I did not move immediately.
Instead, I let my perception expand.
It spread outward from me, pushing across the battlefield, moving past our side, through the drifting fragments of space, and deep into the rift itself. Every movement, every shift, every presence began to fall into place within my awareness.
I focused on the enemy first.
The Eternal legion. This was my first encounter with them. I had only fought individual Eternal commanders or phantoms and abominations before.
It stood closer to the black crystalline spikes, gathered in a formation that felt... different from anything I had seen before. They were not chaotic like the abominations or unstable like the phantoms. They were organized.
"Xeron," I said, my eyes still fixed ahead, "which legion is that?"
He followed my gaze.
"That," he replied, "is the Legion of Iron and Flame."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"The legion responsible for the creation of phantoms and abominations," he continued. "They function like smiths and engineers for the Eternals. We don’t fully understand how their legions are divided, but we know there are seven in total. The Legion of Iron and Flame is one of the oldest... and one of the most powerful among them."
I looked closer.
The Eternals all had similar forms, humanoid shapes, tall and steady, with those same black, gem-like eyes I had seen before. But what stood out was not their bodies.
It was the connection.
Thin streams of deathmist extended from them, linking each Eternal to multiple constructs around them. Phantoms and abominations under their control.
"Each one controls multiple puppets which might include phantoms or abominations. Special abominations," Xeron continued. "They fight through them. You’re never facing just one. It’s always one against many."
My eyes moved to a section where the legion was already engaged with the Nagas.
A drifting bubble of space floated between both forces, and inside it, a battle was already underway.
A group of Naga warriors had entered the fragment, but they were immediately met by a wave of constructs. Phantoms rushed forward first, fast and erratic, forcing the Nagas to react. Behind them, abominations followed, their larger forms crashing into the battlefield, breaking formations.
But the real threat stood behind.
The Eternal.
It remained at the edge of the bubble, unmoving, its eyes fixed on the fight as streams of deathmist extended from its body. Every movement of the phantoms, every strike of the abominations, it all came from that one source.
When a phantom was destroyed, another took its place. When an abomination fell, it was replaced.
The Naga warriors fought well, cutting through wave after wave, but they were constantly pushed back, forced to divide their attention, never able to reach the one controlling everything.
The way the Eternals from the legion were fighting reminded me of myself. They were kind of using summons to fight.
I watched as one of the Eternals from the legion lifted its hand, a dark circle forming in front of it, pulsing with thick deathmist. From within that circle, something began to emerge.
An abomination.
But not like the ones we had faced before.
This one slithered out slowly, its massive serpentine body coiling as it took form. It was enormous, far larger than the usual abominations, its surface shifting as if it were barely contained. Once fully formed, it didn’t hesitate. It lunged forward, its body cutting through space as it rushed straight toward the Naga forces.
The difference was immediate.
The way it moved... it wasn’t mindless.
There was intent behind its motion, a clear awareness guiding its strikes and movement. It adjusted mid-attack, reacting to the battlefield instead of charging blindly.
This wasn’t just another abomination. This was something closer to a controlled weapon.
I watched silently.
"Does this rift only have this one legion?"
"Yes," Xeron replied. "This entire rift is under the Legion of Iron and Flame."
I nodded slowly.
Then he raised his hand slightly and pointed deeper toward the rift.
"Look there."
My perception followed.
Three figures stood apart from the rest.
Eternal commanders.
Their presence was far greater than the others. Even without focusing too deeply, I could feel their strength. I measured it.
"Level 499..." I muttered.
Xeron glanced at me but said nothing.
"Is that the highest they’ll send?" I asked.
"No," he replied. "At any moment, they can send a Saint through the rift."
I looked at him.
"And when that happens?"
He gave a faint smile.
"You saw the silver serpent outside Kaalseris when you arrived, right?"
I nodded.
"That is our guardian," he said. "We can summon it here as well. It will handle anything at that level."
That made sense.
"But," he added, his tone turning slightly more serious, "if the Matriarch stays away for too long... then even that may not be enough."
"What happens if they attack both your grade 3 rifts at the same time with Saints?" Steve asked.
Xeron let out a short chuckle, though there was no humor behind it.
"Then that would be the end of Naga dominance in the Blue Spiral," he said. "We would be crushed. Completely."
A brief silence followed.
"Can’t you ask for help?" I said. "From other galaxies... or even from the Naga race in the Prime Galaxy?"
"Asking is not the problem, Lord Billion," Xeron replied. "The problem is whether they respond."
He glanced toward the battlefield before continuing.
"World Lords are the strongest assets any race has, especially in lower-tier galaxies like ours. They don’t move lightly. The moment one leaves their position, they expose their own territory. And the Eternals are always watching. If a Saint moves... there is always a chance their home gets attacked in return."
I nodded.
That made sense.
"Alright," I said. "Then let’s begin."
Xeron looked at me for a moment, and then a wild smile spread across his face.
Right in front of us, his form began to shift.
The aged appearance faded, replaced by a stronger, younger form. His posture straightened, his presence deepened, and long white hair flowed behind him as his aura expanded outward.
"Of course," he said. "Let’s see what a World Lord can do."
His eyes sharpened.
"The moment you make a move, they will notice you," he added. "And when they do, be ready. They will send someone to match you."
"I’m counting on it," I replied.
"And when you fight," he continued, "make sure you don’t destroy your own side along with them."
I gave a small nod.
"Don’t worry about that."
I turned toward my summons.
"I’ll take care of the commanders... and whatever reinforcement they send," I said. "The legion is yours."
Ragnar stepped forward, a grin forming on his face.
"Leave it to us," he said. "By the time we’re done, there won’t be much left of them."
I nodded, then looked at Azalea.
"Are you joining in as well?"
"Yes," she replied. "I’m ready."
"Good," I said. "Stay with Steve and North."
Both of them stepped forward, already focused on the battlefield ahead.
I rose slowly into the air, my body lifting as my gaze turned back toward the rift and the three Eternal commanders waiting within it.