The Lothrian Kingdom, Valdo City; the Cambruk Kingdom, Ironstone Fortress; the Theo Kingdom, Silverglow City; the Matna Kingdom, Glittergold City; the Reebos Kingdom, White Rock City.

All the kingdom capitals, along with the scattered duchies, small city-states, and tribal settlements...

Every ruling entity located upon the Romanian Plains experienced a violent shock within a short period of time.

However, before they could digest Halden's announcement declaring the "World's Transformation," before they could discuss any countermeasures, the second impact followed right on its heels.

The Aola Kingdom's announcement came immediately after, delivered into the hands of every ruler.

[In the name of the great Red Emperor, Garoth Ignas.]

[Effective immediately, the entire territory of Romania, including but not limited to the Romanian Plains and its affiliated hills, valleys, and all city-states, territories, tribes, and settlements that honor the Aola Kingdom, officially enters a state of emergency.]

[This state has no preset termination date.]

[All aforementioned entities, their legitimate rulers, regents, or representatives, must dispatch plenipotentiary envoys to the Red Emperor Capital within three natural days to sign and swear to abide by the "Romanian Wartime Unification Treaty."]

[The treaty contents include: the transfer of supreme military command; the right to requisition and allocate all human and material resources within the territory; internal and foreign affairs must obey the Dragon Court's wartime coordination; obligations of information transparency and regular reporting; a collective defense system and joint liability clauses....]

[Reiteration: This is not a request, nor is it a negotiation. This is the sole necessary measure to ensure the survival of Romanian civilization and to secure our existence and future in this critical moment of life and death, as natural disasters multiply and the continent's order collapses.]

[Resistance is hostility, delay is betrayal.]

[The Red Emperor Capital awaits your presence. Those who fail to arrive by the deadline, or whose dispatched envoys lack the authority to sign, will be regarded as having automatically forfeited their ruling legitimacy and territorial security guarantees.]

[The Red Emperor's Imperial Decree takes effect immediately.]

The words were resolute and decisive, devoid of ornate rhetoric, containing only naked demands and an unquestionable will.

Through this announcement, any ruler still possessing reason could clearly sense the determination of the Aola Kingdom, or rather, of that Red Emperor seated high upon the throne.

They understood.

Unless they were prepared to immediately become enemies of the Aola Kingdom, of that Red Emperor who, within a mere hundred years, swept across the plains and forged the name of the strongest.

Otherwise, they simply had no option to refuse.

Panic spread in the initial moments.

Some elderly, conservative nobles shouted about "loss of sovereignty" and "unprecedented humiliation," but more of those holding real power and aware of the outside whispers fell into silence.

They recalled the "anomalies across the continent" mentioned in Halden's announcement, especially that shocking description: "near the Sky City crash site on the central continent, a large-scale unstable Abyssal Rift has appeared." Comparing this to Aola's ultimatum... it also brought a sense of... reassurance.

Yes, reassurance.

In the face of an unknown tremor sweeping across the Atlantis Continent, even affecting the entire planet Bernardo, personal power, the vanity of kingdoms, all seemed pale and powerless.

And in such times.

Our homeland, the Romanian Plains, has such a monarch who stands out, renowned for his iron fist, wisdom, and power, ready to unite all forces into a single rope.

Although his methods are domineering, his conditions harsh.

But is that not also a form of responsibility?

Surely better than fighting separately in fear, only to be picked off one by one in the end.

"Fortunately... we have an emperor who can make decisions."

Within the Silverglow City palace, the King of Theo uttered a sigh of relief towards the direction of the Red Emperor Capital on the map.

Soon, Theo was the first to make a public response.

His Majesty the King would personally go to the Red Emperor Capital to pay homage to the Red Emperor and sign the "Wartime Unification Treaty."

His posture was extremely low, his actions extremely swift.

With someone taking the lead, the other kingdoms no longer hesitated.

Reebos, Lothrian, Matna, Cambruk... the major kingdoms on the plains issued statements one after another: the kings or their plenipotentiary representatives would set out immediately for the Red Emperor Capital.

The large and small duchies and city-states moved even more swiftly upon hearing the news, fearing to fall behind.

Among the Romanian nations, none publicly refused.

This outcome did not exceed the expectations of the Aola Kingdom's decision-makers.

Since the Red Emperor's rise, his style of action and accumulated might had long laid the groundwork for today.

[Emperor Ignas, we respect and love you!]

Similar voices began to quietly circulate among the common folk and some mid-to-lower level nobles. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Regardless of whether the upper echelon rulers still harbored grievances in their hearts.

At least on the surface, under the imminent crisis, the Romanian nations rapidly achieved an unprecedented unified stance: obey the Red Emperor's command.

Simultaneously, the Aola Kingdom's actions had already begun.

The Red Emperor Capital dispatched several of the Emperor's sons, their target pointed directly at the distant central continent.

The sky over the central continent was no longer as clear as before.

Dust clouds dyed the heavens a turbid, dark yellow. Sunlight passing through this thick veil became listless and weak.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several dragon silhouettes tore through the stifling air, maintaining a tight formation as they flew at high speed.

Sweeping over mountains, crossing rivers that had become turbulent.

At the lead was a red dragon.

His size had already reached a remarkable scale, nearly twenty-four meters from head to tail, every muscle clearly outlined beneath his red scales.

His dragon neck was thick, his head lines sharp and fierce, his vertical pupils as keen as blades even under the dim yellow light. Merely flying there, he naturally exuded a powerful aura of majesty and predatory presence.

The red dragon, Garcro.

The firstborn and representative of the Emperor's sons.

Although by draconic standards, he was still in his adulthood, his growth rate far surpassed his peers, approaching that of a prime dragon.

Slightly behind and to the side of Garcro flew a black dragon.

Her size was almost only half that of the red dragon, but her form was agile, like a black lightning bolt. The sound of her wing membranes beating was almost inaudible, her scales dark and deep.

Salia, the Red Emperor's first adopted daughter.

Among the many adopted sons and daughters the Emperor later took in, her status as the "eldest daughter" was quite special.

Not far behind the red and black dragons, two other dragons followed closely.

Their sizes were similar, a circle smaller than Salia's, closer to people's impression of dragons in their late youth phase.

In fact, they had just emerged from their adolescent slumber not long ago, still years away from the youth phase.

One of them was a blue dragon.

Her scales were a deep blue, akin to the sky before a thunderstorm, their edges shimmering with fine, stable electric sparks that crackled.

Most striking were her eyes.

When she focused, a light like shattering stars would gleam deep within her pupils, as if capable of piercing through falsehoods.

Heloise Ignas.

One of the offspring of the Red Emperor and the Blue Dragon Zoraya.

The other was an iron dragon.

His scale structure was complex, thick and layered, as if clad in multiple layers of master-forged plate armor. Sharp spikes of varying lengths protruded from his joints and spine, gleaming coldly.

When he flew at high speed, the outermost layer of his body rubbed violently against the air, the edges of his scales even glowing with a dark red like hot iron. The high temperature caused the surrounding scenery to warp slightly.

Tammuel Ignas.

Heloise's sibling brother.

"Not just us."

Garcro's low voice sounded in the wind.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing the thin clouds, sweeping downwards.

Beneath the clouds, several moving black dots were faintly visible.

Those were griffons, pegasi, and alchemical constructs.

These were the pioneer reconnaissance units from outside the Romanian Plains, from other kingdoms or independent powers.

The Aola Kingdom's dragon group and these ground or low-altitude scouts discovered each other, but both sides maintained a cautious distance. There were no attempts to approach or communicate, and certainly no signs of conflict.

Their targets were likely the same.

To go to the central continent and confirm the truth of the catastrophe.

"Many seem to be interested in the central continent, or more accurately, fearful of that... 'Rift'."

The iron dragon Tammuel's voice sounded slightly muffled.

"That announcement from Halden is enough to make all rulers lose sleep and appetite."

The blue dragon Heloise blinked, the starlight in her pupils flickering: "Yes, I can see the anxiety and vigilance they radiate... This continent is sliding towards a dangerous direction."

"Dangerous?"

The red dragon Garcro let out a short, light laugh.

"No, my dear brother and sister, do not be deceived by the surface panic. For us, for Aola, this is precisely the best of times. Chaos is a ladder, and power will determine who climbs to the top."

"Brother, your insight is always so sharp."

Tammuel responded, his iron-armored head nodding. "However, we believe danger and opportunity are often two sides of the same coin, traveling together."

Heloise also softly agreed: "Tammuel is right. Great risks often accompany great opportunities. The key lies in whether we can seize them."

During their conversation, the black dragon Salia remained silent, like a shadow blending into the background.

Her gaze constantly swept across the surrounding sky, clouds, and the undulating terrain below. Her dragon wings made subtle adjustments, ensuring she was always in the best position to respond to sudden threats.

The group continued flying in silence for a while.

The Emperor's sons were all elites among the dragon race, dragons among dragons. Their speed was extremely fast, their endurance long. They gradually left far behind those reconnaissance units relying on mounts or constructs below, until the others disappeared beyond the dim yellow horizon.

And as they pressed deeper, an indescribable smell began to permeate the air.

It mixed with the dust and wind, faint at first, then gradually clearer.

It was the pungent sting of sulfur, the sickly-sweet stench of decay, and a kind of chaotic aura that acted directly on the mental level, instinctively causing unease.

The scent of the Abyss.

No reminder was needed. All the dragons heightened their vigilance.

They stopped conversing. The flight formation became more compact. Their eyes gleamed brightly as they scanned the sky and land ahead.

"Ahead, thirty degrees to the left. There are life reactions behind that cumulus cloud."

The blue dragon Heloise suddenly spoke.

The starlight in her eyes was bright, her gaze seemingly penetrating the thick cloud wall. "Demons... approximately fifty. Energy strength varies, the strongest probably around level sixteen, shouldn't exceed seventeen."

The "True Eye" talent inherited from her father granted Heloise unparalleled superiority in reconnaissance.

In her eyes, creatures below the legendary level could not hide.

Life intensity, energy attributes, even emotional fluctuations could be roughly captured.

Even legendary creatures, unless they had already deployed their Domain or performed high-level concealment, would find it difficult to completely evade her perception.

"Oh? Fifty? Sixteen or seventeen?"

A low, excited sound rumbled in Tammuel's throat. "Brother, let's crush them! Tear apart these scum crawling from the Abyss, make them understand the Material Plane is not a place for them to run wild!"

Heloise didn't speak, but the arcs of electricity flowing around her body noticeably became more active.

Regarding Abyssal demons, these young Aolan dragons did not possess the deep-seated fear common to ordinary intelligent beings.

Within the Aola Kingdom's borders, several relatively stable Abyssal Rifts existed.

Hunting demons was a regular subject in the growth training of Aolan dragons.

They were already familiar with demon types, weaknesses, and that evil aura.

"These chaotic dregs do make my claws itch."

Garcro said slowly. "However, let's go around. Now is not the time for battle."

His mission was reconnaissance. The primary goal was to obtain intelligence and return safely, not to fight.

Just as the dragons were preparing to detour.

"Wait," Heloise's voice carried a hint of tension. "They've detected us!"

Almost as her words fell.

The previously seemingly stationary thick cumulus cloud ahead churned violently, as if stirred by an invisible hand. Immediately after, figures burst through the cloud, emitting sharp, ear-piercing shrieks, charging directly at the dragon group!

It was a group of demons with bat-like leathery wings.

Most were hunched, covered in rough, obsidian-like keratinous skin. Their eyes were burning red dots. Their numbers were exactly as Heloise said, about fifty. Among them were mixed several particularly strong individuals with curved horns on their foreheads, wielding crude metal tridents or spears, seemingly the small leaders of this demon group.

They appeared chaotic, but the directions of their pounce subtly blocked the dragon group's left and right evasion space.

"Oh? Charging at us on their own?"

Garcro grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Since we can't avoid it... fine!"

He took a deep breath, then let out a low roar.

"Sons of the Emperor! In the name of our father, turn these Abyssal scum defiling our world to ashes!"

The red dragon's wings beat with full force, accelerating towards the densest frontal cluster of demons. The muscles in his dragon neck tightened like steel cables, thrusting forward suddenly, his throat glowing with a blinding light.

Boom!

Blazing dragon breath condensed into a continuous stream of fiery plasma, like a whip of flame swung by a deity, instantly sweeping across the seven or eight demons charging at the forefront!

"——!!!"

Piercing shrieks were drowned in the roar of flames.

Demons hit head-on were instantly carbonized, turning into charred fragments that plummeted. Those grazed by the edges burst into inextinguishable flames, shrieking as they tumbled through the air, becoming fireballs.

An exceptionally strong horned demon, its horns like curved blades, took advantage of the gap in the red dragon's breath, pouncing fiercely from the side and rear. Its curved horns aimed viciously at the relatively weaker shoulder joint area of Garcro!

Garcro did not turn his head.

Utilizing the remaining momentum of his charge, his thick tail lashed out horizontally, smashing two demons pouncing from the side, breaking their bones. Simultaneously, his shoulder covered in thick scales did not dodge, instead meeting the horned demon's charge head-on!

Crack!

A teeth-grating sound of bone fracture rang out.

The horned demon's horns, capable of piercing steel plate, shattered the moment they collided with the dragon scales. The massive recoil force caused its neck to almost collapse into its chest cavity. Its entire body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into another demon behind. The two tangled together, tumbling down towards the earth.

On Garcro's shoulder scales, only a few impact marks and some cracks remained.

Abyssal aura attempted to erode the cracked areas.

But soon, it dissipated under the resistance of the red dragon's own fiery life force.

At the same time.

The black dragon Salia's figure flickered in and out among the demon group.

She did not engage in a frenzied frontal assault like Garoth, but instead moved like an assassin in the shadows.

Her form blurred when she pounced, as if absorbing the surrounding light. Her claws and tail spikes flashed each time, landing on a demon's vital point—neck vertebrae, heart, and such places.

She did not engage in a violent frontal assault like Garoth, but instead moved like an assassin in the shadows.

Heloise hovered in a safe airspace slightly further back.

She did not join the close-quarters melee. The starlight in her eyes locked onto several demons in the rear attempting to throw javelins or cast curse spells.

Then, she blinked.

Crackle! Crackle!

Several blue-white spheres of lightning appeared without warning, striking their targets.

"Gah—!!!"

Demons struck by lightning convulsed violently, smoke rising from their bodies, their movements stiffening. In that momentary paralysis, Salia emerged from the shadows, easily taking their lives.

The iron dragon Tammuel found himself besieged by several demons.

Facing the attacks of several demons, he seemed somewhat hard-pressed, constantly hearing the dull thuds of his scales being struck by claws and weapons.

However, the demons soon discovered something was wrong.

This iron dragon's defense was strong.

His outer dragon scales could indeed be torn, but another layer of sturdy, dense scales was immediately revealed beneath!

Moreover, when attacked, the fragmented scales on his body surface would suddenly explode. Some of those sharp spikes would also automatically break off and shoot out, extremely fast, carrying a peculiar armor-piercing effect that could pierce straight through a demon's body.

What troubled the demons even more was that the outer scales and broken spikes shed from his body surface were visibly regenerating at a rapid pace.

He was clearly focused on defense, hardly counterattacking.

But the demons besieging the iron dragon were each bleeding profusely, as if facing an impenetrable super iron-skinned porcupine.

...

The battle erupted suddenly but ended quickly.

Although this demon group had numerical superiority, their individual strength and coordination were far inferior to the exceptionally talented Emperor's sons.

Fifty demons were slaughtered within mere minutes. Only a few attempted to flee, but were chased down and killed.

"Check the battlefield. Watch for any special magical imprints or summoning remnants. Confirm there are no stragglers. Be quick."

Garcro reined in his fighting spirit, ordering in a deep voice.

He looked around, especially at the complex terrain of hills and faintly visible valleys below, his dragon ears perked up, capturing any abnormal sounds in the wind.

The Abyssal aura permeating the air had become slightly denser than before, now mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible whisper that seemed to echo directly in the depths of the mind.

This was one of the corrupting effects of Abyssal energy.

For ordinary creatures with weak willpower, they would soon be bewitched by it, reduced to mindless puppets of destruction.

However, this was still the Material Plane after all. The concentration of scattered Abyssal aura here was not yet sufficient to pose a threat.

For the dragons, this level of mental pollution had limited effect, at most causing some slight irritation and discomfort.

The dragon group quickly cleared the battlefield.

Salia even dove into the shadows, taking the blue dragon with her, swiftly patrolling the surrounding area. They reported finding no lurking enemies.

"Continue forward. Maintain highest alert. Salia, use your talent to cover us."

Garcro ordered.

The black dragon Salia let out a low hum. Shadow power emanated from her body, like a black veil, rapidly enveloping the figures of the four dragons.

Their outlines became blurred and distorted in the light, their auras also masked by the shadow power.

This was Salia's specialty, capable of greatly reducing the probability of detection.

The dragon group set off again, but their speed was slower than before, their flight posture more concealed. While shrouding themselves in shadows, they also tried to use clouds and terrain undulations as cover.

As they drew closer to the coordinates of the Sky City crash.

The Abyssal aura in the air grew increasingly thick.

That uncomfortable whisper also became clearer.

They encountered several groups of demons wandering or lurking in the sky, but relying on Heloise's early warning and Salia's concealment, they managed to detour around them in advance.

Approximately half an hour later.

They flew over a long mountain ridge.

The moment they crossed the highest point of the ridge, all four dragons almost simultaneously reduced speed, hovering in mid-air. Their dragon pupils involuntarily contracted, staring intently at the scene ahead.

Beyond the ridge lay an area utterly transformed.

A huge, irregular fissure, like an ugly scar upon the earth, gaped open there, replacing the hilly terrain that should have been.

The edges of the fissure were a purplish-black substance resembling a mixture of asphalt and lava—highly concentrated, solidified Abyssal energy—emitting a disturbing purplish-black glow.

The rift itself was still flowing and expanding outward at a slow but steady pace.

This was the location where Halden's Sky City had crashed.

Now, traces of that sky city remained only as large patches of metal and strange stone debris, their original forms difficult to distinguish, piled haphazardly around the rift like discarded garbage.

Many pieces were still burning, belching thick smoke.

However, what weighed more heavily on the dragons' hearts was not the enormous rift itself, nor the ruins.

Centered on the rift were densely packed demons.

Their numbers far exceeded any scattered groups encountered before.

Hulking, mountain-like berserker demons wielding giant axes or flails; imps surging like a tide, their numbers difficult to estimate; beholders floating in mid-air with many eye stalks and a central main eye; arachnids resembling a twisted fusion of giant spiders and humanoid creatures... They were spread all around the rift.

Most crucially:

They were not mindlessly, madly destroying and spreading.

On the contrary, these demons were engaged in a kind of... organized construction.

They were not mindlessly, madly destroying and spreading.

Although there were still sporadic fights among the demons, overall, they were obeying some unified will, working towards a common goal.

"The scale of this Abyssal Rift..."

Garcro's voice was low, carrying gravity. "...is larger than all the ones within our kingdom combined. And... more active."

"Not just a matter of scale."

Heloise said, the starlight in her eyes flickering. "The behavior of the demons here... is completely different from what we've encountered before. Those patrolling the skies, this construction behavior... their chaotic nature is being suppressed."

"The demons we met before would only scream, fight, and kill."

"The demons here not only aren't madly expanding outward, they're actually consolidating their forces..."

The blue dragon pondered thoughtfully.

And under normal circumstances.

Due to their chaotic evil nature, demons, upon arriving in the vibrant Material Plane, would immediately spread outward, paying no heed to the rift itself. They would not fight around the Abyssal Rift, lacking organization and discipline, always giving Material Plane creatures opportunities to suppress the rift.

But the demons here behaved differently.

The iron dragon also slowly nodded.

"To restrain so many demons with inherently chaotic natures... This means that above them, there exists a will so powerful they dare not disobey. A demon leader possessing intelligence and command capability."

Garcro stared intently at the demon encampment.

His sharp dragon teeth ground against each other, emitting a faint grating sound.

"An army."

He said slowly. "This is not a chance invasion. This is an organized Abyssal army. They know how to establish outposts in the Material Plane, how to consolidate the rift. Their leader... has grand ambitions. This is not the disorganized rabble we've encountered before."

The red dragon fell silent for a few seconds, then turned.

"Intelligence is sufficient. Retreat. Return to the Red Emperor Capital immediately." His voice was resolute and decisive. "We must report everything here, exactly as it is, to Father."

"A new storm has appeared."

He looked north, towards the direction of the Romanian Plains, flames burning in his dragon pupils. "And we must prepare to dance against the wind to welcome this storm."

On the more distant horizon, one could vaguely see some scattered black dots cautiously approaching this area from other directions.

Those were the reconnaissance teams from other kingdoms or powers, finally reaching the outskirts of this region.

It was foreseeable what kind of shock and panic they would feel when they witnessed this scene with their own eyes.

What reactions would the news, transmitted back to their respective nations, trigger?

Faced with such a clear threat, would the many powerful kingdoms continue to fight separately in fear, even suspecting and hindering each other, or could they temporarily set aside disputes and form some degree of alliance?

Garcro did not spend effort speculating on these matters.

That was not a problem he needed to consider.

As a son of the Emperor, as an Aolan dragon, he knew only one thing.

When Father's will was issued, he, Garcro, would surely charge at the forefront, unleashing great slaughter.

The other dragons also clearly realized the impending great change.

The spikes on the iron dragon Tammuel's body surface slightly bristled. The arcs of electricity around the blue dragon Heloise crackled. Even the habitually silent Salia, her body shrouded in shadows, seemed more tense, like a bow drawn and ready.

The Red Emperor's majesty was like the blazing sun, illuminating the world.

And they, as the Emperor's sons basking under this majesty and glory, whether by blood or by adoption, would also prove themselves and earn their own glory.