The ground beneath my construct's feet was metal.

The familiar surface helped to keep my nerves together as I wandered the joint steel corridors. The darkness of the vents didn't bother my own unique senses, although I did come across the occasional dim lights. Some runes in the form of blue ice cubes and snowflakes were inactive, while others in the form of fire and the sun were glowing and active, casting a dim red and orange glow through small sections of the vents. Cold and hot air enchantments, I presumed. The temperature wouldn't bother me in this form anyway.

Wandering through the vents proved to be much easier than I'd expected. No tight sections too difficult to traverse, no issues with my physical distance from the construct, and no cameras, runes, or otherwise patrolling the shafts for intruders.

The Cat could go a sizable distance from my body, and I hadn't even begun to feel strain from it yet. The eyes on my Lyridium Cat were... mostly for show. Even though the Cat was beyond my main body's [Sensory Zone], the Artificial Soul produced a zone of its own, one that let me peer through the vents without needing to look around corners. I wasn't limited by the low visibility of peering between narrow grates leading into other rooms, nor the lack of light. With it, I was able to spy on nearly an entire room when I pulled the 'focus' of my zone, even if the Cat's total range of 'vision' was far less than that of my main body.

These senses were good for the mission, of course, even if I would've preferred... *real* sight. Sight like other creatures had. Even in this form, there was no escape from the strange senses Chimera had saddled me with.

Movement beyond my mech's magical range was strange, too. When my [Telekinetic Field] was infused with metal, it felt almost as though it became an extension of my body, something I could freely move and control like muscle and skin. It had taken a while to reach that level of finesse and comfort, but now it was within my grasp. But this?

The Cat was... different.

It felt far different to controlling my mech. It was more... indirect. Rather than moving muscle or skin, it felt more like giving an order. Like I had to *tell* the Cat what to do rather than just move it. It was a back and forth, as though I was giving 'orders' of motion to someone else inside the Cat and getting sensory feedback from their motions. Rather than applying direct intent like my other Skills or Magic, this was more like... a conversation.

It was... difficult to describe.

Something tapped my side, and I felt a jolt of fright ripple along my pink form. For a moment, I thought my Cat had been compromised. Detected by an unseen force. But... the touch had come from my mech. My *real* mech. Streiphen had been trying to get my attention, leaning against my side in his little emerald suit.

"Isn't this *amazing,* Miss Yuri? Have you ever seen something like this before?" he asked, voice filled with wonder.

I felt a little guilty given I wasn't paying the group much attention, but I turned my awareness towards the square, arena-like table as the Cat temporarily went dormant and still.

Incognito and a Human woman were playing some sort of game at this new table. Familiars formed of cobbled together glowing body parts chosen from select screens hovering in front of the pair were forming. They reached up to 'drag' bits into the center of the screen with their fingers as the mock creatures took shape above the table. With a click, both Familiars began to have a more dynamic range of motion, landing atop the table's surface. They... didn't look like illusions either. Familiars generated by the enchanted table?

With little warning, the two odd mammalian creatures leapt at one another, clashing in the center to a chorus of cheers. The woman's Familiar reached forward to bite deep into Incognito's Familiar's shoulder with a thick, Alligator-like jaw. Incognito's beast let out a guttural *skreeee!* in response, sending what looked like green acid spewing from its mouth.

I'd been about to get to my feet and scurry back as a glob flew directly towards me, only for it to splatter harmlessly against a transparent barrier that flickered as it made contact. A... safety mechanism?

This 'game' offered more realism than I was comfortable with. Especially with how these Familiars *sounded*.

The cobbled together nature of the creatures didn't seem to bother the starry eyed Streiphen, even if I could tell it was having an effect on Sigura. She wore her 'poker face', as per usual, but I didn't miss the hairs standing up on the back of her neck. The stiffness in her clenched fingers and folded arms. She wasn't any more comfortable with two intentionally crafted, cobbled together artificial creatures fighting for idle entertainment and mere coin than I was.

The game was... potentially fascinating to watch if I looked at it from a detached, purely arcane sense. It had drawn in a crowd, something I elected to give Incognito some credit for. I was *hoping* he didn't intend to use this distraction as a way to dodge around the duties of the mission and leave the work to Languish and I. Maybe he intended to slip away once the crowd was significantly focused.

I hadn't wanted to ask him at the time, not while he seemed to so in the zone garnering the attention of everyone with ease.

Like William had.

I felt my main body shiver at the thought of that damn diary.

I pulled my awareness away, looking to get back to work without wasting a moment on emotional thought. I needed to focus on what was important here.

In a way, the Cat wasn't too dissimilar to them. I pushed my focus through it as the metal construct rose to its feet once again, resuming its exploration of the church's vents.

I received sensory feedback from the construct despite my control being indirect, something no different to Incognito or his opponent pressing buttons and moving sticks on the table to move and attack. No different to the controllers on Conahan's Vox games.

Indirect, yet controlled. Like moving a puppet that possessed some meagre level of autonomy by pulling on its strings.

Arriving at one of the grates, the Cat padded up to the edge as my zone spread through the cracks. All I was looking down into was a dark storeroom. I briefly checked whether there was anything worth stealing, metal or materials I could commandeer for the sake of success.

I shouldn't have thought about it that way, but it was a reflex at this point. The church wasn't our enemy, and I didn't have any way to carry scavenged goods away with the Cat anyway. There was nothing but boxes and cleaning supplies.

Moving on.

The next room I came across was a long bathroom, one that I thanked the Gods above for the fact that it was unoccupied. Several stalls of increasing size, going from a small Gnome-sized stall by the front to a much larger Goliath-sized stall towards the back. Unless I planned on stealing something like soap, there was no reason to linger.

Moving on.

The third room I came across was once again unremarkable. As were the fourth and fifth rooms. If nothing else, I was getting a better idea of the church's layout, even if keeping a mental map in my head wasn't easy with feedback from an external body and my main form.

The sixth room, however, was where I struck gold.

Fortune must've been smiling on me for being able to find the room I was looking for, and I wasted no time in making the most of that good fortune by peering inside.

My Lyridium Cat came to rest, gingerly laying down next to an open vent, one looking down into a spacious meeting room.

A long wooden table with a red cover on top sat in the center, one that wasn't nearly as grandiose as the gaming tables in the church's main hall. Still, the walls were golden and the floor was coppery, traits I'd seen all throughout the building. Around the table and the edges of the room, chairs of varying sizes had been set up, and many of them were occupied.

The number of figures, and the fact that I recognised most of them, made the blood pulsing through my true body run cold, even with the distance I had from the Cat.

The room was filled with enemy Casters, both those I recognised and those I didn't.

In one chair sat a jittery Roden woman in a thick, tattered black cloak and goggles. She had dark brown fur, a snarl on her face, and a shrunken, white furred Monkey-like head attached to a necklace hidden beneath her clothing.

In another set of chairs were a pair of Tritons with matching Goldfish-like scales, black wetsuits with goggles, and facemasks boasting shark tooth patterns over the bottom of their faces. Siblings, if I were to guess. A female with long blond hair, and a male with shorter hair with a matching colour.

One Construct sat in the room, a black Golem with a Gorilla-like posture and hulking arms, one with a single golden eye for a face. It stood just behind a Gnomish boy in his mid-teens, one wearing fanciful blue clothing with white frills on the collar and cuffs. He had ginger hair worked into a bowl-cut with curls swirling up at the bottom. He scanned the room with calculating eyes, expression even and difficult to read.

Sitting close to the table was a lanky Satyr man with long, electric blue hair. He lazily lounged in one of the seats, one leg ending in a hoof swung over the side. A bowl of cut up fruits sat squarely in his lap which he idly picked through, bringing one piece after another to his mouth every couple of seconds. A blue, rubbery mask had been partially pulled up over his chin and mouth to eat, revealing some dark brown stubble on his face. The hair was dyed then, without a doubt.

I didn't know much about who they were, but I recognised all of them. They'd been at the warehouse we'd raided as Equinox, the one where we'd attacked blind and come out on top of.

I picked at my memory for snippets of information to use in the event of a fight. The Roden had created furred Familiars from the ground. The Tritons had... jumped into the ground to escape? The Gnome's Golem had destroyed the back wall to escape the warehouse, and the Satyr had made Streiphen's weapon impossible to use.

I coouldn't remember all the details, but hopefully I wouldn't need to.

There were others around too, some I didn't recognise. A buff Darkling in a black leather coat, and an unimpressive looking Human with a squarish head adorned with a dark brown scraggly beard, baggy dark clothes covered in dirt and dust, and a brown belt covered in jangling pouches.

There were others, some of which I expected to see, but the one that caught my attention the most had been the one to truly cause my blood to go cold.

They were a slender woman with a generous frame. She had red whisker-like marks on her cheeks, long white hair tumbling down her back, and Fox-like ears atop her head that perked up in place as I arrived to look in. Three white chains were wrapped around her neck, similar to the symbol of a white Wolf's head with roaring teeth and three golden chains around its neck on the back of her flowing blue robes. Three tails that were white as snow swished hypnotically behind her, only working to drag my attention onto her further.

Cynosure. The Chained Wolves' right hand.

The only somewhat 'good' news I could see from this room filled with enemies, if I could even call it 'good', was that both Firecracker and Sparks were present. The pair seemed to hold a normal level of anxiousness, acting natural while waiting like everyone else seemed to be.

Closer to the door were more familiar figures, individuals I'd met much more recently, and ones that confirmed that the Star's intel was clear.

Two figures sat in chairs on either side of the single door leading into the room.

On the door's left was an Elven woman with pitch black skin that glowed with a black, ethereal light, and hair like blurred smoke. She possessed shadowy eyes that were black as night, similar to Streiphen's. Instead of stars, hers only had two white pinpricks inside them. Those pinpricks darted between those present, distrust and wariness evident within them.

On the door's right was a massive Oni woman, one that sat head and shoulders above everyone else present. She looked over the gathered criminals with hungry golden eyes, her head turning in a way that made her observations of the group far more obvious than that of her companion. Her light pink, spiky ponytail swayed with the motion, brushing over her red robes with black ends. A black eye-like pattern adorned her forehead, flanked on either side by a pair of curved, crystalline red horns.

Sfumato and Kirigami. Two members of Aerasthetic that we'd encountered in the past, both here, in the Don's territory.

Nobody was speaking, yet I presumed the Don's intel was correct if he'd gathered this much already. Had they been brought together to discuss an alliance? There were many Casters present, none of whom I suspected were too fond of me or my team in the slightest, allies excluded. My nerves were glad that it was the Cat acting as a spy rather than my true body. Confident as I was in my fighting ability, I didn't think highly enough of them to believe I'd make it out of being discovered by all of them unscathed.

"I've had *enough* of all this damn waitin'!" the Human with the squarish head growled, casting his eyes around the room as the oily dark brown hair atop his head flopped around like the end of a mop. "When're we gonna talk about the Tarrasque in the room, huh? Are we here to put down that sick old Dog sittin' in power or not? When're we-"

"*Quiet!*" Sfumato hissed, narrowing her dark eyes at the Human. "This room *isn't* protected yet. You won't have to wait much longer for answers."

Letting out a sigh, Cynosure's folded arms gripped her robes tightly, the woman's mouth curling in displeasure.

"Chiiii... That is what you said *last* time, dark girl," the Roden woman in the tattered robe hissed back. "We did not come for games. We wish only to enact revenge on Equinox and the Don. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Equinox? You're out for their heads too?" the squarish headed Human asked. *Too?* I could understand the Roden, but I'd never even met the Human.

"Yes... they ruined our greatest chance to reveal our worth during our debut. Foolish, wretched things. We wish for allies to stand aside us to put them down, and have just the way of doing it," the Roden replied with a toothy, cracked grin.

Reaching into her robe, she pulled free a dirty brown looking crystal. The only redeeming colour within the item at all was a glowing blue colour within it. Some sort of liquid that was stuck fast within...

It was a familiar liquid. It wasn't just water or gel, it was *slime*.

*Toya's* slime.

I hadn't seen him recently, not in person, but it was easy to pick it out. The colour and texture was unmistakable, trapped as it was behind a dirty brown shell.

"Chi chi! We shall track him with *this,"* the Roden smiled, wiggling it back and forth. The Human's eyes widened with recognition at the sight, his face scrunching up.

"And where that Slime bastard is, that bitch freak Homebound'll be," the man finished. His face contorted again into something I generously believed to be a malicious smile. It was difficult to tell with how wrinkled and scrunched his face was like this. "If *that's* all you want, you don't need to wait for this shitty meeting. We can form an alliance right now."

'Bitch freak' was one thing, but why *me* in particular? It wasn't that I wished for his ire to be directed towards my teammates either, but I'd never even seen the man. The only things I could think of were if I'd stolen something of his by accident, harmed one of his allies at the warehouse, or... was he the owner of the bunker in the slums I'd taken the Lyridium from, maybe? I was well and truly stumped.

"If you are worth our group's time, then we will unite with you," the Roden nodded.

"Name's Cast-Iron, leader of Ironhead!" the man spoke, extending a dirt-covered hand to the Roden.

"Chichichi! Safari, leader of the Meldrats," the Roden replied, taking his hand in her own.

The pair exchanged a firm shake that caused a pit to form in my stomach. Toya was the one who'd be tracked by whatever that crystal did, not us. If he was caught alone by two whole teams of criminals...

We needed to warm him once this mission was done with. It wasn't a task I relished the thought of, but one I knew would need to be done for his safety.

"Anyone else want in on this?" Cast-Iron called out, eyes sweeping across the room despite Sfumato's grimacing.

Some looked up at the man, although none seemed to be answering his call, instead choosing to obey Sfumato's early warning to remain silent.

"Bunch of damn *cowards,"* Cast-Iron spat. "'Fraid of a few freaks workin' for a hazbin, are ya?"

"Are you an Anvil Caster?" the Gnomish teen asked, turning his eyes towards Cast-Iron.

The Human turned to look back towards him, the jangling of his belt answering the question for him.

"Yeah, what's it to you, kid?" Cast-Iron asked, squinting as he looked the boy up and down.

"Provide me with materials to work with, and I'll join this alliance of yours too," the Gnome replied.

The Human's eyes turned off the boy, and drifted up towards the huge Golem standing just beneath Kirigami's height, his mouth once again contorting into what I *thought* was a smile.

"Yeah, yeah! That's more like it! We need some firepower like *that* on our side! Ya won't ever catch me sayin' some kids don't have a bit of backbone! Welcome aboard!" Cast-Iron said.

"'Showtime', not 'kid'," the Gnome responded curtly.

The door at the front of the room opened, allowing three more people to step inside.

The two in front I'd met more recently. The first was a young man with short white hair dyed with thin streaks of various colours just above his forehead. He wore a light blue and white dress shirt with a tidy outfit, and had a folded up rainbow-coloured umbrella hanging at his hip. The second was a tall man dressed in bulbous silver full plate armor, all painted white and tinged with pale blue frost. This time, his helmet was off and under one arm, revealing a Deer-like head and two curling antlers.

Umbrush and Snowman. Between them and the existing two, that meant we were dealing with four members of Aerasthetic. If we were unlucky, more might be elsewhere in the building as backup.

The third person to enter was also a familiar face, but one that I was thoroughly stunned to see.

They were a spindly looking Elven-type man with dark brown skin and blond hair that spilled down as far as his neck, where it curled back upwards. He wore a yellow skintight mask, one that was partially pushed up and outwards in some sections due to his pointed Elven ears and prominent chin. He strutted into the room as I watched, eyes scanning over those present before he took a seat not far from the front.

It was Yo-Yo. The teleporting partner of Trainmech, someone that we'd apprehended during one of our first missions as part of Equinox.

Why was he *here?* Had he escaped from prison somehow? Did that mean Trainmech was free too?

I was feeling less certain about our situation now. There were too many unknowns, and too many enemy Casters present.

The door closed behind the trio, and Umbrush turned around to firmly lock it. Did that mean all of those taking part in the meeting were present now? There was no sign of a Big Tooth representative, which I was glad to see, and the glass ball headed man hadn't showed up either. Part of me had been hoping for leads on him to appear, given that other people from the warehouse raid had made an appearance.

"Thank you all for your patience," Snowman began, his voice stiff and commanding. "The wait is over, and it's time for us to begin the meeting. Sfumato, if you would?"

His head turned towards the black skinned woman, who returned his look with a nod.

"[Smoky Haze]," she murmured, raising both arms towards the ceiling as pitch black smoke began to billow off of her body. The smoke moved more like water or a strange fabric than a gas, curling over the floor, walls, and ceiling without covering the center of the room. The gold and copper of the room was smothered by the darkness, and a light mist formed of small curling, wavy clouds had formed around the floor.

I reflexively sent warnings to the Cat, getting it to take several steps backwards away from the grate. After a few seconds of waiting, I found that none of the darkness seeped up into the vents. It was a clean cube of darkness, one that encompassed the meeting room alone.

Was this what he'd meant by 'blocking it off'? Did the haze disrupt sight, or could it block off other senses or forms of magic?

I wasn't certain, but my [Sensory Zone] pierced right through the '[Smoky Haze]' with ease, allowing me to see into the room.

The world suddenly exploded with noise, and my main body jolted from shock. I rose to my feet, working to assess the danger before-

The table and my teammates were fine. The sound had been a collective cheer as someone had managed to beat Shafu's cobbled together construct creation. The red-tinged Familiar fell to the 'ground', breaking apart into its constituent bits as her opponent's mangled beast stood triumphant above hers, its body lined with wounds and gashes from the exchange.

I was too on edge. I hadn't been discovered. I was fine. My main body was with the others, and there was no danger. Not yet.

Incognito was missing. Gone from the table. Noting that brought with it a sense of relief. It meant both he and Languish were intending to help me on this little scouting mission, even if I had my doubts that the pair would be able to see through Sfumato's mist. Still, it was reassuring to know that I wasn't the only one helping out.

After taking a few seconds to calm my pounding heartbeat, I sent my awareness back to the Cat sitting stationary within the vent, extending my [Sensory Zone] back through the black curtain and into the meeting room.

"-didn't think you'd be out so fast, Yo-Yo. Guess you weren't sent to the Tower after all, huh?" Cast-Iron asked, looking towards the man with the yellow mask as my senses returned to normal.

"For a robbery like that? Not a chance," Yo-Yo scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "We were playin' by the books, even if we went a little out of our usual jurisdiction."

"As much as I would love to allow you all the luxury of *catching up*, we do *not* have time to waste," Snowman cut in with a stiff, curt tone. "There are members of the Star present in the building."

"Really? Who?" Cast-Iron asked, locking eyes with the Deer-like Tierakin. *"Equinox?"*

The word came out of his mouth like a hungry snarl.

"Yup! But they've got plenty of backup, so don't get any funny ideas," Umbrush chirped, cutting in. "You wouldn't stand a chance on your own, so just make yourself comfy and listen to what we've gotta say first."

"Hmpf," Cast-Iron grumbled, crossing both arms as he leaned back into his seat. "Smug bastard."

"We won't keep you here for long. We intend for this meeting to be brief," Snowman added, working to assure the antsy looking Human.

"Good, we don't need some lengthy bullshit wasting our time," the Human nodded, eyes narrowing. "Go on then."

Snowman let out a sigh, casting his eyes around the room at the gathered criminals. Not all of them betrayed the same clear and obvious impatience that Cast-Iron did, but none wanted to stay for long either, judging by their body language.

"Here is the situation as it stands. I am Snowman, a representative of Aerasthetic, the ruling criminal group of Karisti," the Fallow began. "We have gathered you here today because we seek an alliance. The Velvet Star are notorious for their strength, and we wish to have the greatest chance to defeat them we can get. The extra manpower all of you and your teams could provide would be appreciated."

"Another coup, right after the fall of Big Tooth?" Showtime asked. The Gnome leaned one arm on the side rest of the chair, eyes glinting with a calculating light. "That won't be doing the economy or the city's balance any favours, especially if you can't secure a clean victory."

On the opposite side of the table to the Aerasthetic members, I saw Cynosure's fingers tighten against her sleeves for a moment. She unfurled her arms, reaching into her robes to pull out a small blue notebook and pen.

"We aren't looking to take over the Sova region in the same way the Star did," Snowman replied. "We wish to dismantle the balance of Divastyr entirely and reform the city's societal landscape into a freer land ruled by powerful Casters alone, a society we believe you would all thrive in. We've invited you all here only because of your demonstrated skills."

They wanted to destroy the balance entirely? Setting up some sort of anarchistic rule in their region was one thing, but this was something bigger. I hadn't seen enough of the city beyond the Sova region, nor been around that much to truly grasp the ramifications of what such a change would bring, but if the 'balance' was the only thing holding big criminal groups like this in check...

"Chi chi... You wish for this city to become something like Zeradonia? If we do that, we'll be forced to get what we can and flee, lest other lands united come to claim the scraps of Divastyr's fall," Safari chittered. "The city will not last long if you are successful."

"The balance can be a hassle, but it allows this city to provide us with a lot of potential income that other lands don't," Showtime added. "If this war were to happen, we'd lose that. We'd be at a deficit without the balance."

"We've got contacts in high places. If the city's current stagnancy begins to crumble, we can erect a new order more beneficial to all of us as individuals," Snowman retorted. "We have no intention to abandon Divastyr, only to reconstruct it into something stronger."

Cynosure began to write idly in her notebook, tapping at the page. Some sort of tic or habit, maybe.

"We have plans coming to fruition that will allow us to make this work over an extended period should we succeed in dismantling the balance," Snowman continued. "We want to give you a portion from the Lion's share of resources going to those participating from through our raids in exchange for your aid in defeating the Don, as well as your continued allegiance should it benefit both of us. There are many worthy Casters that could grow and flourish in power if they had access to artefacts and capable allies. We wish to foster that."

Some of the gathered criminals began to whisper and mutter to one another. Judging the situation. *Considering* it. The fact that they were even going that far was a shock. Breaking the balance couldn't possibly be beneficial to them, could it? It was a boon in the short term, but not something sustainable.

The sound of quick scribbling reached the ears of all present, slowly silencing the sound of chatter. Many of the room's Casters turned their gazes towards Cynosure's impassive expression. Their eyes were tinged with both fear and respect. They knew who she was.

Then, she raised her notebook, revealing the large letters on a page to those around her.

*"And if we chose to turn those weapons and powers you foster on your people next?"*

The words were chilling, and... a pleasant surprise. If they were to fight amongst themselves, that could make this operation and the war as a whole much easier to deal with.

"Then so be it. We are confident in our strength, and would relish the challenge and source of Experience to stimulate our people's growth," Snowman replied, his expression hard. "All we ask is for your assistance in destroying the Star. Anything beyond that is your own business."

Cynosure sighed, giving the man a nod. Her pen returned to the page, and her writing was slower now. Less hurried for the sake of conversation. Was she taking notes for the rest of the Chained Wolves, maybe? If that was the case, understanding this situation from her perspective could be worthwhile intel to gather. I could relay this to the others later, so-

*"Tap the floor twice if you can read this."*

Confusion and shock lanced through my mind. Was that... she had to be writing that to me. There was nobody else she could possibly be writing that to. She'd penned that recently.

Around my main body, I watched as Bubblegum stepped up to the plate, Blaze sitting on her shoulder as a laughing Halfling arrived at the other end of the table. As the pair began crafting their game specific Familiars, a cold feeling ran through me. I needed to calm down. This was... something I should have expected once I spotted her. Cynosure had used some sort of scouting ability to find us when we arrived at her team's warehouse. She must have used the same thing to spot me now. Was it better to ignore her? I didn't want to do anything to raise alarm or cut this meeting short-

*"You. The one in the vents above."*

There was no doubt in my mind. She knew I was here. Or... that *someone* was here, watching over the meeting. If she said anything, or... rather, if she wrote or signed anything to imply there was a [Spy] looking in, they'd clam up and adjourn the meeting. She had the upper hand. I had to play along.

With a gentle, trembling motion, I tapped the metal ground of the vents above the room with a paw. Twice.

I couldn't breathe, but I felt my mind catch and stop, hanging on every motion of her pen as she continued to write.

*"Tap once if you are the Don's agent. Tap twice if you are another. Do not lie."*

I froze. I didn't know what to do or say, or what sort of reaction she'd give to each.

"It's not like any of us want to get sent to the Tower, but somethin' like messing with the balance might be enough to do it," the lounging Satyr with the electric blue hair added with a shrug. "If we fail a heist, we can always try again. We can do some time or pay a fine to the city for freedom, but getting locked up in *there?* That's it. End of the road."

Cynosure's eyes trailed up from the page, looking towards the gathered criminals once again. Was it best to stay quiet here? This time? It was risky to respond until I knew Cynosure's stance. Or... maybe I was just telling myself that to justify my inability to tap the ground once again. The Cat's leg hung in the air, trembling and uncertain.

"The operation is risky, but the rewards are immense," Snowman replied. "The potential for magical growth and Leveling with such a threat looming over us all cannot be ignored either. Even if this operation were to fail and you escape without capture, you will have grown from it."

"Yeah, s'pose so," the Satyr nodded. "What about the remnants of Big Tooth? Have you tried bringing them in as foot soldiers? I bet they'd be willing to get back at the Star too."

Trying to lighten the workload?

"Most of them broke themselves on Boost, so they're probably not worth the effort anymore," Umbrush chimed in. "We've got access to Boost, but most of 'em wouldn't risk taking it again, I'd bet."

Hot anger seared at the edges of my mind. I should have known. Aerasthetic had access to Boost. Or to the people selling it. If possible, we needed to capture one of them alongside Cynosure. If they had a link to the sellers of Boost, they might have a link to Chimera.

"We have the numbers advantage, as well as intel on the abilities of many of the Star's Casters," Snowman added. "You are not the only people from Sova and beyond we have contacted for this raid, only the most recent group. With your assistance on top of our preparations, the chances of victory are high. If this goes well, you may not even have to lift a finger to reap the rewards. It's a generous offer, and one that you will not be offered again. What do you all think?"

My body made a spur of the moment decision on its own. I took a risk.

I tapped the floor once.

It was now or never.

"It's time to decide," Snowman spoke decisively. "If you have questions or concerns, I will take them now."

"You can count me and my boys in," Cast-Iron replied with a nod.

"Chi chi chi! We will ally with your people, Snowman," Safari added.

They were fast to decide despite the risks. My awareness darted from person to person. I knew little about Cast-Iron, but I knew some of what Safari could do. We could manage this.

"I need a few minutes to mull this over. The pros and cons of this are heavy," Showtime added, glancing towards Cast-Iron and Safari from the corner of his eye.

Not far from him, the pair of Goldfish Tritons looked at one another. Their eyes met, and the pair nodded, looking back towards Snowman.

"We're in," the pair spoke, their voices completely in unison. The joint words sent a chill down my spine. The result of magic or a Skill? It seemed too perfectly in-sync to be anything but arcane.

"Yeah, we owe the Star some payback anyway. We're in," Yo-Yo nods. "But the moment this shit starts going real south, we're out."

"Agreed," the Darkling man nodded.

"We would ask nothing more of you," Snowman replied. "We don't intend for this war to go 'real south' in the first place."

"Alright, I'm in," Showtime added with a sigh, nodding in turn.

"Sure, I'll join up with you all," the lounging Satyr threw in with a shrug, eating another piece of chopped fruit from his bowl.

More and more of the group were starting to agree and join up with Aerasthetic's insane 'war' effort. I knew some of their abilities, but not the full extent of them. There was no way I could plan ahead for all of this, and it would be far from good news for the Don.

Firecracker and Sparks looked at one another, their expressions clouded with worry. I could only hope it seemed like the regular sort of concern that came with a venture like this, and not a hint that they had any allegiance to the Don. There was nothing to indicate that anyone suspected that, but my mind was still tinged with irrational worry.

Thankfully, the eyes of those present weren't on the Anvil duo. They were on Cynosure as her pen furiously danced along the page of her notebook.

Then, she held it up, page facing outward for all present to see.

*"We will not align with you."*

They were brave words considering she was surrounded by so many that stood in opposition to her. She... might be fine, given her abilities, but I wasn't certain.

*"We will fight for Sova."*

Her second set of cursive words brought with it a hazy sense of confusion. As much as I'd been hoping she would fight against these people to weaken both sides for capture, I wasn't sure how to feel about all of this now. It was a... strange and unexpected turn of events, but I couldn't complain about it.

While the other Casters were staring at the page, I tried to send a message to the Anvil duo with [Telepathy].

*"[Agree to the terms, you'll be able to gather information from within.]"*

Although I tried to speak to the pair through my Cat as a medium, my words couldn't reach them. The mental 'push' of my words were lost in the face of Sfumato's [Smoky Haze]. It felt like trying to shout through a long, winding cave. My voice echoed, bounced around aimlessly, and fizzled out.

Sfumato raised her head, eyebrows furrowed as she looked around the room. My heart felt as though it was going to stop for what seemed like the hundreth time this night. Had she heard those words through her 'haze'? She wasn't... instantly raising an alarm. Was it possible she'd detected that someone was trying to contact a Caster in the room, even if the specifics were lost to her? I could only hope that was the case.

With a nod to one another, Firecracker looked up.

"Yeah, we'll do it. W-we're in," he spoke. He tried to sound calm and collected, but I heard the tinge of worry in his voice. It sounded to me like he'd agreed more out of peer pressure than because it was a sound tactical decision. Well... at least it worked out.

"Can we convince you to reconsider your group's stance, Cynosure?" Snowman asked, turning his eyes back towards the Kumiho woman. "Everyone else present has agreed to our terms, and you are the sole malcontent. We have far more men than the Star. If you aren't willing to stand on our side, your people could be caught in the crossfire of this upcoming war, ending up as unexpected and unwanted casualties. It would be more beneficial for both of our groups if we were to join forces."

That was... quite the thinly veiled threat. He didn't say as much, but it sounded painfully obvious to me, if nothing else. The sort I'd expect someone like him to imply in a situation like this. It wasn't like anyone present was about to jump to Cynosure's aid either, in any case.

She began to write again, and the air turned still.

*"This means nothing to me. We will not align with you."*

Several seconds of long, cold silence reigned over the room.

"Can't you see the skill and potential that surrounds you, Cynosure?" Snowman tried, bringing both arms outwards to gesture at all the Casters in the room. "This room alone is a tiny fraction of our forces. We believe your talents are better spent in true, *powerful* company, and not that of an outdated system like that of Divastyr's past."

Cynosure was mute, but the raised eyebrow and unimpressed look in her eyes that she threw towards all present as her gaze drifted from person to person made it clear what she thought of the 'skill and potential' of these gathered forces. It felt more like she was looking at insects than people. I wasn't even the target of her gaze, and *I* was starting to feel offense.

Was she *trying* to rile these people up?

Snowman rose to his feet, hands clenching into fists as he looked around the room.

"We intend to raid the casino's coffers and escape this building as a true united force, one standing alongside the reinforcements with us beyond this room's boundaries," Snowman announced, turning his eyes back towards Cynosure, looking down at her. "Do you intend to protect Sova and stand in the way of *all* of us?"

He was trying to gather support. To turn the situation into an 'Us vs them'. The moments spent waiting for Cynosure to finish writing were intense. Tension rippled through my body, sweat dripping off my form and into the water filled cube surrounding me.

*"I will not stop you from robbing this place, but we will not align with your people. Do not make me repeat myself."*

The tension hanging in the air caused everything to remain still for several seconds. Then, it was broken by a laugh.

"Guess we don't have to worry about a fight then, do we?" Umbrush smiled. "Great news!"

"No. If Cynosure is unwilling to ally with us, then we cannot allow information of our plans to get out," Snowman replied coldly, both hands balled up into fists. "You've been taking notes about our plans and operations in that book, haven't you?"

Snowman raised a single armored hand, pointing towards the notebook in Cynosure's hands. His words annoyed me, but there was little I could do about this. His provocations and threats were painfully obvious. If he didn't want a fight, he wouldn't have told the group his plans *after* the Kumiho stated she wasn't going to join them. He was looking for an excuse.

Cynosure moved one hand, delicately turning the pages of the book back before raising it again.

*"No."*

A simple answer, and one that caught me off guard. It... was the truth, technically, but what was really in that book wouldn't be any better for her.

"Then let us see it," Snowman said, taking a step towards her. Despite his heavy armor, the sound was muffled by the rolling shadow over the floor.

I froze. If she let him see the book, he'd spot her secret messages to me. They'd know they were being watched.

Raising her other hand, she tapped the word 'No' on the page once again as the hand holding the book tightened its grip.

"If you have something to hide from this, then shall we take that as your people's declaration of war too, Cynosure?" Snowman asked, his eyes coldly staring down at her.

She held his gaze for several long seconds before looking away to write once again. The eyes of the criminals around her were filled with stunned shock as she took her focus off of her aggressor. There wasn't an ounce of fear of hesitation in the movements of her hands. It made me think she had a [Silent Heart] of her own, or she truly had a will of steel.

*"If you wish to declare war with us, then stop wasting my time and do it. I do not care for your word games and childish boasting. Prove yourself with actions like a true Scandian, if you can even call yourself one."*

The words left me and all within the room stunned. All pretenses were dropped as Snowman's [Mantle] activated on reflex, casting his body in a snowy white glow that glinted off of his armor. Pushing her chair back, Cynosure rose to her feet, casually slipping the book and pen back into her robes.

It was going to happen. They were going to fight in this very room.

"Then you leave us with no other options," Snowman snarled, looking towards the gathered Casters present. "Prove your allegiance to this cause and your willingness to work for your prize! This is our first step of many towards Experience and growth in the path to victory!"

Kirigami got to her feet, eagerly reaching for the massive sword at her waist as Snowman's extended hand glowed further. Snow formed within his palm, the light of Aera around him transforming into a sphere that grew more and more.

Then, I felt an effect wash over my Artificial Soul. Muted as it was given it hadn't touched my Soul directly, I could feel the effect on the Cat. It slumped down against the metal ground of the vent, and the effects on those in the room itself was similarly clear.

Each and every Caster were forced to relax, slumping into their chairs while being unable to get up. Their eyes became glassy and unfocused. The ability seemed less powerful than when she'd used it on Streiphen, as some of the Casters tried to reach for their weapons and summon their Aera in sparks of light, but they couldn't muster themselves into a fighting position.

The bowl of fruit sitting on the Satyr's lap fell as his trembling fingers failed to muster up the force necessary to even hold it in place. With a start, it fell to the floor, spilling the fruit slices out onto the darkened ground. Umbrush smiled and slumped into the seat behind him. Snowman fell to his knees, the snow dropping to the floor without a sound as the ball lost its shape.

An entire room of Casters neutralised by a single ability.

Except one.

Sfumato rose to her feet, reaching for something concealed at her waist. Cynosure's eyes widened with shock as her gaze turned towards the black skinned woman. As stunned as Cynosure looked, Sfumato looked even moreso. Her eyes drifted from one pacified person to the next, looking more worried by the moment.

"Fuck me... And fuck *you* for handling this the way you did, Snowman," Sfumato muttered with a bitter tone.

Her hand clenched around the handle of a weapon at her waist.

"Whatever. Fucking *fine*. If you're going to be our enemy, then so be it," Sfumato growled, taking a deep breath as she pulled a long black whip from her waist, snapping it out to its full length. [Sheen] spread along the weapon, and although the colour didn't change, a deep, wavy black light glow coated the entirety of the weapon. "Disable your ability and we can do this easy, Cynosure. If you don't, I'll make you do it by force."

Despite the clear difference in confidence between the two, I saw a bead of sweat run down Cynosure's face. I doubted it was from nerves given how she'd been acting. So then... was it from effort? Was she struggling to use her ability on this many people?

How long could she keep this up?

"Who the *fuck* is that?" Sfumato asked, raising her voice as stunned shock and panic reached her tone.

Cynosure frowned, turning her head lightly to look behind her, one eye staying on Sfumato in case she tried for a sneak attack.

Sitting half-slumped against the wall was another figure, one who hadn't been there before this moment.

A young Human-like man with chalk white skin and pure black eyes. One with messy black hair and a lethargic expression that looked to be on the verge of going catatonic from the effects of the Kumiho's ability. They wore a white and grey suit, one which looked messily thrown together.

Languish.

"One of your accomplices?" Sfumato asked, an edge to her tone as her eyes snapped back towards Cynosure.

The Kumiho simply shook her head, mouth opening in what might've been a snarl or a toothy grin. Cynosure was unarmed, but I doubted that would hinder her in the slightest.

My suspicions were proven correct as she raised both hands. The skin flexed and trembled as her nails elongated, looking more like the tips of daggers than nails. Each one began to glow with a deep, silvery white light. She'd used [Sheen] on all of her nails.

I felt certain that Cynosure would win a direct physical fight, but it wasn't as simple as allowing both sides to clash for our benefit anymore. Languish was present, and keeping that ability up would be taxing for Cynosure. He might be able to vanish again once the effect was gone, but there was no guarantee he could. Not with how affected he looked.

The moment the pair clashed, this would be a race against time. If Cynosure won, she could escape, but Languish would be at the mercy of the others. If Sfumato won, they were both doomed.

Without outside interference, this was a lose/lose scenario for the Star.

This was a race against time, but it was a race we could rig. We wouldn't have long before this fight drew to a close, one way or another.

In the moment I was about to pull my awareness away and back to the casino, Cynosure lunged at Sfumato.