A small chuckle escaped Chizuru Fujimori's lips. It was warm enough to be polite, but with a tinge of something else. Weariness, perhaps.
"A change in leadership has certainly brought change into my life as well…" she replied as her gaze briefly slid toward Kaede before returning to the king.
But the exchange between the two elders was cut short by the no-nonsense voice of Kaede herself. "To honor His Majesty, King Alexios Valorian's one-thousandth birthday…"
The katana in her hand tilted, catching the throne room's light until its edge blazed white. She turned toward the row of Fujimori elders still holding the chains of the Phantom League's highest leaders.
The elders stood like statues, utterly unbothered by the blade angled toward them. Yet the prisoners at their feet tensed, their eyes widening as the most primal instinct awakened in them. A tremor ran through the chain links as their hands clenched in their bindings.
