His heart was a turmoil of conflicting emotions, unable to decide his next move. The Viceroy watched with a twisted amusement, enjoying the spectacle of individuals struggling with their own moral dilemmas.
It fascinated him to see how soon their true natures would be revealed, showcasing their inherent savagery.
Meanwhile, Shadow, clearly bored with her situation, subtly tapped into her Alter form. This enhancement allowed her to quickly slip out of the Viceroy's hold, unnoticed by the preoccupied figures around her.
"Because he swore absolute loyalty to me. And I would forgive your actions if you were to dance with me in another friendly duel because you've got me riled up," answered the First Seat of the Covert Ops Division of the Syndicate.
Both the Viceroy and Mattheos were taken aback by the dragoness's surprising agility. In the blink of an eye, Mavislin had shifted from being held by Zenos to having her arm wrapped around his neck, her two fingers pressing against his jugular.
To Mattheos's astonishment, Zenos responded not with anger but with a hearty laugh. He reached out and gently stroked Mavislin's hair, seemingly amused by the unexpected turn of events.
Mavislin could not help but feel inferior at that point.
"Impressive... I wouldn't expect any less from the leader of an espionage department. And yes, I do like to continue our duel from yesterday... If you're still riled up," said the Viceroy, as the girl retreated from her position.
"I wish to continue but in hindsight, we are preparing to hit the scene this evening so it's not a good idea to tucker ourselves out now."
"Anyway, let's wrap things up in regards to the levels before Solaris. I'm sure no one has any objections in regards to the plan, right?" asked Mavislin, straightening up her dress.
"I don't have a plan, but do we have any strategy against Solaris? From what we know, her ribbons act as minions and have a nasty habit of wrapping around objects and then exploding," replied the Viceroy, going back to his bored expression.
"If we're talking about the actual legend of Solaris, then we've got nothing to work on since she was known for not using her arms against mortals. So not much is known when it comes to her spells or weaponry..."
"Although, Solaris did tend to wear her heart on her sleeve and would often prefer her offerings to be wrapped in crimson ribbons..."
Mavislin then shook her head, trying to grasp her muddled thoughts.
"That won't help much... But I do recall a few spells that were recorded in history books. But I don't think it shows damage but it gives a hint to how she works. And how we may be able to use her emotions against her."
"It was in an old fable of sorts; where Solaris' temple got destroyed by a trickster god and she thought she wasn't important enough and locked herself in a dark cave. With the absence of the only being who could rally the sun, the world began to die."
"It was only until Lunaris, her counterpart and the goddess of beauty, threw a rambunctious party in front of Solaris' hiding place. Lunaris then danced, from dusk to dawn, with all her clothes falling off."
"Solaris then asked, 'Who could be so radiant?' upon coming out of her cave and meeting Lunaris for the first time. Everyone then grabbed the poor girl to look at a mirror and Lunaris answered..."
" 'You, my beautiful Solaris, you are the radiant one so please come out and dance with us all!' Ah, I recall that tale. It struck me as rather unusual. Yet, I must confess, I struggle to grasp how this story truly reveals Solaris' might," finished the blonde.
"Well, first, I never expected you to know about that story. Second, the story tells about the bond between Lunaris and Solaris was so great that it was enough to bring back life to their realm. In other words..."
"We can't let them both be in the same room. We have to destroy them separately and quickly," finished Mattheos, earning a nod from his superior.
"That's right. During the story, it was stated that Solaris could bring about death once she 'closes herself off' so we have to be careful about that. These aren't confirmed nor solid help but just watch out and be careful."
"Now then, for the spell that was recorded from the Syndicate, Venom had a nice time documenting this for me..."
The dragoness closed her eyes, letting her mind drift back to that night when her mentor had been unusually animated.
She remembered his fervent declarations, how he spoke of the sun's radiance enveloping him in a warm, golden embrace. His eyes had shone with the memory of divine light as if the very heavens had smiled upon him.