Word count: 1490
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The faint glow produced by the system during the summoning process of Mahito was slowly fading, a lanky figure with patchwork skin and a wide, unsettling grin stood before me.
Mahito stretched, cracking his neck. "Well, well, looks like I've been summoned. And by a human, no less. How interesting."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, groaning audibly. 'Why do I only summon weirdos? First Makima, now this...'
Makima, who had been standing silently by me, finally spoke. Her voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that I hadn't heard before. "Mahito, is it? You're one of Meliodas's subjects now. Remember your place."
Mahito turned to her, his grin never faltering. "And who might you be? Another summon? Or just his… pet?"
Makima didn't flinch. She simply turned her gaze to him, her presence pressing down like an invisible weight. "I'm his right hand. His most valuable asset. Though I doubt you'll be as useful as I am."
Mahito chuckled, a low, guttural sound. "Oh, I like her. She's funny. But don't worry, I'll be plenty useful. I'm very good at… reshaping things."
I let out a dry laugh, rubbing his temples. "I swear, I feel like I'm babysitting psychopaths."
Mahito turned back to me, his grin softening slightly. "Don't worry, Master. I'll behave. But I have to ask, what's the plan? Are we causing chaos? Destroying things? Experimenting on humans? Oh, I hope it's experimenting on humans."
Makima stepped slightly in front of Meliodas, her body language subtle but clear. Protective.
Meliodas smirked, lowering his hand. "*Sigh* Honestly, I don't care if you're a freak, as long as you get results. And yes we've got work to do, and if you want to mess with people, well... you're in luck. I'm planning to take over the Eight Fingers, a criminal organization."
Mahito's eyes sparkled with sadistic glee. "A crime syndicate? Oh, that sounds delicious. I can play with them, right? Stretch their souls, see how far I can pull before they snap~?"
Makima interjected before I could, voice low but sharp. "Only on Meliodas' command. You don't act without permission."
"As I said im planning on taking over, so if you kill everyone I won't have enough men to work for me. I want you to kill some of them to weaken their defences while at the same time stop them for coming to the meeting room. I will be there with Makima."
"Alrightyyy~ I got this." He did two thumbs up with a smile that showcased his whole set of teeth.
I cracked my knuckles, my earlier unease evaporating into focused determination. "Good. Let's get to work."
Mahito tilted his head towards Makima, his grin never wavering. "Oh, by the way, try not to get outshined today. Don't worry, I'm not that bad of a person, I'll leave some scraps for you to clean up."
Makima's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought she might actually lose her composure. But she simply smiled, her tone icy. "We'll see who outshines whom."
*Inside the Eight Fingers hideout*
The Eight Fingers' meeting room sat at the heart of their hideout, a fortress-like structure buried deep beneath the city. Encircled by heavily guarded storage rooms filled with stolen goods, weapons, and illicit treasures, the central chamber was the safest place in the building.
The room itself was opulent yet functional, with a large circular table at its center, surrounded by high-backed chairs. Thick stone walls and a single reinforced door ensured privacy.
The room was silent for a moment after Elena initiated the meeting with the information she got from her sources, dropping a bombshell about Princess Renner's proposal to abolish slavery. Hilma was the first to break the silence, her voice sharp and cutting.
"Abolish slavery?" Hilma repeated, her tone dripping with venom. "That little witch dares to threaten our operations? If her proposal goes through, my division's profits will plummet by more than 90%." she said, turning to the shadowy figure at the table, "Zero, I want her dead. Name your price."
Zero's hood shifted slightly, his low, menacing voice echoing from beneath it. "Assassinating a member of the royal family is no small task. It will require significant resources… and discretion. The repercussions could be severe if we're discovered."
Hilma's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident. "I don't care about the repercussions. That girl is a threat to everything we've built. If we don't act now, we'll lose everything."
Garrick, the hulking leader of the Security Division, leaned forward, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Killing the princess won't solve anything. My sources in the nobility confirm that she has no real power. Her proposals are always ignored. The king is a coward. As long as the majority of the nobles oppose her, he won't dare to act."
Hilma slammed her fist on the table, her voice rising. "Then what do you suggest, Garrick? That we sit back and wait for her to rally support? If slavery is abolished, my division is finished. Do you understand that?"
Garrick's expression remained stoic, his massive frame casting a shadow over the table. "I understand the stakes, Hilma. But we need to focus on the real threat, Gazef Stronoff. The kingdom's strongest warrior. He's been cracking down on our operations, and his influence is growing. If we eliminate him, the nobles will think twice about crossing us."
Roland, the smooth-talking leader of the Gambling Division, chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "Gazef Stronoff? That's a tall order, Garrick. The man's a legend. Taking him down won't be easy."
Garrick's gaze didn't waver. "Nothing worth doing is ever easy. But if we don't act, he'll continue to undermine us. We need to strike while we still can."
Elena, the petite but sharp-eyed leader of the Information Brokerage Division, smirked as she interjected. "Garrick's right. Gazef is the real threat. But if we're going to take him down, we'll need more than brute force. My informants tell me there's a group of mercenaries in the south who might be willing to work with us for the right price, they even have a renowned swordsman, Brain Unglaus."
Victor, the nervous leader of the Counterfeit Division, adjusted his glasses and spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "We have the funds to make it happen. Our counterfeit operations have been more profitable than ever. But we'll need to be careful. If word gets out that we're targeting Gazef, it could backfire."
Cocco Doll, the twitchy leader of the Drugs Division, finally spoke up, his voice shaky but insistent. "What about my division? The Adventurer's Guild has been sniffing around our routes. We lost two caravans last week. If we're going to focus on Gazef, we need to secure our operations first."
Mira, the leader of the Smuggling Division, snorted in derision. "Your division's getting sloppy, Cocco. My smugglers haven't lost a single shipment. Maybe you should focus less on your own product and more on your job."
Cocco Doll glared at her, his hands twitching nervously. "You think this is a joke, Mira? If the Adventurer's Guild keeps interfering, we'll all suffer."
Roland raised a hand, his charming smile masking his irritation. "Enough, both of you. We're here to discuss solutions, not point fingers. If Cocco's division is struggling, we'll allocate more resources to secure the drug routes. But let's not lose sight of the bigger picture."
Hilma leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful but still tense. "Fine. We'll focus on Gazef for now. But if the princess becomes a real threat, I want her dealt with. Understood?"
Zero's hood shifted again, his voice a low whisper. "Understood."
Garrick nodded, his deep voice firm. "We'll start gathering troops and resources immediately. Elena, reach out to those mercenaries. Victor, allocate the necessary funds. And Cocco," he said, turning to the twitchy man, "tighten security on your routes. We can't afford any more losses."
Each member knew the stakes. The Eight Fingers had survived this long by adapting, by staying one step ahead of their enemies. But with threats coming from both within and outside the kingdom, they would need to be more ruthless than ever.
The air in the room grew heavy as a sudden unnatural silence fell over the Eight Fingers.
Before anyone could react, a figure materialized out of the shadows.
It was Meliodas, naturally accompanied by Makima, her golden eyes gleaming with a dangerous light gazing at everyone present. Meliodas stepped into the flickering glow of the chandeliers.
"Well, well," he said, his voice calm but laced with an edge that sent shivers down their spines. "That was quite an interesting conversation. But here's the problem, your plans? They don't align with mine. So, how about we make a deal? A compromise. One where I walk away with everything, and you… well, you walk away. If you're lucky."
TO BE CONTINUED --->