All the squad led by Selene withdrew, securing all the Shadow Rippers and attending their wounded Shadowstrike squad, while Maria Grace, together with Joyce and her five Elite bodyguards, remained.
She approached Eijin's team with a gentle demeanor. "I believe you are Mara, and you are Rachel," she said in a modest tone. "And I hope you still remember me, Elise. It's an honor to meet such a remarkable team."
All of them sincerely smiled at Maria Grace, while Elise waved shyly. In the end, she still holds power and authority over Elysium, they should address her with respect.
"Once again, I thank all of you," Maria Grace said, bowing her head. "If not for your help, we could have lost our team, they are still young and have lots of room for improvements."
"We just did what needed to be done. As protectors, we don't choose who we help," Eijin declared. "and I believe your team will do the same."
"I won't sugarcoat it any further. I want to get straight to the point. Please consider joining our team," Maria Grace requested, her voice filled with sincerity. "We may not have much to offer, but I believe we share the same goal... protecting life and maintaining the balance. With your team working with us, we will have a better chance at defeating evils who want to shatter the peace and balance of the world."
All of them were taken aback by what they had heard, including Joyce and her bodyguards, except for Eijin. He already knew her proposition.
"Please hear me out. I won't change how you operate, and I won't interfere in any of the affairs you're currently involved in. You can remain at your headquarters and keep your identities secret. I simply ask for your cooperation. With my power, I can provide additional protection to your secret identities. You will only need to coordinate with me and no one else. However, if my Shadowstrike squad recovers, you will work alongside them," Maria Grace explained.
Mara and Rachel turned their attention towards Eijin, waiting for his response.
Maria Grace took out two small earpiece communication devices and extended her arms to hand them over.
Mara opened telepathic communication. "Eijin, I don't trust them, but the final decision is up to you," she began. "I consider my self as one with you."
"Right from the start, I've been in full support. I will always have your back," Rachel added.
"Both of you are like family to me. I want you by my side. You've been there since the beginning," Eijin sincerely declared. "However, as the director mentioned, our goals align with theirs. We will coordinate with them, but not fully join."
Once they reached an understanding, Mara was the one to reach out for the communication device. "We will be in touch in two days."
"Thank you so much," Maria Grace's face lit up with delight. She gave a final alluring glance at Eijin before shifting her attention to Mara, who seemed agitated by her alluring demeanor.
"We've changed our decis-hhmmpp.." Mara began to speak but was interrupted when Rachel quickly covered her mouth, forcing a smile at Maria Grace.
"We'll take our leave now," Maria Grace stated before throwing another glance at Eijin and making a hand signal to indicate he should call her, which infuriated Mara even more.
Eijin's team was left in the aftermath of the battle. They watched as the government covert organization left.
Meanwhile, Nia was seen on one of the farthest islands of the resort. It was revealed that she wasn't the one they had captured. Her mouth still had traces of blood from when she had coughed it up earlier during Eijin's attack.
"My king, I beg for your forgiveness," Nia pleaded while kneeling in front of a bonfire. The bonfire is one of their magical communication tools, she can see King Azrael and Jovelene in the fire while Azrael sees her in the crystal orb. She was truly a master of stealth and disguise, appearing as a mere camper on one of the islands. No one would suspect her. "W-we failed you, my king," her voice trembled. Knowing the immense power of the king, she didn't want to suffer his wrath.
Suddenly, a black lightning-like energy shot from the bonfire, causing Nia to stagger. It was Jovelene, channeling her dark magic energy from the crystal orb into the bonfire where Nia was kneeling. "Useless! You are all useless!" Jovelene exclaimed, gritting her teeth in frustration.
Azrael raised his hand to signal Jovelene to stop. "Return immediately. We will find a way to deal with that human. You could have destroyed those women if he didn't intervene."
"As you command, my king," Nia replied, bowing her head in obedience.
Meanwhile, inside the spaceship where Selene and the Shadowstrike team were staying, Maria Grace entered. Calista had already recovered and woke up, along with Rinoah and the rest of the team. They all gathered around Kristine, who was still lying down but appeared to be doing better.
"I'm sorry, we put you in this state," Mika said, tears streaming down her face, holding Kristine's hands.
"I'll tear those bitches apart!" Calista exclaimed angrily.
Rinoah and Michelle remained silent, lost in their own thoughts.
"It's nobody's fault," Selene broke the tension. "It's normal to encounter opponents who are stronger than us. But that doesn't mean we give up. We will bounce back."
"I feel like I failed the organization," Michelle interjected. "I know you had high expectations for me, and I knew my role when I joined the team."
"No, Mich. If it weren't for you, we might not have survived. We wouldn't have lasted until help arrived if it weren't for all the enhancements you provided us," Kristine interjected, providing words of encouragement. It truly showed her leadership skills.
Calista and Rinoah embraced Michelle tightly, expressing their gratitude.
"If there is someone to blame, it is me," Maria Grace interjected, coming from behind.
The whole team snapped their attention towards her, showing their respect.
"At ease, team. I need all of you to focus on recuperating," she declared. "As Selene mentioned earlier, we need to become stronger and better. We have a duty to fulfill."
The entire team nodded in agreement.
"Selene, I need to talk to you," Maria Grace said.
Both of them left the room.
"I am sorry, Selene," Maria Grace began.
"I should be the one apologizing, Grace," Selene replied. "I shouldn't have doubted you or your decisions."
"Thank you for always supporting me," Maria Grace sincerely expressed.
"I've already spoken to all the squad leaders. Their loyalty lies with us," Selene declared.
"We will be very busy from now on. It seems that our enemies have uncovered our Shadowstrike squads. They wouldn't have been able to catch us off guard without a traitor within the organization," Selene explained.
"Yes, we need to get to the bottom of this," Maria Grace said in an alarmed voice. "I need to contact my father. This is not a simple matter."
Marius Javinal, Maria Grace's father is the second highest council of the Eurasia continent. As the second highest council, he holds great power and influence, not just in Eurasia but he is also known in Neoamerica and United Africa.
"I believe there is someone powerful pulling the strings. This is more than just a mere sabotage. Our girls are the best squad in our organization. Defeating them means we would be no match for whoever is behind all of this." Maria Grace added.