"Clear the slag and form a fighting circle before the sun breaches the horizon."Captain Elias issued the perimeter commands to the surviving loyalists. The shadow captains stepped over the puddles of cooling titanium left behind by the destroyed federal executioners and formed a wide ring on the wet pavement.The rogue mercenaries poured out of the western barracks and lined the edge of the makeshift arena. They possessed a feral hunger and they mocked the disciplined posture of the old guard. The tension hung thick in the cold air as the two rival factions waited for the ritual succession to begin.Loca marched into the center of the broken pavement. The Steel Baron rolled his broad shoulders and unclasped the heavy ballistic plating guarding his chest. He tossed the protective gear onto the wet grass and pulled his dark thermal shirt over his head.His bare skin revealed a brutal history of endless street warfare. Deep jagged lacerations painted his ribcage and thick burn tissue

"Your crown is going to look excellent mounted on the hood of my transport."Loca delivered the threat through clenched teeth while the pale morning light pierced the thick coastal fog covering the Lin estate. The mutineer stood in the center of the ruined driveway and flexed his hardened musculature. The forbidden Iron Cultivation technique transformed his organic flesh into a dull metallic armor that seemed to absorb the dawn illumination.Ryker Zhao stood ten paces away and kept his bare hands resting near his hips. He wore a simple dark shirt and projected a serene calm that infuriated the arrogant challenger."You need to catch me before you can claim the trophy Loca," Ryker replied with cold indifference."I will break you in half," the Steel Baron roared.Loca lunged across the courtyard to initiate the duel. The sheer physical density of his altered body should have restricted his mobility but the mercenary moved with terrifying speed. His heavy combat boots cracked the damage

"Stop dancing and face me like a king."Loca roared the demand while he struggled to draw a full breath of the coastal air. The Steel Baron stood in the center of the ruined estate driveway and glared at the elusive warlord. The forbidden Iron Cultivation technique demanded an immense volume of oxygen to maintain the metallic armor coating his flesh but Ryker Zhao refused to grant him a single moment of rest."You fight like a coward," Loca spat a mouthful of thick saliva onto the wet pavement. "You dodge and weave because you lack the spine to absorb a real hit.""I dodge because your strikes are sloppy and predictable," Ryker corrected the mutineer. The Sovereign stood ten paces away and projected an aura of serene indifference. "You broadcast your intentions a full second before your muscles even fire.""Then I will take away your space to run," Loca promised.The rogue mercenary realized his sheer kinetic velocity could not match the flawless footwork of the ancient northern style

"Your reign of terror in the western territories concludes on this pavement."Ryker Zhao issued the final verdict while the damp coastal mist swirled around his combat boots. He stood over the weeping giant and kept his glowing right hand hovering near the bruised throat of the mutineer. The poisoned dagger rested on the wet asphalt a few feet away to serve as undeniable proof of the treason committed in the sacred fighting circle."I can give you the smuggling routes," Loca pleaded through a mouthful of bloody saliva. He clutched his splintered wrist and stared at the golden fire illuminating the dark eyes of the Sovereign. "You need my intelligence to navigate the frozen tundra. General Vyke fortified the mountain passes and you cannot break his barricades without my logistical maps.""The Vanguard survived in the dark for a decade without your maps," Ryker rejected the pathetic bargain. He felt the ancient energy of the Dragon Core surging through his meridian channels and demandin

"Reroute the encryption bypass through my personal terminal and lock the main door."Captain Zora issued the command in a hushed whisper while she stared at the glowing blue monitors of the northern military command center. She sat deep within the fortified mountain bunker and rubbed her tired eyes to ward off the exhaustion of a thirty hour shift. The recycled air of the subterranean facility smelled of ozone and stale coffee.Lieutenant Barry entered a rapid sequence of keystrokes into the adjacent console to execute the command. The heavy steel door of the secluded office engaged its magnetic lock with a resonant click."The perimeter is secure Captain," Barry confirmed the isolation of their workstation. "But slicing into the restricted files of the Inquisitor is a capital offense. If General Vyke discovers this unauthorized access he will charge us both with high treason.""Inquisitor Graves lost twenty elite bionic soldiers at the coastal harbor today," Zora justified her danger