TW: This chapter includes mention of murder, torture and violence. Read at your own discretion.

***

Ra's Al Ghul was seated on his throne when the assassins brought Ryuu up front and threw him before him. One of them made him straighten, yanking his head back and Ryuu knew it would be futile to struggle against him.

He wanted to cooperate so that the Demon Head and his daughter would let the rest of the clan go. If he put up any sort of resistance, the others will have to pay for it and he didn't want that to happen.

That was the only way he had right then to get Sayuri pardoned as well as the rest of the clan. If she made it out of the base, she could keep Kai safe, or else their son would meet a tragic end too.

"So you are the leader of the Sasuke," Ra's spoke up, his emerald eyes piercing through Ryuu's intimidatingly.

"Yes I am," he admitted, not tearing his gaze away from the man.

"You and your clan have caused us enough trouble and you even dared to infiltrate my fortress," he spoke threateningly, "but it's impressive how stubborn you all are and how utterly delusional. You can't defeat the League of Assassins."

"We could have if you hadn't bought off a traitor."

"Surprisingly for you, this traitor came to us with their own disposition," a cunning smirk played upon the man's face, "would you not like to know who betrayed you?"

"No," he spoke through gritted teeth, "I have given myself up so that the rest of my clan is pardoned. I want you to keep up your end of the bargain."

"This was no bargain, Ryuu. This was your choice to surrender," he remarked, sensing the very calm features of Ryuu Ishikawa turn into a glare.

"Let my clan go," he warned, his brown eyes sparking with an unfathomable sheen, "your League has caused enough damage for us to retaliate. I surrendered on the condition your daughter placed before me and if you can't respect it then this surrender means nothing."

Ra's could see that Ryuu was not going to go down like a coward. He had surrendered for the sake of his people though that fact surprised the old man a lot.

In all his years of staying alive on Earth, he had seldom met leaders who truly cared for their people. Even he as the Demon head would never surrender for the rest of the assassins if he was ever put in that situation.

Yet the man in front of him, not only fought for his people but also protected them by giving his own life up in exchange for their freedom.

"You surely are a strange man, Ryuu Ishikawa," Ra's spoke up with a sinister gleam in his eyes, "it pains me to think such an extraordinary leader will go to waste."

"Do whatever you want with me but let my people go," he remarked, staring up at him defiantly.

Ra's turned to look at the assassin who was holding Ryuu and spoke in Arabic while Ryuu couldn't comprehend the words. The assassin bowed his head and then let go of him as he stepped out of the throne room. 

The other assassins followed suit leaving only Ryuu and Ra's Al Ghul in that room.

"I can make you an offer," Ra's had left his seat and stepped down from the throne, standing right in front of Ryuu, "I will spare you and your lover on the condition that your clan will never rise up against the League. But for that, I will have to kill the rest of them. Including the traitor who gave you all up."

"I have already accepted your daughter's offer. I do not need another," he replied and it made a smirk take over the old man's features.

It was clear that Ryuu wasn't going to let him kill the entire clan and was giving up his own life instead. But Ra's had other plans.

Shortly after, the assassin he had dismissed returned, holding up a man who was struggling to break free. Ryuu paused in shock to see that it was Keiji, his friend, and one of the members who had helped Sayuri and Ryuu come up with the plan of attacking the base at Nanda Parbat.

"Behold your traitor," Ra's exclaimed throwing Keiji in front of him.

Ryuu was shocked to see that Keiji would betray them. But at the same time, he couldn't take Ra's Al Ghul's word for it either. He had spent his childhood and his training years with that boy, they were close friends so he couldn't just accept Ra's labeling him as the traitor.

It could be a trick.

Ryuu was looking into Keiji's eyes closely and for some reason, he felt that he couldn't be the traitor. There was something off about the entire ordeal.

But Keiji did not deny the accusation either and that made it all quite confusing.

"What a sight," Ra's laughed evilly and Ryuu did not know who to believe, "I find this quite amusing, Ishikawa. This man here claimed to be the traitor even when he was not. Just like you claimed to be the leader of the clan even when you are not."

The words struck through him and he looked at Ra's in alarm, horrified that he had guessed the truth. But he kept himself calm, not wanting to give him any reason to suspect him.

He had to keep Sayuri safe and he could not let Ra's know that she was Nuriko's heir instead of him. 

"I am the leader, ask anyone you want to," Ryuu remarked confidently, taking Ra's by surprise yet again, "and stop playing games with me. Keep your end of the bargain and I will keep mine. No one from my clan will come back at you if you spare them now and do not interfere in their matters again. I can give my word on that and they will abide by my order. After me, there will be no leader and no warrior clan. But you must let them go alive."

Ra's Al Ghul laughed as if Ryuu had told him a joke, his hand closing onto Keiji's collar and his dagger plunging into his heart. Ryuu stiffened, seeing his friend choke as blood began to pool out from his mouth.

"He was protecting his lover, see? Miyu Haga is the traitor," Ra's took out the bloodied dagger pointing it at Ryuu instead, "by this logic, that woman in your cell must be the leader of your clan. Isn't that right, Ryuu?"

"Go to hell," he seethed, just then realizing that if Miyu was the traitor then Kai would already be in the League's captivity. He hoped that wasn't the case but he knew everything was falling apart.

His lie to keep Sayuri and his son safe was of no use.

Keiji had fallen to the ground, unable to keep himself up any longer. The dagger had pierced through his heart and there was no way he could survive that.

"Now what shall we do with you?" The point of that dagger rested on Ryuu's chest threateningly, the Demon Head feeling a surge of power to see him helpless, "and what shall we do with your lover?"

"Let her go... Let them all go or else you will regret it." 

"You are not in the position to threaten me," he remarked breezily, "but your valor impresses me. How about I make a deal now and whether or not you accept it, I will be taking it to completion? I will spare your lover and not kill her but you and the rest of your clan will be tortured to death. Whether you accept this or not."

His hand had closed on Ryuu's throat, the dagger about to pierce through his heart as well. Brown eyes defiantly met Ra's Al Ghul'semerald irises, refusing to surrender against him.

Ryuu Ishikawa surely was a strange man, he thought and withdrew the dagger.

He couldn't kill him that easily. He had to be made into an example so that no one else would dare defy the Demon head and the League of Assassins.

***