By midday, whispers had already traveled through every corner of Kaida. The news of the Hoshino clan's actions spread like wildfire. They had drawn the first blood in the long-standing rivalry. No one expected them to strike first, and by now, the story must have reached the Clan Lord himself.
Master Hoshino summoned Shion to the main hall. The room was packed with clan members, their eyes shifting nervously between Shion and her father. Rin and Akari were among the crowd, their faces pale and rigid from the earlier shock of Daichi's death. They had not yet fully processed the tragedy, and now they were about to witness another storm.
Shion knelt in the center of the hall. Her hands rested on her thighs, trembling as she bowed her head. She could feel the weight of every gaze pressing down on her. The warmth of the sunlight streaming through the paper windows did little to ease the chill in her bones.
"What have you done, Lady?" Master Hoshino's voice boomed from his high seat. The sound echoed off the walls, carrying a sharp edge that made some of the clan members flinch. "I sent you to claim the land, not slaughter everyone. You even killed an Akarawa consort. Do you even understand what you have caused?"
Shion lifted her head slightly, her eyes brimming with tears, but her voice stuck in her throat. The hall felt impossibly heavy, each second stretching longer than the last.
"The Clan Lord will demand justice," Master Hoshino continued, his gaze piercing. "I do not care what the Akarawa clan does. But Clan Lord will not take this lightly. He is in charge of Kaida. You should have known better."
"Father, please," Shion whispered, her voice cracking. "I did not do it. It was my hands, but I was not in control. Please, believe me." Her body shook as the words tumbled out, desperate, pleading.
Master Hoshino's eyes narrowed. He looked down at her as if she were a stranger. "Control or not, the fact remains. You failed your mission, you lost the land. You have shamed our name and tarnished my reputation that I spent years building." He leaned back in his chair, his expression cold. "You are on your own. Whatever happens next, you will face it alone. I do not want such a murderous daughter in my clan."
The hall fell into silence. Several clan members shifted uneasily, whispering among themselves. Many knew of Master Hoshino's single-minded ambition, how he had always used Shion as a pawn in his schemes. Unlike other fathers who would shield their children, he pushed hers into dangers she had not chosen.
Shion had expected this. She had always known her father valued power over love, yet a tiny spark of hope had lingered in her chest. Maybe, this time, he would stand by her side.
But that hope shattered in the icy weight of his words.
"Before the Clan Lord arrives, hand her over," Master Hoshino ordered the guards.
Rin flinched at the command. Akari's eyes widened, her chest rising and falling in quick, sharp breaths. Without thinking, she stepped forward. Her knees hit the polished stone floor, and she knelt beside Shion, her hands pressing against her thighs as if to anchor herself.
"You will have to kill me first before you touch my sister," Akari said, her voice trembling yet firm.
Gasps rose from the crowd. Shion's eyes widened in disbelief. She never imagined Akari would defend her, not in a million years. Her heart beat faster, a strange warmth spreading through her chest amidst the fear.
Master Hoshino leaned forward, his fingers curling into fists on the arm of his chair. "What is this foolishness, Akari?"
"You heard me," Akari said, her voice shaking but resolute. "Anyone who tries to take my sister will have to go through me." She lifted her chin, standing tall despite her trembling legs.
Master Hoshino's face darkened. "Do you understand what your sister has done?"
Akari did not flinch. She met his gaze head-on. "She said she did not do it. And I believe her. Instead of discarding her, we should help her before it is too late. Sister Shion is innocent. I will not allow anyone to lay a finger on her."
Rin's jaw went slack. She had never seen Akari act like this. Akari had always avoided matters of land, politics, and clan disputes. She did not want to be compared to Shion or to compete with her. Yet here she was, standing in the hall with her heart blazing, ready to face their father and the entire clan.
"What is the meaning of this, Akari?" Master Hoshino demanded, his voice rising. "I told you two to get along, but not like this. The Clan Lord will demand justice. The Akarawa clan will demand blood in exchange for blood. The only way to settle this is to hand Shion over. If you want peace to remain, stay out of this. Go to the maiden's club with your cousin Rin and leave the elders to handle it."
Akari's lips quivered, but she did not back down. She rose slowly to her feet, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Her voice, though strained, carried the weight of steel. "Any matter concerning Sister Shion is also mine. I will not abandon her. Instead of offering her as a sacrifice, why don't you find a solution? You call yourself our father, but all you care about is power. Your own daughter is in danger, and your first instinct is to cast her aside. What kind of father does that make you?"
"Akari," Master Hoshino roared, his face red with anger, "why are you doing this?"
Akari's shoulders shook violently. Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she bowed her head, her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened.
"I made a promise to someone," she whispered, barely audible over the silence. "And I will not break that promise."
The hall fell completely quiet. Even the guards froze in place, their breaths shallow.
Before Master Hoshino could respond, the large doors at the far end of the hall slid open with a soft creak.
A cold breeze entered first, carrying the faint scent outside. The sound of sandals brushing against the floor followed.
Selene stepped into the room. Her presence was calm but commanding, a strange serenity amidst the tension. She paused for a moment, letting her gaze sweep across the hall, taking in the clustered crowd.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The Ice Queen now was involved.