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“Master, there’s no report from Memat. Our forces might be in grave danger, what are your orders?”

‘Orders?’ stood facing the enormous demonic figure with arms as big as buildings – it took part in the forest’s area. ‘What do you mean orders?’ thought Staxius unable to decide what to do next. ‘Eira’s marriage is at stake. They’ve stolen Meldorino. I was played for a fool, Lady Gaso and the conglomerate were in on the plan. No one had a chance at revolution, I was a fool to overestimate what I was capable of. Patek’s are too intertwined with the Empire. If I make a move now, my secret is bound to be exposed to the public. I have to come up with something right away, there’s no time left.’

“King Haggard,” said the man once again, “-what will it be? Do you surrender or do you wish to be defeated?”

‘Once a vase or glass is broken, there’s no fixing it to how it was. If I went back in time, I could alter the pass and change the outcome to fit my need – the cost would be the alteration of the timeline. There’s no telling what it could bring; the risk is too big to take. I have to figure a way out of this situation.’

“King Staxius, are you going to decide or shall we do so?”

“Decide?” said smugly, he leaped from the balcony. “Listen,” stood with an arm over the man’s shoulder, “-I could fight my way out, but I feel there’s more at stake than you wish to go into?”

.....

“H-how did h-he?” the mindless faces of guards spoke but one thing, confusion. In the time it took to blink, the King landed to be at a striking range of the heir.

“Get away from the young master!”

“Shut it,” glared Staxius, “-I’m speaking to thy leader, best be quiet,” *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads.*

“MY ARM!” came the grueling scream of a man in pain.

“So, Heir to the Patek’s, or one of the heirs. I’m not opposed to fighting. The slaying of 200 AN-U soldiers must be a recent memory considering the Patek’s hired them to put an end to the Lerado.”

“How did you...” he snapped back.

“There’s no need to get agitated,” smiled the King holding firm onto the man’s shoulder. ‘It’s only an educated guess, there’s no need to get angry.’ Emotional control, the true skill mastered over the decades on the mortal plane.

“The issue remains,” smiled the heir, “-we’re the ones on the winning side.”

“No, that isn’t true,” winked he taking a step back, “-Patek might know my secret, they may know my involvement and they may hold power over Alphia.”

“All that says is that you’ve lost, majesty, give it up,” a needlessly prolonged sigh followed. It was the same as asking a child to do a chore. The reaction would be the same with a few variations.

“On the contrary, dearest heir, have thee forgotten who I represent? Not the dark-guild, no... they hold authority with a few exceptions. What I hold is something you rely upon unknowingly,” a glance at the weapons showed his intent. “Those are mighty fine weapons; I’d say guns that are decades ahead of any other arm’s maker. The Cobalt Unit fails to compare to Phantom. Patek’s maybe the ruler of Alphia, however, I rule Phantom, and Phantom rules the world. Without us, without our backing, even if a country has mages or not – people will depend on our weapons. We decide who wins and who loses. The world is built on chaos and bloodshed.”

“What does it matter, we have your weapons,” shrugged he.

“Do you think we would give out the best product? The level of advancement we’ve made is surreal. Have you ever stopped and wondered what that reason is?” pacing from left to right, he spoke in such a way the guards dropped their arms to listen. “Antis-2 is the best rifle despite its datedness. Don’t you think we would have weapons of our own, things we keep secret? The latter is very much known to the elusive Patek.”

“What then, are you just going to make threats?”

“No, far from that,” he paused.

“Master, the Subjugation Platoon are requesting orders to activate Protocol Invisi.”

“Wasn’t communication blocked a few moments ago?”

“Childsplay, master, don’t insult my ever-evolving mind to the peasants.”

“Big words, I like it.”

“What are you speaking alone for?” asked the heir as if to mock.

“Activate Protocol Invisi. Have Kendy change the strategy to utter annihilation. I don’t care about collateral damage, show them the power of Phantom.”

“That smug expression pisses me off,” cried the heir, “-King of Arda, I’m ordering for thy men to be killed at Memat. This conversation has long outstayed its welcome.”

*Beep,* “hello... anyone... STATUS REPORT?” shouting of a madman put the growling from the demon to shame.

“éclair, you heard about what he told us earlier right?”

“Yes, majesty, every word.”

“And, do you have access to their servers?”

“They sure were cocky,” laughed the spirit, “-master, I have everything on their organization. The protection for such a rich family was shameful.”

“Oh please, there’s no need to laugh at them,” said Staxius enjoying the unfolding scene, ‘éclair is my ace. The evolving world will never be beaten by my butler. Tis the same as using a legendary sword to cut an apple – I’m proud of how the project turned out.”

“Shall I let him through?”

“Yes.”

“FINALLY,” yelled the heir with sweaty hair over the face, “-I was getting worried. What’s the status report, is the King’s forces dead already?” What came was nothing but silence.

Out in Memat, just as the opposition closed in on their location. Kendy had no other option than to fight, and fight they did. Covering fire, erecting makeshift barricades on the streets inside the village. The overwhelming pressure demanded a desperate move. Protocol Invisi; introduced on the 20th January XX93 during the War. A bodysuit designed by Staxius that held the ability to go invisible. The single item was crucial in winning the battle led by Elliot. From that day forth, the suit underwent constant upgrades and development. Since it dealt with magic, part of the study was a collaboration between Arda and Phantom.

The suit became one with the user. An initiation process for all those entering the ranks of Phantom. They knew of the suit’s design, but could never speak of it. A spell of amnesia conveniently had that information be null. It allowed them to live normal lives.

“Platoon Leader, we’re being pinned from each corner,” whistled bullets left and right.

“Are we going to die?” said another smirking.

“No way in hell are we going to let those people win.”

Crouched behind a broken window that gave onto the blocked road, ‘-come on boss, we need this!’ It was then a message came as a whisper from an angel. Three words that changed the situation, *Protocol Invisi: Granted.* Conscious to a trance-like state, the bodies of the platoon changed. A deep crimson red orb glowed within their hearts – they turned into super-soldiers. The physical and mental abilities tripled; they went beyond their limits. The strain it had could end in death, tis was why limiters in the forms of time-limit and half-awaken state came in handy. The change was simple, humans turned into superhuman puppets following orders.

“Subjugation Platoon 05, we have new orders; the boss has asked for us to annihilate the opposition. Go and do us proud,” vaulting over the broken frame, figures were seen leaping from building to building. Some moved at neck-breaking speed, the enhancement proved effective against the Sultrian’s.

‘So, this is the power of Phantom,’ wondered Kendy unaffected by the suit. ‘To be made a leader, one must be strong without enhancement for thee is he who controls the stronger forces,’ posited and ready, the real battle began.

“YOUNG MASTER, WE’RE SORRY,” came the crackling of the last transmission.

“Do you understand what I said earlier?” said Staxius calmly, “-whatever you have, we have it better and stronger. Does thee think money buys power? No, far from it, it’s one who makes power, and that I made sure to have at the ready. Go on, I dare you, speak to the lady who’s been pulling the strings. I know she can hear me, go on, I challenge her to voice my secret out-loud.”

“Just because you won at Memat doesn’t mean you’ll win here.”

“Poor child,” said the king disappointedly.

“Mother, please, let me at him. I’ll divulge the information on the Arcanum. Let’s see him get out of this alive!”

“Don’t do anything harsh,” said a classy accent.

“But mother...”

“Mind if I interject,” spoke Staxius.

“How did you get on the encrypted channel?” asked the lady.

“The hows is none of thy concern. I presume you’re the one leading this poor boy around as if a dog. My lady, if thee don’t wish further harm on the boy’s already broken spirit, then I’d advise for thee to retreat.”

“Majesty, you may have defeated us in Memat. We hold leverage. Besides, aren’t thy forces far away? You still fell into our trap.”

“Lady Selena Othpool, concubine of Mishline Guiz Patek and thy son, the bastard Wondelle Othpool. What leverage will thee, considering thy rank in the family, have on I?”

“King Haggard, how did thee know of my identity?”

“I know everything about the Dynasty. Thank you for being so open in challenging. I do admit the entrance was rather troublesome. ”

“Well, tis no blood on my hand if I were to release thy information to the public.”

“Go ahead,” said he winking at the frustrated Wondelle.

“You asked for it...”

“...”

“...”

“Mother, do IT!”

“...”

“Was the information perhaps deleted?” proposed the king.

“Sorcery...”

“No my lady, tis the power of Phantom.”

“Wondelle, retreat, we haven’t the sufficient power to fight.”

“But mother, I still have the gift from the church, I can still fight,” pleaded the boy.

“Don’t argue, child, return to me.”

“The bastard son is going to her mother’s cuddle arms, how pleasant,” remarked Staxius.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” he fired across.

“WONDELLE, DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE PROVOCATION.”

“Do as she says, my child, waste no time returning to thy father’s plaything.”

“YOU STUPID,” breaking away the earpiece, “-EVERYONE, ATTACK. DEMON OF KRESTON, HAVE THY REVENGE!”

‘Hook, line, and sinker.’

.....

*Souls of the dead, thee who’ve sworn to serve me in life and death, come to my side. Blood-Arts: Ghouls Requiem.*

Hands rose from a semi-transparent swamp. Painful and daunting, they rose with blank stares. “Go feast, my minions, go feast and spare the life of Wondelle Othpool.” The numbers increased; those present began to shoot aimlessly. Bullet hit to only but stop the ghouls momentarily. Sloppy as they seemed, the gestures were beyond fast.

The demon standing over the forest moved. Intherna and Gophy’s bodies were kept in a bubble attached to his head.

“ATTACK, DEMON, PROTECT ME!” a swoop from the giant had ghouls and humans alike thrown into the distance. “You’ve lost, king of Arda,” laughed the figure who stood on the beast’s palms. Semi-transparent at first, the body began to materialize physically, the claws were the first to have color and texture.

‘It’s sucking their mana to regenerate...’