When Dona Gracia gripped the door handle as if to tear it off and opened it, she confirmed once more that the Leader of the Balsici Family was a man of his word. The beautiful woman had activated the energy shield surrounding her body; she hadn't expected those inside to accept death without resistance, but she stood frozen at the sight before her.
"Welcome!"
Not only Dona Gracia, but Dimitri, Sasha, the dwarf servant, and the three survivors were ready for battle, but Dijamant, the Leader of the Diamond Leaf Merchant Guild, greeted them with a warm smile.
"My dear daughter-in-law; no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find a wedding gift worthy of you. I thought setting aside this stinking old geezer for you would somewhat make up for my inadequacy."
Dijamant, having removed his usual clothes—a river of diamonds flowing from his chest downward—was wearing something resembling the sacks used for carrying loads. The other two Great Merchant Guild Leaders were lying at his feet, and judging by their inability to move, they were under the influence of some kind of equipment with a paralyzing effect.
"You can rest easy; I have taken away everything they would have used as a last resort. You can check if you wish, but since the paralysis effect will be broken, it's impossible for me to predict how they might react!"
As Dijamant finished his words, three mercenaries stepped forward and began searching the two guild leaders, tossing them around like rags—men they previously wouldn't have even dared to look in the eye. Simultaneously, Sasha was searching the Leader of the Diamond Leaf Merchant Guild; after all, everyone in the room was a merchant and they had spent their lives trying to screw each other over.
"They're clean!" "This one is clean too, master!"
The three mercenaries and Sasha finished their work at the same time. Meanwhile, the dwarf servant stood ready to attack at the slightest sign of trouble, but the agony of waiting had become unbearable for Dona Gracia.
"Step aside. The moment I have waited for for years has arrived!"
The beautiful woman's face contorted in a way never seen before. Her lips thinned, her eyes twitched, and her eyebrows looked like two swords drawn from their scabbards. Zlato did not look at the woman walking toward him even once; all his attention was on Dimitri, who stood just a few steps behind her.
"I was able to prevent your father's rise by exiling you to the Orc Steppes, but I didn't calculate the fortune awaiting you there. I failed as a merchant; I lost in this world where defeat means death, but how can you allow my end to come at the hands of this whore, Dimitri?"
Zlato knew who Dona Gracia was; he was aware of why she was coming for him, yet he acted as if she didn't exist. Being killed by someone who once served as his maid, someone whose desires he satisfied and who was worth no more than a piece of trash, clearly bothered him.
Dimitri did not respond to the call; the pain of losing his revenge to someone else was enough for him, but the Leader of the Golden Leaf Guild showed no sign of falling silent. He opened his mouth; he was about to start spitting poison until the sharp surface of a bright metal cut and shattered the soft tissue of his tongue.
The dwarf servant moved so fast that Zlato turned into a mute before he knew what was happening. While the sole of a shoe descended repeatedly upon his head to scatter his brains, he couldn't even scream.
Dying under the feet of someone he once used as a slave formed the final moments of the former leader of the Golden Leaf Guild's life. Dona Gracia continued to strike until her rage was spent, and it didn't look like she would stop for a long time.
"Whichever of you is going to take my life, do it now! I cannot endure this disgrace any longer!"
The old woman who was the Leader of the Turquoise Leaf Guild stated her final wish with a weary expression. She wasn't arrogant like Zlato, nor did she seem afraid to die. She had the indifference of someone waiting for the inevitable end to come quickly.
Dimitri did not remain indifferent to this call as he had to the previous one. If he was to be the Leader of the Golden Leaf Guild, he had to show his belief to his subordinates. He gripped the hilt of the sword Sasha extended and severed the old woman's head from her body with a clean cut in a single swing.
The two Great Merchant Guild Leaders had died in completely different ways. Eyes turned to the Leader of the Diamond Leaf Guild. He stood up, clearly having prepared himself for death, closed his eyes, and began to wait for his end.
"This decision does not belong to us, Dijamant! Those in this room cannot decide whether you live or die!"
When Dimitri Balsici declared that the man who made all the necessary sacrifices for his son would not meet his end here, no one could object. Everyone had gotten what they wanted, and clearly, this decision belonged to one of those causing the apocalypse outside.
In the room with two corpses and eight people still breathing, the wait began. They were unaware of the course of the war or the latest developments; they would wait here. If the allies won, beautiful days were theirs, but if not, they had no choice but to go back to where the previous door opened.
Their fates were in the hands of others, they had no choice but to wait, but for another group underground like them, the exact opposite was true. Master Leonardo and his group, fighting in the hangar underground in the Southern Part, could neither wait nor surrender their fates to the hands of others.
"Bow before my genius! Kneel before the work of my life and beg for forgiveness. Perhaps then I may allow your bodies to continue living inside my masterpiece!"
Fritz Todt was speaking from the small area at the head of the giant robot. His voice echoed in the void, practically ringing inside the brains of the others. Everything about the robot he called his masterpiece was like this; its voice, movements, energy reserve, and durability exceeded all standards.
"What shall we do, Master? Do we have a chance to get out of here and prepare again by getting more support?"
Holzmeister was in fear. As someone who had also earned the title of engineer, he understood what they were trying to fight, and the information he always strove to obtain was now his greatest enemy.
"Impossible! The moment the robot emerged, the perimeter of the area was covered with an energy shield possessing the same features as the one protecting it. It's impossible for my Power Animal to overcome this obstacle, but we have another remedy for salvation!"
The giant robot was on one side, its enemies on the other. It was clear they hadn't thought they would fall into such a situation while coming here; otherwise, they would have brought other attack-oriented people besides Alis.
Nafız's former Power Animal—the charismatic youth—was using both the power of darkness and wind simultaneously, but he hadn't managed to inflict permanent damage on Fritz Todt's invention. Whenever he focused all his power on a point and made a successful hit, he was repelled by a dense elemental energy attack, followed by the metal outer casing regenerating itself at an incredible speed.
"While surrendering is still an option, while I'm giving you one last chance, take it! Leonardo, accept defeat! Return to the Machine Empire and confess before my council that I am a superior scientist.
Then I may spare your apprentice's life. The rest of the trash doesn't interest me; saving all their lives is between your two lips, my old friend. Acting as you always do will be enough; choose to flee at the first real difficulty you face.
Flee, as you have done before, as you have done all your life. Perhaps the Sublime Council will forgive you; after all, you must know things about our arch-enemy that are impossible for anyone else to know.
Perhaps they'll set up a small place for you again and let you live there as you wish. Now step forward and kneel before me, Leonardo, or I will take pleasure in burying you all here!"