The sumptuous corridors of the Chika palace, usually a point of pride, now felt like a labyrinth trapping Haru inside his thoughts as he journeyed back to the War room. Blurred by the conflicting emotions, his feet carried him forward on autopilot, his mind obsessively replaying the conversation.

  I've always trusted her judgment! We've faced the worst hardships together. But how can I accept this! Should I? …On the day of the kidnapping, her behavior was strange from the start. Asking ME to accompany the clan leaders to the royal inn and stand watch on the perimeter until morning.

  His teeth ground together as he turned the corner.

  A task normally assigned to lower-ranked royal guards. She wanted to make sure I was the furthest away from Etsuyo and the children when it happened!

  His boots stopped moving before his brain registered his arrival. The War Room's grand entrance loomed before him, yanking him from his introspection spiral. He stood at the threshold, extending his lungs to force away the conflicting thoughts battering against his skull.

  Regardless... She's my sister. I must trust she knows what she's doing. I have to believe there's a purpose to all of this.

  He pushed through the doors and stepped into a scene of controlled chaos. The War Room molded into a hive of frantic investigation. Multiple holograms floated throughout the space, kindling blue highlights over the gathered clan leaders and their wives. Interactive diagrams pulsed with real-time data, tracking energy signatures and mapping potential escape routes across multiple territories.

  One wall displayed a massive holographic timeline showing events before and after the kidnapping. Glowing markers indicated critical moments while threads of light connected related incidents like a spider's web. Another section held dozens of screens replaying security footage from every viewpoint, searching for any missed details.

  The clan leaders and their wives worked in tandem, abandoning their earlier hostilities. Mari's hands moved through a three-dimensional map of surrounding territories, his fingers pausing over potential hiding locations. Sora studied energy readings beside him, her forehead creasing as she correlated the data with the known information about Zei's abilities.

  Fukiko and Izimaru examined the holographic representation of Chika clan defenses, their voices low discussing vulnerable points and reinforcement strategies. Masahiko's nonchalant demeanor vanished, replaced by sharp focus as he sorted through intelligence reports, searching for any whisper of Zei's current whereabouts.

  Fully entering the room, he drew Kaito's immediate attention. His expression mixed confusion with sharp scrutiny, silently demanding to know where Airi was.

  Haru met his stare, lightly shaking his head in response.

  "Based on all the data and intel we've collected so far, there's a ninety-seven percent probability that this man is the traitor." Sora announced, her fingers manipulated the holographic interface, materializing an image above the mahogany table.

  The three-dimensional rendering of Pioto gradually rotated in the air under scrutiny from all angles.

  Haru approached the table in disbelief. "Impossible... Pioto was one of the outer royal guards attacked by Zei during the breach. He's been with us since he was a youth!"

  Sora flicked her wrist, replacing the full body image with a headshot of Pioto beside scrolling background information. The clinical facts stripping away all lingering doubts.

  "He knew the exact whereabouts, timeline, and daily transitions of Kaname's schedule," she smirked, her voice maintaining steady certainty. "In his interview, he even mentioned his awareness that you'd be stationed at the royal inn during the kidnapping."

  Ice crawled down Haru's spine as Airi's words echoed through his mind.

  Kaito leaned forward over the table, his stare narrowing on the holographic evidence rotating before him.

  "If Pioto is indeed the traitor, this goes far beyond a simple security breach. This is a fundamental betrayal of everything our clan stands for!"

  "We need to bring this man in for interrogation. See what he knows…" Fukiko added in cold determination.

  "No," Mari countered, adjusting his glasses with one finger. "If we move too quickly, we risk alerting Zei and his network. We need to surveil Pioto first, track who he contacts and where he goes."

  Sora turned her full attention to Haru, satisfaction fluttering in her eyes absorbing his shocked expression. "But that's not all is it?..." Her smile widened.

  "Interestingly enough, this man hasn't been seen since his initial interview. The medical center informed us he discharged himself against your royal physician's orders."

  Fukiko moved inward to the side, patting Haru's broad shoulder.

  "... Next time, keep a better eye on your men. I've warned you about being so trusting."

  Kaito nodded, his attention remaining fixed on Haru.

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  "Gather a team to locate him immediately! Bring him in alive for questioning."

  Haru's hand dropped instinctively to the hilt of his sword. "Understood."

  Quietly observing the perimeter layout on a nearby display, Masahiko proceeded towards Kaito, standing beside him.

  "Shouldn't Airi be the one coordinating this initiative?"

  Silence crashed over the War Room. The hum of holographic displays and soft beeping of data analysis machines, becoming unnaturally loud in the quiet.

  Feeling the pressure of all eyes boring into him, eagerly awaiting an answer, he exhaled and turned to face Masahiko.

  "My wife… is indisposed at the moment. The stress of the children being kidnapped has taken a severe toll on her mental state. She's in no condition to lead."

  Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Masahiko glanced over to Haru, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "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 thundered through the room, cutting Masahiko off mid-sentence. His fierce energy clashed with his, delivering a clear warning to drop the subject.

  Haru's stare darted between Masahiko and Izimaru, his face cautiously maintaining neutrality. The scar over his left eye deepened as his jaw clenched, silently grateful for Izimaru's interruption.

  Seizing the moment to redirect the conversation, Mari stepped forward expanding the holographic 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 physically been before and within a set distance range."

  Masahiko leered, perplexed by the swirling patterns of energy on the display.

  "So what does this mean?"

  "It means he can't create portals between realms," Fukiko explained, motioning in another interface. Her knuckles rapped across the controls, generating Zei's extensive criminal history.

  "He can only create portals within whatever realm he's currently occupying and to places he's already personally visited."

  Sora smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Which confirms he's still somewhere in the Living Realm."

  With smooth precision, she selected Pioto's holographic image and dragged it to the table's center where it rotated at eye level, commanding everyone's focus. “And your traitor knows where…”

  "Exactly," Mari confirmed, zooming in on a map showing Chika territory and the surrounding regions. "We can significantly narrow down our search parameters."

  "If you track Pioto's movements over the last week, you'll find that he visited the border of the Abandoned Lands twice within the last four days," Sora added, joining her husband's viewpoint of the maps. "There's an eighty percent probability that's where Zei is holding them."

  Fukiko tapped through the interface, rendering a detailed layout of the Abandoned Lands. The holographic map expanded outward, revealing vast, treacherous terrain marked with danger zones.

  "The Abandoned Lands are home to yazumi populations and border the Syndicate." Concern strained her voice. "It's massive, unruly land filled with underground tunnel networks and geologically unstable areas. That's far too much ground to cover without being detected."

  Kaito rose from his seat, his hand closing around the hilt of his sword. "Captain Haru! Change of plans. Gather everyone who's aware of Kaname's existence and has experience navigating the Abandoned Lands. They’ll accompany us on the rescue mission. Have all remaining personnel deployed to secure the villages."

  "Yes, my lord! But we'll need to move quickly and quietly," Haru concurred, his tactical mind already calculating logistics several steps ahead. "The yazumi will not tolerate our presence in their territory. We need to prepare for potential conflicts on multiple fronts."

  Kaito turned to Masahiko, his stare carrying fierce intensity. "King Masahiko, I need your assistance covering the skies for this rescue mission to succeed. Will you help us?"

  Masahiko paused, matching his intensity before rolling his eyes with a nod.

  "Sora and I will position ourselves near your border to intercept any stragglers attempting to infiltrate," Mari asserted, cleaning his glasses. Behind him, Sora continued taking rapid notes, her pen flying across the pad, gesturing in agreement without looking up.

  Fukiko headed toward the door with Izimaru matching her stride. "And we'll secure the gatekeepers! Making absolutely certain none of those bastards can slip past our borders," she declared, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

  As the clan leaders continued finalizing their mobilization strategies, Masahiko cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself.

  "I hate to be the rational one here, but... in the worst-case scenario, if we can only save one child, who should we prioritize?"

  Kaito's face hardened, his eyes coldly sweeping across the assembled clan leaders.

  "Protecting the bloodline is the main objective. Compared to Yasushi, the girl holds no true value, especially at a time like this. Ultimately, she means nothing. My son is young. He has his whole life ahead of him to find another wife."

  Haru's eyes went wide as his head snapped toward him. His knuckles turned white around the hilt of his sword, restraining his reaction.

  "Ahhh, just wanted to confirm that," Masahiko dismissively scoffed, smirking. "If push comes to shove, I don't want to be held responsible for leaving a child behind to die."

  The other clan leaders exchanged glances, barely reacting.

  "I'm grateful for your assistance in this matter," Kaito continued. "Your support during this difficult time means more than I can express. I'm indebted to you all."

  The meeting broke apart as Haru rushed from the War Room, barking orders at the posted royal guard to assemble the Elders. Eager to complete their assigned tasks, the clan leaders filed through the doorway, following Haru.

  The doors sealed shut with a soft thud as Kaito remained behind, leaving him isolated in the vast chamber.

  His public facade of gratitude and composure dissolved, replaced by humiliating rage flooding through his chest. Pacing the length of the War Room, the soft whir of holographic displays accompanied his turbulent thoughts. He pivoted, thrusting his fist into the wall beside him.

  HAS SHE NO RESPECT! SHE MADE ME APPEAR WEAK! DISORGANIZED IN FRONT OF THE OTHER LEADERS. HOW DARE SHE INFLICT ME SUCH SHAME!!!

  Standing before the central holographic display, Kaito’s reflection stared back at him, distorted by the swirling data streams.

  When this is over... I must remind my dear wife of her place within this clan! Her behavior… her rebellion... cannot continue! If she doesn't get her shit together... she'll find herself replaceable too!