Chapter 153: City Guard, Expected Development, Leader, Chatterbox (Two-in-One)

Clang~ clang… clang.

The decapitated head, still wearing its helmet, hit the ground, bounced a few times, and finally rolled to a stop, its sight locked on the headless body that remained standing.

It was only at this moment that the last sliver of consciousness in the City Guard captain's mind realized he had been decapitated by that white-haired boy with a single sword stroke.

How could his movements have been so fast?

Did the boy even swing his sword?

In the end, darkness completely consumed his vision as death pulled him into eternal cold, leaving him no chance to find the answer.

However, the archer on the rooftop who had initiated the attack did not stop after the captain's demise. Her actions were smooth and precise, each arrow finding its mark.

Whoosh—whoosh—!

More than a dozen armor-piercing arrows streaked through the air, leaving trails of green light as they pierced the City Guards preparing to execute the man's family, all in just a few seconds.

Meanwhile, the white-haired boy who had seamlessly decapitated the captain continued walking forward, sword in hand, under the watchful eyes of the surrounding crowd.

!?

"What's happening?"

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

Seeing their captain decapitated and their comrades fall one after another, the hundred or so City Guards quickly adopted a defensive formation, raising enchanted shields to ward off the archer's attacks.

"Fire the crossbows!"

"Take down that brat!"

Simultaneously, some of the City Guards reached for the rapid-fire crossbows at their waists, preparing to eliminate the brazen archer and the white-haired boy who had beheaded their captain—none other than Dorn, the son of Samuel.

But before they could act, Dorn quickened his pace and charged alone into their formation!?

Seeing this, the City Guards were bewildered. They assumed the boy had a death wish, charging headlong into their ranks like that.

Even the onlookers felt a sense of pity.

Though Dorn had effortlessly killed the City Guard captain, it didn't mean the City Guards were weak.

Most City Guards were descendants of noble families in the capital, trained since childhood by the best instructors and rigorously drilled in military tactics. Backed by the Chancellor's resources, they were equipped with armor and weapons second only to the Imperial Guard.

Though they lacked the combat experience of frontier troops, by any analysis, they weren't the kind of soldiers that a mere child could defeat alone.

However…

Swish—!

Silver light flashed once again.

Slash—!

The mithril blade easily tore through the expensive and finely crafted armor.

Szzzt—!

Next, the sword, imbued with wind magic, sliced through limbs and torsos, reducing bodies to pieces.

The blood spray that rose was immediately swept away by the intense airflow.

"Ahhh!! My arm!!"

"No!"

"Is that kid even human?!"

In an instant, the street was filled with the screams, wails, and panicked shouts of the City Guards.

Events were not unfolding as the onlookers had expected.

Dorn, having charged into the enemy formation, moved too quickly to be tracked, and the City Guards couldn't even last a single exchange. Even when he inevitably exposed his back, he didn't give his opponents a chance to react before darting to a new position, both hands gripping his sword as he swept it horizontally.

Boom—!

The glowing blade unleashed a violent whirlwind, scattering and flinging away the surrounding City Guards. The dense, razor-sharp wind blades continued to pierce and shred the soldiers.

Thud—splatter—!

Broken bodies and chunks of flesh rained down.

A fully equipped, hundred-man City Guard formation was actually torn apart by Dorn single-handedly.

And he wasn't the only one;

Vulkan, swinging his Frost Hammer, Thorjan wielding a dwarven longsword, and Pietro Bomir, with his frontier-inspired combat style, all joined the fray with a fast-paced charge.

Thorjan and Pietro formed a duo, using their rich combat experience to cut through the enemy ranks with ease.

But compared to them...

Boom—boom—!

Vulkan's massive hammer, forged from the leg bone of a Frost Ape, simply smashed apart and pulverized any soldier who dared to attack or ambush him.

Dorn and Vulkan, having grown up together, fought with perfect synergy. Their Primarch-level strength, speed, and reflexes shattered the City Guards' morale the moment they clashed.

The remaining soldiers either fled or threw down their arms, kneeling in surrender.

Thus, the battle between the five of them and a hundred City Guards ended with Dorn, Vulkan, Ao Yi, Thorjan, and Pietro completely unscathed.

"The Emperor bless us…"

"The talents of those two kids are off the charts! Are they elves?"

"Elves? Look closely at their ears. I'm sure they're human."

The onlookers, who had witnessed the entire battle up close, couldn't help but express their amazement.

They had been completely stunned by Dorn and Vulkan's performance, along with that of their companions.

More accurately, it was the two Primarchs who left the deepest impression.

Aside from wielding enchanted weapons, Dorn and Vulkan had relied solely on their physical prowess and combat skills to decimate the City Guards' formation.

Across Terra, there were many legendary figures who had mastered martial arts to such a degree that they could fight hundreds or even thousands without magic.

But those legends felt distant to the common folk. Dorn and Vulkan, however, were right there, standing on the street in front of them.

"Wait, if those two kids are human… doesn't that mean they're… the Emperor's sons?"

"Could be, right?"

Some began connecting Dorn and Vulkan to the Elven prophecy.

At the center of the street.

"This…" Thorjan was similarly in disbelief.

Sheathing his sword, he glanced at the scattered corpses and the few City Guards who had surrendered in terror, then turned to look at the blood-spattered Primarchs, asking, "Are you really only a year old?"

Dorn slung the Storm Greatsword back over his shoulder and replied, "Why would I lie?"

"It's true. We're one year old," Vulkan nodded.

Hearing this.

Though Thorjan outwardly appeared calm, he was internally in awe of the two Primarchs.

Even Pietro, who was usually stoic, felt a growing sense of admiration and reverence for the new Emperor in the south.

After all, if these sons could possess such strength at less than a year old, just how powerful must the Emperor himself be?

At this moment, Ao Yi, light as a feather, leapt down from the rooftop, landing silently at Dorn's side. She glanced at the civilians cautiously emerging from the alleyways, homes, and shops and suggested, "Now might be the time to announce that you and Vulkan are the Emperor's sons. I imagine many would rally to your cause. The City Guard's main force will arrive soon, and we'll need allies and support."

Despite the shocking strength Dorn and Vulkan had displayed, Ao Yi seemed unfazed, focused entirely on the current situation.

"No," Dorn had already noticed the murmurs among the surrounding crowd. He continued, "This isn't the right moment for declarations or speeches, and besides, I'm not good at that kind of thing. I believe in actions over words.

We've made our move. Now, it's up to them to choose how to respond."

Shortly after Dorn finished speaking.

The family who had narrowly escaped execution returned to the street.

The man's daughter tried to run over to thank Dorn and the others, but when she saw the bloodied corpses and body parts littering the ground, she immediately turned back in fear.

In the end, the man bent down and picked up his daughter, shielding her eyes as he approached, his voice trembling with gratitude: "Thank you… thank you so much! I… I don't know how to repay you. Without you, my family would be dead."

"Thank you, uncles and aunties…" the girl added softly.

"Haha! No need for thanks," Thorjan laughed. "I've long had it with those pompous City Guards."

"Indeed," Pietro agreed.

"Mm," Ao Yi gave a simple nod as she began retrieving her arrows, showing little reaction to being called "auntie" and instead admiring the girl's politeness.

Dorn, however, fell silent.

Usually quick to show his emotions, Dorn's twitching mouth indicated he had no idea how to correct the girl's mistake.

Having her call him "big brother" felt awkward, given that he and his brother were technically younger than her.

"Haha, it was the right thing to do," Vulkan accepted the thanks with ease, reassuring the frightened girl in her father's arms, "Don't be afraid. Those on the ground… they were bad people, and we've simply cleansed their sins."

Having learned much from their father, Vulkan knew the world wasn't black and white, and that every person and thing had multiple sides…

Of course, Vulkan couldn't deny that some individuals were purely evil.

But in the eyes of a still-innocent girl, the world seemed to consist only of good and bad people.

"Don't worry," Dorn, no longer bothered by the details, followed up, smiling as he added, "As long as we're here, no bad people will harm you."

Then Dorn turned to the man, his voice serious despite being in the midst of adolescence, "As my brother said, helping you was the right thing to do. But now's not the time to talk about gratitude.

There will be a major conflict

 here soon. If I were you, I'd take my family and flee as far away as possible to avoid getting caught up in it."

Dorn's voice was just loud enough for the man and his family to hear, while also subtly warning the nearby civilians.

But the man didn't respond immediately. Instead, he handed his daughter to his wife and, despite the pain in his hands, picked up a sword from the ground. His voice was firm as he said, "I know. My family will leave, but I will stay.

This isn't just about repaying you… this is my fight."

Holding the sword with both hands, the man showed no hesitation or fear as he stared down the street at the advancing main force of the City Guard.

After all, his family had been targeted because he had been secretly spreading news about the new Emperor and trying to rally like-minded people to take action.

The hundred-man City Guard unit had been sent as bait, with the intent of publicly executing the man's family to incite violence and give them justification for a bloody crackdown.

"Yes! This is our fight too!"

Suddenly, a powerful voice echoed through the street.

The dwarf blacksmith, who had been itching to be the first to fight back, emerged from the shadows, hammer in hand, and stepped into the sunlit street to stand alongside the man.

"If those two boys aren't afraid, why should we be?!"

"It's time to remind the Chancellor what this city is really about!"

"Everyone! Don't forget to grab the swords, crossbows, and enchanted shields on the ground! They're lifesavers!"

More and more people emerged from the shadows, choosing to stand together against the heavily armed City Guard reinforcements.

And before anyone realized it, the residents had already begun looking to Dorn and his companions as the leaders of a rebellion against the Chancellor.

At this moment.

Standing at the front of the group, Ao Yi glanced at Dorn beside her, her gaze complicated as if she were pondering something.

But Dorn didn't notice her look. He raised his right hand, unsheathing the Storm Greatsword from his back and pointing its gleaming blade toward the end of the street.

Not one for grand speeches or rallying cries, Dorn, knowing his limits, simply shouted:

"Vulkan, my brother! Let's break through the enemy lines for the people of the capital!"

"With pleasure!" Vulkan responded with equal enthusiasm.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two Primarchs fearlessly charged toward the City Guard.

"Hey! Wait up, you two!" Thorjan, the blacksmith, and dozens of other dwarves followed closely behind.

"Everyone!" Pietro remained behind, instructing the rest, "When Dorn and Vulkan break the enemy formation, that's when we strike. Stay calm, don't panic, and hold the line!"

As for Ao Yi...

The five-hundred-year-old elf had already leaped back onto the rooftop, preparing to use her skill with the bow to snipe the enemy.

!

From her vantage point, she noticed the City Guard had brought along a significant number of crossbows and muskets.

"Be careful of—"

"Hahahaha!"

Just as Ao Yi was about to warn Pietro to watch out for the crossbows and muskets, her words were interrupted by a joyful laugh.

But she quickly withdrew her assessment of the laugh as "joyful," because the woman responsible for it soon turned out to be quite the chatterbox:

"Hey, little brother! Look over here! Yeah, over here! Don't point that dangerous weapon at innocent people, and… prepare to die!"

At the rear of the City Guard's main force, nearly a hundred warriors in chainmail and the garb of freelance mercenaries or adventurers had appeared.

Among them, the most striking was a silver-haired woman wielding a giant sword, who had just cleaved a City Guard crossbowman in half.

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