The Bloody Ball Part 2

Sorry, ma'am, but you're not allowed to talk to them. Please turn away," he said in a respectful tone, his hand close to the trigger. The presidential guard, also watching from the side, gripped the revolvers in their holsters, ready to intervene, while the other soldiers around the circle prepared themselves, seeing that the palace guards were also tense.

"Please, can you do it for this young, defenseless lady?" she said in a 'sad' tone, wiping away a fake tear.

"Like I said, walk the other way, ma'am. Don't make me use forceful measures." This time, he spoke in a cold tone. Like hell, he would fall for that trap. If they were tricked like that, they would be removed from the uniform of the Blackwatch regiment, never allowed to join again.

Her face contorted in anger but quickly returned to normal. She tried to gaze at Manuel but was met with cold eyes. Underneath them was an urge to kill her, though not outwardly shown. A veteran could immediately tell that they must either run away or accept their fate.

So, she walked away, heading to a location where she intertwined with the crowd of nobles.

"Good thing she left," I said, as I was about to pull out a dagger beneath the table and strike her forehead as I had pre-planned.

"Yes, it's better for that little spider to think that she needs more power, and this will bring about her own downfall," the president said with a bit of a smile.

"Yes, the emperor was suggested by the grandmaster to kill her before she does anything stupid. Even the chief commander of the insurgency also suggested causing a riot to kill her," he said, but not in a loud voice. A few nobles overheard and already started a rumor that the empire wanted her dead.

"So, was it pushed through or not?" he asked in an excited tone, and the nobles nearby were also keen on hearing it.

"It's a 50/50. The emperor only mentioned it once, never really divulging the plan, but most likely, they'll push through with it or put it on the shelf," I shrugged. It wasn't really my right to know, as I'm not part of the higher-ups. Plus, I'm never sitting in the grand marshal's chair for any reason.

The nobles, upon hearing this, began murmuring. The ringleader, who heard them, turned to Manuel's table, where he was still chatting. She was both mad and fearful, knowing she couldn't make any contacts within the Draconian army. Her attempts to recruit Draconian scientists, workers, or even the secret clone army had all failed. The vast imperial spy network, known to her as Assassin X, had given her a brief warning.

All of her spies within the empire disappeared overnight, only to be found crucified in the garden of her mansion with a massive X carved into their chests, along with a brief warning:

'We do not forgive. We do not forget. The empire will treat its enemies with no mercy, whether in battle or espionage. Attempt it again, and you will face your own downfall.'

She soon turned to the empress, who was walking towards her while using a scepter as a cane. Seeing the emperor getting ready for the performance, Manuel sent a silent signal to prepare for what was coming next. His men began to surround the two most important people in the room. Cornaro, who was nearby, also moved closer to the circle and readied his hidden weapon.

And what came next was straight out of a movie.

The ringleader pulled out a dagger and 'tried' to pierce the empress, but despite being a cripple, the empress was quick. She wrestled the dagger out of Natasha's hands, who let it go easily, but not before stabbing a point in her own body where a blood bag had been placed to simulate bleeding.

Thud!

She dropped to the ground, acting half-dead. The emperor, seeing this, followed the script and shouted to the imperial guards of Thanatos, who were under his control—not the empress's anymore.

"Arrest the empress! Her actions must not go unpunished! Arrest those who are part of her faction—this must be a conspiracy!" he shouted loudly, and the guards began arresting nobles who were the last remaining remnants of her faction.

The empress, Roselyn, glanced at Manuel, who was just watching while sipping a glass of wine.

"Die!"

An imperial guard, mistaking the Blackwatch soldiers for part of the empress's faction, tried to attack. But before he could take a few steps, he was immediately turned into Swiss cheese. Seeing their comrade fall to the ground, the other guards charged forward.

"Protect the marshal!" Cornaro shouted with a bloodthirsty smile as he drew his war claws. Ever since he was a student of the Lightning Temple, he had learned to use every part of his body in combat.

"Aaaarrgghh!" An imperial guard screamed in pain as he felt his legs break from a low kick by Cornaro. Before he could call for help, his head was crushed like a watermelon as Cornaro summoned thunder.

"They tried harming a diplomatic official. Cornaro, make an example out of them," Manuel said calmly as he released his energy. His dark blue aura seeped out, and his baton began glowing, transforming into a sword.

In seconds, several guards aimed their weapons at the emperor and his guard, focusing only on those close to the perimeter, as Cornaro crushed and broke the guards before their comrades' eyes.

"As such, all diplomatic ties and deals are hereby severed on behalf of the Trade Federation! By protocol, the borders and markets of the federation are officially closed off to the Thanatos Empire, taking effect in one week's time," the federation declared loudly, feigning anger. The nobles, upon hearing this, felt a deep sense of dread.

"In the name of Emperor Alex Luker Draco, God of Balance, all diplomatic relations with the Thanatos Empire are completely severed! All trade agreements are hereby revoked! The empire's borders are closed to any noble or commoner from the Thanatos Empire, and the markets of the empire are officially shut off to them!" Manuel announced in a booming voice.

He looked at Natasha, who was standing with the help of the imperial guards. Her face turned pale after hearing the two declarations.

"You can't do this!" This time, it was the emperor who shouted at Manuel. But one cold glare made him shut up.

"If this is how you treat your guests, then consider any future deals soured. Let's go," he finished, as a guard whispered something to him, making Manuel smirk.

The aftermath of the party was clear—over 40 imperial guards lay dead, while others were crippled. Their pride as protectors of the emperor was shattered.

Meanwhile…

Twilight stood in front of the burning building. The operation had already begun, and bodies littered the snow—city guards and the bodyguards of officials.

The papers had been burned, completing one of their objectives.

"Sir, Bravo Team is about to start," one of the insurgents spoke behind him.

"I see. Let's go and finish this mission," Twilight said with lifeless eyes.

At a Certain Inn/Tavern

An 18-year-old boy sat at a table, calmly sipping his drink while caressing the necklace around his neck—a pearl necklace that was once the empress's amulet, entrusted to him.

Bang!

The door burst open, and men wearing robes and holding semi-automatic rifles entered. The people inside screamed in shock, but a canister was thrown onto the ground. Moments later, a loud explosion and a blinding light caused the people to recoil in confusion.

"Get him," a cold voice commanded.

The young boy tried to run but collapsed as bullets struck his leg.

"This is the necklace. Tell HQ we have the sparrow," one of the attackers said.

The boy screamed in pain as he resisted, but the insurgents beat him down and dragged him to a waiting car.

On the Sky

A jet-black stealth bomber, the Aquila, flew over the Thanatos Empire's capital.

"This is Zulu-1 Overwatch. I'm at the first objective. Permission to drop," the pilot said.

"Permission granted. The bear has left the pit," the operator replied.

Moments later, two Inferno Bombs fell, and—

BOOM!

A massive explosion covered 6km of ground, marking the final phase of their mission.

To be continued—Part 2.