MORNING CAME THE NEXT DAY AND THE THREE OF THEM LEFT FOR YOKINA’S PALACE in the very center of the city. It was a grand display of power, with a dome made of quartz, standing at over 300 feet in size. As a result, the looming palace was rather easy to find.

"So," Ite began, "are we just going to ask to be let in? Maybe add a pretty please?" It was clear that she knew Yukan didn't have a plan. He wasn't a natural-born strategist, after all.

"We're improvising from here on out," Yukan said. "We'll make up a story about how urgent it is or something."

"We could try to sneak in..." Kadaina contributed, pondering various ways to get into the castle.

"We could pretend to be generals..." Yukan added, doing the same.

"We look like kids though," the archer pointed out. "They'd never believe us."

"Let's go," Yukan said. "I have an idea." The three of them went up to the guard.

"Halt!" the guard exclaimed. "Who are you and what is your business?"

"I'm Yukan," the swordsman started, "this is Ite and Kadaina. We need to talk to King Yokina right away. It's very urgent."

"Right," the guard mocked. "Okay little boy, why don't you and your friends head back to the woods and play hide and seek? Maybe you'll find your king over there."

"How dare you!?" Ite exclaimed, now donning a British accent. "We are nobles from Jusho. I am Lady Ite Rosenlace of the Rosenlace estate. If my father Duke Rosenlace hears of this, he will make you regret the day you ever became a guard. Shall I make a phone call?"

"My apologies, Lady Rosenlace," the guard started to fret for his apparent mistake. "I just-" He stopped at a realization. "Wait a minute. You're not a Rosenlace. I know their family and I can assure you that there's nobody in their family named Ite."

"Actually," Kadaina added, also in a fake British accent, "she was exiled from the kingdom."

"Oh yeah?" the guard said, turning his attention to the young mage. "And who might you be?"

Before Kadaina could answer, Yukan grabbed the guard "Look buster!"

"Yukan, stop!" Ite yelled out, but he had ignored this demand.

"We need to get in there to see the king. We're in desperate need of his help and he's the only one able to do it."

The guard caught a glimpse of the rose pattern on Yukan's arm as he held him. Recognizing that as the mark of the Omega Blade, his eyes widened.

"Oh, I get it..." he started, "you're one of those Fabled Sword wielders. I'll tell you what. I'll let you in here because the king loves that kind of stuff."

"Thank you, sir," Yukan said as he entered the palace.

"I'll overlook this...disgrace," Ite told the guard, still in the guise of a Rosenlace.

"Yeah right," the guard replied. "Drop the act."

As the two of them entered the hall, they took in the absolute luxury of the hall. The walls were lined with artifacts from the days of old. They heard a lot of noise coming from the dining hall and went to investigate. They peered through the door frame to see the nobility of Akuni having a large breakfast, with Yokina at the head of the table. As the trio tried to get closer to Yokina, a bodyguard stopped them.

"Oi!" he yelled out. "Who let you street rats in-". As the bodyguard began to shoo them out, Yokina caught a glimpse of the rose pattern.

"The rose..." the king of Akuni muttered to himself before yelling toward the bodyguard, "let them pass."

"But-What?!" The bodyguard was completely dumbfounded.

"This issue is above your understanding," Yokina continued as he approached the three of them. "Let them pass."

"Thank you, your majesty," Yukan said to the king. "May we speak with you in private?"

"Yes," he spoke to the young man. "We may. I think we have plenty to talk about. Would you please follow me?"

"Thank you," Kadaina echoed, "your majesty."

King Yokina led the two of them into the hall and continued to speak to them.

"That mark," he began. "Only descendants of Oji can have that mark. I had no clue that the Omega Blade was still around, and I was even more clueless as to whether or not a wielder still existed."

"Who and the what now?!" Yukan responded, entirely confused. "I just wanted to declare war on Aotoshi."

"WHAT?!" Yokina reacted almost instantly, baffled by the request Yukan had made. "Child, do you know what power you possess?"

"They are both quite new to this world," Kadaina apologized on their behalf. "I'm sorry, your majesty. I should have explained things a bit better for him."

"This is outrageous!" the king continued, disregarding what Kadaina had said. "You want to start a war? Do you know what that will do to the peace that was established over many nights of cruel bloodshed? Many men and women fought for this peace which is currently established. I will not start a war for no reason-"

"It's not for no reason," Yukan interjected, "I assure you."

"Yukan!" Ite exclaimed at his outburst. "Sorry, King Yokina. It's rude to interrupt."

"He didn't mean any harm by that, your majesty," Kadaina added. "He's just concerned about the future actions of Kunshu."

"This is just plain childish," Yokina continued. "There are so many things that could go wrong. To think, the descendant of the great Oji would wish bloodshed upon this land."

"You know nothing about what Kunshu has done!" Yukan yelled out. "That monster has murdered-"

"I know much more about Kunshu than you," Yokina interrupted. "If I were you, I would get off of this path of revenge. It will slowly consume your heart, your brain, and your mind. Don't use this new blade to fight."

"You're going to regret that decision!" Yukan desperately cried out.

"I regret a lot of my decisions," the king said. "The choices I make on this throne of power weigh on me. Every choice I make affects Akuni. I know my choices, young man. And one choice I won't regret is saving the lives of millions from reckless ambition."

"But I-"

"I know what you wish. You wish to pursue vitriol and malice, and you care not of the human cost. With power such as yours, that moral compass only endangers us all. GUARDS! Take them away!"

With that call, a group of guards barge into the room and take the three of them away.

"Kunshu is a greater threat than you can imagine!" Yukan yelled as he and his comrades were carried away. "We can save lives by defeating him!"

Yokina was having none of it and had the guards lock them in a prison cell. Yukan kicked at the wall, for he realized that his endeavor had been in vain.

"Great," Kadaina huffed. "What now?"

"I guess we'll just...wait in here," Yukan sighed, finally calming down once more. "We can devise a new plan while we're in here." Just as he said that Ite gave Yukan a consoling hug and time seemed to slow once more.

"It's okay, Yukan," she said, consoling her boyfriend. "We're in this together now."