BXBX NOVEL Chapter 225: Phase Two
She adjusted her sitting position, projecting an image of calmness and regal purpose.
As the heavy doors swung open, the A X E girls, Fiona, Luna, and Charlie, entered with purposeful strides. The trio exuded beauty and confidence, something they\'d cultivated from their experience as a popular girl group.
If only their fans knew about their reputation in the vampire society. That they were capable of crushing a grown man with just their pinky. Will that make them more attractive or less attractive? With fans these days, it\'s hard to tell.
"Welcome, A X E." Yuri greeted them, her voice smooth and commanding. "I trust you are well-prepared for your new assignment."
Fiona stepped forward and responded with a respectful bow. "We are ready to follow your command, Countess. What would you have us do?"
Yuri\'s eyes gleamed with a calculating spark as she leaned back in her chair, interlocking her fingers in contemplation. "When do you think is the best time to escalate?"
"My lady?" Fiona asked in confusion.
"First City is currently in a state of resource gathering. A lot of people are trying to find the gaps or leaks in their defenses and sealing them." Yuri smirked at Fiona. "When do you think is the best time to escalate from resource gathering to sabotage?"
Fiona stood there, thinking about the question. Finally, she answered. "I do not believe that I am knowledgeable enough of the vampires in this city to answer the question, my lady."
"True. True." Yuri nodded. "You see, our main opponent is Solomon. He has a lot of housekeeping to do as he has been a count for much longer than I. Unfortunately for him, I don\'t have as much to safeguard and tonight, I do not need to keep gathering resources."
"So why not escalate now that things are in my favor?" Yuri asked, still smirking. "With that in mind, the next step is simple. I start the second part of the war early and Solomon will be scrambling to keep up."
"Which is why the three of you are here right now." Yuri studied the girls as she announced. "Tonight, I want you to destroy the Flower Shop."
The faces of the A X E girls lit up at her words. She knew how much the hatred between the two groups ran. They were both in the same business and roughly met each other as enemies. Their competitive spirits ensured that they could never be friends.
This was a mission she knew they\'d carry out with a hundred percent dedication.
"I want you to sabotage their operations and keep them out of the war for a few days. The Flower Shop girls are a nuisance that mustn\'t be allowed to interfere with our interests." Yuri said. "However, make sure to not kill them in the operation. We are not yet ready to jump directly to the third phase."
"I see." Fiona nodded, trying to control the smile that kept twitching on her face. Her partner\'s had no such compunctions and were openly grinning.
"With the Flower Shop gone, it will cripple the girls\' ability to function effectively for a while." Fiona said. "While I doubt the Flower Shop is their only stash, it is still their most important base. This\'ll stop Solomon from mobilizing them, giving us more leeway in our actions."
"Exactly." Yuri nodded firmly. "Do whatever it takes to make this operation a success. I want them disorganized and weak. I do not care if your actions can be traced directly back to me. It does not matter. All I want is to send Solomon a message.
The second phase has begun."
"We will not fail, my lady." Fiona nodded.
"Excellent," Yuri said, a slight smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I trust in your abilities to handle this, A X E. Don\'t let me down."
"We won\'t." As one, the girls gave Yuri a slight bow and turned to leave. They had arrogant competitors to put in their place.
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Under the cover of night, the A X E trio moved like shadows, stalking from shadow to shadow.
Their destination was a mundane building with a rooftop glasshouse garden. This wasn\'t just any building. It was the target for tonight. The Flower Shop.
It wasn\'t called the Flower Shop just because the girls sold flowers in the shop on the ground floor. It was called the Flower Shop because in addition to selling flowers, the girls were also in charge of taking lives for money with the use of those same flowers.
They were known for their abilities to create poisons that could affect even vampires. Because of this, their services were sought after not just locally but also in other cities.
The A X E girls stalked closer, eventually stopping a building away. It was time to check if anyone was home.
With a nod, Charlie closed her eyes and dark bats peeled off her skin and flew towards the Flower Shop.
Using an astral projection was just signaling to any vampire of your presence. And no one could accuse the A X E of not being good at their job.
The bats circled the building, scanning it for signs of vampire presence. This was a tattoo they\'d created for this purpose. Fiona and Luna kept watch as Charlie worked. After a minute, she opened her eyes and gave a nod of approval. The building was clear and the Flower Shop girls were out.
After a final check, Fiona led the way inside. It was easy to break in and child\'s play to disable the security system. They encountered a lot of traps meant for vampires but were able to disable them.
Just as the Flower Shop girls were skilled at poisons, the A X E were skilled at getting into places they had no business being in.
They placed their bombs as they went up the building and it didn\'t take long for them to get to the rooftop garden. A beautiful place where the draw of a single breath could kill a grown man in a few seconds.