Darkness Veil

As Azrael approached the mask, his eyes widened at its mysteriousness. "What is this?" he asked Alia, his gaze fixed on the enigmatic object.

"This is the Darkness Veil, a mask crafted by Ron Vanolld, the Head of Magic and Technology for the Assassin's and Mercenary League and one of the four known living mages. It has the ability to erase its wearer's aura without leaving any trace, makes their movements completely soundless, and can grant invisibility for thirty seconds with a one-day cooldown," Alia explained.

Azrael didn't hesitate to express his interest. "I'll take it," he said, looking up at Alia.

"Excellent, I'll have them prepare the mask for you immediately after payment," Alia responded.

"How much does it cost?" Azrael asked, expecting the worst.

"Only a small sum of 120 million, sir," Alia replied.

Azrael almost choked on his own saliva at the exorbitant price, quickly regaining his composure as he tried to clarify. "I meant just for the mask," he said, hoping she had misunderstood him.

"That is the price for the mask alone, sir," Alia confirmed.

Azrael's eyes were fixed on the mask in front of him, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts, he had already realised that this mask was his key to recovering genesis. He took a deep breath and turned to Alia, hoping to make a request that might be difficult to fulfill.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked, his tone heavy with desperation. "Can you make sure this isn't sold until I return? It might take a couple of days."

Alia furrowed her brow, her expression filled with concern. She stayed silent for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, she nodded her head.

"That's a hard request, sir," she said, her voice soft and hesitant. "But I'll try my best."

Azrael breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Alia was willing to help him out. He quickly thanked her and headed for the elevator, eager to leave the tower and get back to his own building.

As he stepped out onto the bustling streets of Aml City, Azrael's pace picked up. He knew he had to move quickly if he wanted to catch Li before he left for the day. He weaved his way through the crowds, dodging people left and right as he went.

Finally, he arrived at his own building and made his way up to the briefing room. When he pushed open the door, he saw that Li was still there, poring over some documents.

"Li," he called out, his voice echoing through the room.

Li looked up, a slight smile on his face.

"Oh, you're back," he said. "How can I help you?"

"I need a mission," Azrael said, his voice urgent. "A short but high-paying one."

Li raised an eyebrow.

"How high-paying?" he asked, a note of skepticism creeping into his tone.

Azrael looked straight at Li, answering firmly.

"I need one hundred and twenty million," he said, his eyes fixed on Li's.

Li stared at Azrael for a moment, studying his face, before speaking. "That's a hefty sum. Unfortunately, there isn't a mission that I can offer you at this moment that pays that much. Can you tell me why you need it?" he inquired.

Azrael hesitated for a moment before answering, "I found an item that I want to acquire."

Li raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And it costs one hundred and twenty million gold coins?" he said skeptically.

Azrael nodded, his eyes fixed on Li.

Li sighed, his fingers interlacing as he thought. "I can get you a mission that pays ninety million, and if you complete it successfully, you'll earn enough trust to be loaned the other thirty million from the league's treasury," he proposed.

Azrael's eyes lit up. "Okay, I'm interested. What's the mission?"

Li's expression turned grave. "This is an extremely dangerous mission, one that many assassins have rejected," he warned, walking to a cabinet on the side of the room. He pulled out a folder and walked over to the briefing table, sliding it across to Azrael.

"Vanuk Jazeba," Li began, "a war criminal and terrorist. He was a former commander of the Cyvals military, and he was ruthless to both his soldiers and citizens. He killed and raped their wives, and he abused his power in every possible way. He's responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands and has left many more traumatized. As a result of his barbaric behavior, many have come to the league with an assassination request, both from the Cyval Empire and other empires' citizens which he had terrorized in war. His bounty currently stacks up to ninety million gold coins."

Azrael looked through the folder, he remained unphased as he read the atrocities committed by Jazeba. "For that many gold coins, why has no one taken the mission?" he asked, looking up at Li.

"Up until now, assassinating him was simply impossible," Li replied. "Coupled with the fact that he is an extremely strong individual, he was always surrounded by thousands of Cyval soldiers. Killing him was simply unachievable."

Azrael carefully examined the folder, his expression serious and focused. "And now?" he asked, turning his attention back to Li.

"Well, now it's not as impossible," Li replied. "After the Cyval emperor heard of the atrocities Vanuk had committed, he was immediately arrested by his own soldiers, by supreme order of the emperor. Although he's now securely imprisoned at Cyval's base in no man's land, he's to be moved to the Cyval empire for trial."

Azrael listened intently as Li explained. "During his journey back to Cyval, they will make a stop at a Cyval-operated residence outside of the empire for one night. This will be your chance, as once he enters the Cyval empire, it will no longer be possible to carry out the mission."

Li then produced a map from his desk drawer and showed it to Azrael. "This is the route they will follow," he said, dragging his finger across the map. "And this is where they will be staying for one night. You must reach there in time, but I warn you, according to the information we have been given, an extremely powerful individual will be sent to guard this man. This mission is extremely dangerous."

"I understand," Azrael replied, his voice steady. "When do I leave?"

"They will be at that residence by tomorrow night, so now," Li instructed.

Meanwhile, in Ryzel.

Lyra sat in a dimly lit room, a shadow suddenly appeared behind her. "Princess, you have been given a new mission," the shadow spoke in a hushed tone.

Lyra remained composed as she asked, "What's the restriction?"

"Twenty percent," the shadow replied.

"When do I leave?" Lyra inquired.

"Now," the shadow responded before disappearing into the darkness.

"Understood," Lyra and Azrael said in unison, thousands of miles apart. Little did they know, their paths were destined to cross.