The Core of Evil
13 Pillars
{{{ The next day }}}
{{ ??? }}
"So, are the nine of us all present?"
The voice that sounded so deep and resounded it asked inside the dark room that was only filled with dim light from below
There, there are only 13 pillars, standing towering and circular in a clock position in the room with the highest pillar in the middle of the circle of 12 others. On each of those pillars, a {Takhta} made of large white stone is located
In each {Takhta}, 8 people sat down, with 5 pieces completely filled by no one and only shrouded by darkness
One in the middle, a pillar at 3, a pillar at 7, a pillar at 10, and a pillar at 12
On top of a pillar, precisely the 4 o'clock pillar, someone pecked irritated while changing his sitting position
"I told you that Noah wasn't there since, and he's here now. You really never listen to me, do you?"
A small laugh suddenly echoed within the room. The laughter of the girl coming from the pillar at 5 o'clock
"Of Spine~ Don't grumble like that just because you want to sleep again~"
Following him a woman muttered for a moment, before starting to speak
"I honestly agree with Shape. This meeting is very important because we have found a candidate who will sit above 12" A mocking female voice sounded from the pillar at 2 o'clock
"I'll just follow Mama's words..." The voice of the little girl from the 1st hour pillar followed later
A heavy breathing sound could be heard from the 6 o'clock pillar. A voice full of complaints due to the unpleasant atmosphere
"Ah... Again we don't get along..." The man on the 6 o'clock pillar complained later, clenching his hands as if he were praying
"He's right. You fought too much about unimportant matters" The voice in the middle pillar broke
Although no one was sitting there, everyone kept staring at him, because the voice issued by {Takhta} was empty
But the place is not so empty. There is someone who occupies it, but does not have a complete physical form. Forms that cannot be seen by the eyes or with the help of tools
"Chairman. Don't tell me you're gonna send us back on a mission to bring the O-2507 here. The four of us were already quite overwhelmed in that mission..." The man on the pillar at 4 o'clock again spoke while scratching his head
"Although I won't send you again, Hector, but still we should be able to convince the O-2507 to join us"
The man on the 4 o'clock pillar who was Hector was again making a sound, but this time with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that, chief..."
"It's okay Hector. Consider it a gift because you've connected us to the O-2507 for the first time"
Hector just smiled while setting his sitting position to a more comfortable pose above his {Takhta}
"So, who are you going to send this time, chief?" A girl who sounded stiff from the 9 o'clock pillar asked
"I'll send Span there, Flair"
Flair nodded in understanding, actually very relieved by it
"Huh!?? Why should I bother again after taking part in the previous mission try??"
A loud voice coming from the 11 o'clock pillar protested. A familiar voice came from a person with black hair and red eyes, namely Noah
"Because you're the only one who can't die among all of us. Exclude Mind, because he has a {unik} way to stay alive"
The woman sitting at 2 o'clock called Mind was just laughing
"I will send the Force to help you if necessary" their Chief of the middle pillar said
Noah gasped at the code name, before glancing at the pillar at 8 o'clock where a man sat on it, very quietly without a sound, looking back at him
"... No. gabe. The two of us are also not very familiar with each other" Noah said, rejecting their chairman's offer
"I. No. gabe. The problem. During the. The mission. Lt could. Smoothly" the man referred to as Force was also following later
"Really not necessary. I'm too stupid to command {Alat} like you, so this mission will definitely fail miserably. I'd better go myself"
The man let out a sigh of complaint at Noah's statement, as the other sat quietly back, ready to take orders from their chief
"So, what am I supposed to do, chief?" Noah asked
"Mildly"
...
Unlike Noah expected, their chief did not directly tell him what his plan was. He kept quiet and let the room quiet, as Noah waited for his answer
"... You're spying on the O-2507 again?" Noah asked, fully worried
"so. I was just wondering if he had escaped Venia's surveillance. You can go pick her up tomorrow when she gets to the nearest planet to secure herself"
"Tomorrow hm...?"
But he still did not understand why he had to 'pick up' their target
"Why should I pick you up?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Hector and Noah were spontaneously shocked at the same time hearing that
Bringing their target to the area of 25 of Arcadia's main headquarters...
That's their mission now
"We must accelerate the incorporation of the O-2507 into this fleet. The Maledict of Control has begun to act, and we must immediately eradicate it using the child's power"
"That's not the problem! You want me to bring him and myself into the den of death directly!? Even if I can't die, that doesn't mean I can't be hurt by them!"
The shadow that he would be caught and dissected by researchers in the Arcadia fleet gave Noah goosebumps
A flashback that he could not defeat Jun even began to cross his head
If Jun who was a Venia alone was that strong that he could not touch, Noah did not want to know how the other Venia looked
"That place is inside their main headquarters. Even sending Noah there to guide the boy would be tantamount to killing him even if not literally" Hector tried to follow
"It's precisely because Noah couldn't die that I'm sure that bringing the O-2507 there would be safe
He also introduced his name to the boy. I'm sure they'll understand each other quickly when I send them there" their chairman replied
Noah panicked. He wanted to refuse, but did not know what to say. After all, he understood very well the important point of his chairman's words
But he also realized one thing. The one wish he wanted from me
'I want you to be my opponent next time'
...
"All right, I'll take it. There was still something I had to sort out with the boy" Noah said, followed by a grin
Their leader sounded very satisfied with the words, even buzzing a small voice full of pleasure to hold them
"Then our meeting is over here. Go back to your posts and prepare to bring the O-2507 here
If only we had to force. But I hope it doesn't happen"
The voice of their leader disappeared first brought by a gust of wind that came out of nowhere
Then not long after their chairman's disappearance, a portal appeared behind their respective {takhta}. The portal that will take them to where they were before
"I'll pull myself out first. My lunch must be cold by now..." Hector said, followed by a sigh of complaint afterwards
As he said, he left immediately, making Flair a little surprised and following him away through their respective portals
"I have to go too. My job will be a lot to track down the O-2507 and give you some info later. One of my clones will help you too"
The woman on the 2 o'clock pillar named Mind also woke up, took the little girl who sat at 1 o'clock, then went to step together to leave the room
"... Good luck, my dear friends..." The man on the 6 o'clock pillar said before leaving
"Bah Noah~! Be careful inside the task this time~!" Shape waved his hand, before going inside his portal
...
"So you're the only one here huh...?" Noah turned to the man who was still sitting in his place
"I. Awaiting you. No. gabe. Well-mannered. For the. {Alat}. To. Predates. Persons. Likeyou"
Noah just scratched his head, not knowing how he should serve that one person
"I don't like to use codes, so it doesn't matter if I call you by the name you have...?" Noah asked
"No. What"
He's not a robot. He is not a machine of any kind. But his tone sounded very robotic to someone from the Alien Yatsha race
That's why Noah wasn't too comfortable talking to her. Especially when he found out, that he was the one who dragged that person into this group together with Hector...
The person he had 'kidnapped', based on the news. But really, that's not the truth...
"Then help me practice, Raggot. I need to be ready for this next mission"
His reddish purple hair was also waved as he fully turned his head towards Noah. The dark black eyes next to her were covered by her hair and as if lifeless it told her how dark her soul was
Behind a face mask he was wearing, Raggot said only one word
"understand"
Noah nodded in response
"Don't hold yourself. Face me like you're trying to kill even if it's just practice"
"understand"
