Lao sat opposite Nasura, who was now paralyzed with fear, his eyes darting anxiously between the young man and woman detaining him.

"I don't know anything, sir! Please, let me go!" Nasura pleaded, keeping his voice to a desperate whisper. He was clearly terrified of something greater.

"Speak, and we will protect you," Lao reassured him grimly. "They're already hunting you, aren't they? And if they catch you, they will kill you."

Lao's words made Nasura tremble violently. It was true; if Lord Night discovered his failure, he would be executed on the spot without hesitation.

"What are you hiding near the cavalry stables? Tell us, and we will extract you safely from the dark martial artists. We will shield you from Drakos."

Nasura's eyes widened as he stared at Lao in utter shock. How did they know about a secret buried so deeply? How had they uncovered information about the vast stables? It hit him then—he hadn't leaked a word; the righteous martial forces had already thoroughly investigated the operation on their own.

Panicking, Nasura caved. "Alright... Alright! I'll confess everything! Just save me from those ruthless killers!"

Lao exchanged a triumphant smile with his younger sister, Gayatri. The two immediately escorted Nasura toward the exit to rendezvous with Warrior Jiro. Delivering this key witness would provide irrefutable proof of the Golden Crane Academy's treasonous alliance with the Demon Lord. The revelation would send shockwaves across the entire continent, sparking a rigorous crack-down on the Mondu traitors now that one of the major martial sects had been exposed.

Flanking Nasura, Gayatri and Lao threw open the main doors and stepped outside. An eerie silence hung over the estate. To their shock, the guards and servants lay unconscious across the courtyard floor right outside Nasura's private quarters.

Before they could react, shadow-clad figures and cloaked operatives materialized around them, swarming the rooftops. An enemy force! Dozens of dark warriors lined the tiles of Nasura's sprawling residence, completely sealing off the perimeter all the way to the outer gates.

"I'm dead! I'm dead! Please, noble warriors, save me!" Nasura shrieked, his life hanging by a thread. He knew his time was up; now that he was compromised, Lord Night regarded him as nothing more than a loose end to be eliminated.

Unfazed, Lao and Gayatri unsheathed their weapons, dropping into battle stances to face the swarming forces of darkness.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking officer knocked frantically on the door of the Golden Crane Academy's acting leader.

"Lord Sengturi! Lord Sengturi!"

Inside the chamber, a heavily mustachioed man with his hair bound up froze in irritation. Enjoying an intimate evening with his wife, Sengturi was furious at the sudden interruption. He stood up, throwing on his robes.

"What is it, soldier?! Why are you disturbing me at this hour?!" Sengturi roared, startling the guard outside the door.

Yet the officer had no choice but to deliver the urgent news. "Forgive me, Leader! Nasura has been surrounded by dark forces! They are currently assaulting his estate while members of the Sky Squad move to protect him!"

What in the world is happening?! Sengturi stood stunned. How had a clash broken out with the Sky Squad, and why were dark operatives attempting to assassinate Nasura? Had the entire operation been exposed? Did his father know about this? This was a catastrophe!

Sengturi hastily buckled his armor and grabbed his weapon. He had to intervene personally. If the monumentally dangerous secret concealed by the Golden Crane Academy came to light, it would spell total ruin.

Elsewhere, Barsha moved like a phantom, weaving through the black-clad attackers. Steel clashed against steel as explosive spellcraft detonated around him, but Barsha evaded every strike effortlessly using his Ghost Speed.

Aaman was equally relentless. The martial techniques he had acquired from Aji's scroll amplified his combat power exponentially. Intercepting a barrage of incoming blade strikes, the sheer force behind his counter sent several attackers airborne.

Aaman dodged with practiced grace, unleashing sharp, mana-infused sword strikes that laid low opponent after opponent. Between Barsha and Aaman, over five elite assassins had already been wiped out. Both young fighters operated at a level that kept Rakuta entirely out of harm's way.

"You've grown quite a bit, Aaman!" Barsha teased mid-combat.

"Looks like Sky Squad training made you even faster, Barsha!" Aaman countered with a grin.

The two shared a quick laugh before plunging back into the fray.

Rakuta refused to be dead weight. He assisted wherever possible, fending off one or two rogue attackers who breached the perimeter. He possessed martial training of his own and was equipped with high-grade defense artifacts that generated light barriers to deflect incoming strikes.

The remaining six assassins were rapidly tiring, clearly outmatched by Barsha and Aaman's superior prowess. Wanting to wrap up the skirmish quickly, Barsha shot forward to finish off the survivors, his dual daggers glowing with concentrated energy. Moving at extreme speed, he prepared to shred the remaining dark forces.

Claaang!

Barsha gasped as his lethal strike was abruptly blocked by a massive broadsword. A mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. Draped in a dark cloak with his hood pulled low, the stranger possessed piercing eyes, a sharp nose, and a terrifyingly sinister smile. He radiated an unmistakable pressure.

Barsha executed a rapid retreat, realizing this newcomer was an elite opponent. The stranger pulled back his hood, revealing long hair tied into intricate sections resting around his ears.

"All of you are going to die tonight!" the man declared, tilting his neck side to side like a predator selecting its prey. Beside him, another figure dropped down from above—a muscular, bare-chested warrior wearing a tight headband across his forehead.

These were high-tier combatants. Barsha and Aaman knew they had to protect Rakuta at all costs; those were Aji's explicit orders.

"Kill them!" the headband-wearing warrior ordered, signaling the dark operatives to launch a total assault.

Blaaaammm!

Out of nowhere, a figure plummeted from the heavens, slamming his bare fist into the earth. The impact unleashed a colossal shockwave of force that surged outward, completely neutralizing the enemy's charge and holding the dark forces at bay.

Wuuushhh!

A fierce gale of kinetic energy blasted the attackers back several paces. Aji stood poised before Barsha, Aaman, and Rakuta, his back turned to his allies.

"Get Master Rakuta safely to Warrior Jiro. I will hold them off here," Aji commanded calmly without turning around.

"I'm staying to fight with you, Aji!" Barsha called out.

"Don't be stubborn, Barsha! Listen to Aji!" Aaman intervened, grabbing Barsha's arm. "He can handle them. Our priority is delivering Rakuta to expose the Golden Crane Academy!"

Barsha clamped his jaw shut. He knew Aji possessed terrifying strength, but taking on an entire force of dark operatives alongside two formidable high-tier masters was a monumental task. Could Aji truly hold the line alone? Yet, he knew Aaman was right.

Now was the moment to strike a decisive blow against the Demon Lord's forces—to disrupt their plans and cripple their foothold.

Be careful, Aji, Barsha thought silently.

Guarding Rakuta, Barsha and Aaman retreated rapidly toward the exit. Several dark operatives attempted to intercept them, leaping through the air toward the gates.

In a flash, Aji stomped his foot. A split second later, he materialized directly in their path. With a single sweeping strike, Aji hit three operatives simultaneously, sending them crashing backward into the stone walls in a heap of broken limbs.

CRASH!