The smooth whir of the phase door signalled its closing behind Kazuki. He stayed inmobile. He looked down at his hands... This was necessary, he repeated the mantra. The Contract-Breaker sees necessity. Kazuki, the boy wonder that failed, does not.

And he will not fail. Not this time. His memory conceded that to be true, his face glanced up. Cyrus and Nihara were standing guard in the living room.

"Eliza?" Kazuki asked.

Cyrus nodded. "Arrived exactly an hour, seven minutes and twenty seven seconds before you did. She did some shopping with Chloé."

Ugh. "Did she say anything?"

Cyrus paused, taking a deep breath before shaking his head. "Nothing, sir."

He'll have to trust Cyrus' word on that. "Good." Kazuki walked up the stairs, taking his jacket, with its heaps of interwoven armour. He dropped it onto one of the passing cleaning drones. It bopped down and up, reeling from the added weight of the armour.

"Kazuki?" Cyrus spoke up.

It was weird to hear him use his name. Kazuki nodded.

"We rarely see people in this area of the Ball Palace. It… uneased me," he said. "I believe this will conflict with my readiness."

Nihara raised an eyebrow. "Pfft, probably off sucking cock for prestige."

Kazuki looked down at the two of them. "Dead," Kazuki said. "Most of the suites in this section are empty. This Dassant might be well attended by modern standards. But it pales to pre-war capacity."

"That… uneased me more, Kazuki," Cyrus admitted.

Well, that was fair.

"Don't be. There's no ghosts. All there is are empty rooms." Kazuki turned, and walked off.

He should give it straight and simple to Eliza. She needs to hear the truth, and better it be from him... Kazuki stopped in his tracks. But what truth?

Placing his hands on his face, he was ever reminded of the burns and cracks. He... has to tell her truth, but not THE truth. But she deserves to know the truth.

How he caused all of this… How Victoria died for nothing. Kazuki paused, then swallowed his own soul. No. All he must do is tell her of how things are going to work.

Elizabeth will know its validity, Kazuki thought. He just needs to hammer it home.

That is the truth Kazuki decided upon relaying.

She's clever, he thought, but unbearably naive and optimistic when it comes to something like this. Restarting his limbs, he could hear a message come along from his uplink. 'Go Babysit Václavos, Nihara.' Archius shouted towards him... What? He turned to Nihara and Cyrus, looking down the stairs.

Nihara sprouted up from the sofa, grumbling. "Nihara?" Kazuki awaited for a response.

"HE'S DRUNK AGAIN!" she shouted, before storming off.

She left the suite… Václavos? If it's him, better send reinforcements. Kazuki sighed. "Cyrus. Go make sure Nihara doesn't kill Václavos."

"Kaz? What about you and Elizabeth?" he asked.

Kazuki shook his head. "Go."

Cyrus nodded and followed after Nihara. Kazuki was all alone now.. His ears weren't ringing either... Lucky day, he thought. He can get some rest, he thought.

But is rest really what he needed? He's a contractor, the Arbiter of the Judiciary, Contract-Breaker.

People bleed whilst he rests. This isn't his place. Kazuki looked down at his hands, before scoffing to himself. Whatever they'll get, Kazuki will make it worth in the gallons of blood spilt.

Walking up to Eliza's door, Kazuki reminded himself that he's just a civilian here. Without realising it, he had his fist clenched. He uncurled it, reaching up to the door and tapping the release button. It phased open gently.

Taking a step in, he froze. Synthia was gently playing some music on a guitar. But that wasn't why he froze. This outcome should not be possible. "I killed you," Kazuki whispered to himself.

He kept his glare up.

The air suffocated him. He looked down at his own hands... Blood. It was everywhere, on the floor, on Victoria's clothes... He has to be dreaming again. Staring back up at Victoria, she met his gaze, sitting at the desk in the corner of the room.

"Oh? I was just doing some studying, you need anything?" Victoria asked, hair done up in a long side braid, along with a bright spider red rose ornament… Blood red eyes stared.

A freckled face laid in place.

But… It can't be. Eliza has glasses…. Right? Blood crackled out from Kazuki's memory.

Kazuki clenched his right fist. Through will alone, he silenced its movements.

A thousand moving mirages flashed in his eyes, in a still-less second of his life. All thoughts were snuffed out. He took a step forward.

The galaxy ceased to exist. All he saw was her.

Victoria stood up. "Kazuki? You look like you've seen a ghost!" she playfully remarked.

The corpse smiled. Her voice became much colder. "Well… I guess I am a ghost, aren't I? Either way, it's good to see that you're doing just fine."

Cuts and wounds started to appear all over Victoria. He had to stop this. Kaz's balance was unsteadied. His mind wasn't seeing straight. Blood started to drip down her neck.

The cut widened. Kazuki did not move. Moving wouldn't save her. Moving didn't save her. He never could have saved her.

Guilty before a trial of himself. Guilty. Guilty! The words repeated itself in his head. Murderer. Contract-Breaker. Traitor. Betrayer. Guilty.

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'Maybe he has,' Synthia suggested, pausing in her guitar play, listening into the conversation. 'Right, Miss Elizabeth?'

The brain cogged back to life.

"Kazuki?" she asked him. That wasn't Victoria... It was just Eliza in a different hair style, with a similar blood-redd dress and look... "You're starting to make me quite nervous..." She frowned slightly.

"I... Never mind it," Kazuki said as he sat down on the bed side nearest to the desk. "Why did you change your hair? You rarely do that."

"Hmm?" Eliza pulled on her hair, looking at it. "Oh! I got back in contact with Noah and he showed me some old pictures from childhood. I fondly remembered Victoria braiding my hair... I wasn't really good at it myself, if you can't tell." She chuckled at her own self deprecating joke. She took a pair of glasses from her side table and gently pushed it up her nose.

He simply nodded. "Alright..."

"Well, now that you've asked," Eliza started. "Should I braid my hair more often?"

Kazuki crossed his arms. "Why are you asking me?"

'Kazuki does have a point, he's not exactly a hair stylist,' Synthia interjected as she popped onto Eliza's shoulder. 'His sister, however, might be more attuned to this knowledge.'

That was correct, Kazuki thought.

Eliza sat back up on the chair. Kazuki glanced at what she was doing. Revising. At an hour like this? He glanced out the window, glancing at the mess of stars aeons away.

The abyss stared back. "So... uh..." Eliza trailed off, looking at Kazuki.

He'll approach the situation like how he always does. Head first. No relenting. "We seemed to disagree," Kazuki said. "On the Jin Brothers."

"You... you offered them public positions," Eliza said. "You know this is wrong."

"You are under the misconception that I am to bestow it myself. The public will device. They'll choose from a list of carefully curated individuals." Kazuki wanted to lay down, but found his exospine in the way - instead letting it reclock. "Like always."

"Individuals chosen by you!" Eliza shouted.

'Now, now, let's not get too hasty here,' Synthia said. 'Whilst I must protest such a prolific use of corruption... Kazuki isn't wrong.'

Eliza's face soured at the truth.

He interjected, "Don't look at me like that." His face locked onto Eliza's. "You laid eyes on worse men and women the moment you set foot on this space station."

"You mean Fer-Charelota, don't you?!" Eliza remarked.

Kazuki stood up, turning to face her. "The Marquis? No."

Eliza turned Synthia off, gently placing the tutor AI into her pocket. "And the Jin Brothers? We wouldn't have to have given them such a ludicrous insurance package if your grandfather hadn't burned their lands to the ground!"

"For rebellion. For betraying the Republic and the Trasian Sector," Kazuki snapped at Eliza. "Their father was going to betray us all for the Belsarans."

His voice was raspy and harsh. Kazuki remembers. Trasia remembers what happened the moment the Belsaran backed fleet was above Lautrasia.

"They burned my grandmother," Kazuki snarled. "Do not try and play devil's advocate, Eliza."

Her face turned into a scowl at him, as she gritted her teeth, all sense of commonality was lost. "I'm... that's not my point, sorry... But... If you're not willing to do things my way, then I'll do it myself."

Kazuki stayed stunned for a moment. The fuck did she just say? "Really? I have no doubts you'll succeed. But at what cost?"

Eliza backpedalled immediately, "Wait… No, sorry… I didn't mean… Kazuki... this is personal to me, I know it is to you! Why can't we just do this clean? No deaths, no murders, no backroom dealings, just..."

What the fuck was she saying? Kazuki gave a confused and absentminded nod. "Clean isn't an option. Enemies are in almost every corner, you know what that means, right?"

Eliza turned back to her desk, scrolling through her holo-top till she found a pdf of their findings.

"Do it my way." Kazuki mulled through his own head. "Less threats."

"We've been doing it your way... The first night you got back, we were attacked by terrorists at dinner... Then criminals tried killing me, Claire and Quinn! We just wanted to play a game of Dullie!" she shouted. Kazuki felt like rolling his eyes. "My life has been at stake more times than I'd prefer, Kazuki. I just want some level of normality to return to my life!"

"Eliza..." Kazuki trailed off, his mind barely able to process a single thought beyond what was necessary. His brain had rationalised and closed down... Probably because of the whole braid incident. "It was never my intention to bring you into danger… That's why I have you doing everything that won't put you on the receiving end of a bolt… Look at me. Does it look easy to shrug off pain?"

Eliza paused, cleared her throat, and apologised, "My… sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"No. I understand," Kazuki said. "For someone so convinced of solving the future, you seem to want to return to the good old days. Right?"

Nodding, Eliza said, "Just some measure of peace, alright? I'm tied to mercenaries, you, Archius, Noah, Chloé and it all just seems like a mess."

"Things were simpler back in uni," Kazuki lied. Things were by far more complicated back then. Living a double life for Clandestine and uni was a living hell. He remembered having to hide all his wounds under 'workplace accidents', even if it was a bolt to his neck or chest. Or massive burns.

Eliza slowly placed her hands up to her head. She sat with her legs pressed up to her chest on the seat, just shaking. "How... do I even respond to all of this... All of this, in such a short amount of time?! I... I must hold it together, right? For Lilly, for Quinn, for Claire, right?!"

She looked up at him. Desperation bled from her bloodied-red eyes. Kazuki leaned forward, placing a hand on her's.

"You have nothing to prove to them. You have proven yourself worthy of their loyalty."

"But—"

"—no buts," Kazuki interjected. She pried her face away. Kazuki tapped her cheek. "Don't worry. No matter what, you'll be safe. Understood?"

She murmured something into her arms. Kazuki took it as her acceptance. He slowly stood up, patting her on the head. He leant over her and closed her holo-top. "It's been busy. The ball dance is coming up. I'd get some rest if I were you."

He started to walk away.

"And what will you do?" she asked. "Just please don't make anymore enemies. It feels like we're disagreeing on too many things."

Kazuki shrugged.

Eliza continued, "We can compromise, just... Don't treat me like some kid, alright?" Kazuki nodded instantly. "I mean it! I want to be treated as an equal to you but it just seems like you don't care at all!"

"You were thrown into the world of crime and politics through hellfire," Kazuki started. "How can I call a survivor of that 'kid'?" he asked.

She stood up, walking up to him. He turned around to see her. That's not Victoria, Kazuki reminded himself. That's just Elizabeth, his first and only contract.

"I promise," Kazuki lied. He gave no reassuring smile. With a dead face stare and a monotone, unconvincing voice, he turned and left.

He needed time alone, standing outside Eliza's room. Those final words she said stuck, harder than most words do for him. He's making enemies? The whole galaxy was once his enemy, he was hunted by both the BCA and Clandestine.

He was as good as dead.

So why wasn't he?

He contemplated the thought as he heard a knock at the door. Was Cyrus and Nihara back? He started to walk down the stairs.

He wished they'd call it in at least. However, Kazuki was willing to overlook this, given Václavos' current state. He placed his hands in his pockets, moving a muscle in his ear to activate his uplink.

Yes, he had enemies. Many. But who had enemies? Kazuki or the Contract-Breaker? Just... who was he? Who is his enemy? His true enemy. Obadiah is merely a small fish in the largest pond ever. Said pond is filled with mist and algae, all ripe for the taking - yet blinding all the smaller fishes and starving the larger ones.

'Archius, I'm sorry about choking you, I'll pay you back later. Just Hiccup me before you or Cyrus come knocking.'

Kazuki arrived at the door, slowly taking his hands out of his pockets. A response came. 'Huh? What are you talking about? Hey, we're essentially equal, but if you're ever in need of a better conscious, I'd be willing to take the truth as payment," Archius said.

Huh? Kazuki's eyes ripped wide open. The momentum of air differentiate in the air. Kazuki's body dragged his soul to the side - just when a steaming gift of lead tore through the door, slicing through his abdomen.

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