megami grabbed his hand. She smiled at him while reassuringly saying, "Try to calm down. He didn't say we couldn't come back a different day to get more answers." Ryu nodded before taking a deep breath. As he exhaled, he finally said, "I think it is fair to say Jinsoku was branded a coward, but the real story is much deeper than that. I believe he knew about some of these corrupted individuals but feared the power they possessed to harm the people he cared about most in this world, so he fled his duties to ensure he was always close to the ones he loved to protect them. I think that is how he ended up in Unemi." Taikutsu remained still refusing to confirm or deny his deduction as he said, "Are you asking me if that is what happened?" Ryu shook his head no as he continued, "I am just voicing my thoughts. I am positive I am right especially after hearing Prince Tensai's story. The circumstances surrounding what happened to the King and Queen are all to convenient to be random bad luck. These corrupted public figures are clearly influential if they were able to orchestrate their assassination without leaving any clues behind."

As he paused, Taikutsu stood up while frustratingly groaning before turning toward the living room. As he walked over to the window, he said, "Are you going to get to your question kid. The moon is almost high in the sky." Ryu put his hands up as said, "Okay, okay. Answer me this then, why would these individuals with so much sway in the Empire be hurting its own citizens when the demons are clearly more important than any politics or hatred between kingdoms?" Taikutsu weariedly sighed as he turned back toward them. As he stared at Ryu, he said, "Is it not obvious kid. Think about it. How did demons suddenly appear a few years ago in the capital? Why did the heroes really refuse to kill the cursed beast near the border that you guys had to dispatch? What would compel Jinsoku to tell you to find out the answers yourself instead of just telling you the state of the Empire?" As he paused, they all looked at each other unable to figure out why as they all stayed silent. Taikutsu sat back down at the table before leaning in towards them and whispering, "These people you are asking me about are working with the demons. They want to rule this world and have the power to decide who gets to live in it with them. They allow evil to spread throughout our lands willingly. In return, these accursed beings assist them with eliminating whoever they want in their way."

Everyone was shocked at the news as silence descended upon the room. Taikutsu quickly got up and walked over to the exit while saying, "It is time for you guys to leave now. I answered your three questions." They were all still stunned and unable to speak as they got up. As they made their way outside, Taikutsu gave them a warning as he said, "Y'all be careful who you trust from now on. I only know two people who are in this unique group of individuals, but I know their organization is much wider than that." He shut the door before any of them could say anything else. They quietly started to make their way back to the inn. As they left the city, Ryu finally said, "We got to make sure from now on that we are paying close attention to everything around us." They all nodded as Megami asked, "Do we tell the Prince?" He shook his head no while saying, "You know how crazy we will sound if we tell him there are important figures in society working with demons, but we don't know who any of them are." Baka ruffled his hair as he frustratingly said, "This is just crazy guys. What are we supposed to do?"

Ryu's voice was reassuring as he said, "We continue our journey of becoming stronger like we have already been doing. As long as we are prepared, we will be unstoppable. The only thing we will change is making sure to be more careful who we trust." They all nodded as they made their way into the inn. They all said night to each other as they went into their rooms. Luckily, Yasashi was able to get Baka his own room. He was lodging in twenty-five next to Chinmoku as Ryu flopped down on his bed. His stress instantly melted away as he snuggled up underneath the blankets. While the news he had received from Taikutsu was troubling, it did not alter what he was already striving for as he fell asleep. As he slept peacefully through the night, he was unaware of what lied ahead, and the pain that awaited him.