Slowly walking back to the hideout, under the cloak of a silent, starry night, were Shizu and Mihia. Their hands were intertwined—not as a romantic gesture, but as a symbol of security and trust. Just minutes earlier, they had met in a narrow alley, hidden within the shadows of the decaying city.
With a tone more serious than Mihia had ever heard from him, Shizu stopped, turned to her, and, locking eyes, spoke firmly:
— "Mihia... I promise you..." — his voice trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the weight of responsibility — "I'll find a way to save you... and your mother too. But for that... I need your help. I need you to do something for me... something very important."
Mihia squeezed his hand tighter, took a deep breath, and with an expression of pure determination, replied without hesitation, her eyes reflecting a courage far beyond her years:
— "Alright, mister! I... I'll do anything! If it's to help... you can count on me!"
Shizu gently placed his hand on her shoulder, inhaled deeply, and then began to explain carefully, staring straight into her eyes:
— "You're going to the Empress. When you get there, tell her... that tomorrow night... we'll attack. Tell her we'll strike from all sides... from the ground, from above, surrounding every flank. Tell her we have a huge army... and that there's a mysterious leader behind it all, coordinating everything."
Mihia stood silent for a moment, processing every word. Then, after a brief pause, she nodded to show she understood—but quickly raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and asked, confused, frowning:
— "Wait... but weren't you actually planning to attack tomorrow night? Why are you making me say that?" — her eyes showed more curiosity than suspicion.
A sly grin stretched across Shizu's face, a sharp, cunning smile like someone two steps ahead in a dangerous game. He then answered, lowering his voice as if revealing a grand secret:
— "Because... that's exactly the trick." — his eyes gleamed under the stars — "The plan you'll deliver... is fake. We... we're not waiting until tomorrow. Mihia... we're starting... TONIGHT."
Scene cut.
Heavy doors slam open inside the hideout. Shizu storms in, pushing them with force, his expression wild with determination. His voice thunders through the hall, shaking even the walls:
— "GET UP, YOU LAZY BASTARDS!! THE ATTACK... IS TONIGHT! RIGHT NOW!!"
For a few seconds, there's absolute silence—then it explodes into chaos:
— "WHATTTT?!" — everyone in the hideout screams in unison, jumping to their feet, knocking over chairs, crates, and anything in the way.
Meanwhile, inside the cold, luxurious castle of the Empress, a voice as sharp as a blade fills the grand hall. Sitting on her throne, legs elegantly crossed, Babadar stares down at her young informant with one raised brow and a piercing gaze:
— "Are you... absolutely... sure... that what you heard is true...?" — her voice drips with doubt, but also a hint of amusement, like someone who enjoys playing with others' minds.
Kneeling, hands firmly pressed to the ground in submission, Mihia keeps her head down, but her voice is steady—almost rehearsed:
— "Yes, Your Majesty... I heard everything from beginning to end. They plan to attack tomorrow night... They'll surround the castle from all sides, even from the skies... and from what I saw... they have a massive army... heavily armed. They're taking this very seriously."
Babadar taps her finger against her lips, eyes narrowing as her thoughts swirl.
"Tomorrow... but why tomorrow? If they're that well-prepared... why wait? Something smells worse than these filthy slums..."
Suddenly, her gaze sharpens like a blade, locking onto Mihia, who still bows her head. The Empress then asks, her tone slicing through the air:
— "Tell me... little informant..." — she pauses, letting the tension suffocate the room — "Did anyone... discover... that you were spying?"
Mihia freezes. Her calm facade crumbles instantly—her lips tremble, and her mind floods with terror.
"How...? How did she figure it out...? I... I was so careful..."
Stammering, she struggles to maintain composure, but her trembling voice betrays her:
— "I... I-I gathered a lot of information, yes... b-but... I don't understand... w-why do you think I was found out...? I... I swear... no one knows... that I... that I work for you..."
Babadar watches her like a predator studying prey, tracking every twitch, every subtle flinch. Then... she relaxes. Crossing and uncrossing her legs, she takes a sip from her wine glass and responds with a cold, sinister smile:
— "If you say so... very well." — her eyes glint with malice — "I'll believe you... for now."
Casually swirling the wine in her glass, she shifts the subject entirely, as if tossing all the previous tension aside like garbage:
— "Oh... and by the way..." — her smile widens — "How would you like... to see your mother?"
Mihia's eyes shoot wide open—as if the entire universe had stopped. She blinks several times, unable to believe what she just heard:
— "Y-You... you mean it...? I... I get to... to see... my mother...?!" — her voice cracks, trembling with overwhelming emotion.
Babadar swirls her wine lazily, then rises from her throne, descending the marble steps slowly, her footsteps echoing:
— "Yes." — she says simply — "Come. Walk with me."
Back in the slums, chaos reigns within the hideout. Shouting, overlapping conversations, and frantic footsteps fill the air. Around a makeshift table, Shizu, Anin, Carlius, and Anistina are trying to calm everyone down.
— "Leader... BUT WHY NOW?!" — one soldier yells — "IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THIS!!"
— "WE'RE NOT READY YET!!" — another shouts.
Shizu slams his hand on the table so hard that cups and maps shake. His eyes burn with fury as he shouts back:
— "SHUT! THE! HELL! UP!!" — he pauses, breathing heavily, then explains — "Listen closely... The reason is simple. I found out... there was..." — his eyes narrow — "a spy... among us."
The room falls dead silent. Not even a whisper.
— "She..." — he continues — "already knows we were planning to attack tomorrow. So... we flip the game before they can react. It's now... or never."
Anistina slams her fist on the table:
— "HE'S RIGHT!! IF WE STRIKE NOW... WITH THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE... OUR CHANCES TRIPLE!! THEY WON'T HAVE TIME TO SET UP A DEFENSE!"
Carlius scratches his head, looking skeptical:
— "Yeah, yeah... but... who was the spy, huh? And... what'd you do with... them?"
Shizu crosses his arms, dead serious, but answers naturally:
— "I turned her to our side." — his tone is confident — "And in return... I made a promise. A favor... but one that's worth far more than it seems."
Anin narrows her eyes at Shizu, half suspicious, half worried:
— "And... are you sure we can trust her...? What if she's... lying?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire through the hideout.
— "Yeah... I'm worried about that too..."
— "If she betrays us, we're doomed..."
Shizu then stands tall, slams his fist against his chest, and with a fierce smile, yells:
— "OF COURSE I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT!! AND I GUARANTEE YOU ALL... THAT TONIGHT..." — he raises his fist high — "WE WILL WIN!! AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT DEMON BABADAR CAN DO TO STOP US!!"
The hideout erupts into a war cry:
— "SHIZU! SHIZU! SHIZU!!"
Anin steps forward, gives a confident smirk, and with determined eyes declares:
— "Then it's settled... that tonight... we march... TO VICTORY!"
Shizu clenches his fist, smiles, and replies:
— "Damn right..."
Carlius, half-sarcastic, cuts in:
— "Yeah... but you're all forgetting one little detail... HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DEFEAT BABADAR?!" — he crosses his arms, dead serious — "Don't take this the wrong way... but even if you poisoned her... that woman's strong enough to wipe this whole city off the map if she wants... You sure you're not underestimating her...?"
Anin falls silent, clearly worried, unable to answer. Shizu rubs his chin, grins, and says:
— "Nothing a good strategy... can't solve."
Carlius sighs, shaking his head:
— "Alright... whatever you say..."
Suddenly, a shout cuts through the hideout like a blade, wiping out any remaining doubts:
— "TODAY'S THE DAY!! GET YOUR WEAPONS, FORM THE TEAMS!!" — it's Anistina, fired up.
— "YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!!" — everyone screams in unison, scrambling, grabbing weapons, reviewing plans, and preparing for the impossible.
Meanwhile... deep beneath the Empress's castle... the sound of something heavy... falling to the ground... echoes. Followed by Babadar's cruel, razor-sharp voice:
— "Thank you, little one..." — a pause... — "But I no longer... need your services..."