"While everyone is distracted by the flashy battle," Ken explained. "The real villain sneaks through the back door. The villain quietly walks into the royal library or the secret vault. The villain steals the real prize. He grabs a magical scroll or a forbidden book. Then he sneaks out the back door without anyone noticing. The heroes defeat the giant flower and celebrate. They think they won. But they actually lost completely. The villain got exactly what he wanted."
Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench near the wall. She snored quietly. She did not hear his speech. Risa sat on the rug. The pink-haired healer drew a picture of a smiling cat. She listened to Ken. She thought his story sounded very interesting.
Ira stood perfectly still by the door. Her pale face showed zero emotion. "Statistically speaking," Ira stated in her flat, robotic voice. "Diversionary tactics are utilized in eighty-two percent of highly organized covert operations. The probability of a secondary objective is incredibly high."
"See? Ira agrees with me," Ken smiled a goofy smile. He finished his sandwich. He dusted his hands off on his pants. "The giant plant was just a massive smokescreen. The dark mages wanted everyone to look at the sky. They definitely stole something very small and very important while nobody was looking."
Naomi frowned. She crossed her arms tightly. She looked at Ken with a very serious expression. "If you are right, Ken. What did they steal? What is the real prize?"
Ken let out a loud, dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head. He slouched his shoulders again. He closed his sleepy eyes.
"I have no idea," Ken mumbled lazily. "I am just a guy who likes sandwiches. Figuring out what they stole sounds like a massive amount of detective work. Detective work requires reading books. I absolutely hate reading books. I am going to take a nap now. Please wake me up when dinner is ready."
Naomi laughed a warm, genuine laugh. She playfully tossed a small couch pillow at him. It bounced softly off his messy black hair. "You are totally ridiculous, slacker. Go to sleep. We will do the reading."
Ken smiled happily. He pulled a soft blanket over his legs. He snuggled into the cushions. He fell asleep almost instantly.
He was perfectly correct. His casual, lazy anime logic was entirely flawless. The giant flower, the monster army, and the dark invasion were nothing but a massive, chaotic distraction. The true goal of the Black Magicians was currently sitting inside a dark panic room, held tightly in the greedy hands of a traitor Prince.
And the true mastermind was just about to claim his prize.
---
Prince Noir sat in his small wooden chair. He was still hiding inside the secret panic room deep beneath the royal palace. He stared at the dark wooden box in his lap. He checked his gold watch again. He felt very impatient.
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"Where is Javier?" Noir complained out loud. His voice echoed in the tiny, dark room. "He promised to make me King. I did my part. I betrayed my father. I betrayed the grandmasters. I opened the gates. I have been sitting in this dark box for hours. I demand my crown."
Noir stood up. He paced back and forth across the stone floor. He felt a sudden spike of anger. He wanted to sit on the grand wooden throne in the main hall. He wanted the citizens to bow to him. He wanted his older brothers to realize he was the smartest, most powerful person in the entire kingdom.
Suddenly, he heard a very quiet sound.
It sounded like a soft, buzzing hum. The sound came from the solid stone wall near the door.
Noir stopped pacing. He turned his head. He looked at the thick wall. He narrowed his eyes. The panic room was supposed to be completely soundproof. Nothing was supposed to penetrate the thick stone.
The stone wall began to shimmer. The solid gray rock warped and rippled like liquid water.
A small, black orb glided effortlessly right through the solid wall. It popped into the panic room. It floated gently in the air. The orb was the size of a small apple. It was made of pure, concentrated darkness. It did not emit any light. It simply absorbed the dim light from the room's single glowing lamp.
Noir took a step backward. He held the wooden box tightly against his chest. He stared at the floating black object.
"What is this?" Noir asked nervously. He looked around the empty room. "Javier? Are you using this thing to talk to me? Is this a communication spell?"
The black orb did not speak. It did not have a mouth. It did not make any sudden moves. It just hovered perfectly still in the center of the room. It pulsed very slowly. The dark magic hummed with a cold, terrifying energy.
Noir relaxed his shoulders. He let out a loud scoff. He stepped forward. He felt incredibly arrogant. He believed Javier sent the orb to deliver a message of victory. He believed he was completely in control of the situation.
"You finally sent word," Noir stated proudly. He puffed out his chest. "I assume the battle is over. I assume the grandmasters are dead. I assume my father is gone. The kingdom is officially mine. You kept your promise."
Noir raised the dark wooden box in his hands. He held it out toward the floating orb.
"Here is the item," Noir announced. He smiled a greedy, wicked smile. "I successfully infiltrated the deepest royal vault. I bypassed the ancient magical seals. I stole the 'Ode to a Nightmare' just like we agreed. I held up my end of the bargain. I took a massive risk for you."
Noir expected the orb to glow. He expected Javier's voice to echo from the dark magic. He expected the dark mage to praise his brilliance. He expected Javier to ask for the book and offer him the throne in return.
The orb did not praise him. It did not offer a crown.
The black orb simply floated closer. It moved slowly. It stopped exactly one foot away from the wooden box.
"Take it," Noir commanded firmly. He tried to sound like a powerful King. "Take the book. Then tell your army to clear the streets. I want to walk into my throne room. I want to try on my crown. I want the royal tailors to make me a new, flawless royal cape."
The orb pulsed once. A tiny, incredibly thin tendril of pure black magic shot out from the orb. The dark tendril moved like a fast, striking snake. It touched the surface of the dark wooden box.
The reaction was completely instantaneous.
The solid wood did not just break. It rotted away entirely. The wood turned a sickly gray color. It crumbled into fine dust in a single fraction of a second. The metal hinges melted into nothingness. The entire box completely dissolved in Noir's hands.
The forbidden book fell out of the dust.
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