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Majestic. Majestic.

If there was one word Yorna Mishigure would use to perfectly describe herself, it would be "majestic."

Well, she would also use "brilliant," "impeccable," "wealthy," "extraordinary," and "beyond mortal comprehension."

The last one, not so much, but the others all applied for sure.

With a self-satisfied huff and a smug grin, she resumed her very interesting hobby of taking some free time to gaze out of her study's window. This particular window was her favorite, both because it was the only one in her study (and thus, only accessible to her) and because it looked over the entire city of Chaosflame. Every building, person, and item that she could see (and those she could not) belonged to her.

It was almost as if the world turned in her favor.

As the ruler of Chaosflame and seventh of the Divine Generals, there was little in the world she did not have. Even the things she lacked eventually fell into her hands, and all she needed to do was sit back and relax until it happened.

For example, her marriage with emperor Vincent. Just yesterday, a ragtag group of emissaries dropped a letter from him promising her whatever she wanted, and this was a marvelous opportunity to finally scratch this off her to-do list.

Now all she had left was world domination.

A fitting goal.

Taking a puff from her pipe, Yorna allowed herself a smug grin. First Chaosflame, then Vollachia, and then the world itself. It was, by no means, a lofty goal. All she had to do was play nice with the right people and they would be chanting her name in the streets.

And if they refused to do so, she always had Tanza.

Speaking of the little rascal, she was – like always – sitting right beside the door to her study, not uttering a single word. Yorna liked Tanza: she was always so diligent in her tasks and never failed her, not even once. She could kill a man and Tanza would dispose of the body somehow without even making eye contact.

The little ankle-biter was probably Yorna's favorite servant. She would make sure to give her a just reward when her to-do list was finished…which would be when she owned everything there was to own in the world.

This was because there were four things Yorna Mishigure could never get enough of: wealth, fame, gossip, and love.

Wealth because it was essential in every circumstance, and it was practically what made the world turn in the first place.

Fame because it was what she wanted most in her life.

Gossip because how else was she supposed to entertain herself, living in a castle all day?

And love…well, this one was the tricky one. See, Yorna had never really been involved in any romantic relationship, and all of her knowledge came from varied accounts like books or her own servants or her undying desire to marry the emperor of Vollachia just for his wealth and status.

"Tanza," she spoke after taking another puff. "What is love?"

Her servant remained completely still and did not even blink as she replied, "I would describe it as boundless loyalty toward an individual, Lady Yorna."

The Divine General sighed and strode over to her favorite couch. With all the grace and elegance of a majestic lady such as herself, she laid down on it and sighed. Today was turning out to be a boring day, and, if nothing interesting happened after her meeting with the emperor's emissaries, she might as well set a building on fire for the fun of it.

She never set a building on fire before (intentionally), but everything was always most exciting the first time it was done.

Glancing out the window, she saw that the sun had not yet risen to its highest point. There was some time left before the emissaries had to come meet her, and thus she had time to kill. So, feeling bored out of her mind, she snapped her fingers and stretched her hand just slightly.

A second later, Tanza walked over and stood exactly underneath her hand, letting Yorna pat her head.

They spent some time like that, both of them silent. Although the sounds of destruction and war echoed from beneath, from the streets of Chaosflame, today seemed to be a rather lazy day. Maybe she would take some time off from being literally the most majestic being in existence and mess around a bit.

Last time I "messed around," the Crystal Palace almost exploded.

Well, that was partially Cecils's fault for…well it was his fault and his alone. Who in their right mind yells "Spicy!" and tries to eat a fire crystal? Furthermore, who does such a thing after being warned to not do that very same thing?

The answer was Cecils Segmunt.

Yorna sighed. Just thinking of that blue idiot made her feel exhausted. Every single time he was anywhere near her, he wound up doing something stupid and reckless and endangering the population in ways she never would have come up with herself. Besides, he was the emperor's favorite to such a point that it was not even funny!

Sure, when Cecils causes an international incident to swordfight the SWORD SAINT, everyone calls it "cute" and "romantic," but when SHE does it…

Yeah, when she did anything then the imperial army came knocking on her door and the Sky-Riders were alerted. So much for equality.

"Is something wrong, Lady Yorna?" she heard Tanza ask. "Do you wish for me to get the torches?"

Shaking her head, the Divine General responded, "No need…but keep them ready just in case."

"If that is what you wish, Lady Yorna," the demi-human servant spoke, giving a minuscule bow.

She was about to ask her servant something, but a knock on the door interrupted her. She stopped patting Tanza's head and waved her hand, ordering the tiny girl to go answer the door.

When Tanza did so, Yorna found herself actually looking forward to the conversation.

"Lazing around on an important visit?" the visitor, Second-Class General Kafma Irulux, asked. "What if it had been His Excellency at the door, huh? You would've been disrespecting him!"

Seeing Kafma's absolutely serious expression, she gave a small chuckle. "If His Majesty had been at the door, then I would've shown the proper respect. After all, I am his wife."

"You're not even married!" he pointed out with almost comical rage. "What kind of lunacy goes on in your mind!? His Excellency would never stoop to such a level as to entertain the wishes of a disrespectful brat like you!"

Tanza grimaced at the comment, and Yorna gave a wickedly mischievous smile as she replied, "Oh, indeed? And that, I suppose, is why he lugs around a Second-Class General who can't pay his superiors proper respect?"

Biting his lip, he took a step forward. "Now you lis-"

"Tanza," she spoke, bringing the pipe to her lips. "Get him."

As Kafma processed the words, Tanza nodded and swiftly kicked the man in the shin hard enough to make him give a stifled yelp and wince. When she balled her fist to strike him again, he raised a hand and dropped to one knee, but not out of respect.

"General Yorna," he spoke through gritted teeth. "His Excellency wishes to inform you that he is leaving the city. You are to execute the traitors who declared war upon him. Such are your orders."

Yorna almost laughed out loud. Thanks to Vincent's letter, she knew that "His Excellency" had been deposed by none other than the laughable Chisha Gold. He had a good run, though. He even managed to fool her for a while.

No longer.

"Is that so?" she pouted. "Alas, I'd hoped His Majesty would remain in Chaosflame, enjoying my hospitality. If he wishes for it, I can even provide him with more…unique accommodations."

He stood with a shock. "Absolutely n-"

Before he could finish, Tanza kicked him in the other shin, and he gave another yelp of pain.

Yorna shook her head and put on the most depressed expression she could muster. "How unfortunate. Tell His Majesty that he's welcome in my humble domain anytime he wishes. Of course, also tell him to prepare his best suit for the wedding, and to please not pick Cecils as his Best Man."

This time, Kafma did not offer a retort, and Tanza nodded sagely as if approving of his silence.

"I will…do so," he conceded. "Farewell."

With that, he stood and limped to the door, which Tanza closed as soon as he was gone.

About an hour later, there were footsteps right outside the door.

Yorna was about to fall asleep from boredom, but the sound of someone running frantically past her door and then, after a couple seconds of silence, running back to her door woke her up. She would have chuckled, but she was more interested than amused.

There was a muffled yell of defiance and a loud thump as the door to her study buckled inward and remained closed. This was followed by a rather cowardly scream, and a shameful knock on the door.

Just for the giggles, Yorna waited a short while before ordering Tanza to open the door.

On the other side was a young man with black hair and mean-looking eyes who was tearfully caressing his shoulder with an expression of pure agony on his face. Interestingly enough, he was wearing a female officer's uniform. He whispered his thanks and stepped inside.

"I…didn't expect your door to be so tough," he croaked.

Seeing his pitiful state, Yorna laughed and beckoned him to come closer, offering him a seat right in front of her ("seat" as in the floor), which he took. "Well, you're new. What compels you to abuse my door like that?"

"Tanza," he replied, giving the ankle-biter a sidelong glance. "Tell her to call off…the attack."

"What attack?" she inquired, tilting her head. "Tanza, what does he mean?"

Instead of responding with words, Tanza just looked at her feet and fidgeted with her hands.

"Tanza," the Divine General repeated with a stern tone. "Did you order an attack on our guests…without my permission?"

The little servant nodded timidly and looked away.

Yorna sighed and looked back at the black-haired man. "Not again…apologies, then. She's a little rascal at times, you know? No hard feelings?"

"'No hard feelings!?' Lady, she almost got me killed!"

"Yes, she tends to do that sometimes."

The man raised his fist, and then promptly lowered it as his shoulder seemed to be in great pain. "Damnit! Lady, you almost got Vincent killed! Tell her to cut the crap!"

"Alright," she conceded. "Tanza, please don't kill our esteemed guests, either directly or indirectly…unless ordered to."

"Yes, Lady Yorna," the girl spoke. "I shall refrain from killing the guests unless you wish for me to do so."

Yorna huffed with pride. "Good girl. Now you, visitor, is that all you have to say?"

"Pretty much, yeah," he admitted. "Just…Vincent kinda wants you to come with us, ya know? He said he wanted to talk with you…and to please not kill us."

She shot Tanza a knowing look and then gave a smile of perfect self-satisfaction. "It pleases me to see His Majesty has finally accepted that he will be my husband…willingly or otherwise. Go on, then. Lead the way."

The man gave a sigh of relief and stood, leaving her to follow him.

Walking the streets of Chaosflame, Yorna was astounded by the number of unconscious citizens laying around.

Many of her own subjects, those who she had grown accustomed to seeing as she enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the warzone she called a city, sported wounds of various kinds. Some had burn marks she recognized as telltale signs of the Yang Sword's power. The citizens had clearly not held back with this onslaught.

She turned to her servant, who was looking down with a mixture of shame and melancholy. "What was it this time, Tanza?"

"Lady Yorna," she replied. "The ones who delivered the letter declared war on the emperor. I feared they were misleading you, trying to take you from us. We cannot lose you."

A couple of steps ahead of them, the black-haired man shook his head. "Well, if you'd just given us a chance to expl-"

"Any slight against Lady Yorna is to be punished," the servant interrupted. "Whether they be mere insects or pesky dragons, none are allowed to disturb Lady Yorna in any way, lest there be consequences."

He remained quiet for a second, and then gave Yorna a look of astonishment. "Ya know, I wouldn't take her seriously given she's like…knee-tall, but she almost killed all of us so…"

"Did you try not getting killed?" Yorna inquired, a cheeky smile on her lips. "I hear it works wonders."

"Maybe you should try getting a job," he replied. "It can't be good for society to have you lazing around all day."

In the silence that followed his comment, Yorna heard her servant respond with, "Maybe you should try joining the emperor…in a body bag…"

"Did…did you hear that?" he asked Yorna, an incredulous expression on his face.

She gave him a gentle smile. "Hear what?"

Tanza nodded with complete seriousness. "I did not say anything."

The man narrowed his eyes and shook his head, but did not respond.

For a few minutes, the three of them kept walking in silence. The amount of people laying unconscious on the ground surprised Yorna, but she did not show it. If Vincent had done all this, then she would make certain to give him a piece of her mind. As much as she loved fame, these were her own citizens. These were the people who loved her and who she loved in return.

They would always come first to her.

She looked to her right, where Tanza was walking beside her. Honestly, she understood the little ankle-biter's reason for causing all this fuss. The citizens of Chaosflame looked up to her, saw her as the one who did not turn her back on them when they were at their worst. If she went to war with the emperor, she was doomed to fail…and leave them all defenseless.

"We're here," the man announced as he walked over to an inn's door. "Just hope they're still inside…"

He knocked on the door with a rhythmic pattern, and it opened. The same one-armed man that delivered the letter yesterday, accompanied by the same blond woman dressed in exotic clothing (though Yorna believed her kimono to be superior).

"Hey, brother," the one-armed man spoke. "You got 'em to come along? Nice job. Did you make sure they weren't trying anything funny? Las time we had a cute girl on our team, she turned out to be…you know."

Yorna gave a light smile while Tanza nodded, as if approving of calling her lady "cute."

The blond woman beside him waved her hand, beckoning them to come in. "Well, we're not gonna have this meetin' outside, are we?"

At her behest, they walked into the inn.

Vincent Vollachia.

He was the man she most wanted to marry, and purely for convenience. Not once in her life had Yorna held feelings for the man, but his status was far too important to pass up on.

Which was why, when he sat down right in front of her, Tanza rolled her eyes like she had been sentenced to another of Yorna's ravings about how to take over Vollachia (which the ankle-biter surely considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment).

"I am surprised you arrived on time," the emperor mused, his face impassive. "Usually, you arrive late on purpose. And this time you came walking and not on your servants' backs…impressive."

As Tanza gave the emperor a deathly glare, Yorna laughed as genuinely as she could manage. "Oh, Your Majesty, have you come to my home just for some quick banter? That's not what your letter said, no…"

He nodded and looked at the black-haired man sitting down a couple meters away from them, who was reading a book. "I know what my letter said, fool. Do you think I have already gone senile? I am not my father."

"I hear Drizen Vollachia was quite attractive in his youth," she responded, taking yet another puff from her pipe. "In my honest opinion, you should try being more like him."

"Olbart Dunkelkenn was also attractive in his youth. I have no interest in becoming like him, not after learning he is after my head."

Yorna raised her eyebrows and almost choked on her pipe's smoke. "He's after what!?"

"Indeed," he said, nodding gravely. "First Chisha, now Olbart. Before them, Balleroy. Is something causing them to rebel?"

As she was about to give her opinion, Tanza muttered, "Perhaps it is your personality."

Silence.

"Did…did she just say that?" the emperor asked, looking shocked.

"I didn't hear anything," Yorna replied, shaking her head as Tanza did the exact same. "Why, Your Majesty, is your hearing alright?"

He scoffed. "Do not assume there is anything wrong with me, fox. Why would you even assume the emperor of Vollachia is anything but perfect?"

"Well, Your Majesty, if your mind was working right, we would've been married already."

"Be silent," he ordered. "Keep your tongue behind your sharpened teeth. After having tread this dangerous path, I have no interest in exchanging words with a witless jester."

Again, Tanza whispered, "Witless…ironic."

As Vincent shot her another glare, Yorna just patted her head and widened her smile, as if to say "Isn't she just the cutest?"

In response, the emperor sighed and shook his head. "I promised you anything you wanted, Yorna…so long as you help me. If you will remain here in Chaosflame, you are of no use to me."

"I would love to help His Majesty," she replied, giving a smile that showed her sharp teeth. "Of course, as a proud Vollachian, isn't it merely common sense for me to assist him?"

"You are doing this for the reward," he pointed out.

"Well, a little treat never hurt anyone," she said. "Besides, don't you think you owe me for almost killing my beloved citizens?"

He waved his hand. "It was in self-defense. Had it not been for your servant's idiocy, I would not have been forced to do such a thing."

"You were not forced to do anything," she countered, her voice hiding some slight venom.

After she spoke, they remained silent, with only some occasional footsteps from the inn's other inhabitants being heard within the room. Yorna sighed happily and – again – took a drag of her pipe, basking in the silence.

She was finally within reach of her goal. All she had to do now was play Vincent's game and survive it. After that, she could have the fame she so wanted…and maybe even more, if she had the ambition necessary to seize the opportunity. Soon, she would be able to extend the care she gave to Chaosflame to the whole world.

In front of her, the emperor's face parted into a malicious grin, and she felt her heart stop for a second.

Oh, no.

"I deem this conversation finished," he said, standing from his chair. "Take your time to know my allies, and know them well, as they may be your lifelines in the future. You may begin with my tactician…"

As he said that, he nodded his head toward the young, black-haired man who was quietly reading a book on the other side of the room, splayed out on a nondescript couch.

And then he said it.

"His name is Natsuki Subaru," he concluded, before walking away and leaving her to process the information.

In the span of half a second, Tanza gave her a look of desperation and worry as she realized that the inconspicuous man who had almost broken his shoulder trying to bust open her door was also the renowned hero who had gained global fame for killing several Sin Archbishops and at least one Great Mabeast.

The very same instant that her servant reached out to stop her, Yorna slid out of her chair and practically zoomed across the room in the blink of an eye, all but turning into a colorful blur for a moment.

Then, she gracefully laid on the couch beside the great hero whose fame rivaled that of the Sword Saint, scooted close enough to intrude on his personal space, and gave her best, most soothing smile.

"What are you reading?" she asked in a sweet voice.

Turns out he was reading The Guillotine of Magrizza.

Later that day, long after night fell, Yorna prepared herself for bed.

She decided to sleep at the inn that day, and purposely chose the room right beside Subaru's. Sure, it had already been occupied by the one-armed Aldebaran, but she just kicked him out (actually, Tanza did most of the "kicking" after she gave the order).

Now, she stood in front of a mirror about as tall as herself. It was one she had ordered some of her other servants to bring over from the Red Lapis Castle, as she needed it to look stylish, and outside appearances were always the most crucial part of any courting process. Even if she was dressed in a simple blue nightgown, she was still majestic.

At the moment, the Divine General was engaged in the most important part of her night: removing all her hair ornaments so she could sleep peacefully.

It was an arduous process, and usually one that Tanza did for her, but Yorna insisted against it today. Now, as she removed ornament after ornament and the process reached the half-hour mark, she was beginning to regret that decision a little.

While she took off a flower-shaped hairpin, the ruler of Chaosflame hummed contentedly to herself.

To think His Majesty had such a trick up his sleeve…

She had to give him that: Vincent was one clever man. Of course, that was to be expected. There was no such thing as a dumb Vollachian. They were all extinct.

Nonetheless, to use her own desire for fame against her…and to somehow bring in Lugnica's greatest hero without a single word about it reaching her ears…

It was more than audacious; it was borderline insane.

Being fair, though, everyone in Vollachia was a little messed in the head, at least by the average person's standards.

Surely not "everyone."

Yes, everyone. Including Yorna.

Living in a country that is perpetually at war with itself tends to take a toll on the mind.

Finally, Yorna removed the last of her hair ornaments and clapped with satisfaction. Next time, she would just have Tanza do it.

Now, she just let her hair down and sighed with relief at finally being able to sleep. Everyone else was probably already snoring by now. Maybe tomorrow, she could just…not put so many things into her hair. It would save her an hour daily at the very least.

She gave herself a quick look in the mirror and, once she was convinced she was still fashionable (and majestic), she took a step toward her far-too-modest bed and stopped.

Maybe she could do one last thing tonight…

Carefully stepping on the wooden floor so as to not make noise, she strode over to her room's door and into the hallway. She looked left and right, making sure there was no one to see her. When that was done, she slowly walked over to the room next to hers.

Although the wooden door was closed, she could hear conversation inside. Years of thriving off gossip coupled with her demi-human traits gave her an excellent sense of hearing…which she barely used unless it was in conversations.

Now, though, it let her pick up on the words being spoken on the other side of the door with almost perfect clarity.

"…then would he?" a woman's voice said, seemingly laced with worry.

"I wouldn't ask me for relationship advice, especially when it comes to Flop," Subaru's voice replied (Yorna refused to believe anyone could be named "Flop"). "I mean, my record so far is kinda lame. Still…he's a good guy, from what little I know about him. If this is what you want, you should go for it."

There was silence for a second, and then what sounded like a sigh. "I suppose you're right. If he accepts…even if he doesn't, I would…owe you one."

"Don't think about 'what if he doesn't,'" he replied. "Besides, you won't owe me one, don't worry. Just…don't let us get killed in the future."

"'Us?'"

There was a short laugh. "Well, Vincent can act as high and mighty as he wants, but he needs us, you know? He just has a…weird way of showing it…oh, my God, he's a tsundere…"

"A what?" the woman inquired.

"Never mind," he replied. "It's…such a revelation must be kept quiet."

There was a groan of annoyance from the woman, and Yorna felt herself smile. Something about the whole exchange was amusing to her, and she could not tell what it was.

Well, isn't that interesting?

Yorna was not someone who let her emotions run unchecked. If something amused her, it was because she deemed it so. This was…a strange exception.

She shook her head. No, now was not the time to let herself be carried away by such thoughts. There was something she had to do, and she would do it.

With as much gentleness as she could muster, the Divine General knocked on the door.

There was a delay before Subaru called out, "Yeah?"

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, purposely keeping her voice tender. "Not that there should be anything to interrupt at such a time…right?"

"What do you mean, 'at such a time?'" he replied. "Yorna, it's like, ten pm. It's not even late."

She turned to the time crystal and saw its color, which indicated that it was definitely much earlier than she expected. "Hm…it seems I've miscalculated what time it was."

He gave a genuine laugh. "I don't blame you. It gets dark pretty early here, so…"

As if to add a touch of divine irony, the windows lit up as an explosion outside rocked the building. "It seems my followers are acting up again…oh, dear. In any case, can I come in?"

Again, a pause. "Uh, sure…just a second."

She counted to four seconds before the door opened. Behind it stood a scantily-dressed, blue-haired, dark-skinned woman, who gave her a fierce glare and stepped out of the room before letting her pass.

When she walked into the room, Yorna paid attention to her surroundings. It was really bare and minimalistic. Either the great hero had no materialistic desires or was just flat-out broke…or maybe his things were back in Lugnica.

Another interesting question…

Subaru himself sat on the completely average bed and spread his arms as if to show her the room. "It's a little barebones, but I think it does the trick."

"Well, such a 'barebones' aesthetic is not my style," she responded, closing her eyes and giving a smug huff. "You could probably tell that the Red Lapis Castle is quite the opposite."

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "It was really fancy. So, what didja want to talk about? If it's relationship advice, I'm afraid I'm not much help."

She shook her head and sat down beside him, prompting him to scoot away. "No, it's not that. See, I wanted to know…what the great hero of Lugnica was doing here."

"'Great hero?' Oh, no, have I become famous enough to warrant my own nickname!? What's next, paparazzi!?"

"Of course you're famous," she chuckled, ignoring the strange word she did not understand. "A man who takes down not one but…was it three? Three Sin Archbishops, and not to mention the White Whale. If His Majesty recognized your potential, he would have made you a Divine General at the least…maybe even a Stargazer."

He responded with a dismissive wave and a shy grin. "It's not much, I swear. All of it was thanks to my friends. They're the real heroes."

She did not respond for a short while, and instead brought one of her tails to her lap, caressing it. "You're far too humble, you know? People nowadays make such a big fuss over taking credit for your own achievements. If you earned it, you should be proud."

"I don't know," he responded, smiling sheepishly. "I couldn't have done all that alone…and it took me a long time to figure out. There's no way I could have done all that without help."

"Let me tell you a little secret," she sighed. "His Majesty, Vincent, is a strong man by himself. That Yang Sword he carries is the stuff of myth. There are few in the world who would dream of disrespecting him, and most of them live here."

Yorna paused on purpose, letting the words sink in. When Subaru nodded, she continued.

"Vollachia is all about strength," the Divine General recited, her voice turning melodic. "But there are various kinds of strength. His Majesty is powerful because he controls the empire. Now, he is forced to rely on you and your friends to regain his throne. When he sits upon it again, he will claim credit for all of this."

She could practically hear the gears in his head turning (no thanks to her enhanced hearing) as he pondered on the revelation.

"There's no shame in having pride," she concluded, closing her eyes. "It's worse to not have it, especially when everyone around you values it highly. I understand wanting to be modest, but it's not always the best thing to do. Taking pride in your actions is the first step in loving yourself, and that's the first step in becoming…"

"A narcissist?"

"A…good person."

Having finished, she caressed her tail as she waited for his response.

Before answering, Subaru gave a deep sigh. "I don't know. I was always unable to do stuff myself, you know? Even my first day here…I needed someone to save me. All I did was because of my friends. If it wasn't for one of them…I would be living in Kararagi, probably regretting everything."

His tone was laced with sadness, and it was clear to Yorna that these events weighed heavily on his mind.

"Besides, I mess up a lot more than you'd think," he pointed out. "Just trying to get to your castle, I made a fool of myself a bunch of times. Olbart didn't help, either. I'm not a hero, I'm just someone trying to help my friends, you know? I don't need or want to be praised for doing what everyone else would do."

Despite the mood, Yorna actually laughed. "This isn't about being praised or not. It's about you. Even if you make a fool of yourself, what matters is how you act after that. I'm sure your friends make mistakes too…I know I do."

He said nothing, and neither did she. For a while, they sat in silence, the only sounds being their breathing and the warzone outside the inn.

"Thanks for that, Yorna," the youth spoke, rubbing his eyes. "I just…there's a lot I need to think about. Can we talk tomorrow?"

"We can talk whenever you feel like it," she answered with a small but honest smile on her face that showed her sharp teeth. "You're always welcome in the Red Lapis Castle."

He nodded, and the two were quiet again.

"I suppose I'll leave," the Divine General said with a snicker. "The last thing I want is to look sleep-deprived."

She stood gracefully, stretched, yawned, and walked to the door.

"If you want to come by, my door's always open," she teased.

As she stepped outside his room, she turned and winked at him, and then she was gone.

The following day, Vincent set out for Guaral, and Yorna went with him.

Of course, Tanza came along.

The carriage ride was long and uncomfortable, but Yorna made the most of it by pulling a couple strings (threatening) the right people and getting a seat on Subaru's carriage…and kicking everyone else out.

It was just going to be her and Tanza with him. If there ever was a more perfect opportunity to gain his favor, she did not know of it.

Now, she sat across from him in the back of the carriage as Tanza rode in the driver's box, steering them on the way to Guaral.

There was, however, one little obstacle standing between her and the black-haired youth: a girl named Louis Arneb.

Louis was small, about Tanza's height (then again, Yorna was the tallest among them). She seemed obsessed with Subaru much like a clingy child would be with a parent they had dearly missed. Her white dress was dirtied and torn in places, leaving only bandages to cover the rips. Where her golden hair was not tidy and braided, it was filthy, loose, and covered in specks of dirt.

She sat on his lap and buried her head against his shoulder, sneaking tearful glances at the flamboyant Divine General that seemed so interested in her.

"You seemed a bit young to have a daughter," Yorna mused, shifting her gaze between Louis and Subaru. "Don't tell me…is that blond girl her mother? The one with us at the inn?"

He seemed flustered. "Medium!? No!? We've only known each other for like a week or two! Besides…Louis isn't my daughter."

At this declaration, Louis looked up at him with a sort of confusion and uttered an adorable "Uuah?"

Smiling, Yorna took a puff from her pipe (rest assured, her lungs were in perfect condition) and blew out the purple-blue smoke. "How interesting…so you drag around a strange girl without any connection to you? My, I'd dare say that such an act would be a scandal. 'Renowned hero has secret army of children'…you won't add dear Tanza, will you?"

"This isn't something I do willingly!" he protested, shaking his fist in frustration. "These ankle-biters just follow me around all the damn time! If I end up getting one more on this little circus, I swear…!"

"So long as you don't take Tanza, I'll allow it," she laughed.

From the driver's box, Tanza called out, "As if I'd leave Lady Yorna for a mangy mutt like him."

Subaru seemed more surprised than angry at the comment. "Is she always like that?"

"I promise you, Tanza is just one-hundred-fifty centimeters of pure love and cuteness," the Divine General huffed, glancing at the driver's box. "If she wanted you dead, you would be."

"Oh, believe me, I know that," he whispered, and had Yorna been a human, she probably would not have picked up on it.

In response, Louis just uttered a low-pitched "Ouah."

The carriage kept going, sometimes struggling to traverse the bumpy road, but the passengers did not speak, taking in the quiet road.

Finally, the fox leaned forward and spoke, "Now, I'd be interested in knowing something: is the great hero of Lugnica in a relationship?"

As he patted Louis's head with one hand, he rubbed the back of his neck with the other. "You see…it's really complicated. Really."

"We've got time," she replied, spreading her arms to show the carriage. "If you want, I'll get Tanza to stop the carriage for a little while."

"Fine," the hero conceded, gently rocking Louis as she made some cute sounds of joy. "I guess…I'll start when I met the Bowel Hunter."

He told her everything, from the loot house to the Watchtower.

As the trip to Guaral was too long to make in one day, they stopped to rest a couple hours after the sun disappeared.

The whole group gathered around a campfire as the blond woman (Medium, apparently) threw some branches on it. Vincent sat on a log, somehow managing to maintain his royal appearance despite the circumstances. The dark-skinned woman, Taritta, was helping the one-armed Al prepare an animal they hunted so they could cook it.

Meanwhile, Yorna sat a little farther away from the fire and observed their perfect coordination.

Everyone there had a role to play, and they did it to perfection. She was amazed by how easily they could fall into this routine, with each of them supporting the group to the best of their abilities. It was something that had Vincent's signature all over it. It was Vincent, after all, who brought together the dysfunctional and incurably insane Divine Generals.

Not that it worked out in the long run, but at least it was fun while it lasted.

As she was too immersed in her thoughts, she did not notice Subaru sit down beside her and call out, "Hey, Abel! Care to join us!?"

"Hmph," the emperor responded, lowering his head and waving his hand dismissively. "You are my tactician, not my friend."

"Alright, but we're gonna be discussing haircuts," he joked. "You could use a new one, by the way."

Vincent did not respond, so Subaru turned to Yorna and pointed at him with his thumb.

"With that haircut of his, he looks like some boyband reject," he chuckled. "I mean, the clothes are great, but he could put that same effort into his actual appearance."

Despite trying to maintain her aura of majesty, Yorna also laughed at his comment. "Even if His Majesty lost his throne, making fun of him is unwise…especially if he's employing you."

"'Employing' me!? He hasn't even paid me yet! His Majesty or whatever needs to stop being so stingy with his money! At least Roswaal paid me!"

"I doubt His Majesty has access to the Crystal Palace's vault at the moment…you should charge him interest."

Just as he was about to add something, Vincent interrupted, "If you two will bicker so uselessly, then do so when I cannot hear you. Your voices are grating."

If Tanza had been there, she would have probably slaughtered the arrogant emperor, but alas, she was helping gather wood with Louis, so…

"No offense intended, oh great hero," the Divine General spoke, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "But you don't look like someone who conquered the Pleiades Watchtower. I expected you to be more…heroic, if you'll forgive my language."

He shrugged and smiled. "Nah, I get it. You probably expected someone like Reinhard or…God forbid, Julius."

Yorna laughed for a few seconds before saying, "Of course you've met the Sword Saint. Did you know that our dear Cecils is a little infatuated with his red-haired counterpart?"

A little too infatuated, might I add.

"The 'Blue Lightning?'" he asked, tilting his head. "I mean, I kinda get it. Opposite colors and all…it's like those sodas…never mind."

"No, no, do go on. I'm very interested in this."

"Well, back in my homeland, there's some companies that sell a special kind of drink. One is red and the other is blue…and they're rivals."

The Divine General reflected on his statement for a second. "I can see the parallel."

"Yeah!" he responded, nodding fervently. "Yeah, that's right! Never would've pegged Cecils as a Pepsi guy, though…"

"A what guy?"

"Ah…it doesn't matter."

They sat in silence after that, watching the fire crackle. Vincent just sat on his log, completely immobile and impassive, creeping everyone out by blinking with only one eye at a time (like the freak he was). Medium used a branch to rearrange the campfire as Al put a piece of meat over the fire to cook it.

From behind Subaru came a giggle, and Louis slammed into his back like a projectile. She was bursting with joy at being reunited with him, and – as much as he tried to hide it – he seemed relieved to see her too.

Tanza came over to Yorna, carrying a couple branches. "Lady Yorna, this is all I could get."

"Excellent," she answered, giving her servant a headpat. "Be a dear and put them by the campfire…and don't say anything to His Majesty, please."

Although the ankle-biter made a face of displeasure at the last part of the command, she nodded and walked toward the fire, dropped the wood right next to Medium (who – luckily – thanked her), and then returned to Yorna's side, waiting for more headpats.

She received them.

On the opposite side, Subaru put Louis on his lap and said, "I need to talk to Roswaal when I get back. Between Petra, Beako, and now…her…I think I deserve some paternity leave."

She laughed. "You're welcome in Chaosflame for any vacation you desire."

"Any good hotels you can recommend?" he asked, pulling some leaves out of Louis's hair. "Preferably, any that Vincent can't get to…not in the mood for another adventure."

"Well," the Divine General smiled, her voice turning low and flirtatious. "I'd love to host you in the Red Lapis Castle."

Even under the mask of night, she could see the faint blush that appeared on his cheeks. "Oh, no, it's alright! I wouldn't want to trouble you, really!"

In response, she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, giving him a light squeeze. "Please…it'd be no bother. If anything, I'd look forward to it. Besides…didn't we have fun playing hide-and-seek?"

There was a look of complete surprise on his face for a second, and then he sighed and it turned into a look of resignation. "I guessed you knew that was me…anyway, thanks for helping us beat Olbart at that game. We owe you big time."

"I was just being a good host," she responded, waving her free hand. "You have this bad habit of thanking people for doing what they're supposed to."

"In my experience, what people are supposed to do and what they actually do are not always the same," the hero said with noticeable sadness.

Yorna nodded and let her smile fall slightly. "Unfortunately, you're right."

Once again, they stopped talking, and instead just watched in silence as Al and Taritta frantically removed a piece of meat that fell right onto the flames while Medium tried to douse the flames without putting them out permanently. Like before, Vincent just watched it all unravel from his log.

When their gazes met, she winked, and he shook his head in disapproval.

"His Majesty" could use that Yang Sword of his to help us cook, couldn't he?

Hm, that was an interesting thought to consider. Necessity was the mother of invention, after all.

As the seconds passed, the Divine General kept watching in silence, but her gaze constantly returned to the black-haired youth beside her.

"Your Majesty, how great to see you again!"

The very instant that Yorna stepped off her carriage, that grating voice reached her ears, even if it was not meant for her.

The speaker was a short man with wild hair who wore the uniform of a high-ranking officer. Comically enough, he seemed to be about Tanza's height, maybe shorter. He was bowing right in front of the first carriage, where Vincent was.

When the emperor saw him, he just waved his hand as if to order him away, and the short man nodded fervently before calling for some soldiers to come help everyone get their luggage.

"What an interesting little man," she commented to Subaru when they got off. "I think Madeline is taller than him…then again, I haven't really had a chance to get her height."

Subaru chuckled. "Madeline? The Divine General?"

"Indeed," Yorna replied with a nod. "Though, we're not on the best of terms. Last time we met, I put her on a cupboard she couldn't get down from."

"For real?" he said, looking at her incredulously as he helped Louis hop off the carriage and onto her back. "She's that tiny?"

She waited before answering, "Since she's so small, her anger has less space to dissipate in. If she tries to kill you, it's probably nothing personal."

"I've learned that Vollachians try to kill each other as a show of affection," he commented, shaking Louis a bit to rouse her from her half-asleep state. "By this point, if Arakiya tries to rip out my throat, I'll just tell her I like her haircut or something."

"You've met the Spirit Eater?" Yorna questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He scratched his head sheepishly, and Louis imitated him. "Well…she's, uh…kind of my roommate."

Almost a minute passed as she put her pipe to her lips, took a drag, exhaled, and pondered on the statement. "Huh…that is…"

So, the second-strongest in the empire is his "roommate?" Even ignoring the implications, which are already interesting enough to write a book on, the mere fact that dear Arakiya would warm up to someone is astounding. She was the most antisocial of all the Divine Generals! And she was even trying to kill Cecils! Not that I disagree with that, but still…

In contrast with the storm of thoughts that was running through her mind at that very moment, all Yorna said in reply was, "I don't suppose you're…you two…uh…"

"No!" he responded, seeming ashamed of even thinking about it. "No! It's just that…before we left for Chaosflame, Vincent offered her to join us and take down Chisha! She agreed and…well…Vincent gave me the task of watching over her. I gotta tell you, seeing her just pluck a spirit out of the air and eat it is…"

Although his sentence was left unfinished, he shuddered, and that was enough for her to understand.

While Tanza got off the driver's box, Yorna gave a grim smile and spoke, "Well, I can't judge our dear Arakiya's diet, can I? She's free to do as she desires."

"Mhm," he nodded. "I'll try to keep any mention of Beatrice from her, though. Last thing I want is for her to eat my adorable spirit…"

Before their conversation could continue, the short man made his way to them and bowed. "General Mishigure! It is an honor to host you in Guaral! Welcome to our fortress!"

"Your fortress?" she inquired. "Hm…you must be an officer too. Third-Class General?"

"Second-Class, actually," he corrected. "I am Zikr Osman, and His Majesty assigned me to make contact with the Sudrak tribe. When I heard of the coup…it was tragic."

Second-Class? In my experience, Second-Class Generals are…well, more like Kafma, not like this guy.

To compare Zikr and Kafma was unfair. It was like comparing a child to Cecils. The difference between them was so vast that he could never hope to bridge it.

"In any case, it is good to see you are well, General Mishigure," Zikr said, bowing. "His Majesty wished to speak with you in a couple hours, right in the City Hall's…main hall."

Yorna turned her gaze to the City Hall and took in the building's appearance. "Hm, it's nothing like the Red Lapis Castle."

At this comment, Zikr waved his hands frantically. "Mhm! If you wish, I'm sure I can find more suitable accommodations for you, General Mishigure! There's bound to be some arou-"

"No need," she interrupted. "I wish to use the room beside Natsuki Subaru's. If it is currently in use, inform the occupant that they have been evicted."

She turned to look at Subaru, who was preoccupied talking with Louis.

"And…please don't inform Arakiya that I'm here," she concluded. "Old friends should greet each other…personally."

With that, she strode toward the City Hall, and Tanza followed close behind.

The Divine Generals were…a rowdy bunch.

Yorna was an exception (obviously, one as majestic as herself could never stoop to their level). In her humble opinion, she was just a mere governor for a city she loved, and the title of Divine General came second to that. Her first priority was to her citizens, to the demi-humans of the world, and then to the emperor. Had her life been any different, she would still have longed for the same dream she held dear now, a dream she cherished and wished to make into reality.

Cecils was a force of nature. He was chaotic and far too energetic for her, constantly moving all around the place and causing international incidents that the emperor had to resolve. Despite all that, though, he was a good man. A little dumb…well, very dumb, but still kind-hearted and nicer than your average Vollachian.

Olbart…she did not like him. He was a mean old man, and she witnessed firsthand how he turned people into children and forced them to play twisted games. As he was a Shinobi, it made sense he was extremely cruel and vicious, but to aim for the emperor's head…was simply inexcusable.

Chisha kind of unsettled her. Apart from the unsightly getup, he felt…untrustworthy. Sure, in Vollachia, deceit was as commonplace as rain, but that did not mean that she had to put her trust in a man as two-faced as Chisha Gold. This whole coup aside, he always felt off-putting and cold, constantly probing others as if to test their weaknesses.

Groovy was a mean-mouthed little beast, and she kind of liked him. That was it.

Mogro was…Mogro.

Madeline…well. Madeline Eschart was, truthfully, the one Divine General that she most wanted to like. As a fellow demi-human, she understood what the little dragonkin must have faced, and she really wanted to make amends. Sure, Madeline destroyed the Red Lapis Castle and tried to kill her and Tanza, but that was commonplace in Vollachia. Like the saying goes: your best friends are the ones that survive your assassination attempts.

And then, there was Arakiya.

Yorna did not really know what to think of the Spirit Eater, besides the fact that she could be terrifying if she wanted to. The fox had learned to give her a wide berth whenever she was in a bad mood…or whenever Cecils was involved.

Which was why she was desperately hoping that the Blue Lightning had not somehow arrived here before her.

Standing in front of the door to the Spirit Eater's room, she took a deep breath and knocked.

There was no response, so she waited for a couple seconds and looked around the empty hallway before knocking again. This time, there was a sound within, like someone groaning in annoyance.

Maybe Cecils came here already…

In an attempt to not be brutally destroyed by the second-strongest Divine General, Yorna spoke, "May I come in?"

A soft "mhm" was all she got in response, so she took it as permission.

Considering they were in the barracks, more specifically the officers' section, the rooms here were of excellent quality. No self-respecting Vollachian commander would live in some shack in the middle of nowhere. This room was what she expected it to be: grand and brimming with maps and other logistical equipment an officer might need.

One of the desks was removed, though, and where it once stood was a bed. On the other bed, across the room, was the Divine General.

Arakiya was laying on her bed, having thrown one pillow on the floor and put the other next to her so she could embrace it. The sheets were in disarray, too. Her bed and the two meters around it looked like a tornado had struck.

She was facing away from the door, and Yorna could see a dreadful scar running down the Spirit Eater's back, made especially noticeable by her light clothing.

Yorna quietly strode over to the bed and kneeled down beside it, resting her elbows on the bed and crossing her arms. "Well…that looks like a terrible wound, Arakiya. Are you alright?"

She nodded silently and hugged the pillow a little tighter. Yorna, still kneeling on her bedside, picked up the other pillow from the floor, brushed off some filth from it, and put it against the Spirit Eater's back.

Arakiya turned slightly and stared at her from the corner of her good eye, giving the fox a questioning look.

Yorna smiled, showing off her sharp teeth. "Pillow sandwich. It's awfully comfortable, isn't it?"

"Mhm," she replied.

"I take it you want to sleep, is that right?" she asked the Spirit Eater.

"Mhm," came the response, again.

Without another word, Yorna stood and grabbed the bedsheets, pulling them over her. Even though Arakiya was covered up to her mouth, Yorna could tell she was satisfied with that…especially because she could see the Spirit Eater's tail wagging underneath the sheets.

The fox smiled and patted her comrade gently. "Sleep well, Anya. We'll talk later."

"Thanks," she muttered, burying herself deeper into the bedsheets.

Yorna's smile widened, and she nodded satisfied with their interaction.

Truth be told, she did not expect it to go that well.

"What do you know of Madeline Eschart?"

Yorna could see the hidden emotion in Vincent's eyes, though she could not tell what it was. Exasperation, maybe? Some form of annoyance?

As she sat on the table opposite the deposed emperor, she tried to identify his mood so she could best decide how to respond. No point in teasing him when he was irritated. That much she learned the hard way.

"I'm afraid I don't know much, Your Majesty," she answered, opting for a safer approach. "Madeline and I aren't on speaking terms."

"That much is true," Tanza added, raising a finger. "She tried to make a dragon eat me."

As her servant said that, Subaru – who sat on her left – seemed worried. "Are you alright?"

The ankle-biter gave him a stoic look and said, "I ripped out its teeth with my hands."

Silence engulfed the table for a couple seconds before he replied, "I see…good thing you weren't hurt, then."

Across the table, the blue-haired Oni who sat beside Vincent pointed at Tanza and asked, "Why did we bother recruiting a Divine General if that little one's so powerful?"

"Lady Yorna is far stronger than I," she responded, bowing her head. "Besides, she is much humbler. She may tolerate your insult, but I will not."

The Oni made an expression of shock at this proclamation, and she looked at Subaru, who just shook his head and uttered, "You get used to it, Rem."

"With that out of the way, why did His Majesty wish to know about Madeline?" the Divine General inquired, bringing her pipe to her lips.

Vincent pointed to a map that had been spread out on the table. "Madeline is currently in the Dracroy Estate, stirring up chaos for reasons we do not yet know. I want to deploy a team to apprehend her. If she refuses to join us, feel free to neutralize her."

The words made Yorna feel like she swallowed a rock. "Surely, she'll see tha-"

"I have no time for hypotheticals," he interjected. "Selena Dracroy is a valuable ally. Her territory holds crucial supplies we will need for a future operation. If Madeline stands in the way and you cannot kill her, I will."

She bit her lip, trying to avoid responding with anything that could make the situation any tenser. "I…see. What future operation are we talking about?"

"That is none of your concern at the moment."

"If it's worth killing Madeline for, I believe it is very much my concern."

As Vincent narrowed his eyes, Tanza stood, as if preparing for a fight (one that she could undoubtedly win). The rest of the people at the table looked on with either amusement or, mostly, dread.

It was a blond man in blue clothes who defused the situation by saying, "Hey…I don't think it's a good idea to fight each other right now! This might be a sensitive topic but…don't you think it's worth dealing with peacefully?"

"Flop's right," Subaru added. "Look, Vincent can be as mean as he wants…and frankly, he's kind of an ass, but he can't force you to do anything."

"Yes, I ca-"

"It was only a week ago that he wanted to kill Arakiya and look! She's sitting right there!"

At the mention of her name, the Spirit Eater, who had put her arms and head on the table and seemed to be taking a nap, gave a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, see!?" he spoke, pointing at the half-asleep Divine General. "Vincent may not understand what 'having morals' means but that doesn't mean you don't."

Yorna nodded. "I agree. If the worst happens, I'll defeat Madeline, but don't expect me to kill her like she's nothing."

"You have some entertaining allies, Your Majesty."

That voice came from one of the people at the table, an orange-haired woman with a crimson dress and ruby-red eyes. Even having just met her, Yorna could tell she was trouble.

"I am not in the mood to take your mocking, Pris…cilla," the emperor said. "You have yet to honor our deal in the first place."

"Hm, mineself shall honor it," Priscilla answered, getting a fan from…somewhere and fanning herself. "You managed to get not one, but two Divine Generals on your side. Were you any common mongrel, I would congratulate you…but I expected more."

Aldebaran, who was standing behind her, leaned in and loudly whispered, "Psst, Princess, I've no doubt you wanna piss off the scary emperor and his posse, but maybe don't do that when I'm the one who ends up getting hurt?"

"Fool, if you fear getting hurt, why did you even come along?" she asked, giving him a deathly glare.

As the exchange went on, with Al trying to defend himself, Yorna thought she saw Arakiya peeking at the fiery Priscilla, but maybe it was just her imagination.

Finally, after a couple minutes of back-and-forth banter between the crimson baroness and her "jester," Vincent interrupted with, "If you two are well finished, there are important things to do. Priscilla will be on the team that goes to the Dracroy Estate, along with Yorna, Taritta, Flop, Rem, and Subaru."

Taritta, who was on the table with them (it was a big table) snuck a look at Flop, who just shrugged. Subaru seemed to take in the idea for a second, and then nodded.

The only opposition came from Al.

"Nope!" he said, crossing his arm across his chest. "No way! Where Princess goes, I go. What if anything happens to her? Besides, Schult is back in that Dracroy lady's house! I can't entrust their safety to anyone else…no offense, bro."

"None taken," Subaru replied.

Flop raised his hand. "If I may…don't you think that miss Arakiya would be a better choice than miss Taritta? No offense to either, but if a Divine General is there, wouldn't sending two to face her be a smarter decision?"

"And risk both of them?" Vincent spat. "No. Taritta is capable enough by herself. We want to secure the Dracroy Estate, not turn it to rubble."

Yorna was pretty sure she was the only one to hear Arakiya mumble, "That was one time…"

"As for the rest of you, ensure Guaral continues working as the center of operations it has become," he commanded. "Now, those going to the estate, get your things. We leave in two hours."

"We?" Rem asked, incredulous.

"Did you think I would not lead this effort myself?" the emperor inquired almost mockingly. "Do you take me for a coward?"

Priscilla's hearty laugh reverberated through the hall. "You want an answer to that?"

Vincent stood and glared at her for a second before saying, "You make me regret sparing you."

And with those words, he left the table.

The trip to the Dracroy Estate was…boring, but at least it was not long.

As soon as Yorna got off the carriage about a kilometer from the actual estate itself, she could tell that Vincent had not understated the situation. A swarm of sky dragons was blotting out the sun over the buildings, and several of them swooped down to attack. It was pure, unbridled chaos on a scale worthy of Chaosflame.

While everyone exited, she strode to the front of the carriage and halted near the driver's box (Tanza did the same), where Flop and Taritta were riding. She had walked there to examine the estate more closely, but…she found herself more engrossed in the conversation unfolding just a couple meters from her, which the merchant and the tribeswoman probably thought she could not hear.

"…worry, I'll keep my head down," Flop half-whispered. "If this Divine General's looking for a meal, she'll have to try her damned hardest!"

"Many of the people here can take care of themselves," the Sudrak replied. "I can take care of myself. So, please, let me take care of you, too."

Hm…not a bad line. I expected tribal warriors to be terrible at flirting.

"It's fine, Taritta," he said. "I'm not opposed to the idea. You've met Medium; she keeps me safe all the time. Still…I'll try to stay away from danger, so you do the same."

Taritta sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt. Just…don't do anything stupid."

A pause, and then Flop gave a quiet chuckle. "I promise not to. Promise. If I do anything stupid, kick my ass."

"Something tells me you'd enjoy it, so I'll try not to," she laughed.

Yorna smiled and looked down at Tanza. "Oh, to be young and in love…what an experience it must be."

"You are, at least, one of the two, Lady Yorna," came the response.

Patting her servant's head, the Divine General asked, "Now, Tanza, are you calling me old?"

The ankle-biter gave an uncharacteristic smile. "I would prefer that over knowing you hold feelings for the emperor."

"Oh," Yorna chuckled. "You think it's His Majesty…interesting."

Before Tanza could say anything else, a new voice chimed in. "Hmph, how droll. To think you could share mine beliefs."

It was Priscilla, the enigmatic newcomer that Vincent seemed to have a history with.

"You've come to see me, miss Priscilla?" the Divine General asked. "I must say, I'm honored."

Priscilla waved her hand toward where the rest of the group stood. "Those serfs are rabbling on and on uselessly. Mineself came here to act, not fall asleep."

"Well, you've caught me in the middle of a conversation," she spoke. "I'm afraid there's not much 'acting' around these parts either."

"Indeed," the baroness said, smirking. "At least you seem to be discussing more interesting topics."

"Such as?"

"Romance, of course. 'Tis fascinating to no end."

Yorna remained silent for a second. "Yes, that's right. Is this a topic you're familiar with?"

"Does mineself look like some common harlot who jumps from one man to another based on petty feelings alone?" Priscilla asked, making a face of disgust. "Hmph, 'tis obvious, but I shall spell it out for you, fool: everyone is interested in what they do not understand, and mineself is no exception."

"Then I'm afraid you've come to the wrong person," the fox mused with a light laugh. "I bet I'm as clueless as you are, maybe more. Besides, my love belongs to the demi-humans of this world…Tanza first and foremost, yes."

Tanza nodded and bowed elegantly.

Priscilla scoffed. "Is that so? Then why are you all but fawning over 'His Highness' incessantly? Please, it is kind of sad to see at this point. Why waste your time chasing after someone who will not even answer you?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Yorna pointed out. "His Majesty has given me an answer, but it was I who rejected it."

"Amusing," the baroness commented with a hint of surprise. "The emperor of Vollachia is not someone who takes kindly to being refused. This has been true for generations."

"Yes, I've heard the story of Drizen Vollachia and the inventor who rejected his deal," she said. "Unfortunately for His Majesty, he'll have to find another woman. As for myself…I've set my sights on greater things."

Priscilla looked at her for a couple seconds, as if scrutinizing her, and then turned back to the group. Her gaze jumped from one member to another until it fell on…Subaru. She glared at him with something like bewilderment.

Then, she promptly turned back to Yorna and made an expression of both disappointment and revulsion.

"It's always pleasant to see His Excellency…especially twice in a week…especially with only a day's difference."

Selena Dracroy was, as far as Yorna saw, quite the woman. Apart from her status as a High Countess in the empire and the fact that she burned her own father to death (ouch), she was renowned for her role in stopping the Ginunhive uprising that took place only a couple years ago.

Also, she was friends with Priscilla Barielle and seemed to detest Vincent.

Now, they were standing far away from the estate, under the cover of the trees. Selena and a couple of her guards had managed to evade Madeline's attention and sneaked here to make contact.

Despite all that, Vincent was as annoying as ever.

"It seems you are too simple-minded to understand the situation, so I will explain it," he spoke, leaning against a tree and smirking. "The man you spoke with was Chisha, who has usurped the throne. Whatever his orders to you were, I am overruling them."

"Yes, yes, and…I presume you're not Chisha?" she asked, a cheeky smile on her face.

Vincent was not in a good mood, apparently, as he replied with, "You can take my word for it, or I can demonstrate with the Yang Sword. Which would you prefer?"

"I have something you need, right, Your Excellency?" the High Countess spoke. "Just say what it is and get on with it."

It was Priscilla who said, "The peasant needs you."

"Wow, Priscilla," Subaru interjected. "'Peasant' again? I thought you'd come up with something original for His Majesty, ya know?"

"Being a peasant is dependent on lifestyle, not social class," the baroness replied smugly.

Selena chuckled. "It's nice to see you haven't changed, Priscilla. At least someone stayed the same. Also, what's with the squad. You all here to cheer for me or something? I'd take a song performance by His Excellency, truthfully."

"No way," Subaru spoke, crossing his arms. "Nope. Natsumi's days are over. She isn't coming back. Also, no offense, but Vincent's singing voice is actually horrid."

The emperor raised an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to not take offense from that?"

"I don't know, dude!" he responded, raising his arms. "Seriously! You sound like someone singing 'Baka Mitai' in the shower…while they're bathing in freezing water."

Everyone gave him a look of confusion until Rem sighed and said, "Yeah, he's always this weird."

"No, Rem," he sighed, defeated. "You just don't know the glorious tale of Kazuma Kiryu…tsk."

"Glorious tales aside, what do you even need me for?" Selena asked, turning to face her besieged estate. "As you can see, I've got some problems to deal with."

Yorna took a drag of her pipe. "Let us deal with Madeline. After that, you can deal with whatever His Majesty decides to give you as an assignment."

"I'm aware of your power, General Mishigure," the High Countess answered. "Nonetheless, I worry about how much of my beloved estate will be left when you're finished."

As Subaru opened his mouth to intervene, Yorna laughed. "It's fine, you know. I'll take care of your land as if it was my own…even if it's not."

Selena nodded. "That's…reassuring. Still, I have one last thing to know before all this."

"Speak," Vincent commanded.

"What do you need me for?" she inquired, giving the emperor a sidelong glare.

He just grinned at her and uttered a single word.

"Ginunhive."

As Yorna stepped into the center of the street with Tanza close behind, she took a deep breath and looked up.

It was time.

"Madeline!" she yelled, making her voice echo through the street. "I've come to bargain!"

Now that I say it out loud, this isn't a good line at all. Why did I let Subaru convince me to use it?

The sky dragons shifted their attention all at once, like a single great entity with a million bodies. Their eyes locked onto her, and the swarm began circling above her like predators finding a wounded prey.

From among the horde of gray dragons, a spiky blueish one descended and landed right in front of her. On its back rode a little girl with horns, who carried a weapon (well, an oversized boomerang, really) on her hand. Her golden eyes looked at hers as an expression of irritation formed on the girl's face.

Yeah, it was Madeline Eschart. No doubt about it.

"Mishigure," the ninth-strongest spoke with an icy tone. "What do you want? If it is a rematch you seek, then we dragons are too occupied at the moment."

Yorna smiled. "You're setting fire to Selena Dracroy's estate, and for no good reason. Come on now, cut it out and come with me. I'm sure Tanza will play with you."

"I would accept that rematch," the servant uttered, impassive.

"Hm, in any case, I want to ask you to stop," she continued. "What are you even doing all this for?"

Madeline's expression changed to one of raw anger. "The High Countess has been stealing dragons, forcing them into servitude for the Sky Riders! We dragons will not allow such acts to stand!"

"Who told you this?" the older woman asked.

"His Highness!" she replied, puffing out her chest with pride. "And His Highness is always right!"

"His Majesty has been deposed," Yorna explained. "The man you spoke with was Chisha Gold. You know, creepy white guy?"

The girl seemed to consider this for a second. "You say that as if we dragons were easily deceived."

With a sly grin, the fox replied, "Must be why you're all hunted so often."

"Shut up!"

"Alright, alright…now, are you willing to hear me out? Chisha is rebelling against the emperor, and he's going to lose. You have a chance to come to our side and survive all this."

Madeline lowered her boomerang and scrunched up her face in thought. "How can we dragons know you are telling the truth? How can you know you have not been deceived? No, no, we dragons will do what must be done."

"His Majesty gave me permission to kill you," Yorna spoke calmly. "I wish to avoid that, but I can't if you try to kill me first. Madeline, if you let this go now, you'll have another chance later. Don't throw away your – admittedly – short life over something so petty."

"'Petty?'" the dragonkin inquired, raising an eyebrow. "You call the enslaving of our race a 'petty' matter!? How would you feel if demi-humans were enslaved and forced into armies they hated!?"

She sighed. "Madeline…that happens every day out there. In Gusteko, in Lugnica…our kind can't live without being spat on and treated like tools. Yet, I'm still fighting for them, am I not? I got to the position of seventh among the Divine Generals, with a fellow demi-human taking the second spot. To get this far…you have to learn what battles to fight and when."

Despite the speech, Madeline looked at her with apprehension. "And what of it? If you have failed to stop all that, then you have failed. Would you not try again and again to succeed?"

"I would," she confirmed with a genuine nod. "I definitely would, but I wouldn't go fighting every person who I dislike. There are shortcuts to victory, and you should take them. I'm offering you one of those shortcuts: accept it, and you can finish what you started later. Besides, you scorched this estate so much that I doubt they can continue capturing sky dragons."

Yorna was trying her damned hardest to make Madeline see logic, but she knew – deep down – that the girl was too naïve and hotheaded (and prideful and haughty and so on) to actually listen. To some extent, she could sympathize: she too had been like that before, and it cost her.

Which was, partly, why she was not surprised when the dragonkin shook her head with a (rather adorable) pout and said, "We dragons cannot allow that. Might makes right. If you wish to convince us, show us the error of our ways by force."

The flamboyant Divine General sighed, disappointed, as Tanza muttered, "Gladly."

All around the two of them, the horde of dragons took to the sky once more, with Madeline commanding them from her personal mount. The sun all but disappeared from the midday sky as the swarm blotted out light and plunged the two demi-humans into darkness.

"Madeline," Yorna spoke with palpable sadness. "The last thing I want is to kill a fellow demi-human, but if you force my hand…if it comes to it, I'll value Tanza more than you."

In response, one of the gray dragons swooped down, its jaw open and displaying its intimidating rows of teeth. At a speed one could hardly measure, it shot toward Tanza, who remained stoic and unmoving.

When it reached her and threatened to swallow her whole, the little ankle-biter stepped to one side, let the dragon pass with its own momentum, and – once its neck was exposed – promptly punched it between its scales with enough force to not only break bones but push it downward onto the street's floor and leave cracks around its corpse.

As the dragon gave its final breaths, Tanza just said, "This is not my first time dealing with you lizards for Lady Yorna's sake."

"Indeed," Yorna affirmed. "Madeline, don't make us slaughter your little swarm."

There was no response apart from a group of dragons lining up and opening their mouths as they flew above them.

They opened their mouths as Yorna put her pipe to her lips and inhaled.

Then, when the dragons spat fire, the smoke she exhaled ate the flames, consumed them, enveloped them in its purple-blue haze, condensed itself into a vaguely-spherical shape, and then exploded safely away from the fox but close enough to scorch the dragons.

As a few of them cried out in simple-minded agony, Yorna exhaled again, and the smoke that left her lips sharpened into colorful lances that shot at the injured dragons, and those that struck pierced their victims cleanly, much like a Jiwald spell would.

When the wounded fell to the ground, more dragons circled in to protect their brethren, but they did not make it far before the fox breathed more of her killing smoke, which again shot toward them. This time, they dodged the deadly spikes, but their opponent stomped the ground beneath her feet, forced fragments of it upward, and threw them at the bewildered lizards.

Although a large amount of the projectiles missed, those that struck did so with the force of Vollachia's seventh-strongest propelling them, and they ripped and tore the dragons apart, leaving their maimed bodies to fall onto the bloodied streets of the Dracroy Estate.

Tanza wiped off a piece of dragon from her right antler as Yorna called out, "Madeline, you're sending your kin to their deaths. Don't test me again."

The Divine General's spiked dragon mount hovered above the swarm as multiple others descended to fight. Before they could strike, the flamboyant fox repeated her smoke-lance trick, this time summoning a single spear that struck an unfortunate dragon before Madeline could stop it. This time, it passed with such strength, such momentum, such speed that it left only a red mist behind as evidence of its kill.

The other dragons backed off and flew back to their flock, regrouping with the rest to give their leader the necessary time to coordinate an effective counterattack that would, once and for all, devastate the fox and her servant into noth-

"Man, this is like Dark Souls!"

Yorna turned and found Subaru, completely out-of-place in his clean clothes amidst all the bloodshed, calmly making his way to her. He waved at her, gave an honest smile, and nodded upward to where Madeline was.

"I mean, this isn't really Dark Souls, since that game's really hard apparently, and you're having a breeze right now," he kept rambling. "Well, she's kinda like the 'Nameless King', right? Once you figure out her attack pattern, you can find a work-around."

As Yorna was too dumbfounded to reply, Tanza said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

He shook his head. "Ah…yeah, so, just figure out what she'll do, right? Then you can beat her!"

"I am very interested in knowing what you thought we were doing until now," the servant spoke.

"Well, Tanza, I didn't see you do much," he answered. "Yorna's doing great, though. Keep it up!"

"Subaru," the Divine General said, stupefied. "Are you an idiot? Why are you here?"

"To help!" he replied, giving a thumbs-up. "I mean, I got a plan ya know! Foolproof and fooltested!"

Tanza, surprisingly, snorted at his comment. "Which fool tested it? You?"

Subaru scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…"

When Yorna was going to respond, one of the dragons attacked, extending its talons toward the black-haired youth.

It did not get close at all, as Yorna grabbed it by the neck and cleanly split it in half.

She kept eye contact with Subaru the entire time, and then asked, "So, what plan of yours is so great and foolproof that you had to risk your life to tell us?"

He gave a confident smirk and pointed at Madeline's dragon before proudly proclaiming, "Throw me!"

For once, Tanza showed an expression of shock as she looked to her lady for guidance, who seemed equally confused.

"Subaru, dear, I feel like this plan is missing a couple steps," the fox said. "Care to explain them?"

"Sure," he responded nonchalantly. "Throw me up there, I'll grab Madeline, and then you'll catch me when I fall."

Tanza mouthed something and then said, "Lady Yorna, I would pay to see this."

Yorna looked at him incredulously. "I think that plan's the worst one I've ever heard."

"I mean, don't you have that Soul Marriage stuff?" he asked, moving his hands around like was trying to mimic something. "Isn't that supposed to make me unkillable or something?"

"In a way, yes," she conceded. "There are requirements for it to work, however, like you nee-"

Suddenly, he pointed behind Tanza and yelled, "Watch out!"

One of the smaller dragons was diving toward the servant at an unbelievable speed and struck her like a bullet, but it messily flattened itself against the small deer-girl's body, and she just wiped her kimono clean.

"Lady Yorna, can we throw him?" she asked, pointing at Madeline's dragon, which was almost a hundred meters above them. "It could prove to be quite amusing."

The fox seemed to contemplate it. "If anything, we'll throw Tanza. She already meets the conditions for Soul Marriage."

Subaru put a hand to the floor and raised it until it reached his hip. "They're both knee-tall! I have a better chance of catching that dragon girl! Besides, if we fail, she'll figure out our plan!"

Yorna looked up, where Madeline's blueish dragon circled in the sky. "It's too far…and it's too risky. If Soul Marriage fails, you'll splat against the ground like an insect."

"Worth a try," he shrugged. "Ya don't know till it's done, right!?"

She looked back at him, looked into his eyes, and sighed. "It won't be pretty."

"No worries! It's not my first rodeo!"

Step-by-step, she walked over to him and, once they were face-to-face, she analyzed him from feet to head and nodded. Behind her, Tanza shook her head and looked away, turning her gaze to where the blueish dragon hovered overhead.

Subaru gave her a thumbs-up and said, "Whenever you're ready."

Yorna gave him a faint smile and grabbed him by the collar.

I'm really about to watch this fool die…

After a second's hesitation, the Divine General tightened her grip on him, closed her eyes, and…

"Boomerang!"

Acting on instinct, Yorna swung her body and used the momentum to toss the poor idiot upward like a bullet heading straight for the little dragonkin who was probably watching this unfold and doubting her own eyes. The boomerang Madeline had thrown struck Tanza square in the chest, but it merely fractured and broke apart when it made contact, and the ankle-biter just shook her head in disappointment.

Yorna was too preoccupied watching the flying black-haired imbecile who was still ascending.

He kept going up and up and up and up and…

Once Madeline caught onto the strategy, she immediately ordered her dragon to move, and it flew forward, but it was not enough. Subaru caught its tail and held on, steadily crawling toward the dragon's body, where the ninth Divine General sat. To aid him, Yorna repeated her smoke-lance attack, summoning a single thin spike that shot directly at the blueish dragon's heart…and pierced it.

The dying lizard leaned forward, and Madeline struggled to hold on as Subaru let go and allowed gravity to propel him downward. In his fall, he passed the now-panicking Divine General, grabbed her arm, and brought her down with him.

Now, both of them were free-falling…and faster than Yorna had expected.

In the air, he grabbed the struggling dragonkin and embraced her, holding her close to his chest despite her repeated attempts to fight back. While the two of them descended, Yorna ran to where she predicted they would fall. She could not catch them herself, so she brought her pipe to her mouth, once again calling forth its power.

And then they hit the ground.

The sound of their impact was louder than anything she had expected, and it made her wince for a second. Dust flew up and cracks formed along the ground, making a small crater. She slowed down as she approached, wanting nothing more than to turn away from the sight she would see when the dust cleared away.

Natsuki Subaru was dead, he had to be.

And that was why Yorna almost jumped in fear when a voice from the crater called out, "Whoo! It worked this time!"

The Divine General watched, astonished, as he walked out of the crater without a scratch and with the squirming Madeline in his arms.

"Your order, ma'am," he said, lifting the dragonkin a little and offering her to the fox. "One feisty dragonkin in perfect condition, same-day delivery."

She was still processing what had just occurred, so she replied, "Put her down, please…and tell me how you survived that."

"I have experience falling from high places," he said nonchalantly, putting down the now-pouting Madeline. "A cliff, the Watchtower, uhh…happened a couple more times, I think."

Yorna did not reply, and instead stood immobile as Subaru gave her a kind and reassuring grin. Just a couple meters away, Tanza brought Madeline the remains of the latter's boomerang. The dragons above them broke formation and left, their own wills restored and fearful of the fox's destructive power.

But Yorna was busy thinking of something, trying to solve a mystery that perplexed her.

How did Soul Marriage activate on Subaru if it required mutual love to do so?

"I fear I underestimated you."

Selena Dracroy was the only one standing in the room as she served herself a drink. She offered a glass to Priscilla, but the latter refused it, and now the High Countess was taking advantage of this excuse to avoid looking Vincent in the eye.

Yorna sat on a fancy couch with Tanza on her lap, and Subaru sat opposite to her with Rem to his left and the defeated Madeline to his right. Vincent and Priscilla were near each other, but on opposite ends of the same couch. Only Flop and Taritta were missing, and that was because they had gone out to bring supplies from the carriages.

"You should know better than to underestimate the emperor," Vincent remarked with a barely-hidden smile. "Now, as for your end of the deal…"

Selena held the filled glass on her hand, drank it all in one go, and then turned to face them. "Yes, as per my end of the deal, I will aid you with your mission in Ginunhive. Of course, I'd have to know what you want to do there before actually helping you."

The emperor scoffed. "Some of my agents have confirmed that Chisha has planned a tournament for the strongest fighters in the gladiator island. The winners will be granted freedom in exchange for servitude in the imperial army. He will be there, and this is our chance to capture him and end this coup."

"Really?" the High Countess asked, raising an eyebrow. "For a master strategist like Chisha, this sounds awfully stupid and careless. If it's a trap-"

"If it is a trap, we will deal with it," he interrupted. "However, Chisha's presence aside, his attempt to recruit strong fighters is a given. He will also be pitting some of his own soldiers to fight. The more people he loses in that arena, the weaker he will be."

Yorna joined in by saying, "And, as the strongest in this room, I presume you'll be sending me?"

Vincent shook his head. "Arakiya will go. You, however, will still be needed on the operation."

It was Subaru who raised his hand and said, "Uh…if Arakiya's gonna be fighting in the arena, why do we need Yorna to go too?"

All eyes turned to the emperor as he sighed and replied, "Chisha may or may not be present, but I know someone who will be. Someone who you will be needed to defeat…or at least delay."

"Let me guess," Selena commented. "Another Divine General?"

"Tsk," was all the emperor said.

The High Countess poured herself another glass, offered one to Priscilla, was refused, and then spoke, "You know, I still have no clue why you need me. Priscilla and Arakiya were in Ginunhive at the time of the rebellion too. Whatever I know, they probably do too."

Vincent shook his head and gave Priscilla a sidelong glance. "It is not what you know, but rather what you can do. I was going to ask you for a sky dragon, but Madeline being on our side nullifies that issue, so now I will ask you for another contribution: allies."

"I'll get some letters drafted," she acquiesced, taking a sip of her glass. "Who do you want me to call over?"

Yorna thought she could see a sadistic smile on Vincent's face as he gave his reply.

"Contact the Shinobi villages."

As night fell, the emperor's group (now nicknamed the "Loyalists" by Subaru and only Subaru) decided to spend the night in the Dracroy Estate…or what was left of it.

Yorna got second pick on a room, with Vincent getting first since…well, he was paying everyone present. Of course, she picked some fancy room in the manor, one that Selena claimed was for special guest visitors. It was overly grand and luxurious to the point of revulsion, but she liked it. It was majestic, like herself.

When night came and she got ready to rest, she found that sleep eluded her. She laid on the bed for an hour or so, trying to fall asleep, and then gave up and decided to go for a walk, leaving Tanza to sleep by herself.

The Divine General wandered the estate's manor by herself, mostly drifting around aimlessly. When she saw a balcony, she went to stand in it for a couple minutes and breathe in the fresh air that still smelled of dragon guts, iron, wood, and smoke. The landscape was beautiful if she ignored the still-burning buildings that Madeline had scorched.

Still, the balcony could not ease her mind, so she went for another trip. This time, she carefully strode toward the kitchen, making almost no sound as she tread the hallways. A couple guards were stationed around the manor, with a large group waiting right outside Madeline's room (not that they would have helped). Most gave her a respectful nod or salute as she passed, and those that did not were asleep.

Much to her surprise, when she reached the kitchen, she found Flop in it. He was dressed in some plain clothes, perfect for sleeping, and drinking some water. Truthfully, he stank of sweat and looked like he had just run through three countries, but she was not in the mood to pry into his affairs and decided to ignore that.

"Hello, Flop," she said, taking a seat on his table and smiling. "Trouble sleeping?"

He nodded and gave her a friendly grin. "Not my fault, madam. Taritta snores."

The merchant kept his smile as he took a sip of water…and then he widened his eyes in realization, almost spitting his water as he put down the glass and waved his hands frantically.

"I mean…she snores loud, you know!?" he said, panicking. "I can hear her through the wall between our rooms! It's really annoying, hah!"

Yorna laughed and shook her head. "Listen, I don't care if you're sleeping with the huntress. I tend to stay out of others' affairs so long as they stay out of mine, so if you're going to keep losing sleep and that gets me in trouble, then we'll have a talk."

An awkward silence settled between them, and she could see the blush on his face even in the dark.

"My advice, though?" she added, as if she had any wisdom to offer about the topic. "You'll go to sleep faster with alcohol. Just make sure not to get a hangover and drive us into a tree."

He nodded, but remained sitting and kept drinking his water. Without another word, she nodded at him and left to wander the manor again.

For a couple minutes, she ambled through the great manor in complete silence, with only her breathing to indicate she had not gone deaf. The wooden floor did not even creak as she stepped, and she thought to herself that maybe she should commend the architect responsible for such a floor. Even the Red Lapis Castle had creaky floors at times.

Overall, she had to give the Dracroy Estate – or what was left of it – an eight out of ten. Despite swaths of the land still burning in the night (and the smell of bloodshed littering the air), it was a gorgeous place. Maybe she should make a point of coming here more often. Chaosflame often got quieter in the spring, so that would be an excellent time for a vacation.

As Yorna kept walking through the dark halls, she found a single room with a light coming through the crack at the lower end of the doorway. Someone else was awake at this hour. She knew for sure it was not Vincent, since he would never leave such an obvious clue to his location (he was a bit paranoid, in her opinion), and it probably was not Madeline as there were no guards (or bits of guards) near the door.

Before she knew it, she found herself knocking on the door. There was a slight rustle inside, and nothing happened for a few seconds, until the door opened.

On the other side was Subaru.

"Hey, Yorna," he said, standing to one side so she could pass. "What's up?"

Stepping inside, the Divine General waved her hand and yawned. "Not much. Just…a little tired and unable to sleep, is all."

He closed the door and laughed. "Well, same here. All those all-nighters I spent gaming are really taking a toll right now. I mean, I never really slept early after elementary school, but it's a lot worse now."

When she did not reply, he walked over to a desk and picked up what seemed to be a letter. Several papers lay crumpled next to it, clearly failed copies of the final product. He moved the crumpled balls to one side of the desk and carefully folded the letter in half before writing something on its back.

Meanwhile, Yorna walked over to his bed and sat down. "Good thing you got third pick…or else this bed would be as uncomfortable as possible."

"For real," he said, nodding fervently. "Vincent wanted to put me in the barracks, on one of the buildings down the main street. Rem got that room, though. I would've traded with her, but…no point arguing with His Majesty."

He stood awkwardly next to the desk, putting his hands on his waist like he was posing for a picture. After they remained quiet for a couple of seconds, the fox patted the bed, trying to tell him that two people can sit on it.

The youth got the message, and he went and sat down next to her.

"You deserved first pick, really," she opined. "That whole 'throw me' plan was a gamble."

Nodding, he responded, "It was, but I knew it'd work…or I hoped it would. Vincent told me of your Soul Marriage power and I knew you wouldn't let me splat against the floor like a fly, so…putting two and two together was easy."

Yorna giggled, shaking her head. "Yes, yes, I suppose it was easy…though, that's exactly what troubles me. Do you know the requirement for Soul Marriage to work?"

"It's not just striking a cool pose and yelling out the power's name?" Subaru chuckled. "Man, all my life I thought that was it."

Although she kept her smile, the Divine General was more concerned than amused. "For it to work…there must be mutual love between both contractor and contracted."

The room went silent as she said that, and she could see his smile disappear. Even the aura of nonchalance and humor he usually gave off was gone.

And then he replied with, "I knew about that."

Another moment of quiet passed before she asked, "Is that so…? I'm afraid that only gives me more questions…"

"I knew someone once," he spoke. "You remind me of her a lot. She even used Soul Marriage too. She tried to use it to save my life, once, but…it failed."

"You're alive, though," she pointed out.

A pause, and then he grimaced. "She isn't."

Even in the dark, she could see his shoulders droop. In the quiet night, she could hear him fight back against his own emotions, trying his hardest to avoid crying.

Yorna had been in situations like these before. She was a leader by example, and she spent a long time of her "reign" standing side-by-side with her citizens. When her rebellions finished, she dealt with the aftermath, and that made her all too familiar with grief. Usually, though, she knew exactly what had happened and how to remedy it, but she was completely in the dark now.

She thought back to what he had told her of his life. The loot house, the mansion, the capital, and so on and so forth.

And then it came to her.

Gingerly, and with careful movements, she put her arm around his shoulder and brought his head to her lap.

He did not resist, and once he was resting on her lap, he clutched her nightgown with one hand and gave a shaky sigh. "Gee, what is it with demi-human women and giving me lap pillows, eh?"

"Something about you just makes it tempting," she joked. "Personally, I'd say it's your hair."

With a laugh/sob, he replied, "Well…I take good care of it. I can't let the Natsuki Family's World-Class Hair, trademarked, fall into ruin."

Yorna just replied with a "Mhm" and began patting his head, much like she would do with Tanza.

Half a minute passed before Subaru spoke again. "It was Olbart. Dunkelkenn. The Shinobi guy killed her."

She responded with a nod. "We'll be meeting him soon enough. I can help you settle the score, should you wish."

"No!" he answered frantically, turning to look up at her. "No, don't. There's no point in more bloodshed."

"My point stands," the fox spoke soothingly. "To stop grieving, you have to overcome whatever caused the grief. In this case, you can overcome it by moving past it…or by putting that Vicious Old Man down. Either way, we'll run into him someday, and you'll have to show him that his actions have no power over you."

He closed his eyes. "That old fart wouldn't remember it…"

With a caring smile, she brought her tail to rest on top of his chest, and he gently wrapped his arms around it. "It's not about him. It's about you. Remember what I told you about being too humble?"

"Yeah, I remember. Still…"

"'Still?'"

"Still…there's some things that no one can know about," he whispered with a haunted expression. "Things they'd never even understand."

Yorna closed her eyes. "Do you want to hear what I think?"

Although he did not reply, she went on.

"I think you're a young man with a very troubled past," she confessed, caressing his head more gently. "Whatever happened to you still haunts you. Your problem is letting whatever this past is define you."

"A woman once said to me that our reputation and our past were the two most important things," Subaru commented. "This was after I got my ass kicked because I was an idiot."

The fox made a sound of dissent. "That woman is wrong. What defines a person is their future. Look at His Majesty: can you imagine all the stupid things he must've done as a child? But that doesn't mean anything, because his future at the moment is uncertain. If he never reclaims his throne, he will be a failure forever. Likewise, if you latch onto the past and never let go – never look ahead – you'll someday be left behind, because the world keeps moving on."

"It's worked for me so far. It was because of who I am that I became that great hero everyone knows."

"And it seems to me that you don't want to be a hero."

He stayed quiet for a while before saying, "I just want a peaceful life…with my friends. No more Witch Cult, no more mabeasts, no more Divine Generals. I want the biggest concern in my life to be what I'll have for breakfast the next day. All this stuff…I'm so tired of it, but I need to do it. I wouldn't be able to live happily if my friends were suffering."

"Your friends," Yorna repeated. "If I recall, you told me they were the half-elf candidate, a Great Spirit, a merchant, a boy, a couple maids, and – to some extent – the Court Mage. Am I missing anyone?"

"Crusch, Wil, Reinhard, Felt, and a couple others," he replied. "Also, you might as well throw in Louis and Shau-…never mind."

She giggled. "Yes, how could I forget the Sword Saint? Indeed…and these people need you to sacrifice yourself for them?"

Although her words made him wince, she kept speaking.

"I consider Tanza my friend," the fox said. "More like a daughter, really, but my point stands. I know what she's capable of and what she's not. If the Sword Saint, the strongest man alive, needs your help to solve his issues, then that's not good. If the Court Mage needs you to help him, then he's incompetent, no? Vollachia may seem like some primitive battlefield to you Lugnicans, but it works for the simple reason that everyone knows what they're capable of and what they're not. Those who don't learn that difference die young. If I ran out there and challenged His Majesty to a fight, I might win, but I wouldn't be able to rule in his place and someone would put a knife in my neck sooner or later."

Slowly, she leaned down closer to him until they were face-to-face again.

And she whispered, "There's no shame in admitting there are things you can't do or taking pride in the things you can do. You should never, never, let anyone else's life take priority over your own, because there's no point to life if you're not living it."

Her words spoken and her argument finished, she tenderly kissed his forehead and raised her head again.

Subaru did not respond in any way, so she decided to break the silence after some minutes passed. "So…I never learned of how you befriended Arakiya, or how she got that nasty scar down her back."

"She tried to kill us," he explained, his voice hoarse. "Priscilla hit her with some weird red sword and almost killed her. After that, some soldiers tried to break into the cell we had thrown her in and free her, but they were forced to retreat. Before going to Chaosflame, I dropped by and spoke to her a little. She seemed to like me…and here we are."

"Priscilla owns a 'weird red sword?'" she asked, deep in thought. "You would not be referring to the Yang Sword, would you?"

His expression did not change as he answered, "No clue."

Yorna sighed. "No worries, then. I'll find out sooner or later."

For the millionth time, they remained in silence, not making a sound beyond breathing. She kept running her hands through his hair, stroking his head, and he said nothing.

"Yorna, do you love me?" he suddenly queried, his haunted expression giving way to a tired one. "For the Soul Marriage, I mean. Vincent told me you wanted status and fame, and you always stick kinda close to me, so I thought you wanted to use my reputation, but…I don't know. I think you're a good person…but I think that about many people…"

"I suppose I do," the Divine General responded with a shy chuckle. "When we first met, I did want to use your status to pursue a dream of mine…though I've changed my mind since then. On some level, I liked you as a person, too. Didn't realize it was love until the Soul Marriage."

With a yawn, he stated, "That's…good to know. At least you're honest about it. Thanks."

She pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're welcome…although, no offense, I have no desire to participate in whatever mess your relationships have become."

For the first time since Yorna put his head on her lap, Subaru laughed and sounded more tired than sad. "I get it, I get it. Honestly, I don't know how I got to this point. It started with Rem and just…snowballed into this."

"You best figure it out soon," she ordered, her tone much like a teacher's lecturing a student. "It'd be a tragedy for you to realize you love me while I refuse to join that fray."

She lowered her hand and pinched his cheek.

"While you get that sorted out, I'll be busy with other matters," the Divine General added. "Namely, running Chaosflame and making you express your true feelings about me."

"Hmm, managing a warzone or talking to me," he replied, pretending to be deep in thought. "One is truly more difficult than the other, but it doesn't involve explosions."

"Right now, the latter involves me making you breakfast tomorrow morning," Yorna said. "No explosions for now, luckily. Now come on, go to sleep. It's too late for you to be up and joking. Tomorrow, His Majesty will find some way to risk our lives, and we'll need to be awake for it."

He made a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am. Your wishes are my orders."

This time, the silence was permanent, as Subaru closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep on her lap. She looked down at him, as if the sight of his peaceful rest relaxed her too.

She thought about what he asked: did she love him? Was what she felt for him actual love or a trick by her own mind to facilitate a marriage of convenience?

Looking at his tired smile, at the trails the tears had left on his face, at the slow rise-and-fall of his chest, she came to a conclusion.

She had seen the "great hero" stripped down to who he really was, she had seen the traumatized young man that lay beyond the larger-than-life reputation, and she had felt nothing but adoration for him.

The following day, they would set out for Ginunhive right after midday.

In the morning, Yorna walked to the kitchen with Tanza to make good on her promise…and then realized that it was truly going to be a long day when she found Vincent sitting on the table (not on a chair, like a normal person), waiting for her.

He nodded at her, acknowledging her presence, and said, "Yorna. I wish to discuss something with you. Order your servant to leave."

She gave the ankle-biter a look and nodded, sending her away. "Your Majesty, I'm quite surprised. What's this about? Have you decided to accept my proposal at last? If so, then that has unfortunately passed."

"Now is not the time for jokes, Yorna," the emperor warned with a deathly glare. "I have orders for you."

Grinning, the fox spread her arms to show off the kitchen they were in. "If it has anything to do with food, I fear you're asking the wrong person."

The emperor did not seem to be in the mood for her antics. "We will be going to Ginunhive soon. There, we will enter Arakiya into the tournament. I will need you, however, to go to the emperor's seat. Chisha will most likely be there."

"I thought we'd agreed that Chisha was too smart for that," she replied. "You're acting as if he was on Cecils's level of intelligence."

"Chisha would not go…if he was aware that I laid a trap for him," he explained. "Since we took Guaral and I regained some measure of control over my agents, I had them run a misinformation campaign against the rest of the army. Chisha believes that I will be preoccupied recapturing the Abellux Estate to attend his tournament."

Yorna sighed and leaned against the nearest wall. "It's things like these that make me wish I had my pipe at this hour…are you asking me to wait for him to show up and then kill him?"

"No. You will spectate the tournament with him."

In the ensuing silence, she could practically feel her mind fail to make sense of what the emperor was asking. "You want me…to sit with him…and have a chat? Knowing that he's bound to run the instant he even smells me, you want me to just…offer him tea?"

He looked at the back of his hand for a second before answering. "Indeed. Get as much information out of him as possible. Everything, even the most mundane of facts, will be useful. There may be attendants or guards with him, but I trust you will be capable of eliminating them in a fight, should the need arise."

"I'd need my Soul Marriage to do so," she spoke. "That would mean having someone with me."

"You may take your servant, that girl," Vincent nodded. "Also…Subaru will be with you."

Yorna put her hand to the wall and rapped her fingers against it. "If this works well, I'll expect all of us to survive. Anything less will be unacceptable."

"That much will be up to you," was what he replied.

With nothing more to say, both of them remained in silence for a minute before the Divine General said, "Well, since this conversation is finished, mind getting out of here? I promised to make breakfast, and I can't do that if you're here. Also, when you leave, please tell Tanza to come back in. She's a great help to me."

Vincent gave no reply, but he got off the table and left the room.

A couple seconds later, Tanza came in.

"Agh, these clothes smell!"

As he sat on the carriage seat opposite to Yorna's, Subaru complained about the new uniform he had been given. Selena had been kind enough to reward him for his "bravery" in the "Throw Me Gamble" (as the move came to be known) with a set of officer's clothes, which Vincent saw as the perfect chance to get rid of his weird desert clothes and substitute them for something that would make the operation in Ginunhive easier.

Now, he looked like Zikr, but taller and not round.

Yorna patted Tanza, who sat on her lap, and laughed. "I'm sure Lady Dracroy was kind enough to give you clean clothes. It would make a bad gift, otherwise."

"They were clean!" he answered, sniffing his sleeve and making a face of disgust. "Now they smell like…like butter? Who the hell put butter in my clothes?"

The Divine General was about to chuckle again, but instead she stopped patting her servant and asked, "Tanza…was it you?"

Lowering her gaze, she answered, "Yes, Lady Yorna."

"Tanza…"

"I'm sorry, Lady Yorna."

"Good girl," she said, holding the ankle-biter closer to her body. "Isn't she just the cutest Vollachian you've ever seen?"

Subaru narrowed his eyes at Tanza and shook his head. "I'm inclined to say 'yes,' but I'll do it when I stop smelling like butter."

Tanza, in return, nodded. "That sounds like a 'you' problem…respectfully."

"I guess it is," he sighed, leaning forward to pat the ankle-biter's head.

She was reluctant at first, but then let him stroke her hair and retained her impassive expression.

Yorna gave him a teasing smile. "Hm, I see. So, she's the only one who gets headpats?"

"You're a grown woman," Subaru replied. "You can get your own headpats."

The Divine General pouted, and he sighed before changing seats to be next to them.

And then he gave them both headpats.

The plan was simple…in a way.

Yorna, Subaru, and Tanza would all converse with Chisha and his entourage while Vincent, Rem, Priscilla, and Al (who had come from Guaral to help) prepared an ambush to capture the impersonator. Arakiya would be fighting in the arena, hopefully beating everyone else and diminishing the number of troops that the White Spider could recruit.

Only issue was…well, everything.

It dawned on Yorna as she sat down in the luxurious chairs built for the emperor's entourage that she knew nothing about the plan. Her only assurance that it would work came from Vincent, and he was not really an unbiased source.

As Subaru sat down on the left-most chair, he gave a contended sigh. "These are the best chairs ever. I'd give the guy who made these a full year's pay to make me one!"

"They are indeed comfortable," she responded, lifting Tanza and putting the little servant on her lap. "His Majesty prefers function over form. Personally, I think a little flair and majesty here and there never hurt anyone."

"I suppose so," he nodded, turning to look at the other seven chairs that were unoccupied, including a particularly fancy one that resembled a throne. "Would Chisha mind if I sat on that cool one until he got here? I could be the emperor's personal chair-warmer!"

She laughed for a couple seconds. "By all means, go ahead. Don't know how he would respond, but I'd love to see you try."

From where they were sitting, with Yorna and Subaru being on the two left-most seats in the room (and Tanza being on Yorna), the three of them could see the arena below at a perfect distance. They were both safe from any rowdy gladiators while also being close enough to witness the bloodshed in all its glory. It was perfect.

From nowhere, Subaru narrowed his eyes and took on a serious expression. "Yorna, Tanza…when I tell you, jump into the arena."

Although the servant tilted her head in bewilderment, the Divine General nodded. "Are you alright? You turned serious all of a sudden."

"I'm fine," he replied, waving his hand dismissively and putting on a forced smile. "Besides, the show's about to begin, isn't it?"

"No clue," Yorna spoke. "Hopefully it won't. Would be a shame to have come here only for our friends to not show up."

Pointing to the vacant seats, he said, "C'mon, you think they ghosted us? Man, if Chisha left Vincent on read I might just feel some pity for that guy."

Chuckling, the fox stated, "I've no clue what you just said, but I agree with the sentiment nonetheless. Assuming that mister White Spider doesn't appear, we can always enjoy the show ourselves. You'll never hear a Vollachian say they don't appreciate some good old bloodshed."

"Flop," he pointed out, raising a finger.

"That boy's Kararagian at heart," she retorted. "At least his sister grew up right."

Subaru nodded. "Yeah, Medium kicks ass. She really handed it to Todd and Jamal back in Guaral. Man, it felt good to give those two a taste of their own medicine."

The Divine General took a drag of her pipe and exhaled the smoke away from where he and Tanza sat. "How intriguing. And here I thought you were a nice boy who was far too humble for his own good and would never even hurt a fly."

"Well, I did kill an Archbishop," he boasted, putting on a smug expression that loosely resembled Vincent's. "I mean, she accidentally killed herself after meeting me, but that counts."

With a kind smile on her face, Yorna extended her hand to him, and her smile widened when he took it. "That's more like it. If your charisma is powerful enough to charm the Spirit Eater and force a Sin Archbishop into suicide, we might just get Chisha to jump into the arena and end this war early."

"Don't worry, I'll try my hardest," the youth answered, squeezing her hand. "I know all my dialogue options."

"That much is reassuring."

That sentence was uttered by a new voice, but not an unfamiliar one. It was one the three of them could pick apart in any crowd, and it was one that could make any fool who dared anger its owner cower in fear.

It was Vincent Vollachia's voice, but the man speaking was not him.

With all the flair of a haughty monarch whose own citizens fight one another for the mere chance to get a look at him, Chisha Gold – wearing the appearance and voice of the true emperor – strode into the room, followed by two attendants.

The first…

"Wow, what a welcoming party! Even I couldn't have foreseen this lavish greeting!"

He was a young man with ashen hair. His clothes, luxurious and dark blue like the night sky, gave him an appearance of nobility. A hood hung over his head, but his face was clear to see. There was a smile on his lips that seemed disarming, but Yorna could sense the nervousness behind it. He had not expected their presence.

The second…

"Hey now, young man, you haven't even thanked our new guests for their welcome. Now, those are just bad manners, ka-ka-ka!"

The second attendant was older than dirt. His short body was clad in a black-and-white kimono, and a purple scarf rested around his neck. While his eyes were closed, Yorna knew that he was watching them meticulously. She knew Olbart Dunkelkenn far too well.

Subaru's expression turned into one of hidden rage as the impersonator and his entourage took their seats. "Hey now, where's bug boy? Last time we did this, he was here too."

"Kafma is attending to other matters," the false emperor spoke. "Is his presence truly required?"

As Yorna was about to answer, Subaru cut her off. "Oh, really? How sad. Is he busy kissing Your Majesty's ass or…?"

The hooded young man, who sat on the seat to Chisha's right, put up his hands. "H-hey! Don't joke about that in front of sensible people!"

"Ka-ka-ka!" the old man snickered, covering his mouth with his hand. "Forgive our dear friend here! He's a little too sensitive to bad jokes."

"Hey, old man!" the hooded one protested. "Don't be so mean to me! I remember how you were in the rebellion and you've not changed a bit! 'Vicious Old Man'…and it's true!"

Olbart waved his hand. "Aren't you a tad too young to have been in the rebellion? That was only a year ago, you know."

"That was like eight years ago!" he retorted balling his fist.

"You two, be silent," Chisha ordered, irritated. "If you will not keep your mouths closed, I will close them for you."

The hooded man gave an "Eep!" of surprise as Olbart chuckled. "I normally wouldn't take orders from a youngster…but you're a special case! Ka-ka-ka!"

Chisha now turned his gaze to Yorna. "What are you doing here, you vain woman? I am not in a good mood at the moment, so if you even try to grovel for marriage, I will simply have Olbart take you out."

"Oh, but Your Majesty, that old man's so dull and ancient," she replied with a sly and teasing grin. "No, no, he won't do. I want to feel the Yang Sword…and have it all for myself."

The false ruler turned away from her with revulsion, and Olbart was the only one who laughed at the joke.

"Hey, fox girl," he said nonchalantly as he picked his ear. "How 'bout a game to pass the time?"

"Gonna play hide-and-seek or tag?" Subaru asked with sudden hostility.

"Nah," the old man replied. "I'm a good gambler, so let's gamble. Pick a fighter and I'll pick one too! If yours wins, we'll let this slide, and you do whatever you came to do. If mine wins, well…we're going to have an issue, then!"

His malevolent laugh resonated through the small room.

"Whoever wins the most battles will win!" he proclaimed. "Ka-ka-ka!"

Tanza looked to her with worry, and she gave the old man his answer.

"Deal."

Two fighters clashed, with their swords practically making sparks fly, and one slipped after going for a feint, then was swiftly decapitated.

As the gladiator's blood spilled over the arena, Olbart gave a thumbs-down. "Boo! How come you've won all these matches so far, Yorna!? Are you secretly a Stargazer!?"

At this, the hooded man laughed nervously. "Gee…if one of us were a Stargazer, that'd be funny! Hah…hah!"

Chisha gave the young man a silencing glare. "I thought you had been ordered to keep your mouth shut. Are you deaf or incompetent?"

"Well, Your Highness!" the man protested. "It's 'Evil Eye' not 'Evil Ear!'"

Yorna almost dropped her pipe in surprise. "An Evil Eye!? Chisha, now you've gone too far!"

"Hey!" the Evil Eye yelled. "How come the lady who talks about equality all the time is being racist towards me!?"

"This is an issue of loyalty!" she responded, alarmed. "The Evil Eyes are far too dangerous for the empire!"

Chisha raised a hand. "Both of you, I am this close to throwing you in the arena."

With a choked cry, the young man said, "Your Highness! She'd eat me alive!"

"That would be preferable to what I would do," he retorted, narrowing his eyes.

Subaru gently poked her in the arm and gave her a thumbs-up in such a way that only she and Tanza could see it. Their plan was working. Chisha grew more and more irritated with every conversation, and irritation led to slip-ups.

"Oh, come now, young Evil Eye," she mused, turning her pipe in her hand as she showed her sharp teeth. "I promise I don't bite."

Beside her, the black-haired youth laughed. "Really, Ubilk? Scared of Yorna? She's the nicest fox you'll ever meet…but you should fear Tanza, though."

As the Evil Eye, Ubilk, cowered in fear, Olbart raised his finger. "You kids and your banter. Let's settle this, Yorna! An all-or-nothing match! Ka-ka-ka!"

She felt Subaru take her hand and give her a light squeeze, meaning she should take the offer. "Well, well, Olbart. Don't come crying to me when you lose it all. I only comfort crying children, and you're definitely not one."

"Hmm, I'm a child at heart, ka-ka-ka!" he joked.

"That statement's truer than I'd like," Subaru commented, gritting his teeth.

A bell clanged in the arena, and the two next fighters stepped into the ring.

On one side was – much to Chisha's surprise – Arakiya, who wore the same bored expression as always.

On the other side, however…

"Heya, Anya! Fancy meetin' ya here, Lil' Doggie! How've ya been!?"

From the opposite side emerged none other than Cecils Segmunt, the Blue Lightning.

"He loves it here," Chisha commented, grinning. "Fighting all day long, free food, a cell just for him…he got imprisoned willingly."

"Of course he did," the fox sighed. "The only thing in that head of his is a dark void."

Beneath them, in the arena, Arakiya yelled, "How are you here!?"

"I live here!" Cecils replied, balling his hand into a fist and lightly hitting himself on the temple. "C'mon, Anya, you're no dum-dum, figure it out!"

In the left-most seat, Subaru crossed and uncrossed his legs. "Yorna…Tanza…get ready."

They both gave subtle nods in response, and Yorna turned to Olbart. "Well, there's no doubt who we'll pick now, is there old man?"

The old man gave a low growl. "As per our agreement…you may choose your fighter first."

Subaru whispered something to her, she nodded, and replied, "Very well, I choose…Arakiya."

The false emperor and his two attendants raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Olbart chuckled. "Really? You're that confident? No doubt about it anymore: you are a Stargazer! Ka-ka-ka!"

In the arena, the bell clanged again. Next time it sounded, the fight would begin.

"Heya, Anya!" Cecils called out, flipping his sword in his hand. "No grudges, right?"

Yorna kept her gaze on the Blue Lightning, but Subaru squeezed her hand and stealthily pointed at Olbart, who had put one of his hands in the opposite sleeve and seemed to be grasping something.

Ubilk, who seemed to be sweating, stood suddenly. "Well! I'll be…! If none of you mind, I'll head to the bathroom really quickly! Um, Your Highness, want to come with!?"

What did he just ask?

Chisha looked at him incredulously. "Go…to the bathroom? With you?"

Throwing his hands in the air, the Evil Eye said, "Ah! I know how it sounds but…! Agh, agh! It came out so wrong! If you don't mind, I'll be going bye have a good day enjoy your fight!"

In a flash, he was gone from the room.

Everyone sat in silence for half a minute, either wondering what made the hooded man run away or awaiting the fight below.

Then, the bell clanged once more, and Subaru yelled, "Now!"

In the span of a second, Arakiya summoned a fireball of massive size, but hurled it toward the emperor's seat instead of attacking Cecils. Subaru and Yorna, the latter of which held Tanza in her arms, quickly jumped out the opening and down into the arena just in time to avoid the fireball, which scorched the entire room.

Cecils's shriek of agony could have been heard countries away, and his voice broke into a shrill tone as he screamed. "AH! YOUR MAJESTY!"

In a blur of blue, he was right below the scorched room, frantically trying to climb a steep wall. When he could not, he put his hands to his head and pulled on his own hair, practically hyperventilating.

As Vollachia's strongest endured a panic attack, Subaru put his hands to his mouth like a megaphone and yelled, "Cecils! That wasn't the emperor! That was Chisha! I need you to come with us right now!"

Cecils gave no indication of having even heard him as he continued to stare at the burning room in disbelief, muttering something incomprehensible over and over.

And then…

"I admit, the people of Ginunhive are pretty strong…but are they stronger than the people from my village?"

From the charred room's opening to the arena emerged the smoking figure of Olbart Dunkelkenn, who was completely unharmed apart from slight burns on his outfit. With clear skill, he jumped down to the arena and fell beside the shocked Cecils, patting the younger man – who was on his knees – on the back.

"You're a loyal boy," he proclaimed. "Don't worry about His Excellency. I'm sure he's alright! Ka-ka-ka!"

Then, the old man turned to where Yorna stood, accompanied by Subaru, Tanza, and Arakiya. For a second, he was still, and then he laughed.

"I had my suspicions that Ubilk wasn't just some nice boy!" he confessed, drawing a shuriken from his sleeve. "Wouldn't ever have imagined he was the Stargazer!"

"Olbart, Cecils cannot fight," Yorna pointed out. "We win our deal by default."

The Shinobi waved his hand (and shuriken) dismissively. "Of course, of course. However, while I can tolerate a slight against His Excellency, I can't do the same for little ol' me! I didn't get this rank by being meek!"

For the first time since he walked into that now-destroyed room, the third of the Divine Generals opened his eyes wide.

"Well now, are you youngsters so afraid of an old man like me?" he chuckled.

Arakiya was the first to act, raising her wand to the air and using it to jab some innocent spirit that happened to be floating nearby. In an instant, she plucked it from the air and – as her title would imply – put it in her mouth, then swallowed it.

"I'll never get used to that!" Subaru commented off-handedly, backing away.

As Olbart reached into his kimono and jumped high in the air (much higher than a senile old man should jump), Arakiya stomped the ground, and the air in front of her filled with darkness that sucked out the light in a sphere around the old man. It seemed as if the world itself had eaten him.

Then a blast went off inside of the bubble, and the shadows parted as Olbart fell and coughed. "Hey, now! Didja never learn to not leave an old man in the dark? I almost peed myself out of fear! Ka-ka-ka!"

Arakiya waved her wand, summoning a wall of fire that would turn the old man into ash the moment it struck, but he merely dodged it without any effort. The moment he did so, though, Yorna breathed out her smoke-lances, and threw as many as she could summon at him.

Again, the old fart dodged the dozen spears with little issue, and in the air, he tossed down a pair of what seemed to be improvised explosives.

Their explosions shook the ground, and Arakiya shielded herself with water magic that healed her faster than he could hurt her, and Yorna – along with Subaru and Tanza – were unscathed thanks to Soul Marriage.

In the following instant, Olbart was right beside Arakiya, focusing all his might on her. As she had no Soul Marriage, she was susceptible to actual damage.

Yorna breathed out more of her smoke, this time creating a colorful set of swords that flew at the geezer as fast as sound, and Subaru ran toward Cecils, who was still unresponsive.

"Hey, hey man!" she heard him say. "I know what it feels like to be in such a position right now, but we need your help!"

"That youngster's wasting his time!" Olbart yelled, letting go of Arakiya and throwing a handful of his shurikens at the youth.

In response, Yorna inhaled from her pipe and exhaled smoke that turned into a wall, absorbing the attack harmlessly. "Come now, old man, did you think I'd let you even try to harm my loved ones?"

Before she knew it, Olbart was right beside her, and he delivered a powerful strike to Tanza with his palm. The ankle-biter was sent backwards from the impact, but suffered no damage and instead bounced like a ball. He turned to Yorna and tried the same, but she evaded it, and Arakiya aided by calling forth an Al Dona spell, which struck the old man…but did nothing.

Cackling, the old bastard once again zoomed toward the Spirit Eater, and Yorna tried her best to provide support while Subaru spoke to Cecils.

"Listen to me!" he said, grabbing the Blue Lightning's kimono. "Listen! That old geezer's been trying to kill the emperor for a while now! Haven't you noticed how he saved himself but didn't even try to protect Chisha!?"

Olbart's laugh was endless and mocking. "Ka-ka-ka! Doesn't he understand!? Tell him to stop wasting his time! C'mon, fox girl, this game isn't fun if it's not fair…for you!"

This time, the Shinobi master once again jumped up high and unleashed a barrage of explosives, knives, shurikens, and literally everything he had on him that could be used to stab someone.

And that was when the very same weapons were thrown at him.

From the roof of the arena emerged various figures wielding the same weapons as the old man. They were a diverse group: men and women, humans and demi-humans. All they had in common was the black-and-white kimono they wore and the scarfs that covered their faces as they joined the battle against their own chieftain.

"What's this!?" Olbart laughed. "What's this!? Are my own Shinobi coming for my head!? Is this what betrayal feels like!? Ka-ka-ka!"

Selena…she called them.

It was then that Yorna realized the dawning truth: this was no longer a mere ploy at information. What had begun as an audacious plan to weaken the betrayers had escalated into the decisive battle for the empire. Chisha was dead, and now Yorna just had to survive. Hopefully, she could catch that Ubilk guy later.

As if reading her thoughts, Olbart mused, "How ironic! The rebellion ends as it began! In Ginunhive!"

One of the Shinobis, a young woman, charged at her chieftain, and he swiftly disappeared, only to reappear behind her and lop off her head with a short blade. When a group of Shinobis charged, with Arakiya providing light magic to aid them, Olbart detonated his own scarf, shedding his own blood to tear apart and push away the assailants, even striking some with the fragmentation.

Yorna brought her pipe to her lips just as Tanza rejoined her, dirtied but unbloodied.

Behind the both of them, Subaru knelt by Vollachia's strongest fighter and half-whispered, "Vincent is alive. He's fine. He's right outside this arena, probably waiting for you. Make him proud and kick Olbart's ass."

As she watched their interaction, Yorna was startled when a voice beside her spoke, "So, how's it going?"

She turned to find Priscilla's servant, Aldebaran, standing there without a care in the world.

"I didn't miss this place," he commented, looking around as the Shinobis struggled against their leader and were massacred. "I sure as hell didn't miss Old Fart McGee over there. And hey, my memory may be spotty, but was that old Ubilk I saw running out one of the passageways? Jeez…that piece of shit kinda owes me one…for Hornette."

Al fiddled with one of his helmet's straps for a second, and then he unsheathed his blade.

Shrugging as best he could, he proclaimed, "Oh, well. I'll catch that little prick later. Right now, princess wants this little shit's head on a plate, and it's kind of my job to get it for her."

One of the Shinobis fell back and threw an explosive at his chieftain, but Olbart caught it and threw it back with a smug laugh, splattering the young Shinobi's remains across the arena. Arakiya retreated to where Yorna, Al, and Tanza stood, raising her wand in defiance.

Al gently tapped her shoulder with the flat side of his sword and said, "So, dog girl. Just like old times, eh?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she asked, not even looking at him.

"Well, you remember the rebellion and that geriatric bastard right there," the one-armed man replied. "I was here too, ya know. Been a while, but this place's nostalgic."

Olbart, in the distance, took a piece of shrapnel from his arm and threw it on the floor, cackling maniacally.

Al readied his sword at the same time that Yorna took another puff from her pipe.

"So, dog girl," he spoke, his tone nonchalant and relaxed. "I know you hate Vincent and all…won't lie, he's a prick. So, how about we make this personal? For princess?"

Arakiya breathed in and nodded. "For princess."

The second Olbart came at them, they threw every attack they could come up with at him. It was a storm of destruction, and the old man braved it like an overconfident warrior marching into sure death.

"Don't feel so bad about this!" the Shinobi chieftain spoke. "Only the Yang Sword would have stopped me!"

As took a leap into the air, laughing, he got more of his explosives, enough to leave a nice little crater on the ground if they were tossed.

They were not.

A flash of blue and red struck Olbart in the shoulder, severing his arm cleanly. The explosives he would have thrown fell beside him and detonated less than a meter from his tiny body, the shockwave propelling him to the side. As he fought to control his movement in the air, the flash struck again.

This time, Olbart Dunkelkenn was split cleanly from his left shoulder to his right leg.

The third of the Divine Generals and chieftain of the Vollachian Shinobis fell dead on the floor, his life gone before he hit the ground, and the one responsible sheathed his crimson Fiend Sword and wiped his blue kimono of blood.

"To think you were after His Majesty," Cecils Segmunt spoke, a rare anger in his voice. "This is what you deserve."

Arakiya was the first to respond by lowering her wand and sighing dejectedly before whispering, "Show-off."

"Whew, thanks brother," Al commented, using his arm to wipe his sweat off his helmet (as if that was even possible). "Don't know how many more tries I could've pulled off."

Yorna looked to where Subaru was standing, which was right next to where Cecils had been just a second ago. Despite the sudden and unexpected help, he appeared more relieved than surprised, as if he had just passed a great obstacle.

He took a step toward her, smiling.

"Hm, so it seems you have not disappointed me."

From one of the doors to the arena emerged the emperor himself, Vincent Vollachia.

He walked toward them in silence, a self-satisfied smile on his face. Despite that, though, Yorna felt that something was off.

Before the emperor took another step, she exhaled her multicolored smoke, which took the shape of a lance and flew at him faster than any normal person could react.

The very instant it struck him, a scorching flame emerged and reduced her smoke to nothing. Vincent just raised an eyebrow and let his smile fall.

"And here I expected you to be on my side," he spoke, shaking his head. "How surprising."

Again, a blur moved in front of them, going faster than sound (or light, for that matter). Cecils came to a stop right next to the emperor and began pulling on the latter's shoulder feathers.

Like a child who just saw his father again after years of separation, he wailed, "Your Majesty! Your Excellency! Your Highness! You're alive! You're alive!? How are you alive!?"

"Calm yourself, Cecils," he ordered, standing completely still. "You and I are going to have a talk about your imprisonment later. For now, I have a task for you: the Stargazer is in this city. Go fetch him."

"Ah, Vince, pal," Al called out. "If you don't mind, I'd like to come along for that."

Vincent seemed insulted and annoyed at the nickname, but he nodded. "Very well. Go find him…now."

The two of them left posthaste, and Vincent turned to Yorna with an amused expression.

"So, Your Majesty," she teased. "Your plan worked out, didn't it? Who would've thought, right?"

"I would have," he responded. "Is it truly so surprising? This plan had everything it needed to succeed. I will, nonetheless, commend both you and my tactician for Madeline Eschart's capture. Her dragons were of help…and I would have hated to lose another Divine General."

Subaru pointed at the emperor with his thumb and gave Yorna a smile. "See? This guy's a total tsundere. I bet he loves us but is just too shy to say it."

Interestingly, Vincent did not make any of his classic presumptuous remarks, and instead just scoffed. "I will have Arakiya confirm that Chisha is dead. In the meantime, you and I must discuss…some details. As for Yorna…feel free to do as you please."

Arakiya groaned at hearing his order, but still made her way to the nearest exit.

As he walked toward the emperor, Subaru stretched his arms and laughed. "You see, Vincent? You were all like 'hurr durr, this guy's so incompetent, I bet he can't even tie his shoelaces,' and now I just saved your empire, didn't I? Heh…am I rubbing it in too much?"

"Nonsense," the Vollachian ruler said. "I knew you had potential the day you killed that soldier. All I needed to do was give you the motivation to use it."

The younger of the two men lost his carefree expression as he turned toward Yorna and said, "Wh-what soldier, Vincent? Heh, you m-must be imagining things."

Vincent, strangely enough, showed a kind expression as he also turned his gaze to Yorna, and she would have believed he was really being kind if he was not the same man who put her in the line of fire to get burned to death as collateral damage.

"Oh, my apologies," he smiled, somehow managing to go from completely kind to manipulative in the blink of an eye. "I believed he had told you."

What in the world is he saying?

"Subaru," she said. "What is he talking about?"

He seemed alarmed to hear his name spoken. "It's nothing! Just a little inside joke, you know!?"

Tanza pulled on her sleeve. "Lady Yorna, I believe the boy has killed someone before."

The fox shrugged. "Alright, what makes it so grand? This is Vollachia, I'd be more surprised if you hadn't killed anyone. Sure, I never expected your humble little heart to actually do it, but that's perfectly fine, I suppose."

Upon hearing her completely relaxed reply, Subaru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, wait! You mean it!? I…I lied to you! I killed someone! Someone…who could have lived!"

"Yes, yes," she affirmed, nodding. "But, then again, you also killed Sin Archbishops, right? Besides, did you already forget what I told you? 'There's no point to life if you're not living it.'"

"But…"

"Sure, I am a little mad you lied," the fox conceded, pouting. "I understand why, though. Now go, have your little chat with His Majesty. I'll find someplace to sit down…those chairs were the best. Maybe Arakiya can salvage one of them."

Subaru stood, unmoving, until she waved him along. He took a step toward Vincent, and then actually walked with the emperor to wherever they were headed to discuss who-knows-what. Before leaving, he gave Yorna one last incredulous look.

She just smiled at him and nodded.

Much to the seventh Divine General's dismay, none of the chairs survived the inferno in that room.

On the bright side, though, neither did Chisha. Arakiya was not in the mood to walk into a blazing room, but she confirmed his death in a satisfactory manner, and it was thus spread as truth.

Now, about two hours after the fight with Olbart, Yorna was sitting down in a carriage that Flop was kind enough to lend her. It was not even hard to convince him. All she had to do was promise him a little free time with Taritta, reassure him that she would deal with Vincent if he was annoyed, and enjoy: the boy was gone in a heartbeat.

She took advantage of the fact that the whole carriage was empty to stretch her legs as much as she wanted. A wooden carriage was a far cry from the luxurious beds and couches she was used to, but she had also slept in her fair share of uncomfortable places. No one in Vollachia was born with anything.

Everything Yorna Mishigure had, she had earned. She had bled and killed for her wealth, fame, gossip, and love. Chaosflame had been born as a result of her dream, and she wished for it to be the beginning of something greater.

It was this reluctance to sacrifice that made Natsuki Subaru so interesting and – truthfully – irritating to her. He was a good boy, and his heart was in the right place, but he never stopped to think that maybe there were some things that he had to give up in order to fulfill his dream.

She was looking into the distant horizon when Subaru came back, appearing without warning from one of the carriage's sides. He grinned shily and climbed aboard, taking his place to her right.

"Hey, Yorna," he greeted her, stretching his arms. "Vincent talks a lot, you know. Once he sets his mind on something, talking him out of it is like moving a continent."

Nodding, she locked her right arm with his left. "Well, now, here's the company I ordered so long ago. I trust His Majesty didn't leave you deaf?"

"Not at all," the youth replied. "Hey, where's Tanza? Actually, isn't this Flop's carriage?"

"Tanza went to play with Madeline," she explained. "Flop went to…'play' with Taritta. I'm not sure where everyone else is…oh, right, Arakiya said she wanted a nap. You'll find her in the gladiator barracks, fifth room to your right."

Running his free hand through her hair, he added, "And Cecils was with Vincent at the meeting. Al and Priscilla went to some bar or something, no clue. Oh! Did you hear they caught that hooded guy? Vincent was ready to beat him senseless when I left."

Yorna leaned onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. "To think our Stargazer was an Evil Eye…His Majesty's lost his mind."

"Uh huh," he affirmed. "The name 'Evil Eye' doesn't fill me with confidence."

They stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, and then she pulled away from him, patting her lap. He obeyed with a sigh and laid down, letting her pat his head.

Looking to the carriage's side, Subaru spoke, "I'm sorry for lying to you. I just…what happened in Guaral deserved to stay there…but I couldn't just bury it."

"Tell me what happened," she ordered with a soothing voice.

With a shaky breath, he recalled the event. "After Arakiya attacked us in Guaral, we held a meeting, in which we made the decision to go for Chaosflame and try to recruit you. I had planned to take Guaral without shedding blood, but apparently, some people had been killed by an unknown assassin. In the meeting, Rem said some…hurtful things she didn't mean, and I went for a walk to clear my head."

He stopped to take a breath.

"Then, I was in a really shitty mood," the young man explained. "It was one of the worst moments of my life…and then these two guys showed up and tried to kill me. I knew them. I had fought them off a couple days earlier with Rem, Medium, Flop, and Louis. One of them, Todd, he…he kept coming at me, trying to kill me. Somehow, Al heard the whole thing and came to help."

Once more, he paused.

He closed his eyes as he finished the tale. "Al beat them both by himself…but I told him to spare them. There was no reason to think these guys were actually evil or anything, they were just…misguided. As we went to put the handcuffs on them, Todd stabbed me in the leg with a knife he'd hidden in his boot. We wrestled over it a little and…I remember he said something. It was something that made me mad at him, madder at him than I was at myself, and I…"

Although he did not finish the sentence, Yorna understood. "Listen to me, you did the right thing. What happened wasn't your fault. I told you about valuing others over yourself, didn't I?"

"You did," he sighed. "I can't…this is really refreshing. I feel like I can tell you what I do wrong, you know?"

"It's one of the things I'm most proud of," she admitted, puffing out her chest. "Years of caring after Chaosflame made me a good listener. I lend an ear when people have troubles, and a shoulder to cry on if they grieve."

He gave a soft nod. "I know that much. You seem like the kind of person to help a lost child who wanders into your castle, you know?"

"Of course I would," the fox spoke. "Children are sacred. Why do you think I dote on Tanza so much?"

"You dote on me more," Subaru pointed out, smiling.

Yorna nodded. "Indeed. I don't see the issue with that, though."

Chuckling, he said, "Me neither."

A pause, and then she asked, "You're going to Lugnica soon, right?"

"Mhm," he affirmed. "Vincent's on a warpath to Rupghana, but I'm not interested in that. I talked him into letting me leave with Flop and Rem, but only after I helped him plan the siege. Can't believe it's finally within reach."

"You ought to be proud," was her reply. "I'd like to accompany you, if it's not much trouble. Tanza would return to Chaosflame for a while to run it, and I'll get to meet your friends."

Mischievously, she leaned down close to him.

"I think it's only right if they meet the woman you love," she teased.

With a smile, he answered, "I'd love it if you came with."

"Excellent," Yorna said. "Please tell the Sword Saint to be there, though. I want to…apologize for something."

Excited, he got up from her lap and sat beside her again. "Really!? That's great! I'm sure they'll like you! Well, I'm not sure about Ros, but everyone else should! Oh, you'll get along great with Frederica, I bet! Beako would probably want to learn about Sou-"

Before he even finished his sentence, she put her hand on his cheek, leaned in, and kissed him softly for a couple seconds before pulling away. "Sorry about the interruption, but you're just so adorable when you get all gushy like that."

He scratched his head sheepishly. "Well…remind me to do it more often."

"All you have to do is ask nicely," the fox chuckled, bringing him to her and kissing him again.

As it goes without saying, they enjoyed their time in the carriage.

Later that day, they set out to Guaral, with Vincent intending to finish his civil war as soon as possible.

With Zikr and Selena, the group discussed a plan for the siege of Rupghana. Apparently, the treasonous prime minister, Berstetz Fondalfon, was intent on going down fighting. At least he was no coward.

It took a couple days of endless meetings and glossing over small details for the final plan to be decided and approved. Vincent even gave it his (imaginary) stamp of approval by not being condescending for once.

And that was the end of Subaru's service to Vollachia.

The following day, as practically every carriage in Guaral set out to the capital, one left for the Miload Estate, near Costuul. The passengers were Rem, Louis, Flop, Yorna, and Subaru himself.

Days passed, and Yorna found herself pleasantly disconnected from the rest of the world. Sure, she loved Chaosflame and every single person in there, but she also enjoyed having a little time to vanish from the world. Smuggling herself through the border was some of the most fun she had in her whole life

Finally, one day, they were nearing Costuul.

Subaru was the first to comment on it. "It feels like ages ago that I left! Man, what if Otto grew a beard or something!? What if Garfiel turned into a little kitten!? What if Roswaal's all wrinkled and old now!? Actually, that last one would be a blessing…"

Sitting next to him, Yorna laughed and looked at Rem, who was sitting opposite from her with Louis on her lap. "Isn't he the cutest Lugnican you've met?"

"I'd like to pass on that question," the Oni responded, holding a hand to her chin in mock thinking.

Subaru stiffened his back with false arrogance. "I'll have you know, back then, you were always the first to gush about my appearance. What will it take to get back to those days?"

"You'd need to dress better," she said. "And I kind of hate your hair."

As he was about to answer, Yorna began stroking his hair. "Well, the quality is excellent. I do concede that he'd look better with his hair down."

He looked down, dejected. "I thought you loved me, Yorna. What happened to my charm?"

She laughed and responded by leaning onto his shoulder.

As last, the carriage began to slow, and she heard him sigh before saying, "I wonder…how will they react?"

"They're your friends," Rem pointed out. "You're close to them. They're going to be overjoyed."

"Indeed," Yorna added. "They'll be happy to have you back."

"Let me get down first," he stated as the carriage slowed even more, now moving at a normal person's walking speed.

When it finally came to a stop, Subaru took a deep breath and slid toward the exit to the carriage, then jumped down, turned, and spread his arms with a massive grin on his face.

Joyfully, he yelled, "What a trip! Remind me not to take any vacation over there ever ag-"

He did not even get to finish his sentence as a small girl in a colorful red dress all but slammed into him, and he lifted her up to his chest as she sobbed in what seemed to be relief. Another girl, one with a ribbon in her hair, did the same, and she held onto his shirt while he patted her head.

Amidst the tearful reunion, he nodded at Yorna, and she got off the carriage too.

The Miload manor, as she came to discover, was a grand place. Not as amazing as her own Red Lapis Castle, but it was still a marvel.

Its front doors were open, and a crowd of people were practically pouring out. They swarmed the carriage so fast that Flop's cordial smile turned to a look of worry at the amount of people, and then a resigned pout when he saw he had no way to get down from the driver's box.

When Rem got down, holding Louis in her arms, most of the people in the welcoming group fell silent.

"And what is the meaning of this?"

The one who spoke was a short girl in a maid's uniform, and she looked completely identical to Rem except for her pink hair. She seemed torn between looking at her doppelganger and glaring at Louis.

"To show up unannounced, holding onto my cute sister like a child," the maid spat, though there was a guilty smile on her face. "You must be the worst Sin Archbishop to exist."

In response, Louis tilted her head. "Uah?"

And the whole crowd once more swarmed them.

One of them, a blonde demi-human with a scar on his face, grabbed Subaru by the arm and ruffled his hair, mentioning something almost incomprehensible about his "captain" being a better Vollachian than the emperor himself. Another, a tall woman who resembled the demi-human boy, stood hand-in-hand with a green-clad, gray-haired young man, who also wasted no time in coming to his friend.

In the distance, where the doors stood open, three figures watched all this unfold.

Two of them were men. One, dressed like a court jester, she recognized as the Court Mage, Roswaal L. Mathers. It seemed that the tales of his extravagant clothing were not far-fetched at all. The other man was a butler with a monocle, who only smiled at the whole exchange with a mysterious grin that could have meant a thousand things, or simply been one of joy.

The final figure was a girl, one with sharp ears and long silver hair. Her uniform was white, with the insignia of House Mathers on it. Her amethyst eyes were blurry with what seemed to be tears. She seemed otherworldly.

And Yorna knew why: that girl was the exact copy of the Witch of Envy. The fox could not claim to have met her, but every history book told of the same traits, and this girl met them all like a checklist. Even as a Divine General, she had some knowledge of Lugnican politics, and she recognized the candidate Emilia from the countless stories about her.

So, even at that distance, Yorna took the chance to nod at her.

It would do some of them a lot of good to visit Chaosflame.

In the midst of the welcoming horde, Subaru found a chance to speak to Yorna, though he literally had to yell, "They knew about all this! I wrote a letter to them!"

"You were smart to do so," she replied, but her voice was drowned out by the cheerful reception.

The mob remained around them for a little while, each exchanging their own words with the returning young man and the Oni. The two little girls followed him with enthusiasm and relief, the man in green gave him news of apparently being in a relationship with the blond maid, and the young demi-human with the scar pestered him about stories of what transpired beyond the border. He replied to each and every one of them, keeping the same cordial smile.

And then, he finally began to walk toward the entrance to the manor, asking the crowd to please let him at least speak with the other members of the group. Yorna followed him, but Rem and Louis stayed behind with the rest. Flop was still stuck aboard the carriage, but he seemed to be making conversation with the green man.

"Remember when you came to my room in Selena's house?" Subaru asked Yorna, bringing her attention back to him. "I was writing a letter to them that night. I explained everything that happened. Selena sent a Sky Rider to deliver it."

"I remember there being a letter on the desk that night," she said, and he sighed.

With some sadness, he explained, "That letter was for a woman named Katya Aurelie. She was…Todd's fiancée, at least according to the file Zikr had on him. I wanted her to hear about this from me and…I wanted to apologize."

As she was about to respond, a ground dragon (of all things), ran up to him and licked his face. He chuckled and scratched its head.

"Yeah, Patrasche, I missed you too," he said to the ground dragon with complete sincerity. "Next time I get kidnapped to another country, you'll come with."

Patrasche made a sound of contentment and stayed behind as he kept walking to the main doors.

Once he arrived, and Yorna arrived with him, he looked at the Court Mage first and nodded. "Ros…I really want you to know…there's some Vollachians worse than you out there."

"Tha~t is a high compli~ment," Roswaal said, nodding back. "It is a jo~yous day thanks to your re~turn."

Then, he turned to the butler. "Clind…thanks, man. Your training kinda saved me a bunch of times."

Clind responded by widening his smile.

Finally, he turned to Emilia, and they both smiled at each other for a second before hugging. Even without words, their reunion was easily the most heartfelt, at least to the Divine General.

When they finally broke their embrace, Subaru – with tears in his eyes – waved his hand at Yorna and said, "This is…Yorna Mishigure, I think. She really helped me a lot in Vollachia, you know…? She…I…"

"Take your time," the half-elf said, her voice resembling a silver bell.

Choking on his own words, Subaru finally managed to say, "I…I love her."

Emilia nodded understandingly, and then turned to the fox. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yorna."

She bowed gracefully. "Same here. Not everyday do I get to meet a Lugnican noble, much less one with such a history. Subaru spoke much about you."

The candidate extended her hand, and Yorna shook it.

Afterward, the Divine General turned to the young man she had come to love, and who still had tears in his eyes. Gently, she wrapped her arms around him and brought his head to her chest as he held onto her with strength.

He was home, and she was happy for him. Happier than words could express.

It was the end of a majestic tale.