"Sir, why are we going back to Xantheos City?" asked one of the spies working for the Blackfang Dominion. "Shouldn’t you attack them so they’d understand that you’re no pushover?"
"Why should I bother attacking them? They’re already too scared to come out and fight us in the open." Thirteen asked back. "I’m not a bully, you know?"
None of the spies who happened to be part of Thirteen’s entourage could understand the motive behind the teenage boy’s excursion.
If only they knew he was simply buying time for Tiona and her Demons, waiting for them to finish snatching the control over the Great Killing Array, they wouldn’t have wasted even half a second before informing their superiors about the upcoming tragedy.
Unfortunately for them, they were meant to discover the upcoming tragedy only when it had already started. And by then, it would be too late.
When Thirteen and his entourage returned to the City of Xantheos, Kamrusepa made sure to give them a warm welcome.
Their entourage then disappeared, returning to their duties.
Unbeknownst to them, Kamrusepa had marked every single one of them. Soon enough, they’d encounter "accidents" that would make them disappear from the domain she controlled.
She didn’t know what method Thirteen used to identify these spies accurately. No matter how many times she asked him, the teenage boy would only say that it was a sixth sense he couldn’t share with anyone.
After making sure that she, Thirteen, and Cranky were all inside her meeting room, Kamrusepa finally asked the most important question.’
"Is it done?" Kamrusepa asked.
"Yes," Thirteen replied. "Tiona is on her way back. I plan to let her rest for at least two to three days before we make our move. That should be enough time for you to mobilize your elite units, right?"
Kamrusepa nodded. "Three days is enough time."
Thirteen then asked if she noticed anything strange within the domain of the Venom Heart Cabal.
Truth be told, he was very curious about the mysterious organization that relied on poison and assassination to make its way to one of the top three factions in Antares.
"They haven’t made any drastic moves as of late," Kamrusepa reported. "But I’m sure they’re already aware of what’s happening here in Xantheos. Maybe some of the spies who accompanied you are working for them."
"I hope so." Thirteen smirked. "That way, they’ll also be curious about what we plan to do next."
"After you subdue the Blackfang Dominion, will you target the Venom Heart Cabal next?" Kamrusepa asked.
The teenage boy didn’t miss the hint of hesitation in her voice regarding this mysterious organization.
"I don’t have to do anything," Thirteen answered. "The moment the Blackfang Dominion falls, they will come to me on their own volition."
"You’re right." Kamrusepa nodded. "They might even help the Blackfang Dominion just so they won’t lose against you."
Thirteen smirked. "I didn’t know they’re a charitable bunch."
"They’re not." Kamrusepa smiled. "But they might try to use the Blackfang Dominion to know the extent of your abilities. Can you prevent them from sensing Azrael’s rank now that the Great Killing Array is under your control?"
Thirteen pondered for a bit, unable to give a definite answer.
After discovering that there was a Great Killing Array in Antares, he had become a bit cautious. He knew very well that overconfidence was a slow, insidious killer.
Although Cranky was a Celestial, he wasn’t immortal.
He could still get seriously injured or, worse, killed if he were to unknowingly walk into a trap prepared just for him.
Thirteen had managed to defeat enemies stronger than him with enough preparations, so he wasn’t conceited enough to think that no one else could pull off what he had already done.
Just as they were about to continue their discussion, Kamrusepa sensed something, prompting her to stand up from her seat.
"What’s wrong?" Thirteen asked.
"We have visitors," Kamrusepa replied. "It seems you’ll be meeting the Venom Heart Cabal sooner than you expected, Thirteen."
A few minutes later...
Kamrusepa led Thirteen and Cranky to a balcony overlooking Xantheos City.
When they arrived, they saw a group of three women, whose faces were covered with veils.
The only thing visible were their eyes, but even that was enough to tell Thirteen that they were exceptional women. Their gazes held extraordinary sharpness, and the presence they radiated matched it.
"Greetings, Misha," Kamrusepa said to the lady wearing a black veil over her face. "It’s been a while since we saw each other."
"Indeed, Kamrusepa," Misha replied. "Due to the... actions of your guests, I deemed that I should personally come to meet with them and learn their intentions."
Misha was a Rank 9 Sovereign and, by common sense, no match against both Kamrusepa and Cranky.
She was the leader of the Venom Heart Cabal and the spokesperson of their faction.
However, whether she was truly the leader or not, even Kamrusepa and the Blackfang Dominion didn’t know.
Misha was simply the only one willing to talk to them, so they assumed she was the leader of their faction.
The two veiled ladies standing behind their leader casually glanced at Thirteen before shifting their gazes to Cranky.
Veils covered their faces, preventing anyone from seeing their expressions. But Thirteen was somewhat sure that all of them must be wary of Cranky—they ought to have tried assessing his rank but failed.
"My name is Misha," Misha introduced herself. "I hail from the Venom Heart Cabal. May I know who you two are and your reason for coming to Antares?"
Since Misha had personally asked Thirteen, Kamrusepa decided to let the teenage boy introduce himself.
"Sorry, but I don’t talk to pawns," Thirteen replied before casually picking up the teacup on the table and taking a sip. "You don’t have the qualifications to talk to me. Bring your leader here, then we’ll talk."
Kamrusepa smiled faintly, not expecting that Thirteen would play the hard-to-get stance.
His answer was unexpected for Misha, who got caught off guard and couldn’t quickly come up with a reply. As the silence passed, the situation grew awkward.
"... I am the spokesperson of our Faction," Misha stated. "You can only speak to our faction through me."
"I disagree," Thirteen commented. "If that’s all you have to say, then I’m leaving. Azrael, let’s go."
Cranky nodded and followed behind Thirteen, who didn’t hesitate to leave after finishing only half of his tea.
Misha and the two ladies behind her watched the teenage boy’s retreating back, as if using their gazes to forcefully pull him back to the table for a proper talk.
’Antares is full of surprises,’ Thirteen thought as he continued to walk away. ’It seems I have to revise my opinion about the people I am trying to recruit.’
Thirteen paid close attention to the three ladies and sensed that the real one with the true authority to make decisions was not Misha but the lady with blue eyes, whose gaze never left him the moment he appeared with Kamrusepa.
Others were more likely to focus their attention on Cranky, who was admittedly more handsome and more mysterious than he was.
And yet, the lady ignored the Celestial and kept observing Thirteen, understanding that the one who called the shots was the teenage boy many times weaker than her.