AKUNI’S MILITARY WAS DISTRAUGHT BY THE SIGHT. They lamented as they gazed upon the lifeless bodies that seemed to be randomly scattered throughout the town.

"How?" Ite cried out at the sight. "How could this happen?"

Just then, Yukan bolted toward the palace. Ite ran after him as well, moving slightly slower in a daze-like state. Once Yukan made it to the palace, he saw the guard from when he first went to Yokina to request a declaration of war. He had his back against the gate, blocking all entrances to the hall.

"What happened?!" Yukan asked him in a worried state. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the guard said to him. "I'm just tired. Everybody in town started to get sick all of a sudden. I was sick as well, but I managed to fight off whatever had infected everyone."

"This is horrible," Ite remarked at this news. "Where are all the doctors?"

"They were all sent to help where they could," he told her. "They are outnumbered."

"We need to see Yokina right away," Yukan demanded of the guard. "This is an urgent matter!"

"I can't allow anybody in," the guard informed the two of them. "His majesty is under quarantine to keep him healthy. No outsiders are allowed whatsoever. We don't know how this happened and who could be carrying the disease."

"But-"

"We understand," Ite replied to the guard, cutting Yukan off before he could continue. "It's probably the best way to keep King Yokina safe. We need him for this war."

Another soldier ran toward the two of them.

"Yukan! Ite!" he called out to them. "General Zenpan is at the gates and wants you to report to him ASAP!"

"Thank you for relaying the message," Ite responded to the messenger. "Let's go, Yukan."

Ite began to go back to the gates of Central Akuni, with Yukan following suit after some hesitation. Once they reached the gates, they saw Zenpan waiting for them with a disappointed expression on his face.

"Shame on both of you!" Zenpan ridiculed them. "Dead bodies are everywhere and your first thought is to head right on in?! Stay back and out of this for the time being. You are two of our best combatants. We can't have you wiped out. I thought you would have learned this by now!"

"Sorry, sir," the Omega Blade's wielder apologized.

"You will both stay here until directed otherwise," the general said to them as he began to traverse the silent streets amongst the seas of corpses.

"Understood," Ite replied. The two of them hung their heads in shame. This was one of the first times that Zenpan had been genuinely disappointed in their actions.

Once Zenpan reached the gates, the guard tried to stand up and greet him.

"General," the guard answered.

"At ease," the general told the guard. "May I see the king?"

"Of course, sir," the guard said to him as he opened the gate just enough for Zenpan to enter before closing it behind him.

The halls were dark and desolate within the palace. The only sounds Zenpan could hear as he made his way to Yokina's room were his footsteps. When he was just outside of Yokina's room, he saw a box of face masks posted outside of the room. He grabbed one from the box and put it on before approaching the doorway.

"Your majesty," he called into the room. "I am entering your chamber."

"Ah, Zenpan," the king wheezed. "My faithful general, where have you been?"

"I apologize," Zenpan told his king. "I was away on business and was unaware of the situation until just now."

"We are running out of time," Yokina hurriedly cried out. "The Aotoshi military released a deadly airborne pathogen two days ago that has claimed the lives of roughly twenty percent of Central Akuni's populous."

"This is horrible," the general remarked. "The outside looks dead and it seems many are still falling ill. How is your health, Yokina?"

"I have fallen victim to this act of cowardice," he answered. "Many doctors have estimated three weeks." Yokina then entered a coughing fit, during which a few drops of blood left his mouth.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Zenpan told him in response.

"Now is not the time to worry about something so minor," Yokina exclaimed as he slammed his fists onto the balcony's handrails. "We must act before I become a grave man."

"I will do my best to defend your honor," the general swore to him, placing his right hand upon his heart and bowing down to his king. "This country lives on until your final breath."

"Thank you, Zenpan," the king calmly answered as his top general began to depart. "Please watch after those two. They have seen enough for many lifetimes."

"Of course," Zenpan added to his oath to Yokina. "Rest for now."

"If this is the last time we speak," Yokina called out to him with a gravelly voice due to his ailment, "then thank you, Zero."

Zenpan then left Yokina's room, pausing for a brief moment as a single tear left his eye.

❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎❒︎

Once he returned to the outside world, he disposed of his face mask. He then walked toward the army, who eagerly awaited the news of their king's condition.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began with a sorrowful tone, "I have some terrible news. Unfortunately, King Yokina has fallen ill. A pathogen was released two days ago and has wiped out twenty percent of the Central Akuni district. A tragedy to say the least." A hush fell over the crowd before murmurs and whispers flooded the air.

"If the king falls, the country will fall soon after," Zenpan continued over the crowd's quiet discussion. "We need a plan and we need it now." The crowd suddenly went quiet as a single hand extended itself over the crowd.

"I have a plan!" Yukan yelled out, the crowd relieved by this news. The swordsman knew that there was no turning back from here. He had to take his magnum opus that he'd been working on for the past eighteen months and put it into effect. The time was long gone for considering the possible outcomes. They had to act fast and put this plan into motion that same day if they were going to win the war.