This post is subject to change as i struggled immensly writting it, will probably edit some things but the idea and spirit of it will not change so procede writting.
For ages, Hayate had been a well-respected authority in Akashima, the head of a powerful merchant clan and league of assassins, yet today he had been reduced to this. A man standing by a cause he doesn’t believe in, guilty of atrocities he never foresaw himself doing, and nearly beyond redemption. In the eyes of the government, he was a traitor and rebel, a sworn sword of the Brotherhood an enemy of the state. He didn’t think much better of himself at this point but for some unearthly reason, none of that mattered. In this very moment with the world seemingly ending around him the young son of Akashima had only one desire. The past few years have been building up to this moment and despite how much he wanted to finish his mission it was drifting farther and farther from his first priority. Hayate saw himself in the eyes of the young orphans; it hadn’t been that long since he was in their shoes.

“Run along now, keep all your friends here and the mean guys outside won’t touch ya. You have my word. “The shinobi said as he caught a glimpse of a stranger approaching him from behind. “It looks like I have a friend to talk to.”

He introduced himself as a paladin working with the capital in a very similar fashion as he did. After a moment Hayate considered himself grateful that he hadn’t been found out as Brotherhood general. He had assumed that would have been relatively common knowledge and he was already working with borrowed time but it seemed that while the Imperials and Radasanthian guard were up to date the others weren’t. At least, for now, it meant he had a chance to breathe before he would have to finally decide how he wanted this whole thing to end.

“You’re here to protect the people, as am I, but do you really know what that means? Any moment now the Brotherhood is going to march their happy asses up the street and gut every last one of us. You know what it means to stand here; you know the risks as I do.” Hayate said as he walked past the paladin. His heavy metal army brushing the stranger as he did, an unintentional accident. “It not much but when the time comes we will have to lay down our lives to defend them because they cannot do it themselves. The star overhead was merely a single flare for them; they have no intention of halting until the entire assembly kneels to them. You understand we are just a stepping block before them.” The more he talked the more he felt sick over all the crap he had already done to help propagate this massacre.

He ushered for the paladin to follow him as he once again dawned his hood to hide while he pasted the guards. They didn’t pay him any mind anyway but it was more of a habit at this point. The steel keep was massive and well-fortified, but with the main forces were still a good ways out so the front gate wasn’t yet completely closed off. Maybe they didn’t expect them to get this far, or they had it open to help out the last citizen as they came seeking help. Either way, Hayate knew what he had to do, and what it would mean for him when the time came. Standing with his face turned up to gaze upon the crimson sky the Shinobi was ready. He didn’t know who or what would come his way first but the Brotherhood had to be stopped and held accountable.

The blood will stain their hands forever, his included, he thought as the Steel Keep closed behind him.