The five girls y curled beh quilted bs, their faces finally peaceful in sleep, nightmares held at bay by the sanctuary's warmth.

  "What is your move?" Baelor asked with softness.

  "I don't know. The bandits are a blight on the wards. Corruption with only one solution." A solution that required blood.

  "The corruption in this ward has festered for too long. Whilst I would not relish in more death. For those who spread despair there, an exception to be made." Baelor shared Eren's philosophy. Banly is maintaihrough extreme a; it was a role he himself uook. He had to take.

  "So, what is the move?" Eren knew in his mind, it was clear. So was the pn. "Take out the Crimson bandit's heart." Baelreed.

  "How will you do it?" There were few ways to go about dismantling a powerful anization.

  Yet, Eren was stumped. "Any ideas?"

  "Yes, many. Taking the head of the snake; allowing the remaining members to scatter. The oldest and most reliable method.

  Total annihition; leaving anding.

  Letting nature take its course, the bandits will eventually be absorbed by a bigger pile of rot. Allowing ananization to take its pce. However, we then start with a new enemy with unknown iions.

  Even the w; allow justice to finally act. However, from what you have informed me, the rot has ied deep."

  After a few moments, silence had drawhe room, Eren pondered and Baelor let him. Watg the childre. There was only one solution to this drum. "We 't let any of them live, but we 't have a new guild moving iher."

  A slow smile spread across Baelor's lips. "Then allow me to aid. The Silvermane will retake the ward."

  "Retake?"

  "Yes. Once uild was o the time Reiji Kikuchi romi leader amongst our ranks."

  "I assume you are familiar with the siege of Tokyo?"

  It was oop of things for the knights to research, yet despite time on his side the knight was a slow research aid. "No. I've still got a lot more research to do. Give me a shortened version."

  "Four years ago, a gate broke open. Allowing monsters of all levels to stream through. Two weeks of fighting and chaos. When the dust finally settled; heroes rose as did the rot. Reiji used uilds brokeon to build a new empire."

  "And all I see outside?" Ereioned about all the homeless sleeping in shanty’s outside.

  "The remnants of broken people. Eyes oru wrought before their eyes."

  'I o research this stuff properly when I get home.'

  "I would start with taking the one you left at the mouth of our home. Show him to Reiji, take his life before his eyes. He will know what it means."

  With a final g the sleeping girls. Ereed back up through the tunnels, returning to the surface. There stood two knights; at the foot was Shinya. Arms and legs amputated; bloodied stumps covered with crude cauterization. Mouth cut from ear to ear, barley holding his jaw together.

  Ere him 'alive' for deserved suffering. Not knowing what to do with the former sed in and. Yet Baelor had the idea, use him to send a message.

  "Have you suffered enough?" His words cold and cruel. Shinya had blooded ears, deafo everything. Yet he knew what he said, eyes flooded with fear.

  ***

  Reiji's office:

  A whisky in his hand; watg the city, lights shining bright. Rain still p heavy, fogging the window. Droplets shattering as they crashed against the gss.

  Acceptance: After interviewing with the RFC felt as though everything, he had worked hard to achieve had bee undone. Not because of a psychopathister, but the mohat y within. Everythiood for; honour, pride, iy, loyalty. This was nothing like the yakuza of his youth, brutal at times yes, but respectful in their violend traditions.

  'A fool I was.' Taking a sip of his fine whisky.

  'That Akiko is quite the firecracker. More balls then half my boys.' Respeeone so sure and capable.

  'Maybe, I just end it all tomorrow... Turn myself in. For all the damage we have done. Surely a cushy deal, minimum time... Immunity for Hiro.' More whisky drowned down. Fuelling his mencholy.

  "The right thing. Ha... Those old farts would be rolling over in their graves, seeing me now."

  The rain subsided; at st, the dark, grey sky dissipated. Moonlight peeked through the broken clouds, shining its light upon Tokyo.

  Azure eyes caught Reiji's. 'Reaper.'

  Those eyes bore through the gss windows. By his side a bloodied red mess of a man. "Shinya?" Shocked by the state of the man. Blood soaked at his shoulders; legs severed off just below the kneecaps. Gruesome as he was dispyed like a fresh pieeat.

  The reaper presented Shinya to Reiji. Holding him high.

  *Swoosh*

  Irike; the body of Shinya fell down several stories. Only the lifeless head, eyes no longer sharp as the intelligent sed. Empty, void of everything.

  "So, that's how yoing to py it, Reaper?" Lifting his gss up. Watg the monster move bato the shadows. Despite the betrayal, the corruption and the death, Shinya was once his closest friend.

  "Perhaps I'll see those old farts soon. To the death!" Tipping his head back; all whisky drowned down his throat. Any thoughts of doing the right thing, gone.