The Empty Castle
The halls of the Akatsuki Castle felt unnaturally vast and cold that night. For the first time in her memory, Hime Lyra roamed alone in her night robes. The Moonlight Province felt empty; there was no high-strung, scholarly Elara to scold for burying her head in texts, and no laid-back, disinterested Kai to chase and attempt to teach a proper, earnest fighting stance.
She entered Kai's room—a sparsely furnished space—and dropped onto his bed.
"No matter how many times I try, I just can't teach you how to fight, little brother," Lyra muttered, clenching her fist. "Father is advancing in years, Elara doesn't even care about the province, and Kai... who knows what goes on in his head. And I'm destined to be Ama-Shōgun when Father steps down."
She sat up abruptly. "Am I ready?"
A maid entered the room. Seeing Lyra's troubled posture, she quietly sat beside the princess.
"Missing your siblings, your Majesty?"
"Yes, I am. Elara taught me control. Kai taught me peace. It's hard to coexist without them."
"I'm sure it is. But they did it for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. In Hime Elara's diary, she once stated that the only reason she's going back to school is to support you when you become Ama-Shōgun."
"And Kai?"
"We don't know, but I'm sure he won't abandon you." The maid stood up. "Anyway, one of your Mugen-Armament commanders is requesting you."
"Ah, yes." Lyra quickly rose. Her simple night dress shimmered and instantly hardened, turning into her elegant, scarlet ceremonial armor. [SHING!] "Let us."
They walked, Lyra quietly discussing her worries with the maid—it was exactly the grounding conversation she needed. They met the officer in the main courtyard, and Lyra's demeanor snapped to serious command.
"Any reports on Umbra?"
The officer looked confused. "Ma'am, I thought you wanted to hand the division to me and didn't want anything to do with the Mugen-Armaments?"
"I did," Lyra said, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "Until I realized something."
"And what's that?"
"I have a family."
The Flaw of the Ama-Shōgun
The scene quickly transitioned to the Akatsuki Training Grounds. Lyra and the officer were sparring, but it was purely a one-sided domination. Lyra moved like a whirlwind of perfect technique, using the officer as a literal training dummy. She ended the match by throwing him hard onto a tree stump and squatted down to his level, clearly disappointed in the lack of challenge.
"Still bullying your officers, dear?" a calm voice asked.
Lyra looked up. Her mother, Lady Ayame, stood there, holding her signature spear.
Lyra grumbled. "Maybe."
"Come, spar with me."
Lyra didn't hesitate. In the blink of an eye, [FWOOSH!] she was mid-air, her Tachi aimed at her mother. Ayame countered effortlessly. Lyra smirked, and they began sparring—Lyra's Tachi against Ayame's spear. Lyra moved elegantly and aggressively, but Ayame moved like the wind, evading and disarming without ever countering.
Annoyed at not being able to land a single blow, Lyra focused on her Tachi's reflection, drawing on raw motivation. She charged again.
Ayame simply backflipped, evaded, disarmed Lyra, and knocked her to the ground with a soft, non-painful impact. Lyra gritted her teeth, but Lady Ayame offered a hand. Lyra accepted it.
"You have improved," Ayame said gently. "But you usually don't fight angry. What's wrong?"
"The whole kingdom—not just the province—is expecting me to be Lord Umbra's end," Lyra admitted. "But I can barely counter him because of my... deficiency."
"Dear, not being able to sense the Kishō of others is no deficiency. It's just a setback," Ayame reassured her. "But we are Akatsukis. We don't let a small setback take us down."
"Yeah, but Umbra's Kishō has to be vast," Lyra argued. "And without a proper picture of how strong he is, how do I counter?"
The officer, who was finally walking again, cleared his throat. "I have an idea. In fact, that's why I actually came."
Lady Ayame and Lyra looked at each other, confused. They followed him to a chamber in the castle, waiting for his revelation.
"So, what's your plan?" Lyra demanded.
"Please do tell," Lady Ayame added.
The officer pulled back a curtain, revealing a Japanese-inspired, highly revealing uniform—a fusion of a martial arts uniform and a pelvic curtain.
"If I will," he said, gesturing dramatically.
"What the hell is that!?" Lyra gasped.
The officer chuckled. "Your new uniform."
Lady Ayame's expression hardened. "My child might be twenty, but it doesn't mean she's for sale when fighting."
"No, no," the officer hurried to explain, gesturing wildly. "This uniform is actually for her to fight in. You see, after understanding her inabilities, we made this suit to well... heighten her Kishō senses."
"Ummm, wow," Lyra managed.
"Okay," Lady Ayame conceded, intrigued despite herself.
"So, if you will?" the officer prompted.
The chapter ended with Lyra and Lady Ayame looking at each other, still unsure. But the suit, reflecting in Lyra's eyes, promised a dangerous shortcut to power—a power necessary to face the shadow of her own brother.