The air crackled with tension as the guards begin to launch their attack first.
The first guard slashed his sword, unleashing a sharp wind blade that howled through the air toward Clyde.
However, Clyde’s eyes tracked the blade’s trajectory with ease. He sidestepped calmly, letting the attack pass by harmlessly and just slicing through the empty space where he’d stood moments before.
The guard’s eyes widened in shock.
But his disbelief didn’t stop the second guard. Without hesitation, the second guard lunged forward and poised his sword to stab. From the tip of the blade, a searing lightning laser shot forth, its light crackling ominously as it move toward Clyde.
This time, Clyde didn’t move. Instead, he stood still and let the laser strike him square in the chest.
The lightning dispersed with a brilliant flash, leaving scorch marks on the fabric of Clyde’s coat.
The second guard erupted into laughter. "Ha! You’re nothing special after all. That attack should’ve blown a hole clean through your chest."
Clyde raised a hand and casually wiped the scorched spot on his coat. Beneath the fabric, his skin was untouched. He met the guard’s triumphant expression with a cold and almost bored expression.
"There," Clyde said. "Now you see the difference between us."
The second guard’s laughter died in his throat, replaced by a growing sense of dread.
Before either guard or Clyde could react, a sharp voice echoed from behind them.
An old man in a flowing robe stepped into view, leaning heavily on an ornate staff. His sharp eyes narrowed in disapproval as he fixed his gaze on Clyde.
"Enough of this," the man said with commanding tone. "This behavior will not be tolerated!"
Hammer let out a relieved sigh, stepping forward. "Looks will end without—"
But Hammer’s optimism was gone in the blink of an eye. Clyde moved before anyone could react, his body blurring with terrifying speed. In an instant, his hand was around the second guard’s throat and lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
The guard’s sword clattered to the stone below as his wide, terrified eyes locked onto Clyde’s.
He clawed weakly at Clyde’s grip, his breaths coming in panicked gasps.
"I said stop!" the old man shouted again, his voice rising in anger.
Clyde didn’t even glance at him. His grip tightened, his fingers digging into the guard’s throat.
A sickening crack echoed through the building courtyard as Clyde crushed the guard’s neck entirely in one move. The guard’s body went limp in his grasp and Clyde tossed him aside like a broken doll.
The courtyard fell into stunned silence.
The first guard, trembling, stepped back in horror. His face had gone pale as he stared at Clyde who now already turning his cold gaze toward him.
The old man’s staff struck the ground with a sharp thud, a pulse of magical energy rippling outward.
"That’s enough!" he bellowed with voice filled with fury. "Do you think this barbarity will endear you to the Council, Clyde? You are walking a dangerous line!"
Clyde slowly turned to face the old man, his expression remain cold but his presence heavy with restrained power. "Then perhaps you should teach your guards some manners," he said coldly. "Their stupidity is what cost them."
Hammer shook his head with grim expression but said nothing.
Clyde remained unmoved, his eyes flickering with something darker. "They challenged me. I responded."
The old man’s face darkened, his grip tightening on his staff. But he also, said nothing.
Clyde stepped forward, his boots echoing ominously against the stone. "Come on, Hammer.
Hammer hesitated for a brief moment, glancing between Clyde and the lifeless guard on the ground and Verenik. He let out a deep sigh and silently moved to Clyde’s side. They began walking through the wide stone corridor that led deeper into the fortress.
Behind them, Vernik still rooted in place, watching their figures with contained fury. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his staff tightly. His sharp eyes burned with anger.
Vernik was no stranger to power. As one of the High Council’s senior members he had seen countless warriors rise and fall. Yet Clyde was unlike any of them. His strength wasn’t just raw — it was unrelenting like an overwhelming force that refused to bow to authority.
This wasn’t the first time Vernik had clashed with Clyde, but over the past few months, something had changed.
Clyde was growing stronger, far beyond what Vernik had anticipated. Each encounter left Vernik with the uneasy realization that the balance of power was slipping, tipping further in Clyde’s favor.
Vernik’s lips curled into a snarl as he recalled the events leading up to this moment.
It had been his idea to instruct the guards to confront Clyde, to remind him that the High Council still held authority in this place. Just a small lesson, nothing more.
He hadn’t expected Clyde to respond so brutally and killing without hesitation.
Now he understood something far more dangerous about Clyde.
"He doesn’t hesitate anymore," Vernik muttered under his breath. "He doesn’t fear consequences."
He couldn’t allow this to continue. Clyde had become a threat to the delicate order they had built within the fortress.
His gaze hardened as he turned and began walking back toward his own chambers, his staff tapping rhythmically against the stone floor. Plans began to form in his mind.
Clyde and Hammer walked through the corridor. As they approached a large iron-bound door, a figure came into view. Maethion leaned casually against the wall beside the door, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You’re late," Maethion remarked.
"Something happen," Clyde said.
Maethion chuckled softly, pushing himself off the wall. "Come in. And lock the door behind you."
Without waiting for a response, Maethion opened the heavy door, gesturing for them to enter. Clyde stepped inside, Hammer following closely behind.
The room was modest in size but richly furnished. Ornate tapestries adorned the stone walls, and a large circular table dominated the center of the space.
Two other High Council members were already seated.