Ash looked towards who Degenbrecher called a platinum and he remembered their ranks.
Platinum is a squad leader that leads the mooks. Lazurites were one of the best and there were only always two active at the same time.
Then there were the ones pulling the strings, the Darksteels. It was said that there are three of them. And Ash doesn't know why they have shit for brains.
"So that girl's a platinum huh? She's basically your age Margaret." Ash curiously watched the white haired pegasus dodge like hell while Degenbrecher toyed with her.
The caprinae is just giving out haphazard swings and slow slashes at her.
"She's bullying the poor girl." Shining sighed at Degenbrecher's bad attitude of playing with her opponents if they're obviously outmatched.
While the two were doing the tango, the squad also killed all the mooks around. Leaving the poor platinum alone.
"Mudrock, make this more interesting." Ash touched her back and Mudrock received a lot of energy for her arts.
She then touched the ground and a wall appeared around them made of pure concrete from the ground.
The platinum immediately frowned like it was the worst day of her life when she saw that they were inside a cage.
And then, she witnessed them sit down and watch her fight for survival like it was some sort of game.
"I'm gonna die here aren't I?" She talked to herself and sighed. But she refused to die alone and charged up her strongest arts on her arrow.
"Good, good, try your best shot." Degenbrecher just waited for her to charge up her trump card and the Platinum's arrow shone brightly.
"I'll take you with me at least." Her voice sounded tired and she fired the arrow at Degenbrecher.
The caprinae though, decided to shatter her pride to the maximum and caught her arrow with her teeth.
And the arts on it got cancelled as Degenbrecher stepped into the anti originium arts field of Liz.
"D-did she just... Yup, I'm done. Can I have a request though? Please kill me quickly, I'm ready." The platinum closed her eyes and raised her arms sideways, letting go of her compound bow.
"Wow... This girl doesn't give a shit." Texas had a small smile on her face due to the pegasus.
"You, what is your name? A pegasus with such an attitude is unacceptable for our nobility." Margaret raised her chin.
The assassin just looked at Margaret with a blank expression and she clicked her tongue. "So you aren't going to kill me? I'll be put on duty again though, I would really rather die."
Margaret was speechless and Ash laughed with Lappland.
"I've been overworked by the union for the longest time. The Lazurites even giving me more tasks... I didn't even want to be part of the union. The assassin life chose me." She shrugged and did not have fucks to give.
Ash then walked up to her and was amused. "I didn't catch your name still." He gave her a meaningful smile and she saw the look on his face.
It was analytical, just like her colleagues. But it was different. Not of paranoia that assassins have in general. It was interest, and she bet on that. She was too young after all.
"Centaurea, I graduated the academy and was a bit famous for being good with archery. Every fresh graduate has plans of being a knight. But it all came crashing down when the Armorless Union attacked." She said wistfully.
"The previous platinum forced me to the union... Can you believe that guy? And then he goes off and dies because he fell in love with her." Platinum pointed at Degenbrecher.
"With me?" She was shocked and couldn't believe it. Degenbrecher knew that the KGCC would send a person from the union, but she expect that kind of development.
"Yeah, so he got himself killed. What an idiot, then I turned to the next platinum as his student. And they have the nerve to give me unpaid overtime all the time." She rolled her eyes.
"Are you finished? Pft." Ash snickered at her and Centaurea nodded.
"Hmmm, so you're an unusual case that got forced into the union. And now you can't get out because they'll kill you off." Ash rubbed his chin.
"Pretty much that." She nodded at him and he decided. "Okay, you're gonna be an archer of mine. Don't worry, we got good employee benefits. Even child soldiers can play all the time unless they're deployed." He pointed at Narcissa who was already fiddling with her game boy.
"Sweet..." She didn't look enthused at all. It was the usual, with child soldiers and professional cold blooded killers as her colleagues.
"Don't misunderstand, do you really think that we would follow him because he gives off false promises? You should already know him. Asmodeus, ring any bells?" Margaret noticed her doubt.
"Asmodeus... Asmodeus... Ahhh, the enterprise. Duke Naumann of Leithanien. That means you're rich right?" Centaurea got a bit giddy and gained a bit of color on her jaded expression.
"Yeah, I can buy the capital in cash." He shrugged and Centaurea's jaw almost dropped to the ground.
"Where do I sign?" She was trying to find a pen and a contract already.
"Later, we gotta take care of a bit more." He took down the walls of Mudrock and they were greeted by two people that had bows in hand.
"Ahhh, we got done in." A man scratched his head lazily, but he was ready to spring in to action at any time.
"Centaurea... Do not move, Roy. We have to get her, her potential is too high." A cat woman with blue hair squinted her eyes.
"Gotcha Monique." They went into a standoff with them for a bit.
Margaret prepared to trigger her arts and the next thing that happened is Roy kneeled down, prostrating at the ground.
"We surrender!" The man shouted out seriously and the other lazurite with him froze in shock.
"Good choice." Ash nodded at him and the woman kicked him. "What the hell are you doing Roy!?"
"Woman, are you crazy!? I've been a lazurite of the union for a dozen years. They'll gut us like a fish out of water!" He gave her a dirty look.
"He's right you know?" Lappland laughed and Ash raised his hand, taking their bows and quivers.
"Monique is it? The other lazurite of Armorless Union. Listen to him, you have no honor to speak of anyway. Being loyal dogs of the KGCC." Ash shrugged and she winced.
"Armorless Union is a shadow of its former self. You're at their beck and call, like the lapdogs you are." He sighed and Monique gritted her teeth.
Roy already knew the state of the union. And he has raised it to the Darksteels. But now, it seems that there was an opportunity that rose when Deliverance raided them.
"Pick. Submit, or die." Ash gave her a choice and she slowly kneeled down. "Please... Kazimierz is rotten to the core."
She requested sincerely and he nodded. "No use in asking, I will make Kazimierz great again. Margaret has to have a stable country if she'll be the grand knight of the Adeptus." Ash nodded at her.
He then gestured for them to stand up. "I will inform the Darksteels myself. Please leave it to me." Roy tasked himself with it and he agreed.
They do not know the location of the Darksteels anyways. And if they don't have total mush for brains, they won't appear anyways.
"Well then, for your first mission. Platinum, Lazurite, you will be assassinating the ultra nationalists in the Adeptus. We will take care of the KGCC." Ash tossed them some targets.
It would take off some pressure on his ghosts and they're pretty good in what they do. So why not use the union to great effect.
"By your will." Monique didn't have a choice. "A mission already... Sir, will I have a leave after this?" Platinum had a sour face and he chuckled.
"Platinum!" Monique admonished her and he waved it off. "Yeah, that will be your last job for now in a long time."
They would need to lay low for a bit after this. They won't really be under fire from the other countries. But everyone would try to investigate the sudden change in Kazimierz.
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After their takeover of Armorless Union, a meeting was of course held.
"You guys are crazy... Attacking Armorless Union without any regard." Mlynar was having a headache.
"You should be happy, with Armorless Union out of the KGCC's grasp, the majors would have less foul play." Ash raised his brow at Mlynar's reaction.
"That may be so... But this is really dangerous. An all out war can be the result of this if you get caught!" Mlynar leaned on his chair and felt a migraine coming.
"You forget something old man, that is if we get caught." Lappland chuckled at him.
"She's right you know? Besides, they can't. Why? Because we can sabotage the mobile cities' cores and Kazimierz will be a sitting duck. Catastrophes would most likely destroy the cities." Shining gave her two cents.
Zofia and Mlynar shivered at that notion. They have sunk their claws too deep into Kazimierz. It would only be a matter of time before they gain full control of the place.
"Umu, not to mention that Asmodeus enterprise is also collaborating with the KGCC on the surface. What do you think would happen if they refuse to deliver goods to Kazimierz suddenly?" Degenbrecher smirked.
"The country will be embroiled in anarchy... Please don't." Zofia begged and he shrugged.
"That's the last resort really. And we can't do that, it's too much of a valuable move to use on Kazimierz. If we do that, then all of the other countries will be wary of my company."
Ash wanted to use that tactic when it truly mattered. Not against Kazimierz which they can exploit pretty easily. Maybe like Laterano or Ursus.
"Like imagine Laterano losing their supply of sugar." Ash smirked and Exusiai's eyeballs almost popped out of her head.
"L-leader... That isn't funny. You wouldn't do that right? That's blasphemy to the desserts of the world!" Exusiai started to hyperventilate.
Ash then flicked a sugar cube to Texas and she popped it into the Sankta's mouth so she could calm down.
"Some people just want to see the world burn." Zofia imagined the riots and civil unrest in Laterano if he does that.
She would even dare say that Laterano might collapse if Ash withholds sugar to the country. They supply that much to Laterano.
"Ash, you know dessert is very very important to the Sankta. There, it's okay. Ash won't withdraw the sugar to Laterano." Texas rubbed Exusiai's back because she was having a serious panic attack.
"That is if they behave." Ash snorted.
"So, what's next in our itinerary Ash?" Margaret made the meeting progress.
"We go to the Adeptus now. Talk with the current grand knight. I believe your grandfather took her with him to Ursus when they went behind enemy lines with 5 silverlance pegasi?" Ash was impressed with their grandfather.
Kirill Nearl, with only five of their special knights. Went to Ursus and saved prisoners of war. Then returned to Kazimierz after killing 3000 soldiers from Ursus. He wanted to meet the guy, but he died from old age.
"You would negotiate with her to give up her position?" Mlynar wanted to know what his intent was.
"Yeah, and I have Margaret to accompany me anyways. She'll agree with it. And if she doesn't want to? We just go take the KGCC down and put pressure on them like never before." He smirked.
"What an evil guy you are. With Armorless Union and the KGCC in your control, the Adeptus really won't have anything they can use. The reason they're losing to the KGCC is because they suck at politics anyway." Zofia sighed at him.
They were using the economy, politics, and plain brute force like with the union. Their advance is unstoppable.
"Are you calling the Adeptus meat heads aunt... Ahem, I mean big sis Zofia?" Maria was learning a lot about Kazimierz.
"You catch on quick Maria. You're a pretty smart girl, how about it? Do you want to be a grand knight in the majors?" Ash patted her head.
"Hehehe~ Ahhh! Please do not treat me like a child, I am a lady... And my interests isn't really at being a grand knight like sister Margaret." She twiddled her thumbs.
"Really Maria? Then what is it that you want to do? I'll support you, I promise." Margaret smiled at her and she beamed.
"I'm really interested in engineering and the like!" Maria's eyes shone and Ash was pleasantly surprised.
Their engineering department is dominated by him. And it was sadly not going to accomplish much unless he focuses on it.
"Well, you're always welcome in Paradiso Maria. I'll have you know, we built a mobile city that is visually indestructible." He remembered the materials he painstakingly made.
"Wow, really? Is that true sister?" Maria's interest was piqued.
"Maria... Don't be fooled by that guy! I... I heard from Margaret, he's a beast!" Zofia yelled to her in a whisper.
"Z-Zofia... He's just offering me to pursue my interests you know?" Maria looked at her weirdly and Zofia got frustrated.
Young women are always the most likely of successful and confident men after all. They fall for competence and their great capability to do violence or do something really great. But is kind and caring nonetheless.
Hence, why, they really like the CEO's, surgeons, heroes, and nobles in their love stories.
"What are you two whispering about?" Mlynar raised a brow at the two Nearls and they blushed.
"N-nothing." Their eyes were swimming around and Mlynar looked at them suspiciously.
"Yeah! Go to Paradiso Maria. Ash makes a lot of cool things there. Like the suits of his ghosts, you know. Those guys from earlier." Degenbrecher tempted her even further.
"The people who appeared here without any signs? Really!?" Maria's eyes shone and Zofia saw her grip on her bubbly niece go.
'Nooo! Maria's gonna fall to his evil clutches!' Zofia bit on her lip.
"Umu, he also designed the mobile city that we live in right now. The weapons there too. Which are simply amazing. The city is full of turrets that the guns of Laterano would drool over." Margaret explained their defense system.
Maria could only imagine the amazing tech there and she was in a daze.
"Yeah! Come with us, we have guns like this and lots of apple pie!" Exusiai waved around her bullpup which she always carry with no fail.
"He also made this sword of mine. Effective on heavy armor and can tear through steel like it is butter." Texas showed her bootleg lightsaber.
"Ohhh! Big brother Ash, that's so cool! How did you make it!" Maria's eyes shone and he chuckled.
"That's a trade secret Maria, I'll show you when you step foot in Paradiso. We can get there pretty quickly with my help anyway." He smiled at the excited pegasus.
"Zofia, uncle Mlynar! I have to go to their mobile city!" Maria's mind was made up.
"Sure... Leave me behind here in Kazimierz." Mlynar sighed as his desire is to stay in Kazimierz to rebuild it to its former glory.
"Okay, let's talk about this later. The major is about to start and we should think about how to progress from there." Shining clapped her hands and she was anxious to begin.
Their start in a movement that would change the world for the better is only starting now. And it was quite the start in her opinion.
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At the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi HQ, Platinum and Monique were a few hundred meters away.
"Target acquired, this will be a national incident Platinum. Make sure your shot counts. It is for Kazimierz, just like old times." Monique's eyes shone as she drew her bow.
"Just like old times huh? I didn't know you were that old Lazurite." Platinum drew her bow and breathed in to steady her aim.
"Shut up or I'll kill you. I haven't received a mission like this in years... For Kazimierz." She had a small smirk on her face and they went still for a second, holding their breaths.
Their eyes focusing on their targets. The heavy black steel arrows nocked on their bows vibrating with their assassination arts.
"For Kazimierz." Platinum's cold eyes locked on to the enemies of the state that rots it to stagnation.
And with a whistling sound, their arrows were released. Glowing in the night.
"Arrows of the union released, eliminate your targets in 3, 2, 1." Wraith made a countdown and dozens of heads rolled with two knights in the Adeptus getting pinned to a wall.
The middle of their chests where their hearts are located, crushed by the heavy arrows of the Armorless Union.
Assassinations for the greater good, like the one decades ago where a pegasus ruled in tyranny. And their corpse hung in public for the masses to celebrate their freedom.
"Mission accomplished, 100% fatality. No collateral damage as expected. Move out, Platinum, Lazurite." Wraith's inflectionless voice was heard behind them.
"Those guys are better than us at this... Why are we even doing a mission." Platinum sighed and thought of asking for an extra for her signing bonus.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.