The noble General looked at the unconscious Zoi and then at Larkin and the brave and courageous girl, Kazuki. He looked at them belittling them and disgusted. Kazuki answered his spiteful eyes with a glare. Silence engulfed the hall and the others were waiting for the enemy's move. Larkin looked at his friend's back feeling nervous. He knows that she's smart, witty, and brainy but that's all she have. She was frail and fragile and she easily get tired. Looking at his friend's enemy, he doubted if she can take it all by herself. He doesn't want to doubt her but he can't deny it either. He stood there confused and stoned.
The other Generals stood there with also doubt about her. General Shun could not hide his doubt even if he was amazed by her courage to face the enemy alone. Larkin looked at the old General asking for an order but the General looked at Kazuki his eyes brimming with confidence. Larkin realized that he's wrong. All this time, Kazuki put all her trust on them but on that moment, he doubted her. He felt like a traitor for doubting his friend for even a second. He mentally slapped himself and gathered all his strength. He should leave the enemy to Kazuki and his priority should be saving Zoi.
The said enemy stood firm waiting for his master to order him to attack. But Kazuki stepped forward closer to the enemy. Larkin and the others gasped. General Beau narrowed his eyes in her arrogant.
"What do you think you're doing? Acting tough won't help!" The noble General said.
"He's right! What are you planning?!" Larkin yelled anxiously.
However, Kazuki remained silent. She's about a half meter away from the enemy. The enemy stood still and looked at her. They stared at each other for minutes. Larkin was gritting his teeth and others did not know what to do or what's happening.
"Do you think you can kill me?" Kazuki asked the enemy.
"If my master wants me to, I will." The enemy answered.
"Two years ago, a huge number of Colossal people reside at the border of Amane and Cupric. Aren't you one of them?" she asked. The enemy's eyes narrowed a bit.
"What do you know?" he asked looking suspiciously at Kazuki.
"Your tribe known to be independent and denied any negotiation with either of the country. Your tribe denied to submit to authorities." She replied.
"And? What would these do to you?" the enemy asked.
"I was just wondering why are you here? The description I had with your tribe doesn't seem to define you." Kazuki replied. The huge enemy's eyes narrowed eve more and his eyebrows started to meet.
"You call him a master, right? Does that means you're his slave?" Kazuki said as she received no response from him.
"What if he is?" the enemy said abruptly.
"You know what I'm talking about." Kazuki replied.
"I don't understand you little girl." The enemy said.
Meanwhile, others have no idea what the two are talking. They were talking in their low voices and it's pretty serious.
"What's going to happen now?" General Jotham asked.
"Who knows? The King should be our priority but it she that brat had forgotten about that." General Amiana said.
"Brat? What did you say?!"
"Larkin, calm down." General Balthasar said but Larkin doesn't seem to calm down.
"Does it ever cross your mind that maybe, she's negotiating?!" he snarled.
"Don't be foolish. That man is part of the Colossal tribe and they took pride of their independence and refuse to recognize a King. Do you think she can talk him through?! Fat chance!" General Amiana said.
"Do you have something in mind then?" Larkin asked pissed off. General Amiana fell silent. Even if she found this impossible, she can't think of any way. The King is in the enemy's hands and if they'll do something that would anger the noble General, there's no way of knowing what he would do.
"Nothing, right? Then just put your trust on her! She knows what she's doing!" Larkin said.
The Generals looked down. For the second time, these young ones had stolen their role. It's as if they're useless in protecting and saving the King.
Zoi is still unconscious and the noble General's feet was stepping on his back like he's some kind of trash.
"Kill her." General Beau said in his stern voice. The Colossal nodded.
He raised his right arm holding a huge and thick sword.
"Kazuki!" Larkin screamed and together with General Balthasar and General Shun, they rushed to Kazuki but suddenly stopped on their tracks. The enemy suddenly stopped his attack on Kazuki's neck. Kazuki remains firm and stared at him blankly.
"How dare you say that to me?!" the enemy growled and his huge voice echoed across the hall. The others looked puzzled. What she could have told him must be very bad.
"Isn't that supposed to be your brethren's line?" Kazuki asked. "How dare you say that? How dare you say proudly that you're one of the dignified clan of Colossal when you made yourself a someone's slave." She said sternly and this time the others heard them.
The Generals understood now why the enemy was enraged.
"What's wrong? I thought you heard me say kill her." General Beau said in a cold voice. The Colossal realized this and was about to land a blow to her but she suddenly spoke up.
"What's wrong? I thought you're part of the Colossal who refused to be dominated by anyone?" She said and it took a toll on the enemy.
"Don't listen to her! Didn't you swore your loyalty to me?!" General Beau snarled at him.
"You don't have to listen to anyone. Aren't you free? Or would you rather forget your brethren's pride with their death? And live without remorse about it?" Kazuki said.
This time, the enemy got confused. He hasn't forgotten his brethren's ideals and memories but somehow he was afraid of the General. He suddenly let go of his weapon. The sword dropped on the ground and he stared at it. How many lives had he taken using that sword while being enslaved by someone who was despised by his ancestors.
"Coward! Do what I say!" General Beau yelled at him angrily. But instead of feeling afraid of the General, he felt a piercing feeling on his chest. Tears suddenly rolled down his cheek. Larkin was shocked and was stopping himself to laugh. It is unusual for him to see a huge guy crying. Kazuki looked at the crying huge guy sympathetically.
"I know it! I was a coward! I was hiding when everyone was killed and everything were burned! I wasn't doing anything! I hate fighting! I hate everyone in the clan because they don't know when to stop fighting for independence! Someone has to die because of their pride and I hate it!"The guy cried like a child being bullied. Sadness was evident in his voice.
"That's why, I thought that if I submit myself to them, I would not witness any bloodshed anymore! I don't have to fight anyone anymore! But…. But… I was wrong! I was killing people! I was same as my brethren! Merciless! Thirsty for blood." He cried.
"The only thing that is merciless in this world, is to kill without motive. And I don't think your brethren is like that. They fight because they have something to fight for. And that's one of the most courageous thing to do." Kazuki said trying to pamper him.
"She's right. I guess they're cool." Larkin said and Kazuki smiled at him. Larkin found this awkward.
"What are yo smiling there?! He said. Kazuki lost her smile.
"For once I've heard you say good things." Kazuki said and suddenly, blood splattered to her face. Her eyes widened and when she looked back at the huge guy, he was falling towards her. She caught him by his neck preventing him from impactful fall. When he looked up, she saw General Beau with a bloody sword in his hand wearing an emotionless façade. Kazuki's eye widened with anger.
"Pest! I thought you'll gonna prove yourself useful to me but you're nothing but one of those meat-brained clan." The General said nonchalantly.
"You son of the devil!" Kazuki groaned. Larkin went to get Zoi who was luckily slowly waking up.
"Hey, dimwit! Are you alright?" Larkin said shaking him.
"Let me correct you peasant woman." General Beau said and looked down at Kazuki.
"I was told that poverty is evil and therefore you people, who lived in poverty must be one of the devils. We, the nobles on the other hand, is not evil for we are blessed with everything." General Beau said proudly and smirked.
"If being blessed means having the same attitude as you, I'd rather be the devil!" Kazuki said.
"If that's what you're taught, then probably, you've been taught by a dumbass person. And you! You're way too stupid to believe that!" Kazuki fired back. The Generals put out their swords and pointed it on to the noble General.
"I thought the Generals were made to protect the royal palace? Why are you letting this mudblood be on the throne?!" He asked angrily at the Generals.
"Don't misunderstand me rich kid. I joined the Divine Circle because my father told me so." General Shun said.
"Don't feel so special just because you have that royal blood in you! You must've forgotten that we were made for the country and not for the royals alone!" General Amiana snarled.
"You're a shame for the Divine Circle! Don't get too cocky just because you were supported by the court!" General Jotham said. Moments after, the other Generals arrived as well. They're surprised at what they've seen inside but what's their main concern is the King. General Rupert arrived shortly after. He was panting and was looking for the King.
"Where's… Where's the King?!" He asked when he arrived.
"Hey! You should've stayed in your bed!" General Dugald said.
"Where's the King?!" Rupert doesn't seem to hear what General Dugald had said.
"We just arrived here." General Dugald replied.
"He's lying over there." General Kenelm said quietly. When he heard this, he became franctic.
When he looked around, he saw Larkin holding Zoi's body.
"Your Highness!" General Rupert exclaimed but Larkin's hand was raised.
"He's fine old man. He was about to wake up earlier but he fell asleep again. Nevermind that, we have a big problem here." Larkin said and looked at General Beau. General Rupert followed his gaze and saw General Beau with his bloody sword, a huge man clinging to a woman, and other Generals pointed their sword towards General Beau. He need not to hear any explanation, he understood right away.
"I never thought you'd really do this." General Rupert said.
"Well, now you know I am serious." General Beau replied.
"Wait, what? You know that he'd do this?!" General Amiana said and looked at General Rupert angrily.
"No. But I knew that he was with the court." General Rupert answered.
"But you were afraid to talk because you're scared that you would lose your position at the church and the circle, am I right?" Kazuki said.
"Yes." General Rupert replied and General Shun whistled at Kazuki's wits while Larkin glared at him.
"They promised that they would never touch the church if I won't tell a thing." General Rupert said.
"Eh? Didn't know that the Divine Circle is filled with cowards. Everyone is afraid to talk." Larkin said.
"What are you trying to say? That you're not afraid to lose something?!" General Rupert snarled angrily at Larkin.
"Well, I've got nothing to lose. I've got no money, no power, no house, no wealth, no mother." Larkin replied and General Rupert was taken aback when he mentioned his mother.
"Ungrateful brat!" General Rupert hissed.
"Amane is corrupted in the inside that even some people didn't notice. Zoi, I mean the new King must be having a hard time thinking how to deal with it." Larkin said.
"Yeah. Except for the fact that he's not thinking." Kazuki said.
"And such person is not suited to be a King." General Beau said.
"And who do you think should be? You?" Kazuki asked.
"Who else? With my reign, everything should remain the same and Amane will be peaceful as it is." General Beau said.
"That's right. Amane is in order but living with lie is not peace! And if it stays the same, I am afraid but I hate stagnation." Kazuki said. Her arms are slowly feeling weak as she began to feel the weight of the huge man.
"Hate stagnation? Did you get tired of drinking stagnant water in the slums?" General Beau mocked her. "Okay, let's have a deal. If you'll just let me be the King, then you people will rose to middle class and would not drink from dirty water again!" he added.
"Don't get me wrong! We drink from rainwater!" Kazuki snarled. The other Generals almost chuckled.
"Hey! Aren't you saying too much?! If you want to be the King, then you would have to fight us." General Dugald said.
"There's no need to fight." Kazuki said. "He'll surrender."
The Generals raised their eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" General Balthasar asked.
Kazuki stood up and looked the General Beau seriously.