Timeless Assassin

Leo thought deeply about Su Yang's offer, as unlike Veyr, he was not fixated solely on the surface-level facts being presented, but instead on the deeper implications behind those words and how committing to such a war might alter the Cult's future in ways that could not be undone.

If the Su Clan were already preparing to abandon seventy-four of the seventy-eight planets under their dominion, then relinquishing two of them was hardly a meaningful concession, for the Cult could simply seize them once the clan's withdrawal was complete, whether they handed them over willingly or not.

The true worth of this proposal did not lie in territory, but in the possibility, however fragile, of forging an alignment between the Su Clan and the Cult, for together they could muster a resistance against the Universal Government far greater than what either side could achieve in isolation.

Yet Leo did not entertain the naïve illusion that such an alliance could be conjured with a handshake and a few well-chosen words, for centuries of blood and bitterness could not be erased within a span of weeks, and whatever Su Yang believed, genuine trust between the two sides would be a process measured not in months but in generations.

He knew well that the common people of the Cult despised the Su Clan as deeply as the Su Clan's soldiers reviled the Cult, each praying for the other's ruin, and convincing them to regard one another as allies would be neither simple nor swift.

Even if, by decree, the banners of the Su Clan and the Cult were made to fly side by side, Leo understood that on the battlefield their soldiers were more likely to turn their blades against each other than the enemy, and so the viability of such an alliance was something he could only ever weigh with caution, and accept with a pinch of salt.

"So just to be clear….. Is this alliance between the Su Clan and the Cult wanted by everyone?

Like, have your branch clan leaders and planetary commanders accepted this arrangement?" Leo asked, as his question immediately made Su Yang wince.

This was precisely the information he wanted to conceal in this deal till the end, however, now that Leo asked about it, he had no option but to reveal the truth about it.

Su Yang's lips pressed thin as his golden eyes shifted away, and for a brief moment he looked almost reluctant to speak, yet when he did, the truth slipped out all the same.

"So far… the arrangement is only known by Patriarch Su Tang and myself," he admitted, his voice low but steady. "The rest of the clan is not yet aware of it."

He paused just long enough to draw in a breath, then lifted his chin again with stubborn resolve. "But they will come around. Once they see the merit in this plan, once they understand that the Su Clan's survival depends on forging a path forward with you, they will accept it... I mean, they will have no choice but to accept it."

Leo shook his head slowly, the disappointment clear in his eyes, his expression hardening as his arms folded across his chest.

"That," he said, his voice measured and sharp, "is exactly what I was afraid of."

For in his mind, secrecy of this scale was not a sign of careful planning, but of dangerous division, and an alliance born out of silence and hidden promises was not the kind that could be trusted to stand when the universe decided to press down on it.

"Leo, listen to me," Su Yang said quickly, his voice tightening as if the weight of the chains binding his wrists was nothing compared to the weight pressing on his chest.

"I know how it sounds… I know it looks reckless, but it is not. My father understands, I understand, and that is enough for now. The rest of them… they will see reason once they realize what is at stake. When the other clans descend upon us, when they see the fire closing in, they will follow the only road left open to them."

His words spilled faster, tinged with urgency, as his golden eyes locked onto Leo's gray ones without wavering. "You think I don't know how stubborn they are? You think I don't know how much hate still festers in their hearts? Of course I do. But hatred will not feed their armies, nor will pride defend their worlds. When survival is on the line, even the most arrogant commander bends, and the Su Clan will bend too."

He leaned forward as far as the chains allowed, his voice dropping lower, almost pleading now. "It will work out, Leo. It has to. There's no other way for us to stand against what's coming. This alliance is not a gamble, it's a necessity, and sooner or later the rest of the clan will realize that."

The silence stretched for a heartbeat, heavy with the clash of conviction and doubt, before Su Yang finally let out a bitter laugh, his voice fraying at the edges. "Truth is… I have nowhere else to turn to. If the Cult refuses us, then the Su Clan will fall. I don't think we can hold off the combined might of five clans alone….. the Su Clan, and myself, will be wiped out."

Leo remained silent, his eyes fixed on Su Yang, though his mind churned like a storm beneath the surface.

He had heard countless pleas for aid before, but this one struck differently, not because of the promise of planets or the bait of alliance, but because of the raw honesty buried in Su Yang's final words.

'I have nowhere else to turn to.'

That was not the voice of a politician bargaining for advantage, it was the voice of a man cornered, stripped of every option, clinging to the last shred of hope he could find.

And though Leo did not yet trust the plan, nor the merit of an alliance that lacked the blessing of the Su Clan itself, he could not help but feel the weight of his friend's desperation settle heavy on his chest, pressing him toward decisions he had never wished to make.