You speak through the telepathy web. "Rika, Albedo. Our group avoided most fights the previous few weeks because we were small and weak. We won a few ambushes, even with our new members I still prefer not making an open attack. Fact said, we don't need to attack this group - they'll encounter society's wrath once the gas supply restarts communications. If we do attack them, we'll need to take almost-full control before enchanting, without knowing how aggressive the chained will be once let loose. So we can either start with assassinating the armed, then attack hard if-when the arm is raised, or skip the airport and consider it again after the Costcos. There's also the option of announcing their actions and location over the radio - they'll be mobbed before the day is over. It's up to the two of you."

  Rika's response comes back immediate and clinical. "Assassination requires precision timing across thirty-seven targets. Miss one and they trigger arms. The chained prisoners are unknown variables - some may help, others may panic and create crossfire chaos. Radio broadcast is cleanest option tactically. We continue south, let local survivors handle the cleanup."

  Albedo's mental voice carries different calcution. "I disagree. Broadcasting their location creates martyrs and allows leadership to escape with core security force. The prisoners remain ensved for hours or days until rescue arrives - assuming rescue comes at all. Meanwhile we've announced our awareness of the situation to anyone monitoring communications."

  "Then what do you propose?" Rika asks.

  "Selective elimination," Albedo replies smoothly. "Lightbend enchantment active on everybody, we will infiltrate and secure positions. We eliminate leadership in the control tower first - clean, silent, no arms. Then we handle perimeter guards. Once the only enemy forces are in the open Rika, Sinon, Nova begin ranged extermination, with your silenced rifles, by the time they realize they're being attacked there won't be many left. When those remaining do realize their commanders are dead and their communication is cut, most will surrender or flee. Half the group removes Lightbend and spends a brief moment releasing the prisoners as C.C., Asia and Brad enchant the aircraft and location, unseen."

  Mikasa shifts against your shoulder, her hand tightening on yours. Her mental voice adds measured assessment. "The prisoners are malnourished and brutalized. They won't fight effectively even if freed. Most will hide or run. We'd be fighting thirty-seven armed targets, not two hundred unknowns."

  C.C.'s voice cuts through with characteristic bluntness. "The real question is whether we want to establish precedent. If we bypass this, other groups will conclude magical assistance ignores atrocities. If we intervene, we signal that certain behaviors draw our attention."

  Erza speaks up from across the cabin. "We can't save everyone. But we're here, we have the capability, and those people are suffering right now."

  Sango's voice follows, carrying warrior pragmatism. "In my time, svers were killed on sight. No negotiation, no mercy. It prevented others from attempting the same."

  You feel the weight of decision settling across the telepathy web. The group is divided - Rika favoring tactical bypass, Albedo proposing targeted intervention, others weighing in with moral and strategic considerations.

  Hinata's voice comes through quietly. "I'm still seeing them. The guards are forcing people to load crates. One of the prisoners just colpsed from exhaustion and a guard kicked him until he got back up."

  The silence that follows carries only a moment before you answer "C.C. has a point, setting a precedent for our actions would be a problem. Erza and Sango are right, we're here and we have the option to act. Albedo's Lightbend assassination pn has the ideal approach, just remember that it's not perfect, there's a small heat haze. C.C., nd us somewhere the wind won't be noticed. You and Asia will stay here until Albedo gives the clear. Albedo, I'll come with you up to the control tower and observe until the fight's done, enchanting after. No sense in anyone making the trip twice."

  Albedo's mental voice carries predatory satisfaction. "Understood. Nova, Yoruichi - you handle the perimeter guards. Musashi, Sango - secure the aircraft loading areas. Rika, Sinon, Kurumi - establish overwatch positions. Wait for my signal before executing."

  C.C.'s hands move smoothly across the controls as the King Stallion banks into descent. The aircraft settles onto open tarmac two hundred yards from the main terminal, rotors kicking up dust but the Silent Field ensuring no sound reaches the bor camp. Through the windows you can see the scene Hinata described - chained prisoners moving cargo under armed guard, predawn darkness broken by portable floodlights.

  You move to the rear ramp as it lowers. Mikasa squeezes your hand once before releasing it, her expression settling into combat focus. The group files out in silence, spreading across the tarmac as you activate Lightbend on each person. The enchantment costs mount - fifteen mana per person, one hundred ninety-five mana total - barely influencing the increasing income.

  One by one, your companions vanish into heat-shimmer distortions. You activate the final Lightbend on yourself and the world takes on a familiar refracted quality, light bending around your body.

  "All units invisible," Albedo's mental voice confirms. "Advance to positions. Maintain telepathy silence until engagement."

  You move across the tarmac beside Albedo's distortion, tracking her presence through the telepathy web rather than visual cues. The control tower rises ahead - three stories of gss and concrete with external stairs. Through the windows you can see two figures, one standing at the console, one seated with what looks like a satellite phone.

  Albedo's presence flows up the external stairs with supernatural grace. You follow more carefully, boots finding purchase on metal treads. The door at the top is closed but not locked - sloppy security from people who think they're in control.

  The door opens silently. Inside, a man in his fifties stands at the radio console, tactical vest over civilian clothes. Graying hair, weathered face, the bearing of someone with military experience. At the desk, a woman in her te thirties reviews a clipboard, satellite phone beside her.

  Albedo's mental voice identifies coldly. "Leadership confirmed."

  You position yourself against the wall, watching as Albedo's distortion moves behind the man. Her unseen hand closes around his throat with inhuman strength. His eyes bulge, mouth opening for a scream that never comes as she crushes his windpipe with clinical precision.

  The woman at the desk looks up from her clipboard at the choking sound. Her hand moves toward a radio but Albedo is already prepared. Her give materializes in a fsh of bck light, the long bde thrusting forward in a single, precise motion. The spearhead punches through the woman's chest, pinning her to the chair back. She gasps once, eyes wide, then slumps forward, blood and clipboard cttering to the floor.

  Ten seconds. Both bodies go limp. Albedo releases the man and withdraws the give from the woman. They colpse.

  "Leadership eliminated," Albedo reports through the web. "All units, execute perimeter targets."

  Through the control tower windows you watch distortions move across the compound. A guard patrolling near the cargo pnes suddenly jerks, red mist spraying from his head - Rika's silenced shot. Another guard turns toward the sound and drops as Nova's rifle cracks twice. Sinon's position near the terminal accounts for three more guards in rapid succession.

  Yoruichi's distortion flickers between two guards near the prisoner chains, both colpsing with crushed throats before they can raise weapons. Musashi's heat-shimmer appears beside a guard supervising cargo loading, her katana moving in a precise arc.

  Thirty seconds into the engagement, twelve guards are down. The remaining twenty-five are starting to realize something is wrong, weapons coming up, shouting into radios that produce only static.

  "Open engagement," Albedo commands.

  Rika, Sinon, Nova, and Kurumi open fire from concealment, silenced rifles cracking systematically. Guards drop in clusters, some managing to return fire but shooting at empty air, unable to locate invisible attackers. A few prisoners scream and drop ft, chains rattling. Most simply freeze in shock.

  Ninety seconds total. Thirty-seven guards down, mixture of dead and unconscious. The compound falls silent except for prisoner whimpering.

  "Clear," Yoruichi reports. "No hostiles remaining conscious."

  Albedo materializes beside you, Lightbend dropping. "Half the group will handle prisoner release. You begin enchantments. Asia can assist once prisoners are secured."

  You pce your hand against a random screen in the control tower, feeling as the enchantments spread through the structure, Network Node linking to the broader network, energy conversion through the electrical grid. The airport's mana capacity expands instantly, internal generation beginning its steady climb.

  Through the telepathy web, you coordinate without looking away from the enchantment progress. "Albedo, have Musashi and Erza guard Asia. Their swords should keep idiots from trying to get grabby. Warn Asia to only heal things Regenerate won't handle - we won't be here long. Rika, Sinon, maintain overwatch. If there's issues, a tough-love non-vital shot to maintain order will be regenerated in a minute. C.C., meet me at each cockpit. We'll keep Lightbend active to avoid getting caught up in the crowd."

  Albedo's mental acknowledgment comes back smooth and immediate. "Understood. Executing now."

  The airport enchantment completes - 192 mana spent, the structure now generating 87.5 mana per hour with full crew effects avaible. The crowd didn't even notice the light gold pulse under the sunrise. Through the windows you watch the scene below shift as your companions materialize in strategic positions. Musashi and Erza appear fnking Asia near the rgest cluster of chained prisoners, their bdes visible warnings. Asia's white and blue habit stands out starkly as she moves to the first colpsed prisoner.

  Prisoners react with mixture of hope and terror. A man in his forties staggers forward, chains rattling. "Please - please help us, they've been - "

  Musashi's katana moves fractionally, the gesture enough to freeze him mid-step. Her voice carries controlled authority. "Form an orderly line. The healer will assist those who require immediate attention. Do not crowd her."

  You're already moving down the control tower stairs, Lightbend reactivating as you descend. The heat-shimmer distortion wraps around you, bending light into invisibility as you cross the tarmac toward the nearest commercial jet. C.C.'s presence appears beside you through the web, her footsteps silent.

  The jet's boarding stairs stand open. You climb them carefully, boots finding purchase on metal treads. Inside the cabin, rows of passenger seats wait empty, cargo crates stacked in the aisles where guards had been forcing prisoners to load supplies. You make your way forward to the cockpit, pcing your hand against the instrument panel.

  The advanced package repeats - Interface embedding in the flight computer, Network Node establishing connection to the broader system, Silent Field wrapping around the engines. The aircraft's mana capacity expands, internal generation beginning. Outside the cockpit windows, you can see Rika's position on a distant hangar roof, her rifle tracking prisoner movements.

  A scream cuts through the morning air - not pain, but rage. Through the windows you see a prisoner, freed from his chains, lunging toward one of the unconscious guards with a broken piece of metal. Rika's rifle cracks once, the silenced shot precise. The prisoner's shoulder jerks, metal cttering as he drops it. He staggers, shouting incoherently.

  "Regenerate will fix that in ninety seconds," Rika reports through the web, her mental tone carrying no emotion. "He's learning."

  C.C.'s presence shifts beside you as the first aircraft completes. "Four more aircraft visible from here. The cargo pnes will have higher generation rates."

  You nod, moving toward the cockpit exit. Asia's healing light fres below, the nun kneeling beside an emaciated woman whose breathing rattles wetly. Musashi and Erza maintain their positions, bdes ready, deterring the crowd from overwhelming her.

  You move through the remaining aircraft, each cockpit receiving the Node package in under three minutes. The commercial jets complete first - Interface embedding in their flight computers, Network Nodes establishing connection, Silent Fields wrapping around engines. The cargo pnes follow, their rger mana capacities expanding massively as you work.

  Through the telepathy web you coordinate without breaking stride. "Erza, make this announcement..."

  Alongside Musashi and above Asia, Erza's voice cuts across the tarmac, amplified by her naturally commanding tone. "If you intend revenge against your captors, wait ten minutes. After that, we depart. We won't be here to stop whatever you choose."

  The freed prisoners react with mixture of shock and hunger. The man Rika shot earlier cradles his regenerated shoulder while staring at the unconscious guard who had overseen the worst of the brutality. His daughter stands beside him, bruises already fading under the airport's Regenerate effect. Several other prisoners move toward the guards with visible intent.

  You complete the fourth aircraft as Asia's voice carries across the compound. "Please - I understand your anger, but killing them won't heal what was done to you."

  A middle aged bruised woman, shakes her head slowly. "You don't understand. You weren't here for three days watching people die."

  "No," Asia admits quietly. "But I know what it's like to be helpless."

  The fifth and final cargo pne completes as you withdraw your hand from its instrument panel. The total mana generation has climbed dramatically - five aircraft plus the control tower generating over 85,000 mana per hour combined. The network grows with surplus energy.

  You cross the tarmac toward the King Stallion, Lightbend still active. Through the web you broadcast to the entire group. "All units, extract to aircraft. We're wheels-up in two minutes."

  Your companions coordinate strategically as they withdraw - Musashi and Erza backing away from the crowd first, Asia moving between them with visible reluctance. Rika and Sinon maintain overwatch positions until the others board, then vanish from their perches.

  A man's voice rises behind you. "Wait - you're just leaving? What are we supposed to do?"

  You pause at the King Stallion's ramp, turning back long enough to reply through the aircraft's external speakers via Interface. "You have magic sustenance, water, shelter, and magical healing. The guards are neutralized. What you do next is your choice."

  "But-"

  C.C.'s hands move across the controls as the st of your group boards. The ramp rises, cutting off his protest. Through the windows you watch as some prisoners turn toward the unconscious guards with improvised weapons. Others simply colpse in exhausted relief. A few stare where the helicopter was with expressions mixing gratitude and abandonment.

  The King Stallion lifts smoothly, rotors spinning in complete silence. Below, Fresno International recedes - two hundred freed prisoners, thirty-seven neutralized svers, and five enchanted aircraft generating enough mana to sustain the facility indefinitely.

  "Bakersfield next," C.C. reports through the web. "ETA Thirty-eight minutes."

  You settle between Sinon and Shinobu, their presence grounding as the helicopter's cabin hums with post-operation silence. The telepathy web carries ambient satisfaction from the group - the Fresno operation was clean, brutal, necessary. But as you review the enchantment data flowing through your system awareness, something catches in your throat.

  "Those were rge engines I just enchanted," you say aloud, your voice cutting through the quiet. The group's attention shifts toward you through the web. "Commercial jets. Cargo pnes. I need to total the current income."

  Your fingers move through invisible calcutions. Six hundred seventy-five thousand mana per hour. Network capacity four point six million. The math resolves with shocking crity.

  "We max out in about sixteen hours," you continue, and your tone carries genuine disbelief. "With this much income, I would need to cast a ninth-tier spell every ten seconds and we'd still be gaining mana."

  Albedo's mental voice carries sharp interest. "Quantify that for those of us unfamiliar with your system's scaling."

  You lean forward, elbows on knees, trying to transte the magnitude. "Ninth-tier spells are... reality-warping effects. Time Stop. Gate. Meteor Swarm. The kind of magic that rewrites local-fundamental ws. We're generating enough power that I could open permanent dimensional gates. Teleport the entire group anywhere on Earth instantly. Create pocket dimensions. We technically don't need to fly anymore - I can just Gate us wherever we want."

  Sinon shifts beside you, her rifle resting across her p. "Then why are we still in a helicopter?"

  "Testing," you reply immediately. "We want to check all spells before attempting them, especially teleportation. Earth-based teleportation is potentially reliable because we're already here. Dimensional, that requires more - one miscalcution and... dead end."

  Shinobu's voice carries dry amusement. "How pragmatic. Most would simply attempt the impossible and discover their mistake posthumously."

  C.C.'s mental presence adds calm calcution through the web. "The real limitation isn't power - it's understanding. You have the mana to reshape continents but ck the frameworks to do so safely."

  You nod, even though she cannot see it. "We have surplus now. Enough to experiment. But one wrong Gate and we are trapped on the other side of a one way door. Or worse. So next we test. We learn. We build the knowledge base before we risk lives."

  The cabin stays quiet for a moment. Sinon's thumb brushes your knee once, a small gesture of reassurance. Shinobu's hand stays on your thigh, her golden eyes thoughtful.

  Albedo's voice returns, thoughtful. "Then the priority shifts. Enchantment nodes remain essential for surplus growth. But once we reach stable generation, we dedicate time to spell testing. Controlled environments. Single-person trials first. Dimensional anchors before full Gates."

  You exhale slowly. "Agreed. We keep the current pn, enchant the remaining Costco and airports, build the network. But after Bakersfield, we carve out time. Small tests. Safe ones. I will start with Gate to known locations. Short-range. Then longer. We map the risks before we commit the group."

  Rika's mental voice chimes in, clinical. "We should designate a test site. Remote. Secure. Somewhere we can Gate back from without exposure."

  "Good call," you say. "After Los Angeles, we scout one. Desert. Isnd. Something isoted."

  You settle back, arms around Sinon and Shinobu, the quiet trust of the cabin wrapping around you like a second skin.

  The King Stallion continues south. The sunrise on the eastern horizon. C.C.'s voice cuts through the telepathy web thirty minutes into the flight. "Hinata, Bakersfield is in range."

  SnafuSam