The Debut of The Death Pieces

Back at the castle, Mitsuri wondered why Kaname hadn't returned yet, knowing that she had already removed the false memories and altered perceptions about her. Mizail voiced his complaint to Mitsuri about her decision to use Kaname as bait despite her being a member of the royal family.

"Why did you use her as bait anyway? She's our sister and the second princess. You had no right to use a member of the royal family for your games," Mizail protested.

Mitsuri's response was sharp. "Shut up!"

Anme chimed in with a teasing tone. "*Fufu*, you know he's right, Sister. What do you think the first prince will think of you when he returns?"

Patricia added her own commentary with a smirk. "*Fufu* She's right. The amount of disgust he'll feel towards you will jeopardize your chances of becoming the next ruler. You'll be reduced to a mere peasant."

Mizail continued to express his concerns. "You need to understand that the moment the first prince learns what you've done, your supreme authority will crumble."

Mitsuri's frustration was evident. "Shut up, I'll find her myself."

Mizail offered his assistance. "I'll help."

Mitsuri hesitated but eventually relented. "Fine, but don't be a burden."

With Mitsuri's reluctant agreement, they both left the castle in search of Kaname.

Anme pondered their chances of success. "Do they really think they can find Kaname?"

Patricia expressed doubt. "I doubt it. Kaname is likely captured by a group of people who can conceal themselves. The only ones who can find her are the Pieces of Death, your sister, and the first prince."

Anme questioned Patricia's confidence. "Do you truly believe I can locate Kaname?"

Patricia reassured her. "Yes, your power of TimeXSpace will easily pinpoint her location. And I have a hunch about where she might be."

Anme was curious. "Why didn't you try to help them, then?"

Patricia explained her reasoning. "Because I already know he's on the move."

Anme sought clarification. "You mean Death or Itsuka?"

Patricia confirmed her suspicion. "That's right. Anyway, want to play chess?"

Anme accepted the challenge confidently. "Do you want me to beat you again?"

Patricia teased back. "I doubt you've ever beaten me once *Fufu*."

Anme remained determined. "Are you sure about that?"

Patricia chuckled. "That's right."

Anme laughed in response. "*Fufu*, stop lying to yourself."

Patricia countered playfully. "And you should stop overestimating yourself."

Anme chuckled. "Well, that's more like it."

Patricia smirked mischievously. "*Fufu*, really?"

As Mitsuri and Mizail searched for the princess, more officials joined the search, their ranks swelling. Suddenly, a member of the Death Pieces revealed themselves, their mask adorned with a chess piece design. The officials and the two royals looked up as the masked figure, representing the Queen, hovered in the sky and addressed the crowd below.

"Fear me if you dare," the Queen Piece declared, her voice echoing ominously. "I alone can eliminate all of you in a flash, so listen if you don't want violence."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Commander Marata Mokatsiru shouted.

The Queen Piece raised her hand and shot a flare into the sky. The night turned as bright as day, the single flare illuminating the sky and stunning all who witnessed it. Then, with a snap of her fingers, the night returned to its normal darkness. The crowd of officials remained silent, fearing the power displayed before them.

"Now, all of you might be looking for the second princess, Kaname," the Queen Piece continued. "But I can confidently tell you her location. I will only reveal it to the first princess and the second prince, as they alone can save her. The group that kidnapped her will kill her if they sense an ambush."

Commander Raphael Bilateral interjected, "How do we know you're not just the kidnappers trying to lure more royals into a trap?"

"Silence!" Mitsuri commanded.

"But princess—"

"Shut up!" Mitsuri's voice left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, the officials remained silent. Mitsuri agreed to ally with the Death Pieces, and she and Mizail floated up to join the Queen Piece.

"So, where is she?" Mitsuri demanded.

The Queen Piece revealed the coordinates to the first princess. Mizail strained to use his X-ray magic to see beneath her mask but collapsed from the effort, exhausted from overusing his mana. Mitsuri sighed and turned to the Queen Piece.

The Queen Piece removed her mask, revealing her face to Mitsuri. It was Izayu Itadawashi.

"Is Itsuka aware of this?" Mitsuri asked, her eyes with no surprise.

"You mean Lord Death? Yes, he is. By now, he might be attacking the main corporation of the group that kidnapped your younger sister," Izayu replied.

"Are you sure he can handle all of that alone?"

"Don't underestimate Lord Death. Nothing in his way stays alive if they try to hold him back from what he wants."

"Why is he helping with a problem that I caused?"

"That's a question only he can answer. You'll have to ask him yourself."

Mitsuri sighed and calmed herself, reassured that Kaname would eventually be in safe hands. "So, why did you come here anyway?"

"Master wants you to be a part of the Death Pieces," Izayu answered.

Mitsuri's eyes narrowed as she asked, "And what piece will I be?"

Izayu responded calmly, "Your mask will be a bishop though it will grow higher as your rank will increase each time you become more useful and stronger for the organization."

"But how?" Mitsuri started, glancing down at the people below. "Almost everyone is watching us, and you can't just kidnap me without—"

Her words trailed off as she looked down to see a blade protruding from her chest. Her vision blurred as she lost consciousness, her strength ebbing away. Izayu replaced her mask and disappeared with Mitsuri.

Mizail awoke just in time to see his sister's lifeless body fall. Shocked and traumatized, he began to plummet, but his fall was slowed by the mages among the commanders below. His face remained frozen in horror, unable to process what he had witnessed.

The commanders and officials, now leaderless and in turmoil, looked up in confusion. The Queen Piece and the first princess had vanished into the night, leaving no trace. Mizail, the only one who knew what had transpired, was too traumatized to speak.

Chaos erupted among the ranks as they struggled to comprehend the loss of two royals and the broken state of Mizail. The first commander, attempting to restore order, stepped forward to lead the officials, but uncertainty and fear hung heavy in the air.

Meanwhile, Kaname slowly regained consciousness. She found herself locked in a cage with three other girls, who appeared to be test subjects. The girls, clearly frightened, wore tattered clothes and bore the marks of endless experiments. As Kaname took a closer look, she noticed they were of different races: one had cat ears, another had dog ears, and the last had long, elf-like ears.

Kaname glanced around the cell, which was about twelve feet by ten feet in size and made of pure andesite. Outside the cell, a scientist stood, laughing maniacally. Desperate, Kaname tried to summon her sword, but her efforts failed, drawing the scientist's attention.

"Ah, I see you're awake," the scientist said, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. "Don't bother trying to use your powers. This cell is designed to nullify any magical abilities."

Kaname's heart sank as she realized the gravity of her situation. The other girls huddled closer, their eyes filled with fear and despair. Kaname knew she had to find a way to escape, not just for herself, but for the sake of these innocent girls as well.

The scientist entered the cell, and Kaname instinctively tried to fight back. However, her body felt weak, and she realized that the scientist must have injected her with a drug while she was unconscious. She struggled in vain as he struck her face, causing her to spit out two teeth. Glancing at his knuckles, she noticed he wore golden gloves. The scientist picked up her teeth and placed them in a jar, his eyes gleaming with manic glee.

"A royal's teeth," he muttered, "finally, I will be unstoppable. I can recreate the demon king and become him! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Kaname demanded, her voice shaky but defiant.

The scientist grinned. "Well, since you're just going to die anyway, why not tell you? You see, there was once a group in the royal family who took the blood of the first demon king and injected it within themselves. But when the demon king's blood entered their bodies, nothing happened. They abandoned the idea, thinking it was a failure. What they didn't know was that the demon king's blood would only activate in one being. Since the demon king was still alive, nothing happened. But now that he's dead, his blood has chosen you. You are the new demon king. If I take your blood and kill you, I will take over his throne instead of you. HAHAHAHA!"

Kaname's eyes widened in shock. "I'm the new demon king!?"

"Not for long," the scientist sneered.

"How do you know all this?" Kaname asked, her mind racing.

"How do I know?" the scientist replied, his grin widening. "Because I am the demon lord of greed."

"The demon lord of gree—" Kaname started to say, but her words were cut off.

A masked figure burst through the door, wielding a scythe. With a swift and powerful strike, the newcomer sent the demon lord of greed flying out of the cell. The force of the blow was tremendous, and the scientist crashed against the far wall, dazed.

As Kaname observed the figure who had come to their rescue, she noticed he wore a mask. The other girls, still confused, watched the unfolding scene with wide eyes. The demon lord of greed staggered to his feet, glaring at the newcomer.

"And who are you supposed to be!?" the demon lord spat.

The masked man replied calmly, "Me? I am Death, the leader of the Death Pieces. He who takes the souls of those in his path and will take the soul of whoever he desires."

The demon lord scoffed, "Tsk, you talk big!"

Summoning his hammer, the demon lord charged at Itsuka, who met the charge with his scythe. Their clash sent shockwaves through the underground chamber, and the four girls watched in astonishment at the sheer power of the fight. The two combatants broke through the ceiling, continuing their battle in the open air.

Kaname, acting quickly, looked up through the shattered ceiling and realized they were underground. As she peered outside, the demon lord came crashing back down, causing an explosion that threw her back into the cell. The demon lord struggled to stand, his appearance now battered and beaten. Itsuka descended gracefully, placing a barrier around the cell before raising his scythe.

The demon lord of greed, finally managing to stand, faced Itsuka, who began to cast a spell.

"Execution!" Itsuka intoned, and time seemed to stop.

The world turned black and white as the floor crumbled. A gigantic red beam erupted, engulfing the underground area in a blinding explosion. The explosion was so powerful that it lit up the sky, forcing the night to turn to day. Officials across the kingdom saw the blast, and the strongest beings around the globe sensed the immense power of Death.

Inside the barrier, Kaname and the other girls watched as the demon lord turned to dust, obliterated by the beam. Once the beam dissipated, the sense of Death's power vanished as well. The officials, seeing the explosion from afar, rushed to the scene.

The barrier around the four girls disappeared, and they began to fall into the deep crater created by the beam. Their fall slowed as Itsuka, now identified as Death, descended to check on them. He flicked his finger, causing the three other girls to fall gently to the ground, and then picked them up.

Kaname struggled to her feet and called out, "What are you going to do with them? Who are you really?"

Itsuka glanced back at her, his expression hidden by the mask. "Don't pry into my affairs."

With that, Itsuka teleported away, taking the three girls with him. Kaname, overwhelmed and exhausted, collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.