My Players Are So Fierce

“Alas, she got away.”

At the edge of the city district in Charldo Harbor, Little Sheron stood frustrated outside the remains of a burning café.

Beside her stood the stern-looking Professor Malcolm.

All the winged cavalry in the embassy were arrayed on the outskirts, preventing onlookers from getting close.

Amid the burning wreckage behind them, thirty military walkers were searching for any examinable items, with the Steam Lord Council dispatching a contingent of half-person spiritualists to sit in command, and even an armed airship was sealing off the airspace.

This clearly demonstrated that the operation was not some impromptu action by Little Sheron.

However, despite having a powerful uncle in Charldo Harbor, she didn’t have the connections to directly communicate with the Steam Lords.

Thus, a person of higher authority was orchestrating the attack.

“Bang!”

An explosion sounded from beneath the ruins, followed by a blast of scarlet light that made the half-persons cry out and retreat.

The ground quickly cracked, and Lord Paryen, clad in armor, slowly emerged from the collapsing fiery debris, holding a Scarlet Holy Spear, each step leaving glaring bloodstains, signifying that the cultists in the café had already been executed.

Except for the leader.

Seeing the Holy Spear in the Millennium Lord’s hand, Little Sheron fearfully took a step back.

She was already a vampire.

No vampire dared to face the eternal majesty of the Holy Spear.

“My Lord, did you catch anyone?”

Professor Malcolm stepped forward to ask, to which Lord Paryen nodded and then shook his head, frowning as he said:

“It was just a ‘stand-in’ designed to be expendable; they crafted it with lifelike detail.

I destroyed it and marked it with a sin brand which will make the ‘Origin’ suffer for a while, but tracking her exact location is not so easy.

In my experience, these people are best at hiding; they’ve been lurking in the world’s shadows for a hundred years, but now they’re active, which means we can finally start rooting out the poisons embedded in the world bit by bit.

However, there’s also good news.

There are twenty barrels of dangerous psychic plague stored in the café’s basement, and the Steam Lords of the half-persons will handle the decontamination.

Matters here are concluded.”

“I still think you were a bit too hasty.”

Little Sheron whispered:

“If Sir Morphy were here, he wouldn’t have startled the snake but instead cast a long line to catch big fish.”

“Many people thought like you before; guess what happened to those who wanted to fish?”

Lord Paryen removed his combat helmet adorned with the Blood Covenant’s insignia, looking down at Little Sheron, speaking softly yet sternly:

“You’re from Transylvania, you must’ve heard Old Feinock’s tales; when facing the dusk, when you think you’re fishing, often you’re the big fish caught instead.

Not everyone has Morphy’s unique power to easily resist subspace corrosion, child.

When dealing with them, unexpected cold assaults are always the first choice; don’t try to play mind games with them, nor believe a word they say, and it’s best not even to meet their gaze!

Subspace corrosion is all-pervasive, and their temptations hide within every word of any ‘perfect plan’ you concoct.”

“But the Origin still escaped.”

Little Sheron watched the steam walkers collecting corpses from the café, whispering:

“Only a few minions were killed, with no harm to the dusk.”

“No, even for the dusk, a Gold Stage casualty is a rarity.

The Grand Duke of Triss destroyed one, now I’ve purified another; her choices are diminishing, she’s being cornered.

Moreover, I extracted this.”

Lord Paryen opened his left hand, displaying a sealed, filthy power curled in scarlet light.

The Blood Covenant Duke spoke softly:

“This is a signature of the Origin’s power.

For those top-notch trackers and assassins, having this is enough to locate the outposts the Origin left on the Continent.

Happily, Duchess Shani seems to have some free time lately.

I should find something for her to do.

I’ll stay in Charldo Harbor for a few days, cleansing everything related to subspace here.

You should go back to continue your duties here.”

“Oh, okay.”

Little Sheron was quite reluctant to stay with Lord Paryen, just as children wouldn’t favor a stern class teacher.

Hearing she could leave, she immediately flapped her wings and ran away.

After a few nimble aerial turns, she quickly disappeared into the perpetually noisy forest of high, fog-shrouded buildings of Charldo Harbor.

After she left, Lord Paryen turned to Professor Malcolm, saying:

“The self-destructing squirrel that child used earlier, it carried a trace of strange power!

It was that power that interfered with the Origin’s attempt to open a teleport to escape, giving me the opportunity to kill that stand-in.

My guess is, that it might be related to divinity.

Who has that child been interacting with lately?”

“Uh, she’s been tinkering with those machines in the embassy that I can’t quite understand.”

Professor Malcolm was startled by this revelation and replied immediately:

“Other than visiting her uncle, Little Sheron doesn’t wander the city.

She’s a very patient and persevering child, which may be why Morphy chose her, and she’s a vampire, my lord.