November 3rd, Otrera's office in Royal Guard tower, she was there with Morrigan, Edward and Emma; both the Grand Mistress and the Princess were smoking, and all four of them seemed to be drinking a special vintage whiskey that Morrigan had kept in her office and had taken to the meeting.
– So, why you called me here guys? I imagine it is something serious for three legendary mages to ask me a favor. – Emma laughed, who was not mistaken, she was centered inside. She looked stunning in a white pantsuit with royal crest detailing.
– As you know, the final exam for the third year students is right there, this year's students are an excellent group, we are busy doing the logistics of how to receive the approved ones, how to fit them in, in addition to all the other functions. – Commented Edward.
– Besides, things are a little strange… The Stroika seems to have stopped with the attacks, things are too calm. – Morrigan said.
– Maybe she was touched and gave up. – Laughed Emma
– Helloise never gives up... In addition to having so much to worry about, yesterday a strange car arrived in town, a model that we couldn't recognize the license plate and which seems to be connected to your brother, stayed in one of his apartments, and were very discreet... We need you to get close to your brother, find out what you can... This doesn't smell good. – Said Otrera.
– I see… That shit is getting his wings out… Do you think this could be something potentially dangerous? – Said Emma.
– We don't know, but if it's something to do with Madame Stroika, it's almost certain that some shit will happen. – Commented Otrera.
– I see, I'm going to pay a visit to my little brother... I honestly held back not to kill him in that box... Everyone knows I'm more powerful than he is. – Emma said.
– All three of us had the same desire... But just don't underestimate him, Valtor has always been compared to a mage among the master mages since the last war. – Edward warned.
– I may not have joined the Royal Guard, but I was a student of Ms. Margareth, trained by her to be able to defend myself and I became as powerful as the master mages, I may not be as powerful as Ethan, but he is not by far he is the weakest of the current twelve master mages. – Commented Emma, who was putting out her cigarette elegantly in the silver ashtray on the table.
– We know that, that's why we're sending you, we just ask to be careful, we don't know if the people who are so keen to keep their identities secret and who are under immunity given by their brother are dangerous or not... Helloise has turned diplomatic after all these years. – Said Otrera.
– Okay, I'll find out, and let you know… honestly, I hope he didn't do anything stupid, maybe there's time to save him from himself. – Emma said.
– We all hope… Aria doesn't deserve a heartbreak like that, everyone knows how she always tried to be a mother, queen, diplomat, leader, all at the same time, she couldn't stand the idea of neglecting any of her children because of the crown, and not even being a sloppy queen... Maybe there's time to put your brother's mind in his head. – Edward said.
– Or we can just kill him, that is also an option... Traitors have already been killed for less, and just because he is royalty will they give the "benefit of the doubt"? – Morrigan said mad.
– Morrigan is right… We can't do the talking to him, even though he's royalty and Prime Minister… He'll be punished as appropriate, but in the end it's Mom's decision. – Said Emma resigned to face her brother if necessary.
– Report anything suspicious to us, only come into direct conflict if necessary, as much as we can keep up appearances the better to get information. – Otrera said, thinking coldly about the situation.
– Okay... I already told you, I may not have pursued a career, but I know very well how to be a spy and fighter, don't forget that Twelve's Trap Master taught me. – Emma laughed getting up and adjusting his suit.
– We'll be here something… We still have to send some groups to the southern and northern borders, there has been an abnormal movement in the last few days, and much of it by groups of the common army and with orders dispatched from the Prime Minister's office, let's hope it's not a big deal... All we don't need right now is a conflict with Kanadian and Merciolos for nothing. – Otrera nodded, as Grand Mistress she shouldered the responsibility for the actions of the Royal Guard, she did not want to be a trigger for a conflict, not that there were many mages with the courage to face her, whether in courage or power, even so, there was always someone crazy.
So Emma was leaving, she had to go pay a visit to her brother, not that she was really into it, but she would do what she needed for her country, ready even to kill her younger brother, for the sake of her country, for the good of her family, for the sake of her mother who didn't deserve a traitorous son, Emma could be calm, but for those she loves, she becomes a dangerous warrior that even many of the master mages should fear, no wonder, the crown heiress generally demonstrated to have a power that surpassed that of the common warrior mages, it was always at a high level of power, having Gallard monarchs who already reached SSX+ like Aria Gallard herself in her peak.
***
Government Building, was a building similar to the Royal Guard in terms of size, it had a design all in obsidian and dark colors with details in gold and silver, a quadratic cut, windows with organic design, it was in this building that the executive branch operated federal government of Celestia. The building was located 20km from the Royal Guard building, also located in Celestia's Core. Looking at Celestia's Core from above, one notices that there are four buildings of equal height of different designs, the federal executive branch, the federal supreme court and the national congress, all separated in a triangular formation, and at the equidistant center of all three was the Royal Guard building.
Upon arriving there Emma sees the same car parked in front that she saw in the files Otrera had sent to her cell phone, she didn't take long to enter the hall, it was large and luxurious, the black floor with a special gloss and the crown symbol in golden on the floor with silver outlines, in the lobby there were several elevators, receptionists, paths that led to different places, then Emma went into one of the elevators, pressed the top floor, that was where the prime minister's office was, and those of the other ministers one floor below. The elevators were spellbound moving at high speed, so she was already at her destination. The floor was very well maintained, had plenty of space, leisure area, personal gym, furnished balcony, collective meeting room, private library and several other facilities, but in the main span there was a table in a 360º out of circle and there it was the prime minister's secretary, a young man with dark hair and brown eyes named Flick Vessel who wore a very neatly tailored executive uniform, he looked very handsome in his silver-rimmed glasses. Just behind it a few meters later was the double black mahogany door that led to the prime minister's personal office which was 110m2 internally.
– Mrs. Gallard, is it an honor to have you in my presence, how could I help you? – Flick asked courteously.
– I came to talk to my little brother, is he in the office? – Emma said, she was already advancing towards the room that had no windows in the area of the door.
– Excuse me, but I don't think you can enter, Mr. Valtor is at an important meeting with investors in the thermoelectric power industry to expand the energy initiative in Yaxley. – Flick said, he had actually been instructed to say that to anyone who came to see him at that time.
– Stroikan businessmen I bet... Darling... I'm the princess of Celestia, do you think I need permission? I was just being polite, now get out of my way. – Emma said, she just kept walking, not caring about Flick.
Flick had been intimidated and at the same time fearful that he might be retaliated against by the prime minister for letting someone else disrupt his meeting, but he also couldn't stop the princess heir, it was a terrible crossfire, all he could do was go back to his place.
– As you wish, ma'am. – Flick said he was going back to his table.
Emma then opened the door to her brother's room, the door was closed by a powerful spell, but nothing she couldn't undo easily, upon entering there she came across Valtor analyzing some plants of the Belladona Academy in the company of Guilherme and Vidar, she knew them, had seen the reports from the Royal Guard of when they had faced them, and then Valtor had noticed his sister's presence in the room.
– Little sister... Hello... I think you know Michail Gravail and Fallon Talls from the thermoelectric initiative? – Valtor lied waiting for his sister to swallow, he spoke without even shaking his voice as if it were a truth, he also knew that those two were in low profile for a long time, they would only be recognized by members of the Royal Guard who had access to the reports of missions, what he didn't know was that she had been working closely with 3GLWM for months to catch him in the loop.
– I have to admit, you lie very well, but I know who they are... Guilherme and Vidar, two renegade mages who are working for Madame Stroika... You really thought you would mess with terrorists and they wouldn't keep an eye on you? You are even more careless than I imagined. – Emma said with her sarcasm.
– Whatever… I would kill you eventually, no matter if it is now or after the attack. – Valtor laughed almost hysterical and revealing his true intentions.
– You sick... Don't think I'll allow it. – Emma said firmly and determined to fight. – You know I'm more powerful, don't you dare. –
– Really? Well I don't have to worry about that... Vidar, Guilherme, you take care of my sister, I'll finish organizing the action plan. – Valtor said, he sends coordinates through his computer again, analyzing a series of magic codes, that was part of the mass teleportation spell.
– Not so fast, Madame Stroika wants the princess, she wants her to see BA destroyed, made into rubble. – Guilherme said.
– Bastard! I will never allow it. – Said Emma angrily.
– I'd be careful if I were you… She's not fragile at all. – Valtor commented ironically and acidly that he kept typing the magic codes into the computer for the location of clandestine troops near the border areas.
– I wouldn't worry about it! – Said Vidar, he was already strong, but he was on a higher level than his natural thanks to some of Ohana's blood, all M. Stroika's generals had received some of Ohana's blood, they were already very powerful mages, all of them, but it was always good to be sure, for the most powerful among them the increase was not so much, because a mortal ingesting a lot of divine blood was not good, unless he has an already absurd natural superhuman level, like SSX+ or more mages.
The two generals of M. Stroika advance against Emma, but the princess was agile dodging the lava and ice projectiles with mastery, and then, still in the air during the jump, launches a double shot of celestial energy that knocks them back.
– I warned! – Valtor said, laughing at the generals who underestimated his sister.
– We can take care of her… Ice Dragons. – Conjured Vidar who launched a series of five ice projectile dragons.
– Lava Dragons. – Conjured Guilherme casting six lava dragons.
The space was wide, Emma dodged it, but the eleven projectiles shattered the wall, Flick was killed by the surprise impact, Emma couldn't be just defensive, so she managed to move forward, exchanged a series of blows demonstrating she was able to fight in the hand-to-hand with both of them, her training was very good, even though she couldn't have pursued a military career, she approached them not out of naivety, but out of strategy, and Valtor knew that.
– I will not let you destroy Belladona, all those young innocents… I will stop this nonsense. – Emma said, her fists clenched with the celestial energy, she was not using it in the traditional way, but she knew how to do it.
– Boys, don't get too close, you can get hurt very badly. – Valtor laughed, who knew his sister well.
– Celestial Explosive Chain Reaction. – Conjured Emma and soon Guilherme and Vidar found themselves trapped in a cat bed of explosive celestial energy chains, at the slightest touch they exploded, throwing them in a violent sequence of explosions.
– I warned. – Valtor laughed.
– Do your job and shut up. – Guilherme said, he launches a series of smoking blocks of magma against Emma.
– We can handle it! – Vidar said, he was advancing for the physical attack, but also with sharp shards of ice against the princess.
– You two, from the reports you are really powerful, I would have some problem fighting you, but luckily, as my combat style is not exclusively direct, I can handle more than one opponent with the same power level, only I can't be distracted. – Emma said, she had already taken the fight to the main hall, there was much more space for them to fight there.
– Don't even try to take her by surprise, the bitchhas cosmic magic, which means that her sensorial capacity is absurd, it's no use trying to take her by surprise or with clones, you'll have to corner her and do it in the good old melee, brute physical strength is not her strong point, but her agility of movement makes up for it. – Valtor said, he was handing his sister's abilities to his opponents, he really wanted to see her dead.
– Asshole, son of a… You know what, I'm not going to curse my mother for you, in fact, I don't even know if you came out of her, you monster. – Emma said, she did not look away from the two opponents, and when they advance towards the top, she prepared a rotating dome of cosmic energy protection, when they got close to the initial impulse to attack she reversed the flow and transformed the dome that the she protected in a sphere that enveloped the two of them, and inside she provoked a violent explosion of celestial energy that she had imbued in the sphere's mass.
– She's really good... Quite a strategist, I understand why they call her the "Thirteenth Master Mage of the Royal Guard." – Guilherme commented.
– Strong or not, no one who gets in the way of our Lady Helloise deserves to survive… Frozen Spikes Valley. – Conjured Vidar touching the ground, the ice froze everything, and from the icy surface grew randomly large, powerful, piercing spikes of ice.
– He's right, we have orders to carry out and you'll see your dear BA turn to dust... Lava Shower. – Conjured Guilherme, the spell provoked a shower of lava against Emma.
The combination was dangerous, the ground was full of deadly thorns, the air came a scorching shower of lava, Emma had to think fast, she couldn't go up, she couldn't go down, she had no medical skills, if she went backwards it would be cornered, she had no other choice, she would rush forward, she did this with a thrust into a magical seal she made right behind her foot, swirled in profusion emanating a veil of celestial energy that would cause serious spiritual damage if touched directly, she had focused her sensorial abilities on both of them and so managed to dodge his attempts to grab her, but paid no attention to her brother who seemed to have finished doing what he had to do on the computer and was there when she thought he would have room to run to cast your next spell.
– That Celestial Cloak Spell no… Vacuum Palm Bang. – Conjured Valtor right in front of his sister before she hit the ground, he hit her with an explosive palm of vacuum energy that came out of her hand and expanded until it became a gigantic palm that hurled her against the elevator door.
– You bastard. – Emma said, slumped against the elevator door.
Emma was powerful, but fighting those three at the same time, especially one of them being her brother who knew her weaknesses, was a fight she couldn't win, she couldn't risk getting killed, she could wait for the right moment to escape.
– Looks like I won sis, even you can't face the three of us alone like this, even if you're a field mage, I know your weaknesses... It's done. – Valtor laughed almost maniacally. – I promise you will not die suffering after the destruction of BA, for old times' sake. –
– Damn, how can you do this to your country? With our mother? With Gale? – Emma said with hatred and at the same time fearful for her family, Valtor had already made him handcuffs of reinforced magic ice.
– Don't you dare speak her name, I do this for her too, I would never let her be hurt… Mom was always proud of you and Ethan, but of me? Since I decided to be prime minister, how much respect have I gained from her? I almost died in the last war and how much respect did I get? If she didn't recognize me when I was under her judgment, she will recognize me when I take everything from her and become Celestia's new king. – Said Valtor, imperious and maniacal.
– Idiot… Either you're too dumb, or you're simply making excuses to be the monster you've always shown yourself to be since you were little… Except for your sly personality since you were little, Mom knew how much you wanted to become prime minister , do you know how much pressure she would be pressured if she showed favoritism in electing one of her children to the position? You were always selfish, Mom was proud of her political and skillful son, but you can't stand her loving me and Ethan too, you wanted her love all to yourself, it's always been like that, so don't blame her for you being a selfish devil. – Emma said, she wasn't afraid to speak the truth even in that situation.
– Enough… After AB I'll kill you and Ethan in front of her, and she'll see that she should have given her love to me, now it's too late… I'll take for myself everything that was supposed to be mine and you and Ethan stole it when you were born. – Valtor said with an air almost out of control.
– Have you forgotten who is the oldest, idiot? – Emma laughed, who didn't lose her pose even in these situations.
– I do not want to stop the problem of siblings, but we have a school to destroy. – William said.
– Of course, we just need to make sure my little sister doesn't give us any trouble while Madame Stroika doesn't arrive… Vacuum Capsule. – Conjured Valtor who trapped her sister in a perfect vacuum sphere, preserving just a little oxygen there so her sister wouldn't suffocate, still wanted her to see all the chaos and destruction that would spread, her eyes were filled with hate and jealousy , soon cleaned them up and became much more serious, to the point of scaring the generals. – Come on, Stroika hates it when plans are delayed. –
– And the troops? – asked Vidar.
– They've already received the magic coding to activate the master seals, Belladona won't even know what hit her... We have thirty minutes before the party starts. – Valtor said with a cruel smile.
And so the Belladona Academy was on the verge of an attack that not even she knew was coming, that would mark all of Celestia irreversibly, it would be a moment of great fear and courage, dangers lay in wait and the battle proved inevitable, for some it would be one more step in their journey, for others it would be their ultimate mission.