The Extra Wants Control

[Eliana POV]

Fury and suspicion simmered within me even as I rocketed eastward to Clan Rutherford, leaving Stonegate a rapidly shrinking speck on the horizon. The entire situation reeked of something rotten. Ray, the self-proclaimed "manager" of this Babel place, had spun a convoluted tale, one that left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

"Luring out an organization," he'd said, his voice smooth and practiced. "Misunderstandings." "Compensation." Empty platitudes that did little to quell my suspicions.

The 'assasination' of a noble's daughter, a staged event to lure out some shadowy organization? It reeked of something far more complex. The convenient capture of the low-level operatives, the 'terrorists' trying to infiltrate the mansion – all felt orchestrated.

More importantly, the underlying 'friendship' between Ray and Alexei, their practiced responses, the way they both jumped in to answer certain questions... it screamed coordinated deception. These entitled nobles despised merchants as they felt merchants were just peasants with some change trying to be nobles.

So seeing a plan orchestrated by a noble working together with a merchant seems highly suspicious they're upto something.

"Anya," my voice echoed in her mind, clear and unwavering. "Gather the Shadow Weavers. I require information. Dig deep, unearth everything you can about this… Babel, Ray and the Lord of Stonegate, Alexei. Leave no stone unturned. I want to know their true motives, their hidden agendas."

A flicker of surprise, then a steely resolve pulsed back through the connection. "Understood, Princess," Anya replied, her voice a reassuring echo in my head. "We will find the truth, hidden or not."

The games they were playing, whatever secrets they hid, would be laid bare. Stonegate might have 'appeased' me for now, but their charade wouldn't last long. They were underestimating my intelligence, and that would be their undoing.

***************

[Neveah POV]

"Constantine, there's no need to drag this out," I said, my voice firm as I strapped on the light black armor. It wasn't the heaviest gear, but it offered enough protection to deflect arrows and stray spells. "Let's go to Gorgon. Get Kael, Mavis, and your soldiers. Let's get through with this."

Constantine nodded curtly. The air crackled with unspoken tension. Eliana's visit had left us all on edge, her fiery presence a stark reminder of the danger of exposure we were in. "Understood," he said, his voice tight.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the fight ahead. "That woman will keep an eye on this place," I thought, referencing Eliana's undeniable power and watchful gaze. "We should be careful from now on."

Moments later, Constantine reappeared. "Sir, we're ready."

The Gorgon base, nestled within a treacherous mountain range, loomed before us. An oppressive silence hung heavy in the air, an unnatural quiet.

Suddenly, a voice, smooth and dripping with honeyed sarcasm, echoed from the balcony high above. "Ohhh, you are here. Null, I presume."

I looked up, my gaze meeting the eyes of a woman with long hair streaked with some silver strands. Keller, the leader of Gorgon, a woman shrouded in secrecy and capable of unspeakable cruelty.

"Yes, you see, you caused me a lot of problems these couple of days," I said sarcastically, my voice cold. "And for the sake of expansion, I must get control of this region." The sarcasm was thick, a deliberate attempt to unsettle her.

"Constantine," I began, a silent command flashing through my mind, "bar any and all communications going in or out." I didn't want any unwanted surprises or reinforcements arriving mid-battle.

My gaze flickered to Mavis standing beside me. Another silent message passed between us telepathically. "Mavis, lock down the whole area. I don't want people getting away. Runaway enemies are annoying."

Keller, seemingly unfazed by our preparations, smirked, her eyes glinting with a dangerous amusement.

"Well then, Keller," I said, my voice returning to its steely edge, "what do you choose? Submission or subjugation?" I framed the question politely, yet the underlying threat hung heavy in the air.

"Hmmm, my my," she started, her voice adopting a mock mournful tone. "A mere five-star who hired big guns with money is threatening poor old me. What should I do? Can't we all just get along?"

The blatant attempt at mockery was annoying , but I remained calm. "I don't have time for this," I said coldly. "Stop stalling."

She shrugged, a playful glint in her eyes. "Tsk. So you caught on. Well, it doesn't change much. As for your answer, I like being on top. I'm not a bottom girl."

The playful facade shattered in an instant. "Very well, Kael," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument.

Kael, my lieutenant, stepped forward, acknowledging my silent command with a curt nod. "Understood, young master."

Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows that clung to the base of the mountain like phantoms. Constantine's elite soldiers, clad in dark uniforms, materialized around us, a storm cloud gathering before the onslaught.

Across the clearing, Keller's forces emerged, a motley crew of tattooed individuals radiating an air of ruthlessness. The tension exploded as Keller unleashed a vicious command. "Fire!"

A volley of arrows rained down from the Gorgon base, met head-on by a wall of shields and defensive spells from my soldiers. Adrenaline surged through me as the battle cry erupted, a cacophony of shouts and clashing steel.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a figure clad in black, a number 006 tattooed on his forearm, lunging towards Kael with a wickedly curved dagger. The glint of the blade, it looked covered in slime, shinning in the dim light, it is probably a potent poison.

Movement became fluid, instinct taking over years of rigorous training. Mavis vanished in a blur, presumably searching for our target, the tattooed woman bearing the number 002.

"I want her alive." I relayed to Mavis.

The tattooed footmen, their faces twisted with a mix of fear and fanaticism, charged forward, engaging my soldiers in a brutal close-quarters battle. While both sides boasted a significant number of five and six-star fighters, the tide of the battle began to turn almost immediately.

My soldiers, hardened and trained by countless conflicts and by my commanders, fought with practiced efficiency. Their movements were synchronized.

The clash of steel echoed through the valley, punctuated by the booming thumps of magic and the raw screams of the fallen. Sweat slicked my palms even though the real heat of battle belonged to those locked in combat below. From my vantage point, I could see the tide turning. My soldiers, despite being outnumbered, had the upper hand.

Their skill and discipline were pushing back Gorgon's ragtag forces.

A savage grin split Keller's face, however, shattering the illusion of her earlier nonchalance. "What are you doing?" she shrieked, her voice amplified by some unseen magic, carrying across the battlefield. "If you can't take one down on your own, gang up on them! You are not nobles, Knights, you are criminals!"

The effect was immediate. Gorgon's foot soldiers, previously fighting with a semblance of 'great honor', abandoned any pretense of a fair fight. They swarmed my men, overwhelming them with sheer numbers. I witnessed my skilled fighters being brought down by sheer brutality.

I still remained calm. This wasn't a setback, and not a defeat. Constantine, ever the pragmatist, had anticipated this. As soldiers teetered on the brink of death, shadows consumed themm, courtesy of Constantine's darkness magic. They vanished, whisked away to safety.

A flicker of something akin to frustration crossed Keller's face as she witnessed Constantine's intervention. She snapped her fingers, and six figures materialized beside her on the balcony. They were larger, more powerfully built than the regular Gorgon foot soldiers, clad in black armor that seemed to absorb the light around them.

Each bore a prominent tattoo, a single number emblazoned on their forearms . The same numbers I'd seen on the captured terrorists and assassins.

"Well, let the second phase of the event begin" I thought, a smile playing on my lips despite the situation. These newcomers are Gorgon's elite, their numbered tattoos a badge of rank and power.

They might want to tip the scales back in Keller's favor, but I had a few surprises of my own up my sleeve. The real fight was just getting started.

Keller's words hung in the air, thick with a twisted kind of flirtation. "Null people," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The last time you visited and graced me with your… pleasant letter, I wasn't able to properly welcome you. Today, however," she gestured towards the six imposing figures flanking her, "I brought all the important people of my family to welcome you. I hope you like it."

"I'm terribly sorry," I replied, mirroring her sarcastic tone. "Seems I forgot a gift in the heat of the moment."

"Oh, no worries at all, Null," she chuckled, a sound devoid of humor. "After this little visit, I'm sure you won't be able to leave. You know, gifts are usually brought by strangers, and I wouldn't want you to feel like one."

Her words were a poorly veiled threat, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of fear. "Miss Keller," I drawled, pushing myself off the ground with a casual grace that belied the tension coiled within me, "don't be so hospitable. You might give someone the wrong impression. Like, say, I might think you're interested."

A slow, predatory smile spread across Keller's face. "But I am, dear sir," she purred, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. "I want to know you better. Both inside and out. I especially," she added, her voice dropping to a low whisper, "want your heart and mind."

"You can try and take them," I challenged, meeting her gaze unflinchingly.

Then, with a flick of her wrist, she pointed a finger towards the battlefield. Her six elite reinforcements, their dark armor glinting in the firelight, roared a war cry and surged forward.

They were a whirlwind of deadly efficiency, carving a bloody path through my soldiers. "What a waste" I thought.

"Constantine," I muttered. This wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. "Set it up."