The morning after his appointment, Ciel descended upon Da Ming's poorest district. The Grand Marshall of the Yulong Empire stepped through the weathered gate and surveyed the scene with a calcuting gaze. The air stung with the stench of rot and waste; mold and cracks tainted the wooden shacks lining the muddy road.

  Nuan followed close behind him, her nose wrinkled against the offensive smell. The Marshall's Dragon turned to question her “husband”, "Why did you bring us here?"

  Ciel continued walking, gncing back at her as they navigated between the ramshackle buildings. "Just showing you our new source of income."

  "Income?" Nuan scowled. "Don't we have a budget from the pace?"

  "Mandrake offered one," Ciel said, coming to a stop before a particur building. "I refused it."

  Her mouth hung open before his answer. "Don't we need that? Who's going to fund our department?"

  His answer consisted of a single word and pointed thumb: "Capitalism."

  Nuan followed his gesture and discovered an incongruous sight: a pristine white building constructed of Ciel's patented Roman Concrete. Armed guards holding spears fnked its metal gate. Upon seeing Ciel, they immediately bowed and opened the entrance, revealing a courtyard beyond.

  The Dragon Scion gaped at the garden within, filled with blooming flowers and flowing fountains. Several children-- in simple, easily supplied clothes--emerged from the greenery, rushing to greet them.

  "Big Brother Ciel is back!" a young boy called out. "How long are you staying today?"

  "Do you like my dress, Big Brother?" a girl twirled, showing off her outfit. "I tried to wear it like you suggested!"

  Ciel greeted them with uncharacteristically warm smiles. "I'm well. Do you have anything new to tell me today?"

  "The adults are acting really shifty," another boy reported. "I saw them moving crates st night."

  "Where exactly?"

  Nuan watched in fascinated confusion as her “husband” traded candies for the children's information. After they scattered back to py in the garden, she observed him withdraw a notebook and begin writing.

  "The smugglers have reacted to our previous crackdown," he muttered, twirling his pencil thoughtfully. "According to the kid, they're moving to fill the void left by the human traffickers I arrested yesterday."

  "Hold on," Nuan yelped. "What exactly is happening here? Where are we? Who are these children? And when did you start all this?"

  "Let me answer your questions one at a time." Ciel lowered his notebook. "This is my current business model to fund our department: liquidating crime lords."

  "What?"

  Ciel shook his head. "Let me expin. Those children who just left are our employees. We provide them protection and payment in candies, and they serve as my eyes and ears in the lower district. People tend to let their guard down around children, so these little ones gather vital information. I've also hired volunteers, recommended by your father, to train them for transfer once we finish transforming the outer district into a proper suburban area."

  "But what about the crime lords you mentioned?" Nuan's eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. "Don't tell me you're liquidating criminal property for funding?"

  "Exactly," Ciel confirmed. "This facility, established three days ago, serves as our recruitment center; it is the second part of my business model. We identify talented individuals in the slums, nurture their potential, then rent their services throughout the country as freence agents." His ever-calcuting mind sparked with another idea. "We could expand into delivery services too."

  "Aren't you a government official? Why are you talking about starting a business?"

  "Because governmental bodies ck efficiency," he stated matter-of-factly. "Trust me. The private sector does it best."

  The Dragon Scion stood frozen, staring at the unholy creation before her—a beast that combined public sector authority with private enterprise's ruthless efficiency—and shivered in fear.

  She swallowed her terror and pursued another line of questioning. "But why did you bring me here?"

  "To give you a break. You've been fighting most of your life, and spending time with these children will benefit their development. Moreover, this organization needs someone I trust to lead when I'm occupied, so it's best for you to become acquainted."

  Nuan eyed him warily and asked a final question: "What about Xia?"

  Ciel almost wished for recreational drugs to massage away his headache. "She's busy clearing the way for another project of mine."

  ---

  Far from Da Ming, Xia stood as overseer of a city siege, led by a man who sorely tempted her to commit friendly fire upon her allies.

  "Rain fire and blood upon our enemies!" Er Long, the Second Prince, screamed as his troops scaled the city walls in hordes. "In my father's name, let them pay for ever opposing us!"

  She watched the walls crumble under their assault and picked such moment to pitch in. White Force gathered in her hands in a blinding deluge, bright enough to illuminate the hill where she stood before she cast it skyward.

  WHITE MAGIC RANK VI: SANCTION

  A shining ceiling of brightness stretched above the clouds. Light broke through the celestial cracks, each beam draping over their opponents while empowering the attacking forces. The support magic sparked fervent energy through the troops, redoubling their assault on the walls.

  The Celestial Bride observed this development and sighed.

  Yesterday, Ciel had met with the three princes and detailed his pn:

  "We need to secure the area around the capital to isote and destroy the enemy's internal logistics. We'll hit all surrounding cities simultaneously with an offer: every official must drink my anti-Bckwing Serum to prove they aren't sleeper agents. This will force Bckwing's influence into a corner and provoke resistance. You should know what to do next."

  Those were the Grand Marshall's orders, and to monitor their execution, he'd sent his First Wife to oversee this campaign. His decision was calcuted. Xia, a political outsider, was new to the Yulong Empire's military structure. Her role would help integrate her into the army as both ally and commanding officer. However, despite understanding the necessity of his decision, she still felt miffed about being left out of whatever moment Ciel was sharing with Nuan.

  But it wasn't all bad. Xia drew her sword, examining the tool Ciel had bequeathed her: a silver bde fitted with several vials and measuring device knobs. He'd promised to forge her something special, provided she helped calibrate this prototype.

  She had no idea what Ciel pnned to create, but it would surely be a masterpiece. White Force and strengthening spells surged through her limbs as she dashed into the fray. Each step sent her gliding across the battlefield toward the wall, which she scaled faster than Er Long's men could blink. She floated high into the air, leaving the cshing soldiers below to gaze in wonder. Her fingers, cloaked in White Magic, swished through the air, sowing another blinding cut of light into the world.

  WHITE MAGIC RANK V: WRATH OF SOL

  Space behind her parted like heaven's gate, and stelr shining orbs descended upon every section of the high rampart. Each explosion incinerated the structure into falling stones, bsting holes in the defenders' ranks and sending them flying through the air. She nded in the melee beneath the wall, first to breach the defense, diving into a swarm of enemies.

  Xia went to work with her sword and empowered body. Behind her, the rain of destruction continued to fall as she cut through one man after another, toppling them like colpsible pins. She kicked one enemy so hard he bsted through a house, and sliced through an incoming war hammer with a deft move. Her free hand smashed into the hulking soldier wielding the weapon, a man standing over two meters tall. Every troop who came to fnk her fell to the stelr comets plummeting their feeble resistance.

  "You are free to surrender—"

  "Stop that witch!" yelled a middle-aged commander, drawing his sword and charging at her. "We will not accept your corruption!"

  The Celestial Bride parried the commander's bde. "I understand your concern," she argued, effortlessly knocking his weapon aside again. "But you should know Er Long and I will be taking that potion too."

  "You obviously took an antidote beforehand!" the commander shrieked, bringing his weapon down, only to be stopped ft by Xia grasping his wrist and throwing him to the ground.

  "There's no convincing you," She compined. "We can also do a blood test."

  "Never!"

  Tired of arguing, She lifted her hand toward the wall and yelled at the top of her lungs as White Force surged.

  "Get away from the walls!"

  WHITE MAGIC RANK IV: SMITE

  A beam shone from her hand and broke the fortification open. The empire's soldiers vacated the mass of falling bricks as they exploded outward from her spell's force, creating a new gap for the invasion force to pour through.

  Xia turned as the Second Prince approached her. Her gaze drifted to the stump where his arm had been, still awaiting its prosthetic repcement. She met the savage Dragon Scion's eyes. He gnced at her sword, still dripping with blood, and smirked.

  "Interesting bde you have there. Are you running an experiment for Yi Tong with that?"

  "Stop your antagonism," she answered, pointing at the distant battle. "We need to secure the main—"

  A sudden chorus of screams interrupted them both. They turned to see spidery figures in pale white, the Bckwing's Exterminators, rushing across the fming structures and dropping into their troops. Blood and chaos spread endlessly.

  "Get the Grand Marshall's poison!" Xia yelled, rushing to meet the Exterminators with her sword raised high. Er Long followed behind her, his spear spinning like a saw bde.

  Unbeknownst to the two, a white-haired figure observed their battle with the Exterminators from one of the city's many high roofs. She clicked her cube-like device, capturing an image of the battle, then without a sound, threw a cloak over herself. The fabric fluttered like silk, rendering both it and its master invisible.