CHAPTER X24: CONFRONTATIONAL

  After the mess, Kazuki had to take a break. In the toilets, he was alone. Archius will catch up soon enough. His eyes shot upwards; it was today. Today would have been a good day…

  Not because of the senate, but because of what happened in the past.

  He looked awful in the mirrors. Still, his outward appearance was irrelevant.

  It was never relevant.

  It was Eliza’s birthday today. It also meant that it would have been Victoria’s too…

  He wanted to know how a birthday with those two alive would have gone down.

  Maybe they could have been friends, he thought, he and Eliza, beforehand. Possibility analysis was inconclusive. There was no point debating the past.

  All he could conjure were lies and deception. It was all his mind could produce, perfect recreations and imperfect simulations.

  “Lies. My lies.”

  Kazuki could only imagine what life would be like. Living. Actually living for something other than a mission.

  He stared at his own reflection.

  It stared with cold intent, colder than normal – but it was him. Kazuki tightened his hands around the sink, but felt his strength fail…

  “Kill her,” he said to himself. “Kill her already. What are you afraid of, boy?”

  The image in the reflection showed a slight quiver in the figure’s arms. He was scared. Still, his face showed none of it. Not even a flicker of doubt or fear was present on the scarred and burnt face.

  “Fear and the rest shall fall. Kill her,” he repeated to himself as a mantra. Kill her.

  Kill her.

  How ironic that these words were what he wished for, and the heart of the web of his guilty mind.

  He could see a reflection of a younger boy in the mirror. The mind was playing tricks on him.

  “You killed her, so why can’t you kill again?” Kazuki snarled at his reflection.

  It did not respond.

  The image faded, fogging up as he grunted. He tugged at the back of his exospine, releasing a bout of scalding steam that had been building up.

  For a moment, the room was a sauna. After a few seconds, the vapours dissipated.

  Footsteps crackled in the calm.

  Many of them. Kazuki didn’t feel uneasy. This was the Senate, after all. Then, the noise of a slash stirred the gears of his mind to life.

  Kazuki weaved aside, just narrowly avoiding a baton. It careened into the mirror, smashing it. He turned, six individuals, one blocking the door shut.

  Black suits – no armour. Not thugs, too well dressed… Lorenza’s men?

  Kazuki weathered the initial assault before launching forward with his own, bashing the first man to the side with his fists before throwing his arms up to guard from the others.

  “You chose your side poorly,” Kazuki snorted.

  The attackers grunted. Kazuki sighed, knowing this would definitely generate paperwork…

  But… If he leaves before security… Yeah, that works, he thought.

  One weaved behind him, but was too slow. Kazuki slammed his boots into their shin.

  A crack echoed throughout the lavatory. The man screamed as he was battered into the corner.

  A second man rushed in. Kazuki weaved, latching onto their arm before dislocating the shoulder, throwing them back forward.

  Their body crashed into another, activating the water sprinklers. Tch… Now Kazuki was drenched, his jacket at least.

  The four remaining brandished knives and batons, before jumping in. It was not a close fight. Kazuki bopped his head side to side, weaving and dodging…

  Were they trying to hit him? Kazuki paused for a moment. He was… genuinely confused. Then, a knife narrowly gashed his cheek.

  Game ends. Kazuki slammed his fist into the attack. Bones cracked instantly as Kazuki swung their weapon into another.

  Kazuki will allow the blood loss to finish them… The one holding the door grunted, rushing Kazuki from behind. Just enough force to push him onto the wet floor, Kazuki smashed their skull into the floor…

  Two left… They barrelled at Kazuki, kicking him whilst he was down. Still, Kazuki hadn’t even used his exospine yet. A burst of energy surged through him, and Kazuki kicked one of them into the wall, before slamming his fist into the neck of the other…

  Standing up, Kazuki realised how much of a mess he had made. “Are you all Lorenza’s muscle?”

  They were groaning, or bleeding…

  “What good are you? She must have hired Special Forces…” Kazuki jeered sarcastically before leaving.

  There was no one at the doors, not that he cared anyway. They were sloppy amateurs, a reflection of the Second Consul. All that wealth, and she hired tenth rates to do the work of a first.

  By now, everyone was leaving.

  Despite how crooked everything was, many were obligated to watch the proceedings, from the average man and woman to lawyers and others from all walks of life.

  It was worthless.

  Their attendance in viewing would change nothing.

  And Kazuki wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. Walking towards the exit, he saw Commissioner Frederick with Captain Paulus. The Captain waved over, walking up to Kazuki.

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  “Jeez, you look like… did something happen, Kazuki?” Paulus asked.

  “Nothing on paper.”

  Paulus scratched his head before nervously nodding. “I didn’t expect the Commissioner to support you at all, to be honest.”

  “He despises me. But he’s a steadfast man. Disgusts him even more, and he’ll turn his anger to a new one,” Kazuki remarked.

  “Why does he hate you? I’ve never really seen you do anything to him.” Paulus crossed his arms over his thick coat, similar to Kazuki’s own.

  It was the formal wear of the police.

  “He has every right to,” Kazuki replied, sealing his lips shut. It was an honest answer. It was an answer that Paulus would have to be satisfied with.

  Frederick looked over, clicking his fingers. “Captain, we’re leaving.” With that, Frederick snatched Paulus away, and they made their way to the shuttle bays.

  A large balcony was attached to the side of the hall, letting in the rays of a glistening Anagoran sunset.

  He had seen it untold times. He knew the exact amount, but there was no reason to recall it.

  But just when Kazuki thought everything was going to be bright… The ding of an elevator spurred his body to shift to face it.

  "Quite an entertaining show you've put on!" Grandfather exclaimed, waving over to his grandson.

  And as if on time, Archius reappeared, slinking off to Kazuki’s side.

  He was instantly met with a suspicious gaze, causing Archius to shrug and back off slightly. "Oh? That would be—"

  "My grandfather," Kazuki cut him off. His uplink flicked on as he spoke across the channel. ‘Archius, I was just attacked in the toilets. You know anything about that?’

  ‘Probably just Lorenza wanting to scare you…’ Archius replied by uplink. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure she got her lesson, you didn’t kill any of them… did you?’

  Kazuki paused, causing Archius a moment of panic.

  No, he thought, impossible. He’s no amateur. If he wanted to kill, he’d have killed them.

  ‘Uh. No. One is bleeding out. Well… two… I might have cracked one’s skull. Someone will find them.’

  Archius rolled his eyes as his bodyguards emerged from the sea of shifting bodies. ‘Should we have been with you?’ asked Václavos.

  ‘No, I needed Archius safe,’ Kazuki replied. ‘I can look after myself. He cannot.’

  ‘Aw, thanks for keeping me safe!’ Archius sneered. ‘You flatter me as your most valued and prized friend.’

  Václavos noted the Imperial Guard around the Emperor before them.

  Black blades with equally black uniform and armour. Each was a titan of skill and steel.

  "Should we be worried about them?" he asked.

  Kazuki shook his head. "Imperial Guard. They won't lay a hand on us," he said. Continuing forward, Nihara nudged Václavos forward with Archius.

  "Grandfather… My Emperor," Kazuki started off with a small bow of respect. "An honour to see you. I'm sorry you had to see that."

  Václavos and Archius exchanged shocked glances behind Kazuki's back. The typical jeers of a Contractor were replaced by a noble’s courtesy.

  "No! No! You did well, I always like seeing ílize's bootlickers kicked down a peg or two," Grandfather Tadaharu said. "But, my grandson, there is another I must need you to speak to.”

  A tall man followed out of the elevator. On que, Kazuki thought. They had a pale white and red tunic. Pale white hair showed their veterancy status in the Eclipse Expedition. Medals and ribbons displayed courage and valour… or passing pistol exams. But one thing Kazuki could not miss was the missing eye… covered with an eyepatch.

  “It’s been a while since you’ve come back to Anagora; you shouldn’t keep a father waiting for his son to return from war,” the Emperor said.

  “Father…” Kazuki murmured.

  The Contract-Breaker’s fa?ade stiffened. The High Admiral turned towards Kazuki and the Emperor, his own father. Not a single emotion was denoted on his face.

  "Son. Grandfather..." he hoarsely spoke up, taking a step forward. He was a man battered with scars.

  For a moment, father and son stared at one another. Kazuki felt a want of affirmation – that he had done justice, had made him proud by standing up to the High Director.

  But nothing came.

  Kazuki scowled.

  No. Kazuki refuted the idea. Kazuki stormed past them all. The Guard stepped to the side, whilst Crown Prince Yamagata, the High Admiral and Kazuki’s father, could not even find the words to speak – not a word to utter, and Kazuki would NOT have it at all. Not even the Emperor had anything to say.

  The guards and Archius followed Kazuki silently, brushing past the congregation of Trasia’s finest.

  "Family issues?" Václavos asked.

  "No. We're one perfect fucking family," Kazuki sarcastically replied. He felt his hand shake once more and had to close it firmly. Discipline it out... Survive, he demanded. “Focus. We have our jobs to do.”

  Václavos sighed. “Beamont… I know.” He rolled his eyes before grumbling to himself. “We’re… we’ll make it right.”

  “We will,” Kazuki stated. “Or die trying.”

  “Do we really need to have that dying part in there?” Václavos asked.

  Nihara grumbled and grabbed Václavos by the ear, dragging him down despite her short stature. "You need to have some tact, Václavos."

  "SAYS YOU OF ALL PEOPLE?!" Václavos retorted back. “Why ain’t you protecting Lizzie if we’re all here?”

  “Because Martinez and Sato are on the Phoenix’s Fury,” Kazuki said. “Everyone’s on high alert. The time to strike for the She-Wolf is not now.”

  “We’re gonna have to face her… Last time, we were ambushed. This time, it’ll be different.”

  Kazuki hoped so.

  There must be another way to destroy the She-Wolf. Kazuki gulped, finding himself unable to affirm the lie he had to peddle to keep the facade going.

  Archius caught Kazuki’s eye.

  Kazuki answered, “There won’t be a second chance for us this time. We’re killing her… No. I’m killing her.”

  “She scares the shit out of me,” Václavos continued. “But…”

  Nihara added, “We fucked up before, Václavos, come on, just admit it, we have to leave this to Kazuki.”

  That notion cleared things up, seemingly wiping the palpable tension radiating from the two.

  Cautiously, Kazuki gave a nod. He… needed these two to live. Kazuki will sacrifice himself, even if he knew not the grasp of the prize.

  “The She-Wolf bleeds. Hartius had hurt her before; we just have to finish the job,” Kazuki stated. “This time, we’ll be ready. There won’t be another massacre.”

  “And if we fail?” The words left Václavos’ lips before Nihara belted him with a slap.

  Kazuki had to propagate the lie. The lie that he would win. It wasn’t possible; he couldn’t see it.

  Nothing in the endless paths of his simulative memory could see a path forward. His instincts were not good enough. His battle skills are inadequate. His very being was insufficient.

  The mind was all he had over the beast, but even then, he couldn’t see a way out. The She-Wolf was just on another level.

  She was a violent warlord tempered in death’s flames.

  “Then it’s not our problem,” Kazuki gave a cold reply, sending a shiver up his guard’s exospine.

  Archius, surprisingly, didn't say anything. Not to the multitude of family drama, nor the assertion of a death mark. No one spoke a word as they got on the shuttle; the two guards sat by the open doorways, legs swinging over the edge as they stood vigil.

  Meanwhile, the Spymaster and the Contractor sat across from one another.

  "Come on. Mock me already," Kazuki said.

  Archius shook his head. "Not this," he spoke softly and with a hint of his Máwti accent. “Anything you want to tell me?”

  “No.” The reply was instant.

  “Fine. Have it your way.”

  Prick.

  “We’re not killing her the traditional way. Normally, you can kill whatever’s in front of you, and that’s that. Not this time…”

  “I know.”

  “And your family…”

  “You said you won’t mock me.”

  Archius nodded, stretching out on the shuttle as he cracked his knuckles, leaning forward. “I’m not here to mock you, Kaz. I’m not going to tell you that stupid shit about how… family’s important… I lived the past ten years without one, and look at how I turned out.”

  He smirked, and Kazuki found a coarse chuckle rising out from his scarred body.

  “I’m the crux of it all.” The disgraced Prince sighed. The hurricane in his mind refused to calm.

  He was a Prince, a Contractor, a Warlord, an Officer of the Law. He was loved. Respected. Hated. Despised.

  Too many notions and memories whizzed through his mind, constantly struggling to be recalled. His perfect memory replayed everything on loop, every stray idea exploded like a nuclear reaction.

  It was constant, and it was what he bore each waking moment.

  “Hey, don’t beat yourself up yet. Those deaths weren’t on you. Even if you got there earlier, they would have died,” Archius coldly reminded Kazuki of the slaughter.

  “It’ll happen again and again until that mutt’s put down.”

  Archius softened up slightly, his facade peeled away to reveal the young man beneath, a plain and apathetic face beneath smirks and smiles.

  Yousef shrugged. “I thought you Trasians had something about… balance. Ying Yang. You’re too negative.”

  “Never had a reason to be otherwise.”

  “And Eliza’s all positive, Ying and Yang,” Yousef grunted as he placed the facade back on as one of the guards glanced back into the shuttle. "Come on, let’s not disappoint Eliza.”

  And Victoria, Kazuki thought to himself. Even in death, he remembered, a birthday that never came, a smile and cake to never be.

  Kazuki stared forward, not giving an ounce of emotion off.

  “So be it.”