The King Of War Returns

Chapter 7

The men froze in confusion for only a second.

Then training kicked in.

Rifles were raised. Safeties clicked off. Red laser dots crawled across Jaden’s chest as the guards fanned out instinctively, forming a semi-circle around him.

“Hey!” one of them barked. “Who the hell are you—and how did you get in here? Do you even know whose residence this is?”

Jaden slowly lifted his head.

His eyes darkened.

“Where is Agatha?” he asked, his voice calm but heavy, like a blade resting against skin.

“Fuck off, kid—”

Bang!

The gunshot rang out.

But the bullet never reached him.

Clang!

Jaden tilted his wrist slightly. His dagger snapped upward, deflecting the bullet midair, sending sparks flying as the projectile ricocheted into the ground.

Before anyone could react—

Jaden vanished.

He appeared directly in front of the shooter.

A single, clean motion.

Slash.

The man’s head separated from his neck, rolling across the stone floor as his body collapsed in a spray of blood.

Jaden straightened slowly.

“That wasn’t the response I expected.”

Chaos erupted.

“OPEN FIRE!”

Bullets tore through the courtyard. Jaden moved through them like a ghost—twisting, leaping, blades flashing. He grabbed one man’s rifle, snapped it in half, then drove the broken barrel through the man’s throat.

Another guard charged with a baton.

“You think you’re untouchable?!”

Jaden ducked under the swing, elbowed the man’s ribs inward with a sickening crunch, then slit his throat before the scream could leave his mouth.

“Fall back!” someone shouted. “Surround him!”

Too late.

Jaden spun through the group, daggers dancing. Arms fell. Legs buckled. Blood painted the walls. Every movement was efficient.

“Monster—!”

A blade pierced the speaker’s mouth from below.

Bodies hit the ground one after another.

Within moments, the courtyard fell eerily quiet.

Then—

Five men stepped forward.

They were different.

Heavier armor. Reinforced vests. Blades instead of guns. Their eyes were steady, experienced. These were not hired guards.

They were killers.

“So,” one of them said, cracking his neck, “you’re not just any intruder, you are pretty strong.”

Jaden rolled his shoulders slowly. “Move.”

The man smirked. “Let’s see if you bleed.”

They attacked together.

Steel clashed violently as Jaden blocked a blade inches from his throat. Another strike caught his side—sparks flying as metal scraped armor beneath his coat.

“Tougher than the rest,” Jaden muttered.

One man locked his arm. Another aimed for his legs.

Jaden grunted, muscles tensing as he forced himself free, headbutting one man hard enough to break his nose. He spun, slashing low, taking out a knee.

The remaining three pressed harder.

“Don’t give him space!”

Jaden’s breathing deepened.

Pressure mounted.

Then—

His eyes sharpened.

He stopped holding back.

A brutal exchange followed. Bone snapped. One man was lifted and thrown into a pillar hard enough to crack concrete. Another tried to stab from behind—Jaden caught the blade barehanded, twisted, and drove his dagger through the man’s heart.

The last fighter lunged desperately.

Jaden sidestepped and ended it with a clean cut across the throat.

Silence returned once more.

Jaden stood among the fallen, chest rising slowly, blood dripping from his blades.

He looked ahead.

The next gate loomed open.

Beyond it—

More than a hundred soldiers stood in formation.

Red and black uniforms. Heavier weapons. Dark visors. Their presence radiated intimidation and discipline far beyond the others.

The Thornfells’ real guard.

This was the final line of defense.

Beyond this point lay the Thornfells’ main building—the heart of their empire, the throne Agatha ruled from. One last courtyard stretched wide and open, illuminated by cold white floodlights that cast across the stone ground.

One hundred men stood waiting.

They moved as one, stepping forward in perfect formation the moment Jaden entered their range. Red-and-black combat uniforms clung to their armored frames, weapons held with disciplined precision. Unlike the guards before them, these men didn’t shout. They didn’t panic.

They radiated death.

At the far end of the courtyard, directly before the entrance to the main building, sat a massive figure on a reinforced steel chair.

He was built like a mountain—thick arms crossed over a chest that looked carved from stone. Scars lined his exposed skin, each one telling a story of survival. His presence alone pressed down on the air.

Almost like a statue.

Then he spoke.

“How did you manage to get past the first gate defense?” the giant asked calmly, his voice deep and rumbling.

Jaden stopped walking.

His gaze lifted slowly, locking onto the seated man.

“Hm,” Jaden scoffed lightly. “So you’re the leader.”

He glanced briefly at the hundred soldiers surrounding him.

“What does it look like?” Jaden continued coldly. “I killed the dogs.”

A sharp click echoed as several men bristled, fingers tightening on triggers.

“How dare you speak to Boss Hogan like that!” one of the soldiers snapped, stepping forward aggressively.

Before he could move another inch—

Hogan lifted one massive hand.

The soldier froze instantly and stepped back, head lowered.

Silence returned.

Hogan leaned forward slightly, his eyes finally focusing fully on Jaden.

“What do you seek, stranger?” Hogan asked, his tone even, controlled. “You’ve proven you’re capable. I might give you a chance to walk out of here alive.”

Jaden’s lips curved faintly—not a smile, but something colder.

“I’m here to kill Agatha,” he said plainly. “You can make this easier by bringing her to me.”

He took a step forward.

“Or I’ll kill every one of you,” Jaden continued, his voice steady and fearless, “and still get to her either way.”

For the first time, Hogan’s expression changed.

The calm cracked.

His jaw tightened. His eyes hardened. The air itself seemed to vibrate as he rose slowly from the chair, towering over everyone present.

“KILL HIM!” Hogan roared.

“Just like I expected,” Jaden remarked calmly.

The moment Hogan gave the order, the courtyard exploded into motion.

The hundred mercenaries didn’t rush blindly like the previous guards. They moved with discipline—clean formations, overlapping fields of fire, calculated spacing. Guns were raised in synchronized precision, blades drawn by those already closing the distance.

These weren’t security guards.

These were killers.

“Fire!”

Gunshots thundered through the courtyard.

Bullets screamed through the air from multiple angles, cutting off every obvious escape route. Any normal man would have been torn apart within seconds.

Jaden’s eyes sharpened.

So this is the Thornfells’ real shield. His intel already told him how formidable the Thornfells defenses are. But seeing it by himself he was truly impressed.

And then instead of retreating he charged forward.

“Is this man nuts?” One of the men said out loud.