[b][i]Intermission Four - Darkest Hour[/i][/b]

[b]La Trinidad de Manila Academy - 12/1/2022, 8:29, UTC+8[/b]

[center]
[url=https://www.imgchest.com/p/md7oqkxr4p6][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/45xcvve9ja7.jpg[/img][/url]
[i]Far Eastern University In Real Life; the location and structures are used for La Trinidad de Manila in this timeline for convinience[/i][/center]

Myron mused that Diligence made a good pitch. In other circumstances, he would have been persuaded, but to be blunt, accepting help from the Seven Virtues at this point would push away not just Nico Makri but a surviving Lei Qingshe... If she survived. So his next words were, "If you people were so kind and altruistic, you'd rescue him for free. What's stopping you?"

Diligence was shocked and said, "Superbia is... usually stronger than all of us combined. Without a Humilitas, we're fundamentally incomplete."

He then regained his poise as he spoke, "But to be honest, that's coward's talk, unworthy of us."

The blond man sighed, then said, "You've talked us into this - We will be rescuing Noel for free. Expect First Lieutenant Alonso to be back by the end of the [i]Second Battle of La Naval de Manila[/i]... Or maybe earlier. Wish us luck."

For the first time, Myron wished a member of the Seven Virtues luck as Diligence vanished in a flash of blue-white light, no doubt dispelling his Avatar. 

Then he turned towards Callie, Henri, and Nil, glancing at them long enough to let them know one ear of his' was paying attention to their conversation, and walked towards the three before adding, "You know, Henri, I've done my own digging, and I must say, a Noble Arm that is oriented towards negating other Noble Arms? If this were the 'old days', the Disablers - My old group - would be considering you as a grudging ally."

His eyes then glinted as he continued, "I made mistakes in their service. Remember what motivated those mistakes, no, atrocities. No one is immune from the urge to participate in the cycle of oppression and revenge - I say this not out of scorn, but out of concern."

[@Chiro][@Nimbus]

[b][i]Refugee Camp North of Manila - 12/3/2022, 11:05, UTC+8 (Three Days Later)[/i][/b]

Crown Prince Shinyahito shouted through the radio, "All MPs and Normal Police units, plus Callie - take the motorbikers into custody; do not let them escape!"

This was said with unusual viciousness for the normally kind and gentle little prince as he, with Nil in tow, walked to where Cristina and Basilia were, and he asked the two, "Need a first aid kit?"

He then introduced himself to the latter with a slight bow, then a smile, "You must be Basilia Bernardino; I'm happy you're in a better state now - Cristina really looks up to you."

Looking at Nil again, then Archer and Mikey, the Crown Prince of Japan said through the comms, "Mikey, observe the remaining Technicals as they drive through the Refugee Camp and tell Nil where and what to shoot! Archer, if your armor has superhuman speed, race to the breaches on the western fence and cut off their route of escape!

As for what the western fence was, the refugee camp was arranged in a rectangle surrounded by a small ditch and a metal fence with barbed wire on top. The enemy's Technicals had breached such weak defenses by just plowing through the ditch and the fence, and it was clear that the Corriente Family's goons were planning on using that as their way of escape; indeed, several of their assassins had already snuck out that way after sensing defeat, but their boot prints can be seen through the mud.

Crown Prince Shinyahito made up his mind; if ASEAN and its allies won the coming Naval Battle, something will have to be done about Lubao and the Corriente Family...

[@Gerlando][@Digmata][@ctrlsaltdel][@Archazen]