My foot held Lykos's back, preventing him from getting up.
"You!", even on the jagged ground of debris, he was able to threaten me.
Personality #4: "You should know that you won't gain anything by killing me, that what the district is doing, was once what we all went through before the Principality was formed inside, and we all changed"
"WHAT THE HELL WOULD A TRAITOR KNOW?, A MONSTER BEFORE YOUR 600 BROTHERS, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THE MASSACRE OF THE LAST 19 THREE YEARS AGO?, AND OF THE SAME CODEX MONSTERS THAT ACCOMPANIED YOU"
Personality #4: "Hahahaha….hahahaha….!hahahahahahahaha!", a soft laugh escaped my mouth, then another and then one, louder.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"
Personality #4: "..Well you see, it amuses me that you think I was the one who killed the other codices, I see the MASTERS didn't waste time in their web of lies"
"DON'T LIE, THEY SAID YOU WOULD TRY TO DECEIVE US WITH YOUR LIES!"
Personality #4: "Is that so?, then do you really believe that we codices had anything to do with the fall of the other numbers, that it was our decision that 19 of ours would die suddenly to become codices?"
Lykos was about to interrupt, but I stopped him by grabbing his head and slamming it into the ground. Then I whispered in his ear
Personality #4: "Do you really think what happened in Cambodia was so simple?"
At that moment, his strength faded.
He was already understanding what was happening to him, the doubts he must have had deep down resurfaced and what was once a top-secret mission had become a plan to eliminate the useless up to this point.
Slowly rising from the ground, I removed my foot from his back.
Personality #4: "You should know that how the MASTERS recruited you, Rhaelle and Varyn was no coincidence"
He must have been confused and stunned; not because the news was hard to believe, it was because he already had doubts deep in his heart about what happened that week, that particular day.
But I interrupted again.
Personality #4: "I know it wasn't the right time, but maybe you should explain it to both of them, Varyn."
Rising quickly, he looked around, a soft step was heard from the side of one of the support columns of one of the large buildings, that hadn't fallen completely.
A subject came out walking slowly. Behind him were more than 100 men, several with red shoulder pads, others with yellow ones numbered from IV to I.
Black combat suit, yellow eyes, and gray hair, firm lines on his face, gentle gaze, and calm expressions.
He approached slowly and stopped 5 meters from me.
"Don't make me carry more work than I should, Heiss"
"!Varyn tell me it's not..!"
"Shut up"
It was the first time Lykos was genuinely surprised, they had been through a lot, and only Rhaelle and Varyn were the ones who understood him, especially the latter who never failed to respect him and always supported him.
But then he understood why.
"This isn't the place Lykos", a solemn face showed before him, but his eyes said not to ask him more, to trust him.
He turned his gaze back to Heiss
"After what you told me that time, I looked for a way to find the truth, and I learned why you asked me to stay and do what you asked. I suppose by now you've already solved the chip problem"
Personality #4: "Yes, ….but the plans changed"
Looking behind him, I asked.
Personality #4: "How many of those are your real men?"
"All of them"
Personality #4: "It's quite more than I expected"
"Yes, but insufficient for what you hope to achieve, there are still a thousand men surrounding the external area waiting for the MASTERS to direct them to kill you, besides, only part of Rhaelle's men are reliable, the rest are still from the district"
I looked toward Rhaelle's men, who are at a distance where they can't hear what we're talking about.
'We shouldn't take too long, or they might get suspicious'
Personality #4: "As I said the plan changed, for now stay in the district and convince more for the change without them noticing, it's risky, but we need it, as soon as you can you should talk to Lykos and Rhaelle.
Nodding slightly, he looked at me.
"And you?"
Carefully pulling something from my pocket, I show it to him without anyone else seeing, only Varyn.
Personality #4: "I need you to kill me"
First a look of understanding and then a glimmer of comprehension appeared on his expressions.
"Are you sure?"
Personality #4: "Yes, for now it's the best way to disappear without the district noticing, I already have the substitute body ready. All that's left is for the preparations to be right so the body doesn't arrive directly or that they don't focus completely, to not raise suspicions and then make it disappear"
"I understand, but what about your friends", he turns to look at the 2 unconscious ones and the girl at my side visibly in pain unable to move"
Personality #4: "They're not my friends"
"…"
Personality #4: "But for now we can say we're somewhat unusual companions"
"Haha, you haven't changed, or well, one of your facets hasn't"
He smiled slightly.
Personality #4: "I see the Fenrir Squadron is still as stubborn as always"
"We keep working on what we can, Lykos and Rhaelle aren't exactly good at following instructions, less when each one was assigned to a different MASTER"
Personality #4: "It must have cost you a lot"
"…Yes"
We held a small silence, then as if we felt it was time, I turned back to where Cloe was.
Personality #4: "Cloe, I know you can move already, you don't have to pretend to attack him by surprise and escape, get up and go and take your companions into the tunnel interior. Someone should be waiting for you, so follow them"
She was surprised, thought she had been discreet.
Rising, she looked at me in the only egg where my eye was.
"Thanks", she ran and took Caleb, then signaled Emily to help her.
With some caution, she approached her side and asked.
"How are we going to get out of here?"
Her answer came after both looked at the two subjects.
"Just follow me"
Then the 2 abandoned the place.
Personality #4: "Should we announce a military combat or a duel by honor?"
"Better a ritual combat"
Personality #4: "And the offering to whom?"
"Toward our fallen brothers"
Deep down, I felt it was right when he proposed it.
Personality #4: "It's perfect, ask the level I instructors from each faction to act as the present, past and future"
This was a sign that each MASTER faction would hear about this battle, even if it was going to be recorded, it was necessary for the duel to be legitimate.
And since Lykos's men had arrived with Rhaelle's, there would be no problem
He raised his hand and called one of the instructors.
Then it was announced among everyone, a ritual combat.
The surprise was for everyone, since although they weren't particularly committed, they knew that the specific religious orders of the MASTERS were unquestionable and that they were very practiced by the numbered boys and later by the codices.
Before starting, I quickly explained what he needed to keep in mind for everything to go as planned.
Lykos moved away and waited with Rhaelle.
1 woman and 2 subjects surrounded us and put their hands in a prayer gesture.
Only level I instructors knew how the ritual was done.
Then the three spoke at the same time.
"In Nomine Dei" (In the name of God)
I took what I had in my hand and put it in my mouth, making a Christian sign, so any suspicion would dissipate.
Then the signal was given.
"!Coepite!" (Begin)