Denver's arrival at the royal courtyard infused the soldiers with newfound confidence, transforming the atmosphere in the royal courtyard entirely.
The once-reserved guards standing behind him now radiated an aura of nace, their deanor shifting from ek sheep to predatory wolves as their eyes glead with ruthless intent.
Denver's presence alone seed to inspire confidence within their ranks, which was the ultimate proof of his competence as a leader, as while many n could inherit positions of power through high birth, very few could justify their power by actually earning the acknowledgent of the n they led.
Staring across such a motivated force, Leo and Ben felt the weight of the pressure mounting, their sharp instincts warning them of the brewing storm.
They could see that Denver Willow ant business, and that his threats were more than just empty words, however, for them, it still did not change the overall equation at all.
If they did not surrender here, chances were that they would have to brace for a very difficult fight, however, this did not seem to deter the pair, who had already made up their minds to see this fight through, no matter the consequences.
*Clutch*
Tightening the grip on his daggers, Leo let out a slight smirk beneath his mask.
Denver's imposing figure and commanding presence didn't seem to intimidate him, as instead, it only seed to fuel his defiance.
"Surrender?" Leo said mockingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he tilted his head. "You seem to have mistaken for one of your subjects, Fake Emperor, Usurper of the Unity Throne….. Tell , do you practice that whole 'nacing Emperor' act in front of a mirror? Or does it just co naturally?"
Denver's jaw tightened, his expression darkening, Leo just insulted his position as caretaker of the royal throne, and Denver was not amused at all.
"You think this is a ga, boy?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You'll regret underestimating my rcy."
Leo chuckled, his tone light but his stance unwavering. "Regret? No, no. The only regret I have is that I didn't bring popcorn for this show." He gestured vaguely at the soldiers behind Denver, adding with a grin, "By the way, your backup dancers are a little out of sync. Might want to work on that."
The taunt hit its mark as Denver's face contorted with restrained fury.
His hand tightened around the hilt of his broadsword, as he seed to be on his last straw.
"Enough of this nonsense. You will kneel or die." He threatened, as Leo's smirk imdiately vanished at this threat, his eyes gleaming with a sharp determination instead.
"Dumpy," Leo said calmly, his voice carrying a commanding weight. "Grow."
The ancient swamp frog on his shoulder croaked in acknowledgnt before leaping into the air.
Mid-jump, his body began to expand, muscles rippling and skin stretching as it grew to its full size. By the ti it landed, Dumpy towered over the courtyard, a 40-foot colossus of amphibian power.
*THUMP*
Dumpy's re presence seed to even out the odds, as coupled with his intelligent eyes and natural superiority complex, Dumpy in his full size truly looked like a one man slaughter crew.
"Take care of his lackeys," Leo ordered, pointing toward the soldiers behind Denver. "And support Lord Grandfather. He'll need you to keep them off his back."
*RIBBIT*
Dumpy let out a thunderous croak in response to Leo's command, his massive eyes gleaming with a fierce light. "As you wish, Lord Father," he said, his deep voice reverberating through the courtyard.
Then, without hesitation, Dumpy charged forward, his enormous twin swords slicing through the air and scattering soldiers like leaves in a storm.
Denver's eyes widened briefly at the sight of the monstrous frog, but he quickly regained his composure. "A beast? Is this your ace?" he sneered, as he aid an attack at Dumpy's neck, only for Leo to intercept it midway.
"Ace or not, you'll have to deal with first." He said, twirling his daggers, as he assud a low and ready stance.
"Let's see if you can keep up, Your Fake Emperor Grace." he taunted, as he assud the role of neutralizing Denver by himself.
************
Denver moved first, his broadsword carving a wide arc through the air. The sheer force of the strike sent a gust of wind rushing toward Leo, but the assassin sidestepped gracefully, his movents fluid and precise.
Leo darted in close, his twin daggers aid for Denver's midsection, but the swordsman twisted at the last mont, parrying with a well-tid swing that sent sparks flying.
"You're quick," Denver admitted, his tone grudgingly respectful. "But speed alone won't save you."
Leo grinned, feinting left before darting right, his blades a blur of motion. "Quick enough to annoy you, though. That's a win in my book."
Denver's sword ca down like a hamr, forcing Leo to roll to the side. The ground cracked beneath the weight of the blow, debris flying in all directions. Leo used the chaos to slip behind Denver, his daggers aid for the back of the man's knees, but Denver spun, his blade eting Leo's with a deafening clang.
The clash of steel continued, each fighter testing the other's limits. Denver's strikes were powerful and deliberate, each one capable of ending the fight with a single hit. Leo, in contrast, was a blur of agility and cunning, using feints and misdirection to keep Denver off balance.
"You've got skill," Denver said, his breaths coming heavier now. "But you lack discipline."
"Discipline's boring," Leo quipped, narrowly avoiding a thrust aid for his heart. "I prefer results."
Denver lunged, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision, however, Leo t him head-on, his daggers deflecting the strike as he pivoted, using the montum to slash at Denver's thigh.
-25,111
A notification streaked over his head, as the master swordsman seed to lose the first bit of his HP.
*Hiss*
The swordsman hissed in pain but didn't falter, his counterattack forcing Leo to backpedal.
********
While Leo faced Denver, Ben and Dumpy turned their attention to the hordes of royal soldiers swarming the courtyard.
Dumpy, now a towering behemoth, swung his massive swords with precision, each strike sending soldiers flying.
The ground shook with every step he took, his sheer size and strength overwhelming the formation.
A group of archers on the battlents loosed a volley of arrows, but Dumpy opened his maw, unleashing a torrent of corrosive venom that dissolved the projectiles mid-air. The archers scrambled, their formation breaking as they tried to avoid the acidic spray.
Ben, anwhile, moved with practiced precision, his blade a whirlwind of death.
He weaved through the chaos, taking advantage of the openings Dumpy created, and when a group of soldiers tried to flank the giant frog, Ben intercepted them, his strikes swift and lethal.
"Dumpy, left flank!" Ben called, his voice cutting through the noise.
Dumpy responded imdiately, pivoting his massive body to swipe at the approaching soldiers.
The force of his swing sent several n flying, their armor dented and shattered.
"They keep coming," Ben muttered, his tone calm but focused. "We need to thin their numbers faster."
"As you wish, Master Ben," Dumpy replied, his deep voice rumbling like thunder, as the frog slamd his forelimbs into the ground, creating a shockwave that toppled the soldiers nearest to him.
Those who weren't outright crushed scrambled to retreat, their confidence shaken by the sheer power of the monstrous beast….
Being large in size ant that Dumpy could pack a lot of power behind his attacks, however, it also made him a bigger target to hit.
It was a double edged sword and the longer the fight went on, the bigger disadvantage it would be for him to be this size.
For now, it was under control, however, even Dumpy understood that he could not keep this up forever.
Sothing had to give…. And fast.
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