Meanwhile, behind the dumpster, the remaining three, Nnenna, Ekene, and Karen, moved with precision.
At Nnenna's signal, they slipped away from the alley's cover and circled around silently, entering the castle through the side gate just as the guards were fully distracted by the staged fight.
Back at the gate, the performance continued flawlessly. The two guards, now convinced they were just witnessing and separating a love fueled brawl, let their guard down. One even chuckled, shaking his head. "Idiots, fighting over a girl," he muttered.
Then, in a blur of movement, Abuchi spun on his heel and delivered a clean, powerful punch to the first guard's jaw, years of training behind the strike. Almost simultaneously, John landed a sharp elbow to the second guard's temple. Both men crumpled to the ground without a sound.
The two young men didn't waste a second.
"Nice one," Abuchi said, breathless, extending his fist.
John bumped it. "Could've gone pro."
