Loyalty

Priests carry Halkenburg's casket through a hidden door in Nasubi's quarters into the Princes' Burial Chamber, laying him between Salé-salé and Kacho. His fireplace stays dark where his siblings' 'Flames of Life' burn — and Nasubi states it plainly: as long as the soul lives in a body, the right of succession stands. Halkenburg is still fighting.

Bound to a chair in his own late quarters, Halkenburg-in-Balsamilco fires Grimmel the Dissonance at the First Prince, powered by the same followers from the Ministry ambush. Benjamin, feeling the rumble, finally assembles the truth — Balsamilco is Halkenburg, and the soul outlived the body — and dispatches soldiers to Room 1009.

Mid-crisis, Benjamin retches and recognizes his own weapon's symptoms. The safe shows only Balsamilco's vial missing — so the dose came from somewhere else. Working the timeline, he lands on Furykov, who leaned close while delivering news, and on the only person who could bypass every safeguard: his mother.

Furykov confesses freely: he poisoned Benjamin under Queen Unma's 48-hour ultimatum — she is backing Halkenburg — and he is Beyond Netero's son, carrying the eye-mark curse under his tongue. His true fear was the curse erasing Benjamin's Guardian Spirit Beast's ability; if Benjamin dies to the poison instead, the curse reflects back onto Furykov, sparing the beast. Benjamin, following the logic, accepts him back.

Citing a Tserriednich–Halkenburg conspiracy, Benjamin schedules Special Martial Law for 2:15 p.m.: rival princes' guards executed on sight (Hunter Association members exempt), princes assembled in Room 1001, the 'Grand Hall,' by 2:30. His private goal: merge with his Guardian Spirit Beast's ability and transcend kingship — to watch over Kakin as a god.