Conquerors Will 

Jayce and Jahad both wore a dark grey trench coat. Jahad knew the directions to the factory; he had passed it a couple of times not knowing that this was where he was going to raid. He walked with Jayce, he was not his usual jubilant self, instead replaced with a nervous skittish energy, almost like a stray cat. They passed a dozen factories, the one they were going to hit was within eyeshot. Jahad stopped in his tracks; Jayce walked a couple of paces forward before realising and stopped, running straight back to Jahad. "What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, his head twisting and turning cautiously.

Jahad needed to get him to calm down. There were no safety nets in this mission, and any mistake could be catastrophic. Jahad's hands clasped Jayce's shoulders tightly, his grip firm despite Jayce being taller. Jahad's stone-cold eyes drilled into him. "Steady your breath, Jayce. You've been on missions with Lepic and Ron. We've done runs together; it's just me and you—simple in and out." His grip tightened as he spoke, the physical connection shaking out Jayce's wavering confidence. A small smile broke out and with that, his usual self regained control. "Alright let's do this."

The two briskly walked into an alleyway that would lead to the back area of the factory. A woman shrouded in a dark cloak moved silently through the shadows of the alley past them. In the corner of his eye, Jahad saw the dark shadows of the alley distort ever so slightly, and he instinctively reached behind him. It was the woman's hand. He could see a slight smile escape her face, Jahad's hand firmly clasping her wrist. She opened her hand revealing a dagger. A raspy voice slipped from her pursed lips. "From... Lepic." Each word followed the last with a deliberate pause, as if she needed to gather her thoughts before continuing. After a moment's thought, she said "paralyses. Kinda works. Class F." Jahad could slightly understand her words; it was a dagger that could momentarily stun the Class F if they ever got into trouble with him.

He stared at the dagger for a moment. It was nowhere near as flashy as Ron's hammer, however, it still held a powerful runic circle in its confines, the blade shimmered, stainless steel. The grip was of light oak hugged by a silver wrap, upon further inspection of the blade, a dark green liquid coursed through the edges. Jahad took the blade off of the hooded figure, grabbing it by its handle tucking it into the confines of his coat.

After a few seconds, they had arrived at the back of the factory. The pungent fumes of what could be considered drug materials and sweat caused the two boys to wince. The backdoor was opened slightly; two men were already laid out, their throats slit and left out to bleed out as if they were a gutted fish. Jahad was the first to move, he pried the door open ever so slightly and glimpsed inside. As Jahad peered inside, the dim light flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows across the vast expanse of the factory floor. The air was thick with the scent of rust and oil, remnants of machinery long abandoned. Piles of crates were scattered haphazardly, some toppled over, revealing their dusty contents.

Old conveyor belts lay dormant, their surfaces slick with grime, while the distant hum of machinery echoed faintly in the background powered by gears and magic, a ghostly reminder of the factory's former life. The walls were lined with peeling paint, and the occasional drip of water could be heard, creating a rhythmic soundtrack to the tense atmosphere. Jahad's eyes darted around, noting the darkened corners where shadows lurked, hiding potential threats. The path to the lever was clear, but every gambling step amplified his heartbeat as he prepared to creep forward.

The second floor overlooked the ground floor, the class A would not move from the second floor. Jahad and Jayce are unranked and would be perceived as lesser threats that the class F would have to handle. They moved silently, crouched and using piled-up boxes and old machinery as cover, but no matter how much Jahad surveyed the area he could not find the Class F. This was a problem. He was the main threat; he had a good description of the man nevertheless, he was nowhere to be seen. Regardless of this risk, they had to trudge forward. The lever was around 20 meters away, the workers too ingrained in their work to react to the two kids silently moving along the shadows.

A curse escaped Jahad's mouth; the class F jumped over the rails of the second floor and landed. They were not spotted, however, his position was unfavourable for them. He was shouting at a worker who was near the lever. They needed him to move. Jayce came closer to Jahad, halting then whispering "I can mess with the machinery using my fire gauntlet." The name made Jahad smirk a bit. His brain ticked and worked. It wasn't a bad idea, however, it would blow their cover instantaneously but time was not on their hands. Jahad nodded, the man seemed to stay put near the lever. He was drenched in sweat, a white vest covering his bulky body, two hatchets chained to his cargos.

Jayce slipped away, and as soon as Jahad heard the impact, he knew he had to dash toward the lever and pray that Ron and Lepic made it in time. Jayce's heart pounded in his ears, a rivulet of sweat tracing down his face. He spotted a massive machine, its purpose to separate materials into distinct conveyor belts. Jahad was no longer in his line of sight, but Jayce had unwavering trust in him. He closed his eyes, feeling a fierce energy surge within him, concentrating this raw power into the palm of his hands. With a sudden burst, his eyes shot open, revealing a fiery mass that engulfed his right hand. He swung with all his might, the thunderous boom reverberating through the factory, causing the Class F to tut in annoyance and jog toward the source of the sound.

Seizing the moment, Jahad instantly darted toward the lever, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he raced against time. 10 metres away. Jahad felt his left leg being swiped causing him to tumble forward in disarray. The Class F swung his hatchet down towards him; it was a slow wide swing, he was underestimating Jahad. He rolled to the side as it dug harmlessly into the ground.

"Thought I wouldn't notice you brat?" he snarled. He launched a devastating kick too fast for Jahad to dodge; he blocked, but the impact launched him into the sky. A magical circle swirled from beneath, the small stars and galaxies swirling in the complex rune glowed an azure colour causing his hatchets to glow, streams of vibrating water covered the blades. He was about to throw his hatchet, but Jahad was close enough to execute a midair hook kick. The man intercepted it with his steely forearms. Dust erupted from the floor as Jahad landed. He closed the distance, he needed to stab him with the dagger. He dashed toward the man, prowling like a tiger. An uppercut flew toward him. Jahad slipped narrowly, sensing the force that the blow could have unleashed. The remnants of the uppercut slammed into the ceiling creating a large crater. Jahad could not get hit once. His left thigh was open, gripping the handle of the dagger like a vice he stabbed forward but it clunked harmlessly, shattering half the blade in an instant sending a spike of vibrations down Jahad's arm. He realised his mistake too late; the runic symbols had not only strengthened his hatchets but had also fortified his body.

Jahad recalled some of the information Lepic had told him. It was a knight. Knights fortified their bodies and equipment, boasting increased vitality and regeneration capabilities. They were described to have mana flowing through their veins in order to reinforce their physical attributes. He saw the man peering down with a smile as he brought down his hatchet with malice. There was a thunderous smash as Jayce's knuckles plunged into the man's cheek, fire swirling around his hand. Using the moment to his advantage, Jahad crashed into the man, hooking his leg around him tumbling the two of them. Using the momentum, he shoulder-rolled over the man and ran towards the lever. Jayce was further ahead than him. Jahad glanced backwards and saw the man was already up. Jayce's fire gauntlet had left not even a scratch, only catching him off guard. Anger flashed in the man's face as he closed in rapidly. Jayce gripped the lever and slammed it down, the garage gates groaning as they juddered open. An ice-cold gust of wind entered the warehouse, but Lepic and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Jahad shouted to Jayce, "run outside," but Jayce stood there mortified; the man would catch up easily.

They were royally fucked. Jahad could feel his heartbeat ringing, adrenaline surging in his body as the man got closer and closer. He cursed inwardly, twisting around. He would not die facing away, although futile he had to fight and try something, anything. The man stood there frozen like a deer in headlights causing Jahad to pause. Fear etched the man's eyes and face. A sudden breeze swept through, tousling Jahad's hair and causing it to flutter.

Three deafening impacts reverberated through the atmosphere, each one striking like a hammer against an anvil within the underground. Jahad looked towards the garage gates; it was Ron and Lepic, the impact was Ron's trademark. If you heard these deafening booms it meant to steer well away or face the repercussions. Jahad had realised they had come from the roof. Both sauntered in, Lepic delicately grasping his pocket watch this time looking forward rather than at the watch, a lit cigarette in their mouths. A large smile from ear to ear engraved into Ron's face could be seen as he twirled his hammer maliciously. The Class F man snapped out of his daze, several more magical circles swirling around his arms.

Before the man could assume his stance, Lepic raised his free hand with an effortless gesture. A sliver of black shot out at lightning speed—a dagger. The steel blade pierced straight through his heart. Before he could react or utter a single word, a second slash bisected his body into three pieces. Ron charged forward, swinging his hammer with ferocity, shattering the bones of any workers unfortunate enough to be within reach, Lepic continuously raising his arms as if orchestrating the deaths of those who ran too far, each wave of his hand sending multiple daggers flying.

At the second floor overlooking the workers, a man stood tall and confident, radiating an air of arrogance. With a buzzcut that highlighted his sharp features and pierced ears glinting in the dim light, he drew the eye. He wielded a wooden crooked staff with a firm grip, its polished surface reflecting his imposing presence. It's the Class A-. Without hesitation, he vaulted over the railing, crashing down onto Ron who instinctively blocked it with his hammer. The man instantly activated three magical circles, the runic patterns far more intricate than Jahad had ever encountered. Three sharp spines of clay rock surged from the floor, forcing Ron to leap back. The formations accelerated toward him, but Lepic's swift dagger struck the closest one with precision. Ron swung his hammer; though it didn't make direct contact, the sheer force of the swing sent a powerful gust of air that swept away the other two spines.

The class A- is a sorcerer, Jahad recalled Lepic's brief explanation of sorcerers. They could control the four elements of magic: water, earth, fire, and wind. However, many had an affinity for one; a sorcerer with an affinity for more than one was considered a prodigy, though this was seen within the higher ranks. Sorcerers utilise the mana around them; they could not buff themselves up like knights did, however, they could use the elements far greater than them. A sorcerer's main weakness is their physicality, so their main defence is erecting barriers of elements.

Ron was closest to him and darted forward, each step leaving miniature craters in his wake. He swung his hammer again, unleashing an earth-shattering force. The man countered with a stone barrier that deflected the attack to the side, redirecting the immense power away from him whilst doing so. Multiple magical circles erupted, unleashing more rock formations that twisted and turned, deviating from their expected paths to catch him off guard. Lepic launched several more daggers, accurately targeting those he could anticipate. However, some of the formations still snaked through Lepic's support, forcing Ron to sidestep and evade whatever managed to slip past him.

Every time Ron closed the distance, his hammer would be preemptively blocked by a stone barrier, preventing him from bringing it down with full force. The lack of motion diminished its impact. The third time this occurred, something changed. His hammer struck dully on the stone, sweat trickling down his head. Before he could wind up again, the sorcerer attacked using the formation as cover. A magical circle shot a mass of sludge composed of water, clay, and rock throttled towards Lepic, blinding his view. He was unable to help Ron.

A fist slammed into Ron's gut, the man's hand reassembled a massive stone fist, rough and jagged, its surface glimmered with flecks of mineral, each of his fingers thick and layered with strong hardened clay. Ron let out a loud grunt before replying back with his own fist, narrowly missing the sorcerer as magical circles swept him backwards; it was wind magic. The sorcerer was adept at both earth and wind magic. Lepic sliced through the mass blocking him. He clicked his pocket watch, tucking it in. "Ron, we're ending this," he spoke ominously. Ron replied with a gritting teeth grin.

Unrecognisable runic symbols, a mythical sort of language glowed in the magical circles swirling around Ron, heat emanating from his body as it glowed red, the surface of the floor starting to melt away under his towering body. He started to breathe loudly, huffing and puffing, strings of spit hanging from his mouth that evaporated from the heat. His eyes clouded with a crimson hue, veins the size of water hoses bulged out of his frame. His fiery mana reinforced his body. He dashed towards the sorcerer almost triple the speed he had been at, catching him off guard. The sorcerer's smile was unwavering under the monstrous presence. The man summoned every barrier he could. Before, he would create barriers to the side of himself in order to protect himself from any stray daggers that got through the spiked clay formations, however acknowledging the impending threat, he cast a barrier in front of himself. This time the barriers that covered his sides and back were placed in front to strengthen it.

Ron planted himself in front of the barrier. The scarlet energy surrounding dissipated, every ounce of his power seemed to concentrate into his chest, the ball of super-condensed ignited mana lit up the room causing steel beams to melt away and drip. The ball crawled through his arm and into his hammer's head. The sorcerer's smile flickered. Every single barrier he erected shattered in an instant, the devastating blow the hammer dealt crushed half the factory. Dust and rubble filled the scene. The sorcerer darted away using wind magic but Ron's smile grew wider. It was Lepic's turn.

Lepic stood poised, gripping a curved dagger Jahad had never seen before. The blade gleamed with a white almost colourless glow, reflecting the chaos around him. His eyes laser-focused. The sorcerer laughed, "throw your toys then you bitch." Lepic crouched low into a stance. Then Jahad's vision went blurry. Lepic's body flitted out of existence. Everything about him vanished into nothing as if he had been erased from the universe; Jahad struggled to even remember his name. The sorcerer's eyes widened. A millisecond later, Lepic appeared behind him crouched and poised with the curved steel.

Jahad's vision returned to witness the sheer brutality to concur. The sorcerer was no fool; his barrier was shattered already but it did not mean he gave up on all defence. He had preplanned a magical circle just in case one had managed to crack through his attacks and get in close. The runic pattern hovering above his shoulder glowed but before it could unleash its attack, Lepic's dagger stabbed through it. The magical circle shattered like glass, the fragments scattering into the air. He spun the dagger then drove it down with such ferocity that it ripped into the man's shoulder blade, dislocating and maiming his shoulder. He let out a blood-curdling scream. Lepic used the dagger as a handle and swung the man forward, driving his knee into his gut, utilising the momentum he created. The man gasped for air, choking on his cries and blood as the impact stole his breath away.

Lepic followed this up with a brutal uppercut. His fist smashed into his face, teeth and gum splintering into his knuckles, sending the man reeling backwards, blood gushing out. He flailed on the floor sobbing, pawing at his disfigured face. Lepic pounced on top, his knees pinning each one of his arms to the side before punching him repeatedly, each strike quicker than the other, the flurry of punches too fast for the naked eye. The man's wails had ceased time ago as Lepic's hand was still crunching through his caved-in face at lightning speed. Pieces of skull and brain flew around. Ron grabbed Lepic's shoulder to pull him off, he slapped his hand away remaining mounted, delivering a few more seconds of the crushing blows.

The first time ever Jahad saw hesitation painted on Ron's face as he grabbed Lepic's shoulder again. Lepic stopped, his face splattered with blood, skull matter and even the sorcerer's hair. He stood up from the body, Jayce throwing up to the side at the sight. Lepic straightened himself up and nodded appreciatively to Ron.

His entire upper body was soaked with blood and gore. He took out his pocket watch, clicked it and stared at it as Jahad rubbed Jayce's back, retching more at the sight. "Ron get some cleaners, you boys follow me we're done today" escaped Lepic's bloody lips. The boys stood tall, Jayce still nauseated but feigned a fake facade of confidence in front of Lepic and Ron. Ron led the way, they exited through the massive opened structure that Ron left from his devastating attack, sticking his two fingers in his mouth, he whistled loudly. The streets were no longer bustling, it seemed desolate, like a ghost town. The denizens of this area knew to steer well away when they heard Ron's trademark. The only company within the area was the littered dead bodies of stragglers who tried getting away. Jahad peered to the rooftops and saw the cloaked figures from the morning. They nodded to Ron and Lepic and disappeared from the rooftops.

Suddenly, a carriage screeched and halted in front of them. The animals that pulled it had long, muscular legs reminiscent of a raptor, built for incredible speed. Their powerful limbs ended in three pointed toes, allowing for swift movement. The creatures boasted the sleek body and strong neck of a horse, complete with a majestic horse head. Instead of hooves, they had small talons for arms, adding an unusual yet striking appearance to these remarkable beasts. Ron stayed behind with the 'cleaners'. The three leaped into the back of the carriage, eager to escape the chaos. The man who tamed the formidable beasts wore a long, weathered leather jacket that seemed to tell stories of past adventures. His wide-brimmed hat cast a shadow over his dark, tarred face, obscuring his features and adding an air of mystery. With a commanding presence, he glanced back at them, the reins of the powerful creatures firmly in hand, ready to embark on their next journey.

"Sector 1 main warehouse," Lepic said to the man. He flicked a gold coin to him, he caught it in an instant, a small smile painted on his face shrouded in dark. He gave a slight nod then whipped the reins. The speed was incredible, Jahad and Jayce grabbed the sides of the wooden box as it rocked from side to side dangerously. The journey from two sectors took them about an hour and a half give or take, but the powerful beasts had cut this down to five minutes, though at the cost of gold and their stomachs being turned inside out.

The boys stepped out, the familiar sight of the warehouse bringing a sense of comfort. It was day, the streets were bustling, figures clad in all sorts of fashion and attire pedaled their wares, calling out to passersby. The atmosphere, as vibrant as the underground could be, was alive with the sounds of chatter and the clinking of goods, creating a lively backdrop for their adventure. The distant shouts of arguments and fights never seemed to stop in the underground, but somehow, it felt like home. The chaos and camaraderie intertwined, making each moment pulse with energy and familiarity.