Haru's journey back to the War room was a blur of conflicting emotions and memories. The opulent corridors of the Chika palace, usually a source of pride, now felt like a maze trapping him in his thoughts. As he walked, Haru found himself replaying the conversation with Airi over and over in his mind. He'd always trusted her judgment, a connection forged through countless trials and shared hardships. Yet now, he struggled to accept her decision.
The memory of her request on the day of the kidnapping gnawed at him - Airi's unusual order to accompany the leaders to the royal inn and stand watch on the perimeter until morning - A task typically assigned to underlings, not someone of his rank. But it was this odd command that kept him away from Etsuyo and the children when they needed him most.
The realization that he'd reached the entry to the War room came almost as a surprise, jolting Haru from his introspection. He paused at the threshold, taking a deep breath to push away the conflicting thoughts swirling in his mind. With a final moment of resolve, he pushed open the doors and entered.
The scene that greeted him was one of controlled chaos. The war room had transformed into a hive of urgent activity. Multiple holograms floated in the air, creating a blue highlight over the gathered clan leaders and their wives. Interactive diagrams pulsed with real-time data, tracking energy signatures and mapping possible escape routes.
On one wall, a massive holographic display showed a timeline of events leading up to and following the kidnapping. Glowing markers indicated key moments, with threads of light connecting related incidents. Another section of the room was dedicated to security footage, dozens of screens replaying the events from every possible angle, searching for any detail that might have been missed.
The clan leaders and their wives worked in tandem, their earlier tensions set aside to resolve this crisis. Mari manipulated a 3D map of the surrounding territories, his fingers tracing potential hiding spots. Sora analyzed energy readings, her brow creased in concentration as she correlated the data with known information about Zei's abilities.
Fukiko and Izimaru stood before a holographic representation of the Chika clan's defenses, discussing weak points and strategies for reinforcement. Masahiko, his usual nonchalance replaced by focused determination, sifted through intelligence reports, searching for any whisper of Zei's whereabouts.
As Haru entered, Kaito's eyes turned to him. His expression, a fusion of puzzlement and scrutiny, silently questioning where Airi was.
Haru didn't respond verbally. Instead, he shook his head, a simple gesture that spoke volumes.
"Based on all the data and intel collected so far, there's a 97% chance that this man right here is the traitor," Sora announced, her fingers deftly manipulating the holographic interface to generate an image of Pioto.
The three-dimensional rendering of the guard hovered above the central table, rotating slowly under scrutiny from all angles. Haru approached the table in disbelief. "Impossible… Pioto was one of the outer guards attacked by Zei. He's been with us since he was a youth!"
With a flick of her wrist, Sora pulled up a headshot image of Pioto alongside a scrolling list of background information. The clinical display of facts and figures stripped away any remaining doubt about the guard's guilt.
"He knew the whereabouts, timeline, and transition of Kaname's schedule," Sora continued, her voice steady as she laid out the damning evidence. "In his interview, he even mentioned his awareness that you would be guarding the royal inn."
Haru felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled his conversation with Airi. The pieces to the puzzle were starting to fit together, forming a picture he wasn't sure he wanted to see.
Kaito leaned forward, his eyes narrowed studying the holographic evidence. "If Pioto is indeed the traitor, this goes beyond a simple security breach. This is a fundamental betrayal of everything we stand for!"
Fukiko, with cold determination, spoke up. "We need to bring him in for questioning. Immediately."
"No," Mari interjected, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "If we move too quickly, we risk alerting Zei and his accomplices. We need to watch Pioto, see who he contacts, where he goes."
Sora turned to look Haru directly in the face, a glint of satisfaction sparked in her eyes taking in his shocked expression. "But that's not all… More interestingly," she smiled, her voice carrying slight triumph, "he hasn't been seen since his initial interview. The medical center informed us he discharged himself against physician advice."
Fukiko stepped closer, patting Haru on his broad shoulder. Her touch was firm, almost challenging. "Just accept it already. He's your traitor… Next time, keep a better eye on your men."
Kaito nodded, his gaze fixed on Haru. "Have a team locate him immediately. Bring him in alive for questioning."
Haru's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword, "Understood."
Masahiko, quietly observing the layout of the perimeter on a nearby display, moved to stand next to Kaito. "Shouldn't Airi be the one coordinating this initiative?"
A moment of silence fell over the war room. The hum of holographic displays and the soft beep of data analysis machines seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet. Kaito felt the pressure of all eyes upon him. He took a deep breath, turning to face Masahiko. "She's under the weather and the stress of the children missing has taken a toll on her. She's in no shape to lead."
Masahiko glanced over to Haru, his expression uncharacteristically serious. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "This is the first time I've ever heard of the Great Airi succumbing to her emotions. I've never known her to be a weak, pathetic wo-"
"LET'S FOCUS!" Izimaru's voice boomed through the war room, cutting Masahiko off mid-sentence. His fierce gaze bore into Masahiko, a clear warning to drop the subject.
Haru's eyes darted between Masahiko and Izimaru, his face a veil of controlled neutrality. The scar over his left eye deepened as he clenched his jaw, silently grateful for Izimaru's intervention.
Seizing the moment to redirect the conversation, Mari stepped forward, his fingers manipulating a holographic display of energy signatures. "There were traces of aura left behind where Zei created the portal. From his track record, he can only create portals to locations where he's already been and within a set distance."
Masahiko leered closer perplexed, studying the swirling patterns of energy on the display, his earlier suspicion momentarily forgotten. "What does that mean?"
"It means he can't create portals between realms," Fukiko explained, moving swiftly, her fingers dancing across another interface to pull up Zei's criminal history. The holographic screen packed with a long list of crimes, each more heinous than the last. "He can only create portals within the realm he's currently in and within places he's already been to."
Sora smiled, crossing her arms. "Which means he's still in the Living Realm." With a graceful motion, she selected the holographic diagram of Pioto, sending it to the table's center where it rotated slowly, drawing all eyes.
"Exactly," Mari confirmed, zooming in on a map of their territory and the surrounding areas. "We can narrow down our search parameters significantly."
"If we track Pioto's movement over the last week, you'll find that he visited the border of the Abandoned Lands twice within the last 4 days," Sora added, joining her husband's viewpoint of the maps. "There's an 80% chance that's where he is."
Fukiko stepped forward, her fingers tapping across the interface, pulling up a detailed layout of the Abandoned Lands. The holographic map expanded, revealing a vast, treacherous terrain. "The Abandoned Lands are home to the yazumi, bordering the Syndicate" she voiced with concern. "It's extensive, unruly terrain with underground tunnels and unstable areas. That's too much terrain to cover unnoticed."
Kaito stood up, his hand grasping the hilt of his sword. "Haru! Gather only the select men who know of Kaname and have experience in the abandoned lands to accompany us. Have the remaining secure the villages."
"Understood, my lord! We'll need to move quickly and quietly," Haru concurred, his tactical mind already several steps ahead. "The yazumi will not take kindly to our presence in their territory. We'll need to be prepared for potential conflicts on multiple fronts."
Kaito then turned to Masahiko, his gaze intense. "Masahiko, I need your assistance covering the skies." Masahiko paused before nodding, meeting Kaito's intensity.
"Sora and I will stand guard near the Chika border to take care of any stragglers," Mari said, cleaning his glasses with methodical precision. Behind him, Sora continued taking notes, her pen moving quickly across her pad as she gestured in agreement.
Fukiko motioned towards the door with Izimaru at her side. Her tone filled with determination. "And we'll secure the gatekeepers! Making sure none of those bastards can leave," she declared, wiping her nose.
As the clan leaders finalized their plans, Masahiko cleared his throat. "I hate to ask this, but... in the worst-case scenario, if we can only save one child, who should we prioritize?"
Kaito's face hardened, his eyes cold scanning the assembled clan leaders.."Protecting the bloodline is the main objective." His voice devoided of emotion. "Compared to Yasushi, the girl holds no true value. At a time like this, she means nothing. My son is young. He has his whole life ahead of him, another wife."
Haru's eyes widened in shock, the scar over his left eye deepening as he frowned. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword in an effort to restrain his reaction. Despite his clear distress at Kaito's words, he remained silent.
Masahiko sighed, slightly smirking. "Goood, just wanted to confirm. If push comes to shove, I don't want to be responsible for leaving a child behind to die."
The other clan leaders exchanged glances, barely reacting, as they're well accustomed to the harsh realities of their world and this situation. The callousness of Kaito's statement represented nothing new to them.
Unconcerned with the reaction of his words, Kaito continued. "I'm grateful for your assistance in this matter. Your support in this difficult time means more than I can express. I'm indebted to you all."
As everyone began to mobilize, the clan leaders filed out of the war room, eager to complete this task and go home. Haru turned to leave, ready to gather his team, but paused for a moment. His gaze drifted to the door, thoughts of Airi and her strange behavior flitting through his mind. With a slight shake of his head, he pushed those concerns aside, leaving the room.
Kaito remained behind. The doors closed with a soft thud, leaving him alone in the space. His public facade of gratitude and composure crumbled, replaced with embarrassment and simmering anger. He paced the length of the war room, the soft whir of holographic displays the only sound accompanying his turbulent thoughts. Kaito then clenched his hand into a fist, punching the wall beside him. How dare Airi refuse to attend this briefing! Has she no self-respect! Her absence made me appear weak, disorganized!!! What is wrong with that woman!!
Standing before the central holographic display, Kaito's reflection stared back at him, distorted by the swirling data streams. At that moment, he hardly recognized himself. The strain of recent events had etched new lines into his face, his eyes haunted by the situation before him.
When this is over… I must remind that dear wife of mine… her place within this clan! Her behavior, her rebellion… this... weakness... cannot continue! If she doesn't get her shit together...she'll too will find herself replaceable!
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