THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 224: 224. TENSIONS

General Felunka rose, his imposing figure clad in ceremonial armor scarred by countless battles. His voice boomed across the chamber.

”An entire Seventh Wing squad lies dead. One hundred and twenty of our finest warriors were slaughtered without mercy. This is not merely a crime. It is an act of war against Tagayia itself. The War Council demands immediate execution. He also killed my two warriors and killed two rogue students of the Galka War Academy. For the life of my dead soldiers, I demand justice.” his voice was full of rage, and his lips trembled with rage. ”If the ten schools council had not refused me last time, I could have killed him, and this could not have happened. Murmurs of agreement echoed from several platforms. Felunka’s gaze swept the chamber.

”If we allow such a force to live, we invite rebellion, embolden our enemies, and signal weakness. Sagiri must die.” He added, slamming his hand to the table.

Before the echoes faded, Kun Nakia, the Great Chief of the West, rose gracefully. Her eyes were sharp, her voice calm yet laced with steel. ”The West stands with the War Council,” she declared. ”We have long guarded the borders against threats from beyond. Sagiri’s origins in the South make him a potential catalyst for insurrection. He needs to be eliminated.

High Envoy Yamina stood, her composure unshaken despite the hostility directed at her. She sat at the head of the diplomats’ council.

”Decisive action without foresight leads to ruin,” she replied. ”Sagiri’s connection to the South cannot be ignored. Executing him may be interpreted as persecution, igniting tensions that could spiral into open conflict. The Diplomatic Council proposes deportation to the South or, at the very least, a more lenient sentence. If a southerner dies in the North, do you presume to think the South could take it lying down? No one knows why they shut their borders, or perhaps someone knows. But if this is the strength of one of them. We should be cautious.”

Nakia had not yet sat, and she turned toward the Diplomatic Council with a faint, disdainful smile. ”Peace is not preserved through hesitation but through decisive action. We have to show our hand...”

”You would hand a weapon of mass destruction to a region already steeped in resentment?” Felunka’s fist slammed against the railing and cut Nakia off.

”It would prevent a war,” Yamina countered firmly. ”Sometimes restraint is the greatest strength a nation can display,” she was, after all, the highest chaperone of peace, and her decisions were never based on emotion.

”Perhaps a woman should not lead the diplomats’ council. Women are too emotional!!” Felunka said, and both Nakia and Yamina did not appreciate the tone.

”I dare you to repeat those words, and I will kill you, half-blood!” Nakia of the Tsanka tribe said her eyes narrowed to slits like a snake ready to strike. Her snake peeked from inside her coat to respond to her hostility. Her snake the red-headed viper. One of the deadliest snakes, and it was clear she was ready to give it a command. She was a deadly woman from the deadliest clan of the west, and it would be wise for Felunka not to offend her because she could kill him for uttering those words.

”You are the emotional one here. Your accusations are baseless, and it has been proven that the blades and arrows used to kill your warrior were not his doing. You should thank him for avenging your warrior’s death, and perhaps you should explain why assassins were in the headquarters to kill the boy.” Yamina said her tone unhurried, but it could seem she had not come unprepared.

”I have nothing to explain to you. My conscience is clean.” Felunka snapped as if that meant anything.

”Order in the hall!!” Tsaka announced after the mandra raised a finger so he could announce his wish. The hall fell silent for only a moment before falling into chaos again.

Great Chief Linga Maaka of the East rose slowly, the weight of responsibility evident in his expression.

”Sagiri was raised by citizens of the East. Whether by fate or failure, we bear a measure of responsibility for the man he has become. To execute him without attempting redemption would be both unjust and dishonorable. The East advocates for capture and rehabilitation.” He said. He was currently in the hottest seat. He was required to take responsibility and show both a soft but decisive hand, yet he still had to show his best strength.

”Honor does not shield us from danger, Chief Linga. You might feel a sense of responsibility and kinship, but that does not mean we share the same sentiment.”Kun Nakia’s eyes narrowed. Her voice was cold as stone when she spoke.

”Nor does fear grant us wisdom,” Linga replied calmly.

A deep, resonant chuckle echoed through the chamber as Zaka Asakana, the Great Chief of the North, rose to his full, towering height. His presence alone commanded silence.

”You speak of the boy as though he were a plague,” Zaka rumbled. ”I see something else entirely. The boy destroyed an elite squad alone. That is not a weakness. It is power. In the North, only the strongest rule. We do not discard strength just because we are scared. Or perhaps you mean to tell me you are scared of the boy. His power should not be discarded. I demand we forge it.”

General Felunka glared at him. ”And if this ’weapon’ turns against us?”

Zaka met his gaze without hesitation. ”Then it is we who are unworthy of wielding it. The North proposes that Sagiri be captured and trained. I can train him myself. In the right hands, he could become Tagayia’s greatest champion. He might be from the south, but he was bred in the north,” Chief Zaka said. He was a beast of a man with pride enough to rival that of the mandra. He was not scared of anyone.

From the Guild’s platform, Guildmaster Bekizize rose with measured elegance. His expression was thoughtful, his tone carefully neutral.

”Just like Chief Zaka has said, we should consider the value of a warrior. The Guild acknowledges the severity of Sagiri’s actions,” he began. ”Yet, to execute a warrior of such extraordinary capability would be... wasteful. We support his capture and containment under strict supervision. But since he was captured by the guild, it is only natural that we should wield this weapon.” His words were carefully chosen, revealing nothing of the Guild’s true intentions, and what better way to achieve his intention than hiding behind Chief Zaka?

His eyes flickered briefly, almost imperceptibly, towards Zaka before returning to the assembly. Only an old, prideful geezer like him could dare challenge Chef Zaka. ”Should he prove uncontrollable,” Bekizize added smoothly, ”execution may still be considered.”

Though his words seemed reasonable, a subtle unease spread among the representatives. The Guild was known for its cunning, and many suspected deeper motives behind their proposal.