All of us gathered on the main deck in front of the ship’s wide viewport.
I stood at the center, facing forward, while Primus, Steve, North, and Aurora flanked me on either side. None of us wore masks. There was no attempt to hide who we were or what we represented. The black robes of our newly formed organization hung cleanly from our bodies, threaded with faint runic lines that reacted softly to the Essence moving through our bodies. The insignia of interlocking gears rested clearly over our chests, visible and deliberate.
This was not an approach meant to be subtle.
"All right," I said.
The ship answered immediately.
The engines powered up with a deep, steady hum, Essence flowing cleanly through the engines. The vessel moved forward at a controlled pace, inching closer to the invisible boundary ahead. Space remained calm until the moment we crossed it.
For a brief instant, the void flared red.
Runes surfaced across empty space, spreading outward as if the ship had passed through liquid rather than vacuum. The light lingered for a heartbeat, then faded, leaving the darkness untouched once more.
A deep voice rolled through the void.
"Halt."
I raised a hand, and the ship slowed to a stop.
There was nothing ahead of us at first. Only open space, silent and still.
Two heartbeats passed.
Then the void rippled.
Space folded and distorted like disturbed water, and shapes began to emerge from the distortion one after another. Warships slid into reality with practiced precision, their hulls dark and angular, surfaces etched with glowing crimson markings.
The insignia of the Demon Monarch, a horned demon with three horns, burned clearly on every vessel.
Eight ships appeared first, fanning out into a wide arc around us, cutting off every clear path forward. Their movement was smooth and disciplined, the kind that came from long familiarity with real combat.
Then the final ship arrived.
It was massive.
Its presence alone weighed on the surrounding Essence, bending it slightly as it took position ahead of the others. In size and structure, it rivaled the warship I had left behind on Vaythos, the vessel that had belonged to Vaelix Ranthor.
Weapon systems activated across the fleet. Even the surrounding Essence reacted to it. Energy readings climbed sharply as every cannon and launcher locked onto our ship in unison.
There were no warning shots, no shouted demands, no hesitation in their response. This was a controlled zone, and we had crossed its boundary without authorization.
"What a wonderful welcome," Steve commented dryly.
I didn’t respond. This was the price of stepping across the line.
My gaze shifted past the ring of warships and into the void behind them. At first, everything looked normal. But something felt off. I extended my perception further, pushing past what my eyes could see.
That was when I noticed it.
A thin layer of distortion spread across space like a transparent veil. An illusion. It was layered, and carefully maintained. The ripple through which the fleet had emerged wasn’t just a spatial entry point, it was a screen, meant to prevent direct observation of whatever lay beyond.
Before I could probe further, a voice echoed through the void, amplified by law rather than sound.
"Identify yourselves. You have ten seconds."
I turned my head slightly. "Primus."
He nodded once.
In the next instant, he flashed out of the ship and appeared in open space, standing calmly with his hands at his sides, fire Essence restrained but present.
"My name is Primus Bloodreaver," he said clearly. "From the demon world of Armus." He paused briefly, then continued, "Our presence here was requested by Dravon Emberlord."
The void went silent.
Not a single ship moved. Weapons stayed locked. Essence signatures remained tense but unchanged.
A few seconds passed.
Then space shifted again.
A figure flashed forward from the command ship. He was a Transcendent-ranked demon, fully armored. His presence pressed outward on Primus.
He stopped directly in front of Primus.
"Bloodreaver," the demon said, his voice cold. "So you belong to the family that took control of Armus?"
"Yes," Primus replied without hesitation.
The demon’s gaze sharpened. "We received reports of Phantom interference. Your family’s name was mentioned."
Primus shook his head once. "My family was targeted by the Phantom. It was the Del Rey family who invited it. They paid the price for it."
I narrowed my eyes.
Something was wrong.
The demon’s posture shifted almost imperceptibly. Essence gathered rapidly in his right fist, compressed so tightly it bent the surrounding flow.
"Aurora," I muttered.
The demon’s voice boomed suddenly.
"Lies."
He moved.
His fist shot forward with explosive speed, aimed straight at Primus’s head. The strike carried enough force to shatter a fortress. Primus didn’t even have time to react.
A thunderclap tore through the void.
Lightning split space itself as Aurora appeared between them, catching the demon’s fist barehanded. Her hair flew wildly around her, blue light blazing in her eyes as electricity surged across her body.
"To think you’d dare attack one of our members," she said coldly.
Her other palm slammed forward.
Lightning erupted.
The thunderous impact rolled through the void as the Transcendent demon was hurled backward like a meteor. He crashed hard into the command ship, the collision sending shockwaves across the surrounding fleet and briefly disrupting their formations.
"What?" North said sharply as she summoned her blades, the edges forming in her hands with a soft metallic hum. "Why would he attack?"
I didn’t answer immediately.
My perception was already spread wide, locked onto the weapon systems of every ship surrounding us. Energy levels fluctuated. Targeting systems adjusted. None of them fired, but all of them were ready. One wrong move and this would turn into a full engagement.
"I think he knows Lana," I said at last.
It was the only explanation that made sense. Someone with a personal motive. Someone willing to ignore protocol and strike first. The other possibility, that this was Dravon’s enemy, felt unlikely.
Steve clicked his tongue. "That woman really is a walking disaster for Primus."
Aurora floated calmly beside Primus now, lightning still dancing faintly around her fingers, her posture relaxed but dangerous. She hadn’t pursued the demon. She was waiting.
"Fine," Steve continued, his grip tightening on his sword. "So how do we deal with this mess now?"
The command ship trembled, then stabilized.
I watched closely as the demon emerged from the impact site, his armor cracked and smoking, his presence unstable but far from defeated. The surrounding ships shifted subtly, formations tightening, weapons tracking Aurora, Primus, and us all at once.