The moment Kazuto arrived at the dining hall, everything shifted. Kazan snapped into his best behavior, and Aira transformed into a chatterbox, regaling him with every detail of the slap saga that had just unfolded.
Kage noticed something amusing about the couple. When Kazuto reached the table, he didn't demand his wife stand. He could have claimed the seat at the far end, but instead he chose one close to his wife—opposite Kage and beside Aira.
The man's presence exerted a strange pressure on Kage. It was faintly suffocating, uncomfortable.
Kazuto was the first person caught in his weave of homicidal plans. His death had triggered the entire success of the Black Lotus War. Kage never knew him personally, but when Kazuto died, he couldn't shake the feeling that it had happened too easily.
