I felt lost.

Like I was stranded in the middle of the ocean, slowly but surely sinking without knowing where to swim. It felt like there was no shore in sight, and that my best option was to pick a direction and pray to the Priestess that I survived. I didn't know which way to go, and I couldn't pick both.

I didn't know how to think, or act, or feel. I just had to swim and hope.

"[We should get going soon,]" I said. My words felt as though I was an [Actor] going through the motions. I didn't know whether to be formal or casual. Reliable or relatable. I didn't know these people, and I didn't know myself. "[But it was nice meeting you.]"

Shafu was still sitting next to me. She'd offered advice, and I didn't know how to take it. She knew more than I did, clearly, but she didn't have teammates she needed to keep happy. She didn't have a responsibility like I did. Could I afford to recklessly take her advice to be more casual? If I didn't seem strong or reliable, then people would drift away, like Toya had. I needed to be a pillar.

Streiphen smiled up at me as though nothing was wrong, and I envied him. The trio of people that I'd only met moments ago were still looking up towards the glowing gold symbol on the wall, even as Screen's magical construct of hard light shattered into shards. We'd all heard the message.

"Likewise!" the Eastern Drow smiled, giving me a thumbs up as he whirled around. "Thank you for taking the time out of your busy training to speak with us, Yuri!"

He sounded endlessly positive, with a casual nature that reminded me of Gearhead. Despite how casual 'Overcharge' seemed, his Triton friend, Markdown, seemed formal. I was speaking to both of them at once, so how should I act? I couldn't be both casual and formal at the same time. I was trapped, but all I could do was awkwardly push forward and swim.

I didn't know if I should trust them, either. I knew that they were members of the Star, but the third member of their group unnerved me. Something about him had bothered Streiphen too, if his shivering arms were any indication. Sometimes his shivering would abruptly stop and start up again, and after some careful observation, it became painfully obvious as to why he was reacting like that.

Languish.

The pale 'Human' with the fuzzy 'edges' to him, like a blurry mist. He was a man with skin so pale it neared white, with empty black eyes, a mop of dark hair, and an outfit that bordered on completely mundane. As if he was trying to appear harmless and blend in. No matter what perspective I looked at him through my [Sensory Zone], he was hard to focus on. Sometimes I lost sight of him and completely forgot he was there, even while he was right in front of me. It had to be some effect of his magic, as I'd forgotten he existed at all midway through our conversation. I'd caught myself calling the people who'd entered the workshop a duo in my head before the Eastern Drow laid the man back down to the ground.

He was... eerie. His expression was blank, devoid of any emotion or expression. It was... familiar. Familiar in a strange way I didn't want to linger on for too long.

I'd need to ask Shafu about him later, especially if he was frightening Streiphen.

"We're going to go on ahead, but good luck with your work, Equinox!" the Eastern Drow chirped into the silence, waving with the hand that wasn't clenched around the abnormally light man's wrist. The Triton waved too, turning to follow his friend to the door. The floating man gave only a nod. A bare movement I picked up on only because I'd been focusing intently on him.

"[L-likewise!]" I called out. Should I... don't think. S-swim. "[I-I'll pass on the message later! I'll have to find Sig- Sunburst to catch her up on things if she doesn't come back before the meeting ends!]"

"Don't get into any trouble on the way there!" Shafu replied with a smile, waving a single metal arm.

"Do you know the way there?" he asked, looking towards us over his shoulder.

"I'll guide the new guys, don't worry," Shafu smiled, rolling her eyes.

Then there was Shafu. She was the person I trusted most out of the Velvet Star members we'd met. I appreciated her company, and she'd been consistently helpful in providing advice and aid for training. While Streiphen was gone, she'd tried to 'talk me out of my slump'. Streiphen hadn't seen through me, but she had. She felt more... perceptive? No. That wasn't it. She was willing to prod more than Streiphen was. She wasn't as pushy as Sigura was, but she had a way of worming my feelings out of me in clever ways.

It was admirable, but I couldn't help but feel like I was being manipulated. I knew she meant well, and part of me was relieved she'd seen through me and offered advice, but... another part of me feared it. She hadn't even needed to use [Insight] to know what I was thinking. Was my 'mask' that flimsy? If she could see through it, would my teammates? Would they know-

I was thinking too hard. I didn't know what to think or feel right now.

Streiphen waved to Fareel as the Fishman Chimera approached, joining up with us as he passed by the trio. The grinning blue-scaled man looked content, rubbing his stomach lightly as Streiphen tried to hand the Familiar back to him without success. The door closed behind the duo, leaving us behind.

"He's a little overbearing, isn't he?" Shafu commented, groaning through her smile as she rose to her feet. She stretched both arms above her head, flexing the fingers of her prosthetic limbs. It was... a familiar motion, and one that helped to reassure me. "He uses Lightning Magic, y'know? A lot of [Fulgurmancers] I've known are a lot like him. He's quick to talk, move, and fight. If there's anyone that can be a proper match for Sunburst without being too strong or weak, it's Overcharge."

"He seems really nice!" Streiphen chirped, a comment that made Fareel grumble lightly to himself.

What about Languish? I couldn't get any sort of read on him beyond the strange vibe that made me distrust him. He... Was it right to ask? I didn't want to badmouth a coworker, or ask invasive questions, but... If it stayed on my mind and risked hurting my productivity, then-

I heard a light bong as one of Shafu's metal arms tapped against the side of my body. I felt a shiver run along the pink skin hidden beneath my bronze, Snail-like helmet.

"You've got something on your mind again, don't you?" Shafu asked, grinning. "Tell me I'm right. I think I'm getting good at this, Yur."

She was. Uncomfortably good at it. It was-

She planted the palms of both hands against the side of my mech, leaving the metal touching against metal.

"Can you feel the connection?" she asked, looking up towards my bronze helmet. "I trust you, and I think you can trust me. You can tell me if-"

"[It's fine, Shafu. I... I understood what you were trying to communicate the first time.]"

While Streiphen was gone... Shafu managed to worm how I was feeling out of me. She... she wanted to show me that she trusted me. She planted both arms against my side, and... I followed her instructions. It felt strange, but I spread my [Telekinesis] through her prosthetic limbs, feeling her aura part to let my energy through. We had a sort of... shared control. It was an oddly therapeutic feeling, much like holding a person's hand, but it still should have felt invasive. She didn't seem to think so, but it was... nice.

She took her arms from my side, smiling to herself. Then, she nodded slowly. A few moments dragged by as she waited, before being unable to hold onto that patience any longer.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me? What's on your mind then?"

Ah. Right. I was getting so distracted that I'd forgotten what she'd asked.

"[I found him strange. Uncomfortable to be around,]" I blurted out. It was unprofessional, but it was what Shafu had asked for. "[The floating man. Languish. Streiphen did too.]"

That last part had slipped out, and I regretted it once he whipped around, worry in his eyes.

"W-what? No, he seemed nice!" he blurted out, looking more defensive than I'd expected. "His magic is strange, but he's not bad!"

"It's fine, it's fine," Shafu laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "A lot of people feel that way when they meet Languish, don't worry about it."

Streiphen's shoulders hunched up as he turned away, clenching his fists into his coat. Fareel patted the boy's back reassuringly, giving me a strange look I couldn't decipher.

"When Casters get to a certain level of strength, chances are they'll dig deep into themselves for their 'true identity', or embody their magic even more strongly in pursuit of mastery," Shafu explained, beginning her slow, casual walk towards the door as Gearhead's group began to file out. "Languish is... honestly pretty harmless. His magic stems from his lack of motivation, actually. I know he wouldn't mind me telling you either, so don't worry about it. He doesn't care that much."

"That can happen?" Streiphen asked, brows furrowed as he trudged along behind the Darkling. "Magic forming from... not wanting to do things...?"

"Magic can form from just about any part of a person, really, as long as it's a driving force for them. Or... I guess lack thereof, in Languish's case," Shafu explained as my [Telekinesis] spread through my mech, pulling me to my feet. "I dunno. If my weird magic has taught me anything, it's that the 'rules' of magic are just a loose set of guidelines. We don't have all the answers, if there are even solid answers to be had when it comes to magic in the first place. But I'm going off on a tangent again. If not for Overcharge dragging him around the whole time and giving him pep talks, he probably wouldn't move a muscle. They're a pretty good team like that. If it makes it easier to think about, consider him like... an embodiment of listlessness."

Once Gearhead's Goons and Gamechanger had filed out of the workshop behind the massive man, we were the last four left in here. It felt... empty. A big room that usually had activity seemed all the more lonely when nobody was here to give it life.

"Is... is... he a S-spirit...?" Streiphen asked hesitantly, looking over his shoulder towards Shafu.

I saw the Darkling's eyes widen as she planted her hand on the plastic panel. Her Aera spread through it, a full, gentle stream of deep red peppered with an assortment of random black shapes, causing the blue and pink Selarium crystal within to light up.

"Did you look at him through [Insight]? What made you think of that?" Shafu responded, sounding surprised as the doors began to creak open.

"Oh... no, I..." Streiphen trailed off, eyes filled with a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

Shafu's shock softened, and she gave Streiphen a pat on the back before leading us out into the corridor.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just... caught me off guard, y'know?" Shafu reassured him. "You're half right. He's what we'd call an Affinity. Someone who bonded with a Spirit from a young age and sorta... melded with 'em."

Now it was Streiphen's turn to widen his eyes. His stars twinkled with curiosity, the emotions he'd felt before seemingly forgotten.

"People can do that?!?" he exclaimed. I'd never heard of anyone doing that before, but I at least had the luxury of a... 'poker face' to not look quite as stunned as he had. Needless to say, Fareel was taking this revelation well in that he didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest.

"Freaky, huh?" Shafu grinned. Did the others not mind that she was calling her coworkers 'freaky'? It was still a hard topic to wrap my mind around, but when the results were staring me in the face it was hard not to believe them. "Magic can be weird like that sometimes."

"[What kind of Spirit did he bond with?]" I asked, unable to restrain my own curiosity. "[An Elemental? Some form of Undead Spirit?]"

"No, not exactly. Though I guess 'Elementals' are sorta close, in a sense. Have you ever heard of the Dreamborn?" she asked, glancing between me and Streiphen. The boy shook his head, eyes expectant.

"Uhh... what about Horrors or Spooks? Do they ring any bells?" she asked, looking once again.

I liked to think I was decently knowledgeable about this sort of topic, even if most of my knowledge came from fictional works. Still, none of them... 'rang a bell'.

"What are they?" Streiphen asked, doing the job for me.

"Right... well, y'know how a lot of Spirits are just Aera that clumps together to form a consciousness, or a warped Soul after death that didn't make it to a Border in time?"

Some of that was new to me, but I nodded. I'd heard about Ghosts, Poltergeists, and Banshees, all forms of common 'Undead' Spirits that formed from the Souls of those that couldn't make it to paradise before changing, but Souls just... forming from magic energy lumping together was something I'd never heard of.

"Well, Dreamborn are like... manifestations of an idea. Some Dreamborn represent emotions, places, legends, that sort of thing. Horrors are manifestations of fears, and... so are Spooks, to a lesser extent."

"[Are you saying Languish hosts a Spirit like that?]" I asked, feeling that my initial fear was justified if that was the type of creature within him.

"That's just what I've heard, but I don't know which he's got," Shafu responded with a shrug. Up ahead, I saw more people in uniform joining up with Gearhead's group, chatting to one another about what the meeting might be about. "I just heard about it from Overcharge. Languish isn't quiet or sensitive about it, even if Charge thinks he should be. Successful Affinities can be worth a lot on the slave market."

'Successful'?

"So... what does that all mean, Miss Shafu?" Streiphen asked.

"It just means he's got... y'know... a weird Soul. Not quite Humanoid, not quite Spirit," Shafu responded, rubbing the back of her neck with a cold, metallic hand. "Affinities are officially classified as 'Sapients', not Humanoids or Tierakin, so... some of 'em have different laws and rights depending on the place. They're closer to physical beings like us, but they've got some weird Spirit-ey stuff going on, too. I guess he was fused with a Dreamborn representing... Laziness, or Listlessness or... Apathy or something."

"[You seem sure he fused with a Dreamborn. Can you say for certain it isn't a Horror or... a 'Spook'?]" I asked.

I felt silly saying that. A 'Spook'? It sounded so... juvenile. I couldn't help but question the naming schemes of the people in charge, if they let a potentially dangerous Spirit have a name that sounded harmless.

"Probably not," she continued. "From what I've heard, Spooks and Horrors are malicious. They feed on fear, seek out people in dark places, you get the idea. They've got all that standard 'evil Faerie Tale' monster crap attached to them. Languish is weird, but he's harmless, I promise. He's not a fighter either, just an... unorthodox scout. He gathers intel, that's all."

If I was forgetting about him moments after he introduced himself, or... rather, when he had his friend introduce him and bring my attention to his existence, did that mean others would forget about him even easier? Would people even notice him if he wasn't specifically pointed out to them?

The cluster of people in front of him began to swell as individuals from adjoining corridors joined the herd. It was more than I'd ever seen in one place within the Star. Even... even the Dolls had been called for the meeting.

"[What is this announcement for, Shafu? Do you know?]" I asked, wanting to turn my attention away from Languish. I'd heard enough about him and 'Spooks' for now.

"Probably the battle?" Shafu responded with a light shrug. "The Don wants to put the final nail in the coffin of Big Tooth soon and look good doing it, too. Chances are he wants everyone in on the plan, even if they aren't gonna take part in the attack. He wouldn't send our Guard Dolls into battle, or the [Chef], but they're all coming to the meeting."

"[What if...]" I spoke hesitantly, trailing off. Shafu grinned, raising an while wiggling her fingers, threatening to plant an arm on my side. "[What if there was a mole?]"

I managed to blurt out the words before she went into another tirade about trust and getting me to open up.

"Like someone leaking our plans or coordinating an attack on the entire Star at once?" Shafu asked. Then... she laughed. "Y'know, the Don'd probably love that. Maybe he'd see it as a challenge."

That was... not the response I expected. It was deeply worrying, and wasn't doing my faith in Shafu as a 'reliable' person any favours.

Then, the crowd turned to the right. The group filed into what I was now seeing was a massive room, one hidden behind a pair of colossal purple doors. Countless feet tapped against the stone of our destination, shuffling into a group bigger than I'd ever seen around here.

"Here's our stop," Shafu said, stuffing both metal hands into her long white lab coat.

I sent my zone ahead, allowing it to expand as we waited for the people ahead of us to file inside. It was a massive hall, like I'd suspected a 'meeting hall' would be. Of course, the room was primarily purple, too. The Don's sense of decor was nothing if not uniform and predictable. As much as I was growing a little tired of the purple, part of it was growing on me. Seeing it everywhere felt like a sign that I was in the right place. It brought about a sense of belonging.

I was expecting a long table with a map splayed out on it, with the Don or a [Tactician] going over complex plans, talking about countermeasures and enemy plans, but there was none of that. Instead, the hall had a semi-circular stage at the very back, one with long black curtains drawn in front of it.

As our group began to walk inside, I saw Shafu looking around, throwing her eyes around the room. She seemed to relax after seeing... something? I followed the path of her eyes, but hadn't seen anything particularly reassuring.

"[Is there something wrong?]" I asked, sending my [Telepathy] to her alone.

She glanced up at me, raising an eyebrow. Then, she smiled, rubbing the back of her neck once again.

"Ah... no," she replied quietly. Enough for me to hear, but buried in the loud chatter of the hall for others. It was a tactic I'd shared with her after catching her up with the events of our past missions. "Just checking to see if this was a serious operation or not."

"[How can you tell?]" I asked, looking around once again. It seemed serious enough to me. This was the most people I'd seen here at once. There were easily fifty people here, both in uniforms and not, and more were filing in by the minute.

"Don't tell anyone I told you this, but the Don's got a secret weapon. If they don't show up, or there isn't a screen overhead connected to their room, then it means he doesn't expect to lose at all."

A secret... 'weapon'? Shafu made it sound like the weapon was a person.

Still, I couldn't help but think that felt right. Having a secret weapon of sorts was standard for any good villain, I supposed. At least in the stories.

"There's, uh... so many people here..." Streiphen spoke, his voice quiet. He sounded intimidated, but once my zone found him, I saw that his eyes were lit up with excitement. The boy was practically vibrating. Still, I couldn't imagine he saw much of the crowd from where he was standing.

"[Do you... want me to carry you, Streiphen?]" I asked, prompting him to look up at me, eyes both excited and confused. "[To help you see the crowd better, I mean.]"

The confusion cleared, making room for even more excitement to take its place.

"Yes please! Thank you, Miss Yuri!" he chirped, sending a warmth through me that helped some of my indecision melt away. Even if I felt like I didn't know what I was doing anymore, this seemed right.

A pair of metal hands flew down from atop my form. I knew that I'd accidentally hurt Streiphen when attempting to lift him during the fight with the Chained Wolves, so I placed two open palms at his feet instead. He hopped on without a care in the world, letting them carry him upwards. As heavy as Streiphen was, I was well rested. Something like this was simple, now. Reassuring.

I planted him atop my form, feeling another pang of worry as the hands returned to my compartment. Was I in the right mindset to be around so many people? What if I said the wrong thing, or made a fool of myself? This was an important event, and a critical juncture for our potential growth of reputation within the organisation. Sigura wasn't here to steer me the right way either, so... I had to rely on Shafu. I had... mixed feelings about that, but I could trust her to at least stop me from crashing and burning. I hoped.

My zone flicked around the room, landing on familiar faces. Seeing Marcian, Comnica, Tizan, Lulu, Blaise, and Capillary around helped me to calm down, even if they weren't by my side. They were coworkers, but they were still... maybe not friends, perhaps, but... acquaintances I could trust. That much was fine, without a doubt.

When Streiphen sat down at the front of my mech, leaning to the right as he planted his body against my bronze helmet, I felt as though I'd made the correct decision to place my trust in them.

As few of these people I properly knew, some of them were vaguely familiar. Even if we'd never spoken, I'd seen some of them around the base. That brought with it a vague sense of unity, one that helped me to calm down, even if only a bit.

The hall was alive with chatter. Even if my body felt as though it was host to a cluster of undigested Butterflies, everyone else sounded... excited. Pumped, almost. They seemed to be as eager for work as I was, or they wanted to be in the spotlight. For different reasons to me, perhaps, but we were at least united in that desire. I could have listened into the conversations around me for clarity, but that would've been rude. Even if I didn't know them that well, they were still my coworkers. My allies.

The chatter dimmed down to muted murmurs as the black curtains at the head of the hall began to slowly part it. I'd seen the Don and his assistant walk onto the stage from behind the curtain with the help of my zone, which removed some of the mystique, but I didn't want to take away from the presentation of it all, or the anticipation the others around me felt, so I'd kept quiet about it.

Don Giovanni Romano stood tall in his pressed purple checkered suit. His black tie stood out against the white undershirt beneath, while his slicked back black hair and auburn eyes staring forward gave him a sort of presence I hadn't seen in anyone else. I'd felt something similar to this charisma in fiction, but it was nothing but a pale echo when compared to the real thing. He radiated importance.

Standing by his side was Constantine, or 'Master Cat'. He was an orange furred Cat Adept, one with golden eyes brimming with sapient intellect. He wore a purple tailcoat with a puffy frill around the corner, a pair of black boots over his feet, and a sheathed rapier at his side.

Both figures had their hands linked behind their back, standing tall before the rest of the Velvet Star.

Then, I saw another figure join them on the stage. From the side, Comnica began to walk up the staircase on the right, taking her place at the Don's left. Much like the two beside her, she linked both hands behind her back, but not before speaking the words [Golden Demonstration] under her breath. I'd never heard the name of the ability she used to contact others throughout the facility before now. A set of three small, golden circular glyphs hovered in the air in front of the Don, a small distance away from him, just below his chest.

In the air high above the stage, three screens of golden light formed, their surfaces changing colour to reveal the Don's proud face. Each stared up at the Don, the screens making him appear larger than life.

"Thank you all for coming," the Don began smoothly, his voice amplified by Comnica's magic. Listening to both an amplified voice and a person's natural voice was as disorienting as always. I worked to tune out his true voice, listening only to Comnia's amplified variant.

"While this is not the full strength of the Star, this is more than satisfactory for this meeting. If there are those you know among our ranks that aren't currently working beyond city limits and are not present, I ask that you pass on the details of this meeting to them at your earliest convenience."

There were more people? Some worked outside the city limits, too? This was news to me, but I reaffirmed my mental note to inform Sigura of what was happening.

I performed a quick headcount of the hall, using my zone to snap my awareness from face to face, person to person. There were about seventy people in the hall, which wasn't too much for the hall to handle, given that nobody was pressed for space. Still, around fifteen to twenty of these people were non-combatants.

Among those I counted, I saw the garbage group led by the short bearded man, the red furred Orc [Chef], and some of the Dolls that performed handiwork throughout the base. Some of those present were only Goons too, not Casters on par with the rest of us. Even they were present.

Was Shafu right about the Don considering moles as interesting, rather than a legitimate threat? I'd wondered if it was just a joke, but now I was uncertain. What if someone tried to assassinate him from the crowd right now? Would he have a plan for that?

...

Part of me had expected to trip a flag by thinking that. Thankfully, nobody decided that now was the perfect time to test my worries and make an attempt on the Don's life.

"Thanks to the work of our excellent Scope and Mask Casters, information gathering has been quick and painless," the Don said, his eyes trailing towards a few select faces, including two I recognised.

Overcharge held Languish above his head with a single arm, the other hand on his hip as the floating man drifted slowly above the Eastern Drow's head, idly rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. Elsewhere in the crowd, Marcian was giving waves, winks, and... and blowing kisses. It was a stupid action, one that caused more than one person to roll their eyes. Still... it helped to melt some of my anxiety away. It was far from professional, but not a single person admonished him for it.

In the midst of the crowd, I saw Blaise, the Bubblegum [Witch], mime fainting as a wink was shot her way. I saw Lulu work to hold back a laugh, and I hoped that fake fainting was a joke.

"Through their diligent work, and that of the various teams that have been making efforts to show the public that Big Tooth are not the infallible protectors they appear to be, we have been making strides on the path towards our group's revival," the Don continued after the chattering and faint laughter had died back down. "Furthermore, we have located their base of operations."

That worked to somber the mood as the chattering went silent. The people present looked towards the stage with anticipation. Below the three screens showing the Don's face, another [Light Screen] appeared. The surface of this screen became a map of winding streets, none of which I could instantly recognise. The only streets in Divastyr I'd memorised was the region where we'd fought Trainmech.

"Their base is located in the abandoned area of Sova, bordering both the slums and the Death District."

I felt the air in the hall grow colder as glances were thrown about from person to person. Through snippets of speech whispered amongst the crowd, my suspicions were confirmed. There was a single word on the lips of everyone present.

Disciples.

"Bordering this district has created problems that would hamper a lesser group," the Don continued. "It is a wise decision to set up a base here, as those that wish to attack their compound from behind would need to risk setting off the traps and hazards left behind in the Death District, which could alert Big Tooth's scouts to danger and intruders. Their base is surrounded by storage warehouses, all of which are guarded by members of their group, providing a solid ring of defense around their stronghold."

Traps on one side, and constant surveillance on the other.

"Luckily, that means nothing to us," the Don smoothly spoke, his smile widening. "We know their location thanks to our superior intel. They have never made a move such as conquering our base of operations despite claiming dominance over this region. Perhaps they considered us inert, or thought of this estate as nothing worth taking, but regardless, they made the correct decision. We will give them the option to stand down peacefully and return control of the region to us out of courtesy. However, they will, in all likelihood, decline this offer."

Yeah, I couldn't see the Orcs being willing to just... step down. They need to be pushed out of the way if we wanted the Velvet Star to become the public face of the region again.

But... why did their surveillance mean nothing? He still hadn't offered an explanation.

"Like similar battles in the past, we have no intention of making our battles anything but straightforward bouts. We will send a group to challenge them openly as our vanguard, and set up Recorders and Chimen in the surrounding area to record the battles for posterity. Through our understanding of their abilities from patrols and previous conflicts with their members, we will assign specified combatants that have ways of dealing with their magic to take down their prominent Casters with minimal effort."

A frontal attack? That was his solution? It was painfully simple, and carried none of the tactical weight I'd been expecting. Was that why Shafu believed he wouldn't care about moles? There was no strategy to hide that would benefit the enemy if they found it.

His words practically oozed arrogance, but... the Don seemed to have full confidence in the 'plan'. As foolish as it sounded, I envied that.

"Of course, we will scope out the area as we advance," the Don assured us. "If they have runic traps, we'll use [Insight] to detect and avoid them in advance. If they possess physical traps like pitfalls, tripwires, or pressure plates, we'll use Familiars as disposable pawns to run ahead of us, triggering them. They may possess an alarm system, which would be the ideal scenario with which to announce our arrival. In this case, we will send in Familiars on all sides in the hopes of triggering as many alarms as possible to ensure the enemy understands the magnitude of our forces."

The Don's eyes moved slowly, drifting over the crowd from left to right. This plan was... the opposite of what I'd expected it to be.

"We will choose a time to attack when all of their highest leveled Casters are present, which will give us the greatest chance to remind everyone who we are, and of our strength. That being said, I would like to make this operation an opportunity for our lower leveled Casters to grow. I respectfully ask that those with a total level above forty amongst their combat oriented Classes not attend this mission. Instead, you will be asked to remain as emergency backup with access to Screen's services in order to provide advice and instructions to your juniors. This is, of course, to maximise Experience gain among our newer members, further bolstering the Velvet Star's strength."

Ah. Newer members. Lower levels. That meant us, most likely. As off as it made me feel, knowing I'd be fighting in this operation, Streiphen seemed elated, vibrating on the spot to the point where the metal beneath him shivered. Fareel, who was still standing next to us, only sighed.

"In the event that the enemy becomes truly desperate to retain their position, they may go against the unspoken rules," the Don said, his tone becoming sterner. More serious. "If any of them critically injure our members, kill one of us, or use forbidden magic, then we will do as any other reasonable group in the city would do, and make an example of them. In the event of such a scenario, all members on standby will be permitted to attack at full force."

It sounded harsh, and although I knew about the 'unspoken rules', as he'd called them, I didn't know much about 'forbidden magic'. It was just another term for 'dark magic', wasn't it? Magic that was deemed illegal for ethical concerns without strict permits? Would a group like Big Tooth even have something like that? From what I'd seen, I doubted it.

"While we possess information on nearly all of their prominent members, their leader has managed to conceal his true abilities. He has shown usage of low tier Enhancement Magic, leading us to believe he's a short range Sword Caster, although any complex or specialised abilities he may possess are still unknown. Because of this, we will have Bow and Wall Casters positioned to strike him from range while altering the battlefield to slow his advance. Until we force him to reveal his abilities, I would strongly advise that nobody engage him in combat."

'Strongly' advise. That was as close as I suspected the Don would get to 'Don't do this, or you'll be punished'.

"We will be performing this raid soon, in two days time. I apologise for the lack of warning in advance, but our schedule has been moved up due to unforeseen circumstances. However, with the intel we've collected and the forces we've built up over the past few weeks, I suspect this will be a clean victory. Expect injuries, but no fatalities."

Those last words seemed to bring some measure of life back to the silent, stoic crowd as quiet murmurs began to spring up again.

'Unforeseen circumstances'. Was that because of us? Because we'd been forced to leak the Velvet Star's presence and imminent revival to the Chained Wolves, who may pass it on?

I felt a sinking feeling in my gut, but tried to stay strong, even without a [Silent Heart] to give me the boost I was missing more than ever.

"I ask that those with combat Classes that total forty or less remain in the hall, as well as individuals with abilities designed for support. Everyone else, you are dismissed. Thank you for your attention, and I ask that you all remain open to providing as much advice and potential aid to those taking part in the operation as possible."

The murmurs grew into open chatter. Conversations of anticipation for the group's return, and idle talk about unrelated topics, resuming life as usual now that the meeting was over. The crowd gradually became thinner and thinner as people filed out of the hall, some of whom were faces I'd silently hoped would stay. Marcian. Pack Rat. And...

I felt a pat on the side of my mech.

"I'll be takin' my leave now Yur, but I'll be cheering your squad on every step of the way," Shafu smiled.

She was above level forty in combat Classes? I knew that Darklings were prone to conflict and could level quickly, but I'd never seen Shafu fight anyone. I'd barely even seen her work on her own artefacts. Part of me had been expecting Shafu to stay, and was looking forward to a friendly face that seemed to know what they were doing here. Without her here, I was going to do or say something stupid or insolent.

"[I see...]" I responded, unable to keep the regret out of my voice. Despite the sorrow I couldn't hold out of my tone, Shafu's smile grew as my words reached her. "[Thank you for the support.]"

"Yes! Thank you Miss Shafu!" Streiphen echoed, chirping down to the smiling, gold haired Darkling from atop my mech.

"No problem. I'll have to really try and get myself motivated to help you out. I'll look for some inspiration and give you a parting gift to head into battle with," she told us, turning away as Streiphen waved.

"[I'd appreciate that,]" I replied with relief, working to flex the fingers of my hands within my compartment as a poor replacement for deep breaths and a [Silent Heart]. "[Thank you.]"

Then, she waved over her shoulder, disappearing from the hall alongside the tail end of the crowd.

Now, the room was quieter. I'd expected there to be more people here, since there couldn't have been that many members with a greater total level than forty, but I hadn't taken the non-combatants into account. The red furred Orc [Chef], the Dolls, and many of the Goons that were here only for manual labour and general aid had all left. While some of the Goons were ready for combat and had stuck around, it was mainly us Casters.

The hall felt so much emptier now.

Still, it wasn't as though we were alone. There were familiar faces all around, which was a given considering we were all part of the Star. I was... I was being too melodramatic.

Lulu. Tizam. Blaise. Gamechanger. Overcharge. Markdown.

They were all still here, alongside Casters that I'd seen around, but hadn't been properly acquainted with. Even if I didn't know them, they were our allies.

"Now, everyone, I'd like to ask for your thoughts on the meeting."

The voice of the Don carried through the hall, the sound echoing in the large space even without Comnica's magical aid. She was still stationed behind him, metal arms linked in front of her now. Her abilities had vanished, even if she was still here. She followed the Don as he slowly descended the side staircase, his two assistants walking right behind him.

"There's no need to hold back. I'm curious to know what you think of the operation and our enemies. I'm especially interested in the views of our newer members," the man's silky voice told us, his eyes travelling over each and every one of the people who remained. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn his eyes lingered on us longer than others. Equinox.

I prayed that it wasn't because there was lingering anger over what happened with the Chained Wolves. We'd explained that it was outside the information we'd been given, but... I couldn't imagine someone like the Don had simply overlooked a failure like that. Was he testing us here?

He wanted our opinions. The thought of going against the Don's words and calling out the potential pitfalls in his plan caused a deep void to form in the center of my body, one I was threatening to fall into, where my words and thoughts wouldn't reach the outside world.

Shafu and Sigura advised me to speak my mind, but that was still a difficult thing to do while sounding... respectful. Especially without either of them here to support us. I kept flexing my fingers. I could manage.

"[Isn't it... more difficult to execute the operation like this?]" I heard myself asking after a long pause, already wishing I could've taken the words back. The words of my [Telepathy] extended outwards, causing the heads of all present to turn towards me. The Don's smile grew.

"Do you have doubts about the plan, Homebound?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Keep calm. His eyes didn't make him seem angry or insulted. He seemed more... amused? Was he testing us? Was that why nobody had spoken before me?

I prayed to all the Gods that were listening that I was right.

"[Yes...]" I replied bluntly, silently cursing myself. "[Doesn't this make the operation harder than it needs to be? There are other plans that could minimise issues appearing better than a... than a full frontal assault.]"

"That's true," the Don mused, his head tilting as if the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Definitely amusement. He was enjoying this. "It does make the operation harder, Homebound, but that's my intention. If the operation is more difficult, we're more likely to gain Experience. The greater the risk, the greater the potential for growth. When we're fighting for control of a city region on the line with the real risk of injury, doesn't that seem like a prime way to gain Experience for our lower leveled members? It's an investment for the future, where your unique skills could be invaluable for an operation with a greater chance of failure."

"[What about the dangers? If we lose members in the battle, wouldn't that be far worse for the public face of our group than outright defeating them with all we have?]"

The Don nodded, coming to a stop in the middle of the room, his eyes locked on me, and me alone.

"What, in your eyes, is the worst case scenario for this operation, Homebound?" he asked.

Gods. He was definitely focused on me now. He was putting me on the spot.

The... worst case scenario. There were obvious answers I could give. Dishonor. Death. The weakening of our reputation. If nobody else was interjecting, then I had to presume this was directed exclusively at me. This was a test.

I took a few moments to think it over. What was important to us? To the Velvet Star? Think, Yuri, think!

"[The worst case scenario would be... our vanguard getting wiped out. They have some sort of secret weapon that can beat our backup group too, they have a way of recording the battle to belittle us in front of the public, and... and they're strong enough to keep control over the region.]"

Another nod.

"Very good, but you're forgetting one crucial detail, Homebound," he replied.

"[And that is?]" I asked, sounding a little more confrontational than I'd expected.

"This region needs a protector," he began. "If groups from other areas step in, the situation could get far worse. The 'worst case scenario', Homebound, is not our absolute defeat, but a publicly recorded and recognised draw. If both groups 'lose' and fall, that would be far worse than having even an incompetent victor. Disgrace is worse than a loss, but openly showing that a strong group has taken charge is key. Even if we were to suffer some defeats, wouldn't it be best not to show our strongest falling in combat? Instead, we're taking the chance to debut our new members while still having a reserve force in case of an unforeseen event."

'Debut'. The word he decided to use said a lot. It was the sort of word I'd have expected from a [Director] or the organiser of a fighting tournament for adventurers rather than a crime boss. He wasn't looking at this in terms of winning or losing. In his head, we'd already won. He just wanted a spectacle.

"[Shouldn't we be able to demonstrate that our strongest are present and willing to fight?]" I asked, working to understand his perspective. "[A demonstration of absolute strength would be better than just revealing new Casters.]"

The Don's smile grew, and I tried my hardest to view that in a positive light.

"You haven't seen this city, Homebound."

The voice came from a Caster that had remained in the hall, a man I'd seen wandering the halls, but one I'd never spoken to. He was a Human-looking man in his early twenties, one with stark white hair like Streiphens, albeit shorter, spikier, and swept to one side. He wore the standard uniform of the Star, with a purple checkered shirt, white undershirt, and black tie, alongside what looked like a silvery reflective shawl hanging loosely around his shoulders. The texture reminded me of tin foil.

"There are strong Casters here in Divastyr," the man continued, his sharp eyes locked onto the bronze helmet of my mech. "Against stronger people, we'll need all the Experience we can get. These people are our perfect ticket up. Against them, we can showcase our abilities while still growing to match this city's stronger Casters."

"Well put, Pale Edge," the Don smiled, his eyes not leaving my form. "Now, tell me. What do you consider to be the best case scenario, Miss Scalesmith?"

He was addressing me by my name now? Why? I hoped it wasn't as a sign of disrespect, to show that he wasn't seeing me as a proper Caster anymore.

The ground rumbled beneath my feet. Streiphen stood up, feeling the tremors through the vibrations of my mech. Part of the purple stone floor began to part in front of the Don. Rising from beneath the ground was a flat surface, an immaculately carved table. Aha! They did have some sort of table for strategy. This was more like what I'd expected coming in here.

The ground in front of the Don rumbled too, allowing a plush chair to rise from the floor. Did... did he keep the chair here all the time, hidden beneath the ground? Surely that couldn't be the case.

The Don sat down as two Dolls emerged from behind the stage curtains, appearing from a space beyond the range of my zone. Both carried trays, with one holding a number of ornate white and purple cups, and the other with two metal pots that had steam rising from the spouts.

As the Dolls walked down the steps, approaching our group, more chairs rose from the ground, albeit less elaborate looking than the Don's. They reminded me of the chairs that were for visitors to his office. Were they the same ones?

"Tea, anyone?" he asked, taking one of the cups from the Doll's tray as the other filled it from the kettle.

Blaise was the first to sit down at the table, laying her modified broom against the side of the chair before beckoning a Doll to her side with the wave of a hand. Once the Don's cup had been filled, they made their way to Blaise's side.

It only now occurred to me that I'd never truly seen what she could do. She was a good singer, and had a flying broom, but those could have been the product of Skills. The pink Cat-like Familiar she kept with her at all times lay curled up on her shoulder, but beyond that I'd never seen her use magic. Was she a... 'combat' type like we were? Or a 'support' type?

"[The best case scenario...]" I murmured to myself as others joined the Don at the table.

Lulu sat next to Blaise. Pale Edge sat opposite to the Don, while Overcharge and Markdown called for the Dolls. Another person I'd seen around but hadn't spoken to, a Tierakin with the body of a bird covered with black feathers, sat down in one of the provided seats. I'd never met any Birdfolk before, and so I was afraid to address him. I had no idea what his race was called. Fareel climbed onto one of the seats too, as far away from Overcharge and Markdown as he could get. As a result of his height, his bulbous orange eyes were barely able to peer over the edge of the table. He was forced to sit up straight and not slouch for the others to see his face.

"Umm... Nobody getting hurt? Win without... causing damage to buildings?"

The murmured suggestion reached the ears of those at the table, prompting many to turn their heads back towards me. Or more specifically, towards Streiphen.

As much as I thought conversing with the others was a good way for us to get more deeply integrated with the Velvet Star, I couldn't help but think it was a poor suggestion. Under that rule, we wouldn't grow, which was evidently one of the Don's top priorities.

"It would certainly show a level of impressive strength and restraint," the Don mused, taking a long inhale of the tea's scent. "Yet coming from the battle with no scars on either side could imply we needed to use coercion or deals to take the place as leader. Some groups in the city would certainly not take kindly to it, and would begin to make moves against us. One way or another, force will be required, as is the Scandian way."

The 'Scandian Way'. Was that what the people of this land called it? Taking fights at any opportunity? I couldn't help but wonder if that was what the Big Tooth Orcs had told themselves as a flimsy, convenient excuse for attacking me back in Dronrowth. Even if risk provided growth, wasn't attacking them without our full force tempting fate? We didn't even know the abilities of their boss.

"[We'll win the battle while sustaining no casualties despite injuries, manage to secure their base and resources without structural damage, get flattering recordings of the battles, beat the enemies while using nothing but low level abilities to conceal our true power, and have a recording of their boss conceding after a hard fought battle, one that we managed using only our newer members,]" I said in a single 'breath', running through my mental checklist as I ticked off point after point.

The Don took a sip of his tea, letting out a contented sigh as he raised his head, looking towards me once again.

"You have a good mind in that brain of yours, Miss Scalesmith. If another battle, perhaps of lesser importance, comes to our doorstep, I'd be delighted to see how you act as a commander. From what I've heard, you manage your group of four excellently with their abilities in mind. It may be a talent worth nurturing."

Ah... The sides of my body turned rosy beneath my helmet, but I needed to keep a level head. That best case scenario was incredibly positive, and highly unlikely to take place.

"[Thank you, Don, but that doesn't change the risks involved. If one of our members were to die and word of that reached the public, it could reflect very poorly on us.]"

The smile on the man's face fractionally dropped, but he nodded.

"Indeed it would. However, I can guarantee you that the chances of anyone on our side dying are exceptionally low."

'Exceptionally low'? How could he be certain of that? I understood that the difference in our group's power was a massive gap, but if we didn't even use that full power...

"[How can you be certain?]"

The Don turned his head, snapping the fingers of the hand not holding the cup. One of the other Casters who remained stepped forward, nearing the back of his chair.

They were a woman with mossy green skin, with patches of bright green around her shoulders, neck, and arms. Her skin seemed damp, with a light green oily substance all along the surface of her body. She wore a green shawl, one that covered her face and upper body. Now that I had a more focused look, I saw her abnormally wide eyes, with yellow centers and black sclera, as though she'd drank an exorbitant amount of caffeine. Her hair was a dark green colour, with a strange texture that reminded me more of kelp than a Humanoid's hair.

I'd never seen someone like her before, but I knew what she was. Not from books, but from stories. Stories my parents had 'passed down' to me. She was one of the 'Malilisona'. 'Swampfolk', in the Common tongues. What was someone like her doing this far north?

Then, I heard the woman croak. It was the sort of sound I'd have expected from a Giant Frog; a deep, throaty sound.

"None present are at risk of catching the plague," the woman said, her raspy voice crinkling with every word. Then, she raised a single arm, pointing towards Fareel, and then to Streiphen and I with a webbed hand tipped with claws. "These three are ill, but are not at risk of the plague."

Ill? What was she talking about? After one more scan of her body, I saw something that made my body turn cold. On the back of her neck was a mark, one akin to a tattoo. It was a mark I was intensely familiar with, one I'd seen every day at one point or another since... since I woke up.

It was a blue bird, one with wings outstretched. The same blue bird symbol that sat near the front of my form. The mark of a Chimera.

"Ill?" Pale Edge asked, looking towards Fareel, his eyes sharp and narrowed in suspicion. "Should they be in here?"

"Don't let it bother you," the Don assured him, taking another sip. "Plague Prophet's words shouldn't be taken literally. She's a precognitive. The 'plague', as she calls it, refers to the chances of death. Being 'ill' is nothing to be concerned about."

Despite his words, Streiphen was shaking.

"B-but... does that mean we're in danger? What does being ill mean...?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Pale Edge shook his head, looking away from Fareel, who didn't seem to care much for the man's suspicion at all.

"It means you have an irregular Soul," the Don clarified, his hawkish eyes reaching Streiphen's starry globes. "She's only referring to the fact that the three of you are Chimeras. Nothing more."

"Oh... okay..." Streiphen murmured, nodding to the Don. Even with the clarification, he didn't look that relieved.

"What do we know about the enemies we'll be fighting?" Overcharge asked, changing his sympathetic expression to one of seriousness as he looked from Streiphen to the Don.

"Through our confrontations with patrolling groups," the Don said, sneaking a glance back at us. "-and the observations made by our more covert members, we know they have fifteen Casters of note with unique abilities, and a far greater number of heavily armored Goons. We will meet them with similar numbers."

Fifteen? We'd met... nine of them? And there was the leader to think about, too, alongside five others we didn't know about.

"Miss Scalesmith defeated a group of these Casters by herself, as did Sunburst," the Don elaborated, his smile growing.

"Sunburst?" Pale Edge asked, casting his eyes around. "Are they here?"

"[No. Sunburst is currently away on private business,]" I told him, hoping I didn't sound too distant and confrontational. Even if he rubbed me the wrong way, I didn't want that to show.

"That makes four," said the Birdfolk man with the black feathers. "I was told Team Equinox was a group with five members."

"It is, isn't it?" Overcharge asked, raising an eyebrow. "Two of them are merely absent for the meeting."

"That's not the case," the Don informed them. His words caused my body to coil and tighten up. Streiphen reacted much the same way. "Our newest team of recruits, Team Equinox, is a group of four. They were formerly a group of five, although one of them has recently defected."

That was... a harsh way of putting it, even if he wasn't technically wrong. Still, it didn't sit well with me.

"To another group?" Pale Edge asked. "Are they someone we should be worrying about?"

The Don shook his head.

"I doubt he will raise a hand against us, nor his former teammates. He did not join an enemy group to our knowledge, and is currently inactive."

Overcharge's shoulders sagged, and he took a deep breath, steeling his expression.

"Will we be fighting as a group, or with duels?" he asked, his eyes solemn, even if a flash of barely concealed excitement passed over them.

"Duels," the Don responded smoothly. "We will be assigning specific enemies for each person to fight based on their abilities, maximising the chances of success. Those of a higher total level among you will be tasked with facing the stronger members of Big Tooth in order to let you gain Experience against a near equal foe. The rest of you will be assigned the other Casters, as well as defeating the Goons."

We only had to fight one each? Even if the Goons were going to be a consideration too, that wasn't a difficult task. If we were told to target people that our abilities would be particularly strong against, then it would be even easier than-

"Umm... ex-" the sound was cut off as the speaker let out a nervous cough, clearing their throat. "Excuse me... Can I fight... I don't know their name, but they're a really big one that transforms, and I... I want to beat them!"

My body turned cold. The speaker was right next to my main body, sitting at the edge of my mech with a look of determination in their eyes.

"The Orc that uses Transformation Magic is the one they refer to as 'Venison'," the Don supplied. "Presumably because their transformation possesses Deer-like qualities. Is there any particular reason you wish to fight them, Stardust?"

"Yes!" Streiphen exclaimed, drawing more eyes to him. "They beat me before, so... so if I get stronger and beat him I'll grow won't I?"

He was right. 'Venison' was strong. If Streiphen beat him, he'd surely grow, but...

But I prayed the Don would say no. I knew it would detrimental to Streiphen's growth and self-esteem, but it wasn't the right option to just let him-

"Very well. If you believe you're capable of it and that it will aid your growth, then I'll permit it," the Don replied.

"You sure the kid can handle it?" Pale Edge asked, raising a wary eyebrow towards Streiphen.

"He's not just a kid, Pale!" Lulu spoke up, looking towards him as both of her Rabbit-like ears stood erect atop her head. "He's a lot stronger than he looks. I should know, I've fought him myself."

"Indeed," the Don smiled, nodding his thanks to the Lapin Halfblood. "He and the rest of Equinox were personally vouched for by both Pack Rat and Incognito. To believe them weak is to call their judgement into question."

The man's eyes widened with shock, his sharp look going over us again, as if trying to see something he hadn't before. I'd have to prove we were worthy of being part of the organisation during the mission. And keep an eye on Streiphen. If he needed the assistance, I could provide it.

"In that case, Stardust's opponent will be Venison, and Stardust's predetermined opponent will instead be the responsibility of Overcharge. Do you have any objections?" the Don asked, his eyes turning towards the Eastern Drow.

"None, sir!" the Elf-like man responded, saluting with one hand as a bright smile crossed his face. Then, his eyes landed back on Streiphen, pulling away from the Don. "I wish you luck in your battle, Stardust!"

The fact that the Don had decided that a big member like Overcharge was meant to take him on spoke volumes of Venison's power. It didn't do anything to ease my fears, but the Don was allowing it. It was... concerning, but... If I said anything now, I'd only make Streiphen feel worse. I'd keep an eye on him, train him up before the operation, and ensure his victory.

"Now, if there are no other comments, allow me to present to you the full list of matchups and the plan for the battle to come," the Don said, finishing the last of his tea. Comnica stepped forward, raising an arm as a golden screen spread over the table, illuminating everyone around it with its glow.

I was worried for Streiphen, and for this mission, but I needed to put those thoughts behind me. As my awareness and the eyes of all present landed on the map of the streets and the matchups atop the screen were laid out, I committed myself to absolute focus.

I needed to listen. To be professional, ready to speak up and offer suggestions as they came and the meeting continued.

Above all else, I needed to prepare myself and my team for the battle to come.