The bold are helpless without cleverness.
—Euripedes
"I do hope you have become more accustomed to the surroundings, Sato-sama. It would be deeply unfortunate if an esteemed individual such as yourself were inconvenienced by our activities." The voice broke the silence, shocking as a gunshot. The tone was heavy with mocking scorn.
Sakura squinted into the gloom, barely able to make out the outlines of the individual the far side of the room. He (she was fairly sure they were a he) was speaking Japanese with the fluidity of a native. Yamanote dialect...so he's from Tokyo, and wealthy to boot. That was a mistake, idiot. Never give me information about yourself.
"My accommodations have been one of a kind," she cooed with faux sweetness. "My only regret is that you couldn't share this luxury with me. A pity I'll be leaving so soon."
Hey, that wasn't a bad threat! Now tell him you're going to rip his legs off and feed him his own intestines.
THAT IS INAPPROPRIATE IN THE EXTREME.
That's the point, asshat.
IT IS NOT REMOTELY ADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE INDIGNITIES HE HAS VISITED UPON US. TELL HIM YOUR PLANS TO CARVE EACH OF THESE ACCURSED SIGILS INTO HIS VERY BONES WITH FIRE AND LIGHT AND FURY, SO THAT HIS STILL BREATHING BODY MAY BE USED AS A WARNING TO OTHERS.
...um.
Oblivious to the exchange, the man chuckled. "I wouldn't be so certain of that, Sato-sama. Despite your best efforts, the chains haven't budged so much as an inch."
"And yet you won't come any closer. Nobody has. Worried about the quality?"
"Hardly." There was an edge of annoyance in the man's voice. Sakura allowed herself a flicker of satisfaction.
"Perhaps. But I wonder how they'll hold up against my team? They've got a bit more muscle than I do, and once they're off..." Sakura smiled at the man with predatory pleasure. "Well. I'd be happy to give you a taste of hellfire before you spend an eternity with it."
Another chuckle. Sakura's grin faltered. "I don't think I'll tremble quite yet. Our ally has done a simply delightful job of leading them in circles. Half of them are convinced you got scared and abandoned the project entirely. Really, destroying your note was a masterful touch."
Huh. That's not good.
YOU ARE NOT THREATENING HIM SUFFICIENTLY. LET ME TAKE OVER.
No. This requires finesse, and you have all the finesse of a pipe bomb. Out loud, Sakura scoffed. "My team's the best. I don't care how good your ally is, they'll be discovered."
"Oh, I wouldn't be too certain about that. He does simply stunning impressions, our ally. But you're correct that he might do something foolish and be discovered--insanity is an unfortunate obstacle to work around. Even so, I wonder if your team is up to the task of matching him? He's rather experienced, after all."
The figure approached without making the slightest sound. "Even by our standards, it was quite a coup to secure a favor from one of the legendary Sentries."
The Sentries? Miguel's team? This guy's full of shit, Cherry. There's only four even left alive, and one of them's you.
INDEED. VERICA WOULD NOT TURN AGAINST YOU. EVEN NOW AMBER IS INCAPABLE OF FIGHTING. AND...OH.
The blood drained from Sakura's face. "No way. You couldn't have...he'd kill you bastards as soon as look at you. He'd kill anyone as soon as look at them."
"Yes. Yes, he would. In all honesty, we think that's why he hasn't left your building yet-- he's having far too much fun playing cat and mouse with your team. Joke's on them, though: they're the mouse."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements
-One of the masked intruders earlier was not captured; unfortunately for you, this intruder is extremely dangerous when left to his own devices. He was responsible for the destruction of Sakura's note, as well as the disappearance of Miguel's Compendium. He is also the only one who knows where you might be able to find the Empress.
-His identity: former Sentry Azazel, the mad shapeshifter. He can take the form of anyone he's ever touched, mimicking their powers perfectly. Fortunately, this ability doesn't extend to the Empress, as he's still incapable of duplicating Tifanos and Zachariel. Anyone else is fair game; beyond that, Azazel has nearly as much combat experience as the Empress herself.
-Try not to die, hmm? While you're at it, it's probably not a good idea to kill the only person who knows where the Empress is being held.
Kills: One in-entry kill. Six tributes will be going up for votes this round, and four will be eliminated.
Due Date: Saturday, November 25 at 10 PM EST
YOU ARE READING
Author Games: The Absent Empress
ActionA year has gone by since Miguel Santos died leading the Sentries, and Sakura Sato has her work cut out for her. As the new host for the demon and angel who gave Miguel his superhuman might, she's now the World's Mightiest Hero- whether she likes it...
