The next day began with restrained movement at the Phoenix Nest. Merlin summoned the three chosen for the distraction mission, and all of them waited in the strategy room, where only a simple table separated orders from execution. The soft light revealed nothing beyond what was necessary. It was a functional environment, without details that could draw attention away from the objective.
Merlin entered without hurry, adjusting a rune floating between her fingers before dispersing it with a touch. Alvida, Nojiko, and Kalifa watched her in silence for a few seconds. They knew that meeting was not a common mission. The target was the entire Marine.
"Let's begin." Merlin placed her hand on the table, adopting a command posture. "Riser wants noise. A lot of noise."
Kalifa lifted her chin, weighing the seriousness in the tone.
"What level of noise?"
"Enough to force the admirals out of their holes." Merlin answered without hesitation.
Alvida frowned, more out of curiosity than concern.
"Are we facing them directly?"
"No." Merlin let out a light chuckle, almost amused. "You do not need to face anyone directly. The heavy work is mine. You only need to make sure the chaos does not lose its rhythm."
Nojiko crossed her arms, considering every word.
"Just to be clear. You will handle the admirals alone?"
"Yes." Merlin tilted her head, as if that were too obvious to become a discussion. "And before you ask, no, I do not need to defeat them. Only distract them. Riser did not ask for destruction, only occupation."
Alvida stepped forward one pace.
"And if they are more aggressive than we expect?"
"Then I raise the level as well." Merlin replied. "But that is not my objective. Destroying the Marine is not in the immediate plans. And you know that if I truly wanted to, this world would already have a hole where the headquarters stands."
Kalifa released a light breath, almost a laugh.
"Annoying to hear someone say that so naturally."
"If you knew my true strength, you would understand why that natural tone is inevitable." Merlin said, keeping her voice steady, without unnecessary emphasis.
Alvida inclined her head slightly, watching Merlin for a moment before reacting. The silence did not linger.
"That is to be expected from the Master's primary attendant." Kalifa stated, professional and direct, without any hint of provocation.
Alvida turned toward her almost immediately.
"You flatter even when you do not need to."
Kalifa replied without changing her cadence.
"That is not flattery. It is professional analysis based on observable results."
Merlin raised her hand.
"Enough." The word ended the exchange without effort. "Internal discussions do not produce external noise."
All three returned their attention to her.
"The Marine is no longer where it used to be." Merlin continued. "The old Marineford ceased to be functional after the recent wars. The new headquarters was rebuilt at the site of the former G-1 base, just past the Red Line, close to the New World."
Kalifa spoke next.
"A more aggressive position."
"And more exposed." Merlin replied. "They traded political centralization for rapid response."
Nojiko followed.
"They changed after the War of the Best."
"Yes." Merlin agreed. "They changed structure, not mentality. They still react instead of anticipating."
Alvida crossed her arms.
"So we attack this new Marineford?"
"No." Merlin said. "Marineford is my axis. You do not enter there."
Nojiko spoke immediately, keeping her voice steady and aligned with the plan presented from the beginning.
"If we enter directly, the Marine concentrates force. That accelerates their response."
Kalifa agreed at once, without hesitation.
"And concentrated force is exactly what we do not want. The function is to spread."
Alvida stayed silent for a few seconds before pushing the next point.
"Then we send more vampires with us." Alvida said. "The more active fronts, the greater the instability."
The proposal hung in the air for a few moments, without immediate reply. None of the others spoke in that interval.
The next movement did not come as speech, but as logical consequence. Alvida's suggestion established a direct expansion of the conflict, raising the number of active variables and pushing the operation closer to an open confrontation. The presence of more vampires would imply greater pressure, more military responses, and inevitably greater risk of direct engagement beyond the defined scope. The mission would cease to be a focused distraction and begin to behave like a distributed offensive, demanding coordination that was not part of the original proposal.
Merlin responded, shutting down the possibility before it could take shape.
"No." Merlin said. "The objective is not direct war."
Kalifa turned her face slightly toward Alvida, her words following without softening.
"This has already been discussed." Kalifa stated. "Repeating this point is a waste of time."
Alvida reacted immediately, her voice rising a notch above necessary.
"It is not a waste of time when it involves safety."
Nojiko intervened before the exchange could escalate.
"Enough." Nojiko said. "The decision is already clear."
Merlin resumed control of the rhythm without raising her tone.
"I will go to the center of the new Marineford alone." Merlin said. "I will create a single focal point. Something that forces a full response."
All three kept their attention on her.
"Meanwhile," Merlin continued, "you act around it. Routes, communications, outposts. Everything outside the core."
Alvida opened her mouth to speak, but Merlin went on.
"When it is convenient, I will teleport you back." Merlin concluded. "No prolongation. No unnecessary confrontation."
Nojiko answered first.
"Understood."
Kalifa confirmed right after.
"No questions."
Alvida took a deep breath and nodded.
"Understood."
The plan was already in motion, with routes defined, peripheral targets separated, and withdrawal signals fixed from the beginning of the meeting. The preparation phase ended with the final confirmation, and the next stage became direct execution, with no room for adjustments inside that room.
The table remained where it was. The maps had already been displayed and dispersed, and no new information was added.
Merlin stood and moved her hand forward, ending the briefing with a short gesture that required no additional response.
Alvida, Nojiko, and Kalifa held position, without moving beyond what was necessary, awaiting the final order that would shift the scenario from planning to invasion.
The interval between stages did not linger.
"Prepare yourselves." Merlin said. "Now."
Movement began in a coordinated manner. Alvida advanced first, adjusting the fit of her impact equipment and testing the weight in her hands, checking balance and reach with short, objective gestures. The preparation was direct, without unnecessary rehearsal. Each adjustment had practical purpose and ended as soon as it fulfilled its role.
Nojiko moved to the second step immediately after. She checked the interference devices and anchoring points she would use to move along secondary routes. The process was fast and precise, without repetition. Each item was checked once before being secured.
Kalifa completed the preparation. She reviewed mobility mechanisms and infiltration instruments, adjusting internal positions and locks with contained movements. Nothing was left loose. Nothing was improvised. The set was ready the moment she finished the last adjustment.
The three aligned naturally after preparation, each taking her position without additional command.
"Ready." Alvida stated.
"Ready." Nojiko confirmed.
"Ready." Kalifa completed.
Merlin snapped her fingers.
SNAP
Space was replaced instantly.
The four appeared outside the new Marineford without any gradual transition. One point replaced another. Distance ceased to exist. The ground beneath their feet remained intact, without cracks or displacement, as if their presence had always been there.
The Marines stationed at the external accesses froze for half a second. Weapons stayed raised, but no aim adjusted immediately. Training lagged behind instinct when the scenario simply changed without warning.
Merlin stepped forward, naturally assuming the center.
"Girls, begin the mission." Her voice was calm, unhurried. "The noise may be spread."
The three did not answer.
Alvida vanished first, her movement short and violent enough to leave no visible trace. Nojiko dissolved into a lateral motion, disappearing among the base's blind spots. Kalifa simply was not there in the next instant, as if she had never occupied that space.
The Marines reacted only afterward.
"Hey, did you see that?" One of them spun around, trying to locate any of the three. "Where did they go?"
"External alert!" Another raised the communicator. "Hostile movement confirmed—"
His words died midway when his gaze returned to Merlin.
She was still there.
Alone.
Still.
Her presence carried no haste, no explicit threat, no open aggression. That alone was enough to unsettle them.
"Who are you?" A sergeant stepped forward, weapon steady but not firing. "You do not have authorization to be—"
"Great." Another Marine muttered beside him, rifle still raised. "Now strange people are appearing out of nowhere."
"Must be some trick." A third said, too nervous to hide it. "No one crosses the perimeter like this."
Merlin tilted her head slightly, as if she had just noticed she was being observed.
"By the way…" She raised her hand with minimal delicacy. "I am Merlin."
None of them answered in time.
Merlin did not wait.
She touched the air in front of her with two fingers.
"Sleep."
The spell produced no flash. There was no visible floating symbol nor abrupt energy displacement. The alteration occurred directly in their bodies.
The first Marines felt their legs fail. Knees buckled without warning, rifles slipped from their fingers before hitting the ground. Some tried to speak, but the sound did not fully come out. Others simply toppled sideways, their breathing deepening immediately.
One by one, in continuous sequence, the soldiers fell.
Helmets struck the ground in short succession. Weapons scattered without control. Bodies lay still, aligned only by the randomness of collapse.
No screams were heard. No shots were fired. No alarm was triggered in time.
Merlin lowered her hand as soon as the last Marine fell. The spell ended the moment it fulfilled its function. She did not advance, did not adjust posture, did not check conditions. The outcome was already defined.
Noise began to rise in other points of the base.
Distant explosions broke routine. Alarms blared late. Troops moved without coordination, reacting to multiple focal points at once.
Merlin lifted her gaze toward the center of Marineford.
The focus was created.
The distraction was active.
She remained where she was, waiting.
It was only the beginning.
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