President Reed, a smirk playing on his lips, met Brandon's gaze with a conniving grin. The air seemed to thicken, the tension hanging heavily as the two leaders locked eyes.
"Are you sure that's the tone you're going to use in the heart of my territory?" President Reed's voice dripped with arrogance, relishing the perceived upper hand he believed he held over the interloper.
Brandon's response was deliberate, measured.
"Your territory, Mr. President, is standing on borrowed time."
His voice had a cold, dismissive edge.
Every word underscored with the confidence of someone who had seen through a poorly executed ruse.
President Reed's laugh was sharp, a jarring sound that bounced off the palace walls.
"Bold words, especially considering you're in the lion's den. Now, about those officials... I've reconsidered. They won't be part of our agreement."
Brandon raised a single brow, his face betraying no other emotion.
"That was not the deal. But then, what's one more broken promise from a man such as you?"
Reed's face reddened, his nostrils flaring.
"You dare to come into my city and dictate terms? You're in no position to make demands."
He smirked, "Why not show some respect and kneel before me?"
Brandon's lips quirked, though whether in amusement or disdain was hard to discern.
"You mistake your position, and it will cost you."
An icy silence gripped the courtyard, each side waiting for the other to flinch.
Reed decided to play another card.
"Why serve a man destined to fall? Join me,"
He beckoned to the Baph squad,
"and you will find your lives spared. A generous offer."
Brandon's soldiers exchanged glances, chuckles echoing from a few of them.
They had faced insurmountable odds before and had remained unwavering in their loyalty to Brandon.
They weren't about to change their allegiances now.
Reed's patience finally snapped.
Face reddening in fury, he shouted, "Snipers!"
A heartbeat of silence passed.
The courtyard remained unchanged.
There was no deadly rain of bullets, no chaos.
Brandon smirked, the corners of his mouth curling in quiet satisfaction.
He extended his arm, pointing to the surrounding buildings.
"You mean those snipers?"
As if on cue, a series of thuds echoed around the courtyard as bodies crashed onto the ground, the lifeless forms of Reed's snipers raining down from the apartments above.
*THUD* *THUD* THUD*
Devon, taking in the president's faltering demeanor, moved to seize the reins. With a flex of his will, his awakened form materialized around him, an ethereal armor of deep blue encasing his body.
Six vortexes of the same color sparked to life, hovering in an arc behind him, a testament to his power.
"Heh! So what if you got rid of our snipers?"
Devon spat out, his eyes flaring with defiance.
"You're in the midst of the Capital's most elite group of Enlightened Ones!"
The pride in his voice rang out, confident in the superiority of their forces. Devon looked over his shoulder, expecting the soldiers of the Capital to join him in a show of strength.
But they hesitated, their eyes flicking towards one man - Sir Adam.
As the commander of the Capital's forces, they looked to him for guidance, even in the face of Devon's bravado.
Sir Adam glanced at President Reed, who, despite his earlier arrogance, nodded in agreement.
Letting out a resigned sigh, Sir Adam gave the order with a single nod of his head.
Upon his command, the soldiers of the Capital stepped forward.
One after another, they conjured their ethereal armors, a dazzling display of power.
Most of the soldiers had two or three vortexes dancing behind them, with only a handful possessing four.
As the ethereal armors manifested, a faint hum resonated through the courtyard.
A metallic tang permeated the air, intertwining with the aroma of battle-readiness.
The courtyard filled with a multitude of swirling energies, an opulent display of the Capital's elite forces, each one symbolizing the awakened form of an Enlightened One.
Devon grinned, reassured by the show of force.
He turned his gaze back to Brandon, his eyes filled with taunting challenge.
Brandon regarded Devon with a bemused expression, barely moving.
"Is this supposed to impress me?"
He asked coolly, his eyes scanning the now-transfigured soldiers, each one aglow with their respective powers.
Devon snorted, arrogance dripping from every syllable.
"You might have had your little successes, Void, but you've never gone up against the true might of the Capital's Enlightened Ones. Your little trick with the snipers won't save you here."
One of Brandon's soldiers, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, chuckled.
"I'm shivering in my boots…"
Another soldier, a woman with fiery red hair, joined in,
"Hahaha… Me too… shivering… hahahahah"
The chorus of laughter that erupted seemed to infuriate Devon even more.
He pointed a finger at Brandon, his voice rising in anger.
"Enough of this! Look around, Void. Numbers don't lie."
Sir Adam, fingers twitching towards the old scar on his hand—a haunting reminder of battles lost—felt a pit in his stomach despite having given the order.
He looked uneasy, eyes darting between Brandon and the mobilized force.
He was well-aware of Brandon's reputation and had hoped to avoid an all-out confrontation.
Sir Adam's gaze flitted momentarily to an old scar on his hand, a grim reminder of past battles where overconfidence had cost dearly.
"Mr. Void," he began, attempting diplomacy,
"It doesn't have to end in bloodshed. We can still find a way…"
Devon's eyes flashed with more than just defiance.
There was a depth of loyalty there, an unspoken bond that ran deeper than mere allegiance.
Devon's memories flashed, fleeting moments of a younger Reed cradling a child, teaching him, protecting him.
"Grandpa! We have the upper hand. Why negotiate now?"
Brandon raised a hand, silencing his own soldiers.
"Devon, is it?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"I admire your passion. But misguided confidence can be... fatal."
With an air of indifference, Brandon softly uttered a single word,
"Asmo..."
The instant it left his lips, smoke grenades were launched from behind the unsuspecting Capital officials.
The courtyard was immediately blanketed in a thick fog, rendering all visibility to near zero.
The choking haze rapidly spread, engulfing everyone present.
Those unprotected by ethereal armors coughed violently, their eyes watering as they tried to shield themselves from the penetrating smoke.
The acrid scent of the smoke filled the air, burning the nostrils and stinging the eyes of those it enveloped. It left a bitter taste in the mouth, a choking reminder of the sudden shift in power.
The Capital's elite aura faded in the billowing gray.
As the dust began to settle, a chilling scene emerged from the smoke.
Emerging from strategic blind spots, the Asmo battalion swiftly closed in on their targets.
Before anyone realized, nearly every Enlightened Soldier of the Capital found themselves threatened by the cold, gleaming edge of a dagger pressed to their throats
The Asmo battalion moved like wraiths, efficient and silent, their intent clear and deadly.
Crystal coughed, waving a hand to clear the remnants of smoke from her face. When her vision finally cleared, her eyes widened in disbelief.
She was no stranger to the realities of conflict, but this... this was different.
Her heart raced as she took in the scene.
The forces she once believed formidable were now held hostage, each one at the mercy of a blade.
Each member of the Asmo battalion wielded twin daggers, the sharp blades gleaming menacingly in the dim light, ready to claim lives at a moment's notice.
And as she scanned the scene, it was evident that they were even more formidable than they appeared.
Most of them boasted five vortexes hovering ominously behind them, barely a handful with four, and the ever-imposing Asmo, along with a select few, displayed six.
Their overwhelming strength and coordination were nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Her gaze was inevitably drawn back to Brandon Void.
There he stood, unruffled, his arms crossed as if he was merely a spectator of some mundane event.
The hundred from his Baph squad stationed between the parked military vehicles appeared just as unphased, their expressions a mix of anticipation and amusement.
A hush fell over the courtyard.
And then, cutting through the silence with an air of quiet authority, Brandon's voice echoed,
"You were saying?"