Chapter 426 - Protocol Invisi (1/2)
”The holy church of Kreston sends their regards…” By what seemed to be a lightning bolt, Staxius stood processing the happenings. Meanwhile, out in Memat, the fighting turned from a hunt to being hunted. Kendy's separate squads were pinned by multiple forces. The gun-fire had the people cower in fear. Thempa could but sit and wait, they tried hard to support to no avail. The ambush was planned; key extract locations were barricaded using magic. Not only did they have to contend with guns, but the super-natural abilities some choose. Examples could be seen in barriers conjured to stop the squads from firing. Only those with the opposing team could fire through said barriers. Distress signals blocked; the whole area went dark.
”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 c.o.c.ky,” 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.