Koshin hasn't spoken. Hasn't moved. He's still looking at Daiven, and I can see his hands now—tremors running through his fingers. Fine, constant tremors.
His hand moves.
The gun clears his jacket before I can draw breath. One motion, fluid, the weapon rising to point directly at Daiven's chest.
Renan's gun is out a heartbeat later. Same angle. Same target.
The room goes dead quiet.
Two weapons. Two gods. Both aimed at the man who just declared war.
Daiven's face drains. The polish is gone—just fear now, raw and visible. He takes a step back. Then another. His hands come up, palms out.
"The Concord—"
"Fuck the Concord." Koshin's voice is wrong. Too flat. "You attacked my home."
"Coin acted within—"
"I don't care what Coin acted within." His thumb moves. A soft click. "I care that you're still breathing."
Faith's delegates are scrambling for the exits. War's soldiers have their weapons half-drawn, unsure who to point them at. Caius stands frozen between Koshin and Daiven, hand still on his sword, calculating.
And I'm watching Koshin's trigger finger.
It's not moving anymore.
His hand has gone perfectly still. The tremors—gone. This is the calm that comes when someone has made a decision.
He's going to pull the trigger.
My feet are moving.
I step around the chairs, around Renan, and I put myself at Koshin's side. Not in front of him—I'm not that stupid—but close enough that he can't ignore me.
"Don't."
He doesn't look at me. The gun doesn't waver.
"Koshin."
Nothing.
"They're attacking your home right now." I keep my voice low. Steady. The voice I used with my father when he was drunk and his hand was rising and I needed him to stop. "Your people are fighting right now. And you're here, pointing a gun at a man who isn't worth the bullet."
A muscle in his jaw jumps.
"Kill him later. Kill him slowly, take your time, make it hurt—I'll fucking help. But right now your people need you there. Not here. Not doing this."
Silence.
The gun stays level.
"Killing him now ends it clean." My voice drops. For him only. "Going back ends it bloody. I know which one you'd rather have."
His eyes. White, flat, silver at the edges.
His head turns.
