Lydia

The courtyard was filled with stunned silence as Yuzuki stared blankly at Audrey, who still wore a pleased expression.

"It really must be you, Lady Audrey. You haven't changed a bit." Yuzuki had composed her expression and now looked completely serious, but I did notice the slight relief hiding beneath her words. "Both of you even look the same as the last time we met." Her eye flicked between us with curiosity, and my girlfriend gave her a sheepish smile.

"That's a long story, but if you let us down, I'd be happy to tell you." She tried to negotiate.

"I am quite interested, but I'm afraid I won't release you until I understand the situation. Even if you are my dear friends." I felt touched that she still thought of us in such a way, despite the years of separation. Still, she had a duty to perform as Yamadian royalty. "Now… Will you please explain to me why you are rampaging through my city?"

Audrey and I shared a glance, and I nodded. Yuzuki followed the exchange with her eyes and met my gaze as I began to speak for the first time since she arrived.

"We only came to your country to have a peaceful discussion with the Yamadian leadership. Unfortunately, nobody except for the ships we saved at your blockade line seems to believe we are truly divine guardians and tried to obstruct us." I saw her eyebrows raise at my implication, and I took a breath before continuing. "An attempt was made on my life while transferring ships, and the guards attacked us ceaselessly while we made our way here. We only defended ourselves. I'm sure your people will report no casualties."

The black-haired girl's face remained a mask of professionalism, but I didn't miss the slight twitch of her lips at each word I spoke. When I finished explaining our side of the story, she turned sharply to the two highest-ranking officials currently present. They also happened to be the two who started this mess in the first place.

"Admiral Tanaka, Captain Hasegawa. Is what they say true?" She asked curtly, and I made a mental note of their names, since they never bothered to introduce themselves.

"H-Hime-Sama!" both the grizzled sailor and middle-aged woman responded in unison, using their native form of address. "We were only following our esteemed Daimyo's orders to keep our country safe!"

"I didn't ask for an excuse, I'm asking if what they said is true." Yuzuki glared at them and folded her arms, causing the couple to tense up.

"Yes…" Admiral Tanaka finally said. "They claimed to be divine guardians, and the crew they had been with before joining the main fleet corroborated the claim. They reported that these two girls stopped the attack on our blockade by the imperial's mysterious vessel."

"I was informed of the same." Captain Hasegawa said, bowing her head. Honestly, the annoyance I had for both of them faded a bit as they took responsibility for their actions. I was still quite angry at their unwarranted hostility, not just toward us as foreigners, but even their fellow countrymen aboard the Kaze no Kiba. Still, I could at least understand their reasoning, even if I disagreed.

"Just so I understand everything clearly, you witnessed the power these two ladies put on display, and still decided that causing a disturbance through town was the best course of action?" Yuzuki asked sharply. "I can ignore the fact you weren't aware of my friendship with them, but did you not think of the casualties that could have occurred?"

The Admiral and Captain bowed deeper, their bodies nearly at a full ninety degrees. "We apologize!" They chorused in unison, but then Captain Hasegawa straightened just enough to meet her princess's gaze. "I'm aware of my mistakes, Hime-Sama, but I still believed it to be the best course of action given the information we had." Oh, she's got a spine after all. My opinion of the guard captain rose a bit as I watched on. It was distracting enough that I almost forgot about the vines and roots restraining me in the air. Almost. "Two foreigners of incredible power sought to meet with our esteemed Daimyo and his advisors… The dangers they presented were too great a risk, especially with the imperial siege of our waters."

Yuzuki thought in silence for a moment. "I understand you were doing what you thought was right, Captain—" I saw the sparkle of hope in the captain's eyes, but Yuzuki soon snuffed it out. "However, that was not a decision for you to make. The situation should've been communicated per protocol. Had you treated these girls properly, they would've complied, even if it would have delayed our meeting." She then turned to Audrey and me again, with a smile that didn't quite reach her black eyes. "Right, Lady Lydia, Lady Audrey? Surely you wouldn't have acted so unreasonably if given the proper care?"

Audrey and I both nodded hastily at the pressure Yuzuki exuded before the girl visibly relaxed. I didn't dare admit my impatience at being done with this farce. I'd tell her once we were alone that I was partially at fault as well. With a wave of Yuzuki's hand, the plants holding Leah, Audrey, and me all shrunk back into the ground, setting our feet gently on the dirt.

"Come with me, we can talk inside," Yuzuki said curtly, turning on her heel after beckoning us. We moved quickly to walk beside her, or, in Leah's case, behind her. Yet, the animosity of the surrounding soldiers was still palpable, even as we crossed through the castle's gate and left their view.

Once we were inside a private room, we sat on comfortable cushions surrounding a low table. Audrey was marveling at the difference in design, her red hair fluttering across her face as she inspected every inch of the room. The walls were made of beautiful cherry wood, and light-green tatami mats covered the floor beneath us. The room was divided into two by an open sliding door made of pristine white paper, revealing various potted plants across a windowsill on the other side, which framed a picturesque view of the snowcapped mountains outside.

"This room is beautiful!" my girlfriend said excitedly. "It's very different from what we saw while traveling the continent."

"It is." I agreed peacefully, also admiring the small, detailed sakura flowers painted on the walls and paper doors.

"I'm honored you think so, my friends," Yuzuki said with a small smile. She really had changed… The Yuzuki I had known as part of my student council would never have openly called us her friends. As I ruminated on the thought, the girl in question suddenly bowed toward us, even startling the servant who had entered to serve us tea. "First, let me apologize for my subject's actions toward you."

I waved my hands hurriedly to stop her. "Not at all, Yuzuki! You did nothing wrong!" As I spoke, she slowly sat back up, only to shake her head sadly.

"My people have always been wary of outsiders… With my brother forcing us into isolation, I'm afraid animosity for foreigners has only grown to the point of outright violence." She said seriously. "It's my family's duty to lead our country, but we failed to notice the extent of our people's feelings until now."

"I won't deny the truth in your words, but we are the first foreigners to set foot on Yamdian soil in years, right? And we—" I suddenly sensed Audrey and Leah both give me a look, and corrected myself. "I wasn't acting as I should have been, either. So I hope you won't punish those involved too harshly."

"Thank you for your understanding. Still, I'll bring the situation up with my brother to find a solution. The hostility simply can't continue if we ever wish to reopen our borders." Yuzuki said with a tired look. I felt for her, but that was a problem for the Yamadians to figure out. As I sipped at the drink that had been placed before me, she changed the topic. "Before we get to the main reasons for your visit, will you tell me how you appear the same as you were?" Audrey and I nodded, then gave her a shortened version of what had happened to us, and she seemed particularly interested in my awakening as a divine guardian. "I must say that I'm not as surprised as I would've thought." She mused with a teasing smile. I slumped my shoulders, and Audrey chuckled beside me. Why does everyone keep saying that? Once she was all caught up, a moment of silence filled the air as Leah assisted the Yamadian servant in refilling our cups. Then, I cleared my throat and started into the main topic.

"Tell me, are you aware of the situation on the mainland?" I asked.

"I am. Our isolation doesn't mean we stopped our intelligence gathering." She said with a guilty look on her face. She must be talking about the rumored shinobis… It took everything in me to prevent a disappointed sigh from escaping my lips. The fact that Yamada knew everything only made their stance even harder to swallow for me. Even if I understood that a country must prioritize its own people, being a royal myself. However, if the roles had been reversed, I knew none of my family would've made the same choice they had.

"I see…" I said, at a momentary loss for words, before a sudden thought came to mind. "Can you explain what happened? Back then, when you and your second brother told us of Yamada's betrayal—" She flinched and looked down at my words, but I had no intention of sugarcoating my feelings. "We were never given a proper explanation." Her fingers traced the rim of her teacup restlessly, and she pursed her lips with anxiousness.

"The previous Daimyo was the one who signed the alliance treaty originally and promised reinforcements." She began hesitantly. "I'm sure you won't believe me, but my eldest brother had every intention of following through." I raised a brow at that.

"Then what changed, Yuzuki?" I did my best to keep my voice steady.

"Our intelligence units uncovered the true scope of Duke Rose's treachery." She said simply. "Other than—"

"Wait." I raised a hand to stop her, my blood boiling. "How long did you know?" Her whole body froze in place before she slowly looked up at me once more.

"Our shinobi uncovered the full extent of his plot two weeks before the attack on your capital." Her words were quiet, but still made my ears ring.

"T-Two weeks…?" I repeated numbly. "You knew for two weeks and didn't tell me anything?" My head spun with the revelation that my friend had kept something so important from me.

"No!" She shouted, and it jolted me out of my thoughts. Her hands trembled against the tabletop as she continued. "My brothers knew… But they kept it from me as well until the day we had the audience." A small, bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Probably because they knew I'd disagree and tell you." I saw the way she shook and immediately regretted my assumption that my friend had intentionally lied to me. Reaching across the table, I covered her hand with mine.

"I'm sorry, Yuzuki. I was just shocked and…" I trailed off as I failed to find a proper excuse for suspecting her. I was burning with hatred for her brothers, but it was clear she hadn't known until it was too late, either.

My friend wiped at her teary eyes with her free hand and tried to smile. "No, please don't apologize, Lady Lydia. My family caused you unimaginable pain. Not only did you lose your family and country, but also time itself… You have every right to be angry." She took another moment to compose herself. "May I continue?" When I nodded, she took a deep breath. "Not only did the Duke have his men ready to advance on the capital, but he also secretly prepared mercenaries to intercept the requested reinforcements on your coast."

The revelation was a shock, but I knew it was just like that man to be so conniving. I glanced at Audrey and saw her eyes brimming with anger, a new look I was still getting used to. Cecilia's genes are incredible… I couldn't help but wonder if the Duke truly had contributed anything at all to his daughters. Both Sasha and Audrey resembled him so little it was laughable.

"So that was why…" I mumbled, rubbing at my temple. "But your brother's delegation made it through."

"They snuck past on a smaller fishing boat," she replied. Before I could respond, she let go of my hand and gave me a sad smile. "I think that's all I can say on my own. I apologize." After letting the new information sink in, I shook my head slowly.

"No. You've done more than enough." I said simply.

Yuzuki stared at me with a bit of worry, but eventually held a hand over her heart. "Nonetheless, I will assist you however you need in convincing my brother. You came here to request our aid, yes?" At her declaration, I nodded and gave her a thankful look.

"That's precisely right… The resistance forces are preparing to move, led by my brothers. We intend to reclaim our lost lands, but while the power Audrey and I hold gives us a decent chance of victory… We can't be everywhere at once." I explained. "We are here to request reinforcements formally, and will do what we must to secure them this time." My voice took on an edge I didn't fully intend at the end, but my point got across.

"We'll have our hands full dealing with the Duke and the Emperor as well," Audrey added, her voice lacking the anger I'd been expecting, and I looked over to see her between bites of a cookie that had appeared in her hands. I hadn't even noticed the maid bring the plate in that now sat in front of her. Why is she so adorably easy?

"Are you seriously snacking right now while we were discussing something important?" I asked her wryly, wiping some crumbs from the corner of her lip.

"You and Yuzuki were having a heart-to-heart! I didn't want to interrupt." She defended. The interaction lightened the heavy mood in the room considerably, and Yuzuki stifled a giggle.

"You two really are the same," she said warmly before turning serious once more. "Unfortunately, the rest of my family is not present here. I've been sent to oversee the coast, since I wouldn't stop pestering them about their decisions."

"So we'll need to travel farther inland?" I asked curiously while trying to remember the maps I'd seen of the islands before. "If I remember right, the capital is—"

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

"In the valley of the sun, about a day's travel east of here," my friend finished for me. "I'll prepare a carriage right away." When I nodded in understanding, Leah stepped forward with her usual look of professionalism. "If I may, my ladies?" Yuzuki promptly permitted her, and my attendant continued. "I can get us there in a few hours at most."

"Ah, that's true," I said. "I'd like to handle this as swiftly as possible. Would you be comfortable traveling by Leah's wind magic instead?" I asked our host, and she thought about it for a moment.

"I suppose so. I've seen Leah work, and I trust you."

"Have you ever flown with wind magic before?" Audrey asked curiously.

"Not in any meaningful way. One of my brothers used to float us around when we were children." The black-haired girl said with a fond smile.

"Oh… Well… You'll be fine, then!" My girlfriend said with a big grin before it faltered for a moment. "Probably."

"Probably?"

I did my best to suppress a sheepish laugh.

***

Audrey

"We're here?" I asked as our feet touched the ground about a half mile away from a sprawling city. True to her word, Leah hadn't held back at getting us to our destination in record time. The Yamadian capital didn't have any defensive walls like the ones I'd seen throughout the main continent. Still, it was set between two majestic mountain ranges that acted like a natural barrier. I knew the islands also had a lower population of aggressive magic beasts, so the Yamadians weren't nearly as cautious as those who lived back home.

I glanced worriedly over my shoulder at the black-haired girl I had directed my question to, who was doing her best to stand on shaking legs. The lack of color on her face did nothing to mar her beauty, but I still moved to her side at the same time Lydia did. We both used our holy magic to ease her motion sickness, and her trembling slowly stopped.

"That… Was intense…" she said between heavy breaths. I could tell she was doing her best to maintain her usual stoicism, but her glare made her true feelings obvious. Leah looked completely unbothered as Lydia and I took the blame for her reckless flying.

After our friend composed herself, she began to walk toward the city. Her gait was still a little uncertain, but she only gave us the cold shoulder when we offered to heal her again. Honestly, it was pretty cute of her.

"We really did get here in a couple of hours…" She murmured to herself. "Still, the trip wasn't very comfortable."

"The motion sickness really hits if you aren't used to such rapid movement," Lydia said with a wry smile. As we chatted, we soon arrived at the outskirts of the town and made our way into the city proper. The guards made no move to check us for identification as we passed by, only bowing respectfully toward Yuzuki while looking at us foreigners with a mix of surprise, suspicion, and curiosity.

Unlike the coastal town, the roads soon transformed into uniformly cut stone that formed a pleasing pattern down the streets. The buildings were also much taller, with steep roofs made of dark blue shingles that contrasted nicely with the different shades of cherry wood. People bustled up and down the busy road that cut right to the large castle in the center of the city, and it was amusing to watch the citizens do a double-take as the four of us walked by. Everything was so interesting and distracting that I decided to let Lydia pull me along until we finally arrived at a large tori gate that barred entrance to the castle itself.

"Hime-Sama!" The guards saluted as we drew near, and Yuzuki nodded in acknowledgement.

"Do you know where my brothers are?" She asked a man who seemed to be the captain of this particular group.

"I believe the Daimyo and his advisors are in a meeting to discuss the attack." The chisled man said.

"That's perfect, then. We'll be heading to the war council then." She said and continued inside. Lydia, Leah, and I moved to follow her, but the guards swiftly blocked our path with their spears. "What do you think you're doing?" Yuzuki asked as she turned around with a glare.

"Foreigners are prohibited from entering the castle." The guard captain said with a determined expression.

"They are clearly with me. Let them through." Our friend folded her arms and waited, but the guards did not move.

"It is by order of our esteemed Daimyo. I apologize, Hime-Sama, but not even you can override the order."

"I'm seriously going to strangle my brothers!" Yuzuki mumbled under her breath, then released a heavy sigh. Turning to us, she said. "My apologies. Can the three of you wait here? I'll return shortly after sorting this out."

"Of course," Lydia said genially before giving the other princess a teasing grin. "You've got thirty minutes before we give ourselves permission, however."

"I can't tell if you're messing with me…" Yuzuki said, but when Lydia only kept the smile on her face, she rubbed at her temple and turned back to the guards. "These are my dear friends, and they are also divine guardians. Do not do anything untoward." She ordered curtly, and the guards all nodded immediately while failing to mask their surprise. Only the captain showed no sign other than respect as he bowed.

"We would never do anything to young ladies such as them." He said.

"I'm more worried about what they'd do to you…" I heard our friend grumble as she finally turned on her heel, quickly, and rushed into the castle. The atmosphere around us turned silently tense as the guards stared at us as if we'd disappear at any moment.

The time ticked by slowly, and the three of us just chatted quietly to ourselves. Luckily, the guards steadily relaxed the longer we were forced to wait. One of them, a young woman in her early twenties, from what I could tell, even nervously started a conversation with me.

"I don't think Hime-Sama would lie… But are you really a divine guardian?" She asked me, and I nodded with a smile.

"I am! I'm Audrey, and I am a guardian of Aurora, the Goddess of night." As I spoke, she took my outstretched hand and shook it.

"I serve as royal guard of Hinari-jō. My name is Tomoe." Looking closer, I saw her brown hair was tied up in an interesting bun I'd never seen before, and her onyx eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Hinari-jō?" I repeated curiously, and she explained.

"Ah, that's the name of this castle. I believe it equates to 'Castle beneath the sun' In the common language."

"Oh, because it's in the 'valley of the sun'?" I asked, and she nodded happily.

"I'm glad you understand! It's said that when our honored ancestors settled here, the sunlight at dawn and dusk reflected off the mountains so beautifully, a goddess descended to see it for herself." Tomoe looked absolutely enraptured by the tale, and it was pretty heartwarming. I looked up and around at the massive snow-capped peaks that surrounded the large city and smiled.

"I'm sure it's quite the sight, even now," I said, wanting to see it for myself.

Before she could continue on her excited tangent, the guard captain cleared his throat loudly to get her attention, and she sadly moved back into their formation. I saw the reason a few moments later, as Yuzuki reappeared with a few other officials.

One of the men following her pulled the guard captain aside and handed him a piece of paper, which turned out to be a signed order from the Daimyo allowing us to pass.

"Now you can follow me," Yuzuki said, gesturing us through the gate and taking us into the intricately designed hallways of the castle. The group of officials now followed behind us, and I could feel their suspicious gazes boring into my back. To distract myself, I talked to Aurora.

"Was that you or Azzy?" I mentally asked my goddess, who laughed sweetly.

"We are not the only goddesses, my guardian."

"I know that!" I pouted. "But I thought… Oh, never mind." That only made her giggle more.

"Just because Azure is the goddess of day, doesn't mean she's intimately involved in every piece of human culture that develops around it." She said. "Besides, the stronger a deity is, the more difficult it becomes to manifest in the mortal plane truly."

"So if they did really see a goddess, it was probably a weaker one?"

"Or a spirit that was in the process of diefication." It was an interesting explanation, and I mulled it over as we walked along a veranda that passed a beautifully maintained garden, before stepping through a set of double doors into the castle's interior. The hallways were built like a maze, and we even climbed a few sets of inconveniently steep stairs. It wasn't until I was thoroughly disoriented that we crossed and covered the wooden bridge through an internal courtyard before entering the center, and largest, pagoda of the castle. Yuzuki led us to a smaller waiting room, gesturing for us to sit down before disappearing once more into the halls.

The officials who had been with us stayed standing by the walls, and I wondered if the Daimyo would be coming to meet with us in here, or if we'd be moving to a throne room like Auntie and Uncle had. After another ten minutes of waiting, my question was answered when a new attendant arrived to lead us to a spacious room, where Yuzuki stood at the bottom of a dais, arguing with the man sitting above her on an elevated platform.

"You can't be serious, brother!"

"Yuzuki, we've been over these countless times. I will not change my stance. My duty is to our own country and people, not the rest of the world."

When we entered, the Daimyo's eyes snapped to us, and his expression darkened. He had an imposing presence, with silky black hair like his sister's that fell to his upper back. Muscles bulged from beneath his formal attire, and the robe opened slightly at the front to show a glimpse of his toned chest. Yuzuki also turned to us with frustration and anger written across her features, but before she could say anything, Lydia raised her hand placatingly.

"It's alright, Yuzuki. Thank you for doing your best, but I should speak for myself now that I'm here." Our friend bit her lip, but nodded in understanding. We soon stood beside her, also looking up at the man in charge as he addressed us.

"You are my dear sisters' friends, Lady Lydia and Lady Audrey, correct?" He asked, and Lydia nodded, but then frowned.

"You are correct, Esteemed Daimyo." She said. "However, only Yuzuki has earned our permission to be so familiar. I ask that you address us by our proper titles for the sake of mutual respect." The Daimyo raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't object. His advisors, however, had something to say.

"How impudent! You foreigners dare to make demands—" The man who spoke didn't look related to Yuzuki, and he faltered as his leader raised a hand toward him.

"Enough. It is a reasonable request, since this is a formal setting." The Daimyo cut him off. It seemed Yuzuki's brother was at least capable of rational thought most times. Turning back to us, he leaned forward a little on his cushion. "Now then, Princess Lydia of Venyth—" He looked at me, and I did my best to smile. "Lady Guardian of night, Audrey Rose." I froze as he said my full name, but then exhaled slowly. It was a bit surprising that he knew my real identity, but given their vast intelligence network, it was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the way Yuzuki looked so taken aback. Apparently, she hadn't been informed. I'll have to explain to her properly when we get a moment. "I am grateful for your intervention during the imperial assault on our waters. As a show of thanks, I've allowed you this audience to handle this matter personally."

"Then you'll listen to what we have to say?" Lydia confirmed, and the Daimyo nodded.

"Yes, but you should know… I have no intention of agreeing to any alliance or request for reinforcement. This is merely for formalities' sake before I send you back to your home." His bluntness made me gape, but Lydia only tilted her head to the side curiously.

"In that case, you should know that we have no intention of leaving until we secure Yamada's cooperation." This made the Daimyo actually laugh out loud.

"You are certainly an interesting princess." The black-haired man said, but then his demeanor suddenly grew serious, and he glared at my girlfriend. "I understand that you have your own desperate reasons, but you should not mistake my sympathy for weakness."

"I would never. After all, I understand why you made the decision you did, thanks to Yuzuki's explanation." Lydia said calmly, meeting the Daimyo's gaze unflinchingly. "However, if it weren't for us, your ports would likely be in ruins by now, and imperial soldiers would be slaughtering your people without mercy."

"Do you think us so weak that we wouldn't have a plan to deal with the imperial 'battleship'?" He scoffed. "The only thing we didn't know was the timeframe they would attack, but we had our own countermeasures."

"But that's not what happened." Lydia casually. "Even if that is true, you still owe us."

"How brazen of you." The Daimyo glowered. "I am grateful you assisted my people, but we did not request that of you. You are demanding a reward for an act for which none was established."

"I see… So that's how you see it. All this time, I thought the one thing you valued most was your people, but I see I was mistaken."

"What…?" The man's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Don't you dare speculate on my feelings."

"Why shouldn't I?" My girlfriend said, doubling down. "Your actions and words do not line up. You claim your actions are to protect your own home and people, but everything from your dishonorable betrayal to your current refusal to fight the empire only shows one thing." She glared back at the man before her before slowly saying. "That the Esteemed Daimyo of Yamada is nothing but a short-sighted coward."

The room feels dead silent. Even Yuzuki stepped away from us with a growing look of rage at Lydia's cutting words. Yuzuki's brother only glared with a frown for a few tense moments before finally responding.

"Maybe so." He said, shocking all of us. "Still, I'll remind you that this all happened due to your own parents' incompetence. It is not Yamada's duty to clean up after your country's mistakes." You could hear a pin drop as another tense silence stretched.

"You are right." I didn't know what response the Daimyo expected, but it obviously wasn't that as his eyes widened. "I've already come to terms with my family's mistakes. It's precisely because of that that I'm trying so hard to make things right. It's not just my countrymen who have suffered; countless people across the continent have suffered as well." I looked at Lydia worriedly as she clenched her fists hard enough to draw blood. "Even after I've been given power, I'm still powerless to change the future by myself." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but they only showed with determination. "Do you honestly believe the emperor will leave you alone, simply because it would be a brutal fight? The recent attack is only the beginning. He will not stop until his banner shadows the whole world, and once the resistance is gone, there will be nothing to distract his efforts. Yamada's defense will crack eventually, maybe not during your rule, but it will happen."

She pointed up at the Daimyo, whose expression was flickering between anger and uncertainty. "You know just as well that your fragile peace cannot hold. I only hope you'll make the right choice, despite our anger toward one another. If you genuinely want what's best for your people, then rise and fight." Even I teared up at her words, and had to wipe at my eyes.

The Daimyo looked contemplative, and subtly bit at his lip for a few minutes as we waited.

"I've already considered what you've said. But if we hold out long enough, the emperor will eventually decide it's not worth the casualties." His voice sounded uncharacteristically weak, like he was trying to convince himself more than anything else.

"You're wrong," I said, chiming in on the discussion for the first time and drawing the attention of the room. "The emperor will not stop. As I'm sure you know, he is a Divine Guardian as well." When the Daimyo nodded, I continued. "What you don't understand is what exactly that means. Xenis will drive the emperor to continue his conquest. War and suffering only bolster their power. He does not care for his subjects like you or Lydia do. Even if it leaves the world irreparably scarred, he will make any sacrifice to ensure his god's victory." The Daimyo was clearly torn between the choices now, and so were his advisors. When he didn't respond for a while, I laid out the final reason he should fight.

"If that still isn't enough for you…" I released my power, flooding the room with shadows and water to the maximum I could handle without losing control. Lydia protected herself, Leah, and Yuzuki with barriers just in time, but everyone else in the room fell to their knees from the sheer pressure I was admitting. Surprisingly, the Daimyo managed to maintain his composure, but the thick sheen of sweat that appeared on his brow was telling. "If you don't join the war, and we lose… The emperor won't be the Divine Guardian you'll need to be afraid of."

"Audrey…" Aurora murmured in my head, and I sent some reassuring thoughts. The threat was unlike me, but it was the truth. I'd always done my best to be optimistic and bright, since I knew better than anyone else what darkness really felt like. However, not even I could lose everything I'd found and just let it go.

After letting my power overflow for a minute, I pulled it all back in. Everyone who was affected by the pressure gasped for air, including the Daimyo. When he finally composed himself, he looked between the two of us, now calculating the new risk.

"I do not appreciate being threatened… But I suppose I share some of the blame for being so mulish. I now understand the full scope of the situation… Please allow some time for me to think it over." It wasn't exactly a yes, but it was clear he was taking us much more seriously than before. It was a good start.

"Of course, Esteemed Daimyo. Things have certainly gotten out of hand, and I apologize for my delegation's behavior today." Lydia said with a bow.

"And I as well. My conduct wasn't entirely befitting my position either. Yuzuki will guide you to a guest room for now."

"Thank you… I hope you make the right choice." Lydia said softly. As we left, I glanced over my shoulder. I couldn't tell if what I'd said would have any impact, but one thing was clear by the last glimpse of the Daimyo's face I saw before the door closed.

He could no longer pretend it wasn't Yamada's problem as well.

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