"I'm leaving!" Kamui said, already halfway to the door.
Liu Han turned his head, a grin already forming.
"Leaving? And where exactly do you think you're going?"
Kamui stopped mid-step and turned to him.
"Where else? Mount Fuji."
Conquest understood exactly how he felt. But she also knew they couldn't just march into Mount Fuji without a plan. Not with two Demons of Sin and their high-ranking demons waiting for them.
Granny Chiyo rose from her chair, clutching her large crystal shard.
"If you go now, you will die."
"What? Did you see my death?" Kamui said.
"No… I have not. To be honest with you, my crystal shard doesn't work the way you assume. When I picture someone while holding it, a vision of that person appears. But I don't get to choose when in their life the vision lands. It could be their past or their future. And even then, it only shows me fragments. Never the full picture."
Granny Chiyo raised a finger as she shuffled toward Kamui.
"But there's another caveat to my relic."
Kamui narrowed his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Settle down and listen. My crystal shard only works on humans. If someone isn't human, I can't see a single thing about them. Nothing."
Conquest turned toward her, confusion written all over her face.
"Hold on. If your crystal shard only works on humans, then how did you see anything about me? I'm a Horseman of the Apocalypse. One of the original four. Your relic shouldn't work on me at all."
Conquest paused, her mind racing to fill the gap.
"Unless… the only reason it worked was because I hadn't reincarnated yet. You must have seen the future of the human named Yuki whose body I took. The girl I killed when my soul overtook hers."
Conquest's eyes narrowed further, her mind scrambling for an explanation that made sense.
"But that still doesn't explain how you can see my future now. I've fully taken over this body. So why does your crystal shard still work on me? I need answers now!"
Granny Chiyo sighed, lowering her head with a slow shake. A grin tugged at her lips as her hands settled on her hips.
"First of all, do you truly believe you killed that girl? Answer me that, and then I'll answer all of your questions."
Conquest's voice cracked through the room.
"Of course I did! Isn't it obvious? I don't feel her inside me. Her soul is gone!"
"But dear, have you ever felt her soul in the first place?"
Conquest paused as she put a hand to her lips. What Granny Chiyo had just said made her think twice.
In a way she was absolutely right. Conquest had never felt another presence inside her body. Not once. From the moment she opened her eyes it felt natural, like the body had always been hers.
And then there were Yuki's memories. She held every single one of them. But that alone didn't prove anything. Still, what she couldn't explain was why those memories felt like her own. Not like some kind of recordings she inherited.
They felt deeply personal. As if she had been the one ignoring her parents in that dark room. The one who watched Igarashi vanish right in front of her eyes.
The one who was attacked by the doll wraith when it came to life. And lastly, the one who broke apart when her own parents told her over the phone that they loved her.
All this time, she had clung to the belief that she had killed an innocent girl who had dreams and ambitions of her own. But in reality, it was a lie.
A shaky laugh broke from Conquest as her hand covered her face, the weight of the revelation still sinking in.
"I'm… I'm Yuki Ayano. The daughter of Akito Ayano and Mia Kujo. But also the original fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Conquest, Ruler Of All. The youngest of my siblings."
Granny Chiyo smiled.
"Exacly, and as for your question on why i could still see your past or future. Its because your half human."
Granny Chiyo turned toward Kamui.
"Now as for you, you are far too valuable to lose. If you march into Mount Fuji without a plan and we lose you, defeating the Demons of Sin becomes nearly impossible."
Then she turned back to Conquest.
"That goes for you too, darling."
Liu Han rose from his chair and strolled over to Kamui, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Look, just listen to the old lady. She's got a point. Besides, she can always try to see your sister's future later. So how about you and I take a walk and give these two some room to talk. Sounds good?"
Granny Chiyo nodded.
"Thank you. It won't take long. We'll meet you back in the room on the ninetieth floor."
Kamui didn't say a word as he adjusted his circular sunglasses and followed Liu Han toward the door. But halfway there, Liu Han stopped and looked back.
"Oh, Gundo. Get rid of the demon. We got all the info we needed from him."
As Liu Han called out to Gundo, Liu Han raised his hand and all four nails ripped free from the demon's body and flew toward him. Without looking, he caught them in one fluid motion and slipped them into his black overcoat.
Conquest was silently impressed, but she knew he was most likely showing off. Which knocked him down a few pegs in her mind.
Regardless, she could admit that leading a group of both sorcerers and non-sorcerers took more than just charm.
He was either strong enough to command their respect through force or persuasive enough to make them follow willingly. She still couldn't tell which one he was.
Especially since she had no idea what his nail relic item could do, or if he had other relic items hidden up his sleeve.
Just then, the demon's body peeled off the wall and hit the gymnasium floor face first. Blood and brain matter cracked across the hardwood and seeped outward in every direction.
Gundo lumbered over and grabbed the demon by the ankle, then dragged him toward the door. A wet red streak followed him the whole way out.
"Finally, we're alone. How about you come and sit with me?" Granny Chiyo said as she shuffled back to her chair and eased herself down, before patting the seat beside her.
The feeling was mutual. Conquest had been waiting for this moment longer than she cared to admit. With that, she walked over and took the seat beside Granny Chiyo.
"Now, you mentioned knowing me four hundred and fifty years ago. That lines up with when I was punished by the Sovereign. But there's no way you'd know that unless you saw my past through your relic. So tell me the truth. Who are you really, and what connection do you have to my past?"
Granny Chiyo couldn't stop smiling as she turned her head towards a confused Conquest.
"You sound exactly how you sounded back when we were both in the unseen realm. Sorry, I just could not help myself. I just never thought that you would be punished around the same time you killed me."
Conquest stiffened at her words. Because if she heard her correctly, she had just mentioned that Conquest killed her. But then why was she smiling? Why did she look so happy to see the person who ended her life?
Was this some kind of trap to lure her in close before striking? She wasn't sure, but her guard was up and it wasn't coming down anytime soon.
"What do you mean by kill? Elaborate further."
Granny Chiyo rose from her chair and stood in front of Conquest with a wide gentle smile.
By now, Conquest was prepared to kill her with her bare hands if she sensed even a flicker of malice. But as Chiyo stood in front of her, smiling from ear to ear with tears building at the edges of her eyes, there was nothing. And that alone confused her more.
"It's been far too long, Conquest. I wouldn't blame you for not recognizing me. After all, I've reincarnated into this frail human body and grown old with it. But it's me, the former Demon Sin of Lust. Lilith, Mother of Demonkind."