The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: The Umbrella of Destruction

By nightfall, Ares had finally reached the destination.

From the outside, the place looked like nothing more than an old noble estate surrounded by a high stone wall. The mansion itself was large enough to belong to a respectable aristocratic family, yet there was nothing particularly suspicious about it at first glance.

That was exactly the point.

The laboratory wasn’t inside the mansion.

It was beneath it.

According to the information the girls had gathered, a concealed passage somewhere within the estate led underground and eventually connected to the laboratory where the experiments were being conducted.

Ares descended from the night sky and landed quietly on the outer grounds.

The moment his feet touched the ground, several figures waiting nearby immediately turned toward him.

Saora was the first person he recognized.

She was one of the elites whose combat ability was comparable to that of the Ten Reapers, and she had been assigned to this operation alongside Nao, Neil, and five Harbingers.

Saora’s appearance was rather distinctive. Her blue hair reached her shoulders in large, loose curls, giving her an elegant appearance that contrasted sharply with the weapon she carried.

An umbrella.

Ares had never completely understood how that thing worked.

Its structure could transform depending on how she wielded it, and when the umbrella began spinning, the force generated by its rotation was powerful enough to crush metal. Its frame could also transform into a blade, allowing it to function as a sword when necessary.

It was certainly an unusual weapon.

Ares had given Saora her name for no particular reason.

It simply sounded appropriate at the time.

The moment he approached, Saora, Nao, Neil, and the five Harbingers immediately lowered themselves into a respectful bow.

"Welcome, Master."

Ares looked over them before speaking.

"Report."

Saora straightened.

"We have confirmed the entrance to the underground passage. The exact number of personnel inside has not yet been determined, but judging from the movement we’ve observed and the amount of supplies being transported underground, we estimate there may be several hundred people."

"Several hundred..."

Ares glanced toward the mansion.

So they really had been busy.

"Have you confirmed whether the laboratory itself is still active?"

"Yes, Master. We detected a considerable amount of magical energy beneath the estate. Whatever they are conducting underground, the operation remains active."

Ares remained silent for a moment.

Several hundred personnel, an active laboratory, and an unknown number of researchers or combatants.

It was larger than expected.

"Then infiltrate first. Do not engage the main forces unless necessary. Locate the laboratory, identify their important personnel, and secure any documents or materials that could reveal what they are doing."

Saora lowered her head.

"Understood."

The other members immediately followed.

"We shall proceed."

Within moments, the group dispersed into the darkness, moving toward different sections of the estate.

Ares watched them disappear before turning his attention elsewhere.

Draven and Cedric had been left with the Starlight.

They should be fine.

As long as there’s enough food, anyway.

Knowing those two, the real danger probably isn’t the enemy.

It’s them causing some unnecessary trouble.

Ares sighed quietly.

"Try not to destroy anything important..."

He turned his gaze toward the mansion.

The night had become unusually quiet.

Then—

A faint black radiance began gathering around him.

The Eclipse had begun.

Saora reached the mansion first.

She moved silently through the darkness until she reached the outer courtyard.

Several guards were stationed there, their weapons already drawn as they patrolled the grounds.

One of them noticed the unfamiliar figure approaching.

"Halt!"

Saora stopped.

The guard raised his sword.

"Identify yourself."

Saora simply looked at him.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"You don’t need to know."

The guard’s expression hardened.

"An intruder."

Several men immediately drew their swords.

"Take her down."

They rushed forward.

Saora didn’t move.

She waited until the first sword was almost within reach.

Then—

A faint shimmer appeared in her hand.

SHING.

An umbrella materialized between her fingers.

She opened it with a quiet motion.

CLICK.

The guards continued charging.

Saora slowly tilted the umbrella upward.

For an instant, nothing happened.

Then—

FSSSSHHHH—!

An almost invisible blade of compressed air swept across the courtyard.

The guards suddenly stopped.

Thin lines appeared across their armor.

One of them looked down in confusion.

"What...?"

His body collapsed.

THUD.

Another fell immediately afterward.

THUD.

The remaining guards froze.

They hadn’t even seen the attack.

Saora lowered the umbrella slightly and looked at the bodies scattered across the stone.

"Wuuh."

Her expression showed little interest.

"Trash."

The sound of the fighting had already attracted attention.

Footsteps thundered from inside the mansion.

"What happened?!"

"There’s an intruder!"

"How many?!"

"One!"

The main doors burst open.

A larger group of guards rushed into the courtyard.

Their expressions changed when they saw their comrades lying on the ground.

One of them tightened his grip around his sword.

"Surround her."

The guards spread out instead of attacking recklessly.

Saora watched them calmly.

One moved first.

His sword came down from above.

CLANG!

Saora caught the blade with the umbrella.

The impact made the guard’s arms tremble.

"What—?"

The umbrella hadn’t even moved.

He pushed harder, trying to force her backward.

Saora simply rotated her wrist.

WHRRRRR—!

The umbrella began spinning.

The sudden force knocked his sword away from its trajectory.

Before he could recover, Saora stepped inside his reach.

Her body twisted with the movement.

Her heel flashed.

SHING!

A narrow blade extended from her boot.

She drove it into the man’s side.

THK!

His breath escaped in a strangled gasp.

"W-What the—"

Saora pulled her leg back and struck him across the head.

CRACK!

He collapsed.

Another guard attacked from behind.

Saora turned just enough for the sword to pass beside her shoulder.

She lowered her body and drove her elbow into his stomach.

THUD!

The man’s body folded.

Before he could fall, Saora caught his arm and redirected his momentum, throwing him into another guard.

BOOM!

Both crashed into the stone wall.

A third guard rushed toward her.

His sword came straight for her chest.

Saora closed the umbrella.

CLICK.

The weapon’s frame compressed.

Its shape narrowed into a long, curved blade.

SHING.

She caught his sword.

CLANG!

The two weapons locked.

The guard pushed forward with both hands.

"You’re not getting past me!"

Saora looked directly into his eyes.

Then she tilted her head slightly.

"You’re mistaken."

Her wrist twisted.

The force behind her weapon suddenly changed.

The guard’s sword was knocked violently to the side.

CLANG!

His balance broke.

Saora stepped inside his guard.

Her umbrella-blade swept upward.

FSSSH!

The guard staggered backward, blood running across his armor.

He dropped to one knee.

Saora opened the umbrella again.

CLICK.

The man looked up at her.

"What... are you...?"

Saora smiled faintly.

"Someone you shouldn’t have stopped."

The umbrella began spinning.

WHRRRRRR—!

Three more guards attacked simultaneously.

One came from the front.

Two from the sides.

Saora moved between them.

She redirected the first sword with the umbrella, ducked beneath the second, then spun around the third.

CLANG!

SHING!

THUD!

One guard lost his weapon.

Another was thrown off balance.

The third barely managed to retreat.

"She’s too fast!"

"Don’t let her control the distance!"

The guards changed their formation.

Saora noticed.

So they weren’t completely incompetent.

She raised the umbrella.

The weapon began rotating faster.

WHRRRRRRR—!

The air around her distorted.

The nearest guard raised his sword defensively.

Too late.

FSSSHHH—!

A compressed wind blade tore across the courtyard.

The guard’s sword snapped apart.

CRACK!

He stared at the broken weapon.

Saora was already in front of him.

Her umbrella struck his chest.

BOOM!

He was thrown backward.

The remaining guards hesitated.

Saora slowly lowered the umbrella.

The courtyard was filled with fallen bodies, broken weapons, and scattered blood.

She looked toward the mansion entrance.

There were still plenty of enemies inside.

This was only the outer guard.

Saora’s faint smile returned.

"Now then..."

She stepped forward.

The umbrella spun once more.

WHRRRRRR—

And the next wave of guards rushed toward her.

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