After patiently biding his time, granting Arthurias the power he required and the nudges he needed to courageously pursue his noble ideals, now the war had been won. His vessel had accomplished the little reset he wanted; it was time for the credits. Edian's voice cooed in the mind of the emperor. "Did you forget about our deal?" The capital was still reeling from the attack. Those forced to defend the crown out of duty or by force had suffered greatly; the city was still in shambles. Yet... it was already time. Time to indulge the taxing ways of Edian. Arthurias' fingers betrayed impatience as they tapped the arms of the throne. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you."

Eddy chuckled. While he was almost certain things wouldn't go down smoothly, a little dialogue couldn't hurt. Now that the topic had been fostered, it was time to play. To remind little Arty that his power was borrowed. He clicked his tongue and almost chided. "Good good, it would be rude to forget who granted you that lovely eye." So, the chessboard was ready. Now the two just made their moves, through this guarded exchange. Arthurias narrowed his violet eyes, hardly prickled anymore about the loan he had to take for the greater good. He wondered if Edian would spill his intents if coaxed.

"I assume you took into account that I'd reconsider my promise once it was all done, right?" Edian's chuckling intensified. Discussing the hypotheticals around this little exchange was stimulating in its own right. Arthurias was definitely one of his more interesting victims. "It wouldn't be fun if you didn't." It was time to cut to the chase. Ed could drag on this condescending conversation through eternity. The only thing that may hinder him was his greed for his own goal. Arthurias dangled that in front of him. "Tell me, now that you are here, what did you want from me from the beginning?"

Perhaps there was no point in sugar-coating it, but Edian compulsively had to try. In false reassurances and redundant reminders, he wished to wrap the gift he would take from Arthurias. "It's nothing too difficult. I told you it wasn't gonna be anything too difficult, right?"

A gentle crease formed between the lean emperor's brows. Eddy was testing him now, mocking his intelligence. Arthurias' voice sharpened to cut across the voice in his head. "So you are gonna keep playing games and waste both our times?" Edian playfully whined, to comically irk the uptight ruler. "Okay, geez, someone is not in a good mood. See, there is this seal and I simply need you to remove it." Carefully, the chess master collected the hints Eddy dropped so sparingly, amidst his rambling. "And what does it do?" Edian whistled innocently and responded. "Nothing special." His tolerance was running low. In a resigned voice, the dark-haired man asked again. "What does it do, Edian?"

There was a little more wiggle room, to garb his intent as something virtuous or in line with the newly-minted Emperor's schemes. "See, I like your idea of connecting and trying to understand the others in this country." That was it. Arthurias interrupted monosyllabically, calling him out for his utterly wasted shenanigans. He needed answers and now.

"Edian."

The voice dismissively berated him for not playing along, and then in a matter-of-fact tone, announced the repercussions of his request. "God damn it, you are so fucking boring. It unleashes the seal that has been placed on the Abyss."

Answers pacified Arthurias. Information meant he had something to work around, something to assess and to employ for his plans. He engaged in the dialogue again. "It never mattered whether I succeeded or not. If I do what you ask now, I would send this country into an inevitable destruction." To Edian, the fallout of his request was not a consequence Arty needed to trouble himself with. He quipped with ease, shrugging and letting a wide grin stretch across his face. "Oh don't say that. They just want to see the beaches."

The emperor raised a gloved hand to his forehead, pressing a finger into the side of his temple. More, he needed more from Edian, to complete his strategy. Would Edian leave room for any? "So what was your plan in case I refused?" The trademark chortle, now returned, considerably darker and mirthless. But indeed, either way he'd have what he wanted and derive pleasure from the process. Maybe just the threat would be enough.

"Oh you know, fun things. That eye, even though I can only do it once, lets me take control of your body for a few days. Now that you're the ruler, it would seem like the perfect moment to make use of that. Send everyone to war? Execute innocent people? What seems more fun, Arty?”

So, this was the check-mate move. The eye that had been a double-edged sword from the beginning. As he brought his hand back down, he was briefly met with the desire to claw it out, now that it had served its purpose... "I see. And where is this seal?" Edian hummed with joy, as he offered the location, where their transaction would be complete. "That's the best part, it is right here in Mercurius. It can only be opened by someone with your bloodline though. Shall I point the way in your mind and get this over with? I promise I won't bother you anymore after this is done."

It was time. The pieces would fall where they may.

"Let's go."