The disciples of the Golden Crane Academy rushed toward the scene of the commotion—a location within their own sprawling estate. The academy grounds were immense, housing student dormitories alongside private residences for instructors and senior martial artists.

They commanded immense wealth and vast lands.

Sengturi, flanked by hundreds of armed disciples and followers, made his way toward Nasura's private estate. Hearing the echo of battle from a distance, Sengturi picked up his pace. Panic gnawed at him: Had Nasura been compromised, or was someone attempting to assassinate him?

Had their secret operation—the mass weapon production and the hidden armory—finally been exposed? Sengturi knew the truth all too well: his father was a co-conspirator working with the dark forces. A Mondu. The academy's vast wealth and abundant resources were largely underwritten by the army of darkness.

Sengturi viewed their position as a double-edged sword. The Golden Crane Academy walked a fine line on both sides, embedding itself among both righteous martial artists and dark factions. Whichever side ultimately emerged victorious, the academy was positioned to survive. That was the core secret behind the Golden Crane Academy's longevity.

However, if this mass weapon conspiracy came to light, they would be branded as traitors and hunted down by the entire righteous martial community.

Sengturi's concern grew deeper knowing that members of the Sky Squad were currently on site to commission custom weapons—a arrangement facilitated by the Mayor of Linggar Emas under direct orders from Dasatama. Naturally, he hadn't been in a position to refuse.

If the situation escalated and their treason was laid bare, his only recourse would be to eliminate the entire Sky Squad along with anyone else who harbored knowledge of the secret.

As Sengturi and the Golden Crane Academy disciples reached the outer gates of Nasura's estate, they ran straight into the main Sky Squad contingent led by Commander Gonan.

It was an abrupt, unexpected confrontation. Both leaders locked eyes, their minds racing as they evaluated the situation.

Commander Gonan stepped forward, offering a formal greeting to the acting head of the Golden Crane Academy. "Greetings, Leader Sengturi. We heard the sounds of combat and came immediately to investigate. Do you happen to know what is taking place inside?"

Despite his polite demeanor, Commander Gonan harbored deep suspicions regarding the Golden Crane Academy. Persistent rumors tied the institution to the Demon Lord's forces. Yet, because the academy contributed heavily to the righteous alliance and frequently assisted in continental peacekeeping missions, those allegations had remained unproven rumors.

Today, however, with dark forces actively engaged in battle, Commander Gonan sensed something deeply amiss—especially since several members of the Sky Squad were unaccounted for.

"I am as much in the dark as you are, Commander Gonan," Sengturi replied smoothly. "We mobilized the moment the disturbance broke out."

It was the safest answer he could offer given the uncertain circumstances. Sengturi was well-acquainted with Commander Gonan and Commander Yarko, having once served alongside them to eradicate bandit cartels preying on merchant convoys across the Frost Line continent.

"Shall we step inside to inspect the premises, Leader Sengturi?" Commander Gonan pressed, eager to verify the safety of the Sky Squad members under his direct supervision.

Sengturi hesitated, visibly weighing the request. He appeared uncertain of how to proceed.

"Consider this, Commander Gonan: allow my disciples to enter first and assess the situation," Sengturi suggested carefully. "We must avoid escalating an unknown conflict prematurely. This estate belongs to one of our senior academy advisors. We wouldn't want to cause an unnecessary scene, which is why even my men have refrained from barging in."

It was a plausible excuse. Nasura served as an external advisor—the academy's primary liaison to the dark forces. Sengturi gambled that Commander Gonan would accept the protocol of sending an advance party to scout the area first.

"Very well. Send them in to seek clearance and report back immediately," Commander Gonan agreed.

Sengturi dispatched two disciples to enter the estate and report on the situation inside—to determine whether an active threat existed or if it was merely a late-night sparring session gone awry.

The two disciples bowed and passed through the gates. Their calls for entry were met with total silence.

Inside Nasura's courtyard, Gultron hovered in midair, a cold, sneering smile playing across his lips. With a subtle flick of his fingers, he issued a sharp command: "Rasu, Lunox, Bezman! Eliminate them!"

His voice carried absolute authority. Three figures stepped forward: Rasu, Lunox, and Bezman. Of Gultron's five most trusted lieutenants, only these three remained at his side; the other two were actively overseeing the assassination of the Chief Blacksmith to erase all physical evidence at the forge.

The combat prowess of these three lieutenants was formidable, far surpassing the rank-and-file dark operatives surrounding them. Facing them, the four righteous fighters formed a defensive line. Lao and Gayatri fell back to flank Warrior Jiro and Alicia, keeping the terrified Nasura secured behind them.

As Rasu, Lunox, and Bezman advanced, the Sky Squad members dropped into battle stances. Gultron's hatred-filled gaze remained fixed on Warrior Jiro. Were they about to engage in a direct, one-on-one duel?

Gultron's strategy was simple: pin down the four fighters with his lieutenants, creating an opening for the remaining dark operatives to strike down Nasura.

Lunox launched herself into the air, but Alicia intercepted her mid-flight. Lunox's trident clashed violently against the radiant aura of Alicia's newly forged spellsword artifact. The two disengaged, shifting their duel toward an open corner of the courtyard.

Lunox was a formidable female warrior with long hair tied into a high ponytail reaching her waist. She wore luxurious armor enchanted with heavy defensive magic, and her cold, reptilian eyes locked onto Alicia with predatory focus. Alicia stood her ground, fully prepared for the clash.

Meanwhile, Bezman unleashed his weapon—a set of dual chains tipped with razor-sharp blades at each end, controlled through precise telekinetic energy. Lao intercepted the relentless barrage using his dual energy discs.

Bezman was a heavy-set warrior with a topknot resting above his forehead, his hair falling straight down his back. Despite his bulky frame, he moved with surprising agility, relying on his enchanted chains to fluidly strike from a distance with twin blades.

Bezman pressed his assault in continuous, alternating flurries. Lao countered by manipulating his energy discs via crackling, lightning-like energy threads, deflecting every incoming strike. The resulting collisions set off a series of radiant explosions as light and dark magic clashed violently across the eastern side of the courtyard.

On the opposite flank, Rasu—a male warrior dressed in flamboyant attire who wielded a pair of sharp war fans—faced off against Gayatri.

Rasu crossed his twin fans, hurling a series of razor-sharp wind blades toward Gayatri. The energy swirling at the center of his fans generated a localized tempest, launching a volley of transparent yet lethal energy needles. Recognizing the heavy dark magic within the attack, Gayatri countered by manifesting thousands of floating energy blades, manipulating them to intercept and neutralize Rasu's assault.

Amidst the surrounding chaos, two figures remained motionless, staring each other down: Warrior Jiro and Gultron. While battle raged all around them, the two masters stood frozen in a quiet standoff.

In the next split second, both figures vanished simultaneously.

They materialized in the center of the courtyard, colliding in mid-combat. Warrior Jiro's bare fist met a dark-energy strike from Gultron.

KABOOM!

A colossal shockwave detonated upon impact. Both fighters redirected the residual blast to maintain their footing, recoiling backward from the mutual recoil. The deflected wave of energy shot off toward Gultron's left, slamming directly into the estate's outer perimeter wall.

The massive stone barrier exploded outward—at the exact spot where the Sky Squad and the Golden Crane Academy were conferring outside the gate.

BLAAAARRRRRRR! BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!