The sky burned.

  The wind roared.

  And the night was no longer black — it was green and gold, bathed in the fury of Valquíria Fernandes.

  The Black Dragon roared, spreading blue flames that melted towers and evaporated rivers. Each beat of its wings split the air into whirlwinds. The ancient power made space itself vibrate.

  But she — the Queen of the Skies — did not step back.

  Her body burned in golden light, Regina Caeli spinning over her shoulder, and the aura around her glowed in layers of living emerald.

  — Is that all you've got? — she roared, raising the war mace.

  The dragon answered with a blast of fire.

  The impact set the heavens ablaze.

  The air turned white.

  And for an instant, the entire capital believed the sky had fallen.

  But from the center of the explosion, a voice echoed — strong, fierce, and free:

  — QUEEN OF THE SKIES! EMERALD IMPACT!

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  The sound came with a flash of light.

  Regina Caeli descended from above with the force of a falling star.

  The mace struck the dragon’s head — and the world trembled.

  The impact was brutal.

  The colossal creature was hurled backward, tearing the clouds, cracking the air.

  And then… it exploded.

  A green ring sliced across Sorriso’s heavens, expanding in waves that reached every corner of the capital.

  The radiance pierced the clouds, illuminating the battlefield, the portals, even the shattered walls.

  From the ground, soldiers and civilians looked up, stunned.

  The templars knelt.

  The mages lowered their staves.

  The echoing drums went silent — only to hear the dragon’s final roar, swallowed by emerald light.

  The monster’s head turned to dust, disintegrated by the impact.

  Its massive body fell from the sky like black crystal rain, dissolving before it reached the ground.

  At the support camp, Kyros Fernandes opened his eyes.

  He was seated among torn tents, his arm bandaged, blood dripping from his shoulder.

  The priestess tried to stop him. — Patriarch, you cannot stand!

  But he was already on his feet.

  The emerald glow lit his face.

  And for a moment, the Lord of the South smiled.

  — …She did it again. — he murmured. — My daughter… the thunder of the sky.

  Behind him, Luiz Fernandes — covered in injuries, armor shattered — watched the green flash cross the sky.

  — I should’ve been there… — he growled, clenching his fist.

  Kyros placed a hand on his shoulder. — And you will be. But for now… let the Copas protect you.

  Luiz gritted his teeth, eyes burning. — That woman is thunder with a name.

  Far in the distance, Lukas watched the sky from atop a ruined tower.

  The shield buried in the ground, his body covered in blood and dust.

  The green light struck him full on, making the air vibrate.

  Morgana hissed in his mind. — What a sight… my goodness, what a woman!

  César replied, in a reverent tone: — The daughter of Kyros… the Queen of the Skies.

  Lukas smiled, exhausted, yet proud.

  — So this is what it means to be a Fernandes…

  The emerald ring kept expanding across the sky, cutting through the darkness — a beacon seen even at the borders.

  And when it finally faded, only silence remained…

  And the silhouette of a woman standing upon the clouds, mace resting on her shoulder, her hair burning golden beneath the moon.

  Valquíria Fernandes.

  The Queen of the Skies.

  The Dragon Huntress.

  And the people of Sorriso, wounded and e

  xhausted, once again believed that the sun would rise.

  ?? End of Chapter 2