The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 110: Chapter 110: The Enemy Behind the Shadows

The chamber was buried beneath an abandoned estate far from the territories governed by the kingdoms.

There was nothing remarkable about the structure above ground. The building had been left to decay for years, its windows broken and its walls covered with vines. No guards stood outside, and there were no magical barriers that would attract attention from passing mages.

Yet beneath the ruined estate, several layers below the surface, a completely different world existed.

The chamber was spacious and carefully maintained, with smooth stone walls reinforced by layers of magic. A large table occupied the center, illuminated by a pale magical light suspended above it. Several reports, maps, and sealed documents had been arranged across its surface.

Five people occupied the room.

The first was a tall man with silver hair falling loosely past his shoulders. His eyes were closed, as they almost always were, and a faint smile rested upon his face. His posture was relaxed enough to suggest that nothing in the room could possibly concern him.

Beside him sat a large man with dark-red hair and an imposing physique. His broad shoulders and heavily scarred arms gave him the appearance of someone accustomed to fighting rather than sitting through meetings.

Across the table was a short man with neatly styled blond hair and a slender frame. At first glance, there was nothing particularly threatening about him, but his calm eyes possessed an intelligence that made his otherwise ordinary appearance deceptive.

The fourth was a tall man with long black hair tied loosely behind his head. His build was lean, almost elegant, although the enormous sword resting against the chair beside him made his true profession obvious.

The final member was a woman with long black hair and heavy bangs framing her face. Several loose strands fell naturally over her shoulders, while her expression remained composed and unreadable.

None of them spoke for several minutes.

The woman eventually placed the report in her hands onto the table.

"The sixth facility has fallen."

The blond man continued reading the document before him.

"It was destroyed three days ago."

"The fifth was destroyed shortly before that."

"Correct."

The large man leaned back in his chair.

"Six facilities in total."

There was a faint amusement in his voice.

"They’ve certainly been persistent."

The woman glanced toward him.

"Persistent is not the word I would use."

She rested one hand against the table.

"They have systematically interfered with operations that were expected to remain undiscovered, and they have done so across several territories without leaving behind enough evidence for us to determine their headquarters or their chain of command."

The large man smiled.

"Which makes them competent."

The tall black-haired man looked toward him.

"Competent enough to warrant our attention."

The large man shrugged.

"That remains to be seen."

The blond man finally closed the report.

"We should not underestimate them simply because they have yet to identify us."

The large man looked at him.

"I wasn’t suggesting that."

"Your attitude suggested otherwise."

A faint grin appeared on the large man’s face.

"Perhaps I simply have more confidence in our ability to deal with them."

The woman quietly sighed.

"Confidence is useful. Overconfidence is considerably less so."

The large man laughed.

"Coming from you, that almost sounds like concern."

"It is experience."

She reached for another report.

"And experience tells me that six destroyed facilities are not something we should dismiss."

The silver-haired man remained silent throughout their exchange.

His eyes were still closed.

After a moment, he spoke.

"What information have we recovered from the sixth facility that was not available to us previously?"

The blond man immediately turned several pages.

"Very little that can be considered conclusive. Most of the records concerning the broader network were removed before the facility was compromised."

"Was that consistent with the previous five?"

"Yes. The pattern is remarkably similar."

He placed several documents beside one another.

"Names are removed. Locations are incomplete. Transportation records have been altered or destroyed. Communication channels have been erased. Even identifying marks used by individual researchers have been removed in several cases."

The black-haired man studied the documents.

"They anticipated the possibility that one of the facilities would be discovered."

"That appears to have been the intention."

The woman looked over the reports.

"Then whoever established the network understood the consequences of exposing too much information."

The blond man nodded.

"Each facility was designed to function independently. Even when personnel or materials were transferred between locations, the records were structured so that one facility could not easily reveal another."

The large man gave a quiet laugh.

"An unnecessarily complicated arrangement."

"An effective one."

"Until Eclipse began destroying them."

The room became quiet.

The name remained hanging in the air.

The woman eventually spoke.

"Eclipse."

The black-haired man leaned back.

"They have become rather difficult to ignore."

The silver-haired man opened his eyes.

"How much do the kingdoms know?"

The blond man answered without hesitation.

"They know considerably more than they did several months ago, although they still possess no understanding of the larger structure."

"Have they connected the incidents to Eclipse?"

"Yes."

"And what conclusion have they reached?"

The blond man considered his answer.

"They believe Eclipse is an independent organization operating outside the authority of the kingdoms. Their exact purpose remains uncertain, but their actions have generally been interpreted as hostile toward criminal organizations, illegal laboratories, and groups involved in human experimentation."

The woman smiled faintly.

"An admirable reputation."

"That reputation is precisely what makes them inconvenient."

The black-haired man looked toward the reports.

"They have managed to convince the kingdoms that their intentions are beneficial."

"At least for the moment."

The silver-haired man rested his chin lightly against one hand.

"Have any of the kingdoms attempted to investigate them directly?"

"Several."

"And?"

"They found nothing."

A faint smile appeared on the blond man’s face.

"Apparently, Eclipse is considerably more careful than the kingdoms expected."

The large man chuckled.

"Perhaps we’re finally dealing with people who understand how to keep secrets."

The woman looked toward him.

"That would explain why they’ve survived this long."

The black-haired man remained focused on the reports.

"The combat reports are more concerning."

The silver-haired man turned his attention toward him.

"Explain."

"There are repeated accounts of individuals within Eclipse defeating highly trained warriors despite their apparent age."

He placed several reports on the table.

"The descriptions differ, but the pattern remains consistent. Their younger members possess abilities far beyond what their appearance would suggest."

The woman examined one of the reports.

"The woman encountered during the territorial conflict."

"Yes."

"She was capable of fighting two high-ranking warriors simultaneously."

"And she was not alone."

The black-haired man nodded.

"Another member arrived during the confrontation."

The large man smiled.

"That sounds more interesting."

The woman gave him a sideways glance.

"You seem unusually interested in them."

"I have been waiting for someone worth fighting."

The black-haired man gave a faint smile.

"That is hardly a reliable measure of their strength."

"I didn’t say it was."

The large man leaned forward.

"I said I wanted to meet them."

The silver-haired man watched him for a moment before looking back at the reports.

"Do not mistake their youth for weakness."

The large man smiled.

"I wouldn’t make such a mistake."

The woman quietly laughed.

"You nearly did."

"I said I wouldn’t."

The silver-haired man interrupted before the exchange could continue.

"Regardless of their individual strength, their organization has become sufficiently capable that we can no longer afford to treat their actions as isolated interference."

The room became serious again.

The woman folded her arms.

"Then you have reached a decision."

The silver-haired man looked toward her.

"Yes."

The blond man waited.

"What do you intend to do?"

The silver-haired man slowly reached across the table and unfolded a map.

Several territories were marked upon it.

"We have spent enough time allowing them to determine the pace of this conflict."

The black-haired man studied the map.

"You intend to make the first move."

"Not openly."

The silver-haired man placed his finger upon one location.

"We will provide them with an opportunity."

The woman immediately understood.

"You want them to come to us."

"They have spent months searching for the source behind the laboratories. Their greatest weakness is also their greatest motivation."

The blond man looked at the marked location.

"They cannot ignore information that appears capable of leading them closer to the center of the organization."

"Exactly."

"Then the location itself is expendable."

The silver-haired man gave a slight nod.

"Correct. If sacrificing one operation allows us to uncover the structure of Eclipse, the exchange is worthwhile."

The woman rested her fingers lightly upon the map.

"You intend to let them believe they’ve finally discovered a path leading to our core."

"Not believe," the silver-haired man corrected calmly. "They must be convinced."

The blond man adjusted several documents into a neat stack.

"I can fabricate transportation records, correspondence, and personnel movements that connect naturally with the information they’ve already recovered. Even if they compare it against the previous laboratories, the inconsistencies will be virtually impossible to detect."

The black-haired man studied the marked territory.

"And once they commit their forces?"

"Before deciding whether to eliminate them, I want to know three things—their command structure, their strongest combatants, and the individual directing their operations."

The large man smiled faintly.

"So this isn’t a hunt."

"It’s an examination."

A quiet silence settled over the chamber.

The woman broke it first.

"If their commander appears personally, this may become the only opportunity we’ll ever receive."

"Which is precisely why impatience would be foolish."

The silver-haired man’s gaze shifted toward the large man.

"I assume you understand what that means."

The large man let out a quiet laugh.

"You’re worried I’ll split the battlefield apart before we’ve learned anything."

"I am."

"That’s rather insulting."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Is it? You destroyed an entire fortress because one opponent annoyed you."

"That fortress was already collapsing."

"You accelerated the process."

The large man rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward smile.

"...A minor miscalculation."

The black-haired man gave a rare chuckle.

"Remarkably minor."

The silver-haired man allowed the conversation to settle before speaking again.

"You may participate, but only under one condition."

The large man’s expression immediately became serious.

"Name it."

"You do not engage their leader without my permission."

For the first time, the smile disappeared from the large man’s face.

After several seconds, he inclined his head.

"...Understood."

The silver-haired man looked toward the remaining three.

"The rest of you already know your responsibilities."

The blond man answered first.

"I’ll prepare the intelligence network and ensure the false information reaches the channels Eclipse has been monitoring."

The woman nodded.

"I’ll erase every trace connecting the operation to our primary facilities. Even if the bait fails, nothing important will be exposed."

The black-haired man rested a hand upon the hilt of his sword.

"I’ll secure the battlefield and eliminate any variables that shouldn’t be there."

The silver-haired man closed the map.

"Good."

He rose from his chair, and the others followed without another word.

"There is no reason to underestimate Eclipse."

His calm voice echoed through the chamber.

"They have earned the right to stand before us as enemies. Whether they survive that encounter... depends entirely upon the choices they make."

The silver-haired man remained standing beside the table, his attention fixed upon the map.

"Before we conclude, there is one matter that still needs to be decided."

The black-haired swordsman looked toward him.

"The individual who will be sent to the laboratory."

The large man immediately leaned forward.

"I’ll go."

"No."

The answer came without hesitation.

The large man frowned.

"You’ve already decided?"

"I have."

The silver-haired man turned his attention toward the black-haired swordsman.

"Number Four will handle the operation."

The room became silent.

The woman glanced toward him.

"By himself?"

"Yes."

The large man gave a quiet laugh.

"You’re sending him alone against Eclipse?"

"That is precisely the point."

The silver-haired man calmly folded the map.

"If we send several of us, they will immediately understand that the laboratory was deliberately prepared as a trap. One individual is far more convincing. If Eclipse believes they have discovered another facility and encounters only a single opponent, they are far more likely to engage rather than withdraw."

The blond man nodded.

"That would also allow us to determine which members they consider important enough to deploy."

"Exactly."

The black-haired swordsman remained silent.

His hand rested lightly against the hilt of the sword beside him.

The woman looked toward him.

"Do you have any objections?"

"None."

His answer was calm.

"What do you expect from me?"

"Nothing beyond what you normally do."

The silver-haired man looked directly at him.

"Observe their strength. Determine how their abilities function. If possible, capture one of them alive."

The swordsman’s expression remained unchanged.

"And if they prove unwilling to be captured?"

"Then you may withdraw."

The large man looked surprised.

"You’re allowing him to retreat?"

"Of course."

The silver-haired man gave him a faint smile.

"We are not trying to prove that we are stronger than Eclipse. We are trying to understand them."

The black-haired swordsman nodded.

"Understood."

The blond man opened one of the documents.

"There is another advantage to sending Number Four."

He turned the report toward the others.

"The combat records indicate that several Eclipse members rely heavily on magical reinforcement and abilities that manifest through their bodies or weapons. His Severance should interfere with many of those techniques."

The woman nodded.

"Which means he can test their abilities without immediately revealing everything we possess."

"Precisely."

The large man smiled.

"Then he’s the obvious choice."

The swordsman glanced toward him.

"You sound disappointed."

"I was hoping for a fight."

"You’ll have your opportunity."

The large man’s smile widened.

"I’ll remember that."

The silver-haired man interrupted before the conversation could wander further.

"The laboratory will be abandoned under the appearance of an emergency evacuation. Several records will remain behind, including references to a transfer route connecting the facility to another location."

The blond man added,

"The information will be accurate enough to survive scrutiny, but incomplete enough to make Eclipse believe they have discovered only another section of the network."

"And the laboratory itself?"

"Real."

The woman answered this time.

"We won’t construct a false facility. We’ll use one of the existing laboratories and remove everything we cannot afford to lose."

The silver-haired man nodded.

"Good. The more authentic the situation appears, the more likely they are to investigate."

The swordsman looked at the map.

"How long until the laboratory is prepared?"

"Three days."

"I’ll leave tonight."

The large man gave him a look.

"You seem rather eager."

"I simply prefer to arrive before the bait becomes obvious."

The woman smiled faintly.

"That is exactly why you’re being sent."

The swordsman stood.

"Then I have no further questions."

He turned toward the doorway.

The silver-haired man stopped him.

"Number Four."

He paused.

"Do not pursue them if they withdraw."

The swordsman looked back.

"I understand."

"We have spent too much time gathering information to throw away that advantage because of a single battle."

A brief silence followed.

Then the swordsman nodded.

"I won’t."

He left the chamber.

The large man watched the door close behind him.

"He’s always been difficult to read."

"That’s one of his strengths."

The woman gathered the remaining documents.

"And if Eclipse sends one of their strongest members?"

The silver-haired man smiled faintly.

"Then Number Four will finally meet someone worth measuring."

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