Afternoon, in front of the Imperial Palace.
Steward gray, Hilda, Prince Julius, and Shizu, were standing in a circle.
Julius held a malicious grin, Shizu was behind him annoyed by something.
Hilda stood still like a soldier.
Gray looked at these people around and sighed.
"All right, got to form a plan," Gray said
"Do we really need one though? why don't we just drag her away?
Julius spoke smiling sardonically
Gray continued with annoyance written in his face.
"Prince I know you're aggrieved but let's make a real plan,
just in case heavens wants to play with us."
Hilda shook her head internally.
'They are too relaxed.'
Prince Julius anxiously tried to open his mouth again. But Shizu spoke first.
"Speak then, what's ton your mind."She was arank three knight as people of the same rank she could talk to him freely.
Julius looked at her with a frown "I sometimes forgot you're a woman too"
Shizu couldn't hide the disgust on her eyes.
Julius frowned even more but did nothing more.
Gray shrugged his shoulders "Hilda said Zhi Rui plans on entering the light sect. So Princess Lei gu will announce the start of the selective tests and when she's on her way to the light sect we'll hijack her carriage and take her elsewhere. Any objections?"
Hilda stepped in "You're underestimating her too much. you need to prepare more."
Gray just sighed, Julius looked at her in wonder.
"Do you really think, she can scape or do us any harm?" Julius questioned.
"first, she doesn't know we're coming for her, and second she doesn't have anybody on her side that is strong enough to contend against us. I mean Shizu and Gray is level three, you and I are level two, the guy you warned us about is level two, and her other companion is on the light sect.
she's alone, what can she do?"
Hilda shook her head, refusing to answer.
Seeing as Hilda did not bother to answer him Julius stared at her "You do know you're merely a servant now right? You betrayed your companion do you think you're actually something of value here?" He enlarged his chest and approach her.
Hilda did not look at him and simply walked away.
Prince Julius saw her and felt his breath shorten and his teeth clench.
Gray stepped in.
"My prince please let's finish this quickly before solving anything else.
how about it?"
Julius looked at gray, then at Hilda's back, he breathed slowly and adjusted his golden coat."Yea let's focus on the plan now, When is Lei gu going to act?"
Before gray could answer a beautiful young girl appeared in a white robe, running towards them, she was anxious and furious.
Hilda halted her steps and looked at her with everyone else.
"What happened!? julius asked
She took a deep breath and spoke
"I just woke up and went out to announce the start of the selective tests, to the city, but on the way I saw hundreds of carriages, from poor to rich, all going out of the city I asked the guards he says that by my order the tests already started and it was for them to let every carriage out." Lei gu finished, almost without breath.
"What!?" Julius exclaimed.
"Gray narrowed his eyes " And when was that?"
Composed Lei gu spoke
"The guard said that around two hours before sunrise, an invitation was sent to the people to go see the trials. and the first carriages were gone at sunrise."
' Sunrise? they must be at least a third of the way already.'
Gray saw hesitation on Lei gu's face "Anything more?" he asked.
Lei gu slowly spoke, "The Invitation stated that everybody is to wear a white robe, or at least something white that covers the body, in respect to the light sect."
"You say the poor were going too, how?"Gray sternly asked.
Lei Gu bit her lips, "They are all wearing white some walking and some on carriages, the General manor loaned carriages to the community center to take their students there."
Gray sternly turned to Hilda he could see 'I've told you so' written on her eyes but he asked a completely different thing.
"Who could've tipped her off?"
Hilda sighed, "How would I know? before doubting me, why don't you ask your prince there, he had actual contact with her while you were watching every action I took in the darkness."
Gray stared at her, but she had her reason so he turned to prince Julius.
Julius saw Gray actually doubting him and felt rage on his heart.
But before it escalated Shizu sighed and spoke aloud "Focus."
Prince Julius looked venomously at Shizu, he couldn't understand why she keeps cutting him like this. He stared at her. Then he swallowed all the anger, they know each other for years is not good to snap like this, for such small thing.
Gray coughed and nodded "We need to start looking for her right now before she reaches the light sec." He annoyedly scratched his hair
"Ugh, Myself and Hilda will run the firsts carriages to leave and look for Zhi Rui, How about the prince and Shizy arrange the 'materials' we'll need, and wait for us to caught her?"
"Fine, I'll also get some'extra' things for her" Julius grinned.
"I'll go back and organize that group of people, I can't let this mess reach the light sector they'll deduct my merits points.
Ugh you better find that stuck up slut fast."
Lei gu spoke and ran ahead.
Gray widened his eyes, 'it's been a little more than a month and she already evolved to rank three; A sect truly is different.'
Hilda Felt her organs trembling inside, She looked at the people going their ways, and joined Steward gray.
'Let's get this over with, Zhi Rui.'
-----------
Inside a dark carriage with closed Windows Izaya looked in front of him.
"Are you sure of this?"
His beastly eyes could see clearly the figure lying down on the carriage's sofa.
"Haha" Zhi Rui laughed."Your daughter is safe, I left her in a place they won't look. And even if they did find her, the only thing they'll do is use her to put you against me. You'll only need to kill me and you both will be safe, after all, they can use her in the community center and you're a level two beast warrior, you have nothing to worry about." Zhi Rui spoke.
Izaya narrowed his eyes "Don't pretend you don't know what you're doing. You enchanted my girl, she admires you now, regardless of your wrongs. And to protect her happiness, I can't allow another to take your place. So if it's not absolutely necessary, I won't allow you to die."
Zhi Rui looked at his eyes and grinned, not denying
"Did you know why you failed that day in the forest?"
As the carriage kept on Izaya did not answer and only stared at her
Zhi Rui sighed and explained "You backed off. Even though you threatened me, you did not show that you were willing to bet everything. But if you had shown a little bit of ruthlessness I might've have negotiated with you."
Izaya just kept staring at her.
Zhi Rui continued "It's like my situation right now Izaya, They took me as weak and attacked me, I can take the safe route and try to defend myself successfully, and negotiate my surrender as you did with me.
But if I risk death and bit off a chunk of the beast's flesh. Making it bleed with me. Then it would understand that while it might win against me it would lose too much, making it vulnerable. So there's only the last option that is to negotiate.
Like the wolves, when the alpha male is challenged by the second strongest, they growl and bit each other, but then one backs off and it ends there. Because if they go all out, the third strongest wolf will kill them both."
Izaya spoke "You cannot go all out and hope that your enemy will relent every time. what if the enemy is willing to put everything to lose, what'll do then?
He could see a wicked smile on Zhi Rui as she answered.
"Then it's all out war, If I win, I get to live to grow strong again. if I lose, it's only death."
He watched her every movement.
"I lived enough time chained Izaya, And while death is upsetting, it's a better option than surrender."
Izaya squinted his eyes 'The girl is only this young, but the way she carries herself...'
"Who are you?" He asked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTICE.
Tomorrow(23/02/2019), there'll be five chapters with the conclusion of this arc. I'll publish them at 19:00 (GMT -3).
But this is the only one for today, I'll be taking the day to work on the next arc.