The operation did not slow down after the first wave.
If anything, it accelerated.
We began moving from one rift to another without pause, the entire galaxy turning into a map of targets and movement. The goal was simple and brutal, to end the day with each of us having closed at least fifty Grade 3 rifts, while also securing and devouring around fifteen marked worlds across different territories.
There was no hesitation in execution.
Teleportation circles lit up one after another, and we moved like a storm across sectors. Every arrival ended in destruction, every departure left behind silence where chaos once existed.
On my side, the progress was steady.
With each world Vivi devoured, I could feel the change within me. The Dawn Core expanded slowly but surely, its capacity growing with every intake. Alongside that, my comprehension of laws sharpened, becoming clearer, more refined, more instinctive.
It was an explosive growth.
However, the process wasn’t instant. Vivi needed time to digest each world core fully, which meant there were brief pauses between certain movements. Those pauses were short, calculated, and used only when necessary.
Everything was moving smoothly. And then we received an expected alert. It cut through everything.
All of us pulled back instantly as we gathered on Kaalseris.
I appeared in the central command chamber along with the others. The projections had already shifted, highlighting a new point of concern.
Azalea stood at the center.
"One of the rifts under the demon headquarters has been infiltrated," she said immediately. "It’s a weak Grade 4 rift, but we have detected Saint-level activity."
"Finally, they have decided to retaliate I guess. So who–" before I could finish Aurora interrupted.
"I’ll go," she said directly.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Knight moved next.
"I’m coming," he added calmly.
Ash followed.
"Same."
I glanced at the three of them, then nodded.
"Sure. But make it fast. This might just be a distraction from their side."
That was all I said.
Without wasting another second, the three of them stepped onto the teleportation platform. The runes flared, and in the next instant, they were gone.
The chamber fell quiet again.
I remained standing, my gaze fixed on the projection.
Azalea stepped closer.
"They chose that rift deliberately," she said.
I glanced at her.
"Because of the demons," she continued. "The other sectors are heavily monitored. If they appeared near Naga or Feran territory, they would have faced immediate retaliation."
She paused briefly.
"But the demon headquarters... comparatively weaker. Less defended than the rest of the big ones."
I nodded slowly.
"They were looking for an entry point," I said. "Somewhere they could slip through, stabilize, and then expand."
"Or hide," she added.
"Or hide," I agreed.
Our eyes returned to the projection.
"But there are places even weaker than the demon ones. So, they can appear anywhere but they will need to pay a cost."
She activated a communication channel.
"Pass the information," she said. "All sectors stay alert. If this is a probe, more will follow."
She nodded and moved to relay the message.
Meanwhile I activated [Sovereign Link] to check what was going on.
[Sovereign Link]: You gain a continuous, low-level awareness of your summons and can focus to experience their perception directly. A soul link exists between you and your summons, allowing you to transfer your awareness into them.
I chose Ash and found myself observing the battlefield.
The rift floated in the void, unstable but still active. In front of it, three figures stood, their presence heavy and suppressing all the defending forces from demons.
All three stood before them were Eternal Saints.
But Aurora did not slow down even for a moment.
"Is that all the force you could muster?" her voice echoed, rolling through the void like distant thunder.
One of the Saints stepped forward, his gaze steady despite the pressure pressing down on him.
"Storm Sovereign Aurora," he said, inclining his head slightly, "it is... an honor to finally meet you."
Aurora let out a soft chuckle, the sound almost amused.
"Looks like I am popular among the Eternals as well."
The Saint did not deny it.
"You are," he replied. "Your entire organization is."
He gestured lightly around them.
"What you are attempting by closing rifts with such intensity... has never been done in the history of the Blue Spiral. We were not prepared for this."
There was no fear or shame in his tone. Only acknowledgment.
"And now," he continued, his eyes shifting briefly toward Knight and Ash, "you have brought the Shadow Lord... and the Warden of Eternity with you."
A small pause.
"I believe this will be our last stand."
His words spread into the battlefield, carrying a certainty and acceptance of his fate.
From afar, I watched through the link and couldn’t help the faint smirk that formed on my face.
My summons titles had already begun spreading.
We had sat together not long ago and decided this carefully. Titles were not just names. They were identities, roles, and statements of what each of them represented within the Order.
Lyrate — Herald of Ruin.
Her presence alone meant death, her duty was simple and absolute—bring destruction to our enemies.
Aurora — Storm Sovereign.
The strategist, the one who controlled the battlefield before the fight even began.
Knight — Shadow Lord.
Silent, unseen, doing what needed to be done in the dark where no one else could reach.
Ragnar — War Sovereign.
The vanguard, the general, the one who would lead entire armies into battle and break whatever stood in their path.
Ash — Warden of Eternity.
The pillar. Defense, control, knowledge—he was the one who ensured everything held together.
Silver — Sky Sovereign.
The force above, dominating the field from the skies, supporting and overwhelming from beyond reach.
It had only just begun and already, the galaxy was learning their names.
"Thats very mature of you," Aurora responded hearing the Eternal accept his fate. "Then here we come." she said and moved first.
Lightning erupted from her body in waves. The entire battlefield was flooded with it instantly, blue-white arcs spreading in every direction, covering the void, the rift, and everything around it.
The sound followed right after that.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
It was deafening and continuous. The void itself lit up under her control.
At the same time, Ash raised his hand. Dark runes formed around him. They spread outward rapidly, embedding themselves into space, locking onto everything within range.
And finally Knight moved.
The shadows around him deepened, twisting into something heavier. Space warped at his command as darkness gathered into a single point in front of him.
A black sphere formed. It was dense and was spinning. A miniature void.