(Leo's POV)
With every step Leo took, he felt a little more sensation returning to his legs, as though life was gradually seeping back into his damaged nerves. His right shoulder, while far from fully healed, had recovered enough to grant him a limited range of motion which he felt was enough to continue.
His body was still battered and far from its peak, but Leo knew that he had to make do with the hand he was dealt.
He didn't need perfection—He just needed enough from his body to somehow push through the final leg of his mission.
Slowly, but steadily, he approached the west castle entrance door, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
This entrance was the closest route to the Emperor's quarters, and with everything he'd faced so far, he knew the odds of it being unguarded were slim, and hence, acting out of caution, before opening the door he placed his ear against it, just to check for any sounds.
And thankfully, just as he suspected, the moment he put his ear to the door, he heard faint noises reach his ears.
Muffled conversations and the unmistakable panting of men leaked through the heavy door, causing Leo to immediately stiffen.
'There's definitely an ambush waiting for me on the other side,' he thought grimly as stepping back, he gazed over the surrounding architecture, analyzing the situation.
Eventually, his eyes locked onto the frame above the door— which he identified as the perfect spot to ambush the ambushers.
*Plant*
Without hesitation, he drew a dagger and planted it into the wall just above the entrance, as then with a practiced ease, he hoisted himself up and perched silently above the door, his body perfectly balanced.
With his free hand, he reached down and nudged the door open ever so slightly.
*Creek–*
*Blast*
*Shua*
*SHUA*
The moment the door creaked open, chaos erupted. A torrent of attacks—fireballs, ice spikes, throwing daggers, and javelins—burst from the shadows, tearing through the air and into the empty space before the door.
Leo's lips curled into a faint smirk as he crouched above, watching the ambush unfold harmlessly below him.
'Exactly as expected,' he thought coldly, his grip tightening around his dagger as he prepared to turn the hunters into prey.
"On my signal, boy–" he said, scratching Dumpy's neck, as he prepped Dumpy for what was to come next.
*Thud*
*Thud*
The soldiers poured out of the west castle door cautiously at first, their heads swiveling in every direction, weapons gripped tightly in their hands.
The initial group of half a dozen scanned the area, their confusion evident as they failed to locate Leo.
"Where is he?" one of them muttered, his voice trembling slightly. "He was supposed to be right here—"
Another soldier silenced him with a gesture, his sharp eyes darting around. "Spread out. He's here somewhere. Find him!"
Then, as the seconds passed, more soldiers emerged, a steady flow of boots clattering against the expensive marble floor as the contingent swelled to several dozen.
They moved in groups, covering each other's blind spots as they fanned out across the courtyard. Yet, despite their efforts, they found nothing but eerie silence.
This was to be expected however, as Leo crouched silently above the entrance, completely invisible thanks to [Vanish].
His lips curved into a predator's grin as he watched the chaos below unfold, as he knew that the enemy was just playing into his hands by pouring out around him like this, with their backs exposed to him.
'They're just like little helpless piggies–,' he thought, gripping a pair of daggers tightly in his hands as his eyes locked onto the unsuspecting soldiers below.
It was only a waiting game from then on, as the moment he felt the group was spread thin enough, Leo made his move.
Flick Flick
In rapid succession, Leo threw daggers towards the unsuspecting soldiers with absolute precision, with his daggers finding their mark every single time with lethal accuracy.
Only a split second separated the time between when the first soldier crumpled with a weapon lodged in his neck, as just a heartbeat later, nine more fell, their lifeless bodies hitting the ground in a sickening symphony of thuds.
Shouts erupted as the remaining soldiers whirled around, weapons raised.
"Up there! He's—" one of them tried to warn, as another dagger silenced the man mid-sentence, utter chaos descending on the courtyard.
Leo moved like a ghost, repositioning faster than their eyes could track.
The steady flow of daggers from his hands was relentless, each flick of his wrist claiming another life, as within moments, nearly twenty soldiers lay motionless on the ground.
"Ribbit–"
From the other side of the courtyard, Dumpy joined the fray. The colossal swamp frog let out a low croak, his tiny form lumbering forward as his throat swelled ominously.
*SPRAY*
Then, with a mighty expulsion, he unleashed a spray of highly corrosive poison toward a clustered group of soldiers.
Screams of agony filled the air as the soldiers caught in the toxic spray writhed on the ground, their armor and flesh dissolving in gruesome fashion. While those who managed to avoid the initial spray stumbled back in terror, their morale shattered.
"Fall back! Regroup inside!" one of the surviving soldiers shouted, but his words were cut short as a dagger found his heart.
However, as per his command, the last stragglers began retreating toward the castle door, desperation clear in their movements.
"Close the door… don't let the monster in" one of them instructed, as the soldiers tried to seal the door shut the moment the last of them entered, however, Leo did not let them succeed in doing so.
Kicking the door open in style the second the last man entered, Leo entered the royal castle with a swagger, as he killed a couple men right as he entered.
"Well, I'll find my way from here gentleman, thankyou for opening the door for me–" Leo said, as he strode forward with measured steps, his daggers gleaming ominously in his hands.
The soldiers who remained barely had time to react, as Leo moved through them like a force of nature, each slash and stab cutting down another opponent.
In the end, the final few fell in quick succession, their cries of pain fading into silence as Leo carved a path through their ranks, creating a river of blood to mark the occasion of him entering the royal castle.
"You're next…. Emperor!" He said, as he moved-in, progressing calmly towards the emperor's room, leaving nothing but bloody footprints in his wake.
—----
/// A/N - Weekly Mass Release Goal Counter. (2100/15,000) 14% completed ///