Days later, the people of Mizuki were still in the underground shelter, and Mayor Tachibana had yet to make a statement through any communication channel. Although Amara, Amina, and others were recovering, deaths continued to occur — without any apparent explanation.
The rest of the country went about life as usual, and now even the Mizuki provincial government seemed to neglect what was happening. According to them, there was nothing to worry about, since the barrier was intact again and the Hinoken army was handling the situation in the city.
The Cobalt Flames were furious with such disregard and had gathered once more in the meeting room to discuss the case. Ryu arrived a bit later than the rest of the group, always in uniform and wearing a serious expression. He held a letter in his hand, gripping it tightly.
"We're being threatened!" he stated angrily as he slammed the paper onto the table.
The crumpled sheet hit the table like a verdict. The silence that followed was as thick as smoke.
The four warriors were startled by the unexpected news, and Emi took the initiative to grab the letter as Ryu turned his back to everyone, tense as a stone.
She then read the contents aloud to the anxious group:
> "Dear White Moon Dragon, you'd better be prepared for what's coming.
The Sombros' attack was merely the harbinger of our destined war.
Your resistance group is nothing compared to what we're capable of,
so I suggest you ready your army if you don't wish to be utterly humiliated
when we meet two weeks from now.
Our reckoning has just begun!
— Lotus of Vengeance"
The name cast a shadow over the room, as if awakening old memories within Ryu.
"Lotus of Vengeance? What the hell is that?" Shiro was the first to speak.
"Seems like a resistance group…" Daiki said, gripping his rifle tightly. "And judging by the name, it can only belong to…"
"Xingguo," Ryu finished the sentence, turning to the others. His eyes were like sharp shards of ice. "They want to finish what they started 25 years ago."
"Sorry to ask, but… how did this letter reach you, Ryu?" Hana asked.
"A raven. A raven flew up to me and dropped it into my hands," he replied.
"The special ravens of Xingguo…" Emi whispered. "Then it's real… but how? How can they start a war against Aokai using Nefaris?"
"Officially, Xingguo belongs to Nordhavn... but we know who really pulls the strings there," Daiki reasoned. "A well-orchestrated attack with a Sombro army would require humans to control them, not the other way around — which makes no sense."
"That only proves we're truly a step behind their plans," Hana muttered, shrinking into her seat.
"But what matters most right now is the promise of a second attack in two weeks!" Emi stated, still reviewing the letter. "They've declared war on our country, and we don't even know which border they'll strike… Mizuki's with the Nefari Northern Kingdom, or the capital's with Xingguo."
"Exactly," Ryu said with resignation, as if he'd already thought through everything the Cobalt Flames were discussing. "That's why I need to contact the Emperor as soon as possible. The Tiger Army must be informed, and for that, I'm assigning you, Daiki!"
Daiki flinched slightly but nodded in agreement. Dealing with the Tiger Army was always a headache, as they didn't get along with the Hinoken Army. However, since he was the general's son, Daiki was always the one tasked with mediating between the two.
"And Mayor Tachibana?" Hana asked. "He hasn't said a word in days, just left everything to us and stayed hidden in his private shelter. What a coward!"
"Actually, he contacted me a little while ago…" Ryu said, drawing everyone's attention. "He said he'll come here tonight for a meeting with us. His entire team and guard will come along."
"About time…" Shiro rolled his eyes.
"Did you tell him about the message you received?" Emi asked.
"No, he called before the letter reached me."
"And the provincial governor, who's also gone silent?" Hana crossed her arms.
"I'll inform him of the situation as soon as I contact the Emperor," Ryu said. "Now that we're facing the threat of war, I doubt the leaders will continue this negligence!"
"I hope so…" Shiro muttered.
_____ 🌛 _____
Amara and Amina went to dinner in the cafeteria for the first time since entering the shelter. Now that they were nearly recovered from their injuries, Mrs. Lina allowed them to leave the dormitory.
Everything went smoothly during the meal. The Hisakawa family sat with the mixed-bloods and foreigners, eating quietly while Amina observed everything around her closely.
Her hearing loss was no problem — she used her other senses with greater focus to read the environment. Her sharp vision missed no detail, and she caught the exact moment the mayor's entourage walked past them.
Everyone in the cafeteria noticed, of course, and even nodded respectfully to the short man in a pristine suit with a neatly trimmed mustache.
He walked with the authority of someone who saw no danger at all. But Amina saw it.
Only she noticed one of the guards' eyes change color suddenly. That couldn't have been her imagination.
Amina saw with absolute clarity the man's eyes shift from red to brown in the blink of an eye.
And there was also the scent…
The distinct smell she had sensed from Amara's Sombro at the bookstore days before.
It was coming from the entire group — including the mayor.
They weren't there to talk.
They were Sombros.
And they had just walked in.