Kass and Sophie soon shared the abilities and restrictions they'd gained from their roles… and honestly, Sophie had it mild.
Of course, Kass lied about his own. After everything that had happened, he didn't trust anyone anymore.
"So you can take a fatal attack meant for me, as long as I'm nearby?" Sophie asked, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She clearly liked the sound of that.
"Yeah," Kass replied, nodding like a saint.
Sophie's ability allowed her to boost the Physical and Vital stats of the one she'd blood-bonded with. But her restriction was simple: whatever she gave, she lost.
If she used her ability to increase Kass's physical stat by 30%, then her own stat would weaken by the same amount for as long as the effect lasted… or until her Aether ran dry.
"Do you know the abilities and restrictions of Ashigaru and Gashira?" Sophie suddenly asked.
Kass raised a brow. Did she know something?
"Well, I was kinda busy not dying, so I didn't exactly have time to ask around. Why? You know something?" He tried to sound casual, like he didn't care much… but in truth, he was dying to know.
Sophie saw right through his act, her lips curling. "Of course I know. You've no idea how much sway I have over the girls here. Sigh… I wish I could share it with someone." Her tone was deliberately teasing.
Kass's lips twitched. "You can share it with me if you want."
"Oh, I could," she said slyly, "but only if you agree to one condition."
He had a bad feeling already. "What condition?"
"Well…" Sophie's voice turned sweetly innocent. "You know how much I hate Sera, right? Whatever I do in front of her… I want you to go along with it."
"What?" Kass blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I mean…" Her fingers trailed slowly along his thigh, brushing against the fabric of his hakama. "I'll show a little intimacy, like this, in front of her. You just play along. If she really loves you, she'll get jealous and maybe try to fight me. Don't you think that's a good way to test her loyalty?"
Kass stared at her like she'd lost it. This girl's brain is fried… Sera getting jealous? Yeah, right.
"But that'll expose your identity if you suddenly start acting close to me. Everyone already knows I'm somehow connected to the princess," he said, hoping reason might get through to her.
"Oh, don't worry about that," she said smoothly. "You just stay close to Sheila. I'll make it look natural. We'll talk, we'll 'get to know each other'…" Her hand traced further up his thigh, "…and then, intimacy comes naturally."
Her lips curled in satisfaction, already picturing Sera's expression when it happened.
Kass slapped her hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Now, how about you actually tell me their abilities and restrictions?"
Sophie smirked. This was just the first step. Soon, she'd have him completely wrapped around her finger and doing whatever she wanted.
Then, with a smug look, she began explaining what she'd learned by blackmailing the other girls — especially the two who'd hidden in the huts.
It hadn't been hard to make them talk when she threatened to get them voted out next.
Kass took a moment to digest what she'd just told him. From the sound of it, the abilities and restrictions of those two roles were linked.
The Ashigaru (foot soldier) could form a blood-bond with a Gashira (squad leader), allowing them to communicate telepathically. Meanwhile, the Gashira could link with multiple Ashigaru and communicate with all of them at once.
In other words, a single foot soldier could stay connected to their squad leader, who in turn could command and share information with every soldier under them through their minds.
Their shared purpose was to protect the shogun and his heirs, as well as to uncover the shinobi among them.
But their restriction was brutal — they would die if the shogun died. Unlike the Kosho, who only perished when the one they were meant to protect died.
Kass glanced at Sophie, wondering if she'd end up being the death of him.
"Anyway, that's all. I'll head back first. Make sure you stay close to Professor Sheila… and avoid that other bitch," Sophie said as she stood up from the rock, eyeing him once more.
Kass nodded. A promise was a promise, and he knew better than to get on her bad side.
She had the girls dancing in her palm and could easily turn the votes against him if she wanted.
"Good. Then see you soon, my knight." She blew him a teasing kiss before walking back toward the village through another path.
As she passed by one of the huts, she didn't notice someone hiding inside.
Liam, the class fool, grinned from the shadows.
"So Sophie's the princess, and Damian's the prince, huh? Hehehe..."
He glanced at the information of the role displayed in his mind.
— ✦ —
[ Role: 'Oniwaban' – Secret Spy ]
Duty : Find the shinobi and protect the shogun.
Ability : Eavesdrop on anyone within a 15-meter radius — you can hear everything, even whispers, with perfect clarity.
Restriction : After deactivating your ability, you become deaf for the same duration it was active.
— ✦ —
Liam had actually tried his ability once, right after the roles were assigned… and regretted it instantly.
Too much noise, too many voices. Everyone was talking, arguing, shouting… and all of it hit his mind like a hammer.
His thoughts short-circuited, and his aether drained faster than water leaking from a cracked jar.
When he finally deactivated the ability, the world went completely silent. He couldn't even hear his own breath, couldn't tell if he was screaming or whispering.
The deafness faded after a while, but it left him shaken.
Since then, he'd used the ability only in short bursts, when there were fewer people around to overwhelm him.
That was how he learned Damian was the prince, after overhearing him whisper it to Sera. The two probably slipped away to talk about it in secret.
And that was also when Liam noticed Sophie following Kass. Of course he noticed — he'd been watching her for years, trailing after her like a lost puppy.
He'd confessed before too, only to be laughed off and ignored like everyone else.
But now things were different.
"Heh… oh, Sophie," he muttered, a twisted grin curling his lips. "You'll see what I can do. You'll finally see me."
His eyes darkened as his mind spiraled into filth: imagining threatening her and her submitting to him, exploring every inch of her body, all the while she trembled beneath him. He licked his lips, shuddering at the thought.
But not yet. Night would be the perfect time to act. She wouldn't want anyone to know her real identity, and one night alone with him in the forest to keep that secret — well, that seemed only fair.
Liam smirked as he slipped out of the hut, his gaze flicking toward Kass, who still sat on the rock.
He didn't care about the guy. As long as Kass didn't ruin his plans.
* * *
Time passed, and everyone worked together to carry the bodies of their classmates out of the clearing, many crying and vomiting as they did.
Some wanted to bury the dead, while others argued it was a waste of time, they should be fortifying the village instead of mourning.
In the end, eight of the 18 survivors dug graves while the other eight built barricades and cleaned away the bloodstains. Terrace was useless with one leg gone, and John hadn't been seen since his fight with Rai.
By noon, only minutes before the second round of votes, Kass sat between Sheila and Sophie.
Just as Sophie had planned. While Kass worked with Sheila, Sophie had naturally slipped into their group and, within hours, was chatting comfortably.
And just as she'd hoped, Sera's eyes were bloodshot and her face strained, though she didn't say a word. She only stared, frozen and helpless, while Damian sat beside her, unusually cheerful.
Everyone noticed the shift. The group whispered, thinking Sophie was once again trying to take what belonged to Sera… and all they could do was pity her.