‎Drake Varas stood atop the dark walls of the Varas stronghold, staring down at the two men.

‎His dark overcoat fluttered slightly behind him in the wind.

‎The sentinels stationed on the imposing walls of the fortress quietly observed him with reverent gazes, their attention shifting between him and the silhouettes of the two men standing motionlessly outside the fortress.

‎Towering dark spires loomed behind him, standing defiantly in the face of the raging blizzard.

‎A second later, his niece appeared beside him, her long blonde hair blowing back in the chilling wind.

‎Nadia Varas was dressed in a similar black long overcoat, with a grey suit within that perfectly accentuated her captivating grey eyes.

‎Standing beside her uncle, the two Varas made for a breathtaking duo, one as dark as the devil while the other a breathtaking angel.

‎Without saying a word, the two stepped off the wall, plummeting through the air to the snowy plains below.

‎Matthew wordlessly watched the duo land almost weightlessly in the snow.

‎Ordinarily, a fall from such a great height would instantly kill a human being; even novices and apprentices wouldn't walk away unscathed.

But the uncle and niece did it like it was nothing.

‎After all, the two were anything but normal.

‎ Both were prodigies in their respective generations, standing at the height of power among their peers.

‎" The pinnacle of umbralis manipulation, and to think she achieved it at such a young age, "Matthew murmured, staring at the receding figure of the young woman.

‎Using umbralis to cushion the fall required an intricate degree of delicate control over the umbralis both within and outside the body, yet the two managed to do it effortlessly.

‎Matthew let out a quiet sigh, his eyes narrowing.

‎ He watched the four maestros meet, standing face to face in the field of snow.

‎The old man let out a weary sigh, slightly shaking his head.

‎" Well, it's not exactly a surprise since she's also the next Head of House Varas."

‎****

‎"What's taking them so long? "Conrad asked impatiently.

‎Snowflakes fell around them, deepening the field of snow.

‎The gentle snowfall had turned into a full-blown blizzard.

‎Time was of the essence when dealing with anomalies in such situations, and the renowned assassin was running late for his rendezvous with the two maestros.

‎Conrad and Luke noticed the sentinels' attention subtly shift to them.

‎A slight frown appeared on Conrad's face.

‎"Do you think they were expecting company?"

‎Luke smiled slightly, casting a furtive glance at the visibly agitated sentinels.

‎His ghostly eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

‎" I'm quite sure Damien made the necessary communication. Besides, I've heard the Spectre's timekeeping is usually impeccable; let's have patience. "

‎A moment later, Drake Varas silently appeared on the towering wall, materialising like a ghost next to the startled guards.

‎A slight chuckle escaped Luke's lips, a grin firming on his face.

‎" See, what'd I tell you?"

‎A few moments later, the man dropped off the wall with another figure in tow, in what would have been a suicidal move for any other person.

‎Conrad rolled his eyes in exasperation, resisting the urge to curse out loud.

‎" Well, at least they made an entrance," he muttered.

‎The snow crunched beneath the boots of the two figures as they approached until they stood a few metres away from Conrad and Luke.

‎" Spectre, Lady Nadia," Luke nodded.

‎Conrad nodded as well.

‎" Luke Sanguine, Darklight, we meet again," the deep voice spoke quietly.

‎The Spectre's brown eyes appeared dark in the dim light, fixing the two men with an icy stare.

‎" So what's the plan? How exactly are we going to be doing this? "Luke asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

‎The Spectre walked forward, standing in front of his niece.

‎" From what we've been able to gather, one of the assailants can wield umbralis in a way that distorts the powers of the Talented. If he's a maestro, which he most definitely is, then he'll not be an easy opponent."

‎" Is it necessary for all four of us to go, simply to capture one rogue assassin?" Nadia was the one asking, her steely grey eyes piercing them with a calm gaze.

‎Luke cast her a curious glance, scrutinising her for a brief moment before responding.

‎She quirked an eyebrow in confusion at his gesture.

‎" Ordinarily, there would be no need for four maestros to go after one rogue," he said, " but as I'm sure you're well aware, one maestro single-handedly put the Council to shame."

‎" And thus we'll not be taking any risks," the Spectre added.

‎" What if the maestro decides to escape into Tenebris? " Nadia asked further.

‎Conrad smiled darkly, the very air around him humming with power.

‎" That's why I'm here. This here is called a Darklight umbral distortion device, " he said, tapping the vintage watch on his wrist.

‎" It's something we've been working on at the technology department of House Thane."

‎Luke's face betrayed no emotion at the blatant lie.

‎" Bullshit! The mouth on this guy!" he thought, suppressing the urge to laugh in their faces.

‎In truth, everything Conrad had just said was a lie.

‎In fact, one of his skills after becoming a maestro granted him the ability to distort the flow of umbralis at several points in space.

‎The result of such disruption could effectively prevent an enemy from escaping in the middle of combat.

‎What was perhaps even more impressive was the fact that his vital signs didn't shift in the slightest.

‎The sensitive hearing of maestros made them literal truth detectors, granting them a degree of keenness so frightening that they could even listen to one's heartbeat if they concentrated on it.

‎" That is certainly impressive," Drake said, with a pleasant smile.

‎The lie flawlessly flowed off Conrad's tongue without his batting an eye.

‎The Spectre did not betray any surprise at the news, even though

‎" Alright then. In that case, it'd be better if you two made a grand entrance and drew his attention. Myself and the lady Nadia will strike from the shadows. "

‎" Well, that certainly sounds like a plan. Let's get a move on then."

‎Conrad concentrated on his connection with the umbralis on back Earth, sifting through the different places in his mind.

‎" Eden City, huh. "

‎The next minute, a dimensional rift opened up in on a deserted, but thoroughly devastated street.

‎" Is this Eden City?" Luke muttered under his breath, warily stepping out of

‎Conrad grinned, his form blurring forward.

‎"Oh, it is!"

‎A moment later, he slammed into Annonymous, sending him crashing into the nearby buildings.

‎" Love what you guys have done with the place."

Thick plumes of smoke, dust and other debris slowly rose into the air in the wake of his attack.

‎Luke glanced at him in amusement, then turned his attention to the other masked figure.

His expression darkened as he gazed at the extra person

‎" Well, this certainly complicates things."

‎The dark figure stood motionlessly, observing Conrad and Luke.

‎" We'll take it from here."

Thrain hovered in the air for a while. In the next moment, his darkness spread outward, washing over Liu Zhen's figure.

The blindfolded man raised a hand. A wave of power burst forth, repelling the shadows.

"It's quite all right, Thrain. Without hostages to protect, I'd like to remain and observe the outcome of this fight."

Thrain silently nodded, descending to the ground.

"I'll remain nearby to maintain the dome. Do as you see fit."

‎Luke turned to Conrad, gesturing to the massive crater where a dainty restaurant had previously stood across the street.

‎" I take it you're going to clean up after yourself. "

‎A slight smile rugged at Conrad's lips, giving him a sinister look.

‎" Of course, what kind of man would I be if I couldn't even do just that?"

‎Luke nodded quietly.

‎" Very well then. I'll handle this guy then."

‎Luke took measured strides, confidently walking forward, the broken asphalt crushing underneath his measured steps.

‎He stopped a short distance away, staring calmly at the unmoving man.

‎"Any chance that you're going to come quietly so that we don't have to draw out this farce?"

‎The masked man shifted slightly.

‎" I think not. Besides, from our last encounter, Luke Sanguine, I think you're not that much of a threat. Not to me."

‎Luke's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed in surprise.

‎" That's certainly interesting. Hw about it then, round two?"

‎The masked figure shrugged, then nonchalantly rolled his shoulders.

‎" It's your funeral."

‎In the next moment, their figures turned into blurs.

‎The air exploded violently, terrible shockwaves rolling through the air.

‎The two men moved so fast their figures turned into streaks of light.

‎A moment later, Luke flew back, crushing through the already devastated street.

‎He quickly rose to his feet, gritting his teeth. A dark grin appeared on his face. "Let's take things up a notch."

‎****

A short distance away, Annonymous stirred slightly.

Lifting a hand, he effortlessly slid a slab of concrete off his chest, rising to his feet.

"That hurt quite a bit," he whispered.

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