The Great Elder was momentarily caught off guard. He had expected the fighters in Malian City to be nothing more than an annoyance; weak, disorganized, and easily handled by the combined strength of the Black Council's elders. After all, with four elders and several powerful dojo master Level fighters like Howard on their side, how could a ragtag group of city fighters possibly challenge them?
Yet now, the situation was far from what he had anticipated. The outer defenses had crumbled in a way that didn't make sense. They couldn't even delay the fighters for a moment. It was as if something had shifted, something unexpected was at play here.
The Great Elder's mind raced. *Was there an outside force involved?* *Had they misjudged the city's strength?*
As his thoughts swirled, his eyes caught movement in the distance. A figure was slowly walking towards him through the chaos, moving with purpose and quiet determination.