Kairo and Nyx directed themselves to the control room of the submarine. Here, only higher-ranking officers had access. After communicating that they needed to talk with Danzan via their tablets, they were allowed in.
The room was filled with all sorts of metrics and machinery, with officers controlling every parameter of the submarine in real time. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, the duo would have never been allowed in here.
"Follow me in," Camilla said, bringing them to another space within. It was comparatively smaller, able to barely accommodate five people.
Within were Danzan and Donsentos, already waiting for them. The atmosphere was almost electric between the two, like they would start brawling at any moment.
"This place is safe. No other officer has access to it, and I believe the traitor will not be in here," Camilla explained before leaving them.
"I hope you have a serious reason for all of this, Kairo," Donsentos started.
"Yeah." Kairo took a deep breath, glancing at all of them, then said in a low voice,
"We think there might be a traitor among us. Someone having the ability to control people's minds. Inquisitor Mar, I'm sorry—you are indeed the killer," Kairo said.
"Good job, Kairo. I knew you would prove me right," Danzan said, almost excited to hear he was right.
"This… I did that?" Donsentos's expression wavered for the first time. Given his personality, Kairo knew blood wasn't a problem for him, but the fact that he had no clue or any memory of it was what made him confused.
"So, what is the plan? I can wear one of the prisoner collars. This will seal my card magic and ensure I can't harm anyone again," Donsentos didn't stay distracted long and said, his words carrying no hesitation nor any form of anger. For him, he was just doing what needed to be done.
"But this will put you in great danger. You'll become vulnerable to anyone on this boat—any weakling will be able to defeat you. This is way too dangerous, Kairo, and I have a better plan," Nyx said.
Startled that this little girl kept talking to him face to face, Donsentos stood up, his imposing frame scanning them from above. His expression was sharper than that of an eagle about to swoop down on its prey.
Kairo gulped down, about to step up. Then Donsentos smiled.
"I really like this mushroom. What's the plan?" he asked.
Kairo could finally relax his muscles, explaining his plan.
"We need to bait him into using you one last time. We don't know why, but he targets only weak officers. Nyx is the only two-star officer on board. She will act as bait. If we're right in our guess, he will try to use you to get rid of her—and that's when we'll catch him," Kairo explained.
"This plan will only work if the card functions the way you expect it to." danza said
" I agree that some cards have conditions—it's usually tied to the owner and sometimes to a range around him. But what if the card of this person doesn't require him to be in range?" Marking a delivrate pause he continued.
" Your girlfriend will be dead, and the enemy will know we understand his card magic. Kairo, are you really going to take such a risk? I thought I was crazy, but you're on another level," Danzan said, casually leaning on his chair. He spoke like what was going on had nothing to do with him.
"If I were you, I'd be busy figuring out why he gets rid of weaklings first. I smell something wrong on the way. Although I can't say exactly what they are planning," Danzan added.
Listening to Danzan, Kairo felt his heart quiver.
"Don't worry, Kairo. With the pocket hourglass, I know how to protect myself. And you both will be here. If we were wrong, Danzan and you can still hold the Inquisitor back," Nyx said.
"Hold him back, huh?" Kairo took another look at Inquisitor Mar. He had no clue of the extent of his strength, but someone who could kill a three-star officer in a single hit wasn't someone to joke with.
Furthermore, he had spent his entire life handling criminals—he knew a lot about combat and how to subdue his opponent.
"Don't fret, there has never been a criminal I couldn't subdue because I was always willing to take the most daring risks. If things get worse, you'll all get some memorable scratches. Otherwise, you will have saved us all from killing each other," Donsentos said.
"Okay, the only thing left for us to do now is wait," Kairo said.
After their decision, the duo left the room, returning to the second level. All over the corridors, they could hear disturbing noises.
"There is no way I'm going to patrol with this coward. He'll probably get killed like the others, and I don't want to be a victim. I need another partner."
"Me too. I'm not going with this fool. He's trembling like a leaf."
"Who cares? I'm patrolling alone now."
One after the other, the officers argued between each other, refusing to go with their old partners—some fearing they were too weak and would be targeted, and others fearing their partners were too strong and, if he was the attacker, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. A cloud of paranoia was growing above the heads of the officers everywhere they went.
"Two more officers have been found dead. One by a sharp blade and the other by suffocation. They are all going to break at any moment," Camilla explained with a worried expression.
"This is not good for us. The worst thing that can happen here is an officer panicking and getting too close to the prisoners. If that happens, the mind controller won't be our only problem," Kairo said.
"Why not distract them and keep them in large groups of five? You said it yourself—the patrols are mostly routines. The prisoners have no way to get out of their cells," Nyx proposed.
"Brilliant idea. We'll do just that. The submarine has a gym among other recreation facilities. It was constructed to ensure we don't go mad talking to each other here for days. I'll require Donsentos' help for this; otherwise, they won't listen to me," Camilla said and left immediately afterward.
Kairo too reluctantly parted with Nyx, joining the empty kitchens of the submarine. All of this had dug into his stomach, making him feel like he could eat someone.
But while Kairo expected to be alone, he actually came across a woman, sipping from a cup. Alarmed, he got closer. The woman's uniform was slightly different from the others', as she didn't wear any jacket. Instead, a white shirt on top.
'Isn't this against the rules?' Kairo thought. All officers needed to keep their jackets on to display their star ranking on their shoulders.
"No need to be scared. I was about to leave anyway," she said, standing up.
"No need, I just need to grab something to eat," Kairo walked in, moving to the counters. The woman remained seated, drinking from her cup without looking at him.
'Weren't there supposed to be only two women on board? Where does this one come from?' Kairo's mind kept asking.
"No need to feel that surprised. Most of the time no one notices me, with such a flat chest. They mostly mistake me for a man," she casually said.
Kairo, on his part, had doubts creeping into his mind. It was true—the woman wasn't particularly curvy and her hair was cut quite short like some officers. If one didn't take a serious look, they could easily mistake her for a man without much thought.
"Well, I think I'm full for now. The submarine is strangely calm now that the murders have started. Aren't you afraid to be the next one?" she asked, turning to Kairo.
Kairo's movements slowed down a little. The woman was now facing his open back and spoke with such ease that Kairo felt like her voice carried something it shouldn't.
"Most people are panicking on board. But you are apparently very calm. Does the death of other officers create this little reaction in you? They were our friends, after all," Kairo said, joining her by the table.
The woman smiled, placing her cup down, her movement nothing extraordinarily calm, giving Kairo a very off feeling. "Nah, why would I be worried? They got just what they asked for. They should have learned we don't stare at a woman we barely know with those eyes. It can be quite... dangerous."
Kairo's spoon clinked on the plate while his hand underneath the table already held the card Sand Paladin between his fingers. Still, after those words, the woman simply smiled and stood up.
"Well, enjoy your meal, Kairo," she said, about to leave.
But Kairo said, "Your jacket — don't forget it." He pointed at the one hanging on the chair.
"Oh yeah, thank you." She put on the jacket and left.