"Hm, hm… Oh, so it's like this… Um, Todd, elaborate on this one?"
Toad took the paper and focused on the part Cid showed.
"Ah, didn't think it would be here. That one is about…"
"I can see that it describes all ways we could possibly harvest material resources from Cult members, yes. The question is, how did you even come to the conclusion we need something from them?"
"Ah, you see…"
"We are running out of Serpent Scales," Hams interjected.
Cid stared at them in perplexity, looked into the room to confirm that they barely used 0.1% of their Scales, then quirked his brows.
"Yes!" Todd took it as confirmation, "Sooner or later, our reserves will run out! We need to make sure we have a constant supply of every material possible so we can run our experiments without worries!
"And how, do pray tell me, we can use Cult members for that?"
To that Hams tapped some buttons on Control Panel and showed something on the screen.
"That's the cloning facility of Sanctuary that we got after Soul Bind," he explained, "It was left unused after that baldy got on your bad side, but it still is in good state and can be used for its purpose. However…" he swiped the screen to show an army of same-looking blonde elves… that looked suspiciously similar to Alpha, "Cult has never used it properly, instead relying on Sanctuary's ability to summon ancient memories."
"And all of that is now ours…" Cid noted, rubbing his chin.
"Indeed, we can now use the cloning facility. Moreover, what they did was completely worthless; memories, as funny as it sounds, did not have any memories or emotions and could only use the power of original without any actual thought behind it."
"Yes, I think I remember something like that…"
Cid did not, because he never actually met her, but that's besides the point.
"Moreover, for the whole growth process the organism is required to stay in the growth reservoir… Unless it has a soul."
"Ah, I see…" Cid received enlightment, "If it has a soul, it fights for survival and automatically directs all the processes for it. However, if it does not have one…"
"…Then it could only rely on life-support systems," Hams finished, fixing his glasses.
Cid went in thought. Yes, for now he has a large amount of various resources, but who's to say he wouldn't run out of them? Sooner or later it's bound to happen, unless he prepares for it.
"So, you want to grow mini-Serpents that will produce the scales using Cult members' souls."
"Indeed. The quality, of course, will not be quite the same, unless we are willing to let them grow to Serpent's power level, but it would be good enough for our experiments."
"And what about resources of non-organic origin?" he took out another document.
"That's… complicated. A lot of processes occur during the time it takes for one precious gem to form, not to mention for a large amount of them."
"But artificial diamonds existed, right?"
"Yes, however, we still need to make sure the process is fully automatic and does not require our intervention."
"That's true…" Cid slowly looked over the papers.
His Inner Beast really decided to make a large self-sustaining system out of his Soul Space, huh. An interesting project…
"You know, I have an idea…" he attracted their attention, "Let me first talk with Violet about that, then we'll see what we should do with these guys."
Cid went out of Soul Space. Todd stood still for a moment, then turned around to see the souls stored into the crystals. With a croak he placed crystals back into the room for souls.
"Stierlitz, report," he spoke in a cool authoritative tone.
"Nothing unusual, Smith," she responded in somewhat similar way. Yeah, she really needs to up her roleplay, but they have fun, so who cares?
"Good. We are to set off in a hour," he took his bottle of Mitsugoshi's fizzy drink. He had to admit, it was pretty good.
Violet, on the other hand, sufficed with a cup of warm tea. And soon he will have, too; cool undercover agents don't drink not cool things in public…
"And what does our special agent have in mind?" she teased him.
"You shall see…" he looked at the setting sun.
He had long noticed the interesting towers. They looked really-really ancient. He has a suspicion they might be related to some secrets!
"My, my…"
Yukime looked around.
"Don't you feel shame attacking such a weak woman like me in groups?" she fanned herself as a bunch of people surrounded her.
"Sorry, missy, can't allow you to interrupt our Lord," the vampire licked his lips and stared at her neck in hunger.
"And here I thought we would do things like civilized people…" she feigned disappointment.
Indeed, Yukime was currently encircled by ghouls while this vampire boasted in front of her. Not the worst situation she has been in.
"Civilized? People? Don't make laugh, woman," vampire sneered, "Humans, elves, therianthropes… What's the difference? You all are nothing but cattle! Livestock! Blood supply! Your life has no purpose! Your only quality is being food for us, higher beings! You should give yourself in, now!"
Silence permeated the air as Yukime stared at vampire in bewilderment. Even ghouls straightened a bit to look at their master in confusion.
"That's…" therianthrope continued fanning herself, "Quite an interesting look at life…"
"Hah! Continue your bravado, woman! Soon, you shall experience the endless joy of-!"
His head was suddenly sent flying. Yukime shifted her gaze to her bodyguard, Stierlitz. The agent only lowered her head and nervously tapped her foot on the ground.
Yukime quirked her brow at bodyguard's actions. Stierlitz turned to the side. Fox therianthrope chuckled lightly.
"Alright, alright, I could no longer bear with whatever he was saying!"
'Yes, Smith was right. This girl surely is something else…' Yukime mused as she watched Stierlitz eliminate the ghouls around them, 'But it's time to proceed to the tower.'
"The tower guard has been eliminated. What are your orders, instructor?" Yukime heard as they came closer to the tower.
'Oh, these are Oriana and Mitsugoshi forces…'
Hmm, at least now someone bothered to send help. All the previous times Lawless City was left on its own devices each time something strange happened.
"Take a siege on the tower," tall dark-skinned elven woman started giving out the orders, "Do not let a single vampire or ghoul out. I repeat: not a single vampire or ghoul out! If so much as a piece of their skin ends up on the streets…"
"Yes, ma'am! Understood, ma'am!" Oriana soldiers straightened.
"Good! Proceed with your orders! Go!" soldiers immediately entered the tower.
On the other side, Mitsugoshi's forces were instructed by a brown-haired human woman. Some time later, they similarly nodded and entered the tower, too.
'Seems like Oriana and Mitsugoshi cooperate…' Yukime fanned herself.
Both leaders turned around, and their eyes widened in recognition.
"Yukime, leader of Snow Fox Corporation…" brown-haired woman nodded, "I assume you are here for vampire problem?"
"Indeed," therianthrope closed her fan and turned her head, "Please, meet Stierlitz, my personal bodyguard."
"Hm?" both of them locked their gazes onto Stierlitz, "Ah, I see."
"Saw something interesting?" Yukime chuckled.
"I did not think a person of your caliber would need a bodyguard…"
'Of course they knew about my power level,' fox mentally rolled her eyes.
"It's called 'status things', my dear," she smiled warmly.
"Status things, you say…" unfortunately, their dialogue was cut short by sudden appearance of other 'rulers'. Really, she quite enjoyed their little banter…
"Spirit Fox. And ladies I do not recognize," Juggernaut entered the scene, his bulging muscles being shown openly.
"Tyrant of the Black Tower," elf squinted her left eye. Interestingly, she held her right eye closed.
"And who might you be, missies?" he grinned, not hiding the lust in his gaze.
Well, even Yukime had to admit that all women here were quite beautiful. She does wonder, though, what relationship does Stierlitz have with John Smith. Are they related by something more than work? Are they relatives or a pair in love? Or just old friends?
"What, no one wants to answer? Old had, are they your squad?" Juggernaut turned around.
"…My, you've got the guts to call me old had in presence of four potential enemies," Fox's eye twitched.
"Hah? Come on, grandma, show me that you still got powder!… Wait, you can't! It's all dust now!" he taunted her.
"Well, let me give you a lesson, little boy…" she feigned stern tone, "Women don't like pushy men."
Mentally, she prepared herself for the fight. Even if two other women turn on them to help Juggernaut (which Yukime highly doubts, but better be prepared for worse), Stierlitz has shown herself to be comparable to Yukime, at the very least. In fact, Yukime had a suspicion agent could actually be stronger than Fox herself, but true to Smith's words, tried to remain as unnoticeable as possible.
"Yukime, Stierlitz, it is time," sudden voice interrupted them.
"Mister Smith," Fox smiled warmly.
"Who the hell are you?!" naturally, Juggernaut erupted at another presence. And unlike even Stierlitz herself, Smith was completely closed off in terms of giving out the aura.
And naturally, John Smith completely ignored Juggernaut's fuming face. Upon confirming that his partners are ready, he nodded and moved to the tower.
Tyrant could not allow someone to belittle him like that and sent out a strong attack with his gigantic sword towards the agent. However…
"T-The hell-?!" his body was suddenly covered in cuts.
'And he says Stierlitz is more combat-oriented…' Yukime watched in amazement as threads shone in the air. With swift, precise movements Smith forced Juggernaut on the defensive in order to protect from inflicting even more damage.
Of course, the damage was superficial. Juggernaut's innate qualities allowed for development of strong physical body, but Smith only participated in combat for a total of one second. Yukime had no doubt: if the fight went for as long as ten seconds at least, Juggernaut would fall down bleeding from all places possible.
"If you wish to enter, then enter," John Smith's cold voice permeated the air, "However, I would not tolerate you attacking me or my partners."
"D-Damn you…" Tyrant gritted his teeth.
"Let's go," agent paid no more attention and motioned to follow him. Stierlitz immediately went after him. Yukime followed soon.
'Hmm, these girls went after us, too…'
Meanwhile, somewhere in tower…
"Are you sure this is the right place?" one sister of a certain humble Eminence nudged her companion.
"Yes. This is where we can find out everything about Queen Elizabeth," the red-haired woman spoke, not paying any attention to her partner.
"Well, if say so…"
Not even a moment after a sister that is overly obsessed over her much stronger brother's life (she just wants to make sure hussies don't take advantage of him) got bored.
"What is this haven you mentioned, by the way?"
"Haven, not haven. A place where vampires, humans, elves, therianthropes… All races would be able to live in harmony. That's what it should have been…"
As Claire Kagenou listened to sudden history lesson, only one thought was beating in her mind.
'Sorry, brother, but you're not the only one who wants to save the day. I know you have your own plans, but I have a feeling there is something you missed, and that something is not a small unimportant detail…'
After all, if her brother could pull this off at a much younger age, surely she can do the same.
Alright, she's not stupid. She just knows that Cid will back her up if something happens.
She already managed to get important information, anyway. Blood Queen was actually in frenzied state similar to that of Possessed, and if Cid can heal her, then there's no need for violence. Of course, he can heal her, that's her brother they are talking about-!
Wait. Hold up.
That's Blood Queen, right? In other words…
Hussy alert!