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If the pair descended down the stairs back into the room that had contained the gunner, they would catch sight of Arton with his back towards them guarding the stairwell. There were no new corpses but Arton's breathing appeared to be a bit labored and beads of sweat tricked down his face from time to time. Smoke had begun to permeate through the entire structure but it had not completely engulfed the the two floors they were on yet. His focus was so honed in on where they enemy might emerge that he didn't notice the footsteps of his allies behind him.

His skin tingled with a unpleasant but not painful sensation and his chest-plate felt restrictive around his chest. It was similar to something he felt a couple times before and there was enough distinction to convince him it wasn't a simple panic attack. He gritted his teeth to help recenter his attention on the stairwell they had used to get into this room. This...[i]condition[/i] that had started to affect him was why he had elected to remain behind as they rest moved into the room with Ciradyl and Mizutani. He really should have asked the sage Cid for assistance but his issue seemed minor at the time.

How foolish. It was not as if a white mage powerful enough to help him would just be lying around the next corner. When he had started this journey with Team Kirin, Arton was confident he could bring this issue up with Neve when the time came. The fact he hadn't properly slept since they returned to Kugane likely wasn't helping either. Now his neglect of his personal health had the potential to burden the rest of the party. He inhaled deeply, held it for a couple seconds, and slowly released the air back out. Tonight he was going to rest fully after a hearty meal.

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Their voices had been drowned out when she had started to press her blade down towards Mizutani's neck. Every instance of abuse by her hands flashed in her mind as the silver metal drew closer. She wished she had the willpower left to resist the murderous urge that engulfed her. The idea that Izayoi and her new friends might learn of what she had done to secure Hien's position terrified her. Individual rivals to Hien's rule that were carefully taken out. Resistance cells with incompetent fighters and weak leaders given up to Valheim as an offering. Pretending to be Mizutani's little pet to manipulate her into working towards Osprey's interests instead of her own. Ciradyl had to silence any chance of that happening or...or whoever she was before would be completely lost.

A frustrated scream left her lips as she was lifted off the target of her wrath. She did not have the strength to resist Rudolf as she was quickly pulled off the bleeding Mizutani and restrained. The crime lord looked at her with wide, betrayed eyes not saying a word as the distance between them grew. Ciradyl squirmed in Rudolf's arms praying for the slim chance his grip might be loose enough for her to get one more shot at Mizutani's life. It was no use. The stiletto bounced on the ground next to them as his hold set in. Its faint ding as it hit the floor proved a trigger for the tears to start flowing down her cheeks.

She had struggled and fought so hard to give Osprey a future in the past year. Ciradyl had given everything she had to give in setting up a resistance that could take back their country. Her efforts had bled her dry and now she felt completely empty. The muscles that had been resisting Rudolf's hold relaxed knowing that there was little else to be done. The trust she might have held with the members of Team Kirin was certainly eroded. What value was there in a person who deceived even their friends and allies? 

Mizutani stared blankly up at the ceiling as Galahad put pressure on her wound with Miina arriving soon after. She tilted her head slightly to look at the tall man listening to him speak and nodded weakly. Her sweet and timid Cici...what had happened? Mizutani had used the girl to gather intelligence on Opsreans working against Valheim so that she could turn them in for favor and rewards. She even had her cozy up to some of the Valheim officials to learn about their interests and skeletons she could exploit. That was at least what she had believed. Now she was going to die by the hands of her most cherished pet.