Princess Iris smiled a serene smile. She looked at her chaotic, messy team. The political stakes were higher than ever. The entire Empire was watching them. An unknown enemy was plotting against them. But she felt completely confident. She knew her team would face the challenge together.
"Let us return to the estate," Princess Iris ordered softly. "We need to rest. We need to plan our next move. The true war has just begun."
The 13th Unit turned around. They walked away from the ruined plaza. They headed toward the transit station.
Ken dragged his cheap shoes on the cobblestones. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He whistled a happy, quiet tune. He looked completely unbothered by the global crisis.
But inside his mind, the lazy slacker dropped his goofy mask entirely.
"An external force is directing monster invasions," Ken thought coldly to himself. His internal voice sounded like absolute, freezing ice. "Someone is playing games with my city. Someone is trying to ruin my peaceful life. I cannot allow this to continue."
Ken knew the elite girls could not solve this mystery alone. Sayma was incredibly smart, but she relied on books. Naomi was incredibly fast, but she relied on her daggers. They needed raw, unfiltered intelligence. They needed eyes in the darkest corners of the continent.
"I need to call a guild meeting," Ken decided silently. His dark eyes sharpened for a fraction of a millisecond. "The basic spirits are not enough anymore. I need the specialists. I need to assemble the entire crew. I need to find this manipulator before he interrupts my afternoon nap schedule again."
Ken smiled a tiny, secret smile. He slouched his shoulders again. He asked Naomi for a sweet bun. He perfectly maintained his lazy cover story. He walked back to the estate, fully preparing to log into his shadow network later that night. The real hunt was about to begin, and the mysterious manipulator had absolutely no idea what was coming.
---
The air in the pocket dimension was entirely still. There was no wind. There was no sun. There was only a vast, endless expanse of smooth black stone. The sky above was a blank, dark void. It was a completely secret place. It existed entirely outside the normal world. Nobody could find it. Nobody could accidentally wander inside.
Ken Eliot stepped into the dark dimension. He did not use a door. He simply appeared.
He wore his usual navy blue suit. The fabric was slightly wrinkled. His white dress shirt hung untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in messy spikes. He slouched his shoulders. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He let out a loud, lazy yawn.
"This place is always so dark," Ken mumbled to himself. He looked around the empty space. "I really need to install some nice lights. Maybe a few lamps. A disco ball would be fantastic. It would really improve the mood."
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He reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small piece of strawberry candy. He unwrapped the plastic. He tossed the sweet candy into his mouth. He chewed it slowly.
Ken needed to hold a private meeting. He needed to organize his forces. The Succession War was becoming extremely complicated. The politicians were causing massive problems. He needed to set a clear strategy.
He stopped walking. He stood in the exact center of the black stone floor.
"Anime logic, equip," Ken whispered casually.
His clothes transformed in a single millisecond. The wrinkled suit vanished entirely. A long, dramatic black cloak materialized over his shoulders. Brilliant gold embroidery lined the dark fabric. The cloak flowed elegantly down to his boots. A smooth, featureless black mask appeared over his face. A single, glowing purple eye ignited in the absolute center of the mask.
The lazy boy disappeared. The terrifying, god-like entity known as Lancelot took the stage.
Lancelot stood perfectly straight. He projected an aura of absolute authority. The air turned freezing cold. The magical pressure expanded outward.
Lancelot raised his right hand. He snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The dark dimension instantly changed. A massive, towering fortress formed out of the black stone. Huge pillars rose into the sky. A gigantic assembly hall materialized around him. The hall looked like a colossal underground colosseum. Bright purple torches ignited on the walls. The torches cast long, dancing shadows across the floor.
Lancelot stood on a raised platform at the front of the hall. A large, comfortable throne sat right behind him. He looked at the throne. He noted the thick, plush cushions on the seat.
"I finally got good cushions," Ken thought happily inside his mind. "A shadow god deserves proper lower back support. Sitting on hard rocks is a terrible design choice."
Lancelot sat down on the throne. He crossed his arms over his chest. He looked out at the massive assembly hall.
The hall was not empty. It was completely packed.
An army stood before him. There were over ten thousand silent soldiers in the room. They formed absolutely perfect, flawless geometric squares. They did not move a single inch. They did not breathe loudly. They did not fidget. They stared straight ahead.
The soldiers wore dark, sleek tactical armor. Their faces were hidden behind smooth, pale masks. They carried a vast assortment of deadly weapons. Some held long, jagged spears. Some carried glowing magical rifles. Some held twin silver swords.
Ken looked at the massive army. His dark eyes sparked with pure amusement beneath his mask.
"This is exactly like a real-time strategy video game," Ken analyzed lazily in his head. "I have a massive unit cap. I just selected all my troops. They are waiting for me to click the map. I am the ultimate guild master. This is the absolute best cheat code."
The ten thousand soldiers were divided into four distinct, specialized departments. Each department wore a slightly different colored trim on their dark armor.
The first group was the Frontal Assault Squad. They wore dark red trim. They were massive, muscular fighters. They carried giant swords and huge shields. They were designed to smash through enemy lines. They were the tanks.
The second group was the Assassination Unit. They wore deep purple trim. They were very sleek and incredibly thin. They carried small daggers and toxic darts. They were designed to strike from the shadows. They eliminated targets without making a sound.
The third group was the Espionage Network. They wore dark green trim. They did not carry large weapons. They carried magical communication crystals. They were the spies. They gathered secrets. They watched the politicians.
The fourth group was the Technical Team. They wore bright silver trim. They carried glowing tablets and glass vials. They were the scientists and the hackers. They broke magical locks. They brewed advanced potions. They provided absolute logistical support.
Lancelot looked at the very front of the massive army.
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