Chapter 180: The Forever Knights Seek a Dragon Slayer
Forever Knight Castle (Location Unknown).
This particular stone fortress belonged to Patrick, a Forever King. His status within the fractured factions of the Forever Knights rivaled that of the infamous Forever King Driscoll.
"Since the founding of the Forever Knights a thousand years ago, we have been bound by a single, sacred mission." Patrick stood before his assembled men, his voice echoing off the cold stone walls of the grand hall. "Tonight, we welcome the moment of our ultimate victory!"
The armored knights gathered below raised their gauntlets, their cheers ringing out in a metallic chorus.
From the ranks stepped Connor, a knight with long, unkempt black hair, his head bare of a helmet.
"It all depends on you. Are you ready, Connor?" Patrick looked at the man with heavy expectation.
Connor met his gaze without flinching. "All good."
Patrick nodded slowly, turning back to address the hall. "Over the past millennium, we have bought, scavenged, or stolen the most powerful weapons from across the globe—and even from the far reaches of the universe."
On cue, two armored knights marched forward in perfect lockstep, escorting a third who carried a massive, high-tech laser cannon.
"But thus far, accidents and unforeseen variables have plagued us, rendering our efforts in vain." Patrick's jaw tightened as he spoke. He briefly recalled a certain batch of advanced energy weapons he had procured, only for them to be utterly destroyed by a certain shapeshifting nuisance. The memory burned, but lacking the sheer strength to exact revenge on the culprit, he could only swallow his fury.
"I believe this time will be different."
The knight carrying the heavy weapon knelt before Connor, offering it up. Connor took the heavy energy cannon, testing its weight against his shoulder.
"You are our most valiant warrior, Connor. You alone are qualified to complete this mission," Patrick declared. He took a polished helmet from a subordinate and placed it firmly onto Connor's head.
Patrick then led his champion toward a massive iron gate, towering over ten meters high. Chains rattled as several knights hauled on the heavy winches, slowly grinding the colossal doors open.
Patrick placed a heavy hand on Connor's pauldron. "Aim for the heart. Ensure the beam fires steadily."
"I'll be fine," Connor replied, his voice muffled slightly by the visor. "But heaven knows how the beast will react."
He hoisted the laser cannon and stepped through the threshold.
Beyond the gate lay a spiraling stone staircase descending into the abyss. The air grew damp and foul the deeper Connor went, smelling of ancient dust and sulfur.
He finally reached the cavernous bottom, a subterranean prison carved directly from the bedrock.
Connor swept his gaze along the massive iron chains bolted to the floor. He took two cautious steps forward, his boots scraping against the stone. Then, he froze.
The thickest chain, the one meant to anchor the beast, lay shattered. The metal links were sheared clean in half.
Connor snapped his head up.
In the suffocating darkness above, a pair of massive, glowing reptilian eyes snapped open.
A deafening roar shook the very foundations of the castle.
Before Connor could even raise the cannon, a colossal claw swept out of the shadows. The impact was like being hit by a freight train. Connor was launched through the air, slamming brutally into the stone wall. His helmet flew off, clattering away into the dark, and the laser cannon slipped from his numb fingers.
The giant beast didn't bother finishing him. It scrambled up the stone staircase, its massive claws gouging deep trenches into the steps as it rushed toward the iron gate.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Outside the gate, the assembled Forever Knights instinctively backed away as dull, earth-shaking thuds hammered against the thick metal. The doors bulged outward with every strike.
Down below, Connor forced himself up, spitting blood. He lunged for the dropped laser cannon, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and aimed blindly at the ascending shadow.
He pulled the trigger.
A blinding red beam erupted from the barrel, illuminating the cavern. But the beast was terrifyingly fast. It shifted its massive bulk, dodging the lethal strike. The laser shot past it, slamming directly into the iron gate above and blowing the heavy doors completely off their hinges.
With its path cleared, the giant beast burst through the smoke and shattered metal, exploding into the main hall.
For the first time, the Forever Knights saw their ancient enemy in the light. It was a monstrous, ten-meter-long Western dragon, its scales gleaming like dark iron.
The dragon unfurled its massive wings, the downdraft knocking several knights off their feet. With a powerful thrust, it launched itself upward, aiming straight for the grand circular stained-glass window set into the ceiling of Patrick's hall.
Glass rained down like deadly confetti as the dragon smashed through the roof, soaring out of the castle and vanishing into the twilight sky.
Connor dragged himself up the stairs and stood beneath the shattered ceiling. He stared up at the open sky, his fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.
"I will destroy you," he whispered, his voice trembling with raw, unfiltered hatred. "No matter the sacrifice, no matter the cost. I will destroy you."
Dusk painted the sky in shades of orange and purple outside the local gym.
Inside, the rhythmic thud of leather hitting canvas echoed through the room. Ben was going to town on a heavy sandbag, sweat dripping from his brow.
"Having the Omnitrix's powers is great," Ben grunted, throwing a sharp left hook, "but I always feel like it's just not enough!"
He followed up with a heavy right cross, making the bag swing wildly. "I need to improve my actual combat skills!"
"Hitting a stationary bag?" Klein drawled from the sidelines. He had been lounging on a bench, watching the display with half-lidded eyes. He stood up, stretching his arms. "Why don't you practice with me?"
Ben froze, his fist hovering inches from the canvas. "Uh... I'd rather not."
Watching Klein casually stroll over, Ben was suddenly assaulted by vivid, painful childhood flashbacks of "practicing" with his older cousin. Those sessions usually ended with Ben face-down on the mat, questioning his life choices.
"The karate Gwen taught me is already plenty," Ben added quickly, taking a strategic step back.
Klein gave a lazy shrug, completely indifferent to the rejection.
The gym doors swung open, and Kevin walked in. He didn't waste a second looking around. His eyes locked onto his target, and he made a beeline for Klein, leaning in close to whisper something discreetly into his ear.
Klein didn't blink. He just asked the single most important question. "How much did they offer?"
Kevin raised a hand, flashing a specific number with his fingers.
Klein's lips twitched upward. "Tell them to wait."
In Klein's dictionary, that meant the deal was on.
He turned to look at Ben, who was still eyeing him suspiciously from behind the sandbag, and then at Gwen, who was sitting on a nearby mat with her nose buried in a thick textbook.
"Kevin and I have some business to take care of," Klein announced, grabbing his jacket. "You two head home first."
Without waiting for an answer, Klein turned and walked out the door, Kevin trailing right behind him.
Gwen lowered her book, her eyes narrowing at the retreating figures. She let out a soft huff. "Hmm. Going off to fool around with Kevin again."
She didn't really blame Klein, though. In her mind, any bad influence was entirely Kevin's fault.
"Cousin and Kevin definitely have something secret going on, right?" Ben dropped his boxing stance, his eyes lighting up with nosy excitement. "Why don't we follow them and see?"
For once, Gwen didn't shoot down his terrible idea. She snapped her book shut. "Okay. Let's follow them."
The two of them scrambled out of the gym just in time to see Klein and Kevin sliding into Kevin's car. Not missing a beat, Ben and Gwen yanked the back doors open and piled into the backseat.
Klein glanced at them through the rearview mirror, his expression flat. "Why did you two follow? Never mind, whatever."
He honestly didn't care. If things went sideways, having two extra meat shields—or helpers—wasn't the worst outcome. "Kevin, drive."
"Cousin, what exactly are we going to do?" Gwen asked, leaning forward between the front seats.
Klein rested his elbow on the window frame, staring out at the passing streets. "The Forever Knights paid us for a job."
Hearing this, the dweeb asked in confusion, "Wait, aren't the Forever Knights our enemies?"
"That's not a conflict of interest," Klein said smoothly. "We solve their problem first, collect the cash, and then deal with them. It's all the same in the end."
Kevin's hands slipped slightly on the steering wheel, his mouth twitching. To describe a blatant double-cross with such refreshing, shameless calm... truly, no one could pull it off quite like his boss.
Forever Knight Castle.
Patrick's personal attendant, a young man named Squire, led Klein and his group deep into the stone corridors of the fortress. Squire had a mop of blonde, mushroom-cut hair and the earnest expression of a fanatic.
As they walked, Squire filled them in on the situation.
Kevin let out a dry scoff. "A demon dragon? I thought those were just fairy tales."
"No, it is very real," Squire insisted, glancing back at them. "Everyone believes they are just mythical beasts, figments of imagination. But they exist. At least one is still alive."
Ben's eyes widened. "Still alive?"
"A thousand years ago," Squire continued, his voice taking on a reverent tone, "a group of our founding warriors battled a fire-breathing monster. They were the greatest knights of their age, but even they could not slay the beast. The best they could do was trap it, building this very megalithic fortress around its prison. Over the centuries, legends of dragons spread across the world, but the truth was kept hidden, passed down through generations of our order."
Squire sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Unfortunately, the beast is simply too powerful. No modern weapon has proven effective. Recently, we acquired the most advanced technology available—a quantum laser cannon from an alien world. We had high hopes for it, but... the dragon escaped."
He looked thoroughly dejected for a moment before snapping back to attention. His eyes locked onto Klein, practically shining with desperate anticipation.
"Klein, we truly need your assistance. Join us in our glorious holy war!"
Klein didn't even break his stride. He waved a hand dismissively. "Get lost. You think you can rope me into your cult with just a few dramatic words? You're thinking too much."
Ben, however, leaned in, looking genuinely intrigued. "Hey, if I join, do I get to wear one of those cool suits of armor?"
Squire's face lit up with joy. Finally, a willing recruit! "Of course you can!"
Ben smiled brightly, then shook his head. "Then never mind."
Squire froze, his smile cracking. His mouth twitched violently.
'Are you messing with me?!'
He had gotten his hopes up for absolutely nothing. If you had no intention of joining, why even ask?!
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