CHAPTER 8, ALLIANCE AND ASSASSINS

After I returned to Isles, I visited the sealed chamber below the Isles where my brother and other self was sealed in crystal. "How have you been, Haruka?" I asked him as I placed my hand to on crystal.

"I'm fine, just hurry up and find a way to undo this seal. Just kidding." He answered as he appeared in a spirit-like form beside me. "Haruki, don't push yourself, the seal will break eventually, for now stay the same as always and trust your comrades."

"I will." I answered him and he caressed my cheek. "Thanks for saving me back there."

"Don't worry about it, that's what brothers are for. And literally what I'm here for." He smiled. "Oh yeah, when the seal breaks, the two of us will become one again."

"Yeah. Then Haru will be back." I answered him.

"Glad you understand." He said and I smiled.

After talking a bit to him I returned to the castle where the four nobles and Tsubaki-san were talking. "Haru, there you are. We plan to descend today, will that be fine?" He asked me.

"It is." I answered him and opened a Gate to the castle in the Royal Capital.

"Let's go." Hoshi-san said and we passed through the Gate and into the castle.

"Ohohoho, you are the proud nobles of the Aerial Isles? Greetings, my name is Alexander Diamond Crystal." The king of the Crystal Empire greeted us. "Hahaha, I welcome you to Crystal Castle."

"Hello, I'm Lux Diamond Crystal. The first prince." Lux-nii-san said and bowed his head. "It is an honor to meet you."

"How do you do, my name is Lucia Diamond Crystal, the first princess and... ah never mind." Lucia said and bowed her head. Is she shy to say it?

"My name is Hoshi Hikaru, I'm one of the nobles who currently rule the Aerial Isles under our king's orders." Hoshi-san introduced himself.

"I'm Riku Mangetsu, head of the Paladin Family, Mangetsu." Riku-san introduced himself.

"Ginga Yamamoto, head of the Army." Ginga-san introduced herself.

"Himari Shingetsu, I'm the head of the Mage Corps." Himari-san introduced herself.

"And I'm Tsubaki Amamiya, head of the intelligence group." Tsubaki-san introduced himself.

"Now that we're introduced, allow me to introduce my sixth bride. Lucia." I said walking up to Lucia. "Don't be nervous, it's fine."

"I-is it really?" She asked a bit embarrassed.

"I see, quiet the beautiful girl." Himari-san said with a gentle smile and Lucia was put at ease.

As we were about to move to the next room, I heard Haruka's voice telling me to be careful of one of the men in the room. I look around the room and there were only a few gaurds in the room but one of them gave a sinister air. Just then, I felt something a miss. The room, there's poison in it!! "Open, Gate of the Scales, Libra." I said and summoned Libra to my side, she was dressed in a white sleeveless dress, with her black hair tied in a neat bud and her brown eyes behind glasses.

"Haru?" Riku-san turned to me.

"Balance out the air to supress the poison that's being released." I ordered her and turned to everyone. "It seems there are people who don't want these talks to go well."

"What do you mean?" Lucia asked.

"Mind explaining yourself?" I asked and turned to the guard by the door.

"Long live Makai!!" He exclaimed and charged at me with his sword.

"Tilt." I said with a sigh as he slipped. "Alright then, I think I'll have you tell me all you know."

"I'll never talk!!" He laughed.

"Doubt it." I said and held the Pavo key in my hands, it was silver, with a fan-like bow and a green gem with the Pavo constellation on it. The bit was shaped in a U like manner with a collar right before the bit. "Talk, who sent you?"

"The Researchers of Lost Wisdom." He answered and I wasn't all too surprised.

"Why?" I asked.

"To illiminate any people who would pose a threat to our plans." He said.

"What is you plan?" I asked him.

"We, the Researchers of Lost Wisdon desire for the fall of this nation, and the rise of Makai." He said and I sighed.

"What kind of poison did you release?" I asked him.

"A high class neutralization poison. It causes people to lose consciousness." He answered.

"And the antidote?" I asked him.

"There is none. It is used in capturing test subjects for us." He answered.

"Then, we'll be affected permanently." Lux-nii-san said.

"Libra keep removing that poison in the air. Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio." I summoned him to my side. He had his black hair messy and let down, with btown skin and black eyes, he wore a white coat with black shirt and black pants with boots. "Help me synthesize an antidote."

"I understand." He said and helped me out. He tasted the air and then began creating an antidote. "Here you go."

"Everyone, please take one pill each." I said as I resented them with the pills Scorpio made from the air.

One after another, each of us took the pills while Libra removed the poison from the room. After a bit, the poison had been completely neutralized. "Now then, I think it may be best if we eliminate the Researchers of Lost Wisdom." I said as I closed the three gates.

"However, they don't have anything that posses as a threat and they don't have their own base. How would you eliminate them?" Lux-nii-san asked.

"Fair point. And our only clue has killed himself." I sighed and they all looked at the man who had poisoned himself to death.

"What do we do now?" Lucia asked.

"Tsubaki-san, please send out scouts and search for suspicious people within the Royal Capital." I told him and he nodded. "Meanwhile, we'll discuss the topic we were going to discuss."

As we discussed what would happen, they wanted to know how large the domain of the Aerial Isles is. "I believe it spans the entire Southern Continent right?" I asked them.

"The Southern Continent isn't on any of our maps." The King said.

"True, that is because it was wiped off the map during the War of the Heroes. But in reality, it is a thriving land ruled by the Southern Tsuki Family Branch under the orders of the main family." I told them as I created a map via Vulpecula's power. "The Southern Continent is rather large, the Capital is Mangetsu with the Vice Capital being Shingetsu. The main port is in Kaito City and the Lunar Castle in Ginga City. It is ruled by the Duke, my uncle; Asahi Hinata. The Aerial Isles is the Capital of the nation but it is separated from the rest of the territory. "

"The South... we'll that makes things easy. We'll begin preparations for the meeting. Until then, please bare with us." Hoshi-san said. "Haru-kun, what are you planning to do for now?"

"I'll be joining the other fiancees on a walk." I said and held my hand out to Lucia and she tilted her head as if to ask what. "You're my fiancee too, so come on."

I grabbed her hand and held her close to me and she blushed. "You better start getting used to that. Haruki is the type to sweep his fiancees of the ground." Lita said as she came in with the fiancees.

We left the room after bidding everyone farewell and began our little walk.