Director Ignatius waited hidden in the trees facing the mine entrance, his royal phoenix manifesting a golden aura that made each strand of his white hair shimmer with power.
The bronze rank guards maintained their encirclement at a greater distance, their earth beasts would be useful for blocking retreat or providing support, but in direct combat against a gold rank tamer they would be little more than a hindrance.
The supervisor, his ice penguin partially manifested, positioned himself hidden on the other side of the entrance. Silver rank 2, not enough to fight directly against a gold opponent, but he could provide support to the director who did have a gold rank creature.
A presence moved inside the cave. The Director sensed it immediately, gold rank power was unmistakable, impossible to completely conceal.
In Yino, where platinum rank was nonexistent… that meant someone near the top of their hierarchy. Which made their presence here very problematic.
His fingers tensed as he prepared an attack. The phoenix concentrated power in his hands and the temperature around the Director began to rise.
But the presence stopped.
‘Detected the trap,’ thought the Director as he felt the intruder cautiously retreat. The tension in the air was almost palpable.
Following them inside would be a terrible idea. Without a tamer of similar rank specialized in underground combat, the terrain advantages would be too great. Better to wait, to confront them he had to let them come out into open terrain.
The seconds crawled like hours. The presence moved occasionally, evaluating, perhaps thinking it wouldn’t be worth it.
‘Come out,’ the Director maintained his position. ‘Save us the trouble of sending someone to follow you…’
The situation required a permanent solution, a tamer of this level returning to Yino with information about the academy’s defenses would be too dangerous. Better to end this here, where the incident could be… contained.
As if responding to his thought, the presence moved forward.
The Director’s attack was instantaneous, releasing a massive wave of golden fire that consumed the mine entrance.
The heat was so intense that the guards had to retreat further. The supervisor fully manifested his penguin, preparing for whatever would emerge from the flames.
When the fire began to dissipate, a mound of earth exploded from the ground.
The figure that emerged was a nightmare of flesh and chitin, a human grotesquely fused with an abyssal scorpion, the characteristic mutations of Yino taken to the extreme.
A golden hippogriff manifested instantly at his side, its majestic form contrasting with its tamer’s monstrosity.
The Director observed the transformation with a mixture of fascination and revulsion. Yino’s techniques for fusing with abyssal beasts had always seemed an abomination to him, an easy path to power that inevitably corrupted its users.
The mercenary’s eyes opened with recognition. “The famous Director Ignatius Aurelius of the Imperial Academy of Yano,” his voice sounded distorted by the mutations. “It’s an honor.”
Ignatius studied his opponent.
“I can’t say the same,” Director Ignatius responded, expanding his wings in threat. “Though clearly you’re someone of importance in Yino.”
An asset too valuable to let escape.
“Me?” the mercenary pointed to his mutations with a pincer. “I’m just one more… just the result of embracing the true potential of abyssal beasts.”
“Is your presence here a declaration of war?” the Director kept his voice calm, but his mind worked rapidly. An agent of this level, so deep in enemy territory… the implications were worrying.
His right hand moved in a subtle pattern. The bronze rank guards understood the signal and at the right moment, would seal the entrance. There would be no retreat.
One wrong move and this could become the first act of a new war between kingdoms.
“War?” the mercenary laughed, a horrible sound through his mutated jaw. “The war never really ended, did it? We’ve just been… preparing.”
“And I suppose,” the Director observed the mutations with disgust, “those abominations are part of that preparation.”
“Abominations,” the mercenary spat the word. “You and your pretense of purity. At least we don’t fear true power.”
“True power?” The Director maintained his condescending smile while taking a step forward. “Yino has always been… limited in that aspect. So many resources invested in aberrant experiments, so much forbidden research… and the result? Not a single platinum rank tamer.”
The mercenary’s crystalline pincers opened and closed rhythmically, a nervous tic that betrayed how much those words had affected him.
“One platinum tamer?” he spat the words like venom. “Is that what gives you such confidence? A single double tamer holding up an entire kingdom?”
“Isn’t that precisely what you fear? Our King’s capabilities… But let’s return to the important point… I’m surprised to find an agent of your level, a single agent near the academy… makes me wonder if Yino is really prepared for whatever it’s planning…”
The guards sealed the entrance, their earth beasts manifesting to create interlocked barriers.
“Oh, I see you want me to extend my visit.”
“We have plenty of ‘hospitality’ for you so make yourself comfortable.” Director Ignatius maintained his casual tone while golden flames danced between his fingers. “So answer! What does Yino seek by sending one of their gold rank tamers… alone?”
“Alone?” The mercenary’s voice sounded distorted through his partially transformed jaw. “Do you think I’m alone in this, Director?”
“Oh, I know perfectly well that you’re alone now,” Ignatius let a condescending smile form on his lips. “The real question is why… why send one of their precious experiments so deep into our territory?”
“Precious?” The mercenary laughed, a metallic and fleshless sound. “Don’t overestimate me, Director. I’m just one of the many gold rank tamers that Yino regularly produces now.”
“Ah, so you admit they sent you?” Ignatius stepped forward, his phoenix spreading its wings in all its majesty. “Though you try to pass yourself off as one of many… your griffon betrays you. You’re one of their best, aren’t you? What a waste of potential, corrupted by those abyssal beasts…”
“Waste? While Yano clings to its traditions, limiting itself to archaic beasts, Yino advances. Each year we produce more gold rank tamers, each month more double tamers join our ranks. And soon…”
He paused dramatically, savoring the moment.
“Soon our first triple tamers will be ready.”