Kaito exhaled. "Then, can we at least find someone who survived the first round? Maybe gather information on the fighters? That could give us an advantage."
Hena's lips quivered. Her voice was barely a whisper. "No one survived."
A heavy stillness gripped the room.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Hataki hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean, no one survived?"
Hena lowered her gaze, her expression grim. "They were all killed by the Speaker's men in the first round of the tournament."
Ginrou stiffened, his hands clenched into fists. "Wait… is killing allowed in the tournament?"
Hena took a deep breath before answering. "Before Yami became the village Speaker, killing was strictly prohibited. If an opponent yielded, the match was over. But after Yami rose to power under the king's orders, everything changed. He rules through fear and brute strength.
" She hesitated, her voice faltering. "When a person dared to challenge him in the past, the person managed to survive the first round and advanced to face Yami himself. But… he lost. And Yami made an example of him.
" Her voice trembled as she continued. "He issued a chilling warning to the public: 'If any of you dare to challenge me, you will face death by my hands.' Then, he hanged the defeated warrior in the center of the coliseum, ensuring no one would ever defy him and after that he even tortured the other two who supported him in that tournament, in the end no one found their bodies even now."
A cold silence settled over the room. No one spoke. No one moved. The weight of Hena's words pressed down on them like an iron grip.
Kaito was the first to break the silence. "Hena, you said one person represents each village, and three fighters will enter the tournament. That means they'll face three of the Speaker's men, right?"
Hena shook her head. "No, Sir Kaito. Let me explain. Before Yami's reign, the tournament had only two rounds. The three chosen warriors from each village would fight amongst themselves in the first round. The last one standing would challenge the Speaker in the second round, and if they won, they would take his place.
But now…" Her voice grew heavy. "The first round pits the three warriors against six of the Speaker's men. If any survive, they move on to the second round, where they must fight one of the Speaker's strongest warriors. And if, against all odds, they endure that—only then do they face the Speaker himself in the final round."
Kaito exhaled sharply. "So he's toying with innocent lives for his own amusement. What a bastard."
Ginrou crossed his arms. "Yoto is an outsider, right? That means he'll be the fourth fighter alongside the three village representatives."
Hena hesitated. "I… I don't know about that, Sir Ginrou."
Hataki turned to Kaito. "Kaito, what do you think? Does Yoto stand a chance? And… doesn't Nishi count as a person? If he knew Yoto had someone inside him, who knows what he would do?"
Kaito's thoughts raced. He finally spoke, measured and firm. "I think Yoto should fight on his own. But if things take a turn for the worse, we step in."
Ginrou frowned. "Wouldn't that break the rules?"
Kaito scoffed. "Rules? As if Yami follows any." He exhaled sharply. "But… we won't interfere in the first round. If Yoto can survive the first two, then we help him take down the Speaker."
Hena nodded slowly. "Sir Kaito, that might work…what you say is that you won't intervene until Yoto is actually facing the Speaker."
Kaito held her gaze. "Yes. We won't."
Hena's voice dropped to a whisper. "So you don't believe Yoto can win on his own?"
Kaito hesitated. "It's not that he's—"
Hataki cut him off, his tone resolute. "We won't help him in any of the fights. He has to win on his own."
Ginrou's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! So we just leave him to die?!"
Kaito chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "No. We trust him."
Ginrou's fists shook. "Trust?! You're both insane! Do you even care what happens to him?!"
Hataki remained calm. "Ginrou, it's not that we don't care. We trust his strength. We trust him."
Ginrou fell silent, his anger simmering beneath the surface. After a moment, he muttered, "I'm going to the washroom. I'll be back."
As he left the room, his expression unreadable, Hataki watched him go, then turned his thoughts inward.
I remember what you said that night, Kaito. To trust him. That's exactly what I'm going to do now. I'm going to trust Yoto with everything I have.
Kaito turned to Hena. "Thank you for the information. We truly appreciate it."
Hena shook her head. "No, no. You're in this mess because of me in the first place. This is the least I can do."
Hataki placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "As I said before, don't blame yourself, Hena. None of this is your fault."
That night, as the discussion came to an end, exhaustion weighed heavy on everyone. The moonlight poured over the land, its glow casting an ethereal beauty over the world below.
But sleep eluded Akemi. No matter how much she tried, her eyes refused to close, her mind restless with a singular thought—bringing back Hayato.
Sitting up in bed, she gazed at the moon, its silver light washing over her face. Determination burned in her chest.
I will bring you back tonight, Hayato. And I will save Yoto from fighting that demon.