"Do you know your mistake, Lincoln?" Caspian icily asked as he shot a glance at Lincoln.
Lincoln immediately fell on his knees and replied fearfully, "I do, Mr. Lynch! I went against your orders by acting on my own accord!"
"Since you're aware of it, why did you do it anyway?" Caspian questioned.
Lincoln dared not meet Caspian's gaze as he knew the latter was infuriated.
He was right. Caspian was furious that Lincoln's unauthorized move had led to the deaths of thousands of people.
If Lincoln didn't do a good job of explaining himself, Caspian would definitely punish him!
"I would never dare to disobey your orders, Mr. Lynch, but I can't just stand by and do nothing, either!" Lincoln replied emotionally, his eyes pooling with tears. "The TMAA wants to barge into Southlake City!
"I've lived in this city for decades, and I know that those people will go around slaughtering everyone once they manage to get into the city!
"How can I let the people of Southlake City face such a calamity just to save my own skin? Even if I die, I won't let the TMAA enter our territory!"
In the end, Lincoln staunchly declared, "If you wish to punish me, Mr. Lynch, I'll accept it without protest!"
Caspian was a little moved.
Lincoln had a point, but orders could not be disobeyed in the military. Then again, Lincoln wasn't in the army.
He and his men had zeal and principles of their own. It would be a little cold-hearted of Caspian if he insisted on punishing them for what they had done.
"Don't do this again! If you wipe out the TMAA, I'll act like your insubordination never happened!" Caspian said.
"Understood, Mr. Lynch!" Lincoln replied with a firm nod. Despite not being a martial arts expert himself, he was no coward.
"Come with me, everyone!" Lincoln shouted before raising a machete and joining the fight.
As time went on, the fight grew more intense. The armored battalion continued advancing, and the TMAA suffered severe casualties.
"Retreat!"
"Quick, back away! These people are insane!"
"We can't win against them. Make a run for it!"
Such cries rang out from the TMAA experts as the armored battalion turned the fight around, and those from Southlake City felt even more energized.
They continued to charge toward the enemy and kill all who stood in their way.
"Stand your ground!" Hector roared savagely. "I'll take down anyone who backs away from the fight!"
He immediately killed one of the TMAA's martial arts experts who tried to retreat.
If they retreated, it meant the TMAA had lost the fight, and Hector's dream of becoming the head elder would be dashed.
He couldn't live with that. He had waited long enough for this day to come.
Hector swiftly killed a few more martial arts experts who tried to flee, and he succeeded in striking fear into the hearts of the remaining ones.
"Get them!"
"Charge, everyone!"
Since they were doomed, either way, they might as well give their all in the fight. For all they knew, there could be a slim chance of victory.
Thus, in the blink of an eye, the experts from the TMAA regained their fervor and fought ferociously.
Upon seeing this, Caspian frowned. Their side had only just managed to gain the upper hand in the fight. Things would get a lot more challenging if their opponent decided to go on the offensive once more.
"Sylvia, go and deal with that man!" Caspian commanded while pointing at Hector.
As long as the leader was dealt with, the experts from the TMAA would be running around like headless chickens, and they would certainly retreat.
"Got it!" Sylvia acknowledged.
Capturing the leader was a basic battle strategy.
Sylvia's expression hardened as she hoisted her weapon and charged at Hector.
"Let me see what you can do!" she said as she suddenly attacked him.
Hector, who was in the middle of a fight, briefly froze when he heard the voice.
At the very next second, he sensed a murderous air coming from her. She was no ordinary woman!
He immediately flipped over to avoid her attack.
"Who are you? Answer me!" Hector demanded as he stood up.
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