Chapter 3 - Truth

Mitsumi's face remained stone-like as she walked to the throne room yet again. The Emperor sat slightly more upright as she approached.

"Kenji is dead?" He asked, without preamble.

"Yes." Mitsumi easily lied. "There is no more need for this invasion."

"Oh, but there is." the Emperor answered "We have already commenced, and it would be foolish not to see it through to the end. It would seem tales of the Asmanan's fighting abilities are exaggerated, in any case."

Mitsumi grimaced "Sir, with the utmost respect-"

"Silence." He commanded. "My generals have studied the Asmanans well and have fortified the ship accordingly. Now, I need you on the surface; there is another target we require you to kill."

"I am not an assassin for hire." Mitsumi answered sternly. "You gave me one command, and I fulfilled that command."

"But you are still under my command as a citizen of Nakimuto. You will do as I say, or else suffer the consequences." The Emperor threatened.

"What consequences? A mage in this land tells me you already cut the branches of my family tree off." Mitsumi's building anger preempted her sense of reason.

The Emperor flinched slightly at her words, but regained himself. "And you trust the word of a magic user over your Emperor?"

"I've learned a great deal about trust in my brief time here, Emperor." the mother answered. "Did you kill them?"

"No." he replied coolly.

Mitsumi wasn't convinced. "Say it again. Look me in the eyes and tell me you did not have them killed the second I was out of your way!"

The Emperor remained silent, his eyes looking away from her. Mitsumi's own eyes went wide with realization. 

A quiet whisper came from her mouth "You..."

"Takehoshu, do not do anything-" But the mother had heard enough. Her sword was drawn before the two D-Rank guards next to her could react. In two swift motions, both of them fell.

"Soldiers! Takehoshu has betrayed your Emperor! She must not leave this vessel!" The Emperor's voice sounded all around the ship as he spoke into a sound amplifier. 

Mitsumi wanted nothing more than to kill him then and there, but she had to get off the ship before the whole army got to the room. She ran down the hallway away from the throne room, cutting down anyone who got in her way, silent anger fueling her every strike. She barely even noticed where she was going. 

She had a half a mind to plunge the sword into her own stomach, but then Kenji would be the last Takehoshu. Kenji... She felt highly grateful to Wakeeda for stopping her attack on him. She owed him an apology when this was all over.

Coming out of her reverie, she found herself in the escape pod bay, used for getting off the ship incase of emergencies. She got into one of the seats and pushed the lever forwards. A mechanical clunk sounded above her and she became airborne. She pushed the lever all the way forwards and the craft dived straight downwards-the sooner she got to ground the better. As she began to see details in the snowy landscape below her, she pulled backwards and the craft responded by turning it's propeller behind it. But she'd pulled too late, and the craft crashed into the ground with a sickening crunch of metal.

Shaken, the mother staggered out of the wreckage with her sword and looked around. There had to be shelter somewhere close by. Groggy, she shook her head and loked around, eyes scanning the white expanse. She saw a cave in the distance and began to steadily walk towards it, but a snowstorm began to form as she walked. She picked up her pace, and although she staggered once or twice, she managed to make it just as the storm kicked into it's full force.

Mitsumi entered the cave, thankful it was empty, and began to light a fire. She wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing; her mind was too full of thoughts about what just transpired. She struggled to process any of it, such was her grief and anger. 

So the Emperor had already killed her family. This... this wasn't what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to kill her son, and the Takehoshu clan would be... welcomed back into Nakimuto with... open arms. Instead... this had happened... Gods...

The first of many tears began to flow from Mitsumi's tightly shut eyes. She felt so helpless. 

Why?

...

Why had the gods allowed this to happen?

...

Couldn't they have protected her children?

... 

Her husband?

... 

More to the point, what now?

... 

What now...

She... she had to help the Asmanans. She was the only one who knew what the Honour's layout looked like. She could help them bring that huge testament to the Emperor's ego down to the ground where it belonged. 

And the Emperor? He would fall to Mitsumi's blade. The mother's tears still flowed, but her eyes were open, and her teeth were bared. She left the still-lightless cave and into the snowstorm, barely even feeling the sharp wind or the biting cold against her skin.