"And you're sure this will work Mike?" Kira asks me nervously, gazing at Tensei's slumbering form that lies strapped on to the bed in one of the rooms of Ascension Tower. My personal guards, now dressed in the pure white of the Host instead of their original SOPO uniforms, monitor Tensei's vital signs through the panoply of medical equipment that has been set up around him. One guard punches in the code to begin feeding a chemical cocktail to Tensei through an IV drip. 

I pat Kira reassuringly on the head and explain, "As long as Tensei is kept under a dream state, we'll be able to enhance his body and mind without fear of any rejection effects."

I go on to hand over a data print out to Kira for her to read through. Kira takes the document but makes an uncomprehending noise as the information completely flies over her head. Kira's a useful idiot that I have a soft spot for, but it sometimes gets exhausting needing to explain everything to her. 

"That's a record of Tensei's spirit core output over the last few days." I say, "Look how the line on the graph keeps going up. Tensei's growing stronger every single day."

Kira hums for a few moments, taking in what I have told her. She finally manages to speak, "You said Tensei won't ever leave me. How're going to manage that?"

I tap on a monitor displaying Tensei's brainwave patterns and reply, "Mental conditioning Kira. We dose Tensei with pleasure inducing drugs whenever you sing to him. When the effect of your song begins to wear off, my men begin to deliver electric shocks to ensure Tensei associates separation from you with physical discomfort. We repeat the process until the aversion response is drilled into him."

"What if Tensei realizes what we're doing?" Kira protests, "He would never forgive me."

I clasp my hands together and say gently with subdued confidence, "That is why your part in this is so important. Tensei needs to be kept within a dream so that his conscious mind does not reject what we are doing. I also have a secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?" Kira blurts with her hand over her mouth. 

I grin, "I told you before that I was quite a mage in my youth right? Well, my area of expertise is the bonds between the body and soul. Once Tensei's spirit core grows strong enough, I will draw it out, allowing him to reach his full potential as an immortal spirit. As for his body, it will be turned over to you."

Kira goes blank in confusion before gathering herself, "What am I supposed to do with Tensei's body?"

I raise an eyebrow and gently remind Kira, "Fulfill your vow of course. You do need Tensei's body to do both things do you? Tensei's immortal spirit will be unflinchingly loyal to you thanks to the mental conditioning and once you decide to bring things to an end, his unresisting body will provide an easy means of doing so."

"Oh!" Kira exclaims happily, "I suppose that make sense. I've already gotten started on the first part of my vow though."

I smile ruefully. Its good to be young. 

"Representative." a guard disrupts the moment by announcing, "A helicopter is making its way to the landing pad. The passenger demands an immediate meeting with you."

Just as I am about to ask the guard who dares to be so impertinent, he casts a pointed look at Kira. Kira gets the message and immediately says, "I'll be back in my suite Mike. I don't want to keep you from your business."

I smile gratefully at Kira and signal one of my men to escort her back to the guest suite in Ascension Tower. I then walk down the corridor towards the elevator. Work never ends.

....

I move past the toiling demons in suits assembling the generator sets and hauling barrels of pyroil into the newly expanded floor of the Tower. My guards fall in behind me as we make our way towards the makeshift helipad which doubles as the drone landing area, the hustle and bustle around us dying as everyone recognizes who I am. Procuring all these equipment and workers on short notice cost me dearly, but time is of the essence.  Using myself as a benchmark, the blackguard will probably fully recover soon. We need to crack open Salvation before he strikes again, even though we have lost the Perfecta thanks to Naiberg's recklessness. 

I can no longer hear milady in my dreams. The visions have stopped. That can only mean one thing. The Tyrant's influence waxes while milady's blessings wane in power. The blackguard will come soon, I know it, if only to finish things with me. And the only force in this world that can stop the Tyrant is Salvation, which lies frustratingly out of reach. 

The blackguard, my direct opposite. A dark mirror of myself. We bear similar blessings, but founded on directly opposing principles. My immortal spirit against his unbreakable body. Age and experience fighting against youth and raw power. Which one of us will prevail? My eyes turn to the stars that twinkle against the night sky. No answers for me there. But more than anything, I know that on a personal level, I afford to cannot lose in this conflict. The blackguard is a repudiation of everything that I am, an inversion of what I, the sword and shield of milady is meant to stand for. I can only pray that milady continues to guide me from far above, no matter how difficult it becomes. 

My musings are broken by the sight of the helicopter touching down at the landing zone. As the helicopter's door slides open, my heart sinks at the sight of a young girl dressed in a black frilly dress adorned with ribbons and bows disembarking. 

"Marshal." I greet neutrally, "You did not tell us that you would be coming." Thank the lady that Nicholas isn't here. That would lead to another crisis I am not ready to deal with now. 

St Clair glances superciliously at me before replying, "Did I need to actually call beforehand? After all the men and supplies I have provided, I thought that I would be made to feel more welcome."

"Of course not." I bite back my annoyance, "You are always welcome Marshal. But why the sudden visit?"

St Clair now looks evenly at me, completely serious, "The professor is dead, Representative. The Perfecta has been lost. Yet my troops tell me that you have pushed ahead with the unlocking of Salvation. I want to know why."

I knew it. St Clair thinks that I am wasting her troops and resources on a failed project. I need to get her back on board with the plan before she pulls her support. 

St Clair continues while I wrestle with my thoughts, "If anything Representative, Nicholas needs your backing for the upcoming contest. His victory is the goddess's victory as well. Yet I hear you are sheltering one of Tensei's friends in the Tower?"

"I am doing more than that, Marshal." I say calmly, "Come with me."

....

St Clair stands shell shocked at the sight of Tensei lying unconscious, strapped down to the bed before her.

"Explain." St Clair's voice is suspicious and angry, "Tell me why you have not ended this boy yet."

"Theo." I gesture to the guard by my side, a large dark skinned man with a shaved head, "Show the Marshal."

Theo nods and begins to draw his saber. The moment the blade leaves the scabbard, Tensei's body begins to jerk angrily up and down as his core output absolutely surges. There is a sudden spike in brain wave activity from him and we all feel a rush of oppressive pressure slam against us. A low, angry growl is heard coming from Tensei's mouth.

"That's enough." I urgently remark, "Tensei is already starting to wake up." Theo hurriedly slams the weapon back into its scabbard. The moment this happens, Tensei immediately quietens down and his core output regularizes. Within a few minutes, the brain wave patterns confirm that he is back to dreaming. 

"Tensei is protected by the Tyrant." I explain to St Clair, "You saw what happens whenever a threat arises near him. It is impossible to kill him in the manner you describe."

Strictly speaking that's not true. I suppose if Kira focused her power, she could manage to kill Tensei if she really wanted to. But she is still committed to Tensei's success against Nicholas. I don't think I could talk her into directly hurting Tensei at present. Keeping him comatose is the most I can expect from Kira. 

St Clair rolls her eyes contemptuously, "Then kill the boy when he is awake. Is that truly beyond the ability of you and your men?"

"It is." I confirm, "Tensei is the strongest mage I have ever met. Defeating us all at once is well within his ability."

A snort of derision from the vampire, "I've fought Tensei before. He is nothing special."

"And I saw him fight the Perfecta." I rebut, growing annoyed at St Clair's attitude, "If he wanted, Tensei would break you utterly, Marshal."

St Clair frowns but does not pursue the matter further. She instead makes a different suggestion, "Keep Tensei here until the contest is over. Once he forfeits by failing to show up, it won't matter anymore."

I groan inwardly. How I wish that is possible, but I need Kira's help to make it happen. And Kira is never going to agree to this proposal. 

I respond cautiously, "The person helping us with this will not agree to that. We can't keep Tensei unconscious without her help."

"Then force her." St Clair dismissively says. I don't bother replying and just shake my head firmly. 

St Clair narrows her eyes menacingly, "You seem to place undue importance over this person helping you over the wishes of the goddess."

"Only in the same way you place undue importance over the fate of a pawn." I shoot back, "Is Nicholas truly so important that you needed to take him as your apprentice?"

St Clair's face flushes but she holds her peace at my rebuttal. I am completely thrown off the loop by my own response though. St Clair is right, why am I unwilling to force the matter with Kira? The will of milady is literally everything. I should not be hesitating to bring her plans to fruition. At the end of the day, Kira's just a girl from an orphanage that I was running. While milady is in addition to being my goddess, not quite my wife, but my lover perhaps? Then why am I wavering like this? 

For the same reason St Clair is favoring Nicholas beyond what milady has decreed. Both of us are just too old to be true believers. We have formed too many personal connections during our eternal lives that have overshadowed what should have been our one true loyalty. I don't know of St Clair's circumstances, but as far as I am concerned, there is only one reason why I've continued to play the role of the faithful knight. 

I don't know how to do anything else. 

I don't know what to do if I stopped playing this role. 

There is nowhere else for me to go. 

The memory of the blackguard mocking me as a cuckold rises unbidden in my mind. A rising bitterness begins to overwhelm my senses. 

My breath begins to grow short and I quickly rein my panic in. Everything is fine. Everything is just fine. I catch St Clair looking at me strangely and smooth out my expression. 

"What do you intend to do with Tensei?" she asks. 

I respond quickly, thankful for the distraction from my own thoughts, "We managed to reconstruct some of the Archmage's research. I'll let Theo here explain the details."

Theo steps forward, grinning enthusiastically, "Certainly Representative. It would be my pleasure."