Hurr Nidar’s Mansion — Five hours after Mara’s assassination attempt. Naraka, now dressed in his signature armor and robes walked toward the mansion belonging to the judge. It was surrounded by palm trees along the side and back, with several bushes and shrubbery that was impossibly green. The abode itself was crafted from artisan bricks and stone of differing colors and sizes, constructed into the shape of a rectangle. Two upper patios decorated the second floor, with glass windows and walls stylized to resemble the merlon and crenel belonging to castles of old.

Perched atop a stone base, a triangular wall hiding two symmetrical staircases led up to the front door. Naraka chose the right staircase to climb, walking past the freshly cleaned pool out front. As he made his way up the steps, Naraka spotted a wooden stable to the left side of the mansion, housing a purebred horse munching away on hay.

—Glad to see Silili is still doing alright. I thought the old Thrall would be dead by now, considering how long he’s had it.

Reaching the top of the short climb, Naraka saw his friend Hurr Nidar waiting outside by the set of three glass doors out front that led inside. He was dressed casually, wearing a paled yellow robe with white trim and sandals; perfect for the sunny weather.

“You like the place, Naraka?” Nidar called out with a chuckle, a cold glass of grynup syrup in his hand.

“I don’t know, doesn’t seem lavish enough for you yet,” Naraka shrugged jokingly. “When are they installing the fountain that spits out liquor and gold?”

Nidar laughed, walking toward his old rival.

“You’re one to talk, I’ve seen that province you call your house!”

The judge took a sip of the refreshing drink before offering one wordlessly to his guest.

“No thank you, I don’t drink. Though I’ll have a glass of pomegranate juice if you have it,” Naraka suggested with a smile.

Nidar sighed and nodded, having been accustomed to Naraka’s disliking of alcoholic beverages over the years.

“I swear, I was never able to get you to touch the stuff. I would think you’d need a stiff one after today,” he said, leading the way inside the mansion.

Despite the lavish appearance outside, the house was in reality quite smaller than it appeared. Only possessing two stories and a basement, the size of the judge’s newly acquired home was modest; roughly the size of the average house. The furnishings inside consisted of a rustic yet modern approach, utilizing stonework along with marble.

“Empire paid for the new place, one of the only good things to come from my promotion if you ask me. Silili seems to enjoy her new stables too, so if she’s happy then I am too,” Nidar explained as he went into the kitchen.

Naraka removed his boots at the front door while Nidar fixed him a glass of pomegranate juice. Closing the glass door behind him and making his way further inside, Naraka sat on a wooden stool located at the kitchen’s bar nook.

“I’m happy to hear, Nidar,” Naraka said as his friend served the drink. “But I’m glad you agreed to discuss your thoughts with me. Today’s events were a tragedy for everything we hold dear and frankly, I’m tired of watching and doing nothing while innocents continue to suffer.”

Nidar sat down next to Naraka, thinking over the events of the day.

“I know we agreed to communicate through ouijagrams only that day in the Sanctum… But for this, I knew we had to meet again in person,” Nidar sighed solemnly. “I prayed vigorously regarding this matter. I wouldn’t make a decision like this without some forethought…”

“How bad is it? I haven’t had a chance to watch the news.” Naraka asked.

“In just the few hours since? Mara’s little act, along with whoever that impersonator of your successor was, bolstered public approval in favor of waging war against the Kingdom of Nirvana. Morale among the citizens is up thirty-seven percent after seeing their Emperor miraculously survive a strike to the heart without so much as a scratch! Thirty-seven percent, Naraka. Approval ratings for the emperor are currently at a ninety-four. Completely unprecedented!”

“By the black sun…” Naraka mumbled in shock. “I never expected such a brutal riposte to our intervention at the trial.”

“People are heralding Mara as a divine ruler, my friend. Such praise hasn’t been given to a ruler of Yomi since Baal, the first emperor. The Impostor Mura’s speech only furthered hatred toward shinigami and humans.”

Nidar threw back his drink, downing the contents of the diluted alcoholic nectar in one gulp.

“Larsa, she…”

“Did she contact you as well?” Naraka said, his brows furrowed.

“Yes… Told me to remain silent on the upcoming matters I’d see unfold within the next few hours. Instructed me to act accordingly and I’d be rewarded for my ‘servitude and allegiance’…”

“Deviate from that and we’ll be brought up on charges of treason, I’d imagine,” Naraka uttered, taking another sip of his drink. “Ultimately, given Mara’s quick planning to the events unfolding, I have to commend his strategy.”

Nidar turned to Naraka, a look of disbelief on his face.

“You’re going to praise him for this?!”

“Yes, I can’t say anything less than that regarding his stratagem. It was a genius play. He further incriminated my student, turned the people of Yomi against him while boosting his own appeal and likely hastened his efforts by several months in achieving an agreement for his war.”

Naraka swirled the contents of his glass, watching the ice cubes follow each other around in a spiral.

“However, do not mistake my praise for forgiveness. He made an enemy of me the moment he roped Mura into his plotting. Allowing more innocents to bleed and die for his machinations is something I can never disregard.”

“What do you intend to do, Naraka?”

“I plan to destroy him and purge this empire of its dissidents. Yomi has sadly become riddled with the cancer that is hatred and fear. Luckily for us, our nation has faced such adversity before and overcome it as well. This might be the strongest case of it yet… but, if we look to the actions of our predecessors we can certainly find a way.”

Taking a moment to watch the ice cubes in his drink slowly come to a stop, Naraka paused as Nidar processed what his friend was suggesting.

“You’re talking of starting a revolution…”

“Not a revolution, not yet. That’d be suicide. Mara controls everything the populace consumes. Information and truth can be molded into whatever he desires. What we need is to bide our time, remain where we are and make the most of our positions within the governing body.”

“You’re his advisor. Couldn’t you just, you know, convince him to give this up?”

“He already suspects us both. Right now, I suspect we’re on the cusp of becoming another name in his ever-expanding black list. In this game, it’s all about balance,” Naraka stated. “You need to balance the truth and the falsities in equal stride. For example, I’ve already informed Nergal of my coming here. I told him I wished to meet with you in order to contemplate an assembly of like-minded individuals.”

Nidar placed his hands on the countertop, his eyes widened.

“Are you insane!? If that’s true, we’ll be arrested within the hour!”

“It is true, though our friend Nergal is only privy to half of a truth. As I told both him and you, I wish to start an alliance of those who share my newfound opinions. However, the lie that tips the scales to a perfect equilibrium is already in Nergal’s hands. I told him that after the attack, there will undoubtedly be others who will feel inspired by the fraudulent assassination attempt. Therefore, I was coming to your abode to form a coalition between the two of us. Who better than the former legendary hero and a chief judge of Yomi to weed out and prosecute such people?”

“But in reality, we’ll be recruiting them into our cause?”

“Yes, precisely. Of course, we can find a few overzealous anarchists to lock away in the process. They’ll grow suspicious if you don’t find a single soul guilty after all. Such people would cause more harm than good anyway.”

“I don’t know, Naraka…”

“Pray on it if you must, Hurr. This isn’t an easy choice to make, but like you yourself said, Mara continues to grow in power. The longer we wait, the more the walls will close in around us. I’ll continue this effort on my own regardless, so don’t feel obligated to join me for old time’s sake. I simply wished to approach you first with this plan.”

Naraka left the remainder of his drink on the counter, already satisfied. He stood up as the sun peered in from the glass windows behind him. Nidar looked up at his friend, seeing his silhouette framed in a warm blanket of sunlight. If comforted Nidar, somewhat easing his spirits.

In turn, Naraka placed his hand on Nidar’s shoulder as he looked down on his lifelong companion.

“I wouldn’t formulate such a plan if I didn’t believe we could win. My allegiance no longer belongs to this empire, but it still holds strong in the people within it.”

“Naraka…” Nidar trailed off, unsure of himself. He closed his eyes, asking his god for guidance.

“Follow your heart, my friend. Your convictions,” Naraka stated calmly with a compassionate smile. “If it eases you, Mara’s plans have a few loose threads.”

“H-How so?”

“For one, the Impostor Mura who I assume to be Grendel, he referred to humans as swine. Their narrative is all over the place. If this depiction of Mura is against Mara and his policies, then he’s clearly a shinigami and human sympathizer. Those exist in our world, not uncommon. But then to refer to them as pigs? It’s bizarre.”

“You have a fair point…”

“Not to mention, in every public appearance the real Mura made, he’s always seen with his Thrall Lilith. The two are inseparable, even sleeping together. It’s peculiar then that she’s nowhere to be seen as he not only arrives to accept an award for his service, but also doesn’t disappear with him on his ‘escape to Earth’. Anyone who tracks Mura down will see he’s with Lilith still, with both having Anima Stain marks. Something they never had time to receive in their little stage play,” Naraka explained. “Additionally, he wasn’t fused with her either. His irises weren’t inverted in color and his veins didn’t glow.”

Nidar nodded his head in silence as he placed both hands on the counter before standing up to meet Naraka at eye level.

“The mistakes just keep piling up the more you peel it apart…” the judge said.

“Something we can explain to those who will listen. Proof to show that their government is lying directly to their faces and it’s only the surface.”

Nidar smiled back at Naraka, placing his hand on the shoulder of the legendary hero.

“You’re on to something here… Something absurdly dangerous, but then again, how different is it from when we were fighting shitidama centuries ago?”

“Trust me, I’d take combat over politics any day,” Naraka said with a chuckle. “Do I have your allegiance?”

After a brief pause, Nidar chuckled back.

“My empire may have lost my faith, but you will always have mine.”

Naraka smiled and hugged the judge tightly.

“Ah, careful! That rough armor of yours will ruin the thread count on these robes!” Nidar yelled as he hugged the man back.

“I’ll buy you a new one then,” Naraka quipped back. “So then, look through your contacts. Find those who you can trust and reach out to them. I trust you to spin a web for us while I work.”

“And what will you do in the meantime, hmm?”

“I’ll continue to gain Mara’s favor in whatever ways I can. All the while, I’ll send aid to my pupil and continue to look for a way to prove his innocence.”

“Good, good,” Nidar said as they left their embrace. “I’d suggest tracking down Mura’s belongings. That was his actual weapon, after all. If that really was Grendel parading around as him, I’d investigate where he’d keep it immediately.”

“You read my mind,” Naraka said, crossing his arms and turning towards the door. “From what I know about the man, Grendel wouldn’t just allow Mura’s belongings to be destroyed. He’d view what he did this day as a personal victory, possibly keeping the personal effects as a trophy of sorts.”

As Naraka turned to look out at the sun shining in from outside, he narrowed his purple eyes slightly.

—And I know just where to look.

❇ ❇ ❇

Khrysos Financial Group National Bank, Ashuradō — The next afternoon. Grendel likely wouldn’t have been allowed to keep evidence in his private home for the time being.

The next best thing would be a vault, and what better place to check than Yomi’s largest banking company. Nearly everyone had their banking done through Khrysos and the location in Ashuradō was the largest in the capital province. All businesses were closed the day of the attack, forcing Naraka to try his hand the following day. Now the time had come.

Naraka, dressed in his finest armored robes, walked up the polished granite steps to the massive bank located on the street corner within the busy city. The automated doors opened before his presence as he walked inside just as he had done countless visits before.

—I’d have to be an idiot to ask directly if Grendel has an account and vault located here. Instead, I’ll just indirectly draw the truth out of whoever I find. Best to pretend I already have the information and let their ignorance confirm it for me.

He walked across the white polished floors and up to the front counter, which had a barred gate separating the customers from the employees. The bars were crafted from magically charmed alloys, allowing them to repel most spells and physical damage. Luckily for him, there wasn’t a line whatsoever. It seemed like a slow day after all.

Approaching the counter, Naraka made his presence clear to the person behind the bars. Whoever the employee was, they had their chair rotated away from Naraka, giving him a good view of their back. He spotted the sides of the banker’s head, which sported two long pink twintails of each respective half.

“Excuse me?” Naraka stated politely with a smile, dinging the small metal bell in front of him.

The banker immediately turned to face him, revealing a familiar appearance which Naraka was all too pleased to see. It was the girl in the magical mask from the Deepcut, sporting a nametag pinned to her ample chest with a single word etched into it.

Mammon.