[at the order, Kouha immediately quiets. It's rare for Koumei to be so direct about that kind of thing, so it gets Kouha's to rein himself in like little else could.

He follows Koumei's touch easily, lifting one hand to rest on it and help him focus on something beyond the despair that's threatening to crash over him.]

If we can't beat 'em... We're done for, all of us. There's no way they just let us go.

[Even if Hakuryuu were that merciful, it just wasn't a smart move, strategically. Allowing threats to your claim to the throne is just stupid, and it's just as ridiculous to think the Alliance would allow for it to happen again. They wouldn't have invested the energy if they didn't expect Kou to be their ally, and none of the other Rens would be likely to play that nicely.

Kouha shakes his head, bowing it a bit to hide his expression. If it looks even a fraction as bad as what he feels, he doesn't want Koumei to see it.]

And we can't beat anyone when we didn't even plan for them to show up... What are we supposed to do now, Mei?