The silence after the Emerald Impact was almost sacred.

  The air still burned green, and fragments of light fell from the sky like crystal rain.

  The shattered walls reflected the emerald glow.

  And for a brief moment, the battlefield stood still.

  High above the clouds, Valquíria Fernandes hovered over the void.

  Regina Caeli, still hot, dripped with the dragon’s black blood.

  Her armor — green and black — was shattered in pieces, but her gaze remained firm, fierce.

  The wind braided her blond hair into golden flames.

  She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and whispered:

  — Let the thunder be my witness.

  And then she fell.

  The impact of her landing made the ground explode in sparks and dust.

  The earth trembled, stones floated for an instant before falling back down.

  When the smoke cleared, Valquíria was standing — injured, but upright, the mace resting on her shoulder.

  All around, the soldiers of Sorriso began to shout:

  — THE QUEEN OF THE SKIES!

  — SHE KILLED THE DRAGON!

  — LONG LIVE THE DAUGHTER OF THE SOUTH!

  Voices echoed across the entire battlefield, reaching even the ruined walls.

  The Copas, her soldiers, banged their shields on the ground in a steady rhythm:

  TUM! TUM! TUM!

  A war chant. A cry of hope.

  In the support camp, Kyros Fernandes smiled, his face covered in sweat.

  — I was bringing the wounded here. It wasn’t very fun fighting those monsters. Some appeared that were kind of interesting, quite similar to the ones you fought, son, but they were different somehow.

  — There’s something going on with those monsters...

  Certainly something is wrong.

  Kyros looking at the sky:

  — Something is definitely strange.

  But that Emerald Impact was beautiful. She condensed mana and released everything at the moment of impact. It reminded me of Lukas’s move — Black Impact.

  — Hahaha.

  — Where’s that little brat?

  — Luiz, smiling:

  I don’t know. Maybe doing something crazy — he’s been strange lately — or maybe just hiding somewhere crying.

  — Hahaha.

  — But I bet on the first option. That crazy skinny guy.

  Luiz tried to get up, but the priestess stopped him.

  — You’re not healed yet!

  — Damn it… — he growled, slamming his hand on the ground. — I should be there.

  Kyros placed a hand on his shoulder.

  — Look at the sky, my son. The thunder never fights alone.

  The green ring still shone above the capital.

  It was as if the firmament itself had become the crest of the Fernandes — a sun, but green instead of black.

  THE BLACK SUN OF THE FERNANDES BANNER OF HOUSE KYROS.

  Among the ruins of the walls, Lukas watched the scene, sweating and breathless, cutting and decapitating monsters with surgical precision along the ramparts.

  Morgana whispered in his mind:

  — She is pure destruction and divine beauty.

  César replied, respectfully:

  — The Queen of the Skies… the daughter of thunder and war.

  — Hey, legionary, raise your shield above your head — to the left.

  The impact came.

  Lukas simply held the strike of a Laikam driven mad by something.

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  — Take it back — Black Impact!

  The Laikam was thrown to the ground, dead and evaporating on impact.

  The hole left in the ground sent chills even through nearby allies.

  — Templar: What an insane impact, my goodness! I heard the cracking of that wolf’s bones breaking — and they’re tough.

  — Other soldiers: Yeah… that’s what he was — just a failure. When did he become this insane? That curved shield is strange, but powerful.

  — Mages: It almost feels like magic… he is a Fernandes, after all… what power.

  Lukas tightened the shield.

  — If she finished the sky — now it’s our turn on land.

  He looked over — and saw Tailer approaching, the white coat stained with ice and blood.

  — She won, said Lukas.

  Tailer looked at the horizon.

  — Yes. But the wind… changed.

  — So, little chocolate, are you joining the Echoes of the Forest now?

  — You saw it, right? The glow of the White Wolf you wanted to see?

  — Lukas: Still considering, professor.

  And by the way, that jump is cool!

  — A: Are you talking about the gravitational leap?

  I call it the astrophysical gravitational jump. Or jumping between gravity dimensions.

  — César: I knew it was mastery over mass and gravity, I was right.

  — Morgana: Of course, of course, little soldier, but…

  Physics is new!! He has strong mastery over force vectors and traction. That traction of gravity control that squeezes, compresses and explodes enemies… only someone with gravity magic and an understanding of astrophysics could do that.

  — Well, no wonder he might be a professor at Delos. Although he existed in the past life — strange what moved the board.

  — César shouting: At this point, you should already know, witch! You were the one who cast that return spell on us!

  — Morgana, mocking: Calm down, little soldier…

  Why so stressed? The more surprises, the crazier I get.

  I still don’t know the calculation error that changed the board… which is exciting.

  — César shouting in Lukas’s mind: We’re doomed, legionary, with this shameless, masochistic fox.

  — I am, and what’s the problem, little soldier devoted to purity and discipline with no seasoning?

  — Seasoning? — shouted César.

  — That seasoning is called moral decay, shameless fox! You think you’ll drag my legionary to that lascivious side? Not over my dead body!

  — You know what, little soldier? I’m going to do several things to little chocolate, he’s going to roll his eyes, I’ll grab him like this—

  CUT IN THE DIALOGUES FOR MORAL DECADENCE — CéSAR’S PURITY CENSOR SEAL 2.0

  In Lukas’s mind, the argument raged on.

  Lukas rubbed his temple.

  — Tailer: You okay?

  — I’m fine… just an itch, that’s all.

  — HMMM, alright… but keep watching this wolf — you’ll want to join the Echoes, I’m sure.

  And he vanished in a soundless jump.

  — Lukas: And there he goes...

  — César: You depraved fox! How dare you say that kind of filth to me, you degenerate! Do you really think this is going to happen? I’m here!

  — Morgana: Yes, little soldier, I’m going to scream like this—

  CéSAR’S CENSOR SEAL 2.0

  Lukas, red as a beet, accidentally shouting:

  — Guys, enough!

  But the argument didn’t stop.

  The air grew heavy.

  The runes on the walls glowed red.

  And then — the sound.

  A muffled roar, coming from inside the central portal.

  The ground vibrated. Stones began to float. The wind twisted.

  Elisandra Xadrez, pale, lifted her staff:

  — The energy is reversing the flow! This… this is not a regular portal!

  Tailer clenched his teeth.

  — Evacuate the civilians. Now.

  The portal’s light expanded — crimson red, pulsing like living blood.

  And on the other side, something huge moved.

  A humanoid silhouette, but impossible to define — the body dressed in an elegant black and red suit, perfectly aligned, and the eyes… XI, blazing in burning red.

  The white mask on his face, covering from forehead to nose, with the XI symbol carved on the forehead.

  The ground began cracking beneath his feet.

  Anatoly.

  Desaster XI.

  The air burned.

  The flames around extinguished.

  And even the sound of war seemed to… wait.

  Valquíria looked up, still panting, mace resting against her leg.

  — …So the king decided to leave his throne.

  — Tailer: This guy is strong. I can feel absurd mana, and he hasn’t even released any power yet.

  Anatoly took a step.

  The ground disintegrated.

  His voice was deep, sarcastic, pretending to be gentle, almost human — but the tone was pure sadism.

  — “Queen of the Skies”… what a pretty title.

  He raised one hand — and the blood from the battlefield began to rise, floating in spirals around him.

  — I’m going to tear the sky from your hands.

  Tailer drew the White Twins.

  Valquíria smiled.

  — Too late, monster. The South has already awakened.

  Kyros, Luiz, the elven tribe patriarchs, Nanda, Tariq and the others felt the immense presence within Sorriso — heavy, terrifying.

  Worthy of an Original Disaster.

  Lightning answered, tearing the sky in gold.

  And the war restarted — bigger, fiercer, and more human than ever.

  The screams and the sound of swords and exploding magic returned.

  Anatoly smiled:

  — So, little rat… where are you?

  End of Chapter 3.