The acrid smell of smoke and the groans of stressed metal filled Captain Morrison's cabin as Valerius struggled
to his feet, his sword still facing the wounded assassin. Thomas remained on his knees, clutching the bleeding
stump where his hand had been, but his laughter had died down to a disturbing chuckle .
"What have you done to my ship?" Morrison demanded, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead where
debris had struck him during the explosion. "How many of your people are aboard?"
Thomas's eyes gleamed with a light as he looked up at both men. "Enough," he whispered, his voice carrying
an edge of religious ecstasy that made Valerius's skin crawl. "More than enough to conduct our lord's test
properly."
Valerius stepped closer, his blade hovering inches from Thomas's throat. The knight captain's face was a mask
of fury—he had seen too much death, too much suffering at the hands of these fanatics to show them any
mercy. "I'm going to ask you once more, and I suggest you answer truthfully. What is the nature of this test?
What do you want with Dr. Mizushima?"
"The phase-shifter," Thomas said, the words coming out in a breathy whisper filled . "Our lord wishes to
understand the true extent of his capabilities. How far will his power reach when innocent blood is at stake?
How much pressure can he withstand before he breaks?"
The implications hit Valerius like a physical blow. These weren't random attacks—they were carefully
orchestrated scenarios ment to push Kazuki's abilities to their absolute limits. The Masked Ones weren't trying
to kill them; they were conducting a brutal experiment using the lives of everyone aboard the skyship as
expendable test subjects.
"You sick bastards," Valerius growled, his sword hand trembling with rage. "These are innocent people.
Families, children—"
"Sacrifices," Thomas interrupted. "Necessary sacrifices to understand the tools our lord will need for the
greater work ahead."
"What greater work?" Morrison pressed. "What are you people planning?"
Thomas's smile widened, revealing teeth stained with blood. "The Devil's Gamble," he said, the words carrying
weight that neither Valerius nor Morrison could fully grasp. "May Lord Akira see the results clearly."
Before either man could react, Thomas bit down hard on something concealed within his mouth. There was an
audible crack as a false tooth shattered, releasing its hidden contents. Immediately, foam began pouring from
his lips as violent convulsions wracked his body.
"Poison tooth," Valerius said grimly, recognizing the assassin's final move. "He's not going to tell us anything
else."
Thomas's body went rigid as the toxin coursed through his system, his eyes rolling back to show only whites.
But even as death claimed him, his lips continued moving in what might have been a prayer or a curse: "May
Lord Akira... see the results... of the Devil's Gamble..."
The words died with their speaker, leaving only the growing sounds of chaos from elsewhere in the ship.
A second devastating explosion rocked the skyship, this one powerful enough to crack the cabin's wooden
walls and send both surviving men crashing into the furniture. The ship turned violently to port before
somehow managing to stabilize, though the sound of stressed metal and breaking wood suggested that
stability was temporary at best.
"They're trying to blow us out of the sky," Valerius realized, quickly processing the pattern of attacks. "But not
to kill us. They want to see how Kazuki reacts under extreme pressure."
Morrison stared at him in horror. "You're saying they're willing to murder everyone aboard just to test one
man's abilities?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Valerius replied grimly. "These fanatics don't value human life the way
normal people do. To them, we're all just—"
His words were cut off as the cabin door burst open. One of the ship's guards stumbled in, his uniform torn
and bloodied, his face that of terror and disbelief.
"Captain Morrison!" the guard gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "We need help! More than half the
guards and serving staff—they've turned! They're attacking passengers with weapons, killing everyone they
see"
Morrison went pale. "What do you mean 'turned'?"
"They were never really our people," Valerius said, the full scope of the situation becoming clear. "The Masked
Ones replaced your staff systematically. How many actual guards do we have left?"
"Maybe sixteen or seventeen," the guard replied, his voice shaking. "They killed most of the real guards first,
and the serving staff who tried to help. It's... it's a slaughter out there, sir. They're cutting people down like
they're jointing chickens for the market. Blood everywhere, screaming..."
The man's voice broke as what he had witnessed overwhelmed his ability to describe it. Valerius felt a familiar
rage settle over him—the same fury that had driven him through countless battles against those who preyed
upon the innocent.
"Captain Morrison," he barked, his voice taking on the tone of absolute command that had served him through
decades of military service. "Gather whatever real guards we have left and try to protect the passengers. Set
up defensive positions in the main salon and the forward compartments—anywhere you can establish clear
sight lines and control access."
"What about you?" Morrison asked, already moving toward his weapon locker.
"I'm going to find Dr. Mizushima and Lady Reina," Valerius replied, checking his sword and ensuring his
secondary weapons were secure. "If this is truly a te
st of his abilities, then he's going to be the target for whatever these bastards have planned next."