Mila was the first one to move. Her presence became so thin it was hard for her comrades to follow her steps despite them knowing where she went. She entered the large hall, skirting the heat of the battle.

 

Laura, Viola and Agata would follow next. The mercenary band's leader could rely on her superior speed, while the latter knew how to avoid attention.

 

Everyone had their own instructions. Even the Messanger, who, despite his unwillingness, had agreed to help - but only as a last resort. Mila understood the man. This wasn’t a decisive battle. There would be at least one more battle with more dangerous opponents.

 

But that would come after. Mila used a few hacked-up corpses as cover to step closer to the middle of the battle. She wouldn’t strike. No. Her goal was at least one of the five on the platform, overlooking and controlling the flow of the skirmish.

 

After ducking behind one of the hastily raised walls made of wood and metal scraps, Mila observed the surroundings. Despite most of the fighters being dead at this point, the battle was only increasing in intensity.

 

Not far from Mila, a young soldier was engulfed in flames - his dying screams momentarily overcoming the chaos. A defender died next, her side torn off by a crude chop with a heavy sword - but the victor didn’t get to celebrate. He died right after when a metal shrapnel from a magical explosion pierced his eye.

 

After weathering the debris that rained from the detonation, Mila found a moment to move closer to the platform. She practically crawled on the ground, freezing now and then to not attract attention.

 

And now Mila found herself stuck. But this, too, was calculated. As the battle around her raged on, with a few more gruesome deaths happening near, she finally heard her party enter the hall.

 

Surprised shouts of confusion, happiness and despair filled the place as both the defenders and attackers tried to identify the arriving fighters. Mila heard Verte’s passionate speech about them being a Mercenary group here to find a kidnapped family.

 

It gave the fighters of the Military more zeal. With reinforcements, they found more strength to push on.

 

Of course, not everyone was so gullible. The elite fighters watched the mercenaries with grim faces. But they chose not to comment, fearing their doubts would sow seeds of despair among their troops.

 

But the defenders had no such inhibitions. After acknowledging the arriving group as enemies, one of them recognised Isabel as the Paladin and pointed out her criminal status in the city. 

 

Granted, the overseer's words had the opposite effect to what he wished. Some of the remaining troops welcomed Isabel, knowing of the rumours that she was a vigilante fighting against the local criminals.

 

While the battle reconstructed itself around the new variables, Mila found the moment she knew would come. For her, the path forward was now open. She bolted from one cover to another, quickly gaining distance towards the platform.

 

Then, there was a longer stretch Mila had to cross. No cover to be found, and the overseer's eyes occasionally swept past the area, seeking any intruders closing in on their position.

 

“You’ll DIE, evildoers!” Isabel’s shout struggled against the sounds of clashes. “Your path ends here!”

 

What followed was another crash. Isabel reached the frontlines and momentarily swept away the opposition with her hammer and shield in hand. Her advance and indomitable body refused to be halted.

 

Honestly, it was hot. Mila licked her lips and used the distraction she had asked Isabel to arrange. Currently, everyone was looking at her girl. That was unfair. She wanted to do that, too.

 

And while Mila hadn’t suggested Isabel use this wording, she still felt guilty. Her request had been to be ostentatious, and Mila knew her girl wasn’t happy about her role. It was best to apologise… And perhaps ask for a personal showing. Somewhere away from other eyes. Just the two of them.

 

With a few more short jumps, Mila was almost there. She looked at where Isabel and Amy were doing their best impression of an impenetrable wall. Isabel looked especially fierce in her demon mask and choice of weapons. Her movements had a savage charm to them as she didn’t have to worry about trading blow for blow.

 

Isabel’s opponent quickly found his attacks had no effect, failing to even cut the blue robe. He tried to fall back, only to be caught by an especially impressive fireball aimed at Isabel.

 

Mila watched for a moment longer to see her girl emerge from the bright flames - untouched and glorious. But it was time for her to do her work. She only worried Isabel had gathered too much attention and would have to suffer even more magical attacks from the overseers. A fact the Miliatry was happy to capitalise on.

 

Nothing could be done about it now. Mila sent a chilling look at the ‘elites’ who let a single girl endure several attacks, then turned her head away. If they were alive by the end of this mess, she would look into getting her revenge on them.

 

But for now, Mila had more important targets to aim for. And the easy part was over. There were a few meters of distance left before she reached the platform, standing taller than her. And there was nothing to hide behind to make the way.

 

Mila considered her throwing weapons, then dismissed the notion. She could feel the wind move unnaturally. Her mana sense was less useful. The large amount of mana-infused blood in the vicinity drowned out any other source.

 

However, Mila was sure there was a barrier around the overseers specifically meant to deflect projectiles. She had to move closer. The question was how. She looked at the despicable six fighters pushing towards the platform. They were too slow.

 

And Isabel was too busy dodging the constant magic that headed her way. Mila had to find another viable option. She stilled her breath and studied her prey. They had to slip up sometimes. No one was perfect - especially at this level.

 

Strong, yes. The five overseers were strong. Their magic was overwhelming and experience abundant. 

 

But they weren’t more skilful when compared to Mila. Not if she did her best. Just like the man whom she had lost to. It did not matter if you had power when you could lose to someone masterful.

 

Even now, with her mana pool ahead of that man’s, Mila doubted she could win. But these five were not him. They didn’t have the same decisiveness. They couldn’t find her. They had bad habits developed by years of compliance.

 

There!

 

Mila bolted forward, crossing the last stretch between her hiding spot and the platform.

 

No one saw her move. Mila felt herself blend into the shadows thrown by the explosions and colourful spells. She felt the wind barrier press against her cloak. Mila held her breath, fearing the barrier doubled as a detection perimeter.

 

It didn’t. Mila relaxed. It would have been bad if it did. She noticed Laura follow her example. The woman was now close to striking the reservoir. But not yet.

 

So, Mila once more waited. She crawled along the base of the platform. The dagger in her hand felt inadequate. It would be much easier if she could use more spells, but the one she knew was so helpful at times like these. 

 

Mila could use everything she had, every once of mana she had taken from others, to keep her presence hidden. Not just once, gazes swept past her position, but no one noticed her.

 

It did take a lot of mana to keep the ‘Hide Presence’ running at full power. And she needed it, too. Not much could be spared for anything else, but if Mila could score just a few more skills… She felt her inner world and how it flowed. Just a bit more, and Mila knew she could add more to her arsenal. The question was what, but that was for later to decide.

 

Laura had reached the first target - the largest pipe pumping the blood downward. By this point, the woman had been spotted. Mila heard and felt the overseers starting a new wave of spells aimed at the sudden threat.

 

It was time. Laura raised her sword and horizontally slashed at the pipe. A shadow of the blade parted from her weapon, shooting forward and splitting the targets in half. One after another, the pipes were severed and began spurting blood uncontrollably in the surroundings.

 

Mila knew it wasn’t enough. And sure enough, another slash followed - this time aiming lower, making the connections fall in pieces.

 

Enraged howls and deadly flashes followed, aiming at Laura. Ice, howling wind, fire and something abstract brushed past Mila.

 

The effort pushed Laura back towards the walls, making her unable to follow up with more attacks against the infrastructure. She had done damage, but not enough. The reservoir had absorbed the slash with only a dent left on its side. It was made from sturdy metals and likely enchanted. No. It definitely was enchanted.  Otherwise, the blood wouldn’t be in this state after so long.

 

That and more flashed through Mila’s mind as she rushed up the platform’s base. She had to capitalise on the moment the overseers had spent their strength and had yet to gather it anew.

 

A few weaker spells continued to flash off of the platform, screening away the would-be assailants and keeping Isabel and Amy at bay. The defenders were falling one after another.

 

The more elite fighters of the Military returned a few attacks of their own, but mostly, they concentrated on getting to the reservoir to destroy it.

 

At this point, Mila peeked over the platform’s floor, laying her eyes on the targets. She then fell back down, choosing not to strike at their side. Her fingers dug into the installation's support. She moved herself along the platform’s base to the side.

And when Mila peeked upward again, only one of the overseers was facing her way - too busy with shooting one fireball after another to notice the danger at his feet.

 

The ageing man with silvery hair and an unkempt beard barely registered the throwing knife as it headed for his neck. He jerked his body sideway to avoid the ambush, only for Mila to appear in that position.

 

It was helpful for the older man to jump into Mila’s arms. Her dagger, with the help of the overseer’s forceful movement, easily slid between his ribs, piercing his heart. Her free hand stopped him from screaming, prolonging the moment she was still an unknown.

 

Mila felt additional mana rush into her body - confirming the kill. Her gaze travelled from the corpse in her hands towards the backs of the four other overseers.

 

In the distance, Mila heard some exclamations who had noticed her sudden appearance on the platform. They tried to alert the rest of the leaders of the danger.

 

But it was too late to save all of them. Mila’s deft hand already threw another two knives, aiming for the air mage who was keeping them safe from the projectiles.

 

It was a woman with a stern face and thick robe. Her wild hair swayed in the air. The woman was a veteran of many battles. Mila’s throwing knives were swept aside by a thick wind barrier the woman held around her body.

But Mila already knew there was one. The woman’s cloak had flustered unnaturally, so her attempt was to probe the defences and find a weak spot. 

 

Mila drove her dagger right through the air flow, protecting the woman. She twisted the weapon, severing important blood vessels in the woman’s body. 

 

And then Mila ran. She fled as fast as possible, vanishing from the platform as it exploded in icy shards. She felt a mental attack brush against her mind - but the spell proved to be useless illusions that found no purchase against her mental strength.

 

The fifth overseer looked at her in hatred. He raised his hand, summoned a metal lance and threw it after Mila. His glare turned into a satisfied grin as the spell proceeded uninterrupted. It quickly became clear Mila would not be able to escape it.

 

But Mila didn’t need to. She calmly looked at the metal lance’s caster, whose expression turned into confusion when he didn’t find Mila despairing.

 

Suddenly, Isabel appeared between the lance and Mila, pushing her shield in the path of the devastating spell.

 

The lance hit Isabel’s angled shield, and it was pushed aside with a piercing sound, making everyone wince.

 

“I am glad you made it.” Mila purred, satisfied with her girl’s perfect timing. She was such a gem.

 

“Don’t do that again.” Isabel returned. “I barely made it.”

 

“But you did.” Mila smiled.

 

It was time to finish the battle.