[b][i]Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh[/i][/b]

[b]The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 06:10 UTC+8[/b]

The meeting was about to begin, and the venue was set.

Koh Pich, or Diamond Island, used to be a swamp. But now, thanks to Chinese investment from before the ASEAN War, it was a piece of luxurious real estate, the pinnacle of high living even in these war-torn times. Dotted with skyscrapers, restaurants, villas and parks, it was a playground for the rich and well-connected, a hive of diplomacy, business, and the trade of information both legal and illegal. And it was there, in the artificial wonderland built by the Chinese in better times, that Task Force Obsidian and the ASEAN Delegates they were guarding were going to meet with the Chinese ambassadors.

[hider=Diamond Island, aka Koh Pich]
[center][url=https://imgchest.com/p/md7oqkxr4p6][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc6o5m67.jpg[/img][/url][/center]
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To the north of Diamond Island was the [url=https://worldzevent.com/en/venue/diamond-island-convention-and-exhibition-center]Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center[/url], where the meeting between the ASEAN delegates and the People's Republic of China's ambassadors was being set. A rectangular building defined by copious use of beige-colored concrete, mixing influences from traditional Khmer architecture and the Western style of building walls and gatehouses, the exterior of the structure, now decorated with the flags of the various ASEAN countries and China, was meant to look prestigious enough to host a high-level meeting of this importance.

The entrance hall was a long, but wide, chamber with lines of square-ish pillars on each side, and lit by bright fluorescent lights even in the middle of the day. This open space was meticulously polished, the ceiling, floor, and columns a near-uniform shade of beige that slightly muted the onlookers' reflections. There was little place to hide from the camera flashes and roaring voices of the media personnel allowed inside to witness this high-level diplomatic meeting nor from the members of the Cambodian gendarmerie that provided security for the building itself.

Right now, Task Force Obsidian was tasked with making sure the meeting did not go awry, and that meant that First Lieutenant Noel Alonso had to repeat some of his orders, which in turn included answers to Roberto's questions two or so days ago, answers he was already sure he had given but had to repeat once they were in the building. 

"We are site security, but our task is [i]also[/i] to make sure that if things do go badly, that we can protect, then buy time, for the ASEAN delegates to evacuate either to the International Airport to the west, or to the districts to the east, or downstream to where our navies can evacuate them. This does not mean we're expendable, but we are going to hope that China intends no treachery... Which reminds me."

Noel then looked at the rest of the Task Force, saying, "We are meeting the Zodiac and not trying to kill them right away, with the assumption that they are not trying to kill or kidnap us. I want you all to be on our best behavior, even when confronting [i]that simp Dragon Huo Ren[/i] -"

Footsteps could be heard, high-class leather boots tapping on polished tilework, each noise a demand for attention, for [i]glory[/i] to be showered on the man who was walking towards them - It was Huo Ren, accompanied by a young man of Noel's age whose haunted eyes shifted from side to side, and a tall blonde, one who wore a golden military uniform that stole Huo Ren's spotlight; surprisingly, Huo Ren himself did not mind.

[hider=Huo Ren in Drip]
[URL=https://www.zerochan.net/4124192][IMG]https://s3.zerochan.net/Zhongli.240.4124192.avif[/IMG][/URL]
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[hider=Shen Tu, the aide]
[url=https://imgchest.com/p/md7oqkxr4p6][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/g4z9cnkzm27.jpg[/img][/url]
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[hider=Huo Ren's Friend]
[URL=https://www.zerochan.net/3914405][IMG]https://s3.zerochan.net/Gilgamesh.240.3914405.avif[/IMG][/URL]
[/hider]

Huo Ren then introduced his friend with, "Greetings; this is Yulian Suburov, the Chainbringer. Russia lent him out to us and away from their side due to a... disagreement between its government and him over [i]cultural issues[/i], namely attitudes towards carnal activities between men. Otherwise, he has been very good at corralling entire groups for 'relocation' and individuals for... 're-education'."

Qingshe, as well as anyone with sensory-based Noble Arms, could see something odd about Yulian, namely the immense power the man had in his body, and how his body seemed to be [i]made of energy[/i]. This mystery was cleared up when the man walked over to Noel and casually dropped, [b][i]"I'm an Avatar of Superbia. One of many."[/i][/b]

Yulian then whirled away from the group, then said as he walked away, [b][i]"And this time, the Sun and Moon won't be up at the same hour; remember that, Nico Makri."[/i][/b]

Now, Huo Ren and his aide were left alone to face the outrage of the rest of Task Force Obsidian... And maybe Huo Ren's own Zodiac members.

[@Lewascan2][@Gerlando][@Nimbus][@QJT][@Amidatelion][@Digmata][@Chiro][@Creative Chaos][@DammitVictor]