金瓶梅第2部

⟬ Head Magistrate's Residence, Ground Floor. ⟭

A shy mumble broke the silence, seeming much louder against the contrast.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Tanamar looked over to the creepy doll walking rigidly at his side, "What is it? Did you notice something?"

"I just... I just wanted to say..." Boxy muttered, "it's... been eerily quiet, sir."

Twisting his lips to the side, Tanamar nodded in agreement.

They were in one of the largest structures in Caeruleum, and it should have been full of civil servants. It was discussed in the strategy meeting... it was the most logical place for the most important persons of power within the city to gather. With them, the city's strongest defenders should be present, as well...

The estate was empty and devoid of life.

The only people they'd encountered was a single group of guards in the courtyard.

Athena took care of them.

She called it a mercy. With a quick incantation, she used her ⌈Ice Beam⌋ spell... The guards didn't even last a second.

They weren't Branded... or even Sons of Qotal. They were just a bunch of unlucky bastards that should have tried to flee the city when they had the chance.

It was how Athena was. She set a goal... and she committed her all to it. A gagglef*ck of Bronze-Ranks wouldn't be able to stop her.

Athena was out for blood... and she wouldn't stop until the Head Magistrate was dead.

Before Tycon arrived and began training them, Athena never had the power to be so... forceful. Ultimately, Tanamar was glad for it. The stronger she was, the less he had to worry about her being hurt in an accident or falling prey to assassins from rival houses.

His role had changed slightly, which was fine. Instead of functioning primarily as her protector, Tanamar had to focus on ensuring she wasn't pushing herself too hard.

He still couldn't slack off with his own training, though. Athena was used to hitting him playfully if she was upset or annoyed... or if she was surprised or embarrassed... or sometimes, when she was happy.

If he didn't block or dodge her attacks, it'd hurt... not that he'd ever admit it. If Athena thought for even a second that she actually hurt him, she'd probably cry-- full-on weeping tears, too.

Tanamar walked back into the hallway, "Athena! Did you find anyone?"

Athena emerged from a different room, shaking her head, "There's no one in these rooms, either."

Her eyes suddenly widened and she pursed her lips, "Oh! Mister Boxy's with you? I thought you were supposed to be with Sergeant Salt's rifle squad?"

Boxtholomaeus allowed his head to fall limply in a bow, "Change of plans, milady. Sir Tycon has requested me to accompany you in looting the administration building."

"L-looting?" Athena grimaced, "Wait!! You mean he knew I-- whaaaat?!"

She thought she was clever. With the way she acted at the strategy meeting, overly insisting on which sector the two of them would occupy, it was obvious there was something there that she found important.

The Head Magistrate's residence was the most obvious target.

Tanamar shook his head, "We all knew you'd deviate from the plan and march directly here."

Athena squinted her eyes and looked away, trying to look innocent, "I... maybe..."

Suddenly, she turned back, pouting, "WHATEVER! We're here, already! And Sir Tycon's really smart! Of course, he'd figure it out!!"

Tanamar smiled as gently as he could. He was the one that knew her best... and he was the one that volunteered the specific information at the discussion table.

However, she didn't have to know that.

He'd give Tycon that little victory. Tanamar felt that, because of his and Athena's relationship, there was no point in being jealous of the Tactician. Anyroad, she would probably get some petty revenge on the guy that 'outsmarted' her.

...It wasn't all malicious though. It'd be easier for him to calm his girlfriend down so long as he wasn't also the target of her anger.

Boxy walked up to a wall and pointed with a limp wooden arm, "Excuse me... what does that say?"

Tanamar stood by Athena as the wall in front of them began to crumble away... Flames began to appear on the wood, fiery runic script that formed a single word.

[Outside.]

The burning didn't stop. As the smoke rose up and the entire wall caught fire, the script remained, glaringly bright and unmistakable.

The sanctioned psyker that cast it... he was strong. And that person was waiting for them outside the villa.

...

Tanamar led Athena and Boxy out of the burning villa.

The luxurious fountain in the front had evaporated in its entirety. The frozen statues that Athena had left were nothing more than charred corpses.

Surrounded by blackened trees and amidst the still-smoldering bushes and grass... was a twenty-foot tall suit of red armor.

Athena's voice shook underneath her helmet, "That... that looks like one of Uncle's Divine Armors?"

Tanamar crossed his arms, quietly brooding. His girlfriend's instincts were on point. Though Holy Blacksmith Harkus made dozens of Divine Armor suits in his lifetime, the one he and Athena were looking at was one of his first works.

...One of his greatest.

Before Harkus built the Dawnbringer and the Star-Fury, he remarked that even though they were larger in size, their power paled in comparison to his originals.

Athena looked to Tanamar, her fists balled up in front of her chest, "Sh-should be easy to beat, right? We saw something like that in the Halls of the Dead Serpent!!"

Though it had a similar shape, it was nothing like that shite, dull-metal automaton they found back then. This one was bigger, coated in a shining crimson red, and lined with a deep black that absorbed the light of the flames around it. Faint gold-glowing runes were carved into its thick, metal plates... dozens of enchantments, all layered on top of each other.

Worse still, the inside of that thing had formations that made it move as fast, if not faster than its pilot.

It was probably enough for that formation-loving freak, Tycon, to masturbate to.

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