Raging Phoenix: Part Seven

”According to protocol, we must choose an alias to protect our identities from potential retribution. I’ll go with the usual—Gatekeeper,” Agent Diflas explained, pulling a sheet of high-quality paper and a stilo from his suitcase.

After the clash with the pirates, the four had recovered valuable insights from the captured ships, and a few hours later, they finally reached the location believed to be the enemy’s hideout. It was, indeed, a strange place to begin with. The waters surrounding it were a surprisingly 'normal' shade of blue because it was the only emerged landmass in sight, and the local coral population wasn’t dense enough to dye the entire sea. In stark contrast, the island itself was enormous—fifteen minutes racing in a speedboat wouldn’t have sufficed to circumnavigate even half of it—and a dense jungle concealed whatever secrets lay within. The only visible landmark was a tall hill rising from the center of the island.

”As always, I go with Immortal,” Agent Van Kasteel decided after a final check of the map found on one of the pirate ships. He still had some doubts about whether this spot was the right one among the thousands.

They had disembarked on a narrow strip of sand, where a single muddy path split the thick vegetation in two, prolonging ahead like a serpent vanishing into the green grass—somewhere along that road, their enemies were waiting for them.

“Then call me Thirty-Seven,” the 'Javelinist' declared, but everyone else frowned.

“Jacques, that’s a number.” Jude pointed-out.

He shrugged. “So what?”

The 'Mafioso' did the same. “Anyway, I’m going with Angel.”

“Ahah! What the fuck did you just say?” Jacques laughed out loud. “You, an angel? My brother in Adam, the day the Holy Trinity banishes you to Hell for eternity will be the day every single devil finally gets to retire—including the ’Dawn Sovereign’ himself.”

“Oh, the saint has spoken!” Jude shot back. “I heard Hell’s expanding. Apparently, their torture machines aren’t large enough to hadle your fatass.” Their bickering continued until the policemen had had enough.

“Stop, you two, this isn’t a joke. From now on, our lives are at stake”. Ludwig scolded them. ”According to Gillet’s report, the pirates’ leader is at least a level-15 Anima, and Class F like you two wouldn’t last a minute against a monster like that. So stay behind us, support when needed, and don’t do anything reckless—understood?”

The two snapped to attention. “YES, SIR!” Then Agent Diflas began compiling the paper, signing it once he had finished, and one after the other three drew their stilos and did the same. Then, the document’s atoms began to detach, disappearing into the horizon.

“Gatekeeper, I have an idea, but you have to promise not to get mad first.” The ’Defender’ sighed, sure he would be furious due to his past experiences with the ’Raging Phoenix.’ From his [Inventory], Agent Van Kasteel pulled out two tungsten boxes, each engraved with a stern warning—’Warning! Opening this container is an Imperial crime, punishable by thirty-seven years of forced labor.’ “You two, take these.” He tossed the boxes to Jacques and Jude, who caught them mid-air while Agent Diflas shrieked in rage.

”Are you mad?! Not only are those classified weapons that can literally explode inside an [Inventory] without proper handling, but each one is worth three years of my salary! If Captain Larsan finds out, we’ll be lucky if he only fires us!” He inhaled all the oxygen he could before shouting—”WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO IT?!”

”Funny story,” Jericho began with a mysterious tone. ”This morning, I was at Central to recover the suitcase, just like you told me. But, surprisingly, the place was quiet—too quiet—not a single soul around.” He folded his arms and tilted his head. “So, I wandered into the warehouse alone, and guess what I saw? One of the safes was wide open. Just standing there, unlocked, like it was begging for my attention. And inside? These two little boxes. I said to myself, ‘That has to be fate,’ and I took them.” He gave his colleague a thumbs-up. “Looks like my instincts were right once again!”

Ludwig fell to his knees, sinking into the white sand, his hands clutching his head. ”It’s over. I’m going to be fired in disgrace, and I’m just about to become a father…what am I going to do?!”

”C’mon, bro. We’re going to save the VIP. For national heroes, everything gets forgiven, right?” Jericho patted his friend’s shoulder, unintentionally making things even worse.

”So, what those things are?” Jacques asked.

”Open it, slowly,” Ludwig muttered without lifting his head. Inside each box was a special type of Gaussbow bolt—black as the night sky but embedded with thousands of shimmering points, as if an entire galaxy had been trapped within that thin cylinder. ”Listen carefully,” he continued, rising to his feet and opening the side container on the weapon magnetically attached to his right arm, displaying how to insert the bolt to the two Class F. ”These are extremely dangerous weapons—compatible with your Gaussbow—called Blornstorn. Remember the Korinthian Mana Aggregator? These bolts may or may not be stronger than that. However, it doesn’t matter because their true power power comes from yhe ability to circumscribing the damage output to the target only. Imagine an explosion that only affects a specific object, leaving everything else untouched—sheer efficiency.” Agent Diflas’s tone hardened, emphasizing the inherent danger of the ’Blornstorn.’

”With these babies, even a Class F might be able to take down an Anima. But don’t get too cocky, you’ve only got two shots, and they’re fast as…” Jericho cleared his throat. ”…animals.” The ’Raging Phoenix’ then turned toward the muddy path ahead. ”Now let’s move, unless we want to lose the element of surprise.” He pointed toward the dense jungle, and the four of them silently proceeded into its depths.

***

The tropical forest was inhospitable to Chaotians. The dense canopy trapped the humidity, making the heat almost unbearable, while thousands of insects—much larger than their continental cousins—couldn’t stop themselves from breaking their sting against the Carbon-Woven Armor or immolating themselves on Jericho’s flaming skin.

There, the squad advanced in single file, each member spaced a few meters apart from the others. Agent Diflas led the way, followed by Agent Van Kasteel, then Jude, and finally Jacques, and although all remained alert, it was the ’Mafioso’ who excelled at spotting predators hiding in plain sight—after all, he had once been one himself. However, something else caught his attention when it suddenly appeared before him—a [Window].

***
Contact.Window
***
xxxjaveliciderxxx@miraval.rol has sent you a message: 
Open it?
[ YES ] [ NO ] 
***

Jude resisted the instinct to turn around. Instead, he waited until an insect landed on his eyeshield, then used his hand to brush the bug aside—an excuse to click [YES] with his elbow.

***
Contact.Window
***
(01:11:53 MM) xxxjaveliciderxxx@miraval.rol says:
"Yesterday, I got paid for a filthy job. I originally planned to fix our dormitory bathroom, but in the end, I decided to buy three potions—two for [MP] and one for [SP]. If my conjecture is correct, would these, along with the Blornstorns, be enough to solve our problem?" 
***

He’s a deranged paranoid if he really believes this. But… Jacques’s message proposed an intriguing theory, backed by solid points, some of which Jude had noticed himself, and the more he read, the more his classmate’s doubts began to make sense. Thus, the ’Mafioso’ gave him the benefit of the doubt, resting his Gaussbow on his shoulder as an answer.

From the reflection on the polished metal of his weapon, he noticed Jacques’s left arm swinging like a pendulum. At first, it seemed like the natural motion of a relaxed limb, but then he detected something strange—each time the hand passed behind Jacques’s back, a few fingers extended in an unnatural way. The movement repeated, until a soft ping alerted Jude of a new [Email].

Jude had known Jacques since birth, and paranoid was the most fitting word to describe him because the ’Javelinist’ had a bad habit of overthinking, constantly wasting his resources fighting threats that, 99.9% of the time, didn’t even exist. However, that remaining 0.1% always made up for it, and the ’Mafioso’ had learned that lesson the hard way. So Jude placed his hand behind his neck and cracked it, moving all five fingers at once.

Jacques appreciated his honesty, then opened his [Tree.Window], expanding two Skills:

***
Tree.Window
***
[ IllusiveJavelin ] : Let X be the [MP] cost of [BasicJavelin] and Y, N positive integers such as Y = N·X, then you can spend Y [MP]  to create 37N − 1 javelin illusions and a real one hidden among.
[ ChariotJavelin ] : You can use a javelin to transport anything to any location within your visual range. 
***

Meh…I’ll have to get very creative this time. As Jacques thought that, Agent Diflas raised his right hand, signaling the group to halt and take cover behind the trees. They obeyed and pulled out their binoculars.

”Eleven pirates and a humanoid tiger,” Jude reported, spotting the enemies gathered in a clearing near the entrance of a cave at the foot of the tall hill.

”Is that the Anima?” Jacques asked, observing the bipedal tiger bark orders at the pirates.

”No. Look above the tiger’s head and you’ll only see the name of his [Class]—’Panthera Phasmavisor’—without a level. That means it’s a ’Beta’,” Agent Diflas explained, pulling a pair of Power Batons from his [Inventory]. ”Still, be wary—some Betas are nearly as strong as their Alpha.”

”I’ll take care of the cat, and you guys handle the rest.” Agent Van Kasteel declared as his flaming wings materialized behind him. ”Let’s dance!” With astonishing speed, he launched himself at the enemy, his flaming kick aimed straight at tiger’s head. However, Jericho’s over-enthusiasm triggered the Beta’s [Instinct], allowing the beast to intercept the blow in time with its powerful arms. For a brief instant, the ’Raging Phoenix’s’ bloodthirsty eyes locked onto the Beta’s terrified gaze. “Bad choice resisting,” Jericho smirked, flames now completely shrouding his body. “I’m gonna go real rough on you.” Every cell in the pirate’s body now screamed the same message—run.

”You Idiot!” Ludwig screamed as he blocked a volley of bolts directed at Jacques and Jude. The two tried to retaliate, but the other pirates hid behind the large metallic cranes scattered throughout the clearing.

”Just give me five minutes, Gatekeeper.” After a wink, the ’Raging Phoenix’ soared upward in a spiraling arc, leaving a blazing trail behind him that formed a towering ring of fire, as tall as an obelisk, trapping the tiger inside. ”I’m coming for you.” Like an eagle, he plunged at his trapped prey.

The Beta managed to block the first kick again, but Jericho vanished beyond the fire wall, only to reappear from the opposite direction, branding the sole of his flip-flops across the tiger’s back. ”Now, you’re mine!” The scene repeated itself as hundreds of flaming kicks rained down from all angles, leaving dozens of scorch marks across the beast’s body. However, the worst part was the tower of fire itself, consuming the oxygen inside. The Beta’s movements began to slow, and at that moment, he realized his fate was sealed.

Meanwhile, the other pirates were putting their arsenal to good use. Assault Gaussbows shot at the forest, targeting the two Class F operatives, while those armed with Mazookas turned Agent Diflas’s life into a living hell. Their strategy was simple yet brutally effective.

They divided into three groups, each taking cover behind a different row of metal cranes. One group focused fire on Ludwig, another targeted Jacques and Jude, while the third reloaded, and as soon as the first group emptied their Mazookas, the others shifted their roles, creating a relentless attack loop that drained Agent Diflas’s [HP].

”Not looking good—[BasicJavelin].” Jacques materialized a javelin in his hand.

“Their goal is just to stall us, buying time for their Alpha to show up and save their asses,” Jude pointed out. If that were true, then the Chaotians’ only hope was for Jericho to finish his fight before reinforcements arrived. “If you give me that [SP] potion, I might be able to take out one group. Gatekeeper should be able to handle the rest.”

Jacques glanced at him in disgust. “Cope. I’m not wasting a potential lifesaver—one I paid for with MY MONEY—on a bunch of minions. Now watch how a real job gets done.” Without hesitation, he launched his javelin straight at a pirate just as the man was about to fire his Mazooka, hitting the Mana sphere while it was still inside the launcher and triggering an explosion that instantly vaporized the wielder and the pirates around him. Without the metal cranes, the other group scattered in panic, only to be swiftly suppressed by Jacques and Jude’s bolts.

At the same time, Agent Diflas lunged at the reloading group, tackling most of them to the ground and crushing their skulls with savage blows from his batons. One surviving pirate, however, managed to grab a blue-bladed sword and attempted to strike the officer while he was still down. *WHOOOOOSH!* A javelin struck the pirate’s hands, not enough to injure but enough to throw him off balance. Seizing the moment, Ludwig snatched a grenade from a nearby corpse, pushing it into the pirate’s mouth, and jumped away just as the body exploded into hundreds of pieces.

The surviving pirates attempted to flee into the cave, but then the ring of fire vanished, revealing Agent Van Kasteel with a still-beating heart in his hand. The Beta lay motionless on the scorched ground, sporting a gaping hole in his chest. With what little strength remained, the tiger stretched out his trembling paw toward the blurry silhouette of the policeman—the last thing he saw was his comrades writhing beneath a shroud of flame.

”The Beta was really lame. Let’s hope the Alpha lasts at least a few minutes more against my thrusting. Right, Gateke—ahahah!” The ’Raging Phoenix’ burst into laughter as he noticed the Red Bar hovering above the ’Defender’s’ head. ”You’ve already lost 15% of your [HP] against Soulfuls? Ah…Oh, wait a minute, what do the Naturians call them again?…Oh, right—Omegas! Ahah!”

”Silence, Immortal!” Agent Diflas snapped. ”I had to protect two Class F while you left us alone. We could have taken them out quietly if you’d followed the damn protocols, but no—you had to start a fucking firestorm. Now everyone in that damn cave knows we’re coming!”

While the two lovebirds bickered, wasting precious time, Jude placed a hand on Jacques’s shoulder. “Good job, Thirty-Seven. I never would’ve expected a bookworm like you to have better aim than me.”

“I really wish, Angel. My aim is still garbage, so your title as the best sniper of you-know-what isn’t in danger. My Mana imprints my will into my javelins, and all I need to do is throw them in the right direction.” Then, he slapped his friend’s hand away and began walking around the clearing.

Using his Gaussbow as a lever, Jacques pried open a few crates to inspect their contents, finding rusty weapons, corroded machinery, and worn hydraulic parts. His rummaging quickly drew the attention of the two policemen, and soon Jude, Ludwig, and Jericho silently followed as Jacques stopped in front of a crate much smaller than the others, secured with a combination lock and crafted from tungsten.

“Angel, remember what you said on the ship?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The jamming! It took us more than two hours to reach this island. Have you ever heard of a jamming system with a range of hundreds of kilometers?” Jacques’s tone sharpened. “And even if such a system existed, where is it? There’s nothing around here!” He bellowed in frustration, hitting the side of the crate after failing to find a way to open it.

”Maybe it’s on another island, or a Theta is using a [Skill] to isolate this part of the Pacific Archipelago. We can’t be sure of anything,” Agent Van Kasteel skeptically remarked.

“Angel, open this little shit!” The ’Javelinist’ ordered. In response, the Mafioso eyed the crate for a couple of seconds before casually breaking the lock with a swift kick. “How the hell…Anyway, all of you, look around. No one’s made crates like this in fifty years, and everything inside—it’s all so old. Someone used this island as a base—that’s certain. But not in this decade, and clearly it wasn’t our pirates—So who?”

As he finished speaking, Jacques flipped open the lid of the metal crate. Inside were thirty-seven small, neatly arranged packages of cigarettes. “Wait a minute…Le Paradis…I’ve seen this brand before,” Jude said, visibly surprised. The agents, however, exchanged confused looks, clearly unfamiliar with the name. “Oh, ’Original Seeker’…is this real Manalamine?”

“You mean the Imperfect Paradise? The god of all drugs?” The two agents asked, recalling the name from long-whispered stories among fellow officers.

“Not exactly,” Jude corrected. “Manalamine is just the magical compound used to manufacture Imperfect Paradise. A single gram of this stuff can produce thirty-seven kilograms of the drug.” He paused to check its quality by licking a small amount off his little finger. ”According to some Marian gentlemen I know, forty years ago, just one of these packages could’ve sold for over a million Marini in the Tugurio. But now, if you factor in inflation, its legendary status, and the complete halt in production, its value is beyond estimation.” At that moment, they realized they controlled the entire market supply—a surge of dark cravings now twisted in their guts.

”Gatekeeper, my dear frie—” Jericho began, but an elbow from Agent Diflas cut him off.

“Don’t even think about it, Invincible. After we save the VIP, we’re turning these packages over to the Miraval Family. Let them decide how to make moral use of this poison.” Agent Van Kasteel sighed, already knowing this was a lost battle.

“Poison is a euphemism,” Jacques interjected. “The drug was wildly popular among Essentias—one of the few substances whose effects weren’t neutralized by our [HP] or [Passive.Skill]. However, what was paradise for us became hell for Soulfuls. Addiction rates skyrocketed to levels never seen before with people selling their own families just to get another dose.” His voice grew somber. “Trust me, Gatekeeper. The most moral thing you could do is burn this trash. But even that would be pointless—somewhere deep in the underground tunnels of the ’MIMT,’ the recipe still exists.” Jacques’ words struck at their pride as policemen.

Next, the Javelinist retrieved a pair of shoes from his [Inventory] and removed the laces, using them to tie all the packages into a single bundle, which he then wrapped in cloth. ”Manalamine is an unstable compound. One wrong vibration, and we’ll witness a lovely explosion. Behold—our third Blornstorn.”

“Don’t even think about it, Thirty-Seven,” Ludwig warned. “Blornstorns restrict their damage to the target’s body. Now imagine detonating a bomb inside a cave?”

“For once, I agree with Gatekeeper,” Jericho chimed in. “I’m going to avoid any fire [Skills] that consume oxygen. In a confined space like that, they are a danger to the VIP’s life.” Jacques sighed and placed the bundle back inside the metal crate. But then, suddently, Jude’s expression darkened.

”Everyone shut up!” Jude’s shout silenced the group. All eyes followed his outstretched hand, pointing toward a distant crate Jacques had yet to inspect. Without hesitation, the ’Raging Phoenix’ flew onto it, uncovering a cowardly pirate hiding behind the metallic box, and with a swift kick, Jericho sent the Naturian crashing to the ground beside his colleagues.

”Are you mad? He’s unarmed!” Agent Diflas stepped between Jericho and the boy. ”It’s against protocol to kill someone who isn’t an immediate threat.” The pirate couldn’t have been older than twelve—the same age as Diflas’s little brother. And that’s why he had to stop what Agent Van Kasteel was planning for him.

”If we let him live, he’ll bring reinforcements,” Jericho firmly declared. ”You want to screw up our mission for this filthy pirate? Is the life of a robber, rapist, and murderer more valuable than ours or that girl’s in the cave?”

Although he couldn’t understand a single word they said, the boy guessed the nature of their argument. He knelt before them, clasped his hands, and repeatedly raised them over his bowed head in desperation, and when he finally dared to lift his eyes, searching for mercy, all he found was the cold glint of their eyeshields and a single lustful pair of blue eyes, craving for his blood.

”Maybe we could just tie him up—or cut his legs?” Jacques suggested nonchalantly, earning immediate scowls from both agents.

”Thetas can [AstralProjection] into the Spiritual World and send messages even across continents,” Jericho explained. ”The only way to silence him for good is death.”

”Look at him, he’s barely standing. Maybe he’s not even an Anima.” Jude argued despite uncertainty plaguing his voice. Without understanding the boy’s language, he couldn’t activate [LieDetector].

”He hid during the fight, even when the damn Omegas were dying around him! Why would those monsters let a coward live unless he was vital to them?” Jericho barked, but beside him, Ludwig stood firm, shaking his head in disapproval.

The heated argument continued, backgrounded by the incomprehensible groans and cries of the young pirate. Jacques, growing impatient with the impasse, raised a hand. ”Let’s vote.”

”Why the hell should we vote? And even if I agree, why the fuck should Class F be allowed to vote on this?”

”We’re a team now,” Ludwig seized the opportunity, backing Jacques’s proposal. ”Out here, rank doesn’t matter. Our choices decide who lives and who dies, and that means everyone gets a voice.” Agent Van Kasteel scoffed but didn’t argue—his silence was his consent.

”Now,” Ludwig continued, stepping forward, ”Whoever believes we should kill this unarmed child—raise your hand.” Beneath his carbon-woven helmet, the ’Defender’ smirked, but…

”Three against one—it’s settled.” The ’Raging Phoenix’ grinned. ”The pirate dies!”

Ludwig’s shoulders slumped, and his hands trembled too much to keep hold of his batons, which fell to the ground. “Why?” he whispered, his finger trembling as he pointed at the two recruits. He’d expected Jericho’s vote, but not betrayal from the Class F.

“Because my life is worth more than that of a worthless pirate. If he didn’t want to die, he shouldn’t have tried to kill me in the first place. What the fuck did you expect to happen when you join a gang of murderers and rapists?”

“Enough, Thirty-Seven,” Jude shouted, silencing his classmate. Then he turned to Ludwig. “What my friend meant with his poor choice of words is that we can’t afford the luxury of morality right now. We’re four people alone in the middle of enemy territory. We don’t know their numbers, and we’ve lost all communication with Miraval City. Taking further unnecessary risks isn’t just reckless—it’s suicidal.”

Jericho stepped forward, fire shrouding his arms as he prepared to carry out the grim task. However, Jacques raised a hand to stop him.

“Angel, do it—quickly.”

The ’Mafioso’ gave a reluctant nod and stepped behind the trembling boy, wrapping his arms around the pirate’s neck. “[Adrenaline].”

With a swift, practiced motion, the boy’s neck snapped, silencing him forever. Yet, in that final, fleeting moment before death took him, the child uttered a word that needed no translation, equal in all the thousands of tongues spoken across Naturia.

“Mom.”

***

A broken doll lay on the ground. Her porcelain was dirty, soaked, and covered in cracks—a forgotten toy abandoned in a dusty attic.

”Don’t make that face, Mon Chéri. In a week, thousands will witness your execution, staged against the breathtaking panorama of the Akropolis—if you’re lucky. If the Demmies refuse to pay…” Perry leaned closer, licking his lips. “…I’ll have my fun once the Boss tires of y—” His monologue was cut short by a booming roar—Level-19α ’Panthera Phasmavisor’ Ghatobhàmi Gauda had sensed the danger.

The pirates immediately stood up, positioning themselves in formation. The Omegas stayed back, aiming their Gaussbows at the temple entrance. The Betas flanked the door, hiding themselves and ready to ambush any intruder. And at the center stood Gauda, facing the entrance.

“Looks like someone’s come for you, or, more likely, the Demmies sold us out.” Perry was amused. “Too bad for you, I guess.” And with that, he hid himself behind a jagged rock in the far corner of the cave.

Silence reigned inside the temple, with everyone preparing themselves for the inevitable. The sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance tunnel, but it was the absence of scent that unsettled the Animas the most—their keen noses rarely made mistakes. As the footsteps came to a stop, Gauda’s muscles tensed. His orange fur bristled, and his opal eyes locked onto the darkness at the tunnel’s entrance.

*Twang!* A sharp sound sliced through the stillness like a blade, and an instant later, Gauda caught the bolt mid-air a mere millimeter from his eye. Then, silence fell once more.

The Alpha lowered his gaze, staring in confusion at the object gripped in his palm—it was orange, as warm as a burning sunset on the Pacific Sea.

*Shhhhhhhhhhhh!* The orange color expanded, shifting from a small bolt into a large cloud that engulfed the pirates. Jacques and Jude rushed inside, their Carbon-Woven Armor masking their scent. They opened fire on the Omegas, eliminating them with precision. As the Betas charged at them, a mysterious force pushed them toward the entrance where Agent Diflas stood, wielding two Power Batons—now overflowing with Crude Mana. The tigers didn’t waste any time attacking the policeman, but he blocked all their strikes, and thanks to his [TurningCheek]—a [Skill] that returned every blow he received with 37% additional damage—the three humanoid tigers were swiftly smashed to the ground.

Witnessing the fall of his brothers, the Naturian prince inhaled the orange smoke, clearing the battlefield with a single deep breath, and after a quick scan of the room, he lunged at Ludwig—claws fully unsheathed. ”GRRAAAAAAAA—”

But before the Tiger could finish his roar, something struck his stomach. Looking down, he found a flaming foot buried deep in his gut. “Look at me, big pussy—I’m going to eat you!” Agent Van Kasteel mocked, savoring Gauda’s furious expression.

***
Breaking News
***
Miraval City Police Department, Special Squad 37 
VS 
Ghatobhàmi Gauda’s Pirate Host, The Unconquered Tigers

The Second Battle at the Imperfect Temple has started. 
***

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