Edge of Nightmare Part 2

"Are you sure this 'Cesare' character can be trusted?" questioned Airicaba Simmori, the female commander of The Paragon Guard to Ichiro after the briefing, "He has all the raw Fallen Stones, what will happen when his faction turned against Brittonia? As you promised to give him a pretty small portion of TYZ."

"I don't think so." Ichiro said confidently, roaming around in his office, explaining Airicaba about why that is, "Thing is he hates Redtron and his newly formed Fraternity's army more than Brittonia itself and also able to construct a Fallen Gate, and mastered how to use it, but he's not as extreme, cruel, greedy and sadistic as Fraternity's members, none of his little groupie he'd got. 'Less' idealistic than Capricorn Union, but never as extreme as the current Mutant Emperor, considered him to be the usurper. If there's a war It's highly unlikely to inflict major damage against vast Fraternity's army even with his all of his power."

"What did you mean by that?!"

"(Sighed.) Let Sosuke's faction put into the ring against Fraternity. Either kill each other on the process it's a win for everybody. Meanwhile I think of three alternatives. Number one— Sosuke's faction The Justified, been utterly eradicated by the Redtron's Fraternity. Causing damage, due to this provides a better opportunity for us to counterattack, or if Justified wins somehow, then I just have to renegotiate the terms: give East-Red and Black Zones and live independently outside of Imperium's megacities. Or gets exterminated. I don't spend millions of Doro cleaning up that biohazard waste without a reason. Couple of days after War Zones cleaned up, Darkfallen-Variant Reredos will be killed, gave The Justified those land to fuck over."

"Heh... And about number three?"

Ichiro paused for a moment, then gave a little smirk before a smacking lips--

"...Airi. Remember when you told me that why I am so over devious about everything, here the thing: I don't trust anyone, not even you, darling... What will you do? when I ordered other Paragon Guards to shoot you?"

"In that case I will humbly respect my fate, and offer my head to you, after I killed all Paragon Guards there is."

"Heh. Good girl..."

Ichiro smiled, caressed Airicaba's cheek, despite he literally threatened her. Airicaba still showed strict loyalty, and some affection towards the young Supreme One.

"Pardon my interruption my Supreme One." One Paragon Guard entered announced himself, "Master Cesare has arrived. And he likes to see you my Supreme One."

"Finally, let's go...."

...

"I'm sorry for getting late. Let's get started..."

Inside of the Imperial main meeting office, Ichiro sat beside other Imperial governmental members—

"Master Cesare. Thank you for coming. Tea?" Ichiro asked in a polite manner to his guests.

"No, we weren't staying long, I assume you know why we are here?" Sosuke denied the offer bluntly, questioned Ichiro, assumed he knows something.

Excluding Sosuke there were couple of men with him, probably his Lieutenants: one is little short, looks spiteful, vain and an arrogant smug, while the other is a 7 feet tall, very bulky man with curly blonde hair and sharp lizard eyes and was every bit as scary as he looked. Normally in an entirely classy suit and black dress shirt without a tie, he resembled a typical gangster.

Of course, it's all Ichiro's thought therefore he replied--

"Yes... The negotiation, I guessed — you tell me Master Cesare?"

"The Fallen Stone, how much you have, what quantity of the stones and are you stayed true to our agreement? Once after The Fraternity is being disposed off?"

Three back-to-back questions, make anyone nervous but not with Kyousuke Ichiro—

"None. The Stones holds scaremongering powers, even the Traffickers of it are targeted by the Bounty Hunters. The fact that it is so rare makes it very valuable for the right circles. Sure a single ounce of those shiny Stones can be enough to buy a nation.... Surely, the risk of corruption, madness, mutation, and death are unworthy the greatness that cannot be achieved, by a common mind."

"So you have none?"

"Not that aware of. And for the Treaty — remains the same, if your faction to continue to make peace."

"Humph. (scoffed). Funny. Think we are some kind of baloney?"

"Theodore enough..."

"What! I am not scared o—!"

The shorter one, Theodore's reckless temper drastically suppressed, by the other lieutenant, the one big one, patted Theodore's shoulder, shook head, while Sosuke continued--

"Be quiet. I am talking here... Apologies for my lieutenant lack of politeness as presumption. We know how the Imperium, or precisely — the new Supreme One's campaign against the Mutanist extremism and treatment for fair-minded individuals. But, Brittonian military occupied a major portion of Green Zone which majority our Mutant's brothers live, while War Zones is filled with unpleasant thinks: the Scavengers, the Reredos, the biohazard wastes—"

"--That's why the joined task force of Imperial soldiers and Wall Guarding Troops on a cleansing campaign, eliminating every potential hostiles. Pretty Soon the Zattai Barrier will vanish and your portion of the partition — after you faction get rid of every Mutanic extremists out my Green Zone. That's was the agreement."

"And the Fallen Stones!? That your 'Joined task force' mining for weeks across the War Zone? Remember me spies are spread, placed in strategically everywhere: from Imperium's Senate bureaucracy to Redtron's pinkie asshole."

"That I have no knowledge of this mining operations or the Fallen's Stone except the myths, stories, arguments of weather is the stone related to the philosophiser's stone. The most common reason that some misguided fool would seek the Stone has to do with the legends dating back to the time of the creation of humanity the myths claimed Fallen Stone can serve as a catalyst in the transmutation of base human or Fallenborn mutants into ferocious but "controlled" Reredos. The same rumours include that it can cure all sicknesses, heal any wound and even bring the dead back to life."

"--But before we drive too deeply into the shallow waters of tyranny of the Green Zone," first time, the big guy, Tongan Onich retorts snarky, "How's the construction of the Fallen Gate going?"

"Very kind of you to remind me," Ichiro replied gracefully "The Fallen Gate is still an under progress, reason to believe MRC's engineers grew closer to success."

".... Then, how's the project going?" Sosuke's nervously replied Have you tested it? The Gate I mean!?"

"We successfully approved one prototype for the test ran—"

One party member rudely intervened spilled out most important element Ichiro wanted to avoid, quickly dismissed the subject, retorted—

"Not your current topic of this discussion. Rest assured Master Sosuke, Brittonia won't back down maintaining good relations with the good-natured mutants of Imperium States, who were also loyal Imperial citizens. Good day to you gentlemen..."