Gyou fought to suppress another shudder and was mostly successful. There wasn’t any way, not a single way that this Zoalord could know about the Remover. And there was even less of a chance that he would know about Murakami’s son. It was just not possible.

"I’ve no idea what you’re talking about," Gyou said, as calmly as he was able.

"Don’t try to lie to me, Reholt. I know you found it here," the other Zoalord said with a great deal more calmness than Gyou felt at the moment. "And I also know that only you would be foolish enough to try and use the device for your own ends. Now, tell me where the Unit Remover is, and I will perhaps reconsider my judgment of you."

It took a great amount of Gyou’s vaunted self-control to keep his face from revealing how utterly shocked he was. That this Zoalord already knew all about the Remover and what Gyou had planed to do with it, it was no small thing. But I suppose I should be thankful that my other little project is still a secret. But still, how could he have even known about the Remover? I remember that Balkus once told me about another Zoalord, one who had greater power than… No, no it couldn’t be… Is this Alkanphel?

"I truly do not know what you are talking about," Gyou lied with increasing desperation. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

"I warn you, Reholt," Alkanphel said, seeming only slightly annoyed. "I will not tolerate betrayal from one of my own."

"Betrayal?" Gyou asked, feigning hurt. Behind him, Gyou sensed Balkus teleporting away and wondered just why the other Zoalord had even bothered coming in the first place. "From me? I would never do anything that was not in the best interests of Chronos."

"I’m sure you wouldn’t," and Alkanphel actually sounded sarcastic as he said that. "And, if you would just hand over the Remover like a good boy, I would be willing to overlook your recent deeds at this time. Since I do in fact require all twelve Zoalords for my plan."

Gyou’s first reaction was rage, that anyone would patronize him in such a way was an affront to his pride. Then Gyou remembered just what kind of creature he was dealing with: a Zoalord that would easily be able to both defeat and annihilate the other twelve Overlords with ease. If Balkus’ stories were to be believed, of course. But with what he was feeling now from Alkanphel, Gyou was more inclined to believe them.

It was not something that Gyou liked to have to admit, but he was at least practical enough to acknowledge when an adversary outmatched him. It was one of the reasons that he had survived for so long. I can’t believe that, after all I went through to obtain the Remover, he just comes along and decides to take it from me. Well, I suppose I should be thankful for small favors. He still doesn’t know about my other project, at least.

"What other project are you referring to, Reholt?" Alkanphel asked.

Gyou nearly swallowed his tongue. "Other project? Where did you ever get the idea that I had another project aside from the Remover?" Gyou asked, trying to keep his voice from giving away the fact that he was lying.

Alkanphel’s felinoid eyes narrowed still further, and Gyou realized at last that it hadn’t been anything in his face or voice that had given him away. Alkanphel, of course, possessed the same kind of telepathic powers that all Zoalords had; only his were enhanced to the nth degree. Gyou, who had been too distracted by surprise to erect a proper mental barrier, knew that it was most likely too late for him to convince Alkanphel that there was nothing unfavorable going on.

But still Gyou had to make at least one last attempt, doomed as it may very well have been.

"Tell me, Reholt," Alkanphel ordered, and there was no mistaking the fact that it was an order this time. "What is this other project of yours?"

"I have already told you, Lord Alkanphel, that I have no projects other than the Remover," Gyou lied, trying to subtly put up a strong enough mental shield that Alkanphel wouldn’t be able to tell that he was still lying.

Even with his enhanced eyesight, Gyou could barely see what happened next. All he knew was that Alkanphel had been standing in front of him one second, and in the next Gyou had found his head in the powerful grip of the First Zoalord. He could see Alkanphel’s golden eyes start to glow, and the next thing that Gyou knew he was…

Standing in the forest looking down at Murakami’s son… carrying the boy down to the disused laboratory at the lowest level of Mt. Minakami… leaving the child in the care of his two loyal scientists and giving them specific instructions about what to do with him… planning what to do once he had both the Remover and Murakami’s son fully prepared…

Gyou gasped for air once the connection was severed, feeling as if he had just been violated. He supposed that that was in a way just what had happened.

"A child, Reholt?" Alkanphel sounded supremely disgusted. "You were low enough to use a human who has existed for barely seven years as your warrior?"

Gyou could just feel the waves of Alkanphel’s anger radiating to fill the space. The entire hallway, even with as large as it was, seemed barely adequate to contain the pure fury that the First Zoalord was giving off in abundance.

-I am claiming this Kenji Murakami as my own,- Alkanphel’s rage was all the more potent for being controlled. -You are not to try and influence the boy in any way. Do I make myself clear, Reholt?-

-Yes, Lord Alkanphel. Perfectly clear,- Gyou fumed. There was nothing he could do about it, of course, since Alkanphel would overpower him in a heartbeat. But it still rankled Gyou to have to admit that.

"Now, Reholt. There is still the matter of the Remover," Alkanphel said, with such calm that one might think that Gyou’s and his conversation of the past few minutes had never happened. "Will you hand it over to me quietly, or…"

Gyou’s own rage, less controlled than Alkanphel’s but no less potent, erupted then. He was tired of being treated like a Zoanoid. He was not just some expendable piece of cannon fodder to be tossed aside like such at the slightest whim. He was the Twelfth Zoalord, and if he had to kill the First to prove his own worth, then so be it.

"Just hand over the Remover to you? After all I went through to get it?" Gyou chuckled coldly. "Never."

Gyou’s Control Zoacrystal lit up, as he transformed into his well nigh invulnerable Zoalord form. The blast of pressure and energy that heralded the transformation caved a large hole in the floor and blew an equal-sized hole in the ceiling. Falling more than leaping through the hole in the floor, Gyou landed in front of a very surprised Zoanoid. Paying no mind to the queries of the lower soldier, Gyou ran as fast as he was able.

He had to get to the basement before Alkanphel did, and Gyou could only hope that Alkanphel did not know his way around Mt. Minakami. After all, Gyou himself had only just managed to memorize enough teleport points to be able to comfortably get around inside the base. Hopefully Alkanphel, who had presumably never been to Mt. Minakami before, would not be able to follow him.