Kazuki's expression darkened as silence filled the chamber. He finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an unshakable weight.
"I can't reveal much about the war we'll be facing. Not yet. But in short… it will require formations unlike anything seen before. To fight it, I'll need more than just strength—I'll need allies. Not only from our kingdom's civilians and our current allies outside these walls, but also… allies you might not even know exist."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, suspicion and worry warring within him. "And what makes you so sure you'll succeed?"
Kazuki tilted his head, his tone sharper now. "And what if I don't? Think about it, brother. Let's imagine we lose—then what? The future is already doomed. Whether we stand still or fight, destruction comes all the same. But tell me this, Arthur: would you rather watch the world crumble while doing nothing, knowing you could have tried… or would you die with the calmness of having fought to save everyone, even if you failed?"
Arthur clenched his fists but had no reply. His silence spoke louder than any words.
Kazuki continued, his eyes gleaming with a grim certainty. "In two years, the world as we know it will be destroyed. And in nine years… everything—our reality, our cosmology itself—will collapse because of the enemies that awaits us."
Shang's voice broke the silence, deep and cautious. "How do you know all of this, Kazuki?"
Kazuki lowered his gaze, his tone colder than ever. "Because I am the child of the prophecy of Fate's Chosen Path. This responsibility—this burden—was always mine to bear. I can't explain everything now. But one day… if that day ever comes… you will understand."
Shang said nothing. Arthur, too, was silent. The weight of Kazuki's words hung heavy in the air, as though the room itself understood the fate that loomed on the horizon.