At noon, Adam and his team were buried in the basement, diligently training and honing their abilities.
Above ground, a strange force was already sweeping through the hills surrounding Athens, moving toward the city.
They were unlike any other troops entering the city. No cheers greeted them, because no one in Athens had the time—or courage—to welcome anyone.
It was a bizarre army. Their armor was uniform, but their sizes were anything but.
Five-meter-tall giants, twitch-eared elves, axe-wielding dwarves, fang-baring orcs, and, of course, heavily armed human cavalry.
At the city's edge, they fanned out, blocking every exit. Elves drew their bows, ordering fleeing citizens back inside.
Athens was a city of vice, yes, but also of civilization. Democratic ideals ran deep. No one wanted to submit to threats.
But the next moment, the seemingly delicate elves unleashed a storm of arrows…
Only when blood spread across the streets did the noble citizens finally realize who they were facing: the infamous Spartan Legion—Athens' strongest, most notorious, oldest, and most ragtag army. They accepted supplies from Greece, but never obeyed the Senate.
"Listen well! From today, Athens falls under the Spartan Legion! Anyone who causes trouble—be it commoners or chief elders—will vanish from this world!" shouted the cheetah-man riding a towering steed. His voice echoed through half the city.
Beside him rode a black-armored knight, fully masked, armor covering every inch of his body, radiating a chilling aura. Behind him followed a masked female knight clad in silver.
The black-armored knight nudged his mount forward, stepping into the streets. Citizens, terrified, fell to their knees on either side.
"Who's that?" a burly man whispered.
"That's Robert de Sable, commander of the Spartan Legion…"
"The Sable family…" The man covered his mouth in shock, eyes wide.
Even the chief elders dared not meet the gaze behind that black armor.
Along the route, no riots, no fleeing—every breath seemed muted. Citizens kept their heads down or peered from behind windows. Never had Athens been so silent.
Finally, Robert reached the grand Greek Senate building.
He fixed his gaze on the crest atop the Senate. The horse stopped, and a towering minotaur sprawled at his feet.
Without a glance, Robert kicked the minotaur's back to dismount. He flicked his whip, and an elf caught it smoothly.
He gazed at the two half-nude Greek warrior statues by the entrance. "I don't like these statues," he said, low and hoarse.
With a sweep of his hand, the cheetah-man signaled minotaurs and dwarves to smash the three-meter-high statues into rubble. The Senate guards didn't dare intervene.
Every eye on the street, inside the Senate, and among the guards was on him. But Robert moved like a solo actor on stage, climbing the wide white steps with unshakable focus. The grandeur of Athens meant nothing to him. Nothing existed but his will.
He reveled in the fear surrounding him, savoring every second as the city held its breath.
He stepped into the circular chamber of the Senate, where seventy-two elders were seated. Silence dominated the hall.
"Commander Robert, your seat…" A page tried to guide him, but Robert ignored him entirely, moving to the central floor—the lowest place in the chamber, reserved for outsiders addressing the elders.
There, lesser figures usually shouted, trying to sway decisions in their favor.
"From today… Athens is under my command. Any objections?" His deep, hoarse voice echoed. In a chamber used to constant bickering, it could have been lost—but every ear was silenced. Robert demanded Athens, indeed all of Greece, bow to him, without raising his voice.
After a long pause, an elder cleared his throat. "Earlier… you shot arrows into the citizens, including some nobles?" His voice trembled.
"Yes. Control the situation—that's why you summoned me, isn't it? Orders are given. I will make the remaining decisions. Anyone who drags Greece into the abyss will be punished. Including all of you here."
No one spoke again. Before Robert arrived, the elders had debated harsh punishment for his actions—but now, not a single voice dared to rise.
High above, Kerry clenched his fists. The situation was far worse than he had imagined. Rumors he had heard were barely a fraction of the truth. To stabilize Athens, the Senate would pay a steep price.
The low, hoarse voice rang once more:
"If nothing else, I will leave. You may return to your estates. Outside is dangerous. Do not move without my permission."
As night fell, the city of Athens grew eerily silent. Streets that had recently teemed with rioters were now deserted, the air heavy with tension. Anyone daring to rebel would vanish at Robert's command.
Another shadow loomed over Athens. No democratic thought could withstand Robert's iron hand. He had exceeded his mandate—but only the heavens knew how conflicted the elders felt. Even they had lost freedom of action.
Fatty finally dragged his weary body home. In the chaotic Athens, the energetic Delice was his biggest headache.
Meanwhile, Adam and his companions were readying themselves.
"Your Highness, be careful tonight," Fatty warned.
"Why?"
"The Spartan Legion has entered the city."
"The Spartan Legion?"
"Yes. Originally a direct force of Sparta, now a mixed expeditionary army—giants, dwarves, orcs, elves, and humans. Extremely strong. The Senate couldn't control the situation, so they allowed them in. I saw their deployment on my way back. They'll intervene tonight."
Adam merely nodded. His target remained on the outskirts. For now, the chaotic center would not affect him.
Under the cover of darkness, in a small cave northwest of Athens, three vampires emerged—Tiger, Spider, and Monkey.
"This place couldn't get worse. Why do we always hide in these damp corners?" Spider complained.
"Because it's not our territory. No comfy coffins for you here," Tiger grunted.
They had been operating for days, with no fixed base. At sunrise, they had to find shelter.
"Don't ask why Sunlord gave us this mission… destroying Athens… though it's thrilling," Monkey said, baring his teeth.
"Follow orders. That's all," Tiger snapped.
The three transformed into bats and flew toward the city center, ready to destroy or attack anything they found.
More high-ranking Western European vampires were arriving daily. What had begun as four divided into two teams was now a hundred and twenty or more six-generation vampires.
They didn't know the reason, only that they had to terrorize Athens without completely destroying it. The mission was clearly sanctioned by Dusk, the Western vampire king.
Yet numbers didn't guarantee success. Other vampire kings' high-ranking subordinates were also gathering in Athens, their strength equal or superior to the Western European contingent.
Still, as seasoned high-rank vampires, they could survive skirmishes. Even if injured, capture or death was unlikely.
"Whoosh—"
"Ah!" Tiger flipped mid-air, transforming into human form and landing on a nearby rooftop. Spider and Monkey followed.
"What happened?" Spider asked.
Tiger checked his sleeve. Blood flowed from his hand.
"Silver," he growled.
Silver arrows—crafted specifically for vampires. Injuries from silver healed like a human's, without vampiric regeneration. Hits to the head or heart were fatal.
Looking toward the source, Tiger saw three slender figures with longbows. Moonlight revealed pointed ears twitching.
"Elves! Weren't the Lifeforest elves our allies?" Spider stammered.
"These aren't Lifeforest elves."
The three elves nocked new arrows, drawing taut strings.
"Vampires, leave! Athens is under Spartan protection. Step forward, and we won't be gentle!" one shouted sharply.
"The Spartan Legion?" Tiger's rugged face twitched. "Tonight, we'll face elves, and probably orcs and giants too."
"Should we retreat?" Spider asked.
"Are you stupid? No orders to retreat! Want to die?" Monkey barked.
"Wait for our reinforcements before engaging. Alone, we'd be wiped out. I don't believe the Spartan Legion can handle all of us at once."
The three vampires and three elves stood, tense, on the rooftops.
Suddenly, a commotion!
"Dodge!" Tiger screamed. They leaped in all directions—silver arrows whistling past.
In an instant, the elves had loosed dozens of arrows. Tiger hit the ground hard, quickly getting up with multiple wounds.
"Damn! These are high-ranking elves over five hundred years old!"
A metallic screech echoed from a dark alley.
A minotaur emerged, dragging a giant silver axe. Around him, six orcs had surrounded Tiger.
Trapped.
Athens erupted again—but this time, without large-scale destruction. Vampires dodged and weaved through alleys. Elves shot relentlessly. Orcs and dwarves served as shields. Human knights set traps.
Silver weapons left the vampires scrambling, completely unprepared.
From the highest Senate floor, Robert watched the skirmishes unfold. Beside him stood the silent silver-armored female knight and his loyal cheetah-man subordinate.
"Smooth operation," the cheetah-man said cheerfully.
"Any captures or kills?"
"Not yet."
Robert exhaled slowly. "They're all high-ranking vampires. Tonight, we gain nothing. Our advantage comes from surprise and preparation. Once they recover, we won't stand a chance."
"What should we do?"
"We must ensure nightfall never returns…"