Aetheral Space Chapter 354:13.12: The Tree of Might

The body was dumped at Nael’s feet.

Azrael’s dead eyes stared up towards the ceiling of the warehouse. The Crimson Carnival had made their temporary base in an industrial sector of Azum-Ha, while their ship drifted in orbit as a decoy. It had been Azrael’s idea. Probably one of his better ones. Better than volunteering to go after Atoy Muzazi, anyway.

Impaled from behind. Nael’s frown deepened. Did that check out? He’d heard so stuff about Atoy Muzazi, and that didn’t sound like the sort of thing he’d do.

But, then again… did it really matter?

"The rest?" Nael asked, his eyes flicking up to the taller of the Hellion Twins. One Hellion and Two Hellion, they said they were called, both with bristly orange hair, blazing gold eyes and gleaming white fangs. Pugants or whatever.

Two Hellion clicked his teeth together, stepping in front of his brother. "No successful kills on the contestants," he said, saliva nearly overpowering his shrill, thin voice. "But that was expected, it was. All the footage and -- and biotrics they recorded made it back to us."

One Hellion nodded stoically. "Tanya is going through it," he said, crossing his arms. "Once she has combat profiles and has fought them a few tis herself, we’ll pass you the information."

Tanya… which one was Tanya? The woman with the bright blue eyes, right? Blonde hair? chanical jaw?

Apparently, she had so kind of ability -- once she had a ntal profile of soone, she could fight a simulated version of them as many tis as she liked. Helped with strategy. No doubt she’d fought Nael quite a few tis, already, in preparation for the betrayal.

It didn’t take a genius to see that the Crimson Carnival was a gang of knives waiting for the promised back. They’d gathered around Nael for the unique power he could offer them -- and now that they had it, they were eager to get rid of him and take his place. The tal chair Nael sat in was a literal pain in the ass, but to these idiots it must have seed a throne.

Azrael had wanted the throne. The Hellion Twins wanted the throne. Tanya wanted the throne.

Well, they were welco to try. It didn’t matter how many knives went for his back. They’d already been beaten to the punch.