"How do you know it's their doing?"

The usually quiet Gen spoke up at this accusation

"If it wasn't then I wouldn't have even found those insects, any being heavily effected by their Blood Code is as plain as daylight in my eyes"

That was a lie, one much too far from the truth since any power concerning blood was only related to his servants, but nobody knew this and thus it was believed to be the truth, something that would put the other faction in a bind on what methods to use from now on since they could not just let anyone try to infiltrate the lower floors without having to worry about him locating them

"That means you could rat out the moles then?"

Basu asked, appearing to want YuJu to expose the spys, but Aminta, Verbrand, as well as Latvia noted this question also tested YuJu's claim of being able to sense Genus Insania's members

"Hehehe"

To this YuJu turned to the elephant general with a leering smile, one that turned the blood, and water, in his body cold

"That would be counter productive, if the nest is taken out then all its parasites would die, since the hosts of the parasite weren't willingly involved then doing it the other way around would only hurt our members as well as give the enemy enough time to retrieve the nests, a thing only Genus Insania would want, don't you agree, Basu"

Somehow the question sounded accusing in nature, even causing Gremm to look between YuJu and Basu as if he expected a fight to go down any moment now

"Why of course, if you'd said this from the begining then it would naturally be the best option"

Unlike the explosive temperature of his fellow fleshly general Basu was more tame, replying with a smile that appeared harmless

"Anyhow"

Taking a step back from the table YuJu changed everyone's focus onto the cube once more

"What I need is everything on our floors locked down, with this box as the key I will definitely be capable of finding all the others, I have got to thank them for the timely gift"

It was a normal request, and the most effective method, but for some unknown reason when he said it a tension gripped over the atmosphere, like someone was rearing to battle, a reaction all those present felt but did not know where from it originated

"....."

Everyone was silent, looking around the room with a frown, who and what caused this tension?

"Haaa!!"

"Gaaaa"

Suddenly two of the guards stationed at the hall's side leaped toward the box with madness in their eyes, the already alert generals leapt into action as well but were not fast enough

Pushi! Slice

For YuJu, who baited them by stepping away from ot to begin with, disappeared from his place, appearing behind one of them and slicing his neck after one of his daggers already lodged itself the second's skull, giving a quick end to the two

"Brave, or stupid, I don't know which but you saved me the trouble of slowly exposing your treachery"

"These...were they affected by the parasites? Why did you kill them without giving them a chance to talk at all?"

It was unusual for Gen to tall so much, but he was the type that gave everyone a chance, seeing two of their poeple, guards of Aminta nonetheless, being offed just like that more than angered him

"Becuase they reeked of blood from day one, when I say day one I mean the day they joined us, as for the parasites, they are a new thing else I would have sensed them around the floors long ago, it's too soon for them to affect their hosts' minds"

This scared them, those present from both factions that is, his words implied that YuJu was here the day these guards were recruited, that was even before Latvia joined as a general! And she did so before Gremm did too, just how old was this man? Wasn't he supposed to be a human who newly joined the Infidome?

An air of mystery shrouded him who they recently uncovered some truths about, nothing seemed to make sense anymore, every question brought more and more confusion till one lost themselves in this maze he'd built

"Who are the others?"

Aminta was quick to ask, seeing two of her most trusted guards take action so openly affirmed her decision in rooting out the spys

"Would you kill them right away if I pointed them out? No matter the rank?"

"No"

Naturally since she knew two generals would be among the accused she couldn't say yes to that

"Then it doesn't make sense for me to point them out, let them hope they still might be unknown, fear for their lives being stripped away every second they spend here, suffer a mental tourcher before I reap the very light out of those treacherous eyes"

Cruel, beyond that even, was there any shred if mercy left in that void heart?

"I'd better get to it then, parasites of this nature cause more damage to the host's brain the longer they live"

He ushered a the group to carry out the lock down, which no one objected to, all the generals immediately scattered to keep things under order and make sure nothing was out of place, their guard raised more so than ever

"Are you not starting?"

Seeing as YuJu was still sitting leisurely after ten minutes of the disbanding Aminta, who was the only one left here with him, questioned

"Start what? Oh! The plan thing, no, not really, I already know where they would be planting those cubes, just got to give Gremm the chance to dispose of his own if he has one"

Speaking of the fleshly general reminded her of another matter

"Were you not hoping to make use of Basu and Gremm in your schemes, how come you exposed your knowledge of them so early"

"Basu is who I hinted at knowing, my latter words may have targeted Gremm but knowing his stubborn arrogance I am sure it would only further delude him into thinking that I have yet to find out about him"

"....Do you not think your the one being arrogant here in thinking everything would go as planned"

"Haha, what I have is confidence my dear Aminta, there is a clear line between the two"

Her hint at his change went right over his head

'No matter how sure, never be overconfident'

She wanted to reply, but kept to herself, treating it as an experience he must overcome on his on, the very same technique YuJu used with those around him

After about half an hour YuJu finally stood up, making way out of the hall and stepping onto the floor, from there his strides turned sluggish, as if to give the enemy time to retrieve the boxes before he got to them

Arriving before a resource building after one slow walk he came upon a corner and smashed the ground, taking out another hole filled box which was sealed in a special container, then moved onto the next target

After a long, seemingly stressful search he found twenty nine of the thirty five other boxes, adding the one he had there was a total of thirty boxes, yet it wasn't over yet

"Hello"

"....There is a box here too?"

"Nope, all the other boxes were already taken away"

Latvia heaved a sigh of relief knowing they didn't dare plant one in her residents, Gen and the rattan were beyond furious and ashamed knowing one was planted in theirs, God knows what she would feel

'But then why is he here?'

She wanted to ask but didn't really want to know too, nothing ever bode well from him

"Since all the boxes have been taken away I came to retrieve the hive now that it's of no more use"

"!!"

She stood there, like a statue while he waltz inside her residence, coming out shortly after with a triangle thrice as big as the other boxes, this one lacking holes but instead having nubs on its surface constantly moving like an insect's antenna

"Thanks for the hospitality~"

Latvia did not respond even after he was long gone, standing there like a lifless body, something she wished she was at this point

'The central hive, the point of communication for all those things, was right in my abode, and I didn't even know about it'

How shameful, how utterly unacceptable, demeaning even, she, the eyes and ears of Hortus, failed to recognize a threat of this magnitude right under her nose

'Just what do they take me for?!'

This debt would not be forgotten, it was no longer a simple war of two factions, it was personal now, Genus Insania would pay the price of underestimating her dearly

'I'll make them suffer the same shame even if I have to work alongside that devil of a man!!!'