章 10: Chapter 10 - Are You Guys Up For Chinese Food?

[Twelve minutes earlier, the cottage, Karakoram Mountain Range]

The humble cottage was heavy with an air of unease, as if the very fabric of the world had been pulled taut. HADES, a cabal of nefarious criminals, had their sights set on Professor Shiva and the dangerous secrets hidden within her vast knowledge. Lady Enki had sensed the breach of the barrier she had set around the perimeter of the cottage, and the tension grew thicker with each passing moment. Danger loomed closer by the second, and the group knew that the inevitable strike from HADES was imminent. Lady Enki alone remained resolute, her unwavering confidence in her abilities as the "Witch of Scarlet Flames" offering a glimmer of hope in this desperate hour. The True Phoenix Bracers at her disposal were unparalleled, etching her name and her achievements forever into the memories of her foes - well, the ones that lived to tell the tale, at any rate.

In the tense silence that followed, Ethan was the first to speak, his curiosity getting the best of him. "My apologies, Professor, but I can't help but wonder what kind of knowledge HADES seeks from you and Professor Adrian. What is it that you were researching?"

Professor Shiva's smile was small and tight-lipped, avoiding direct eye contact. "If they knew, they would have come for us sooner. For now, we must focus on keeping ourselves alive and out of their grasp. My only concern is the safety of my colleague, Professor Adrian."

Lady Enki turned away from the window, her expression firm and resolute. "That's precisely why we're here - to prevent HADES from getting their hands on whatever it is they're after."

Ethan fell silent, absorbing the weight of their words. He had studied the dossier provided by Lady Enki before embarking on this mission, but it was clear that much had been left unsaid. His curiosity piqued, but he knew the priority was the safety of their client. Ethan was not a user, but he refused to cower in the face of danger. It was a trait that sometimes earned him criticism from his comrades, but he stood resolute, a pride he carried as a member of Heaven's Watch.

As if on cue, the sound of footsteps and hushed voices outside the cottage drew their attention. Jack took up a position by the door, Lady Enki moved to the window, and Professor Shiva fiddled with the copper ring on her finger, which started glowing. Ethan stayed close to Lady Enki, knowing that it was the safest place to be, and the only person he could stick to without being a burden. The tension was thick as they waited for the impending attack, the very air electrified with anticipation.

"Remember everyone, there's no need to have any sort of mercy for these fanatics." Lady Enki said, smirking and knocking her fists together with the utmost confidence that nothing would go awry, because she had left behind any notions of mercy a long time ago.

The peace and quiet of the cottage was shattered in an instant as the front door was violently ripped off its hinges, sending it crashing into the interior. Jack, positioned strategically by the door, acted quickly and without hesitation. With a swift swing of his kodachi, he decapitated the head of the first attacker who stormed in. The ferocity of his attack sent a momentary shockwave of fear throughout the horde of intruders, who had clearly underestimated the resistance they would face.

But their surprise was short-lived, as the attackers quickly regrouped and changed tactics. They circled around the cottage, breaking windows and diving in through the shattered glass with reckless abandon.

Professor Shiva's body was infused with vitality and strength as she channeled the power of her glowing ring, one of the twelve Zodiac Rings - the Taurus Ring - which granted her immense physical prowess. With a quick glance around the room, she spotted a nearby book and hurled it at one of the attackers, sending him reeling back and collapsing in a heap. She flung the Varunastra - a magical shape-shifting arrow at one of the HADES members that had broken through one of the side windows and pierced them squarely in the heart.

Meanwhile, Jack was locked in a fierce battle with four or five assailants who were flooding through the broken door. The advantage of surprise may have been lost, but Jack's years of experience as an enforcer allowed him to stand his ground. His kodachi, a standard issue weapon favored by Japan's enforcers, glinted in the flickering candlelight as he deftly dodged the attackers' blows. Though it was a mass-produced clone of the far superior Tsukuyomi-no-tachi, Jack's skillful use of feints and illusions kept his opponents off balance and allowed him to hold his own against their onslaught.

In a heartbeat, chaos engulfed the scene. Lady Enki, who had been keeping a watchful eye, grew weary of the unfolding chaos. Flames flickered around her fists as she cracked her knuckles, ready to take action. But when she spotted the enemy calling for reinforcements, she knew it was time to act. Drawing upon the power of the True Phoenix Bracers, Lady Enki lifted her arms, and flames started to flicker around her.

Jack was ready to throw down with all his might when he noticed that more enemies were surrounding the cottage. He paused, surprised when his opponents suddenly slowed down and came to an abrupt stop.

Every single HADES member in Lady Enki's range of sight and beyond had been rendered immobile. Their actions stopped by the sheer power of the True Phoenix Bracer's telekinetic ability. Ethan stood beside Lady Enki, who faked a yawn of boredom, still in awe of her abilities even if this wasn't the first time he saw it.

Caught off-guard by the sudden development, Jack questioned aloud, "I guess we didn't actually need to lift a finger at all..?"

Professor Shiva summoned the Varunastra back into her hands and looked around at all the HADES attackers who were slowly floating off the ground and being pushed out of the cottage.

"The Witch of Scarlet Flames truly lives up to her reputation..." Professor Shiva remarked, half-impressed and half-relieved that the tension and struggle they had been experiencing had been quelled by the actions of a single person.

"Now, let me show you why 'Flames' is part of my moniker," Lady Enki declared, sauntering towards the door, as if she had all the time in the world. She was escorting the hoard of attackers who were still immobile until every single enemy on her mental radar was outside the cottage. Her True Phoenix Bracers emitted a screech that made everyone's hair stand on end, and a suffocating heat started to fill the air.

Multiple fireballs danced and floated around Lady Enki, whose eyes were filled with a glowing fervor. The sudden change in atmospheric temperature caused her scarlet hair to float upwards, sending shivers down the spines of all the HADES members. If instant regret had a face, it would be the face plastered on theirs at that very moment.

"Onibi, Subete wo hai ni kisu. (Ogre Flames, reduce everything to ashes)," Lady Enki chanted, and the fireballs shot out towards all the enemies she could see. They started burning up without being able to utter a word or scream. The flames were so intense that some of the snow on the ground began to melt, turning it black. The trees and plants in the vicinity dried up as the smell of sulfur, smoke, and burnt human flesh filled the air.

Ethan, Jack, and Professor Shiva shivered in fear, grateful that Lady Enki was an ally and not an enemy. As they watched the enemies being burned alive, Lady Enki turned away from the entrance, her black cloak fluttering as she swaggered off, her actions speaking louder than any words ever could.

-------

[Present time, the cottage, Karakoram Mountain Range]

"Looks like we worried for nothing," Yukie said while pinching her nose. The smell of sulfur and burnt up corpses really bothered her as she has a sensitive sense of smell.

"Well, leave it to Lady Enki to make such a mess," Connor said playfully as he observed the scene of destruction that laid before his eyes. He kicked over what seemed like a charred decapitated arm.

"You've got to admit...this might be a far better fate for the enemies compared to when she's in one of her moods." Yukie said, shuddering at the sight of all the burnt up corpses.

Takamura nodded in agreement, preferring to keep silent about his lady's more twisted tendencies. On his back was the heavily injured Maya, who was the sole survivor of the patrol squad. They had manage to stabilize her vitals before coming back to the cottage. Perhaps it was better for her to remain unconscious as not everyone could keep a straight mind if they saw the aftermath of this one-sided massacre.

"The cavalry is -finally- here!"

The person they were speaking of had finally appeared, and this scared the returning trio out of their wits.

"Get inside. It smells terrible out here," Lady Enki said nonchalantly, as if the entire thing had nothing to do with her.

Connor tried to mutter something sarcastic without being heard, but a sharp glare from Lady Enki was enough to shut him up.

-------

"Is Maya... the only survivor you found?" Jack's voice sounded strained as he pinched the bridge of his nose with a deep sigh. The trio who had returned looked disheveled, their eyes heavy with grief when faced with Jack's question.

Maya rested inside the safe room, her breathing even and peaceful as Professor Shiva tended to her wounds.

"Maya is recovering well," Ethan cut in, his voice hushed as he entered the room. "She's stable for now, but we need to observe her for a little more. But I doubt she would have any useful information for us."

"We found others," Connor replied solemnly to Jack's question before Ethan entered the room, his words punctuated by a heavy sigh. "But they were frozen to death by HADES during their escape. We were too late."

Jack's heart sank at the news. Though he hadn't known the patrol squad members well, they had been fellow enforcers. They had risked their lives to uphold their duty to protect others. Jack nodded, his eyes gazing off into the distance as he contemplated the loss of life that had occurred. He closed his eyes, offering up a silent prayer for the fallen.

"I must inform HQ," Jack said, breaking the tense silence. "This location is compromised, and we must move to another secure location."

Ethan cleared his throat, drawing Jack's attention back to the present. "There's something else we need to consider. The information about our mission may have been leaked. We cannot rule out the possibility of a mole within the ranks of the enforcers."

Jack's brow furrowed in anger, his fists clenching at the thought of betrayal from one of his own. "No," he growled. "That can't be true. Sh*t! What if the spy was from Heaven's Watch?!" he directed his anger at Ethan who raised the question.

Connor placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "No one is accusing anyone just yet. Ethan has a point, though. Our information was compromised, and we can only trust those who are with us now."

Yukie, bearing a steaming cup of coffee also came into the room where the discussion was taking place. "Connor is right, we need to proceed with caution. Let's plan our next move and keep it among ourselves for now."

Lady Enki stood silently, her expression unreadable. She scanned the faces of the people in the room and asked, "So...what's our next move?"

Jack took a deep breath and nodded decisively after processing his thoughts, a wide and sly grin creeping across his features. "Well, are you guys up for some Chinese food?"

"I know a place that makes the best dumplings on the other side of the border," he added, trying to soften the mood to the confusion of everyone else in the room.

Lady Enki, being the only one who understood the context of Jack's terrible joke, sighed softly. "We'll have to be vigilant, but I wouldn't mind some dumplings..."

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