An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

"Damn it! This punk's tougher than I thought. We're in real trouble if this keeps up," Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel's vital points.

But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time.

"Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There's no point dragging this out. Let's fall back." Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn't fear death, but he wasn't about to waste his life for nothing.

Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed.

"You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me." Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren't making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.

They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and completely blocked any chance of escape.

"Fall back!" Connor and Dave exchanged a glance.

Without hesitation, they turned and bolted in the opposite direction. With fewer than a hundred men, charging into an enemy several times their size would be suicide.

The sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps echoed from ahead, and the ground beneath them started to shake.

Connor and Dave skidded to a halt. Their eyes widened in shock as they stared at the distance.

At the end of the road, a wave of black steel surged toward them.

The soldiers were clad in dark armor, and their faces were hidden behind menacing masks. They were tall, their eyes sharp, and radiated a deadly authority. Their presence was even more intimidating than that of the elite enforcement unit.

"Draken Guardians?" Connor and Dave's face paled when they saw the emblem on the black-armored soldiers' chests.

The Black Dragon Army of West Lucozia was already the most elite military force in the land, unstoppable and unmatched.

But the Draken Guardians were something else entirely. They were the cream of the crop, handpicked from thousands of Black Dragon Army soldiers. They were the best of the best.

They numbered only a hundred or so, but each one was a master in their own right. Any single member could stand toe-to-toe with Connor or Dave.

Under normal circumstances, the castle would never deploy such a force unless the situation was dire. Neither had expected the legendary Draken Guardians to be deployed over this conflict.

The moment they appeared, Connor and Dave knew there was no escape.

If they were facing thousands of soldiers, they were confident they could fight their way through. But against a hundred Draken Guardians, they stood no chance.

By now, Axel had regrouped with the reinforcements and was closing in fast.

Connor, Dave, and their hundred Red Legion soldiers were trapped. They were caught between a fierce force ahead and a deadly one behind.

They had nowhere to run or hide and were completely surrounded.

Just then, the Draken Guardians cto a stop. A broad-shouldered, imposing middle -aged general stepped forward.

His sharp eyes swept over Connor and Dave before he spoke in a cold, commanding voice. "Surrender, or die." The words were simple, but they carried a powerful threat.

The middle-aged general was Jaxon Steele, who achieved great feats during the castle's crisis last year.

His target wasn't Connor or Dave-he two small fry-but Warrick, who was halfway to becoming an ultimate grandmaster.

Only someone of that caliber was enough to warrant the Draken Guardians' involvement.

"What should we do?" Dave glanced at Connor, and his grip tightened around the blade.

The two were blood brothers, bound by a vow. They didn't need to live on the sday, month, or year. Instead, they only promised to die together on the sday.

"What else can we do? Fight the motherfuckers!" Connor gritted his teeth. His face hardened with a fierce expression.

With the city on lockdown and the two of them branded as traitors, surrender would only lead fo gruesend. They might as well risk everything and go out with a bang. "Okay. Let's do it." Dave took a deep breath, and his face hardened with resolve.

"Soldiers, kill them!" With a furious roar, Connor charged forward, and Dave rushed in beside him. They led the remaining Red Legion soldiers straight toward Jaxon.

"Leave no one alive," Jaxon commanded coldly.

Over 100 Draken Guardians drew their blades in unison and charged forward in eerie silence.

On one side, the Red Legion charged forward with fierce battle cries, their momentum unstoppable. On the other, the Draken Guardians moved forward in silence, their every step radiating deadly intent. After a brief charge, the red and black troops collided. But then, something horrifying happened.

The black-armored Draken Guardians bulldozed through the Red Legion like a scythe through wheat. The battle was swift and brutal, with no resistance to speak of.

The elite Red Legion soldiers and their commanders, Connor and Dave, collapsed in pools of blood within moments.

The sight left Axel and his men, who had just caught up, trembling in awe. They had heard of the Draken Guardians and knew they were one of the castle's secret weapons.

But it wasn't until they witnessed their power firsthand that they realized just how foxmidable this force was. This was a force so powerful that even the elite Red Legion, handpicked from thousands, was cut down like grass.