Chapter 95 - The Mission I

"I wonder if this is the right way, this damned map has no indication of north, south, east and west..." Valentine sat on top of Miki, fighting the gales of sand that rushed his way while paying attention to the ground, the last thing he wants is one of those worms devouring him of all things.

He had saved not the map, but the locations of importance in his memory and had left the physical map with Fayette and Vera.

His objective right now is to follow the most straightforward path to this 'Burning Wrath City' and hope to not find the convoy already en-route to that Soultorrent Trench.

Miki travelled at marginal speeds even in the sandstorm, getting her and Teddi is probably the best acquisition they have done together with Vera's new ability.

For most of the journey, his mind wandered on whether they truly needed to take on this mission, mostly due to the strength displayed by the Demon Sandmortelle... and also, Bellcroft.

They're to fight an entire entourage of demons, he already has a plan involving explosives, has total trust in Fayette and Vera and the badges as a communicator couldn't make it any better, the problem is battle power.

Even the best-plannified strategies could crumble in seconds in front of unparalleled power, but... the same is also applies the other way around, and in strategies, there has been a single individual who has defeated him.

It might be arrogant, but Valentine is confident in the plan.

It took him several hours before the outline of a city covered in sand from top to bottom showed itself, the Burning Wrath City. He had mostly used the reference from the directions obtained mostly referencing the travel with Jurgen and Sophia, thankfully, it had worked out.

'It doesn't look as civilised as the Mahogany Devilish City... is this a pro-violence city?' The several splatters of fresh blood on the sand destroyed architecture, slashes of weapons all over... corpses disintegrating in the mass of sand.

What's most amazing is that the majority of them are demons, leaving only the corpses of several humans behind, directly missing bones and chunks of the skull.

He doesn't even want to imagine what transpired here.

This city is 'Hell'.

Suddenly what he considered a devastating hypocrite city, paled in compression to the discovery of the authentic Hell.

"Faye..." Now that he has reached the place, it's time to see how the girls are faring.

"Yes, Vale, are you okay?" He heard Fayette's voice from the other side of the badge

"I'm already regarding the outline of the city... didn't see any convoy but I'm going to keep looking, you?"

"I'm already here with Vera, there are several small hills, but the terrain is mostly plain, I don't see a reason as to why they wouldn't take a straightforward route, the only variable are those worms... if they know where those worms come up from, it's different; they're definitely going to avoid us if that's the case."  The blonde beauty asserted from the other side, he had expected there to be small hills in this desert, but it's incredible how in this torrential never-ending sandstorm, that's mostly the same... it never changes the relief?

Oddities of the Netherworld mostly...

"I doubt it, it's an organism; not anything fixed and mechanical... it pursued us all the way from Mahogany Devilish City to the forest, but never came out. I suspect it's related to the strength of the individual or better; the number of individuals" As he approached the outskirts of the big mural, he began to think of the strategy that they were going to use.

"I think it's going to be straightforward, Vale... my roots can sink easily inside this sand, and we haven't caught the glimpse of a single worm so far, not even oddities in the sand, there is none." Vera gave her intel as well.

Valentine started thinking about the code of action, what they're going to do to ensure the success of this mission without any casualties, his mind took into consideration all the information they have.

Fayette, Vera and his power.

Miki and Teddi.

Explosive bombs and smoke bombs.

The sandstorm.

The desert's relief.

Dust in the eyes...

"I assume we're thinking of the same thing..." Fayette said from the other side with a relatively alluring voice that made him stop in his tracks.

"Oh?" He blinked once, is that the case? there are many possible stratagems that can be used to tackle this situation, but with the resources they have and the knowledge possessed, there is one that's paramount, extremely efficient and cost-effective.

"We love each other so much that it has to be that~ I know we're in sync, right Vera?"

"Hmn!"

!!!

"..." Valentine smiled and even heard the giggles coming from the other side coming from Vera, he's tempted to think that those words were whispered by Vera to be relayed to him, that's likely the case.

He loves Fayette and all, but she's not the kind of girl to say something so smooth.

Her body IS smooth, her tongue is smooth, her wording? not so much, but the words had accomplished the objective with which they were uttered, sighed and concealed his expression from no one in particular.

'How low have I fallen that my girls have to compliment me and not the other way around...?' 

"Next time tell that to my face~" He wouldn't admit that right now, he's blushing harshly, not in a thousand years...

"Sure~" Fayette couldn't see his expression, but she could feel it, it had been successful, a growling Valentine is what's left of a fit of giggles from the other side of the badge communicator.

They knew that Warcroft is likely hearing all this and, who cares? better that way, he will get annoyed and stop eavesdropping, or so they hoped.

"What's the plan then Mrs 'I love my husband'~" He decided to get serious, if they don't do this well, then let alone spend a passionate night in their pool, they might not even return home.

"It's like this..." Both Fayette and Vera started to tell him what they had planned taking into account their inventory.

With a famous tyrant Commander of the French Army, the Phantom of the Bolsheviks and the terrifying Bringer of Euthanasia.

This plan is bound to succeed. 

**

**

Inside the Burning Craft City, unaware that a beast lurked nearby, a man spoke... the city's atmosphere was eerily quiet, it's a miracle that someone is not currently wailing in despair, but... this meeting is important and hence all executions were momentarily postponed.

For a few minutes only.

"Listen well you pigs! it's time to leave and I don't have that much time to spare with you bastards, I have skulls to crush, understood!?"

"YES!"

"Prepare the formation; don't want to see anyone slacking with their guards down, whoever is not prepared for the incoming worms and a possible ambush; I'll make sure to swallow your core myself!"

A tall man spoke while standing straight with a war hammer on his shoulder, he loves smashing things, more than slicing, more than shooting, the sounds of the skulls being crushed without end excite him to the core!

The protector of Burning Craft City, Manson, spoke to his entourage, a group of twenty demons and four demon soldiers... three cars filled with weapons, explosives, medicines and the current of the city, a convoy that has an increasing priority to arrive in the next two days without delay.

However, the gaze of his subordinates is not that of respect or reverence, it's fear.

Because the man is coated with blood, from top to bottom... fresh from the same day and belonging to some of the demons from this very entourage that happened to look a little 'appetizing'.

This is a protector, and one of the most 'humanitarian' ones there is.

Charles Manson, protector of the Burning Wrath City contracted by Marques Sinclair of the pro-violence faction.

...

They departed the main gate, leaving behind a scared group of demons and a city filled with slaughter and dwelled in the midst of a chaotic storm of sand and dust, Manson was in the front, followed by two demons soldiers and ten common demons in armour.

Followed by a vehicle that moved forward by being pulled by a Callisto Bear with a size at least half the size of Teddi, behind them came the second half of the entourage, two demon soldiers, ten common demons and another vehicle pulled by another bear.

Manson paid attention mostly to the sand, "Don't increase the pace, the last thing we want is to call the attention of any of those bastards, if they show up, engage at sight." 

The worms are attracted to waves of energy and power... so long as they didn't make any major disturbance, they wouldn't be detected, he's been through this desert hundreds of times, living in this hell long enough to call himself great grandfather, crawling to the top leaving mountains of skulls, it didn't use to be this fun back then.

"YES!"

The demons answered in sync as if the person leading is not a human... the netherworld is a paradise for the wicked, those that hold strength, those that know how to manipulate.

A protector is just the peak of wickedness when the environment has set itself together to allow its growth.

'I wonder who is it that they're going to send? Sinclair said it is likely someone is coming to disrupt us, a magistrate? even a magistrate will have it difficult facing this lineup.' Manson was confident, overly confident.

After an entire day of the journey, no shortcomings presented themselves, they should be there in three days at most and no worms are coming out to make trouble with them; no enemies on the horizon to perturb their 'peaceful' delivery.