“This punk’s a real pain in the ass!”


    Connor nced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.


    The squad he had sent to intercept Axel waspletely outmaneuvered, and they couldn’t get anywhere near him.


    To Connor’s dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal res as he pursued them. Each re gave away their position. At this rate, it didn’t matter which direction they ran-they were bound to be intercepted.


    “Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly,” Warrick ordered decisively.


    “If we leave, who’s going to protect you?” Connor hesitated.


    Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal.


    “If you don’t take out that fly, I’ll be in even more danger. Get moving now!” Warrick snapped.


    “Yes, sir!”


    Connor and Dave exchanged a nce before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.


    They both knew what was at stake. If they didn’t take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and doomed to be hunted down.


    While Connor and Dave were stalling for time, Warrick issued another order. “Red Legion, split up! Form ten squads and retreat through different routes. We’ll regroup outside the city.”


    “Yes, sir!”


    Hundreds of Red Legion soldiers responded in unison before scattering in different directions.


    Warrick took only five soldiers with him and slipped into a hidden alleyway.


    Despite being in a rough shape, his mind was razor-sharp. He knew that if they all fled together, they’d be easily surrounded and wiped out by the royal guards. In the end, none would be spared. In this situation, their only hope for survival was to scatter and split into smaller groups.


    Simply put, he needed most of the Red Legion to act as a diversion and draw the royal guards’ attention away from him. Otherwise, his chances of escape were nearly nonexistent.


    Because of the red re, the city’s troops were fully mobilized. Every exit and major road was sealed off, and no vehicles or personnel were allowed to leave.


    Squads of heavily armed soldiers beganbing the streets.


    The scattered Red Legion squads barely had time to flee before they were intercepted.


    The orders to all armed forces were clear-engage the Red Legion with full force. If they refused to surrender after a warning, they were to be executed on the spot.


    Under these strict orders, skirmishes erupted across the streets and alleys, each ending in bloodshed. One squad after another was gradually wiped out.


    Although the Red Legion was Warrick’s elite force, they couldn’t hold up against the entire city’s troops. Outnumbered on all sides, they were doomed to copse.


    Warrick and his men darted from one hiding spot to another, avoiding patrols as if they were prey on the run. Each time they spotted a patrol unit, they quickly ducked out of sight. Their nerves stretched thin with every close call.


    Warrick’s sharp instincts let him sense danger and dodge detection, but the was closing in fast.


    He had nned to reach his hideout before the citywide lockdown. Unfortunately, the main routes to his hideout were already blocked by the royal guards. Taking a detour meant they’d run out of time, and there was no guarantee those paths weren’t blocked too.


    As more patrol units filled the streets, Warrick’s soldiers started to panic.


    “Sir Prescott, if we keep hiding like this, they’ll find us eventually. Let’s make a break for it and fight our way out,” a round -faced soldier suggested, eyeing the heavily guarded checkpoint ahead. He gritted his teeth and drew his knife.


    Skulking around like this was suffocating. He’d rather go down swinging-if they fought their way through, they might just break out.


    “Are you out of your mind? Sir Prescott’s been poisoned. How do you expect us to break through? If you want to die, don’t drag him down with you,” a square-jawed soldier hissed in a low voice.


    “Then, what should we do? Just sit here and wait? If we stay until dawn, we’ll have even less of a chance.” The round-faced soldier was getting frustrated.


    “Fall back. Find somewhere toy low. I can’t hold on anymore.” Warrick panted as sweat rolled down his face.


    The Tranqurin had taken full effect, and he could barely stand, let alone fight his way out. For now, the best bet was to find a temporary hiding ce to avoid being caught.


    If they made it through the night and the drug’s effects wore off, he’d have no trouble getting out of Celestria. After all, he had already prepared an escape route long ago.


    Meanwhile, Connor and Dave were still locked in battle with Axel.


    Though skilled, the two were slightly outmatched by Axel’s prowess. Alone, neither could take him on, but together-with the support of a hundred Red Legion soldiers-they managed to hold the upper hand.


    After a brief but intense fight, Connor and Dave had managed to leave several wounds on Axel’s body. However, he had already killed over 20 Red Legion soldiers.


    Even with the advantage, Connor and Dave were growing restless. If they didn’t finish him soon, reinforcements from the castle would arrive. When that happened, they would be the ones who failed to make it out alive.