the_die_is_cast

 Mazes made out of bushes surround the mansion. Even some exotic animals are living in the surroundings of the main attraction. Making our way to the entrance, security seems to be diminished to the point of there being none. A line of guests in which Juliette is at the front of are all waiting to enter the palace.

Maybe there is no normal security as there are already two Primordials in one place. An odd occurrence, too. Normally, only one is deployed for the many places that need their surveillance or attention. An abnormality of this calibre is not something to scuff at.

Although I beat Green to a pulp, at the bottom of my heart, a certain sentiment is now clear: he was holding back. For whatever reason, he let me do what I did to him. Imperator’s orders are my first assumption. But, why? Maybe it has to do with the fact that the Kingslayer title is at the same level as the Primordials. There is something in it that has me itching.

“Should we just enter from another angle?” Hayami asks an important question.

“Yes. I don’t want to give you a hurdle but two Primordials are in here. Avoiding them would be the best choice.” Shocked by my statement as she covers her mouth with her hands, the yakuza member seems to be afraid of them.

“I’ve never fought against such a powerhouse. I would like to test my skills, but you are right.”

“By all means, we-”

“Should avoid them at all costs. Their power-”

“Is matched only by you.” The events of New Athena are still fresh in their minds.

“Glad we are all on the same page. Let's get going.”

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At the back of the palace, some windows are open on the ground floor. One of which leads to the laundyment, as we see some men in traditional Japanese clothing doing their job diligently. For us to enter, a distraction needs to happen. To that effect, Hayami proposes to use her katana to create a fire in front of one of the other rooms to catch the attention of the workers. Doing so, I redirect the smoke of the fire with gravity to reach them faster.

Hurriedly, the workers get out of their rooms to reach for the back entrance. Using this opening, we all enter through the window. Incapacitating the remaining workers and tying them up in storage rooms, we proceed to search for the archives.

Traversing the hallways, the decorations are similar to Hisa’s castle. Some of the differences are the scale of the structure and the colour palette. The exterior walls are painted white, while the interior’s colour is reminiscent of the ocean in the caribbean. Alongside the various shades of the sunset, magenta in various tones work as a complementary hue.

Samurai statues and pictures of many political figures in Proto-Japan embellish the already outstanding preservation of Japanese culture. To further emphasise the clear influences, in the middle of the main hall, a statue of the goddess of the sun Amaterasu graces with blessings the hearts of everyone around her.

It is an odd place. Merging the traditional Japanese architecture with a globalised and modern design, all made possible because of incredible minds all working for a common goal.

Now on the second floor, looking at the main hall, the guests have already started to pour in. From which the most important one stands out; Juliette. I can’t get to her without throwing the plan over the board, so for now, wishes of good luck are all that I can do.

In a matter of seconds, a scenario erupts from the ground at the opposite side of our location. With a microphone on hand, a mature man steps in to start a speech. Consequently, everyone outside starts to rush in and in an instant, the totality of the audience is present. Juliette and White stand alongside each other, serving as guards for the man about to speak.

Tapping my shoulders, Hayami tells me that Mr. Clyde is the host on the stage. I assumed so, but it is nice to confirm.

Taking a look at the stage one last time, by a glimmer of a chance, my gaze crosses Green’s eyes. He saw me, as he immediately frowned his eyebrows and his pupils dilated. Near to entering the next hallway, a chill down my spine almost stops me, only not happening as I am pushed by the twins from behind.

He knows we are here, but he doesn’t know it’s me. That was not planned. Fuck. No, focus. Focus. Focus.

Speeding through the hallways, checking every door we encounter a special one once we open it. A distinct interior, bigger than it should be. Teleportation, is my first idea for Leonard has this in his foundry. Familiar to this concept, the others don’t have the same experience I have.

As if waiting for a reaction from me, I respond “Teleportation. Too long of a story to tell now. Hurry now, enter. Green knows we are here.”

A gulping sound from the twins' throats disturb me. One of the only sentiments that they have expressed is now happening: fear. Paralyzed by fear, Hayami whispers her concern to then recompose herself. This is going sideways way too fast.

“Don’t worry. If push comes to shove, I’ll defeat him again.” Trying to comfort the team, I urge them to enter the room.

Obeying my orders, we all get in and close the door. The feeble lighting accompanied by the deteriorated dirty tiles and humid atmosphere makes me think that we are in a horror movie.

The rectangular area extends farther than what one would assume from the exterior. The teleportation door makes me think that the Lideriann are in cahoots with Innsperta. Leonard’s experimental machinery is more common than I envisioned. Who knows where this room actually is located. In spite of that, hypotheses don’t deserve a place inside my head right now.

With a night vision module from my visor, the reality of the situation hits me like a punch in my stomach. Dozens of cylindrical pods with people inside of them fill the place to the brim. Capsules containing humans, this fact is only observable for a windowed section in the top lets you see the poor people subject to this atrocity.

Libraries containing books and files make me think that we are at the right place. By a sudden clicking noise, Hayami turned on the lights completely. Instantly, my night vision gets disabled.

“Why are all these people here?” The yakuza is stunned by the sight too.

“It doesn’t matter right now. We’ll check it out another day.” A feeble feeling tells me that there is not going to be another day.

After pillaging the library, they tell me in synchronised manner “We found-”

“The files.”

“Great, start doing your job then.” With a nod from both of them, they take a seat and start deciphering the archives.