The uplink channels were silent. Nothing was said, not even an updating whisper or emergency tracker. Silence. Its permeance was permanent. An incident had occurred. Kazuki was standing still in the hallway, beside Archius. He kept pressing the call button on his uplink. Nothing happened.

"Kazuki?" Archius asked.

Kazuki held his breath. The enemy has made their move. Now is the time for the crushing blow. "Cyrus called for backup. He's not communicating... Eliza's not picking up either… Worst case…"

"They're dead?" Archius had to fill in the gaps. "Oh, please, that'd be so boring if they're dead."

"If they're dead then I'm eating my own barrel."

"Oh please, if anyone's going to eat a muzzle it's me, I have the pre-requisite of working both in intelligence and acting." Kazuki's gaze quickly turned things back on top. "Ten Standardis we'll find her in a dumpster or body bag." Instantly, Kazuki's gaze and rage silenced Archius' attitude.

"Okay… okay!" Archius grumbled. "I'll restrict snide strictly to the downtrodden and homeless."

Kazuki was starting to find his snide incredibly annoying. Now he finally understood how people felt not knowing whether he was being sarcastic or not. "Fuck you, Archius." Despite knowing Cyrus' skills, Kazuki wasn't too sure. He started to walk again, this time walking at an increased pace. "Something's wrong. Archius, behind me."

"Ugh, sure, if this is some false alert though, you better buy me dinner!" Archius shouted.

"I pay you enough to make you a small system state," Kazuki sarcastically remarked. He kept walking, faster and faster. "If I pay you anymore, you'll be legally classified as a sector-nation."

"Great! So when can I get to killing the opposition?" Archius had to speedwalk to catch up and maintain Kazuki's pace. Archius merely shrugged, as if he didn't care about the pay at all.

Kazuki grunted back, "Today. Obadiah is the enemy." That was something Kazuki had made his mind up on. "The off-limit barrier's off, go wild and skin the pig."

Archius chuckled at the morbid authorisation, but he'll know if skinning Obadiah would actually yield any half-decent intelligence.

Continuing through the Palace, the two bypassed several checkpoints - all the way up to the pearly white gates of the Marquis' penthouse.

Imperial Knights stood guard at the door, slowly stepping in front to block Kazuki's advance. "Halt, what reason do you have to see the Marquis? He is currently busy," said one of them. They were wearing the typical armour of the Knights but had several medals and golden adornments across their cape. It was a brown-haired man, with a scar across one eye.

"I need to speak to the Marquis. Security concern," said Kazuki. The man in front of them was most likely the leader of the Imperial Knights, Sir Icarus. Kazuki hadn't seen the man for a very long time but suspected this to be them. "The years haven't been kind to you."

Sir Icarus nodded. "Of course, they haven't... Is this of critical concern?"

"Afraid it is," Archius spoke up. "A mutual ally of the Marquis and my friend, Kazuki, has lost contact with us. Given the circumstances, you should let us through."

Sir Icarus slowly turned towards Archius. Then back at Kazuki. He took a step back, knocking on the door behind them. Slowly, it came open. It wasn't a phase door, it was a REAL door. It rotated on the hinges, revealing the suite of the Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, the first lord of the Ball Palace and architect of the modern aristocracy.

"Do not make me regret this, little Prince," Sir Icarus said.

Kazuki simply walked by, followed by Archius. Pale white walls hung towards the ceiling, adorned with stripes of gold paint and artworks dating back thousands of years.

Kazuki knew a few, including an ancient retro console from the Age of Troubles. Given a different time, Kazuki might have spent time admiring it. That is not now. Eliza is in danger. That is what Kazuki held as true.

Her life is at risk. His contract is at risk.

The Marquis sat with a few guests of his. Kazuki's eyes scanned across them. Entrepreneur, Scientist and Businessman, Dáwidiek Wycie-Sowja Kallender; friend, Chloé Agnes-Vistar and Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia.

The professor-scientist had a brooch. He was one of the members of the aristocracy that had truly worked to get to where he is now. As such, his brooch held far more respect than most. A station orbiting a star in rainbow colours. Against a golden diamond frame.

Delia waved to him. "Ah, worry not about the recent ongoings, everything should be going just as fine as before," she remarked. Relation to the lawsuit is likely.

"Ah! Kazuki! Archius?" Chloé looked up from a game of Dullahan's Crossing that she and Dáwidiek were playing. The businessman and professor nodded at Kazuki, with age on his face - yet wisdom hung by his lips and ears. Kazuki ignored him. "Good to see you guys, uh... You guys here for business or?"

"Business," Kazuki stated. Archius walked past him, and sat down beside Chloé, stretching his arms and legs across the incredibly posh white sofa, he let off a comfortable groan, before stretching. "Fer-Charelota..."

"Kazuki, is something the matter?" asked Nimitz-Delia. She was sipping on a cup of tea. "Please, take a seat with us."

"Yes, It has been quite a while since we have spoken," said Dáwidiek, the leader of the prestigious social club: the Kallender Group. "Oh, and, do pass my requests to your grandfather for the venue of the next gathering."

Kazuki snapped, "Do it yourself."

The Marquis glanced up from reading a report. "Kazuki, good for you to join us... I was just going to call you and Eliza back up, the Jara-Jins' deaths are… regrettable, but we must finish what they started."

"Ah, that's the kicker, Marquis," Archius said, catching the eyes of everyone in the room. Archius raised a finger up. "We can't really bring her here."

"Hmm?" The Marquis looked at Archius confused, then over at Kazuki. Kazuki walked over.

Kazuki said, "I lost contact with her. A guard was also with her. Lost contact with him too. Last time I heard from him, he was asking for backup...."

Dáwidiek nodded. "I believe I can help you... Give me that data stream and I might be able to reverse-engineer its location."

"Since when were you a tech genius?" asked Chloé,

Dáwidiek laughed. "Since now!" he jested. "Please, many of my students taught me many interesting things."

Kazuki, projecting out information towards Dáwidiek. The professor caught it on his own uplink, before presenting the information through his spectacles.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Lifting his glasses, Dáwidiek looked through the information. He stroked his beard and his chin for a moment. Kazuki walked closer.

The Marquis asked, "Kazuki... did something happen?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out." Kazuki glanced over at Chloé. She's one of Eliza's close friends. Maybe she knows something. "Chloé, when was the last time you spoke to Eliza?"

"Huh?" Chloé shot up from her game, just as she made a move. She scratched her head, as Archius ate cake beside him. That's probably why he sat beside her, for the fucking pastries. "Well... it was after your fight with her, she seemed really pissed so I kinda just shimmied away."

"What did she say?" Kazuki ask. "And no, I don't care fight. For all I care: hate me."

"Woah... chill Kaz," Chloé said. She awkwardly smiled at him, before shrugging. "I don't hate you, you scared Barclay into confessing to me, after all. Lizzie said something about meeting with Obadiah. I don't know much, but my parents told me that he's kind of slimy, same with Noah's parents..."

Noah's parents. Given the facts stated, Kazuki might not target them. Was Noah acting alone then? He was colluding with Obadiah at least. No. More accurately, he was a pawn of him.

Dáwidiek started, "A penthouse suite much similar to this... These are the coordinates…" He showed Kazuki its location in comparison to the Ball Palace's central reactor engine.

"Quite impressive," Fer-Charelota remarked.

"Running the Kallender Group is merely a side hobby," Dáwidiek stated. "I expect you to be at the next one then, Kazuki?"

Kazuki shook his head. "Busy. I'm not a kid anymore."

The Professor shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be there," he said assumingly.

This had to be Obadiah, then. It was the only one that made sense. Its location matched up with what Kazuki remembers. But can Kazuki rely on his mind?

He couldn't remember a face, but all these complex numbers and coordinates? He most definitely could. He must.

Kazuki nodded, staring forward with his golden eyes, glowing brightly. He scanned across the participants in the meeting. "The enemy is Obadiah."

"Woah…" Delia started. "Are you sure? There's no going back from what you are insinuating."

"Rite of Haradina, Lautrasian Seppuku Pact, whatever needs to be done. He is guilty," Kazuki remarked. "Don't you dare take this away from me. He's mine. I've been wanting to scalp him since I saw him."

All eyes were placed upon the Marquis. He took a moment to think, before nodding. "Are you sure of this? There is no doubt that Obadiah is the enemy?"

"These coordinates line up with what I remembered of the schematics," Kazuki said. "My memories… they do not lie." Kazuki had to check his wording, the fact that he had not remembered a singular detail was critically faulty to him.

It wasn't that he misremembered as if he could do that. No, Kazuki just couldn't remember at all. That alone showed Kazuki that something was wrong. But that was for him to deal with later… Later…

Archius raised an eyebrow. He spoke, "You remembered the schematics? Really?" It wasn't an actual question. It was Archius' support for Kazuki's argument. A booster platform of sorts.

"Yes." Kazuki pointed to its location in the Ball Palace, zooming in until they could see its windows and smaller details. There were black walls within them on the super-computer-generated scales. "This is Obadiah's suite. Black walls. Same coordinates. Same schematics. He has his reasons too. He is the enemy."

The Marquis sighed. "Well, I wasn't expecting Obadiah to strike twice so soon… But it seems that we must act quickly, lest his actions out-act us before we take initiative."

Delia nodded thoroughly. Chloé shrugged. "Well, I'm out of my depths, but I can provide support from the Theonar gentry if you need it… Hell, I think I can call upon my parent's guards if they're not stretched thin already."

Kazuki nodded.

"I cast a vote between the members of our committee. To declare Obadiah Cariana-Slynt an enemy of the aristocracy. Delia, you will provide political support to allow Fer-Charelota to mobilise the Imperial Knights to come knocking. Chloé and Archius, assist with Public relations and oversight. We'll demand access to his penthouse. If he denies us: I will serve his warrant personally."

"We do not necessarily have legal authority," said the Marquis.

"Yet you are First Consul. We can always bribe someone later. Whether I have your blessing or not, I'm going."

Gilbera sighed, leaning on one hand in his armchair. "If that's the case, then I have no reason to turn down your offer. If someone ought to happen, best that I have some oversight."

He wanted Archius close to the operations, and this was probably the only way to get Archius involved without breaking his identity to Chloé. Chloé knows Archius. He's a good speaker, so she'll want him.

And… Archius gets to keep his eyes closer to his head this time.

"Kazuki... I'm all for this, but are you sure you won't just behead Obadiah the moment you get the chance?" the Marquis asked. "As much as he may be guilty, we have rules. We all must follow them, even you..."

Delia nodded. She turned to Kazuki. "This is a very delicate thing you want us to do, but given the fact that Elizabeth's life is at risk here: I will give you my full backing." She glanced at Archius, then back at Kazuki. "I like Elizabeth, she's refined, and I refuse to see her placed in a body bag!"

It was honest, to some extent. But honesty doesn't matter. Not at this moment. Not here, in the halls of the richest cheats and meritorious in the galaxy. Kazuki glared at Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia.

"You'll end up in a body bag before she does, Senator," he promised. Delia merely chuckled the harsh truth away. That being between everyone here, Kazuki could not falter to kill any of them at the drop of a hat.

The Marquis Gilbert Fer-Charelota stood up. He straightened his tie. Looking at Kazuki, he said, "I, the Marquis Gilbert Fer-Charelota charge you with the task of investigating a disturbance within Obadiah's Penthouse Suite. You will have the full backing of the Imperial Knights... On the topic of that... Where's Lady Antiar?"

He glanced around the room, somewhat surprised at her absence. Kazuki said, "I don't care."

If Lady Antiar isn't with the Marquis, then she's with Obadiah. Knowing that slimy fuck, he must have used something to get her on board. Though she's honourable, Kazuki has no doubt about that.

Honour will cut all in its path, whether it intended it or not.

That was the only way that she'd ever follow Obadiah's lead. The Board has many rules and tools. Many of which can be abused and exploited. Obadiah must be using them. Kazuki was sure of it, Obadiah's guilt was all but certain.

That must be one of them. "I see... Kazuki..." Chloé started. "Eliza... what did you two argue about?"

Did Eliza not tell Chloé? Well, that makes things easier for him, he thought.

Kazuki responded, "Personal matter. Nothing for you to be concerned of."

"Awh, don't worry, you two will get over your lover's quarrel soon enough," Chloé jokingly remarked. Archius chuckled.

Kazuki did not. Instead, he merely stared. His eyes spoke. Chloé quickly realised the severity of the situation and cleared her throat.

Chloé nodded. Dáwidiek glanced up at Kazuki, stroking his beard. "Please ensure her safety, the Genius of Sarimba adds much value to the Kallender Group's junior category." To that, Kazuki grumbled. "Her cybernetic works have won awards, I will not want a young soul like her's to be snuffed out."

Kazuki sneered, "Don't worry, Professor, I'm sure many more youngsters are lining up to become statistics… but not her. Not yet at least… Not today either." Kazuki's glare faltered for a moment, and he felt Archius' intrigued gaze tighten for a moment.

Archius sat up, sighing. Kazuki will get Eliza back, no matter what. He must fulfil his contract once again. Kazuki felt somewhat conflicted about this, his heart, soul and mind all shouting different things for him to execute.

His heart and envy told him that Eliza chose this path, she must see the consequences through. His brain told him that Eliza was a great asset, she must not be relinquished to fate. And his soul...

The Contract was all that mattered. No envy shall stop him. Not a heartbeat hinder him, nor a wavering thought from his head will stop Kazuki from nailing Obadiah's head to the Senatehouse door.

A deranged smile crept on the side of Kazuki's lips. After all, it's what his father would have done! "It's what you'd do as well... right, father?" Kazuki murmured.

Yes. Kazuki answered the question himself. It's exactly what father would have done. Bring down the thunder.

The rain. The storm.

It was what his father was known for, so obviously. Bringing down the death and hate he had for his enemies. The twisted sense of justice... Everything was all coming together, Kazuki thought, and it was only a matter of time before more blood shall be spilt in these halls.

The vow and oath he made to Victoria stands. It will continue to stand. Mind and heart fell to sheer will. This is a personal matter now, one where failure is not tolerated.

Even if Victoria may damn him to the Eclipse and back, even if Elizabeth despises him, Kazuki knew he had to go. He had to serve. He had to kill. If not, then what were all those years for?

And more sacrifices must be made to the altar of death.

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