Once Knight took Romothese, I slipped out of the Envoy tower. I turned toward Horus.
With one burst of speed, the world blurred, forests and plains streaking beneath me until the familiar city of Horus came into view.
Steve and North were waiting in one of the training grounds near the inner fort. They stood close together, whispering about the earlier battle. Steve’s sword rested on his shoulder, lightning still flickering around the blade, and North leaned against a stone pillar, her hair tied loosely behind her.
They both straightened when I appeared beside them.
Steve grinned. "You’re back."
North smiled faintly, but there was tiredness in her eyes. "Everything settled?"
"Almost," I said, walking closer. "But for now, I wanted to check on both of you."
Steve lifted an eyebrow. "Check... on us?"
"You two fought great," I said. "Especially against the abominations."
Steve puffed his chest out dramatically. "Of course we did."
I chuckled and turned to North. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding my gaze, but I stepped closer and gently lifted her chin.
"You fought perfectly," I said softly.
Her cheeks flushed pink the moment I kissed her. A quick, warm kiss, but enough to make her eyes widen and her lips tremble. Steve coughed loudly beside us, pretending he wasn’t smiling.
North hid her face behind her hair. "Don’t... don’t do that out of nowhere."
"It wasn’t out of nowhere," I smiled.
"What about the traitors? Any results?" I asked.
Steve nodded. "Yeah. We checked their storage rings. Both Luo and Revie had communication tokens inside. Hidden ones. They were contacting the Del Reys."
So the chain of evidence was already forming.
I nodded. "Good. Be careful. Both of you. Lana was talking about some Plan B. I am not sure what it is."
North stepped closer. "What about the Phantom?"
"Handled," I replied simply. "And now, I have something else to take care of."
I left them with a small nod and vanished again.
*********
I arrived outside Orobas’s chamber, hiding myself in the space again.
Inside, Orobas and Primus were speaking quietly. The ancestor’s aura was dimmer now, weaker, showing how tired he truly was after the earlier fight.
I looked at Primus and sent him a mental message.
’Tell Orobas to form an alliance with the Ronics. Push him to visit their ancestor directly.’
Primus didn’t hesitate.
He stepped forward. "Grandfather, I have an idea. The Del Reys won’t stop after today. They’ll strike again. We should form an alliance with the Ronics."
Orobas blinked. "The Ronics?"
"Yes," Primus said. "If the Del Reys were able to release a Phantom and send abominations into our city, then there are bigger forces involved behind them. We might not be able to withstand the next attack alone. But if we combine our strength with the Ronics, we will stand much stronger against whatever the Del Reys are planning."
Orobas rubbed his temples. "Hmm... maybe. But Paltius is stubborn."
Primus pressed on. "If the Del Reys are planning something big, the Ronics will be targeted too. If we fall, they fall. If they fall, we fall."
Orobas looked at him sharply. "You’re sure about this?"
Primus nodded. "Absolutely."
I whispered another line into his mind.
’Tell him you will accompany him. Make it clear it’s urgent.’
Primus continued immediately. "We should go together. You, me, and Father. Show unity. Show strength."
Orobas finally sighed. "Fine. We will go."
Primus turned to leave. Orobas followed behind him, flames rising slightly around his arms again as he prepared for travel.
’Well it is fun this way.’ I thought and smiled.
*******
Primus quickly gathered Dorian and explained the situation. Dorian hesitated at first, but Primus convinced him within minutes, talking about the Del Rey betrayal, the risk of hidden spies, and the growing threat to both clans.
Dorian finally nodded, though hesitation still lingered on his face.
"Fine. We’ll go. If things are as you say, then we can at least discuss it with them." He paused, frowning. "But how do you know the Ronics are not involved in all this?"
Primus hesitated for a moment, that question clearly caught him off guard. Then he let out a small shrug.
"Which is exactly why we need to talk to them," he said. "If they refuse to listen even after everything that happened today, then it will only prove their ties to the Del Reys. Their reaction will tell us more than anything else."
Dorian took a slow breath and asked, "You want all three of us to go. Who will watch the city? It’s barely stabilizing."
Primus answered without worry.
"Don’t worry. Steve and North will stay behind. Both of them are strong enough to keep the place safe until we return."
Dorian looked unconvinced at first, but after a moment, he exhaled and nodded.
"Fine," he said. "Let’s do it your way."
Primus smiled slightly.
The three of them, Orobas, Dorian, and Primus, took to the sky together.
Once the trio disappeared into the horizon, I summoned Silver. A bright circle flared open beside me, and he stepped out, stretching his wings wide. His feathers shimmered faintly like polished silver.
The first thing he did was let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Damn, I was getting bored," he muttered, shaking his wings. "Can I not stay outside permanently? Why do you always lock me in the core?"
I chuckled. "You can stay outside. But there’s nothing interesting happening here right now. If you really want action, wait until we reach the demon headquarters. Then you can do whatever you want."
Silver tilted his head. "Whatever I want, huh?"
"Yes," I said. "But remember, they might catch you and lock you up as some rare bird."
He froze.
Then scoffed loudly. "As if anyone could capture me."
I smiled. "Good. I need you to stay hidden and guard the city while I’m gone. No one should notice you’re here. But if something happens, you intervene."
Silver straightened proudly. "Easy. I’ll keep watch. Nothing will get past me."
"I know," I said. "That’s why I’m leaving things in your wings."
He puffed out his chest at that.
Satisfied, I gave him a nod and vanished.
Moments later, I followed Orobas, Dorian, and Primus toward the Ronic capital.
The journey to the Ronic capital took only minutes at our speed. A faint violet shimmer appeared on the horizon, their city barrier. Unlike the Bloodreavers’ fiery aura, the Ronics’ barrier glowed like starlight, gentle but deep.
Orobas slowed. So did Dorian and Primus. They hovered above the violet mist, just outside the fortress walls.
The city went alive instantly. Dozens of Ronics flew into the air, weapons blazing purple.
An older demon descended from the central tower. His expression was stern but curious as he approached the three visitors.
"Ancestor Orobas," he said. "Dorian. What brought you here so suddenly?"
This was Paltius, the head of the Ronic family.
Orobas stepped forward. "We need to discuss something important. Something involving the Del Reys."
Paltius’s expression hardened instantly. He waved his hand. "Follow me."
The Ronics lowered their weapons, and the trio entered the fortress.