Chapter 72: The Crumbling Throne
The air in the King's meeting room was frigid, thick with the scent of expensive incense that failed to mask the underlying smell of old parchment and cold stone. At the far end of the long, obsidian table sat King Zero. He was a man who radiated a quiet, terrifying authority, his eyes like two bottomless pits of shadow. Across from him, standing with an air of bored indifference, was Hima.
King Zero leaned forward, the light from the chandeliers glinting off his heavy rings. "So... tell me again what happened to the informants."
Hima shrugged, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips. "I told you already, Zero. It was a mistake. They were... fragile. I played a bit too hard, and they stopped breathing. It happens."
The King's fist slammed onto the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot through the silent room. "This isn't the first time, Hima! You've made this 'mistake' more times than I can count. Every time we get a lead on the Kera Group, you end up leaving a trail of corpses before we can get a single word out of them."
He narrowed his eyes, leaning closer until he could see the reflection of his own anger in her calm eyes. "Tell me... are you working with them? Is that why they always end up dead in your custody?"
Hima let out a soft, melodic laugh that lacked any warmth. "Me? In league with the Kera Group? Don't be ridiculous. If I were a member of that group, I wouldn't be standing here alone, listening to you lecture me. I would have brought the entire Kera Group with me, and we would be currently trying to see what color your blood is."
The room fell into a suffocating silence. The guards at the door shifted uncomfortably, their hands tightening on their weapons. But King Zero didn't flinch.
"Watch your tongue, Hima," the King whispered, his voice vibrating with a hidden power. "Remember that my eyes are always on you. One wrong move, and even your status won't save you."
Hima's smile widened, showing a hint of her sharp teeth. "Do you not trust me, King? After all I've done for this Academy?"
"If I didn't trust you," Zero replied coldly, "you wouldn't be the leader of the High-Ups. You would be in a cage or in the ground. But I didn't summon you here just to discuss your 'mistakes.' I need you to find the Kera Group's base of operations. And while you're at it, start visiting the Academy more often. Things are falling apart."
Hima tilted her head. "Falling apart? The students seem obedient enough."
"Seven Vaners died today," Zero said, his voice dropping to a somber tone. "Seven. And only three of them fell in battle."
Hima blinked, a flash of genuine curiosity crossing her face. "Oh? That's quite a loss. What happened to the others?"
"It's the drugs," Zero said, leaning back into his throne. "The high-potency Vane stimulants I ordered the Senseis to add to the potions. They work—God knows they work. The Vaners are faster, stronger, and more aggressive on the battlefield. They are active, lethal, and ready for duty at a moment's notice. But the side effects... they are turning our soldiers into hollow shells."
Hima shrugged again, her lack of empathy on full display. "What's new about that? You gave them those drugs so they would be perfect tools for duty. Who cares if they become addicts or 'useless' once they go home? As long as they kill monsters, their personal lives don't matter to me."
"You don't understand the scale of the disaster, Hima!" Zero barked. "Of the seven who died, three were killed by ferals. But the fourth? The withdrawal hit him so hard during his off-hours that he started clawing at his own skin. He literally tore himself apart because the 'itch' for more Vane-drug was so intense. He committed suicide by his own hands."
The King stood up, pacing the length of the room. "The remaining two? Their families couldn't handle the monsters they had become. Their wives and children left them, unable to recognize the men who returned from the Academy. In their despair and drug-fueled madness, they ended their own lives. We are losing soldiers without even fighting a war."
Hima remained silent, watching the King's frantic movements.
"Our numbers are plummeting," Zero continued, his voice trembling with a rare flash of fear. "There was a time when this Kingdom boasted over a thousand active Vaners. We were an unstoppable force. But today? We have fewer than three hundred left. If the Kera Group launches a full-scale attack, or if The Petrified Land releases a Level 1 swarm... we won't have enough bodies to hold the walls."
Hima sighed, looking at her nails. "So, the 'tools' are breaking faster than you can replace them. What do you want me to do about it? I'm a killer, Zero, not a doctor."
"I want you to be a presence," Zero commanded. "I want the students to see you. I want them to fear you more than they fear the withdrawal. And I want the Kera Group found before our numbers hit zero. If we don't fix this, Hima, there won't be a Kingdom left for you to play in."
Hima turned toward the door, her long coat fluttering behind her. "Fine. I'll check on your little soldiers. But don't blame me if a few more 'break' while I'm watching them."
As she walked out, King Zero sank back into his chair, looking older than he ever had. He looked at the empty seats around the table and realized that the darkness he had cultivated to protect his throne was finally starting to consume it.