After the sudden declaration of war by the dragon emperor, Fafnir, the world fell into chaos, especially for Anbord. They’d already been attacked twice, and if not for the first empress and one of the eight kings, most would have died. Just when they thought things would be calming down a bit, considering all the threats had been neutralized, the dragon emperor, whom most hadn’t even laid their eyes on before, declared war on them.

They all knew it was unreasonable, and if there should be a declaration of war, it should rather be from Anbord. But here was the case that the dragon empire, which had attacked the empire, was declaring war on Anbord. Many panicked, many had even started saying their last prayers, but if there was one thing they all had in common... It was their trust in their emperor. It could be said that Ethan pampered his people... that much was true, but that was also the reason why they trusted him. And even if he didn’t have the strength to protect them, there were other people to take up that mantle. Not to talk of the hidden powerhouses in the empire. Now that they’d been more than threatened by such an existence as the dragon emperor, they all started coming out.

The citizens of Anbord were waiting for some kind of assurance, when it came. A huge projection appeared in the skies of Anbord, visible and tangible enough for everyone in the empire, no matter where they were, to see it. It was of a man with long silvery-white hair with golden tips, dark skin, and a mismatched pair of gold and silver eyes. Behind him, six beings floated, their appearances almost the same as the man... There was only one thing to explain them. Spirit Guardians. The one in the middle, who seemed to be their leader, had long silvery-white hair with golden tips tied in a ponytail. He wore circle-rimmed spectacles, and his body was adorned in black armor with golden details. On his back was a golden tortoise shell: Galeno.

To his right were three male beings, all with the same hair color. The first wore a grey armor with white details and gems embedded in certain parts. The second wore black armor with purple details, and the last wore blue armor with black details. They were Maverick, Stygian, and Sage, respectively.

To Galeno’s left were two feminine beings. The first wore an all-dark battle dress, and the second wore a blue armor with silver designs. Onyx and Saareiya. It looked as if they were wearing armor, but they were actually in their full battle forms. Stygian especially stood out with his six eyes that were visible even from his position. They all silently waited like soldiers behind the man, the emperor of Anbord, Ethan Voryn Aetherforge Kael’Dri.

Ethan smiled calmly, his eyes scanning the whole of his empire, his home, and spoke.

"Citizens of Anbord, I greet you. If you are seeing this right now... I have something to tell you. I will move straight to the point. We are going to war. An unfair war. I’ve lived in Anbord my whole life. I became a king through war and bloodline. You could have fought against me, denied my reign and authority, but you didn’t. You put your trust in me, and I will never let it go to waste.

This overgrown lizard, who claims to be the strongest dragon and the most powerful being in the world, has declared war on us after he attacked us with four dragons, of which three are dead. He cannot accept the defeat. He is in denial. His pride and arrogance, such stupid qualities, have blinded him to the strength of Anbord, a kingdom that moved up the ranks and became an empire in less than a hundred years. You don’t get that with just words, but action, and action comes with strength.

We have the strength. To all of Anbord, I say we will come out victorious. The dragon will be slain... And that wouldn’t be the last thing I do. To my soldiers and warriors of Anbord...

There’s no time for preparations." Ethan paused for a moment. Everyone knew that he still had something to say and waited with bated breath for it. They could feel the tension disappear, replaced with something more intense... something powerful. It filled them with trust, with hope, and with strength.

Ethan’s smile widened and became almost feral. His eyes glowed, and Anbord trembled. It was as if the very foundation of the empire was ready to fight, too.

"Go rogue..."

Those two words were like a potent dose of madness, but not the kind that broke people. It was the kind that freed them. For a single heartbeat, Anbord went silent. Then... It erupted. Cheers exploded across cities. Laughter rang through streets that had, moments ago, been weighed down by fear. The trembling hands of civilians steadied. Warriors who had been waiting for orders no longer needed them. Because this... this was not a war where they would sit back and defend. This was a hunt.

Across the empire, armories burst open. Weapons long sealed ignited with power once more. Ancient artifacts, sealed under layers of protection, responded to their masters like loyal beasts awakened from slumber. Knights of the Dawn Cross didn’t wait. Regnare was already moving before the projection even faded, his golden-accented armor manifesting over his body as his wings flared behind him.

"YOU HEARD HIM!" his voice thundered through the command channels. "We don’t wait... we don’t stall... we don’t defend..."

His lips curled into a savage grin.

"WE TAKE."

His squad roared in response. Xander laughed... a wild, unrestrained sound as pink light flickered in his eyes and his horns burned brighter.

"Finally..." he whispered, cracking his neck as destruction energy wrapped around his arms. His team behind him trembled, not in fear, but in anticipation.

Delphina slammed her fist into her palm, golden light bursting outward as countless sword constructs flickered into existence behind her.

"Did you hear that?!" she beamed.

"Dad just told us to go crazy!" Her team didn’t even question it.

Trevor stretched lazily, crimson energy curling around his fingers like smoke.

"Well... that’s convenient," he muttered with a grin. "No restrictions."

Devon, beside him, was already gone, launching himself into the battlefield with a roar, blood wings tearing through the sky.

Lamair stepped out of the estate slowly. His axes rested on his shoulders. His eyes were different now. They were deeper and quieter, but far more dangerous.

"Guess I got back at the right time," he muttered.

Behind him, Werock and Ivy were already arguing about who would take down more enemies. From the shadows, figures emerged. The hidden ones; those who had never stepped into the light. Those who had watched, waited, and prepared. Old monsters, silent guardians. Beings whose names were never spoken were now stepping forward.

Even the civilians, those who could not fight, did not cower. They moved in organized groups, supporting and providing supplies, because in Anbord, war was not carried out by a few. It was carried by everyone.

High above it all, the projection of Ethan faded, but his words echoed and burned within every single person.

Go rogue.

It wasn’t recklessness. It wasn’t disorder. It was trust. Absolute, unshaken trust. He wasn’t commanding them like soldiers. He was releasing them like weapons, and the result was terrifying. Because Anbord did not brace for impact, it did not fortify, it did not wait for the dragon emperor to arrive.

No. The empire moved first like a living entity, a force of nature. Across Debranlith, observers fell silent because what they expected was fear, desperation, and preparation. But what they saw instead was celebration: warriors laughing as they armed themselves, their families cheering them on, powerhouses stepping out of hiding with calm expressions, children waving at soldiers like they were heading to a festival, not a battlefield.

Because to Anbord, this wasn’t the beginning of a war. It was the beginning of a victory. A victory already decided, and because of that, they feared nothing. Not dragons, not emperors, not even the end of the world.

...

Somewhere far away, the sky cracked again under distant draconic pressure. Fafnir was coming: A storm, acalamity, a god of destruction, but in Anbord they smiled. Because storms? Storms could be hunted. And this one, had just declared itself prey.

Fafnir could rage and vent for all they cared; once their emperor was going to lead the war, nothing could make them fear, not even some overgrown, egoistic lizard with oversized horns. They witnessed their empress take on two dragons and devour them. With Ethan’s speech... they all had the same thought.

Dragons were overrated, even the dragon-hybrids living in Anbord thought the same. Dragons were always proclaimed to be powerful, weapons of mass destruction, but now...

Now they were just another stupid empire that had challenged them. And they will face the consequences.