ONCE MORE, ORBAN’S FERRY REACHED THE PORTS OF AOTOSHI. The three of them decided that, instead of heading straight onward into the palace of Akuni, they would spend some time alone in the wilderness to the south of the port. This allowed the three of them to evade capture from the Saisei Coalition during the process of reclaiming the throne.

Once the three were deep enough into the woods, they set up a campfire, using a recently-fallen tree for a majority of their wood. Lanya, Musuko, and Zero peered into the fire, contemplating the next step of the plan.

“Well, we’re here,” Musuko started. “What are we going to do now?”

“That’s the tricky thing,” Zero answered. “You aren’t going to do anything.”

“I beg your pardon,” Lanya responded, “but if we aren’t going to do anything, then why’d you bring us into the wilderness of Aotoshi? It just seems unnecessary.”

“I should rephrase that,” Zero continued. “You aren’t going to do anything yet. This next part of the plan relies on your survival. You will be living off of the land while you wait for me to finish the preparations for the next part of our plan.”

“So you don’t even know what we’re supposed to do?” Musuko said, somewhat baffled.

“Once again, that is not true,” Zero replied. “I have everything planned out, but I need to lower suspicions. If Satsujin were to find out about our plot, things could get ugly and the possibility of success will greatly diminish.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lanya inquired. “Wouldn’t it be possible to kill him in the same way that we defeated Kasegi?”

“It’s not that easy. Kasegi was but a human in the long run, while Satsujin is a maila. His skin cannot be penetrated by most weapons. That’s why I made these.”

He then handed Musuko his sheaf of arrows, now possessing arrowheads made of garnium, titanium, and diamond.

“These arrows are sharp enough to cut through the skin of a maila. I have tested this one myself and ensured its quality.”

As he said this, he unsheathed the Blade of Kongoseki to show Lanya & Musuko.

“So I presume I’ll be using this one then?”

“If you were to use it, then I would be without a viable weapon.”

“So would I.”

“What about the Fabled Swords then? Are you not attuned to those already? Their marks are upon your wrist.”

“They can’t cut through a maila’s skin! The only reason why I could do some damage before that was because Musuko managed to burn some of his skin and make it softer. My only chance to even get close at this point on my own is to use Deity Mode.”

“That will not do.”

“Then I’m entirely useless in this battle?”

“No, but you cannot use Deity Mode. The risk is too high.”

“But Dad used it before. What’s wrong with me using it?”

“Your father was lucky that its downsides didn’t rear their ugly heads. You must understand that Deity Mode is not something without a cost. Instead of some sort of tangible transaction, however, you exchange a part of your soul when you enter Deity Mode. Once it has been accessed, you lose a portion of yourself, sacrificing it to the blade. If you continue to do this again and again, eventually you will lose everything that made you such a great leader. You will stop wishing for the good of others and instead seek further power to fill the gap that Deity Mode had left you with. Going beyond that could lead to consequences the likes of which we have not yet observed, and it is best not to risk it. Perhaps the wielder could entirely amalgamate with the blade if they stayed in the form for too long. For your own sake, and the sake of your subjects, Deity Mode is to be avoided at all costs in this scenario.”

Defeated, Lanya simply remained silent. She wasn’t the type to admit when she was wrong, even when she knew with absolute certainty that this was the case.

“Now, if you wouldn’t mind,” Zero continued. “I must be going. I have to make sure that nobody in the Saisei Coalition knows our plan.”

Zero then started westward toward the Akuni palace, leaving Lanya and Musuko alone in the wilderness. The two gazed at the campfire for a moment, not speaking. Suddenly, Musuko broke the silence.

“Are you worried about this?” he asked his sister.

“Not really,” she answered. “Why do you ask?”

“Well,” he began, “I don’t know if we’re going to make it out of this alive. Satsujin’s a maila, right? Wouldn’t that mean that he’s effectively immortal?”

“That’s the thing,” Lanya responded. “There’s no way for us to kill him without Deity Mode. I have to tap into it, and that’s what I plan to do.”

Musuko’s expression showed even greater concern. Lanya notices this and heaves a sigh.

“That’s what you’re worried about, isn’t it?”

Musuko nods silently.

“It’s just that I know you for who you are,” Musuko added. “I don’t want to live in a world where one of the few people I could trust have all turned against me and everything that they stood for. I want to live in a world with the Lanya I know now, not the Lanya I hope to never encounter.”

Lanya sat silently, pondering her options, before landing on her choice.

“Alright then,” she declared. “I’ll promise you that I will not enter Deity Mode unless the situation absolutely requires it, and even then, try to use moderation.”

With this established, Lanya and Musuko doused the fire and went to sleep. Musuko clutched his new arrows tightly, knowing that these would be the devices used to pierce the skin of Satsujin and bring an end to his life. He was the harbinger of Satsujin’s fate. Along with Zero, he would decide whether Satsujin were to perish or to live on another day. The prospect of having this much control over a person’s life scared him. He did not rest easy that night, understanding these prospects.