The halo expanded at an incredible speed, its diameter quickly surpassing the boundaries of the Valley of Ice. It swept across the entire continent before finally vanishing at the edge of the distant horizon.
At that moment, living beings across the entire planet, no matter where they were, couldn't help but look up at the sky. Their gazes followed the halo that had streaked across the heavens, their hearts filled with confusion and awe.
Just as the light had finished coalescing into its final form, the people in Emerald City, located just outside the Valley of Ice, immediately noticed the brilliance in the sky.
At this time, Emerald City was in the midst of a bustling effort to repair the devastation left behind by the dragon war. Yet, many people immediately stopped what they were doing and knelt piously in the direction of the halo.
“Praise be! This must be the Saint Lord's grace!” Seeing that dazzling brilliance, Karl knelt on one knee along with a group of paladins, halting their patrol. He murmured under his breath, softly reciting their Holy Scripture.
Soon, the clergy within the cathedral also began to chant. In an instant, the entire cathedral—and indeed the entire city—was immersed in an atmosphere of solemnity and devotion.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of a nearby building, Syndra stood alone. He had already removed his clown mask and was now frowning slightly, silently watching the flickering light, his thoughts unknown.
...
At the same time, far to the west, outside the ruins of a forgotten little village, a massive fiery-red bird descended quietly from the sky. It landed beside a red-haired man and let out a soft, low cry.
Phoenix seemed to sense something suddenly. He looked up toward the center of the continent, a hint of realization appearing in his deep purple eyes.
He watched as a halo swept over his head at extreme speed, quickly vanishing beyond the horizon.
“It looks like that guy found it... judging by the timing, it's not too bad. It seems we need to hurry as well,” he murmured after staring at the sky for a moment.
Beside him, Rosal caught his whisper. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she quickly asked.
“Do you mean that the commotion just now was caused by Mr. Midir? It felt so powerful! What exactly was that?”
Phoenix gave a slight smile, his gaze deep as he spoke.
“It was indeed him. However, you don't need to look too deeply into the secrets behind it for now. Also, remember what I said before? There's no need for honorifics. Just call me by my name; it’s more comfortable that way. We should get moving.”
With that, he gave a gentle wave of his hand and turned to walk into the ancient and desolate village ruins.
The large bird seemed to sense its master's mood as well. It gave a gentle glance at the still-dazed Rosal, then lowered its head to lightly nudge her shoulder with its beak.
“Ah! Right, Mr. Phoenix... no, Phoenix!”
Rosal finally snapped out of it. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly composed herself and followed closely behind the man.
...
In the Violet City-State, ten thousand miles away from the Valley of Ice, anyone looking down from above would see that nearly half of this prosperous city-state had been reduced to ruins. A massive black dragon corpse was sprawled across it like a heavy tombstone, lying silently over the broken city walls, devoid of any sign of life.
Even though it had long since lost all signs of life, the area within hundreds of meters of its remains was still a zone forbidden to life. Faint black mist slowly rose from it, and everything within that range was weathering and decaying at an unnatural rate.
A faint green wall of light held back the aura representing death. Moen held her short staff high, using the power of nature to purify the scorched earth before her.
She had maintained this action for an entire day, finally managing to suppress the death aura that was leaking out.
In a dilapidated office in the distance, Po Kong-Mars gazed solemnly at the dragon that had been dead for some time. The room he was in had been caught in the crossfire of the battle; more than half of it had been torn away, turning it into a sort of open terrace.
“Sigh... I didn't expect Desdoraka to be so troublesome even as a corpse. If only we had realized sooner. I was too conceited; I should have just pushed it out of the city from the start...”
Po Kong-Mars sighed as he talked to himself. Looking at the collapsed buildings below that had been caught in the battle, his usually cheerful demeanor was inevitably a bit low.
At that moment, Xia Duo quietly entered the office. She moved gracefully behind Po Kong-Mars and wrapped her arms around his broad back in a gentle embrace, whispering comfortingly.
“Alright, dear, don't blame yourself anymore. This wasn't your fault. I think doing this much is already very good. Fortunately, Moen came back with us this time. Thanks to her, there weren't even greater casualties.”
“True. Even though we're family, we should still thank her properly. By the way, how is it on Aila's end? Any new messages?” Po Kong-Mars nodded gently, reaching back to hold Xia Duo's hand as he spoke softly.
“The intelligence says she fell into the Valley of Ice with a dragon, but I received a message from her afterward. The communication stone might be broken, as I only got a few intermittent words. At the very least, it shows she's not in major trouble. As long as she doesn't blindly go deep into the Valley of Ice, someone with her skills shouldn't run into any big problems.”
Xia Duo spoke softly, though a trace of worry still showed between her brows.
“Tell the Emerald City branch to send some people to support her. Even if they aren't much help, having more hands is always useful. Also, has Little Gold replied to you? What exactly happened to the Dragon Race?” Po Kong-Mars continued, looking into the distance.
Xia Duo simply shook her head. Just as she was about to say something, a young man wearing glasses walked in quickly from outside. Seeing the two leaning against each other, he looked a bit lost and hurriedly tried to retreat.
Xia Duo keenly caught the young man's subtle movement. She quickly released her embrace and turned to face him, speaking in a calm but firm tone.
“It seems there's urgent news. Don't mind this; just tell us.”
Upon hearing this, the young man immediately straightened up and reported with a solemn expression, “Guild Master, the communications office just sent an urgent intelligence report. First, regarding the Dragon Race—they remain silent about the recent attacks on the major cities. This attitude has incensed the Royal Capital. The capital has decided to dispatch a massive army to subjugate Dragon Valley. According to the report, ten legions have already finished assembling and are preparing to march!”
“What?!” Xia Duo's eyes changed instantly, and she asked in disbelief, “They're just going to start a war with the Dragon Race like that? Have they considered the consequences?”
Unlike her urgency, Po Kong-Mars immediately spotted the problem. He patted her shoulder and asked the young man.
“What about us? If they're sending troops, why wasn't any word sent here? Whether in terms of distance or combat power, we should have been the optimal choice. Yet now, they're sending troops directly from the Royal Capital? This isn't normal!”
The young man swallowed hard, feeling the heavy gazes of the two leaders. He continued his report: “The other piece of information is even more pressing. it comes from the War God Legion stationed at the edge of the Death Desert. They report discovering a large-scale gathering of Demon forces deep within the desert. The Royal Capital has issued a direct order, requiring you, Guild Master, to lead your forces to provide support immediately. Detailed operational plans and appointment notices will follow shortly.”
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