Amber surveyed the surrounding carnage, the remnants of the blackguards' defenses lying in disarray, along with a lot of these guys' bodies.
The Chimaeric Demons, Erik's clones, had made quick work of their enemy.
It had been so fast that those present there, and not being Erik's clones, were shivering a little.
What was even more surprising was that despite the insane battle that transpired within this building, the clones' white uniforms remained pristine, with not a single drop of blood staining the fabric.
It was an eerie sight, one that sent a shiver down Amber's spine.
Mira, Emily, and June stood nearby. They had barely lifted a finger; the Chimaeric Demons had handled everything with an efficiency that was both terrifying and impressive and was also the reason everyone felt dread.
Amber glanced at her teammates, seeing the same thoughts were swirling through their heads. They realized; they finally understood the true extent of Erik's power, and it was far greater than they had imagined.
Only June was having a somewhat neutral face, but even he, one of Erik's oldest and most trusted clones, had a weird look on his face, albeit just a slight tint.
Amber couldn't help but think about the implications of all this power. Erik alone was already a monster, someone who could have easily destroyed a city if it weren't for the new weapons now littering the world.
But with his ability to create such powerful clones, his potential seemed limitless.Given time and preparation, he could conquer nations and continents. Even reclaiming the Mur continent, a dream once considered impossible by any human on the planet, now seemed within reach.
The world was changing, the balance of power shifting in ways no one could have predicted. And at the center of it all stood Erik, a man whose potential seemed to know no bounds.
Amber had always believed in him, even when he was just a skinny kid with a love for junk food and a shy personality.
But now, witnessing the fruits of his labor, the sheer scale of his power, she couldn't help but wonder where this path would lead.
The woman had to push those thoughts aside for now and focused on the task at hand.
She walked toward a room where the captives the clones subjugated were held; the door guarded by a pair of Chimaeric Demons. They stepped aside as she approached, allowing her to enter.
Inside, a group of people under the blackguards sat on the ground together, their faces full of fear and uncertainty.
They were surrounded by more Chimaeric Demons, who stood like statues, almost waiting for these people to do something stupid so that they could beat some common sense into them.
At the same time, the mask obscured their faces, their expressions were unreadable behind their masks, and that made them even scarier, because they really looked like statues. Or better, they were like gargoyles.
Amber's gaze swept over the captives, assessing their condition. They were mostly unharmed, but shaken by what transpired within this building and the outcome that has been reached in a matter of ten minutes.
She stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "You're all prisoners of the rebel forces now. Cooperate, and you won't be harmed."
One of them, a man with a stern face and a defiant glare, looked at her with hatred. "What do you want from us?"
Amber met his gaze steadily, but hers was hidden behind her mask.
"Information. We need everything you know about the blackguards. Your cooperation will determine your treatment. I don't need to remind you what these guys can do, right?"
She pointed at Erik's white-dressed clones.
The man hesitated, glancing at his comrades, before nodding reluctantly. "Alright. We'll cooperate."
It looked like even the others had the man's same sentiment. Besides, it wasn't like they knew what was going on within the organization.
They had some information. Those regarding what the blackguards were doing mostly came from rumors. The rest, and the majority of the information they had, were the names of some blackguards and the various procedures needed for the enlistment.
However, knowing who the blackguards really were was a major information.
The mask was kept on them for privacy reasons, because enemies could target family members. That information alone was going to be priceless, especially considering there had been a lot of recruitments within New Alexandria in the recent times.
Amber didn't know this, but the man she was talking to was Marshall Caldwell, the man to which Erik talked when he came to the enlistment center.
The man wasn't stupid, nor weak, for all that mattered. However, the Chimaeric demons subdued him with ease, and with even more ease, they took care of the blackguards.
That left a deep impression on the man, who understood almost immediately he had to do what these guys told him. There was no way out alive for him if he did something different.
What was more unsettling, though, wasn't that these white-dressed guys had been able to keep most of the blackguards alive.
It was as incredible as it was scary, because to do so it meant they had to be stronger than the blackguards, and after years and years of brainwashing, of thinking that the blackguards were the creme of the creme of humanity, finding someone even stronger than them was reality shattering.
It meant someone had the power to really antagonize them, and the man, a loyal pawn believing the blackguards were justice's paladins, didn't like that.
Amber nodded, satisfied. She turned to the Chimaeric demons. "Keep an eye on them. Make sure they stay put."
She was going to interrogate these people later. Now her priority was elsewhere.
The clones nodded in unison. Amber felt a chill run down her spine again because of their weird synchronicity, and she left the room. There was still work to be done.
Outside, she found Mira, Emily, and June waiting for her. "The captives are secure. We need to bring them there," she said, "and then regroup with the others."
Mira nodded. "The control room is secure. We have access to the building's systems. We should start by disabling any remaining defenses and locating any other blackguards still inside."
"Good idea, but also download any data that could be useful." Amber agreed. "Emily, June, head to the control room with the clones and start working on that. Mira and I will stay here and monitor the prisoners."
Amber and Mira moved to another room, their steps echoing through the now-silent building.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, and the lingering tension of battle was still within all the individuals who got on the losing side.
They arrived at a larger room where more Chimaeric Demons stood guard over a group of captives.
These prisoners were all blackguards. Not those poor men and women working for them, thinking they were part of something bigger and better, unaware they were just pawns into a machine far scarier than they thought.
All these men and women had been stripped of their masks, revealing faces that were a mix of fear, defiance, and bewilderment.
They had all been defeated, a reality almost unheard of for blackguards.
These elite soldiers, trained to be the epitome of strength and discipline, rarely faced defeat.
Yet here they were, subdued and stripped of their intimidating masks.
Amber took in the scene, her eyes lingering on the injured blackguards. Erik's clones had subdued them but ensured they were still alive.
It was the first time Amber had seen a blackguard without their mask, and the sight was unsettling.
The mystique and intimidation that the masks provided were stripped away, leaving only vulnerable humans behind.
She sighed and turned to one of the Chimaeric demons. "Pick one of the blackguards and bring him or her to another room. I need to ask some questions."
The clone nodded without a word. He stepped forward, selecting a blackguard with a steely gaze and a clenched jaw.
This guy was likely the only one with a defiant look on his face, and that was why he was selected. The Chimaeric demons wanted to bend him.
As if on cue, the man tried to resist, his body tensing and squirming as he tried to pull away, but the clone's grip was unyielding.
"Let go of me!" The blackguard growled, struggling against the clone's ironclad hold.
The Chimaeric Demon didn't respond and remained silent. As if even the act of replying to the blackguard was a waste of time, or something that would kill his brain cells.
Instead, he tightened his grip and dragged the man toward the designated room.
The man screamed in pain. The two women couldn't imagine the strength exerted by the clone, but it had to be very high to make a blackguards squirm like a worm and scream like a bitch.
Amber and Mira followed, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of further resistance. But it was clear the clone's show of strength broke these people's will to fight.
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