Number 7

There is no such thing as a ruler who is not feared.

For if a great ruler is to rise up, there will always be those around him who wish to usurp his place.

The existence of such wicked men creates a necessity of wickedness within any man who steps into a position of leadership.

For if a man was to rule without any semblance of wickedness, then his position would be immediately stolen by a man whose wickedness knows no bounds.

----

[Try Number 1]

The light of the sun peeked through the thin curtains of Eclaire's bedroom. Upon the glare of the rising sun reaching her eyes, the white haired beauty rose from her slumber, gently making her way to the window.

Slowly drawing the curtain back, the girl's eyes transitioned from groggy to awake as she accepted that it was no longer time to remain asleep. Immediately, she once more replaced the curtain to its previous position, as if to hide her room from the light which had bathed it.

'Today... is the day.'

She told herself these words, taking a deep breath as she looked around her room.

It was a luxurious bedroom, fit for a queen.

She could have continued living like this forever, if only she could accept the reign of the man who could control her every action with a mere word.

However, she could not accept such a thing.

She could not accept living under the rule of a man whose morals and ideals were far more rotten than even the corrupted world around her.

And so - she steeled herself.

She did not know how many hours would pass, or the number of days that they would add up to.

It could have been weeks, or even months before the task was completed.

However no matter the amount of time that passed, Eclaire knew one thing for certain.

Today was the day that she would kill this man.

And no matter how many tries it took... she would retry until the moment she succeeded.

----

No longer in her nightgown, but now dressed in a colorful sundress, Eclaire made her way through the hallways with a bright smile on her face.

Such a plastered smile was enough to make her sick, however she paid no heed to her own emotions - for there would come a time when she no longer needed to wear such a wretched smile.

"Good morning, Eclaire! I see that you're looking as beautiful as ever."

"You flatter me, Henry."

She passed by an unimportant man, waving as he was overly pleased at the fact that this woman so much as knew his name - an honor which far exceeded his own expectations.

"You... you remembered my name. I..."

"Is that not obvious? I am the one who brought you to this place... so I will do as much as I can to remember each and every one of you."

The man felt a lump form in his throat at the benevolent words of the woman, which touched his heart as he struggled to get out a response.

"Thank you, Eclaire..."

With these meek words, the man could no longer bear being within the presence of this woman, for he felt as if making any further statement would be nothing more than presumptuous.

The woman walked by the man, a bright smile on her face as she continued forward.

However the moment she entered the next door within those hallways, as it shut behind her, a wretched frown formed upon her expression.

'Of course I would remember your name. After all... you just told it to me.'

[But he doesn't remember that, now does he?]

----

'For now... I will try a straightforward approach.'

On this day, the people of the third branch would attack.

It was now late in the morning, approaching noon. Earlier that morning, Isabella alone had approached Gerard, asking for him to provide manpower in attacking the bloodhounds, who posed a potential threat to the Stirling Family and had supposedly wiped out Isabella's subordinates, however this was all a lie.

The bloodhounds didn't exist in this world anymore, or at the very least, they were nowhere near this place if they did. This was a story which was just believable enough to be potentially true, but was in reality a tactic used by that mastermind - Marcus Coran.

He had concocted this scheme in order to lure out some of the top fighters of the 4th Branch, and likely to eliminate those people before the real battle began.

Of course, he certainly understood that Isabella likely would not be able to convince Gerard to send out any executives or ability users. He was far too greedy to do something like that. If he were to send an ability user out, it would be for his own purposes.

Valerie, Melissa, and Celia were all ability users, and in previous loops, Eclaire had found out the basics of their abilities. Even Gerard knew not of the specific powers that they held, however by risking her own life - and losing it on multiple occasions, Eclaire had found out the abilities of those three.

Yakov too was clearly using some sort of strange ability that gave him an unbelievable amount of information, however Eclaire had never been able to find out his ability no matter how many times she tried.

He was too perfect.

Whenever he had an opening, he would fill it immediately. It was as if his actions were guided to the point where he couldn't possibly make an incorrect decision.

Which was exactly why Eclaire understood that she needed to force that opening.

She needed to create a scenario where that man was checkmated - stuck in a position where he would need to be in two places at once.

Yet - the very idea that such a man would allow a checkmate to come about was laughable.

Reaching the outer halls, the woman descended the staircase as numerous eyes fell upon her.

"Eclaire!"

"It's Eclaire!"

With a smile and a wave, the woman looked down upon the masses who had gathered - people that she had convinced to come to this place after she had personally ventured out into the world.

"Mrs. Eclaire, what is our schedule for today?"

One man stepped forward among the crowd, looking up to the woman with concern, though his tone treaded carefully as if not to offend the one he spoke with.

"I'm sorry... but it looks like you all will have to work quite hard again today. I hope you all can manage..."

"Ah..."

Gazing downward, the man became slightly downtrodden upon hearing these words, however he immediately perked up as if to prevent such an expression from being seen.

"Does this... displease you?"

"N-not at all! We're glad to assist you! It's just..."

Looking around with concern, the man chose his words carefully.

"Nevermind. We will begin work."

"I'm sorry."

"Please don't say that! We understand your position well. You're the one suffering the most out of all of us!"

These men and women who were gathered looked up to Eclaire as if she were some form of Queen, however she was anything but.

She was the very woman who had brought these people to this place, deceiving them into coming under the reign of Gerard.

And from the moment they had accepted this, they were subject to his ability.

'Anyone who gives in and accepts a position as his subordinate... will be subject to his orders.'

'When he gives an order, the recipient of the order must follow it, so long as it is possible.'

'Even if it is not possible, the recipient must try to the best of their ability to fulfill the order.'

This was the case for both Eclaire and these men and women.

Survivors of the calamity who had been in small groups had been gathered up, and a large number of the people within this area of the City were currently working under Gerard as a result of Eclaire's recruitment efforts.

"No... that's wrong."

'Yes, that's right.'

"I'm suffering the least."

'I'm suffering the most.'

"So please, don't pity me."

'So shut the fuck up, and stop pitying me.'

With a smile that could never hope to match her thoughts, the woman charmed the entire crowd, men and women alike.

And with these words, she continued down the stairs - and like the red sea, the men and women parted as they made way for her.

'Ah...'

'She's so close to me...'

'If only I could touch her...'

'No... what am I thinking...'

'How could someone like myself even dare to do such a thing?'

'She's a Queen.'

'An Empress.'

'And a mere peasant such as myself... has no place by her side.'

'It's a reward enough... that she would even so much as acknowledge our existence.'

Filled with awe, the people could not help but to tremble as the woman made her way through them, shivering at the elegance with which the woman carried herself.

And then, just as quickly as she had arrived, the woman disappeared.

She entered a place which had not been permitted to the public - a place where only executives were allowed.

The basement.

----

As she made her way down the stairs, Eclaire took each step without hesitation.

She understood what she had to do.

It was risky, to be sure.

If Yakov was not as capable as she believed him to be, then such a rash course of action would without doubt prove fatal - not only to her target, but to Eclaire herself.

However, Yakov was not just capable - he was inhuman.

Of this, Eclaire was certain.

Therefore without a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, eventually making it into a luxurious hallway.

'The client rooms...'

The first sector of the basement was the client section, filled with rooms of the utmost luxury prepared for the highest paying clients.

Of course, there was a reason beyond mere luxury as to why these particular clients would pay so much.

These rooms had been prepared for those disturbed men and women whose desires could never be satisfied with any standard methods.

This was a place for those decrepit and wretched humans who could never be admitted into society - were their personal activities to become public.

It was a place that guaranteed such people absolute safety - both from the police and from any leak of information.

For this, Gerard had obtained a monopoly of sorts.

A monopoly on degeneracy.

For there was no competitor on this planet who provided the services and luxury that could be found at the Paradise Hotel.

----

When she had come to the end of the client section, there was a door.

It was a double door - one which resembled that of a door at the back of the grocery store which led to the warehouse.

Above this door were the words "Employees only beyond this point."

It was a simple message - one which told the clients that they had no place coming into this area.

However, to Eclaire, this door sent shivers down her spine.

For this door was the gate between two different worlds.

'I... never wanted to come here again.'

Yet, here she was.

However even though everything within her shouted to stay away from that door, she pressed forward.

'I am no longer the prey.'

With these words, Eclaire told such things to herself as she made her way into that place.

Concrete surrounded her. She was no longer within the fabric covered hotel, but now in what appeared to be an old bunker.

There were cells on either side of her - most of them empty.

"So the bitch comes down to the dungeon after all this time. What the hell do you want here?"

Most of them, that was.

Stopping in her tracks, Eclaire lightly smiled as her eyes were laid upon a frail old man - one who had a fiery hatred burning in his eyes as he glared upon Eclaire.

"You know... your words actually put me at peace."

"If my words put you at peace, then I'd rather not talk at all, you whore. How can you live with yourself?"

"That's the thing."

Looking up to the ceiling, the girl raised her eyes as if to peer straight through it.

"I can't."

Reaching into her purse, which she carried at her side, Eclaire began to fumble with it - a smile on her face.

"You do understand why your words put me at peace - don't you? It's quite disturbing to see how easily brainwashed the people on the upper floors are. The existence of someone like you who can see through all the lies is... comforting."

"How can you say that when you're the author of those lies?"

Spitting in the direction of Eclaire, the man crossed his arms from the concrete slab that could hardly be called a bed.

Dried blood lathered the walls of his cell, though this was likely not his own. Even so, the man was so thin that one might well believe he had not eaten for days.

"If I could kill you here and now, I'd jump at the chance. If these bars weren't separating us..."

"If only they weren't..."

Pulling her hand out of her purse, the woman removed something red and cylindrical.

"Catch."

The man, shocked at having been thrown an item, bobbled it a couple of times before it settled in his hands.

"Wha... what is..."

Beep.

"There are five minutes until it goes off. Yakov will be down here to disable it shortly. Try not to die."

"Get this thing away from me!"

At that moment, Eclaire shifted her head, just barely dodging the item which was thrown straight back at her.

"You don't want it? I was giving you an opportunity to die, you know."

"YOU BITCH!!! I WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL YOU!!! Give me my freedom back! Give me my village back! How can you lead us to this horrible place and lock me up like this just for disagreeing with you?"

Stopping as she received the shouts of the man, Eclaire glanced back at him, her tone lowering as her eyes filled with repulsion.

"Because if I can't disobey that man, then I might as well have everyone else obey me."

"Get back here!! Where are you going!? Are you insane!? Are you going to destroy this entire place!?"

Grabbing the bars now as the woman walked off, the old man shouted out with fear in his voice as he tried to stop her.

However, she continued to walk.

"There is nothing more that I would LOVE than to destroy this place. However... that cannot happen until the one who protects it has been destroyed as well."

----

"Hey... come over here... we can have a lot of fun, you know..."

"You wretched witch! What is wrong with you!?"

"I hate you! I hate you!"

"One day you'll regret everything you've done!"

"I'm sick of people like you who think that they're on top of the world, when in reality they're just playing to another person's tune."

"Do you think you've won? Do you think that just because we can't disobey you that it will be the end of this? We'll rise up and destroy you - just wait."

"You're the last person I could ever forgive."

"You coward! Stop sitting on top of your throne and come face us in a fair fight!"

"I'll kill you... I'll kill you, you bitch..."

"A hero... that's right, a hero will come and save us all from you."

"You're nothing more than a villain."

The insults wouldn't stop.

As she walked through that hallway of cells, one after another Eclaire's ears were riddled with the hateful emotions of those who had been imprisoned here.

Of course - they had every right to despise her.

'In order to achieve my own goal... I truly did become a villain.'

But even if she had a chance to retry, she wouldn't.

Because everything that she did - was all for the sake of a single goal.

Which was exactly why she could not fail in this goal.

No matter how many tries it took.

One after another, the woman planted bombs near each structural pillar, making her way through a maze of cells until they had all been planted and set.

'Now... I've got to hurry.'

The instant the last one had been placed, Eclaire rushed towards the exit, reaching the client sector and heading up the stairs in a panic.

'I have to hurry...'

Yet as she ascended those stairs, the girl was stopped.

For standing in front of her with arms crossed, a man was there.

This man, with every aspect of him that of a gentleman, looked down upon Eclaire with a stern expression.

"Eclaire."

"Yakov! It's terrible! The rebels... they've somehow obtained explosives! They're trying to destroy this entire-"

"You need not say more."

With these words, Eclaire's heart sank as the man continued past her.

Her breath was caught, and for just a sheer moment, terror overwhelmed her.

'Does he know?'

'Is he going to kill me?'

Yet at that moment, the man passed right by her.

He said nothing to incriminate her.

He said nothing that implied his knowledge of her involvement in the matter.

He merely walked forward, his hands folded as he descended with patience.

"I will take care of the matter. Please give me a brief moment."

----

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Somehow, she was still alive.

How, she did not know.

She saw her life flash before her eyes - or rather, her numerous lives.

She was all but certain that Yakov would kill her then and there, yet he had not.

'Did I somehow manage to get something past him, or did he prioritize the bombs?'

Killing Eclaire would have taken less than a second. And to begin with, would Yakov really have taken things so slowly if the bombs posed him any actual threat?

'Perhaps... he doesn't know yet?'

For certain, the people within the basement would tell Yakov exactly what had happened.

While those people were not exactly trustworthy from Gerard's nor Yakov's perspective, it was all but certain that Yakov would know something was up.

Her plot would be unveiled, therefore she would have to ensure that Gerard was taken care of before such a thing happened.

Therefore, she ran.

With everything in her being, she ran until her lungs were about to explode, rushing past all the people who had been worshiping her just earlier.

"Eh?"

"Eclaire? Is something wrong?"

"Clear the path, will you? Get out of her way!"

The people had no idea why she was rushing, but they immediately parted as soon as they saw her - at which she ran straight through them, reaching the spiral staircase as she ascended.

'I'm almost there...'

She was almost there.

'Just a few more steps... huff...'

She reached the top, quickly rushing into one of the hallways before ascending another flight of stairs.

Why was this building so enormous?

'Will I make it? The other three are out on patrol by Yakov's orders, so they shouldn't be here... Gerard should be alone... so...'

She ran.

She ran and ran and ran, her legs about to give out as she panted and heaved.

And finally, she made it to the top floor.

"Ugh... ugh.... huff... huff..."

Holding in her vomit, the woman looked up to the door in front of her with red eyes.

'I can't waste time catching my breath.'

Thus, she immediately pried the door open, gripping yet another explosive from within her purse.

'This one... has a short fuse.'

Beep.

Slamming open the door, the girl hurled the bomb inside the room, right at the place which Gerard should have been reclining in his seat.

However as soon as she opened that door and threw that bomb, the scene which she met was something that exceeded all expectations.

For with the flick of his wrist, a certain man caught the bomb in his hand, and as he glanced towards it, he reeled his hand back in a similar manner.

"How shameful, Eclaire."

For standing within that room, as if waiting for her appearance - was the Janitor.

"It would seem that the basement isn't the only thing in need of a deep clean."

At that instant, something came flying at Eclaire - and a loud bang filled her ears as her body was filled with shrapnel.

A horrid heat engulfed her, and searing pain overwhelmed the woman to the point where she couldn't even scream - for her very body was ripped apart from the shock of the explosion.

[It looks like this one was a failure.]

And so, the cold voice of the creature within her ran through her head moments before everything went black.

[Would you like to retry?]