C499 The Price Of The Challenge

The fight began. Tyson and Ignacio moved toward Cipher from opposite directions, ready to attack her together. The soldiers surrounding the fighting ground immediately stepped back, giving the three fighters enough space. Nobody wanted to miss what was about to happen. I stood among the Lions, watching every movement. Bighead leaned toward me and whispered, “Cracker, do you think Cipher will win?” I swallowed nervously. Honestly, I wasn't sure. We had all seen Tyson and Ignacio fight during the Family Boxing event. They were strong, experienced, and dangerous. They had defeated us before, and I knew better than to underestimate them. But I couldn't allow myself to doubt my wife. “She has to win,” I whispered back. “She can't leave me alone.” Bighead glanced at me. “That's your reason?” “Do you have a better one?” He shook his head and returned his attention to the fight. I looked at Cipher. Please, be careful. The first few moments were surprisingly quiet. Tyson attacked first, throwing a powerful punch toward Cipher's face. She leaned aside, allowing his fist to pass close to her cheek.

Before she could recover, Ignacio moved in from the other side. Cipher stepped backward and avoided his attack too. The two men exchanged glances. They had expected her to defend herself, but they hadn't anticipated how easily she would evade their opening attacks. Tyson moved again. This time, Cipher ducked beneath his arm and quickly changed position. Ignacio tried to block her escape, but she slipped past him before he could trap her between them. For several moments, the fight continued that way. Cipher dodged. The men attacked. She moved away just before their blows could land. From the outside, it almost looked as though she was simply trying to survive. Then everything changed. Cipher's expression hardened. She tightened her grip on the Gold and Diamond Dagger and suddenly moved forward. The blade flashed through the air as she launched her first serious attack. Tyson and Ignacio defended themselves simultaneously. Tyson raised his weapon to block the dagger while Ignacio moved to intercept her from the side. Their expressions changed. Cipher wasn't merely defending herself anymore. She was attacking them. And she was doing it with a confidence neither man had expected.

Before they could reorganize, Cipher attacked again. She swung the Gold and Diamond Dagger toward Tyson while driving a powerful kick into Ignacio. Tyson managed to block the dagger, but Ignacio was forced backward by the kick. The surrounding soldiers began murmuring. Even those who had doubted Cipher's ability to lead were now watching her with genuine interest. Tyson and Ignacio quickly regrouped. They had realized that underestimating her would be a mistake. This time, they attacked together with greater determination. Tyson moved in from the front while Ignacio tried to catch her from the side. Cipher dodged Tyson's first attack. He anticipated that she would follow with another swing of the Gold and Diamond Dagger, so he prepared to block it. But Cipher had already changed her plan. Instead of swinging the dagger again, she used her left hand to punch him hard in the face. Tyson stumbled backward, taking two steps to regain his balance. Cipher didn't give him time to recover. She closed the distance between them in an instant. Before Tyson could raise his weapon, Cipher drove the Gold and Diamond Dagger into his chest. His eyes widened.

For a moment, he stood motionless, staring at her as though he couldn't believe what had happened. Then he stumbled backward. The wound was too deep. Tyson took another unsteady step before falling to the ground. He didn't get up. A wave of shocked exclamations spread through the crowd. Cipher had killed Tyson. And she had done it while fighting two opponents at once. Ignacio hesitated. He looked at Tyson's lifeless body, unable to hide the fear spreading across his face. Tyson had been stronger than him. They had trained together, fought together, and faced dangerous opponents side by side. If Tyson had fallen so quickly, what chance did Ignacio have? He looked around, hoping someone would step forward to help him. Nobody moved. The First Family soldiers watched in silence. No one wanted to interfere in a fight that had begun as a challenge to Cipher's authority. Ignacio slowly turned back toward her. Cipher was already approaching him. He tightened his grip on his knife, but his hands were beginning to tremble. Then he made his decision.

He dropped the knife. It struck the ground with a sharp sound. Ignacio immediately fell to his knees. “I'm sorry, Cipher.” His voice shook. “I was wrong to doubt you.” Cipher stopped. For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then she laughed. It wasn't a cheerful laugh. It was the kind of laugh that made the soldiers watching the fight feel even more uncomfortable. She walked closer to Ignacio. “I'm sorry too.” Ignacio looked up at her, hope briefly appearing in his eyes. Then Cipher continued. “But there is no surrendering.” Before he could react, she spun and delivered a powerful kick to his body. Ignacio collapsed sideways. Cipher rushed forward before he could recover. The Gold and Diamond Dagger flashed once more. She struck his neck. Ignacio fell to the ground beside Tyson. The fight was over. Two men who had challenged Cipher's authority. Both were dead. For several seconds, nobody said a word. The soldiers stood frozen, struggling to process what they had witnessed. Even the coaches frowned. They had trained Cipher and knew she possessed considerable skill, but they hadn't expected her to defeat Tyson and Ignacio together with such decisiveness.

Cipher stood in the middle of the fighting ground, breathing heavily. Blood stained her hands and the Gold and Diamond Dagger. She looked around at the soldiers. Then she spoke. “Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me and my command?” Silence. Nobody stepped forward. Cipher waited a few seconds before asking again. “Anyone?” Not a single soldier answered. She smiled faintly and wiped the blood from her hands. “Good.” She looked across the crowd. “Now listen carefully to my plan.” Her voice carried across the entire meeting area. “If we continue fighting using the same old methods, this war will never end.” She raised the Gold and Diamond Dagger. “From now on, we will do things my way.” Nobody interrupted her. “The border we are protecting stretches approximately 154 kilometers. It is too wide for us to defend properly with our current arrangements.” She pointed toward the surrounding forest. “Tomorrow morning, everyone will go into the forest to cut wood.” A few soldiers exchanged glances. “We will build a wall that will help prevent enemy forces from approaching Scotland.” Cipher looked around, making sure everyone was listening. “This is our first step. Once the wall is completed, I will proceed with the rest of my plan.” She lowered the dagger. “You are all dismissed.” The soldiers remained where they were for another moment. Then, one by one, they began leaving the meeting area. Some glanced back at the bodies of Tyson and Ignacio. Others kept their eyes firmly on Cipher. Nobody seemed willing to test whether she would keep her promise to kill anyone who opposed her.

The First Family had arrived at the meeting expecting to judge their new leader. Instead, they had witnessed what happened to those who challenged her. By the time the soldiers returned to their tents, one thing was clear. Cipher had established her authority. Whether they respected her or feared her, they would follow her orders. At least for now. When we returned to our tents, the coaches followed us. They were still discussing what had happened. Viper was the first to approach Cipher. “Madam, you have become incredibly strong.” He looked at her with genuine surprise. “When did you improve so much?” Hammer stepped forward. “With your current strength, you could fight Hanna head-on.” Cipher smiled. “I only used the skills you taught us.” Hammer nodded proudly. “Then our training wasn't wasted.” He glanced toward the direction the soldiers had gone. “Now nobody will dare undermine your authority.” The other coaches seemed equally pleased, although their expressions suggested that they were still trying to understand how Cipher had managed to defeat both men. After a short conversation, they handed us our new clothes and eventually left.

The moment they were gone, I turned toward Cipher. I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around her. “Wife!” She laughed in surprise. “You scared the hell out of me!” Cipher smiled as she returned my embrace. “Being scared is a sign of weakness.” I pulled back slightly and looked at her. “Easy for you to say. You weren't standing there watching yourself fight two men who had already defeated us before.” She laughed. “The life we chose doesn't leave much room for fear, Cracker.” I shook my head. “Just don't make a habit of giving me heart attacks.” Cipher smiled but didn't answer. Instead, she turned toward the others. “Now, let's get back to business.” We gathered around her. “The first job is done,” she announced. “Our recruits have arrived, and I've established my authority over both families.” She looked at the map. “Now we wait.” Bighead frowned. “Wait for what?” “For Trojan Horse to give us something useful.” Cipher pointed toward the border. “While everyone is busy building the wall, our recruits will be observing the two camps and gathering information.” She paused. “If everything goes according to plan, we should soon know more about Hanna's allies and what they're planning.” We all nodded. The first stage of our mission was complete. But the real work was only beginning.

Inside the First Family camp, Stacy hurried toward her tent. She had witnessed everything. The moment she entered, she took out her phone and immediately called Hanna. “Boss!” Hanna answered. “What is it?” Stacy glanced toward the entrance to her tent before speaking. “Things are bad.” Hanna sounded unimpressed. “What do you mean?” “Alicia is here.” There was a brief pause. Stacy continued. “She just killed Tyson and Ignacio for challenging her authority.” Hanna laughed. “And that makes things bad how?” Stacy's expression tightened. “Boss, you don't understand.” “Then explain.” Stacy took a deep breath. “She fought both of them at the same time.” Hanna stopped laughing. Stacy continued. “They had no chance. Tyson is dead. Ignacio is dead too.” Silence fell over the call. Hanna's expression gradually changed. “You mean both of them couldn't withstand her?” “Yes boss.” Hanna froze. For a moment, she couldn't find the words. “I don't believe it.” Her voice was suddenly cold. “That's impossible.” Stacy remained quiet. Hanna continued, almost as though she were trying to convince herself. “I trained both of them myself. I know how strong they are.” She paused. “How could Alicia possibly kill them both?”

Stacy swallowed. “It happened, Boss.” Hanna said nothing. She had expected Alicia to arrive at the border and struggle to gain the soldiers' respect. She had expected resistance from the First Family, perhaps even an attempt to challenge her leadership. But she hadn't expected this. Tyson and Ignacio were experienced fighters. They had served alongside her for years. And now both were dead. Killed by the woman who had come to replace her. Hanna's expression darkened. She was no longer smiling. Before she could ask Stacy another question, the sound of footsteps came from outside the tent. Stacy immediately turned toward the entrance. A soldier wearing a First Family uniform stepped inside. He looked at her without hesitation. Stacy froze. She hadn't expected anyone to enter her tent while she was speaking to Hanna. She quickly raised the phone to her ear. “Mom, I'll call you back later.” Without waiting for a response, she ended the call. Then she turned toward the stranger. Her expression hardened. “Who are you?” The soldier remained standing. Stacy stepped forward. “And who gave you permission to enter my tent?”