"This includes you as well, Zenos. Get out before I make your body parts fly across the continent," threatened the dragoness.
The blonde merely shrugged and walked away, leaving the girl standing amidst the lifeless bodies.
Though her voice had been laced with anger, Mavislin's expression remained disturbingly calm as she sent more of her serpentine scouts to locate the heads of the fallen and gather vital intelligence.
Her limbal rings, once vibrant, had dulled, and her body moved as if guided by a will not her own, carrying her toward Venom's office. The Head of Research had no particular inclination when it came to appearance, but his preference for darkness was clear.
His office was a brooding chamber of deep mahogany, the centerpiece being a semi-circular desk with a maroon-cushioned chair to match. Piles of papers, an inkpot, and a quill lay scattered across the surface, betraying his meticulous yet chaotic work.
Behind the desk loomed a tall bookshelf, brimming with texts both ancient and obscure. The room was bathed in shadow, the chestnut brown wallpaper and dark grey flooring absorbing what little light there was.
With no windows to break the gloom, one might think Venom harbored a fear of light itself. Mavislin spared Venom a single glance as he lounged in his chair, engrossed in a report. His eyes skimmed the pages with detached focus, utterly indifferent to her presence.
Without a word, she cleared her throat, the sound cutting through the thick silence of the room, a subtle demand for his attention.
"Yes, yes, I suppose we must finally set our plans in motion. Though we have the vaguest of leads, thanks to your charming little rabbit, I would advise we not rush blindly. Instead, let us first grasp the full scope of the enemies arrayed against us."
"To begin with, I am quite aware that your team has already contended with the Twilight Twins—a byproduct of the Legion's manipulations of its own members. Our earlier assumption, that this development was recent, was... misplaced."
"In truth, the emergence of the Four Demigods has paralleled the rise of those twins for some time. Only now, however, have they deigned to act against us directly. And thus, we are left with little choice but to strike back."
"I am well aware that your decision to ally with the Northern Cartel was made in haste, but I cannot argue with the results of the past few days. So, if that creature you call Terror proves useful, I shall not object."
"Just ensure that my staff—every last one of them—returns alive," explained Venom, turning around to face the dragoness.
"That can be done if your staff is alive. Also, Four Demigods? I was only aware that the four areas affected had some shady business dealing with the Legion and that's why we've sent our teams to them. I was not aware of anything regarding Demigods," asked Mavislin.
Venom's eyes widened briefly before he let out a sigh, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to chastise the young First Seat, but the words faltered. He remembered all too well that her teams had cut off communication long before his own.
Unlike Covert Ops, which deploy mobile units for short-term missions lasting no more than a few weeks, the Research teams are stationed in their assigned regions for months. Their purpose is purely academic—gathering data and materials for the Syndicate's weaponry.
Combat isn't their field, and they only became targets because their labs inconveniently stood in the way. When the teams reported something strange, that was the last Venom heard from them.
As for the Covert Ops, the Misery Team had been sent to Campania to investigate a disturbing spike in missing girls' cases. They had only been on the ground for a week before disappearing without a trace.
It was only through Raven's crows that Mavislin discovered the grim truth—the Misery Team had been slaughtered. What unsettled her most wasn't just their deaths, but the fact that the team had no females among them—yet they still fell victim to whatever force was at work.
As for the Despair Team, stationed in Orchvale, their final report noted an odd increase in 'dollmaking' activity. Not long after, they too were found dead.
"Perhaps those serpents of yours will provide you with a more comprehensive account of the Demigods, as my own knowledge is limited to Titania and Borealisia. But let's not burden your delicate mind with too much at once."
"We'll begin with Titania, shall we? It's best to ease into these matters," said Venom, as he went to sit on his chair.
"Hold on, I'm not suggesting that I'm unaware of the Demigods at play here—or that I don't know what they are. What I'm telling you is that they shouldn't be considered Demigods."