"If my grandfather is part of the Ilu Nla Liberation Movement, and surrounded by mediums like you are, he must be safe. My father must still be useful to Ojwang, otherwise I would have killed him by now."

Mashal was disconcerted. He had exposed himself, and he had also taken a big no in the face. He fervently believed that the young medium would side with him in dealing with Azekel.

"You're as stubborn as a mule. Don't take that as a compliment. That's not synonymous with a strong personality, it's more like foolishness."

Nyatui couldn't help himself. He laughed, flapping his arms on his knees outrageously. He wanted to annoy Mashal. His companion had jumped the gun and lost Akachi's support. He was pleased to see the look of disappointment on his face.

Feruzi took a last puff. He felt that the boy was not only naïve, but stubborn. He would be trouble, no matter which way he went. He decided he should put more smoke in his pipe. He reasoned about the situation. The Spiritual Key of Faith was connected to the boy's life, but that wasn't a guarantee, he could be killed at any moment. The consequences were unpredictable, the fact was unprecedented in the history of mediumship.

Ojwang remained in power. He had a powerful and numerous army, high military technology and favorable public opinion. The Ilu Nla Liberation Movement was the closest thing to a trained and equipped army. However, as an urban guerrilla, it had limited operations. When things heated up, there would be desertions and betrayals.

Akachi's participation in the tournament was the most absurd idea of all. Fadala could go with him, and that could be a big risk. The assassin could kill him and take the divine artifact for himself. Who knows, he might even ally himself with the interim president. He maintained his position. The best thing would be to step back, train Akachi to his full potential and plan concretely. He had to intervene. He blew another gray cloud and said:

"Akachi, please reason. This is my last attempt. You'll be recognized automatically. Come and train with me."

"No, I beg your pardon, Mr. Feruzi. I can't hide forever. I don't even know how I escaped until now. Ojwang must be stopped."

Fadala coughed, he wanted to be part of the conversation. He looked at the former wise man and, in a slurred voice, spoke shrewdly:

"There is electronic equipment that can alter part of your face, Akachi. It would be facial microsurgery. Your biometric data can also be falsified by the Ilê Apanyan…"

What a dangerous guy! He's trying to take Akachi over to his side. I didn't want to, but I'll find a solution.

Feruzi motioned for Fadala to be quiet. He picked up his pipe and pointed it at Adisa's son.

Stolen novel; please report.

"I don't approve of your project, I think it's suicidal. But I don't want to force you into anything. I just don't want you to regret it. I can use my Scratched Point Magic and alter your appearance. It won't last forever, and it will need to be redone periodically."

"I don't know this technique, I don't know if I'll be able to do it, Mr. Feruzi."

"You'll have to learn the basics. Zimbas are nothing more than writing with Axé applied to it to promote effects. These effects can be activated in different ways. If you know the exact sequence, and apply Axé to it, it will work."

Nyatui raised an eyebrow. He could already see in his mind where all this was going.

"Even so, old man. It's the dumbest infiltration plan I've ever seen. The Phalanx has its eye on Akachi. Yasini's met Spin Bomb, and he's probably already got the drop on him. Anyway, I'm tired of retirement. That last fight made me want to loosen up my muscles."

"Does that mean that Mr. Nyatui will go with me?"

"You're a very cheeky boy. It sounds a bit silly, but I want to see how it ends. Get ready! If you waste my time, I'll behead you with my spear."

Glup! Akachi and Fenyang put their hands on their necks. The young medium didn't know whether the giant's company would be good or bad. He would have preferred Mashal or Feruzi to come with him.

Spin Bomb looked at Akachi. There was no way back to Chrome Hill. It would be risky to be reunited with his family. The waterfalls were no longer safe either. It wasn't fear that motivated her decision. She wanted to stay close to Akachi, to be useful in some way. With a whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind, she shouted with her eyes closed:

"Akachi, I'm coming with you!"

Everyone looked at the girl. The sword crafter's cheeks flushed. I looked at the ground. She felt she had drawn too much attention.

Feruzi took his pipe out of his mouth. He put a hand to his chin and glanced at Mashal. The other medium understood what the other was saying just by looking at him.

"Spin Bomb, I know you want to help. We all do. I don't think the underground fighting tournament to recruit mercenaries is the place for you. If you were far away from me, I wouldn't be able to teach you the Scratched Point Magic."

"That's right, with that cricket chassis you've got, you won't last a round. Besides, the explosive-making technique is better suited to us urban guerrillas."

Akachi and Spin Bomb looked at each other for a moment. They turned their faces away and remained silent. The medium wanted her close to him. Despite her noisy… and somewhat aggressive manner, she always showed up at the right time. She made plans and created strategies during the fights.

However, Azekel's grandson understood the risk she was taking. She had no martial skills, no command of weapons or knowledge of the mediumistic arts. Firework swords couldn't be guided, the fuse wasn't lit instantly and explosive devices could be thrown back at her and her allies during a fight.

"All right, I get it, I'm useless!"

But nobody said that…

Akachi, relax, women are just like that. Put up with it or freak out? That's the question.

Fadala put a hand on his injured shoulder. He still felt some pain, he wasn't at his full physical strength.

"Mr. Feruzi, how soon will I be on my feet?"

"Three days…"

"Give me two, I'll accompany Akachi to the tournament. It could increase our chances."

"It'll be a great opportunity for you, won't it?"

"Yes. During the events in the war between the criminal factions, I acted in the shadows. The Savage Unit was killed. I'm still in the shadows. I have a lot of leeway."

That's my fear. You're still an unknown to me.

The whole group decided that they would wait for Fadala to recover. In the meantime. Akachi would receive instructions for the zimbas. After that, the group would split into two: Feruzi, Mashal and Spin Bomb would infiltrate the city and go to the headquarters of the Ilu Nla Liberation Movement; Akachi, Fadala and Nyatui would go to the tournament.