Infiltration.

"Does anyone have any sort of plan or--?"

"We don't need one," said Uriel. "I have something better…"

Talen's eyebrow raised. "Hmm?" Leaning in, he smirked at the King, settling his chin on the back of his hand. "'Something better? Whatcha schemin', Uri?"

"I suppose you'll just have to wait and see," Uriel stood up. "Aella, get dressed. We're moving out to survey the area around the Deserters' HQ in Helenheim. They have one of Monstrum's arms so we should be careful when infiltrating. I'm talking to you… Anthony."

The vessel's eyes rolled. "Oh, hush. I can handle myself just fine. The one you should be worried about is Alora," he said. Rising from the seat, he scratched the back of his head, sighing. "We movin' or not? Let's go already."

Everyone in the living room started moving out at Anthony's words. All but Talen, that is. Standing beside his old friend, the lawyer tilted his head, leaning in to examine his face. Uriel pushed him away by the face.

"You're being weird, what is it?"

"Nothing," Talen smiled. "It's just nice to have you here again."

Uri sneered. He walked past and patted the younger man's shoulder. "The feeling is mutual. Let's move, alright?"

"Yeah!"

But while the strongest duo left the premises, Lily's silhouette stood at the end of the hall, somberly watching as they vanished around the corner. She sighed. Accidentally, her spiritual familiar, Warlord, appeared from transparency beside her head.

"Mmm?" It whined.

Holding her axe close, her hand extended, petting the top of its head. She smiled. "It's alright, Lordy. Things will be alright…" she glanced from its face to stare down the corridor. She frowned.

"Let's go."

Edge of Helenheim's kingdom. Midnight.

Standing over the rooftop's edge, Talen's black hair swayed in the wind. Just as he was about to fade into a trance, he grunted—turning his head to see Uriel appearing from the crowd to stand beside him following a pat on the back.

"There's nothing but the same building for miles," Talen sighed. He turned to Aella. "Do you have a way to differentiate the real one from the copies?"

She nodded. The Displacement's hand aimed above, blasting a pink-colored flare from her palm. The brightness enhanced instantly and flawlessly dispersed all the surrounding copies in the area, alerting the Deserter assassins patrolling the ground. Their heads turned to the main building, spotting it stand out from the illusionary others.

Uri, crouched against the edge beside Talen, pointed down his index and middle finger. "Now." A golden portal opened above them. It spat out something—or more accurately, someone.

Eros tilted his head. "What-?"

"That's her, isn't it? Your… trump card," Talen said.

The King nodded. "Ten years ago, Anthony assigned me to one of the towns on Barronia's outskirts. There, I met a girl who was being actively assaulted and ostracized, all because she was a Fate user but didn't know it. The only reason her Powers was suppressed was because of the last bit of logic her mental illness didn't inhibit. Until I sanctioned her fully. I awakened her abilities and allowed her to slaughter every abusing member of that town who intended to torture her. Her name is Sadie."

"Sadie..?" Valentina stepped forward and snatched the King by his collar, pulling him closer. "That's the missing Rank-0! How did you—?"

He slapped away her hand. "I already told you, I found her. Because I'm her savior and the Enhancement trait, she obeys nobody but myself," Uriel glared from between his hair at Valentina and Eros. "She didn't awaken naturally. She was experimented on when my father was still the King in an attempt to artificially create powerful Fate users through stress and trauma. I assume… you two knew about it?"

Talen glanced at his parents. The elders' gaze averted from their son. Rolling his eyes, he turned around, looking back down over the rooftop edge.

"Who cares?" Tal tapped Uriel. "You can use the Crown to enhance your Power's range, right? Do it and teleport us in there," he pointed at the building.

"Don't be stupid, Talen. We both fought Atlas, remember? An ancient Fate-user like that surpasses every last one of us. We enter hastily and what happens? If even one of us dies, we lose."

"So you're using Sadie to scope it out?" Lily asked.

"She'll die in there."

Uri scoffed. "You underestimate her. She could slaughter most of you here without so much as batting an eye."

Both wielders of the Unconquerable technique raised a brow.

Eros draped an arm across the New King's nape. "What's with this girl anyway? Why's she so powerful?"

Uri chuckled. "Well that's easy," he grinned. "Sadie's technique…"

She smashed into the ground like a torpedo piercing the air. A smoke cloud formed around where she landed—the Deserters in front of the entrance all ran forward to surround her and simultaneously invoke their auras.

"What just happened!!" One of the patrolmen yelled.

"We don't know! But it looks like we're getting ambushed—"

The second the Deserter looked down, not only was he spewing blood out his lower lip, he was devoid of a bottom half entirely. The mist already dissipated, revealing her tall-standing figure and a bloody two-handed weapon. She giggled.

Sadie released the scythe from her victim's flesh, hearing it squelch and bubble upon splashing into the air. The surrounding Deserters blasted numerous bolts from their aura toward the young woman's idle body. Then, she vanished.

"What—?"

"She's gone?"

The remaining Deserters murmured amongst themselves. Without any other clue what to do, they decided to continue patrolling the area—until the blur of Sadie's face lingered beside every last one of them. The way she danced around them at super speeds was undeniably elegant. She was like a ballerina; sliding across the ground with precision unparalleled while simultaneously guiding the blade around the air.

By the time she finished dancing, the blade vanished from her hand and she stood at the Association's entrance, merely turning back once to embrace the image of her handiwork.

Dismembered corpses, mutilated bodies, and decapitated heads littered the front of the Deserter's headquarters. As her eyes settled into the carnage, she could see the blood infecting the air—eventually coloring it a crimson shade that surrounded the massacre. Sadie stepped forward; the stench was unbearable.

Regardless of the limitless blood staining her hands, Sadie laughed. She held the sides of her face and cackled into the night, hoping it would echo across the sky for eternity. Staring at the stars, the lady's breath hitched, temporarily entranced by the beauty of space and all it encompassed.

"Pretty…" Her lips whispered.

Appearing from behind her, Uriel sunk a syringe into her neck, watching her fall unconscious and collapse into his open arms.

"You did well. Stay with us for a while, 'kay?"

Those comforting words accompanied by her beloved savior's raspy intonation sent a soft smile across her lips. Sadie's face nuzzled into his shoulder—Uri cradled her cheek close to his head. This was all reflected in the shimmering prick of Talen's emerald pupils.

"Hey—" Tony's hand extended.

Talen turned around. Shadows hiding his eyes, he stepped forward. "I'm fine." The doors opened with one push from the Unconquerable's hand.

Meanwhile, inside the building, Alora's scarred fingers traced the sword reflecting her teary-eyed face.

"Mom… let's get started."

To Be Cont.