NORAH:

"Status update," I demanded, seeking confirmation that preparations were in place.

"Mam, all the gears are packed," a voice responded

"The patrols outside are seemingly unaware of this our presence," another voice chimed in

"Excellent. This shows that we have successfully entered their domain, I said,

"We've made progress. Now, be on the lookout as the Dragon Slayer division approaches the armory.

The voice affirmed, "The armory has been breached, Mam," marking the beginning of a crucial phase.

I gave the order, assigning duties for the operation, "Rayan, maintain your position along with the others here."

"Samara, take up a high position. I'll sneak up on the guards.

"Yes, Mam," they responded in unison, a synchronized acknowledgment of their orders.

I repeated in a stern voice, "Remember, we shall not move further until safety has been established. And none of you are allowed to leave your fellow comrades today, under any circumstances. If there are any unforeseen circumstances, the rest of the crew will offer only cover fire. Dismissed."They quickly raised their hands in a salute to their leader.

."AYE! AYE! MAM!"

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"All right, I'm ready to go. Please all keep a low profile inside the structure. Over," I said

"Noted, Ma'am. We'll help in any way that's required. Three targets are in view and prepared for engagement. Over," was quickly acknowledged

"I'll neutralize the other three. Your commands, Ma'am. Over," a second voice interjected,

"I said to stay low, dammit!" My tone was harsh

"I'll handle it myself; your top priority is to let me know if anything changes," "But-Bu-"

"But-wut, nothing. STAY QUIET!"

"Ah, Ok. (Scary!!)" Their voice with anxiety, made their reluctant compliance clear.

I experienced a surge of regret for my blunt response to their offer of help, which caused an internal conflict to erupt. When did I become so... Strict?

"Chloe reporting, Mam. There's a fully armed battalion mere moments away from the alleyway you're positioned in. Please seek cover. We will approach from the opposite direction," Chloe's voice interjected

"Affirmative!" My acknowledgment was swift, though there were some miscalculations. The dice were cast; time had betrayed my intentions.

As the alleyway stretched out before me, I knew I was in for a fight. The seven men blocking our path were all burly and menacing, and there was no way we were getting through without a fight. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself.

Not losing a Second, I lunged at the first man, delivering a powerful punch to his jaw. The man stumbled backward, stunned, as I quickly spun around to face my next opponent. The other six men charged at me, swords flying, but I was ready for them.

As they closed in, I pulled out a grappling hook from my belt and shot it right through the skull of the stunned guy lying on the guy. The hook crashed into a crystal shop, fixed on the wall. I flipped a switch and now it was ready for a second shot.

I aimed at the top of a one-story building behind the other 6 attackers and with a little friction toward the slanted rail, the gears started to reel up the hook and I grabbed the edge of the building. I took out the hook from the wall and reeled it in and again flipped the switch for another shot. this time I deployed the hook at the left side of the attackers so that they can be tied up by this hook and the one I shot before in the crystal shop. The second hook struck the wall just a little left from the previous one. I ejected the whole hook from the grappling device and flipped the switch for Shrink.

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The men were momentarily thrown off balance by my acrobatics, but before long they were tied up and crashed straight into the crystal shop. aligned on the walls where the hooks were stuck and with the constant shrinking of the hook their torsos fell off with a bloody stream.

I hoisted myself up from the ledge, having a comprehensive view of the scene.

"All Enemies have been neutralized. Form an ambush formation, Fast!" I ordered

"Affirmative," came the immediate response, confirmation that the team was prepared to execute the tactic.

"Negative, Chloe reported. We've gained an advantage. the enemy battalion remains unaware of our presence, enabling us to strike a decisive blow," Chloe interjected, her voice brimming with confidence.

"No, wait! CHLOE!" My exclamation was charged with concern

"MANIFEST!" A boom erupted from the lateral alleyway

"CHLOE! CHLOE!" My voice reverberated through the comm

Any answer from Chloe was quickly replaced with an obnoxious buzz. It happened frequently whenever Augustus used his special power, which was a familiar occurrence. He was the lone Hero-class person among us.

I ran toward the edge of a smoke-filled tunnel, a rush of fear coursing through me. This obscuring veil was definitely created by magic. A scene beheld, that showed a number of heavily armed soldiers steadily losing the fight against an unknown attacker.

Augustus's prowess unfolded before my eyes—a complex ability that manipulated light and hues. He had mastered the art of rendering himself and his companions invisible, the ultimate advantage in covert operations.

As the dust settled and the chaos subsided. With a flick of my wrist, In a flash of electrifying brilliance, effortlessly all remaining enemies were defeated, leaving them awestruck and quaking until they took their last breath.

"Norah? I thought you were ordered to breach the armory?"

"Em, shut up for a moment, okay? I need to catch my breath before I pass out."

Chloe's eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh, sorry, Norah! I got carried away. Breathe, take your time."

As I focused on inhaling and exhaling, soon my comms started to ring and me and chloe answered it.

"Piers here. The armory is empty. To all Mage units and divisions, the armory is empty. Proceed to assist the Main army entering from the southern gate."

Chloe responded "Again? This happened last time too. I thought we would catch them this time."

The ambush had been executed with precision, logic dictating that the enemy should now rush to their armory to replenish supplies. The unexpected turn left us confused.

"Headquarters, Norah speaking. Connect me promptly to Harbinger,"

"Affirmative, connecting now Beep," the response acknowledged.

Mathew remains in the air, keeping a watchful vantage point. I came to him because of my worries because I wanted to know if anything strange had happened.

"Hello, Norah? Any issues on your end?" Mathew's voice resonated through the comm.

"No, I think we're dealing with sabotage, in fact. This time, I made sure that the Dragon Slayer and Mage divisions were the only ones to know about the ambush. However, it seems that the Enemy already knew about our strategy."

"What? I mean, while it's possible, I didn't anticipate another mole following Adhivaar's exposure."

"Since Adhivaar's betrayal, I've been extra vigilant. You're still airborne, correct?"

Mathew, a Hero-class soldier, derived his abilities from the legend of the Sapphire Harbinger. Through a divine artifact infused with draconic power, he can soar freely through the skies.

"I was. I was ordered to scout the area and relay intel from a higher altitude. Strangely enough, the southern region remains eerily quiet. Only the Western team seems to be engaged in combat. This deviates from our initial strategy,"

"I see," I acknowledged

This development called for action. I suddenly realized that I had to prevent Aries and the others from entering the main gate. I then realized that the Enemies might focus their efforts there with the intention of trapping Aries.

"Wait a second. From my vantage point, I can observe the train resuming movement. I thought it was incapacitated. Oh no! Don't tell me *&%%," Mathew's voice trailed off, the connection severed abruptly.

"Mathew! Mathew!!" I called out for him yet the comm remained unresponsive.

"Emergency, all units in the south. The main battalion is under ambush. I repeat the main battalion is ambushed. Converge on the location immediately,"

"Thought so," I muttered to myself, this is not good.

"Norah, what's our course of action?" Chloe's voice sounded, seeking direction for our next move.

"Chloe, gather your team and provide cover from a distance. Employ your bows, abstain from using magic to avoid detection," I instructed, my words infused with urgency.

"Alright, Norah. But where are you headed in such a hurry?" Chloe's curiosity compelled her inquiry.

Pausing momentarily, I cast Chloe a secretive smile, . "Don't worry, Chloe. I've have a plan."

Chloe's eyebrow arched, "A plan? Mind sharing the details?"

"Nah," I responded with a confident grin, Without another word, I turned and hastened away.