They arrive at the castle gate, where the heavy iron doors creak open slowly, the Shinra guards waiting in strict formation. Without wasting a moment, the guards escort them forward, their boots echoing against the polished stone floor as if to remind them of the authority and weight of the place they were entering. The air grows heavier the deeper they go, every step taking them closer to the inner chambers of the special darkside knight of ASHURA.
"Hey, master… why are they taking us into the inner chamber?" Jackson asks, his tone carrying both curiosity and unease.
Lucy keeps her face calm, but her eyes betray a flicker of suspicion. "I'm surprised as well, Jack. Let's hope they're not looking for trouble," she replies softly, as though even her voice was wary of the walls around them. She pretends not to know anything about the reason behind their summons, keeping her students steady while her thoughts remain guarded.
The group is led into a wide corridor lined with dark banners, torches casting long shadows that danced against the walls. Soon, they stop before a massive door, adorned with golden crests of Ashura's special darkside knights. One guard pushes it open with effort, revealing a very large chamber inside.
The room is grand—easily three times the size of Guhan's meeting hall. Jackson's eyes widen in amazement. "This… this meeting room is way larger than Guhan's. Look at all this—furniture everywhere, and… twelve giant chairs?" he mutters, scanning the twelve perfectly carved seats, each positioned with great intent. At the far end of the gigantic table sits a throne-like chair, massive in size, clearly reserved for the highest authority in the chamber.
Alfie narrows his eyes, irritation in his voice. "What's with all this? Those people set us up to be killed by assassins, and now they drag us here for questioning?!" His words spill out sharp with anger.
"This is how things are done, Alfie," Lucy answers firmly, though her calm is edged with annoyance of her own. "They can't ignore even the smallest matters if you're involved. This is their way of keeping order."
As they approach, the atmosphere thickens. Sitting at the head of the table is the special darkside knight of Ashura, Raizer, flanked by ten pro darkside knights seated in the great chairs. The tension in the room feels alive, every pro darkside knight watching silently as Lucy and her students step closer.
Lucy locks eyes with Raizer, her tone sharp but steady. "Can you explain this to me, special darkside knight? Why was I summoned here after being tricked by your Shinras and nearly getting myself and my students killed?"
Raizer raises a hand, his voice calm but commanding. "Calm down, Miss. You're not here for questioning or interrogation. I only summoned you to apologize—on behalf of my Shinras—for what they did to you and your students."
"That was not the plan, Raizer! What do you think you're doing?" one of the pro darkside knights snaps suddenly, the man sitting close to him pounding his fist against the table in frustration.
"You will address me as the special darkside knight, not by my name, Memphis," Raizer replies sternly, his tone carrying absolute authority.
For three seconds, silence falls. Memphis stares in shock, then bows his head. "…Apologies, special darkside knight," he says reluctantly.
Raizer doesn't shift his gaze. "We all received detailed reports from the night watch. The group of Shinras who tricked this woman and her students into that ambush—they were originally from Ashura. That means this wasn't their fault to begin with."
Another pro darkside knight leans forward, his voice cutting into the silence. "I'm sorry to interrupt, special darkside knight, but I believe we're missing something here."
Raizer narrows his eyes. "And what would that be?"
"This situation is not something we can dismiss so easily," the pro darkside knight explains. "I questioned one of the Shinras involved, and he revealed a clearer picture of what really happened. The assassins weren't after the Shinras at all. Their true target was this woman… and her students."
The room stiffens, Raizer waiting quietly as he continues.
"They couldn't breach the kingdom of Ashura, so they used the Shinras to lure her outside. On their way back from a mission, the Shinras encountered the assassins. Without hesitation, the assassins attacked, defeating them—including a mage in their squad who couldn't use Renshi, making it even harder to defend themselves. Once they were beaten, the assassins made their demands clear: bring us the woman and her companions, or your comrades die. With no other choice, the Shinras tricked them out. Their comrades were being held hostage."
Murmurs ripple through the chamber. The pro darkside knight leans back, his tone heavier. "So the real question is this: why is the Silent Eliminator after this woman and her companions?"
Raizer's eyes narrow. "How did the Shinras know the woman they were after was her in particular?"
The pro darkside knight—Kojiki—answers without hesitation. "It's obvious, my special darkside knight. There has only been one mysterious woman, accompanied by a man and two children, residing in Ashura for the past months. Anyone would point to them as the prime suspects."
"I will not accept such exaggeration!" Raizer roars, his voice shaking the table as his fist slams down in anger.
For five tense seconds, silence hangs heavy in the room.
Then, the oldest of the pro darkside knights speaks calmly. "Calm yourself, special darkside knight. There is no reason to panic. If she weren't the one the assassins sought, they would never have attacked them in the first place."
Raizer falls silent again, his jaw tight, though his expression shows unease.
Alfie leans closer to Jackson, whispering, "Hey Jack… I think the special darkside knight is on our side. But… there's something odd about him."
"Yeah, I can see it," Jackson replies in a low tone. "He's defending us with every word he can, and I don't know why. But as long as he's standing with us, there's nothing to worry about."
"Of course there's nothing," Alfie mutters with a relieved expression.
"Don't get carried away, boys. This isn't over," Sasaki interrupts, his voice cold but sharp. "If the pro darkside knights don't agree with the special darkside knight's decision, the case won't end here. Their decisions must align—only then is the peace balance of Ashura preserved."
Lucy remains quiet for a moment, her sharp eyes scanning the pro darkside knights one by one. Then she steps forward, her voice cutting through the tension.
"Before you let this discussion turn into misunderstanding and conflict, there's one thing you all need to know—"