CHAPTER 71: ORION VS MERCURE

There were twenty-eight cities in the kingdom of Eterniti, and among those cities and villages, the Mercure clan held sway over them all. All, except one: the city of Orion.

While the rest of Eterniti’s population had abandoned its traditions by relying on the serum to avoid Awakening, Orion had remained steadfast. Every time the Mercure smugglers tried to lure them in, they were driven back not with words, but with the sword. The Mercure clan had once attempted to wipe out the city by force, to prevent it from becoming a nuisance and interfering with their affairs in other towns. Yet, time and time again, they failed. Their only consolation was that Orion had chosen to isolate itself on the kingdom’s borders.

For the people of Orion, their fellow citizens who had forsaken their faith in the King were nothing more than traitors. Their cries for help, their pleas, were nothing but the buzzing of flies. Only those who swore allegiance to the King and preserved tradition could find refuge within their walls. The rest could be treated like animals by the smugglers they couldn’t care less.

Such was the mentality of Orion, and such was the unspoken pact between Orion and the Mercure clan.

---

That day, the sun rose over the city of Orion as it always did.

It was a city straight out of the medieval age: chimneys smoking above rooftops, horses pulling carts, armored men walking the streets, and massive walls encircling the town.

At the house of the city’s chief, young men and women just shy of adulthood had gathered.

Today, they were receiving the chief’s final instructions to prepare for the imminent Awakening.

The crowd of youths whispered among themselves. There was no fear in their voices only impatience tinged with curiosity.

Though they thought themselves grown, until one Awakened, one was still considered a child in the eyes of the elders.

The whispers grew louder until the door opened.

It was a man in his forties, broad-shouldered and imposing. He wore full, polished armor, his blue eyes sharp, his black curls streaked with gray.

This man was Renard, both the chief of Orion and its strongest knight he city’s sole Master.

"Well, well... you’re up early, youngsters," he growled.

Behind him stepped out a handsome man, a younger version of Renard, clad in armor as well, though less radiant.

Arnaud, Renard’s son, had gone through his Awakening the previous year and was named his successor.

The crowd fell silent out of respect. Once Renard was satisfied, he spoke.

"Three hundred years ago, we, the citizens of Eterniti, migrated to this continent. Our King and his knights braved countless dangers so that we could live in peace.

Our King did not abandon us, and one day, He will return to dwell among us. When that day comes, Eterniti shall know glory once more.

There is no greater honor than to serve under His Majesty’s command. Until His return, we must keep our traditions, lest on that great day, His Majesty be offended."

Renard’s voice was firm, his gaze sweeping over the youths. He was secretly pleased to see flames ignite in their eyes at the mention of the King’s return.

Masking his pride behind a grunt, he was about to continue when the sound of approaching hooves caught his attention.

An armored knight on horseback burst through the crowd without slowing. The youths barely had time to scatter before he reined in his steed before Renard.

"What is the meaning of this? This day is important for these young ones!" Arnaud snapped.

Dismounting, the knight bowed.

"Chief, young chief, forgive me, but I bring urgent news."

"Speak," Renard ordered.

"The Mercure clan... they’re approaching."

"Is that all? Hardly worth panicking over. The guards on the walls are more than enough to drive them back again," Arnaud scoffed.

The knight, still on his knees, stammered:

"It’s just... they are more numerous than ever before. And they carry weapons far greater than any they’ve shown until now."

Arnaud fell silent. The matter was serious.

It was his father who answered.

"Then let’s see for ourselves."

They wasted no time saddling their horses and rode swiftly through the city streets. The townsfolk, unaware of the danger, cheered their chief, who answered with only a curt wave.

Soon they reached the eastern walls. From atop the ramparts, they could confirm the urgency of the threat.

"Move every able fighter to the walls! Women and children to the city center! And someone fetch the elders!"

Renard barked order after order, the knights rushing to obey.

Then he turned to his son, who still didn’t understand his reaction.

"Did you notice?"

"No, father."

Renard focused on the ether he could sense, even at a distance, before saying:

"They’ve come to settle this for real."

---

Two kilometers from the city gates, the Mercure clan unloaded their weapons and passed around crates of ammunition and equipment.

Some, instead of handling the arsenal first, secured beer and cigarettes for themselves. The mood was festive, as though they were preparing for a barbecue rather than a war.

Indeed, they lacked the discipline of Orion’s knights. Their behavior was that of bandits.

One thing was certain: they were enjoying this.

Inside one of the vehicles, Oki, the Mercure clan’s leader, was being pampered by two beautiful women relaxing before the real fight.

Knock, knock.

Someone rapped on the window.

"Boss, everything’s ready."

"I’m coming," he grunted, stepping out of the vehicle minutes later.

He took a moment to survey his surroundings and felt a spark of excitement.

He had gathered nearly all of the clan’s forces everyone had dropped what they were doing to be there. Only those left to guard headquarters were absent.

In total: two hundred men, including fifty Initiates, two Intermediates (his right-hand men), and himself, a Master.

Though formidable for any gang, they were still outnumbered by Orion’s knights:

nearly five hundred Initiates ready for battle, four Intermediates (the city’s elders), and one Master (the city’s chief).

And, of course, the rest of the population save the youngest were Awakened. Even without combat training, they could become a formidable force in an emergency.

Yet, the Mercure clan possessed an undeniable advantage: progress.

While Orion’s knights carried shields and swords, they were armed to the teeth assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns, and more.

Oki had nearly emptied his stock to outfit his men. A pang of regret struck him as he thought of the profits he could have made from selling it all.

Still, his business in Eterniti was far too lucrative to let some rebels get in his way.

"Ready the mortars and get the baby boom ready to fire," he spat, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

By "baby boom," he meant a missile he had acquired for the occasion.

Once preparations were complete, silence fell across both camps. Orion and Mercure stood frozen, the two leaders staring each other down despite the distance.

Then, as if on cue, they both gave the order at the same time:

"Fire!"

"Let the party begin!"

-----------------------------------------------

A/N :

Hi, just to clarify a few terms.

At the beginning of the story, I used "Enforcer" to refer to anyone who had survived the Awakening. Now, things are different:

Awakened: refers to anyone who has survived the Awakening, regardless of their rank or the organization they belong to.

Enforcers: refers only to the Awakened who are part of one of the five Bureaus of the Order.

For non-Awakened individuals working for one of the Bureaus, the term used is Intern.

Note:

In Eterniti, Awakened who fight call themselves Knights.

Not everyone who has gone through the Awakening is necessarily a fighter. A large number of the Awakened either don’t know how to fight, or possess a resonance that is not useful in combat.