UPON FINDING THE FOREST ONCE MORE, Zero and the two men began their way through this thicket. Even still, Zero had to strategize with these encounters. He opted to stall for time with the two men, leading them in a variety of wrong directions.

At one point, Zero almost led the men to Lanya and Musuko during a pause in the search to hunt. The two Kenshis ended up striking the same deer that the two men ended up hunting for. Zero went out to catch the deer, only to find the royals carving into its carcass and taking the venison. During this encounter, Zero talked to Lanya and Musuko.

“He knows,” Zero simply stated.

“What?!” Lanya exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.

“Satsujin found out about our plan,” Zero continued, not letting the two sense the concern and worry in his tone. “He held some of my garnium for himself and crafted a sword similar in power to the Blade of Kongeseki. If he wills it, he could run it through me and take my life.”

“This situation has grown too dire,” Musuko commented. “If Satsujin defeats you in combat, then Lanya and I don’t stand a chance. She’ll have to enter Deity Mode and-”

“That’s why I’m not going to go down without a fight,” Zero interjected before Musuko could finish that thought. “Now, there are two men that are going to be accompanying me at some point. They are going to try to capture you and bring you back to the palace so Satsujin can kill you and take the Fabled Swords. It is vital that you resist capture at all costs.”

With that being said, Zero went back with a portion of the deer. When asked where he was during the period he was talking to Lanya & Musuko, he said that he had run into a different hunter that he bargained with to gain a few rations of the venison.

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Eventually, Zero decided that it was time to continue the plot. He approached the two men and spoke to them in a serious tone.

“I have encountered the two royals,” he said to the men. “We arranged a meeting in a specific spot in the forest where we will meet. It is during this encounter that we will surprise Lanya and Musuko before capturing them. Once that is done, they will be brought to Satsujin for the slaughter.”

One of the men jumped up, brandishing his axe.

“Well then let’s get to it,” he said to Zero. “Why waste precious time to get going on this plan? Those two are ours for the taking and they have a great bounty on their heads!”

With that in mind, Zero led the men to the royals. As planned, Zero brought the two men to Lanya and Musuko, who were feigning sleep.

“There they are!” a different man said in a hushed tone. “Quick! Grab the sacks!”

Zero and the two men placed Lanya and Musuko into the burlap sacks meant to contain them. The two members of the Saisei Coalition hoisted the children onto their shoulders.

“Now that this is over,” the first man said, “let’s go back, shall we?”

“I’m afraid that’s where my plan departs from Satsujin’s,” Zero responded.

“What do you mean by that?” the second man interrogated. “I thought you were following the emperor’s plan! You really haven’t abandoned your treasonous ideals have you-”

The man’s ranting was cut short by Zero slicing across his neck with the Blade of Kongeseki, decapitating him. Before the second man could react, the maila drew the blade across the other man’s neck, killing him instantly.

Zero opened the burlap sack holding Lanya and spoke to her.

“Now, for this plan to truly work using the element of surprise, we will need you to stay in the bag until I give the cue.”

“I understand,” Lanya responded.

“You can count on us,” Musuko called from his sack.

“That’s great to hear,” Zero stated as he hoisted the sacks onto his shoulders and began the trek back to the palace of Akuni, while also grabbing the bodies of his two companions to explain their absence.

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Zero stood in front of the palace of Akuni, knowing that this was the curtain call. His coup de grace was to follow his entrance into the kingdom’s halls. He continued to think about that final line, realizing that he must be the one to kill Satsujin. After all, the maila is the one who was destined to end the feuds forever.