Ralph's phone on the nightstand vibrated. He sluggishly picked it up and answered it. An urgent voice came through the receiver, "Supreme Leader, w—we're in trouble!" "Get straight to the point. What trouble could we have in the middle of the night?""We've just received intel that someone had assassinated Lord Cragfall, Lord Highport, Lord Suncliff, more than ten branch leaders, and a few division leaders.""Is the intel accurate?" Ralph sprung up in his bed."I—It is.""Quick, inform the Council of Elders and the Snyder brothers to meet me as soon as possible. Also, inform all the Lords, who are still unharmed, to take precautionary measures."Ralph tossed the covers aside and picked up his clothes. His blood ran cold.At that instant, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread, as though Isaac's frosty, emotionless eyes were staring right at him from above.God damn it! It all happened too soon to be true!Meanwhile, in Colorino, the Yves family's residence was brightly lit. J
At Neuport, the atmosphere in the vintage, luxurious meeting hall in Astraeus headquarters was tense and depressed.The Snyder brothers, five elders, and Ralph were in the hall with several experts in the Renascence Phase and above.Ralph's eyes were bloodshot as he yelled at a man beside him who was sweating profusely and shivering nonstop, "Why are none of the calls getting through? Are they all dead?""Supreme Leader, I—I have no clue either. I'll keep calling." The man was on the verge of breaking into tears.He held a complete list of contact numbers of all the lords, leaders, and patriarchs, which he had just sorted out. However, he had called more than ten, and every call ended as the receiver wasn't in the network service area.The clock was ticking. The tension hung over them like a knife over their heads, so much so that they felt out of breath.Mordred Fraser, an elder in a red cloak, snorted and said, "Supreme Leader, I don't think they're dead. As influential as the
Mordred's subordinate's eyes reddened at his words. He asked, his voice quivering, "First Elder, why don't y—you come with us?""Hah! I'm an elder. How can I leave at a moment like this? Besides, Ralph is keeping an eye on me. If I step outside this building, our families will be in danger. Now, go!"Mordred watched his subordinate disappear around the corner, shut his eyes, and sighed. Then, he returned to the meeting hall.The Neal family's annihilation, Glenn's death, and, finally, the life-threatening injuries he suffered all taught him one thing—the Temple of Drakon wasn't necessarily better than Astraeus in terms of strength. But the one thing that led to Astraeus' downfall was the lack of unity among the members.Soon, dawn broke. Martial arts experts from various places arrived at Astraeus headquarters one after the other. Ralph remained in his room and didn't show his face, but somehow, those gathered could sense something was amiss.At the Yves family's residence, Isaac
Around 90 people—70 Dusk Soldiers captains, the seven generals, eight of the Yves family and Phineas' subordinate, and Isaac boarded Isaac's private plane at Colorino and left for Neuport before 9 pm.At Astraeus headquarters, Ralph was making a call in his opulent office, sitting in his wide heavy-armed chair made of ebony wood."Commander Romero, the Temple of Drakon will surely invade Astraeus by tonight. My men detected signs of the Dusk Soldiers more than 30 miles away. Astraeus has been facilitating the House of Custos in regulating order in the martial world all these years. We have done our fair share of hard work, credits aside. Commander Romero, I believe the House of Custos won't just stand by and watch Astraeus and the Temple of Drakon be at daggers drawn, will it? If war breaks out, the extent of loss will be immeasurable.""Supreme Leader, what do you have in mind?" a low and imposing voice came through the receiver.That's right. Ralph received news on discovering tr
The other two were stunned. They asked together, "What did he say?""Mr. Grannel said the House of Custos can't sit on the fence in such a big issue; we must be there. As for your suggestion, Cassius, it's slightly overdone; they're our fellow countrymen, so there's no need to be at loggerheads with them. Cassius, since Astraeus came to you, reply to them that I'll bring some men over personally," said Arian, getting up.Cassius' face lit up, and he immediately said, "Sure. I'll call Ralph immediately. Sir, remember to bring more men. Isaac is as cunning as a fox.""Naturally. Don't worry." Arian finished speaking and left.The autumn breeze was chilly. The northern night's temperature was almost 32°F. A plane landed in an airport 93 miles away from Astraeus. Twenty Jeeps with special car plates were already waiting.After disembarking, Isaac didn't enter his car immediately. Instead, he beckoned to Lupinus and Lucas and pulled out a map of Neuport. He spread out the map."Two mo
Two drones silently hovered above them as the Snyder brothers and two elders led the Snyder army toward the incoming Dusk Soldiers.A fleet of Jeeps with dazzling high beams sped into the midst of the Dusk Soldiers from the back and continued forward.Isaac was in one of the Jeeps. Black Phoenix's cold voice rang through his ear microphone, "The first wave is coming. Twenty thousand soldiers with the Snyder brothers in the lead—probably the Snyder army. Outside Astraeus' backdoor, there are 5,000 men with Ralph in the lead.""So, they're using 20,000 men as cannon fodders. Are they stalling?" muttered Isaac. He picked up his walkie-talkie and said coldly, "Follow the original plan. Lucas and Willis, take 10,000 Dusk Soldiers each and split from the left and right. Twenty thousand men from the Snyder army up ahead, three miles away. Take them down.""Roger that.""Roger that."The merged army swiftly changed formation. Ten thousand soldiers split out from both wings and pressed fo
That was how formidable the generals were.The other two elders could only attack twice before the generals killed them in synergy. The Snyder army realized their leaders' quick defeat, and their spirits wobbled."Kill!""Kill!"At that moment, bellows erupted from the forests on both sides. Dusk Soldiers emerged from the trees like incoming waves and closed in on the Snyder army, going straight for the onslaught.The Snyder army's formation fell apart.After killing Flynn and the two elders, the generals ripped an opening in the enemy troop like a dagger, and the 70 Dusk Soldiers captains flocked through, enlarging the gap.Then, the 30,000 Dusk Soldiers advanced!Although the Snyder army was comparatively strong, they didn't pose much of a threat to the Dusk Soldiers, who had been to wars all year round overseas, much less when there was now a gaping difference in numbers.The Jeep, its headlamps on, slowly but steadily glided through the crowd as it cruised toward Astraeus'
The generals stormed toward Mordred.On the topmost floor of Astraeus' building, Ralph wondered how much time Mordred and Astraeus' elites could buy.He squinted while his body trembled. Too fast. The Temple of Drakon was advancing very fast.The generals closed in, their imposing aura looming over the enemy, their roars ringing throughout the vicinity."Surrender and be spared!""Surrender and be spared!"Two continuous roars rang out.Suddenly, Mordred dropped to his knees and raised his hands, shouting, "I—I surrender!"There were gasps all around!The other elders stared at him, dumbfounded. Did First Elder just surrender?The generals had split up and stood around them, emitting ferocity.The Dusk Soldiers parted and swiftly surrounded them too."Surrender and be spared!" The Dusk Soldiers' roars were deafening.The elders, the strongest of the batch, hesitated for several seconds after watching Mordred surrender. Then, they sighed, shut their eyes, and knelt.The ma