"Is this the place?"

"Yep. These platforms are elevators that take us between higher and lower triads."

Mark looked up at the elevator shaft going up and up to a point where the shadows of the higher triad completely enveloped it in darkness.

Leo fiddled with a hand radio "Hold on, let's do one last time with your comms device."

Mark nodded and stepped back,taking out a small radio with the screen showing the frequency number. First it was all static then Leo's voice on the other end.

"Testing testing 1, 2..."

Mark adjusted the volume to be lower then replied "This is Mark Faultim, over."

"Already you're all geared up then. Our technology isn't as great as the military's so you might have to find an engineer to maintain your equipment. It kinda works out for us too since Imperia doesn't check radio frequencies above 100."

"Why?" Mark questioned.

Leo could only shrug "Beats me. Anyway this will be our codec frequency, 140.85."

A rather specific number… but Mark paid no mind to it.

Leo continued "And If you want to communicate with the church only then use 141.76."

Mark nodded and their test ended. With everything settled, Mark stepped onto the platform. There was no final exchange of words after all this was a war both were participating in. If one found the other then then no goodbyes would fill the sorrow afterwards. That is if they could feel that emotion after weeks of bloodshed.

The elevator rose slowly and Mark took one last glimpse of Leo before turning around ready to face the dangers ahead. He messed with the codec frequencies and a woman's voice suddenly spoke on the other end, speaking directly to an audience from what Mark assumed. It was a news station reporting on the war.

"The brilliant Tokyo Government Agency's military continues to push further into Imperia territory. With operation '2nd advanced'."

Mark started to take off the thick jacket covering his new outfit, dropping his helmet along with it.

"...The TGA hopes to end this war before Christmas or within a few months."

He flipped the collar of his dark blue long coat with a large white ribbon. The coldness was setting in around his wrist, but the clothing was enough to keep his body warm.

"Many of our reporters tried to contact the head director for an explanation of how she is going to handle the occupation of the city-state, however she has ignored our calls…"

The elevator reached its peak and Mark looked up at the looming city district.

"We pray for the success of Japan to reclaim this once stolen territory. Imperia's technological reign will end in this generation."

From the cracks between the tall buildings sunlight came through. The gentle breeze and open air was a sign of life compared to the slums below. Mark stepped out onto the dark road joining Amelia and others waiting for his arrival. Amelia looked at him from top to bottom and nodded slowly "It fits you well." The ribbon he felt was too out of place but nonetheless it was effective clothing.

She placed her hands on her hips looking out at the open streets. "We're still pretty unprepared so I set up a rendezvous point with my gun expert. We'll be meeting at a hotel on the other side of the city."

Mikael shot her a weird glance "Other side?"

"The west district. Right now we're in the development district. Nothing but a buncha factories here." She replied then started walking. "I don't know what the factories produce but it can't be good."

Mikael snapped his fingers "Sounds like a mystery!"

The city was dense and compact and difficult to walk through especially during war times. Soldiers went to and fro openly, young children sold newspapers at street corners to keep the civilians updated on the status of the war. Many closed stores due to their owners evacuating either out of the city in secret or to a higher triad. Those who were caught trying to escape were seen as traitors and detained. From there they were either drafted into the military or kept in holding depending on their health. There was no age limit for this draft, no one was spared.

This triad was compact like Tokyo but had the elegant architecture of Europe. Even in the west district, commercial district, cogs and gears freely moved openly and pipes stretched throughout. Thin clouds from the factory partially covered the skies in dull grey.

Mikael was attracted to many storefronts admiring the vastly different Victorian clothing of Imperia and bakeries he wished to dine at but their funds were tight. He whined most of the travel until they heard the sound of wheels rushing on the pavement in contrast to the footsteps of pedestrians. Heads turned to see the source of the sound; a white haired skater in a maid uniform. Somehow she moved like the wind in her long maid dress and rode past Amelia's group before swerving around, tilting her board and kicking it up to catch.

The way she and Amelia looked at each other meant they were close friends, from what Mark could tell. She had tan brown skin and silvery short hair, her maid uniform adored with belts at the waist and the dress skirt close to the ankles. Showing off her black belted boots.

"Long time no see, captain." Her voice was like that of a child, youth still withstanding. She walked towards the group giving each an excited handshake starting with Mikael and ending with Mark. "My name is Sharrion Rosenberd. I hope you don't get the wrong idea about my costume. I'm still an apprentice of my mentor and this is one of her requirements."

Mikael rubbed his chin feeling similarities to another young girl he met. "Pleased to meet ya, I'm Mikael Tsuyoi." He greeted himself energetically, Mark and Clarette lacked any enthusiasm in their introductions.

Sharrion held onto her board with an urgent message "I wish we could talk more but Captain, we have to hurry back to the church. Cardinal Jean seems to have an important job for us."

"I thought the church was independent." Mark questioned.

Amelia frowned, her sharp ears slightly tilting down "Well we are but that doesn't mean we can't be hired. It's our only way of making money without relying on the people's donations. I don't want people to feel forced to do that."

Sharrion raised her finger "Think of it as the church helping the needy."

Their explanation cleared up Mark's suspicions. He and Mikael then asked about this 'important request'. And once told, their faces turned grim.

"Cardinal Jean wants us to capture Cardinal Kaga's sister, a woman named Clarette."

There was a brief silence before Clarette let out a sigh. She turned around ready to take her leave. "It seems my escape is causing an uproar with the cardinals. I… I will find my way out of Imperia on my own. I shouldn't burden you with protecting me."

Amelia stepped in front of her. "Not so fast Clare." Clarette's eyes widened at the nickname. "We all have to work together to end the war. Protecting each other until the end."

Amelia lacked the subtlety and words to convey her desperation towards her goal. It could've been from her lack of knowledge of the language, lost in translation or simply she was too naive, as Chronos once said.

Mark touched Clarette's shoulder "You'll be fine." He reassured.

"Thank you." Clarette smiled. But keeping her safe like a princess in hiding posed a slight problem to their request. How were they going to respond back to the cardinal? If they were hiring Seraphim then no doubt they had hired other smaller groups to search for her. Mikael had the answer, as risky as it might be.

He snapped his fingers "I think we should take her right to them in a 'hiding her in plain sight' kind of way. We can change something about her that will make her unrecognizable to the cardinals."

Amelia nodded at the idea but what would they change about her? They couldn't change her face. Maybe her clothing… Or perhaps "We cut her hair!"

"Eeek!" Clarette yelped at the sudden idea. But it was for the greater good, a sacrifice she thought. "W-will that really work?"

"Works every time." Sharrion brushed her hand across Clarette's long smooth blonde hair. "Captain didn't recognize me when I cut my hair short. I looked like a completely different person."

Mikael on the other hand had his chin resting on his hand "Still, I'm pretty curious about what's in those factories."

"Those factories? Well.." The factories were said to produce military vehicles. Tanks, transport trucks and the like. However Sharrion heard rumors of Imperia making a secret weapon that will sweep away Japan in a heartbeat, worse part was that it used nuclear warheads. Such a weapon would be quickly destroyed by magic if launched from a plane, making Sharrion curious how they were going to use it if not as a last resort if the city was taken.

She suggested they split up, wanting to go herself to see what technical marvel Imperia made this time around. Imperia was known for many projects that went either missing or scrapped due to certain reasons.

"Sneaking isn't my forte. I'll go with Amelia and Clarette." Mikael said. It was best Mark didn't get seen by the cardinals, not yet at

least. News hasn't gotten out about his divine return and the first cardinal he wanted to formally meet was Kaga.

The group split with their next meeting spot planned to be the next triad.

》》》》》◆《《《《《

The factory ahead of them fit right in between the buildings, almost blending in. The tall pipes stemming from the factory covered the skies above in black smog from constant production of tanks, some of which were sitting outside partially covered in snow. Sharrion and Mark climbed over the chainlink fence on the side of the factory and hurried to a metal door tightly sealed.

Sharrion stepped back and looked up at the window above her "We'll have to enter through separate entrances. I'll try to enter up there. Maybe there's a door in the back you can take."

Mark took out his pistol and nodded, about to walk to the back when Sharrion gasped at the sight of his gun. "No way! That's the socom isn't it?!" she took out her own pistol, a tranquilizer "This is all I have. It was donated to the church and I've kept it ever since… anyway, I'll try to open the door from the inside for you."

Mark continued and Sharrion looked up. She holstered her gun in exchange for a steel wire and hook. She spun it then threw it up to hook on the window frame to scale the wall. Once at the window, she slid it up and entered, falling onto a walkway with the metal clank of her landing silenced by the indoor machinery.

The room was full of unfinished tanks lined up like an assembly line and cranes holding the turret hovering above the chassis. But amongst the coordinated efforts of the engineers yelling orders at each other, Sharrion heard a faint speech coming from deeper in the factory and crouched down, following the walkway into a hall.

First it was empty, silent with nothing but her muted footsteps to keep her company. The muted grey halls feeling like a prison or in this case a militarized zone, which it was. After traveling a flight of stairs, did she hear engineers from down the hall in another room. The door automatically slid open to the side and after walking in she immediately shot the two engineers discussing putting them to sleep. Looking around, Sharrion found herself in a breakroom.

Before she could search around more, the sound of the metal door across the room alerted her to take cover behind the counter. She peeked from behind and the person who entered was Mark, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You would've been caught if it weren't for me taking out the two guards here." Sharrion smirked nervously. "I think their secret weapon is in the basement. We'll have to keep searching."

Mark followed her as she led the way out of the breakroom and back into the hallways looking for a way to go deeper into the factory. They hoped to find another stairwell or a ladder but what they got was an elevator that took them down one floor into a much darker hallway with steaming pipes lining the walls. The speech echoed off the hallway walls and when Sharrion and Mark emerged to the underground facility.

"..!" Sharrion covered her gasp, her mouth agape staring at a hulking machine being shown to hundreds of soldiers below the walkway. Mark and Sharrion crouched down hidden in the shadows behind the railings but the soldiers were all facing towards the machine displayed, partially hooked up to wires and cables.

It was a bipedal mech with bulky heavily armored legs and cockpit much like a dragon's mouth close to the base of Its body. It lacked arms but made up for it with overwhelming firepower, from what the two heard from the speaker.

A man in a yellow jumpsuit and goggles around his neck paced to and fro explaining this mech to the candidates. It's code name; EMINENCE FRAME type 1 was enough to make Mark suffer a minor headache from a distant memory returning to him. It was a weapon that was going to turn the tide of war through use of It's magic cannon railgun that was strong enough to crumble entire cities with one shot.

The man at the center pulled out a small green quartz to hold up for everyone. "With the magic quartz we mine, we can power this machine endlessly, destroying even Mariellir if we need to. Magic can't stop our discoveries in technology…"

Sharrion watched with a deep interest but Mark pulled her aside back into the hallways.

"Why are you leaving in such a hurry? We could be getting vital information." She whined deeply wanting to know more about Imperia's tech.

Mark continued walking. "I've already seen it before because Midare was the one who developed it."

This left Sharrion rather confused and speechless for a second. She followed behind Mark "That mech looked halfway completely. If they release that now then the war will be lost and the world will be ruined by the very thing they're trying to eliminate, magic. We have to sabotage their plans somehow."

"We'll need a better plan if we're gonna get close to the EF-1. Right now, we're outgunned." Replied Mark. "We'll report back to Amelia about this discovery."