Shinkai - The Eyes That Shouldn't Exist

"Are you a pawn, Kazuo… or a player?"

Cedric stood with his back half-turned, the golden light of morning cascading through stained-glass windows, casting fractured rainbows across the polished floor.

Kazuo didn't answer.

Cedric slowly, turning just slightly toward him.

"Not that it actually matters."His voice was soft, almost thoughtful.

"Because in the end, even players can be sacrificed."

He turned more fully now, nodding toward Setsuna, expression unreadable.

"You'll join the Royal Guard," Cedric said, "under his command."

Kazuo's brow furrowed. He looked at the man, then back at Cedric.

"This Setsuna guy? Is he like a special knight?"

"The strongest in Yurelda." Cedric replied.

That answer hit harder than Kazuo expected.So that's why he speaks to the king like that. 

Kazuo looked at him

Someone so powerful is under the loyal command of King Cedric?

Kazuo's voice hardened. His face turned back to Cedric.

"And if I refuse to play along?"

Cedric's tone didn't shift."Then your precious Gramps will die."

Kazuo's breath caught — and for a second, the mask slipped.

Cedric saw it. And smiled faintly.

"You're actually shocked?" he asked, almost amused. "Did you truly believe that after learning of your existence, I wouldn't do my research? "He stepped closer, voice turning colder. "I know who raised you. I know where. I know how long. I know everything."

Kazuo clenched his teeth.

Cedric continued without pause. "But a threat alone won't be enough. Like you said, Setsuna, this has to be public. Controlled. So we shape the story."

He moved toward the high dais, each step like a drumbeat of inevitability.

"You will enter the Tournament of Nobles."

Kazuo blinked."…The what?"

Even Setsuna's posture shifted slightly.

"Isn't that a little early to be held?"

Cedric nodded once.

"Which is why I'm holding it early. The people are restless. The nobles are divided. We give them a distraction — a new face."

Kazuo's voice sharpened."I don't want to be part of your circus."

Cedric turned to him fully now."You don't have a choice here."

"You think showing me off like some political puppet will stop anything?"

"Not stop. Delay. Misdirect. "Cedric's golden eyes didn't waver. "It's a gamble — but the safest one we have."

He took a step closer, his voice lowering like a strategist laying down his final piece.

"You'll be seen. Introduced. Speculated upon. The nobles will hesitate, unsure if you're one of theirs. The lowborn will begin to whisper — maybe things are changing without drawing their swords"A pause."And in that hesitation… the noise quiets. On both sides."

Kazuo exhaled sharply, like the walls were closing in.

Setsuna smirked from the corner."Hey, at least you get cool armor. Might even impress a girl or two."

Kazuo shot him a glare. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Nope."

Kazuo's mind raced..Just a pawn in a game he never agreed to play.

He inhaled slowly.All I ever wanted was A quiet life. A cat or two. And now…Gramps was being held hostage.He was being used — not as a person, but as a symbol. A mask to pacify the nobles. But then Kazuo remembered something about Gramps which he never truly questioned.

He met Cedric's gaze.

"Fine," Kazuo said. "I'll enter your tournament."

A beat.

"But I want something."

Cedric blinked — once. Then folded his hands behind his back again, like a professor waiting for an unqualified thesis.

"Why," he asked softly, "should I entertain a request from someone who has no options?"

Kazuo stepped forward.

"Because," he said calmly, "you yourself called it a gamble. Even when I play along, you can't predict me. So why not reduce the risk?"

He held Cedric's gaze.

"Give me a reason to cooperate without resentment. I'm not asking for power. Just one concession."

Cedric tilted his head.

"I'm listening."

"There's someone," Kazuo said. "A friend. Brown eyes. Commoner. His name is Rei."

Cedric raised an eyebrow.

"He's a skilled merchant," Kazuo continued. "Sharp-minded, adaptable, and trusted by locals in the lower crescents. I want him promoted — given an official position. Nothing flashy. Something low-profile but real. A government informant. Courier. Liaison."

He locked eyes with Cedric.

"Someone the nobles overlook — but who can still move between circles. It'll show goodwill from the Crown. A message. That even a commoner can be acknowledged — under the right conditions."

Cedric raised a brow.

"And in return?"

"You get my full cooperation," Kazuo said. "No resistance. No trouble. No tricks or Games."

Cedric turned toward Setsuna. "What do you think?"

Setsuna smirked. "Doesn't hurt to have more pawns I guess."

Cedric didn't laugh. His gaze returned to Kazuo — thoughtful, calculating.

"A brown-eyed commoner?" he said at last. "You do realize how absurd this sounds, don't you? That kind of inclusion would stir even more trouble among nobles."

Kazuo didn't blink.

"Then here is another reason."

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Kazuo's voice dropped.

"You can't kill Gramps."

Cedric tilted his head. "Can't I?"

"I don't care if I die," Kazuo said quietly. "But you wouldn't risk killing someone tied to nobility — not unless you wanted the entire bloodline unraveling."

Cedric's golden eyes narrowed. A vein pulsed at his temple.

"You're bluffing."

Kazuo leaned in, steady.

"He's nobility… isn't he?"

The silence that followed was not empty. It pressed down like the weight of the Crown itself.

Cedric held Kazuo's gaze for a long, measured beat.

Then — he exhaled slowly.

"The one thing I respect about you," he said, "is that you're not a liar."

He stepped forward.

"You mean what you say. And that tells me you're taking this seriously."

He looked toward the far wall, as if addressing no one.

"Very well. If you play along, I'll see what can be done for your friend so long as you don't make me regret it."

A flicker of gratitude crossed Kazuo's face — but Cedric wasn't finished.

"However," Cedric said sharply, "don't mistake this for mercy. Or agency. Don't confuse this illusion of choice with real control."

He stepped closer.

"This isn't for you. And it's not because I have to. It's because there are stakes in this game bigger than you, or your friend, or even me."

Kazuo's smile faded.

He believed him.

This wasn't about kindness. It was about strategy. And right now, he was a piece being moved into place.

Cedric glanced at Setsuna. "You'll watch him. Guide him. Kill him if you have no other choice."

The man gave a bored two-finger salute. "And miss out on all this drama? Wouldn't dream of it."

Cedric walked to the door, paused, then spoke one last time — without turning back.

"Preparations must be made. The tournament awaits."

And with that, the king left the room.