After they reached the gates of the citadel, Nox told the groups to stop. Then, a large circle formed beneath them on the ground.

"Prepare yourselves," said Johan before they all disappeared in an instant.

And before he even realized it, he had already arrived at their destination. A deserted area near the border between the two empires, close to the Nefaria Forest.

In front of them, less than a hundred meters away, stood the first S+-rank portal they had to close. A massive, gloomy portal that made all of them shudder. The pressure emitted by the portal was so intense that anyone below rank B would surely die before even stepping inside.

But since nearly half of his troops were at least rank A, they resisted the pressure without too much difficulty. Still, on their faces, a trace of fear could be clearly seen.

Nox observed his troops, seeing the fear and uncertainty in their eyes. He knew it was normal, but he had to motivate them so they could face the challenge ahead.

"Listen to me!" he shouted, his voice strong and steady. "I know what awaits us in there is terrifying. I know some of us won't survive. But I ask you to remember why we are here. We are here to protect our empire, to protect our families and our friends. We are here to show that we will not be intimidated by fear or death."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his troops.

"We are warriors, heroes. We were trained to confront the impossible. And we will do it—together. We will enter that portal, and we will close it."

Nox took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the portal.

"I will go in first. I will show you that it's possible. And I ask you to follow me, to trust me. Together, we will accomplish the impossible."

The night was dark and silent, the stars shining above them like diamonds in the black sky. After Nox's speech, something had changed in the hearts of his troops. They looked at one another, and slowly, nods began to appear. The fear was still there, but it was now overshadowed by fierce determination. They were ready to face whatever awaited them, ready to fight for their empire and for their lives.

"Let's go!" shouted Nox, unsheathing his sword. Then he marched toward the portal with confidence, followed by his troops.

Just before stepping inside, he sensed presences observing him from afar.

"Still the emperor's shadows, huh," he thought before being engulfed by the portal.

---

"…if you try to double-cross me, you will regret it. I hope your backup plan succeeds, otherwise…"

Inside the imperial palace, hidden in a secret chamber, the Emperor of Kyralia was speaking with someone through a crystal orb.

"Are you the strongest in Kyralia?" the other voice asked mockingly. "I don't think so. Therefore, I ask that you fully cooperate with us if you want everyone to come out of this game as winners," he continued.

"Watch your mouth. Don't act smug just because I agreed to cooperate with you," roared the Emperor of Kyralia, consumed with rage.

The emperor kept shouting, his face red with anger, while his interlocutor simply smiled, his gaze cold and calculating.

"Ah, I see you're still as… passionate," the interlocutor said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "But I assure you, emperor, I'm not here to mock you. I'm here to offer you a chance to collaborate, to work together toward a common goal."

The Emperor of Kyralia clenched his fists, his body tense with fury. "You think you can manipulate me, don't you?" he spat. "You think you can make me do whatever you want, but you're wrong. I am the Emperor of Kyralia, and I won't let anyone dictate my actions."

The interlocutor's smile widened, revealing sharp white teeth. "Oh, I don't want to dictate your actions, emperor," he said. "I merely want to help you make the right decisions. And if you refuse to cooperate… well, let's just say the consequences will be… interesting."

"Don't forget that if you're in this position, it's thanks to me. No—thanks to us."

A shiver ran down the emperor's spine. He knew the man he was speaking to was capable of carrying out his threats, and he knew he had to be careful. But he could not allow himself to show fear.

"What do you want me to do?" he finally asked, his voice cold and calculated.

The interlocutor let out a laugh—cold and humorless. "Ah, I knew you would be reasonable, emperor," he said. "Here is what I want you to do…"

The man leaned forward, his gaze locked onto Atlas, the Emperor of Kyralia, through the crystal orb.

"I want you to kill Tilda, the imperial princess of Erian, on the day the guardians exit the first portal," he said clearly and precisely. "If you want, you may wait for another opportunity, but know that she must never return to her empire."

The emperor frowned and forced himself not to scream. His twisted expression tried to remain composed and calm, but he failed.

"Why?! Do you want a war to break out between Erian and Kyralia? Do you want us to kill each other? Isn't she supposed to return tomorrow?" he demanded.

"Haha, calm down, Atlas. One question at a time. She won't return until the mission is completed. And as for the war… hmm, it won't happen, since some members of the Erianys family have already approved it. See you soon," replied the man with the blurred face in a cheerful tone before cutting the communication.

A bead of sweat ran down Atlas's forehead. He felt like a puppet being controlled at will—and he hated it. But what could he do? Nothing. People like them had trapped him.

As he regained his calm and imperial composure, a shadow suddenly appeared before him. Calmly, he turned his head toward the shadow, ready to hear its report.

"My lord, they have just entered the first portal. But contrary to what we predicted, this Johan did not attempt to rebel against Nox in any way," he said in a cold, monotone voice.

"I see. He didn't do it before entering the portal, but perhaps once inside, conflict will arise between them. After all, they are two leaders pursuing the same woman," he said with a small laugh.

---

On their side, once engulfed by the portal, as they crossed the boundary and the distortion, Nox and his cohort were greeted by a blinding light that forced them to close their eyes. Then, a second later, a breeze brushed their hair—proof that they were in a new environment.

As they slowly opened their eyes, Nox and his teammates discovered that the portal had brought them to a ruined territory filled with half-destroyed buildings. Further ahead, they could see a small dark, silent forest that radiated danger.

The trees of the forest seemed twisted and blackened, their skeletal branches reaching toward the sky like bony hands. The leaves were scarce and looked like they were made from a dark, dry material that cracked in the wind. The ground was covered in a thin layer of black dust that rose with each step, creating swirling clouds of dark particles that danced in the air.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, charged with a sickening energy that weighed upon the shoulders of Nox and his group. The silence was almost tangible, broken only by distant moans and muffled cries that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

A shiver ran down Nox's spine as he looked around. He knew they weren't alone in this world, and that something was watching them—waiting. He could feel invisible eyes fixed on him, staring with morbid curiosity.

Despite his unease, a small smile formed on his lips, and a question struck his mind. He wondered whether, this time, he was the predator or the prey.

"The predator, of course," he muttered in response—though his voice, barely audible, somehow resonated.

Everyone turned toward him upon hearing him mumble.

Nox's teammates seemed to share his uneasiness, their faces tense and their weapons ready. They knew they had to be prepared at any moment, that danger could emerge instantly.

Nox took a deep breath and turned to his teammates. "I won't sugarcoat anything. I don't know what sin we committed, but it seems our empires want us dead."

At that statement, no one spoke. Some were surprised, but most remained calm, listening to him.

"I didn't say anything earlier because we were being watched, but I don't intend to die. I will not tolerate insubordination. If I sense someone leading the group to ruin… I'll eliminate them myself. As long as we work in symbiosis, we'll close this portal," he said coldly.

Johan simply smiled at Nox.

"He's interesting. Worthy of being the future husband of the princess," he thought.

"If I were you, I wouldn't trust the artifacts those people gave us," Nox continued.

"We need to find a way to close this portal and get out of here. Let's move."

Nox's teammates nodded and began moving, their steps silent on the dark ground. They advanced cautiously, their eyes scanning the surroundings, ready to react at any moment.

...

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