The Loser Is the War Commander

Chapter 2: The Heir's Arrogance

The cemetery air grew thick with tension as vehicles screeched to a halt beyond the iron gates. Car doors slammed like thunder, and footsteps—dozens of them—marched in military precision toward the Kane family plot.

At the head of the procession strode a young man who couldn't have been older than twenty-five. His tailored suit probably cost more than most families earned in a year, and his slicked-back hair gleamed with expensive products. This was Gary Gonzalez, heir to the Gonzalez family, a C-ranked noble house that had clawed its way up through ruthless business dealings and strategic alliances.

Behind him, at least thirty men fanned out, their hands resting on concealed weapons. The scarred leader on the ground let out a wheeze of relieved laughter.

"Young Master Gary! Thank God you're here!"

Gary surveyed the scene with cold calculation—his men on the ground, Aria standing with her blade drawn, and Darius positioned protectively near the tombstones. A smirk slowly spread across his face.

"Well, well, well." Gary's voice dripped with contempt as he clasped his hands behind his back. "What do we have here? A couple of stray dogs think they can bare their teeth at their best?"

Darius remained perfectly still, his expression unreadable.

Gary stepped closer, his expensive shoes crunching on the gravel. "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Gary Gonzalez, heir to the Gonzalez family! We're C-ranked nobility! And you..." He pointed at Darius with a manicured finger. "You're nothing but cemetery trash, just like that filthy rat of a girl hiding behind the tombstones!"

Alessia flinched at the words, but Darius's hand moved slightly—a silent command for her to stay put.

"Look at him!" One of Gary's men jeered. "Standing there like he's somebody important! You're just a worm pretending to be a dragon!"

"More like a cockroach!" another chimed in. "At least worms serve a purpose in the dirt!"

Gary laughed, clearly enjoying the show. "I heard you took down my men pretty easily. Got a little fight in you, do you? That just makes this more entertaining. Tell me, dog, what's your name? I like to know what I'm stepping on before I crush it."

"Darius Kane," Darius said quietly.

The name sent a ripple of recognition through the crowd. Gary's smirk faltered for just a moment before returning with renewed viciousness.

"Kane? KANE?" Gary threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, this is rich! This is absolutely priceless! You're the coward who ran away three years ago! The little rat who scurried into his hole while his family was slaughtered like livestock!"

His men joined in the mockery, their voices rising in a chorus of cruelty.

"The Kane family heir! Still alive!"

"Barely! Look at him—probably been living in gutters!"

"His whole family died screaming, and he wasn't even there to hear it!"

Gary stepped even closer, his face twisted with malicious glee. "Let me guess—you finally grew some balls and decided to come back? Three years too late, you worthless piece of garbage! Your family is DEAD. Their wealth is GONE. Their name means NOTHING. You're less than dirt now. You're what dirt scrapes off its shoes!"

Darius's eyes remained fixed on Gary, cold and unblinking. "I asked you a question."

"What?" Gary blinked.

"Why are you destroying my family's tombstones?"

Gary's expression shifted from confusion to mocking delight. "Oh, you want to know WHY? You really are a stupid dog, aren't you? Because someone PAID us to, you idiot! Someone with real power, real money, real EVERYTHING that you'll never have again!"

"Who?" Darius's voice was ice.

"Why would I tell a dead man walking?" Gary sneered. "But I'll give you a hint—they're far above your pathetic former station. B-ranked nobility. The kind of people who could squash your entire bloodline like the insects you are. Oh wait—they already DID!"

The thugs erupted in laughter, some of them clutching their sides.

Darius took a single step forward. "Last chance. Who sent you?"

"Or what?" Gary's hand moved in a sharp gesture. Instantly, fifteen of his men drew handguns, all of them aimed directly at Darius's head. "You'll do WHAT, exactly? You're surrounded, outgunned, and out of your depth, you mangy street cur!"

Aria's body tensed, ready to move, but Darius raised one hand slightly—a signal to wait.

"You think those toys scare me?" Darius asked softly.

"Toys?" Gary's eyes widened with incredulous rage. "Are you BLIND as well as stupid? These 'toys' will blow your worthless head clean off! You'll be joining your family on the ground where you belong!"

"Then pull the triggers," Darius said calmly.

For a moment, nobody moved. The standoff stretched, taut as a wire about to snap.

Then Darius moved.

It happened so fast that most of the men didn't even see it. One moment he was standing still; the next, he was among them like a ghost. His hand struck out, and the closest gunman's weapon went flying, the man's wrist bent at an unnatural angle.

"AGH! My hand!"

Darius spun, his elbow connecting with another thug's temple. The man dropped like a puppet with cut strings. Another gun discharged into the air as Darius twisted the wielder's arm backward, using him as a shield while simultaneously disarming two more attackers.

"SHOOT HIM!" Gary screamed. "SHOOT HIM NOW!"

But it was chaotic. Darius wove between the gunmen like smoke, each movement precise and devastating. Bones cracked. Weapons clattered to the ground. Men cried out in pain and terror.

Aria finally moved then, her blade flashing as she cut through the outer circle of attackers. She didn't kill—not yet—but every man she touched fell, clutching shattered knees or dislocated shoulders.

In less than thirty seconds, all fifteen armed men were on the ground, writhing in agony. Their weapons lay scattered across the cemetery like forgotten toys.

Darius stood in the center of the carnage, not even breathing hard. His clothes weren't even wrinkled.

Gary Gonzalez stood frozen, his face drained of all color. His legs trembled, and a dark stain began spreading across the front of his expensive trousers.

"You... you..." Gary couldn't form words.

Darius walked toward him slowly, deliberately. Each footstep sounded like a death knell.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Darius said, his voice soft and infinitely dangerous. "Who sent you to destroy my family's graves?"

"I—I can't—they'll kill me if I—"

"They?" Darius tilted his head slightly. "Tell me now, or I'll break every limb of every person here. Starting with yours."

Gary's bladder gave out entirely. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the sweat and snot. "Please! Please, I'm just following orders! I'm nobody! I'm—"

"You called my family livestock," Darius interrupted. "You said they deserved to die. You mocked their graves." His hand shot out and grabbed Gary by the throat, lifting him slightly off the ground. "You're less than the dirt you compared them to."

"M-Master Kane!" Gary choked out the words. "Please! Mercy! I—we have CONNECTIONS! Powerful connections! We know the War God himself is coming to this city! The REAL War God! He'll—he'll destroy you for this!"

Darius's grip tightened. "The War God?"

"Yes! YES!" Gary's eyes bulged. "We have ties to his organization! We know he's visiting Duskfort soon! You've made a huge mistake attacking us! When he arrives, you're FINISHED! You'll be ground into paste! You'll—"

"The War God is coming to Duskfort?" Darius's voice held a note of dark amusement.

"That's right!" Gary clung to this last desperate hope. "And when he does, you'll regret everything! You'll beg for death! You'll—"

Darius released him. Gary crumpled to the ground, gasping and sobbing.

"I'll tell you what," Darius said, his tone almost conversational. "I'll be waiting for your revenge. Bring your War God. Bring whoever sent you. Bring everyone you know."

He turned to Aria. "Let's go. We have other matters to attend to."

Aria sheathed her blade smoothly. "Yes, Master."

As they walked away, Gary found his voice one last time—a desperate, venomous shriek.

"You're DEAD! Do you hear me?! DEAD! The Gonzalez family will make you suffer! Our allies will crush you! The War God will—"

Darius didn't look back. His voice carried over his shoulder, cold as winter wind.

"I look forward to it."