SSS Rank: Strongest Beast Master

The law of the Undercroft was simple: you get what you pay for. And Rook, the tough leader of this territory, had named his price. He wanted Commander Valerius, the Syndicate's local cyborg guard, completely taken care of.

Seraph and Draven had a new mission. It wasn't a military operation, but a gangland hit. They were no longer heroes or soldiers. They were assassins.

Rook's intel was good. It was the only thing you could truly depend on in this secretive, dangerous world. He gave them maps, guard times, and places to attack. Commander Valerius, he explained, always followed the same routine. Every night, exactly at 2:00 AM, he would leave his main base to check a guarded post near the Undercroft's black market district. He did this to clearly display his power and make sure the criminals knew he was the boss.

And it was the perfect place for an ambush.

The checkpoint was between two crumbling industrial towers. Sharp, barbed wires reflected the bright floodlights. Tough looking syndicate soldiers and robotic drones walked around the area.

Seraph and Draven hid behind a building across the street, their eyes fixed on the target. This was a different kind of fight. There would be no honor. No grand duel. Only speed, brutality, and a clean, quiet exit.

"The security sensors are now set on a closed loop," Seraph whispered, looking at a small screen that showed the checkpoint's security network. "They won't see us coming. I'll create a diversion on the east side. It will draw the main patrol. When that happens, you'll have thirty seconds to act, Draven. Not one moment longer"

Draven just grunted, his eyes fully focused on the checkpoint. He didn't need a detailed strategy. He was the strategy. He was the unstoppable force, and Seraph's job was only to tell him where to strike with force.

"Get it done," she said, and then she was gone.

Draven waited patiently. Every second that passed felt long and tense. He could feel his heart beating slowly. This was what he was made for.

BOOOOOOOOM!

A small explosion went off at the east side of the checkpoint. It was just enough to cause chaos, but not enough to bring the whole structure down. Shouts of alarm sounded through the night. The main patrol of soldiers and drones, just as Rook's intel had predicted, immediately moved to see what was going on.

The main entrance was clear. His window was open.

Draven didn't just start running. He burst into action instantly.

He was incredibly fast for someone so big, and it looked as if his legs were hardly touching the road.

He hit the checkpoint's main gate like a cannonball.

CRUNCH!

The strong gate bent inward and was violently ripped off its hinges. He didn't stop. He forced his way through the entrance.

The few guards who were still inside turned suddenly, their eyes showing total surprise. They raised their weapons, but it was too late. raven was already right there, starting his attack.

He never used a sword because he didn't need one. His fists, which are covered in golden armor, were enough for the attack. One punch totally smashed a robot's metal body. An elbow strike sent a human guard forcefully into a concrete wall.

It was over in five seconds. He stood in the wreckage, surrounded by broken bodies.

A clanking footstep came from the back of the room. Commander Valerius stepped out of his office with his glowing red eye narrowed as it focused on Draven. "An Academy Knight," the cyborg said, in a machine voice. "Rook finally sent a dog with a real bite."

Draven just smiled. "I'm here to put you down."

The fight was fast and brutal.

Valerius was fast, his metallics legs moving faster than the eye could easily track. His sharp claws sliced through the air, leaving glowing trails of energy. But Draven was a wall. He met every attack with a strong defense, his golden armor making loud sounds with every strike.

He was just waiting. He was allowing the cyborg to use up all its energy by attacking.

Valerius, growing frustrated, suddenly jumped forward in a reckless attack, with his claws aimed directly at Draven's chest.

Draven didn't try to block the attack. He just allowed it to come toward him. In the final moment, he grabbed both of the cyborg's wrists with his huge hands.

CRACK.

The loud noise of breaking metal filled the room. Valerius let out a choked, electronic scream as his weapons, and the arms that held them, were crushed.

Draven looked the broken cyborg in his one, glowing eye.

"You're bad for business," he said, his voice a low growl.

Then, he ended it by forcefully removing the eye.

He vanished back into the dark as silently as he had come, leaving behind a scene of calculated destruction. A message had been sent.

When he and Seraph returned to the subway station, Rook was waiting for them on his throne. He looked closely at their cloaks, which were clean and had no blood stain. He looked at their faces, which were calm and serious. He had sent them on a suicide mission, a brutal test to see if they were worthy. And they had returned without a scratch.

Rook began to smile slowly.

"Impressive," Rook said, his voice a low rumble. "Very impressive." He stood up from his throne. "A deal is a deal."

He led them deep into the station, to a massive door that was hidden behind a collapsed train. He placed his hand on a scanner, and the massive door opened.

Behind the door was a dark tunnel that went down into the ground. The air coming out was cool and had no moisture.

"This is a pre-war military bunker," Rook explained. "Off every map. It has everything it needs to function alone."

He looked at them, with his face calm. "It's yours. Along with my full support. My eyes are your eyes. My ears are your ears. The Undercroft is now your ally."

Seraph and Draven walked across the entrance, into the darkness of their new home. They had paid the butcher's bill. They had earned their base.

Their insurgency now had a home. The war was just beginning.