Lacua, a short and stout man with long ears, pointy teeth, and dark circles beh his purple-tinted eyes, stood frozen in disbelief. His bck early slipped from his head as he took in the sight before him.

  "They… they’re farming in the Great Forest of Jura!?" he excimed, his voice trembling with shock.

  Before him, a long line of wyverns, majestic, powerful creatures typically reserved for military use, were now being used to transpoods, farmers, and stru workers deep iern Jura.

  His bewilderment only grew as he tinued walking. Soon, he arrived at the edge of a sparklis pristiers refleg his own astonished face back at him. His jaw ched as he gnashed his teeth.

  "They purified the ke too!?"

  Gripping his head in frustration, he groaned. "None of this makes sense! Have I gone mad? These things shouldn’t even be possible!"

  His mutterings were cut short when his eyes nded on a gathering of farmers chatting cheerfully. Among them, standing in the ter, was Queen Towa, radiant, healthy, and lively. She rotected by her now added Kijin guard, her presence as lovely as ever.

  Lacua staggered back. "Wait a mihe queen… she’s fully recovered!?"

  The sheer impossibility of it all sent his mind reeling. His shock was quickly interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.

  "Well, well. If it isn’t Lacua."

  He stiffened. Slowly, he turo see the Prime Minister of Raja, Mobuji, approag him with an amiable smile.

  "O-Oh, Master Mobuji," Lacua stammered, quickly doffing his cap and bowing low. "It’s been quite some time. As always, I have brought a fiion of goods for your esteemed sideration."

  "How wonderful." Mobuji nodded approvingly. "Let us discuss it iail ter. You must be exhausted from your journey."

  Lacua chuckled, though there was a nervous edge to his voice. "Of course. Though, I must say… the atmosphere here seems different from when I left." His eyes narrowed slightly.

  Mobuji, either oblivious to Lacua’s ge in tone or choosing to ig, let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Indeed. A lot ge in just two weeks."

  Lacua’s grip on his cap tightened, his fingers digging into the fabri silent frustration.

  "We shall speak further this evening," Mobuji tinued, his toill warm and diplomatic. With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lacua standing alone.

  As the Prime Minister disappeared into the distance, Lacua’s gaze darkened. His mind raced with anger and disbelief.

  "This is awful. What in the world happened while I was away?"

  ---

  A Few Hours Later – Inside Lacua’s Mert Carriage

  Seated inside his private carriage, Lacua growled under his breath, his foot tapping incessantly against the wooden floorboards. His frustration was reag its boiling point.

  "It’s worse than I thought," he muttered, his voice low with simmering rage. "All of my carefully id pns… ruined by a single Kijin survivor and some measly little human."

  He smmed his fist against the table before him, causing the entire carriage to tremble from the impact.

  "Everything was going perfectly. I had the queely where I needed her. Fulfilling her desires was my only ticket to elevating my status in this wretched world!"

  k.

  His brooding thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound. His eyes flicked toward the source, a small, ominously glowing purple marble had rolled out from his bag and onto the table.

  For a moment, silence filled the carriage. Then, a slow, wicked grin stretched across Lacua’s face.

  "That’s it… I still fix this."

  His fingers curled around the marble, its eerie glow refleg in his darkening eyes.

  "All we need is a little chaos… and some tragedy."

  ---

  That night, within the grand pace of Queen Towa, two figures stood on the baly of the massive mansion, overlooking the serene ndscape bathed in moonlight.

  "So?" Kaede turo Towa, her expression calm yet expet. "How are you feeling?"

  "Hmm?" Towa blinked in fusion, then her eyes widened slightly as realizatio in. "Oh… I don't know what to say, holy." She sighed, walking over to the marble ben the side before sitting down. "These past two weeks have been like a dream. For the first time, my people hope for a brighter tomorrow. And it's all thanks to you." Her voice softened. "How am I feeling? I am happy… so very happy."

  Yet, her words trailed off, hesitation creeping into her tone.

  Kaede, still standing, tilted her head slightly. "But?"

  Towa exhaled, gatherihoughts before speaking again. "I… I wish I was like you, Lady Kaede. You're everything I'm not. We're both rulers of our own nations, a, you be so open with your panions."

  Kaede groaned internally. 'It's the head pats, isn't it? I should probably stop doing those in publid then there's Ari, who's starting to get a little headstrong… I should punish her. But she's my daughter, I don’t want to hurt her. Ugh, what’s a mother to do?'

  Unaware of Kaede’s internal dilemma, Towa tinued, her voice quieter now. "When I first id eyes on Hiiro, fighting with everything he had to protect his rades, I… I hoped that he could be someone I could trust. I thought that if I saved him, maybe… maybe he’d stay."

  Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  Towa lowered her gaze, shoulders shrinking slightly. "I'm the worst. That was a selfish, calcuted decision… Even when I asked to meet you, it wasn’t out of pure curiosity oodwill. It art of a pn."

  Kaede sighed and waved a hand in front of Towa. "Alright, I’m stopping yht there. You’re overthinking it."

  Resting her back against the baly railing, Kaede gave Towa a reassuring smile. "So you think I’m a better ruler than you, huh? Well, you’re dead wrong."

  Towa’s eyes widened in surprise at the ued statement.

  Kaede chuckled. "You say you're selfish. Well, guess what? So is everyone else. Including me. Everyone I know is selfish. With the state your kingdom has been in, even before you became queen, you’ve had nothing but bad options. A, you mao keep your nation from colpsing with your ‘selfish calcutions.’ If anything, that just proves you’re a much better queen than I am."

  Kaede folded her arms. "The only differeween us is that I brute-force my way through my problems. You don’t have that luxury. But being calg isn’t a bad thing, Towa. You gave Hiiro a ’s not like you bound his soul or anything. At least… I don’t think that’s how it works."

  Towa blinked, abs Kaede’s words. "Oh."

  Kaede leaned her head back, gazing at the sky. "If there’s one piece of advice I give you, it’s this, lighten up and be more ho with your feelings. Especially with your panions. I’ve seen the way they adore you. Don’t be afraid to rely on your friends."

  For a moment, siletled betweeowa watched Kaede closely, notig the distant look in her eyes.

  My friends… Kaede thought to herself. Risa, Kuromu, Iz, Kanade, Kasumi, Yui, Mai, Mii, Payne… What are the ces that any of you are here? I wonder what you’d all think if you saw what I’ve aplished…

  Towa smiled warmly. "You’re a kind person, Lady Kaede."

  "Nah." Kaede chuckled. "I’m just as selfish as you. And just as calg, too, if it means proteg my people."

  Suddenly, her expression shifted. Her eyes sharpened, and she pressed a hand to her ear, listening ily.

  "Tomo, what’s up?" she asked, her tone suddenly serious. A brief pause. Then, she sighed. "I see… That’s unfortunate." Her fists ched at her sides. "In the end, it always es down to this."

  Towa, fused, turo her. "What’s wrong?"

  Kaede exhaled, then smiled at her. "Looks like Tomo found our Primordial Demon. I’ll be right back."

  A Queen's Resolve

  Towa’s breath hitched. “They exist? Lady Kaede… You ’t...”

  "Don't worry about it," Kaede interrupted, her voice steady. "I’ve already told Kaori to follow your orders while I’m gone."

  Before them, a red portal swirled ience, casting an eerie glow against the moonlit baly.

  Towa’s hands ched into fists. "But Lady Kaede, it's too dangerous..."

  Her words cut off as she suddenly felt Kaede’s hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. It was warm, reassuring.

  "It’s alright, Towa. Just wait for me, okay?" Kaede said with a soft smile. "I’ll be back before you know it."

  As she spoke, a fsh of light enveloped her, atire shifted. Now, she stood her signature bck armor, though this time, a dark cape draped over her right shoulder.

  Giving o smile, Kaede stepped into the portal without hesitation.

  The swirling vortex colpsed behind her, leaving only the quiet hum of the night. Towa remained frozen in pce, her hands slowly lifting to the spot where Kaede had patted her head. She squirmed slightly, cheeks dusted pink.

  "She’ll always e back," she murmured, a small, relieved smile f on her lips.

  Just then, a voice echoed in her mind.

  (Excuse me, Queen Towa.)

  Towa stiffened, eyes darting around the baly. "Wh-Who’s there?"

  (Ah. It is I, Kaori. Lady Kaede left me here to protect you and your people.)

  Towa exhaled, posing herself. "Yes, she mentiohat. What do you need?"

  (Well… it seems I have found the culprit responsible for poisoning the ke.)

  Towa’s entire body tensed. "What?"

  (Yes. In fact, he is in the process of poisoning it again as we speak.)

  For a brief moment, silence huweehen, a surge of pure, unfiltered rage bubbled up within her.

  Towa’s fingers ched against the marble railing.

  (So, Queen of Raja… what would you like me to do?) Kaori’s voice remained calm, waiting for her and.

  Towa took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing with resolve.

  “Find him,” she ordered, her voice cold as steel. “And make sure he never does it again.”

  SaberGlory