The north side of the City of Dawn was quieter than the rest of the city.
Far quieter.
The poor districts were separated from the noble sector by giant walls and iron gates.
Small broken houses lined the streets.
Children sat beside worn buildings.
Old men and women watched silently from windows.
And because of the chaos happening across the city—
most nobles had locked themselves away inside their protected districts far from the fighting.
But the poor had nowhere to go.
No walls.
No protection.
Only fear.
At the northern entrance of the district—
two men slowly walked through the empty street coming from the south side of the city.
Both wore black clothing.
Both wore gloves marked with numbers.
One of them stopped walking and looked around the district.
"So what should we do?"
The other man looked toward the poor civilians nearby.
Then smiled coldly.
"Let's kill some of these people."
"Maybe we can even use some of them as leverage."
Suddenly—
a voice came from above them.
"Oi."
"What are you doing here?"
The two men immediately looked upward.
Darius stood on top of a nearby building looking down at them calmly.
Hands inside his pockets.
The shadows around him moved unnaturally.
One of the men smirked.
"I am Number 5 of the Round Table."
"Drake."
He pointed toward the other man beside him.
"And my partner here is Number 7."
"But from 7 to 12 don't have names."
"Only from 6 to 0."
Drake suddenly flicked his wrist.
SHING!!
A dagger shot toward Darius at incredible speed.
But—
Darius disappeared into the shadows.
The dagger pierced nothing.
Then suddenly—
Darius emerged from Number 7's shadow standing directly behind him back-to-back.
Number 7 reacted instantly.
He swung a kick toward Darius's head.
But Darius ducked smoothly beneath it.
At the same time—
Drake moved in as well.
The three figures crossed each other in one breath.
Then separated.
Darius slowly turned toward them.
"You won't get past me."
"So if you're going to try…"
"…prepare to die."
BOOM!!
Number 7 dashed toward him first.
He threw multiple fast jabs toward Darius's face and chest.
But Darius calmly weaved through all of them.
Left.
Right.
Slip.
Duck.
Every punch missed by inches.
Then Darius suddenly stepped inside Number 7's guard.
BAM!!
He drove his palm upward directly into Number 7's chin.
Number 7 flipped backward through the air.
But before Darius could continue—
Drake suddenly appeared beside him holding another dagger.
He swung toward Darius's neck.
But Darius calmly spoke.
"Shadow Control."
Instantly—
Drake froze.
His body became completely paralyzed.
His own shadow beneath him twisted unnaturally.
Drake's eyes widened.
"…What?!"
Then—
his shadow rose upward like a living figure.
And punched him directly in the stomach.
BOOOOM!!
Drake was blasted sideways into the wall of a nearby house.
The wall shattered apart.
Dust exploded outward.
Silence followed briefly.
Then—
Number 7 slowly stood back up.
Drake walked out from the broken wall wiping blood from his lips.
"…Damn you."
"So you're a shadow user."
Number 7 narrowed his eyes.
"This one's tricky."
Then—
both men suddenly rushed toward Darius in zig-zag patterns trying to confuse his vision.