Serum - C189

Dirk woke only after he felt some squirming. His mana vision locked onto Ava, cuddled against his side and head on his chest. He raised his hand and itched at his neck when her hair tickled his skin. 

He noticed how cold her hair was. It was an odd feeling but he found pleasure in it when he started running his fingers through. 

Ava woke up but she didn’t bother to open her eyes, shifting deeper into Dirk’s comfort and melting under the satisfying feeling of his fingers over her scalp. 

He smiled, thinking about how different it was to be with Ava as opposed to Pandora. They seemed to occupy two ends of a spectrum. Ava was more reserved, cuter, while Pandora was bold and passionate. 

Suddenly, Ava shot up. 

“Crap! We’re marching today! Did I sleep in? Shit…”

“Hey now, why so serious?”

“Uh, because we’re in the middle of a civil war?”

“I’m well aware. But you have me now. Don’t worry so much.”

Dirk pat his chest in reassurance, but Ava could only scratch her head. 

“Are you sure you can stay and help? This won’t exactly be a short process.”

“You think I’m going to leave now? I told you I’m going to help you sort all this out. The only way I’m leaving is if it's with you.”

“...Thank you.”

Ava laid back down and gave Dirk a deep kiss for a handful of seconds. Once she separated, the two climbed out of bed and got ready. 

Dirk smiled a bit. 

“You’ve never fought in a war, huh?”

“No. Have you?”

“I was a supersoldier. I’ve helped start 4 revolutions, have toppled 7 governments, and have participated in 3 open wars and 4 proxy wars. Most of them had nothing to do with my own country, and all of them happened over the span of 11 years.”

“...I didn’t even know so many wars could happen. What the hell was wrong with your world?”

“Several things, but it had its upsides too. Such as no bullshit levels of godlike power.”

Dirk huffed and threw on his shirt. Then he turned and watched as Ava slipped on her uniform. 

“All you need to do is tell me who you need dead. I can’t kill Those at Tier or Rank 8, but I can fight those at 7 and can kill those at 6. Most importantly, I can infiltrate into just about anywhere. I can collect sensitive information.”

“...”

Ava paused her dressing, Dirk watching her think. He knew that his skills were valuable to any general, and for Ava, he was willing to do what he did best. 

In their silence, there was a sudden interruption. Dirk turned right before there was a knock on the door. 

“Avalon? Are you okay?”

It was Tones, one of the young men who had been following Ava the day before. 

Ava watched Dirk vanish completely from her sight. Now that she knew he was here, she could use her power of the mind and the power of the Key Artifact to keep track of him. Still, his presence was blurry at best. She was shocked by how amazing his stealth was. It was no wonder he had been able to sit in on their meeting in the palace without detection. 

“Yes, Tones, I’m fine. I’ll be out soon.”

“I didn’t see you in the study last night, figured you were tired and wanted to sleep. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

“Sure.”

She gave a succinct response, Tones walking off. 

Ava turned when Dirk reappeared, nodding. 

“Alright. I’ve thought of some things. I want to brief you first though.”

“Lead the way.”

“Mm.”

Ava finished buttoning the last of her clothes before throwing open the bedroom door and marching out. 

Dirk walked right behind her, completely invisible. Soon they arrived in an empty study where Ava started sifting through piles of papers and maps. The place was almost a war room. 

“This. This woman right here.”

She suddenly found a picture, showing Dirk an image of a rather risque mermaid. She was beautiful, and the image in question seemed to capture her within a meeting hall, obviously taken from where it wasn’t supposed to.

“Hallia Ovelyn. She’s the one person preventing the Sirenia from joining us, a woman connected deeply with the Sovereign Church.”

“You want me to kill her? How powerful is she?”

“That’s the thing, she’s only at Tier 4. She’s pitifully weak, but she’s always guarded by her husband, a Tier 8. We rarely see him, but he’s there.”

“Hm.”

Dirk rubbed his chin, thinking about the situation. 

“What kind of influence does she wield?”

“We’ve heard that she’s trying to blackmail certain Sirenia leaders so they stay on her side. The Sirenia were neutral for a time, but once she got her hands in the mix, they started moving to her side. She’s cunning, and she doesn’t make herself known. If we can get rid of her and prevent more people from being blackmailed, then we can either extend the Sirenia neutrality or bring them to us.”

“What kind of blackmail is she using?”

“They’re mostly threats, but she’s managed to kidnap some families or expose shady and illegal activities. Things that would completely tarnish the reputation of certain people.”

Ava brought out some more papers giving details. Dirk had Spyte scan them. 

“Hm… How many Tier or Rank 8s do you have?”

“We can bring out 7 total. There are two others but they are elsewhere. Why?”

“I need you to bring out most if not all of them, bait out their strongest. I can kill that woman while you do that. Is it feasible?”

Dirk’s brow raised at her, Ava smiling. 

“We’re already mobilizing. You’ll have all but one.”

……

…

Dirk stood atop one of the many tall buildings near the center of the city. 

Over in the Sirenia district Ava was leading her troops. She wouldn’t normally be able to take control of multiple races within Unity but because so many Tier 8’s rallied behind her, she was able to claim legitimacy and become the figurehead of the resistance against the Sovereign Church. 

Now she was about to force the Sirenia to come under her banner. They hadn’t yet been completely swayed by the Church, unlike the Carnivora and Vesania, and killing Hallia would help that cause by keeping Sirenia leaders from being coerced by her. 

Unfortunately her husband happened to stand at the top of the world. Dirk would have to make sure he was out of the picture, because even though he might be able to kill her with him there, he wouldn’t be able to make it out alive. 

Currently Hallia was supposed to be within the underground levels of the Sirenia Palace. So that’s where Dirk snuck off to while Ava marched with her troops. 

He snuck through the front door and stood in the middle of the first floor. They didn’t make the lower levels easily accessible so he’d have to use some of his tricks. 

His Domain, already activated, suddenly rippled before sending out a massive pulse of mana into the ground. It was a mixture of metal and dark mana, giving Dirk an overview of the structural frame as well as keeping things relatively subtle. 

It wouldn’t go unnoticed, but nobody would be able to trace it back to him. 

Spyte recorded the frame of the structure, filtering out the messy information before giving him a blueprint of the entire place. Dirk soon had a path plotted out for him. 

He shot up to the fourth floor before finding a hidden security formation on one of the dead ends. He sent a few pulses into it and had Spyte record the entire thing. 

Dirk didn’t know too much about enchanting but it was a security formation based in the earth element, which made it an area of his expertise. With a few well-placed mana surges and a dash of dark corrosive mana, the formation buckled. Any alarms that were sent out were intercepted by his Domain and eradicated. 

Dirk hid away the formation before opening the door and shooting down the long spiral staircase. It was the sole entrance in and out of the lower floors, which made it an incredibly dangerous choke point that he could get caught in if he wasn’t careful. 

He had already long been formulating his escape plan. 

After a minute or so he reached the end of the staircase, finding some people lingering around on the first underground floor. He directly shot past them, Spyte scanning every face he came across. 

She wouldn’t be out in the open, that much he knew. Thankfully there was a beacon of power next to her that made the hunt easy. 

Dirk descended to the second floor, keeping track of everyone he passed before arriving near a large doorway. It looked like a prison and within there were 3 people. 

Dirk heard a feminine voice chime from within the dark cellar. He looked around and started finalizing his escape plan, laying down a few rough enchantments in some walls and floors. 

“Don’t worry so much, Sir Wavren. I take my word very seriously.”

“R-Really?”

“Of course. But only if you fulfill your end of the deal.”

Dirk turned his head a bit, laying down the last formation. Spyte picked up the sound and created blurry figures in his vision, approximations of where the people inside were based on the tremors their steps sent through the structure and where the sound reflected off the walls and openings in the door. 

There were 3 people inside, and one of them was definitely Hallia. Based on the sound of liquid dripping and the smell, Dirk assumed Sir Wavren was being tortured. 

Her voice turned sweet.

“Do you think you can do that for me? Our support for our allies knows no bounds. Your family will be safe and protected, that much we can promise.”

“...I’ll do it.”

“Sir Wavren.”

She called, and Dirk could only imagine how deep into Sir Wavren’s psyche she was. 

“You have made the right choice, know that. Today you have brought salvation upon you, your family, and the people of your district. Now, I want you to accept this brand. It will make you one of us. It will give you authority.”

“...I understand.”

He accepted, and Dirk saw a few bright flashes come from within the cell. He was branded. 

“Very good. Now please recover. We have much work to do.”

Dirk heard that and backed into a corner. His entire being calmed, melding into the surroundings as his Domain pulled back to his skin. 

He cleared his mind, and a soldier suddenly came running up to the cell.

“Madam Ovelyn! The Rangifer are marching on our district!”

The door opened, and Dirk confirmed Hallia’s image as she stepped out. She really was weak, and beautiful. Still, it seemed her genius was recognized on some level, even if she dressed like she worked in a brothel. 

Following her was her husband, the Tier 8 man whose name Dirk didn’t know. He was generally stoic, obviously deferring to his wife. Dirk could see the bands on their ring fingers. 

Hallia nodded. 

“That Ava girl at least has some guts. Unfortunately she lacks experience. How much did she mobilize?”

“Everyone, Madam. Including all their Tier and Rank 8s.”

“...More guts than I thought. It’s like she wants all out war right now…”

Hallia narrowed her eyes, rubbing the blonde hair around her temple before sighing. 

“Go and mobilize 4 of our companies, meet them on equal grounds.”

“Understood.”

The soldier saluted with his orders, running off. Hallia then turned to her husband, reaching up and patting his cheek. 

“Dear, I need you to mobilize with the others. We can’t let the Sirenia be swayed by this show of power. I will even send Sir Wavren to rally his people once he’s healed. We can use this chance.”

“...I don’t want to leave you alone here.”

“I will be but a minute, and besides, I fear nothing when you are always with me.”

She leaned over and the two kissed, slowly separating. 

“...Now go. We must respond quickly.”

“Mm.”

The Tier 8 nodded and turned, walking out. Hallia turned her attention to Sir Wavren. 

That’s when Dirk lifted his hands. 

[Activating M6888 Experimental Arc Cannon.]

The railgun appeared, and Dirk loaded one of his special spells, a hypervelocity kinetic energy penetrator. It was obviously supplemented with magic and didn’t actually meet the hypervelocity standard. He wasn’t quite that powerful yet, and even this much took a majority of his energy to fire once. 

But he was going all out because Hallia most assuredly had protective spells and enchanted devices shielding her at every moment. That Tier 8 would never leave his wife vulnerable, and she had said herself that he was always with her. That was bad news in Dirk’s book. 

Nothing less than his fastest, most penetrating attack would be enough to ease his mind. He couldn’t mess up. He’d get killed for that, a risk he was not unfamiliar with.

He started charging, the floating rails of the gun spinning a bit as he extended his Domain a bit and took aim at the space in front of him. 

He poured most of his energy into the gun, 9 spell circles appearing between the rotating barrels, tiny arcs of lightning jumping from the scale armor around his hands and onto the barrels. He waited for around 2 minutes.

“Alright, Sir Wavren. Now, we can finally secure Sirenia’s future.”

Hallia came walking out with Wavren at that time, and that’s when Dirk shifted his body. 

He lined up the long railgun with Hallia and Wavren’s head, the skinny man behind her. Once they were right on top of each other, Dirk snapped the trigger. 

Hallia was oblivious as the railgun cracked with hundreds of bolts of lightning, heating the rails until they were red hot and launching the projectile out at supersonic speeds. 

It tore straight through both of them, their heads exploding as the projectile went through a few walls and floors, burying itself into who knows where. 

Before the bodies even hit the floor Dirk was turning and running. He used his fastest speed to hit all of his spell formations. All the walls and floors that he laid the formations on were sliced open, giving him an avenue out. 

And then they all went back into place once he was through one, the process taking no more than 2 seconds. That’s also when the bodies thudded against the ground. 

The devices on Hallia’s body activated only after her heart stopped beating, sending out a massive signal of pure light mana. Shields erupted around her, defensive and offensive spells activating and searching for any possible threat. 

They found nothing, not the slightest hint that someone had even been there to attack Hallia. 

After a short time, someone else came crashing through the floors, the entire palace on the verge of being uprooted as the Tier 8 husband shuttled through, laying eyes on his dead wife. 

He floated there in shock, water, fire, and air mana whipping up around him in unbridled fury. For a time he simply stared in disbelief, as if he couldn’t fathom his wife actually being dead. But soon he zoned back in and his eyes scanned the place.

Even as he sent out pulses of mana so powerful they concussed people’s souls, he found nothing but a dozen scattered formations, all of them activated, all of them leading to various escape routes, not one of them giving away where the assassin went. 

He roared, the entire capital city feeling his sorrow and rage. 

……

Ava stood at the helm of her army, standing off against Church and tiny Sirenia forces. 

Nobody did anything for a while, simply standing there and displaying their might. Ava figured they’d have to send up one of their speakers soon, one to start convincing the masses to join them. If that didn’t work they’d have to repel the Church’s forces and then the Sirenia wouldn’t have a choice. 

She frowned. She wished the Sirenia would just see reason and join her against the Church. The Wise Races, like her Rangifer, Strigiform, and Aquila had seen the Church’s nefarious ways. The Sovereign Church stood against the Dragons, and thus, against all those that had been created by the Water Dragon Primordial. All of the Unity races should have banded together against them, but they didn’t. Somehow, the Church managed to ally with the Carnivora and Vesania, the Warriors, forcing the rest of the races, besides the Sirenia, to band together. 

It was also thanks to the fact that she had been led to the Key Artifact of Water. Without that, Ava wouldn’t have been able to garner the support and create a united front. They would have been overrun one by one. 

The price for that power though was to be hunted by the Church for stealing one of their “Holy Artifacts”. 

It pissed Ava off to no end, but she unfortunately didn’t yet have the power to simply cleave through all of their heads. It would take time, which she feared she didn’t have much of. 

At least Dirk was here now. She had a feeling that he didn’t realize just how much his appearance eased her soul. 

As kids he had always been the reliable one, the one she never had to worry about. He could solve anything. 

That seemed to remain true even now. 

Suddenly there was a massive roar that shook the air. It spurred all the Tier and Rank 8s behind Ava into action. They all looked toward the source of that surge of rage.

“That’s the Paladin.”

They saw a Tier 8 rising into the sky, various elements surging around him. Ava recognized him as Hallia’s husband. 

She barely kept herself from smiling as she glanced over, feeling something pull her gaze. It was a gorgeous black feline, the hues of gold in its fur giving it an air of majesty as it sat on a short nearby building.

She stared, not realizing several seconds pass quickly. It was only when the cat moved that she zoned back in, following it as it jumped up on a man’s shoulder. 

Ava’s eyes widened when she saw Dirk, clad in black scale armor. His hand reached out and pet the cat’s head when it crawled across his shoulders to sit down and lean against his head. 

His helmet retracted, and she saw him smile, giving her a thumbs up. 

Her eyes widened further. 

Hallia was dead. He did it.