Celestial Army headquarters....
Meeting chamber..
Damian Cross stood at the center of the circular war chamber with confidence, unbothered by the tension in the room that did not concern him in the slightest.
Before him sat Marcus, Andrea, and the leaders of the various races, each occupying their designated seat around the table.
"I have created two forces for the mission," Damian began, in a steady voice.
"The first one is an attack force called Cannon Force . It has been formed from the fifty best men and women under my command. All of them are either at the Ascension Rank or above."
A subtle shift rippled through the room. Some leaders leaned forward, quietly reassessing the scale of what Damian had just stated.
Ascension Rank was not something to be taken lightly, and assembling fifty such individuals was already a lot, but for some leaders’ eyes, that was not enough for a multi-targeted mission.
Damian continued without pause.
"The second is the Eagle Force. It comprises ten assassin warriors of similar ranks who specialize in high agility and advanced scouting talents."
"They will lead the cannon Force and will be responsible for gathering critical intelligence, sabotaging enemy formations, and dismantling key defensive structures and formations within the bases."
Before he could move on to the next part of his explanation, a sharp voice cut across the chamber.
"What!! Only fifty men??" Raegor Babylon slammed his palm against the armrest of his seat as he leaned forward, his fur bristling visibly. "Do you not understand the scale of the threat??"
The sudden interruption drew several glances, but Damian did not flinch. He turned his gaze calmly toward the Beastfolk Emperor, his expression unchanged.
"Trust me, Lord Emperor," Damian replied evenly, his tone devoid of arrogance yet laced with unshakable confidence.
"Fifty is an overkill. In truth, only one of my men would have been enough for this task."
A hush fell over the room.
Raegor’s eyes narrowed, disbelief and irritation mixing openly on his face. "I think you are overestimating yourself," he said in a voice low and dangerous.
"You are free to think so, sir," Damian answered, dipping his head slightly in what appeared to be respect.
Yet everyone present understood the reality of that gesture. It was courtesy born of rank, not reverence, and Raegor knew it just as well as the others.
Before Raegor could retort, the doors to the chamber swung open abruptly.
A man hurried inside, sweat clinging to his brow as he scanned the room anxiously. He moved straight toward Marcus and leaned down, whispering something urgently into his ear.
Marcus stiffened.
His jaw tightened, and a grim look crossed his face as he straightened. The subtle shift did not go unnoticed by others.
"Let her in," Marcus said after a brief pause.
Andrea turned toward him immediately, concern flickering in her eyes. "What happened, Mark?"
Marcus rubbed his forehead slowly, as though bracing himself. "She is here."
A beat passed.
"Vivianne is here."
The atmosphere in the chamber changed instantly. Several leaders straightened in their seats, while others exchanged tense looks.
"I am telling you, it’s a bad idea to tell her about the mission!!" Raegor muttered, a bead of sweat forming at his temple as anxiety crept into his voice.
Before anyone could respond, a light, amused laugh echoed from the doorway.
"He he he!!"
A graceful figure stepped into the chamber with her hands clasped behind her back, her movements were unhurried and confident, as though she owned the place simply by existing within it.
"Such an ungrateful man you are, Raegor!!" Vivianne, the Vampire Empress, spoke in a soft, playful voice as she entered fully.
Raegor scowled. "Tsk, what do I owe you that makes me ungrateful to you??"
Vivianne tilted her head slightly, a glint of mischief flashing through her crimson eyes. "Hehe!! Not anything right now," she said lightly, "but in three seconds, you will."
Raegor sneered. "Why?? What will you do?"
Vivianne’s lips curved into a sly smile. "Tadaaa!!"
She brought her hands forward, stepping aside just enough for someone behind her to come into view.
From behind her emerged a frail figure, small and delicate, holding a chocolate in her hands. The girl munched on it quietly, entirely unconcerned by the way every eye in the room locked onto her as though she was a ghost.
Sara Babylon stood there meekly, chocolate smearing faintly across her fingers. Vivianne rested one hand gently on the girl’s shoulder.
Raegor’s world stopped.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and in a blur of motion powered by a sonic boom, he vanished from his seat and appeared directly in front of her.
He scooped Sara into his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Sara!!! My daughter!!!!" Raegor cried, his voice broken with emotions as he held her close. The chocolate smeared against his fur as his grip tightened unconsciously.
"Tsk, let her breathe, idiot!!" Vivianne snapped.
Raegor startled, loosening his hold immediately. He gently set Sara down, his hands trembling as he wiped a tear from the side of his eye.
Across the room, Lord Ravenclaw rubbed at his eyes discreetly, clearly moved by the reunion, while Klaus, seated beside him, twitched uncomfortably by the dramatic daughter-con.
"Where did you find her?" Yue Qinglin asked, her eyes wide as she stared at Sara. The black cat perched on her shoulder mirrored her intense gaze, its golden eyes fixed on Vivianne.
"I greet the ancestor," Vivianne said, bowing slightly toward Yue. Yue acknowledged her with a faint nod.
"I found her in No Man’s Land near the borders of my empire," Vivianne explained.
"As soon as I received information that some survivors of the Clayman Cult’s schemes were stranded there, I moved swiftly to rescue them. Among them, I found Raegor’s daughter, imprisoned in a cell."
"Elaborate," Yue said immediately, her tone sharp and commanding.
"Who told you there were survivors? survivors of what? What was the cult doing? Did you destroy their base or not?"
The questions came one after another, and the rest of the room leaned in, equally eager for answers.
Klaus cleared his throat. "Elder sis, let her sit at least."
Yue glanced at him briefly, then nodded.
At Marcus’s gesture, another seat materialized at the round table. Vivianne took it with an elegant motion.
"Thank you, Sir Klaus," Vivianne said with a playful smile. "You are a true gentleman."
She winked.
Klaus immediately choked on his tea, coughing violently as his face turned red.
Vivianne giggled openly, while Empress Selena clicked her tongue.
"Tsk, vixen."
"No, Sara, we don’t know what this thing is!!" Raegor suddenly exclaimed as Sara reached toward the chocolate in her hand.
He patted her head gently and took the chocolate from her hands before guiding her to a small chair beside him.
"You didn’t tell me she was mute!!" Vivianne remarked.
Raegor could only sigh in response.
"Wait!!" Selena interjected. "She is fifteen already, so why is she not attending the academy??"
Raegor lowered his gaze, but Andrea answered in his stead. "She is not fifteen. She is only twelve."
The room erupted in shock.
"What?" several voices overlapped.
"But wasn’t she a spiritual energy user?" Selena asked, clearly confused.
"She is an exception to the natural order," Raegor said quietly as he rested a hand on Sara’s head.
"She cannot speak, but her powers are exceptional. She is the true face of the golden generation."
"Yea yea!! Alright, we get it," Titan Emperor Rominus muttered, clearly irritated. "No need to brag."
Raegor shot him a glare, but Andrea cut in smoothly before the tension could escalate.
"Tell us, Vivianne," Andrea said calmly, turning her attention back to the Vampire Empress.
"What happened from the start?"