It was a subdued Birhan that finally left Uranophane's block. The day was overall not something she'd count as a success. No matter how the second session with the quiet Captain turned out, the fact remained that Ares had still witnessed Birhan's first failure. Not to mention, felt her shock and aversion to the torture session that Ares had run as a 'demonstration'. Perhaps Uranophane would learn to cooperate, if only to avoid another visit from Ares. Perhaps they would be able to glean some useful information from the Negaverse Captain. But once Birhan's anger over not being thought good enough had faded, she could feel that her stomach was still unsettled. It was joined by her mind, also rolling over and over, perusing the same thoughts from different angles.

Protection and pain, suffering and salvation... Cause one to win the other. Winning one caused the other.

The Blood Moon Court had been formed to do the things that the other senshi could not do. Would not do. There were lines that those who considered themselves 'good' would not cross. The BMC frequently crossed those lines, played jump rope with them, in fact. Rather than being 'good', they were 'soldiers'. Sometimes soldiers had to get their hands dirty. Sometimes soldiers had to kill.

But then what happened when the war was over. Could Birhan, the BMC, then stand down? Could they be 'good', or even normal, again? Or would they still be soldiers, looking for the next fight...?

In history class, Ariana Knight had recently studied the Vietnam War - the population's response to the war, their disapproval, and their treatment of returning solders. Was that all that awaited the Blood Moon Court, even if they did manage to remove the Negaverse completely?

No, she had to believe in what they were doing. She did believe in Ares, the competent, self-assured young woman who trusted Birhan. There was nothing Birhan, or Ari, could do with that trust other than return it with complete loyalty.

There were doing this for others. To protect their friends, their families. To protect the other senshi, who were doomed to failure with their weak resolve and goody-goody tactics. The Blood Moon Court was going to save the world.

A proud smile curled onto her face. That's right, they were saviours. She pumped a fist close her chest in a sign of victory. The sudden twinge in her hand brought back the events of the early interrogation session as she looked down to see the bite mark in her glove, stained rust-brown with dried blood.

Uranophane's revenge had been to bite the hand that was trying to feed her. How beastly, Birhan thought.

The real beast in that room was actually Ares, the errant thought popped into her subconscious mind.

The realisation began to move to the conscious part of her brain. Before it could fully form, the beast inside of Birhan reared up with gaping maw and swallowed it. The beast settled back down, watchful and waiting, satisfied. Both beast and thought remained in hiding... for now.