The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: The Invasion Beneath the Estate

Meanwhile — Neil and Nao

The underground passage beneath the estate was considerably quieter than the grounds above. Thick stone walls stretched into the darkness, illuminated only by the faint magical lamps fixed at regular intervals along the corridor. The deeper they went, the more the air changed, carrying with it the cold, damp scent of earth mixed with the faint metallic smell of blood.

Neil walked several steps ahead, his eyes moving calmly across every intersection while Nao followed beside him.

After some time, Neil broke the silence.

"How did your mission go the other day, Nao?"

Nao glanced at him before answering.

"It went smoothly enough. I still don’t particularly enjoy that kind of assignment, but Eclyra was with me, so it wasn’t much of an issue. Having someone dependable beside you makes even the more troublesome missions considerably easier."

"I see. Then I suppose it was a worthwhile assignment after all."

Neil’s gaze shifted toward the passage ahead.

"And now we’re here, working directly under Master himself. I didn’t expect we’d be assigned to the same operation."

Nao’s expression became slightly more serious.

"Neither did I. Still, if Master has decided to personally oversee this operation, then this place must be more important than the information we initially received suggested."

"Most likely."

Neil paused for a moment before continuing.

"Whatever is hidden beneath this estate, we should assume that the people protecting it are prepared for intruders. We cannot afford to become careless simply because the first guards were weak."

Nao gave a faint smile.

"Of course. We’ll do our part."

He looked ahead into the darkness.

"For the Great Eclipse."

Neil nodded.

"For the Great Eclipse."

They continued forward.

They had barely gone another hundred meters when the sound of hurried footsteps reached them from farther down the passage.

Several voices followed.

"Check the lower passage!"

"The intruder entered from this direction!"

"Don’t let them reach the laboratory!"

Neil stopped.

Nao immediately understood.

"Looks like they’ve realized something is wrong."

"They’re sending reinforcements."

Neil lowered his voice.

"Then let’s make sure they don’t get the opportunity to report back."

The two stepped toward the wall and disappeared into the shadows.

A few moments later, several guards rushed into view, swords already drawn. They were moving quickly, clearly responding to the disturbance on the surface, and their attention was fixed entirely on the passage ahead.

None of them noticed the figures concealed along the walls.

The first guard passed.

Then the second.

Two faint flashes crossed the darkness.

FSSHT!

THK!

Two throwing daggers struck the guards at the back of their heads with deadly precision.

Their bodies collapsed almost simultaneously.

THUD!

THUD!

The remaining guards turned sharply.

"What—?"

Before they could finish, Neil and Nao emerged from the shadows.

They exchanged a brief glance.

Nao’s mouth curved into a faint smirk.

"That was easier than expected."

"Don’t get complacent."

Neil retrieved one of the fallen daggers before continuing down the passage.

"The deeper we go, the stronger the resistance will become."

Nao nodded and followed him.

As they advanced, the passage widened.

Rows of iron-barred cells appeared along the walls.

Nao slowed.

"Cells..."

Neil looked through the bars.

Some were empty.

Others were not.

There were several people inside, weakened and barely conscious, their bodies bearing clear signs of prolonged experimentation.

Neil’s expression hardened.

"So this is what they’ve been hiding."

Behind them, footsteps approached.

The five Harbingers emerged from the darkness and silently joined the two.

Neil looked toward them.

"Stay alert. We’re close."

The Harbingers nodded.

Without another word, they continued deeper into the laboratory.

Meanwhile — Laboratory

Several floors beneath the mansion, Baron Remon stood inside a private chamber overlooking a section of the underground facility.

Across from him stood one of the senior researchers responsible for the laboratory.

Neither man looked particularly relaxed.

The researcher placed a document on the table.

"We have another problem."

Remon glanced down.

"Another?"

"The group we’ve been investigating has appeared again."

Remon’s expression darkened.

"The same organization?"

"Yes. We still haven’t identified their true origin, but their movements are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore."

The researcher opened the document.

"Five of our smaller facilities have already been compromised. The largest one was completely cleared before we could send reinforcements. Personnel were eliminated, records disappeared, and the laboratory itself was rendered unusable."

Remon’s fingers tightened against the edge of the table.

"And you still haven’t determined who they are?"

"Not with certainty."

"Then what have we learned?"

The researcher hesitated.

"They call themselves Eclipse."

Remon leaned back slightly.

"Eclipse..."

"The name has appeared repeatedly in the reports. At first, we believed they were simply another underground organization interfering with our operations. However, their capabilities are far beyond what we initially estimated."

"How far?"

"We don’t know."

The answer clearly irritated him.

The researcher continued.

"Some of the surviving witnesses described individuals capable of killing trained guards before they could even draw their weapons. Others reported warriors whose strength exceeded what should have been possible for their apparent age."

Remon remained silent.

The room became noticeably colder.

"The higher-ups have already begun investigating them," the researcher continued. "They’re concerned that if Eclipse continues destroying our facilities at this rate, the damage will eventually reach the central organization."

"And what do they expect us to do?"

"Remove them."

Remon gave a quiet scoff.

"As though that were simple."

"We have capable fighters stationed throughout this facility. If Eclipse attacks this location, they will be deployed immediately."

Remon looked toward the sealed door.

"Then increase the security around the important sections. No one moves between laboratories without authorization, and anyone leaving this facility is to be inspected."

"Understood."

"And most importantly, no one travels alone. If Eclipse is monitoring our movements, we cannot afford to give them another opportunity to trace our personnel."

The researcher nodded.

"We’ll make the necessary arrangements."

Neither man noticed the faint disturbance beyond the chamber.

They did not hear the footsteps approaching.

They did not hear the guards falling.

And they certainly did not realize that the organization they had spent weeks discussing had already entered their laboratory.

Suddenly—

BANG!

The chamber door was thrown open.

A guard stumbled inside, breathing heavily.

"Baron!"

Remon immediately stood.

"What happened?"

The guard struggled to catch his breath.

"We’re under attack!"

The researcher’s face paled.

"Attack?"

"There are intruders inside the facility. More than ten of them, perhaps even more. They’ve already breached the mansion and are moving through the underground passages."

Remon’s expression changed.

"Eclipse?"

"We believe so."

"How many guards have engaged them?"

"Several groups, but they haven’t been able to stop them. They’re cutting through our defenses far too quickly."

The researcher stared at him.

"How many have they lost?"

The guard lowered his head.

"Too many."

Silence filled the room.

Remon clenched his jaw.

"So they’ve finally come here."

The researcher looked toward him.

"What should we do?"

Remon’s eyes hardened.

"Contact the combat teams immediately. I want every capable fighter mobilized. Seal the lower passages and eliminate those intruders before they reach the central laboratory."

"Understood."

The guard turned to leave.

"Tch."

Remon looked toward the door.

"Those people again. If they are allowed to continue, the situation will become impossible to contain."

Then—

Knock.

The three men froze.

A second knock echoed through the chamber.

Knock. Knock.

Remon slowly reached for his sword.

"Who is there?"

No answer.

His grip tightened.

"I said, who is there?"

Silence.

Then another knock.

This time, harder.

BANG.

Remon drew his sword.

"Stay behind me."

The researcher instinctively moved backward.

Remon approached the door cautiously.

"Identify yourself."

Nothing.

His eyes narrowed.

Then—

BOOM!

The entire door exploded inward.

Fragments of wood and metal flew across the room.

Remon raised his arm to shield his face.

When the dust settled, a young woman stood calmly in the doorway.

Blue hair curled around her shoulders, framing a composed expression that seemed completely out of place amid the destruction.

She stepped over the broken remains of the door.

"Good evening."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

Remon’s eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

She tilted her head slightly.

"Are you perhaps Baron Remon?"

His sword remained raised.

"What do you want from me?"

Saora’s smile widened.

"If you are indeed Baron Remon, then my timing couldn’t have been better."

A faint shimmer appeared around her hand.

Remon immediately sensed the change.

"What—"

An umbrella manifested in Saora’s grasp.

CLICK.

The umbrella opened briefly.

Then closed.

CLICK.

Its frame compressed as the weapon began rotating rapidly.

WHRRRRRR—

Saora’s eyes remained fixed on him.

"The truth is, I’m here to—"

The spinning weapon suddenly tore through the air.

"—take your life."

FWOOSH!

Remon barely managed to raise his sword.

CLANG!

The impact sent him sliding several meters across the floor.

His boots carved deep lines into the stone.

He steadied himself, breathing heavily.

Strong...

His eyes remained fixed on the girl.

Is that level of physical power really possible at her age?

Saora slowly lowered her umbrella.

"Oh?"

Her expression carried genuine amusement.

"You blocked that."

Remon raised his sword again.

"Don’t underestimate me."

He stepped forward.

His sword swung.

SHING!

A compressed wave of mana tore through the chamber, splitting the stone floor as it traveled toward Saora.

BOOM!

She moved aside.

The attack carved a deep scar across the wall behind her.

Remon followed immediately.

Another slash.

Then another.

SHING!

FWOOSH!

BOOM!

Each swing released a concentrated shockwave, forcing the air itself to tremble.

Saora continued avoiding them with minimal movement.

Why can’t I hit her?

Remon’s breathing became heavier.

I’m forcing her backward, yet she isn’t actually struggling.

He stepped forward and unleashed another powerful strike.

Saora raised the umbrella.

CLANG!

The collision shook the chamber.

Remon’s eyes widened.

No...

His sword was being pushed away.

Why am I being overpowered?

Saora twisted her wrist.

The umbrella rotated.

WHRRRRR—

Remon’s sword was violently redirected.

He staggered.

Saora stepped inside his guard.

THUD!

Her knee struck his abdomen.

"Grk!"

He bent forward.

Before he could recover, she struck him across the face with the reinforced shaft of the umbrella.

CRACK!

Remon stumbled sideways.

The researcher stared in terror.

This can’t be happening...

He slowly began moving toward the opposite door.

One of the Harbingers stood there.

The researcher stopped immediately.

There was nowhere to run.

Remon recovered and raised his sword again.

"You..."

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"How are you this strong?"

Saora looked at him calmly.

"Does it really matter?"

She opened the umbrella.

CLICK.

Remon instinctively raised his sword.

The weapon remained completely still.

For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.

Then Saora moved her wrist.

FSSSSHHH!

An invisible blade of compressed wind tore through the room.

Remon’s eyes widened.

A thin line appeared across his armor.

He looked down.

Impossible...

Blood began spreading across his clothing.

"I didn’t even see it..."

His knees nearly buckled.

Yet he forced himself upright and charged again.

"AAARGH!"

His sword descended with everything he had left.

Saora stepped aside.

The blade struck the floor.

BOOM!

Stone shattered beneath the impact.

Remon immediately recovered and swung again.

Saora blocked.

CLANG!

Another strike.

CLANG!

Another.

SHING!

The exchange became increasingly violent, but the result never changed.

Remon’s attacks grew slower.

Saora’s movements remained precise.

She wasn’t fighting desperately.

She was simply dismantling him.

Finally, Remon committed to one final attack.

Saora stepped forward.

Her umbrella flashed.

SHING!

His sword arm was severed at the wrist.

"AAAGH!"

Before he could retreat, she turned.

SHING!

His leg was cut from beneath him.

Remon collapsed.

"GRRRAAH!"

He tried to crawl backward.

Saora approached without haste.

A final strike severed his remaining leg.

He fell helplessly onto the stone floor.

Saora looked down at him.

"How pitiful."

She closed the umbrella.

CLICK.

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the others follow you to hell."

The umbrella opened once more.

A silent gust passed through the chamber.

The Baron went still.

The researcher stood frozen, his entire body trembling.

Saora turned toward him.

"And now..."

Her eyes settled on the terrified researcher.

"What should I do with you?"

The researcher swallowed hard.

"I-I can explain—"

"You can explain everything later."

Saora looked toward the doorway.

"Take him."

Two Harbingers entered immediately and seized the researcher before he could resist.

"No! Wait! You don’t understand—"

"Save your explanations for someone who asked."

The researcher was dragged from the room.

Saora glanced once more at the ruined chamber.

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