[ Mobilizers Base 1 Health Clinic, Testharia ]

  { 52 minutes and 24 seconds after the attempted assassination of Second-Leader Asheera Eria }

  Whirring, clicking and echoing.

  Clicking, echoing and whirring.

  Those were the only 3 sounds present in Soraya Jashugan's room. The room where she'd continue her work every day tending to patients and to add new entries into the database of the hospital.

  Ever since Kaioshun's arrival on Testharia which the Testharian's call the Slaughter of the Innocent, the added number of patients, exacerbated by more frequent terror attacks by Lantisul loyalists certainly gives her no second of rest.

  A sigh followed suit, as well as the sound of scattering pencils onto the floor.

  “Shit...”

  This wasn't a good work ethic. She was a professional and she must do her job accordingly.

  Soraya picked up her pencils one by one before they rolled further away from her desk, her arms ached and it's already been at least 2 hours since she last stood up.

  She sat back down, opening an inquiry left by the hospital's director regarding the influx of patients and the upcoming meeting with her colleagues in the Central Health Ministry later in the evening.

  She read it out loud, sighing more and more after each repulsive sentence. It almost sounds like hatred falling onto deaf ears.

  Soraya was about to type out a reply before her data pad was disrupted by a priority call.

  Incoming Call: Director Finne

  “What now?” The frustration grew louder, itching more inside Soraya's mind. She tapped onto the screen. The call was answered.

  [C]: “I trust I'm not disturbing anything, Soraya?”

  “Not particularly...”

  [C]: “I've got some news from the Great Kamisword himself. He told me to relay this to you. He said it's top priority.”

  “One second...” Soraya was fishing for her notes regarding the Great Kamisword's instructions. Her hands were shaking, possibly due to anxiety or just the sheer amount of exhaustion she is in at the moment.

  She couldn't find it.

  “Was this about who tried to assassinate Her Majesty? If so, I may have left the note somewhere in... hold on...” Soraya put the director on speaker and bolted off her seat, walking over to the drawer she last recalled putting her notes in.

  The Great Kamisword's note.

  The one that told her specifically to take care of a special patient. One who was found allegedly lifeless in the Central Park.

  She read the note thoroughly, trying not to miss any clues that could be detrimental if she forgot to mention even a single part to her director.

  “I don't get it. When I was treating her, there wasn't any Soul-Residue left by the perpetrator... or anything at all. Even those without a Soul utilize Soul-Energy so this has to be impossible.”

  The Director's voice came through the speaker.

  [C]: “The Great Kamisword stated that the one who attempted to assassinate Madame Viceroy was someone lacking both... No Soul and no Soul-Energy.”

  Silence.

  Soraya's mind raced. No soul. No soul-energy.

  She just heard the impossible. She froze in her place, staring at the note that explicitly told the same thing but in greater detail. First, anxiety clouded her mind and then she was being eaten by the impossibility of it.

  It's incomprehensive. Lacking both is impossible. You can't even be born if you have no correlation to what builds life. Soul-Energy.

  She dropped the note, her hands now trembling harder than before.

  “Hey... Director... Is this some kind of joke?” Her voice shook. Fear crept in.

  [C]: “Unfortunately, my dear. The Great Kamisword doesn't joke.”

  “... What does the Great Kamisword ask of me? I have saved Madame Viceroy's life, but... Trying to get behind who this person is or how they operate is... beyond my capabilities.”

  [C]: “Bring your notes. All of them. The Great Kamisword wishes to see you immediately.”

  = = =

  { 4 minutes after the attempted assassination of Second-Leader Asheera Eria }

  The Great Kamisword stormed through the hallways of the hospital, ordering the doctors and surgeons to find Soraya Jashugan. He carried Asheera Eria in his arms, sweating. He was clearly showing fear. Fear of losing one of his loved ones.

  Soraya Jashugan is the assigned doctor for the Royal Family specifically, renowned as one of the best doctors in the entire world. She has saved numerous people of Extreme and Fundamental power, even going as far as to help them make a full recovery when they were guaranteed to die.

  The doors to Soraya's room opened with a loud bang, creaking as the hinge bent under the impact of the swing. She jolted from her seat, looking at the source of the noise.

  The Great Kamisword stood at the doorway. His hair shiny as gold, and eyes as deep as the abyss.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  His presence alone commanded respect and fear. Everyone in the hospital knew who he was, and everyone feared him. He was the highest authority in Testharia.

  The Great Kamisword of Testharia.

  “G-Great Kamisword!?” Soraya looked at him, before averting her gaze down to Asheera Eria. She stood up from her seat.

  “Madame Viceroy? What happened, sir-”

  “-her...”

  The Great Kamisword was looking down, not even at Asheera Eria. He couldn't bear to look at her, so vulnerable and close to death. This entire month has been so hard on him. 3.6 million people died, another 4000 or so died in Tristate City from Kaioshun's attack and now...

  A family member was risking death.

  “Save her... Save her, Jashugan!” Sachiel's head jerked upwards, eyebrows furrowed and twitching. There was no stoic expression on him. It was pure panic.

  “Lay her down! On the operating table! Now!” Soraya shouted, her professionalism overcoming her shock. Sachiel rushed to the table, gently placing Asheera upon it.

  Soraya was already scanning Asheera's vitals with a handheld medical device. The results made her blood run cold.

  “What happened to her, sir?” Soraya's question seemingly flew out of the room as there was no answer from Sachiel. She looked back at him, realizing he was dissociating. In and out to keep his sanity intact.

  “Sir! I need answers! What happened to her?!” Soraya repeated, louder this time, shaking him slightly.

  Sachiel blinked, the world snapping back into focus. “Assassination. Central Park. I was not at the park, but our butler Nythel found her unconscious and not answering. I rushed back from the Mobilizers Base 1... and found her there.”

  Sachiel sat down, facepalming. The fact that the Great Kamisword, known to not break in any circumstance shook Soraya far more than anything could. She knew this was serious.

  Her eyes darted back to the scan results, then to Asheera's still form on the table. A deep, unnatural stillness. She started checking for any Soul-Residue left from the assassin, a standard procedure for such attacks.

  “Sir, there's... there's no residue.” Soraya blurted, her voice falling low. “No trace of the attacker's soul-energy at all. This is... unprecedented.”

  Sachiel looked up, a flicker of something unreadable in his abyssal eyes.

  “... No Soul-Energy? That cannot be.” He stood up, walking over to the table. “Even those without a Soul utilize Soul-Energy. This has to be impossible.”

  But as Soraya's devices continued their work, the impossible remained the only conclusion. The instruments designed to detect the faintest echo of a soul's presence, the residual energy that clung to a victim after an attack, registered nothing. Absolute, profound emptiness. It was like Asheera had been attacked by a ghost that wasn't even there, a hole in the fabric of reality.

  “I'm afraid this is... all I can. I can try, but this is...” Soraya struggled to find the words.

  There was something else building up in the room.

  A penetrating and life-sucking Soul-Aura, emanating from the Great Kamisword himself.

  A Soul-Aura so powerful it almost brought Soraya to her knees due to how pressurizing it was.

  “... Save her, Doctor. I do not care by what means. You will not fail this. Asheera is a fundamental part of Testharia's future and if we let ourselves get bested like this, we will not win the war against Dark Intrinium.”

  Sachiel balled his fists. “If Asheera passes away, you can join the Mobilizers in the frontlines and die for your mistakes, Doctor. I'll blow this whole place to smithereens, with you inside it.”

  Soraya felt a knot tighten in her stomach.

  “No one has died under my care,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute. “You can count on me...”

  Sachiel nodded and walked away without another word. His Soul-Aura diminished as he left the room, leaving Soraya alone with the impossible challenge.

  She took a deep breath, her hands still shaking, but now her focus was absolute. Still, that wasn't like the Great Kamisword at all. It was ferocious, the kind of threat that comes from a man who has lost everything and is terrified of losing even more.

  ...

  ...

  .:. “And finally your facade has been broken, Great Kamisword. Tell me just how long you want to continue this.” .:.

  “...”

  .:. “You showed no restraint trying to ensure Asheera Eria's survival, yet you remained still when Azrael died.” .:.

  “...”

  .:. “Do you so desire to save everyone? Is this Jumkou Katatoria so deeply etched into your being?” .:.

  “...”

  .:. “I know all too well how you feel, Sachiel Eria. But you will not get anywhere if you keep restraining me like this. Let me take over. Give me control.” .:.

  “Quiet, Nunri...”

  .:. “I have not been sat 31 years into you only for you to pretend playing the careful King. You actually do not want to save your fellow people. You think they are expendable for the great disaster that is coming.” .:.

  “NUNRI!” Sachiel slammed the wall.

  .:. “Am I wrong? All up until this point, who have you tried to save? Who have you tried to protect? You only protect the ones close to you. The ones with a name and a face. Meanwhile, you let millions die. A true king would have protected them all.” .:.

  ...

  .:. “Zephite City is destroyed due to your willingness to fixate on Jumkou Katatoria's mission. A stupid, unrealistic mission at that. How do you trust an alleged time traveller’s words and not billions of your own beings? And here you are again, showing favour to a mere human, the same thing Azrael did. The same thing that got him killed.” .:.

  Sachiel's chest got heavier. His breaths became shallow. The buzzing of Nunri's words rang louder than the slamming of the door.

  “I am not the same as him. I have the power to stop this.”

  .:. “But you are... You are just like him, Sachiel Eria. Weak. Hesitant. A coward who hides behind the title of Great Kamisword. You know as well as I do that you are not fit to be King.” .:.

  “Get out of my head!” Sachiel punched the wall, this time cracking the plaster.

  He looked at his own hands. His hands were bloody as he stared deep into the battlefield that was about to come to Testharia thanks to Dark Intrinium. He was replaying this in his head, creating a dark reality for himself to watch right now.

  .:. “How pathetic you really are. It hurts me to share my power to someone so... useless.” .:.

  He stood on a pile of bodies, all wearing the honourable Mobilizers badge, their eyes wide open, staring at him. He saw Asheera, Myrcella, Altair, Satono, Maduk, Marin... and himself. He saw his own dead body, eyes closed, a smile on his face.

  And then he saw Kytan Veyron, staring at him with a smirk.

  He turned his back to the pile of bodies and saw Testharia, burning to the ground.

  He saw Nunri standing atop the highest tower of the Royal Palace, overlooking the destruction with a smile.

  He saw himself again, this time alive, kneeling before Nunri, bowing down to him as if he was the new Kamisword.

  “No... No... NO!”

  Sachiel broke away from the vision, falling to his knees. The wall behind him now had a large hole, revealing the pipes and wires behind it. He was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead. He was losing control.

  .:. “You reject me so much that you are locking yourself from my power. I am your weapon, Great Kamisword. You know I can solve all your problems in an instant.” .:.

  “I cannot... I will not depend on you!” Sachiel's words were laced with desperation.

  .:. “You fear I will take over when you use me, your Soul-Spec. Yet you still use me by teaching this useless Flynnigan Shotaro kid. What is your true alignment, Great Kamisword? Do you wish to save everyone or do you wish to save your own kind?” .:.

  “... I can do both. I can do both, Nunri! You are insufferably blind to understand what you are saying! I am the Great Kamisword, and you will obey me!”

  .:. “I bend to your will like a slave, but you reject me at the same time. You are consistently placing me on higher authority by fighting over yourself. I have waited 31 years for you to grow a spine and lead your people, not cower in fear.” .:.

  “...”

  .:. “I was a king myself. I led trillions of Souls to their deaths, but I did it with honor. I did it with pride. I did it with a purpose. You are doing nothing but cowering in fear, hoping for a miracle that will never come.” .:.

  Sachiel stood up, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and walked towards the exit.

  “I have a war to fight,” he said, trying to keep a steady voice. “And a world to save. Unlike you, who only knows to fail dealing with absolutes.”

  .:. “I fought at the end of the universe, do not lecture me about absolutes. You have not dealt a quarter of what I have. As long as you keep rejecting me, you will never know. You will never see.” .:.

  Sachiel ignored him, walking out of the hospital and into the city. The cold night air hit him, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. A King Who Never Lost a Fight but seemingly fails to protect his own family.

  .:. “You want to save everyone, I applaud you for it.” .:.

  .:. “But if you want to save everyone...” .:.

  You must first know what it is to lose everything.