The darkness tore through the towering defensive walls, crashing into the gates and blowing them apart almost instantly. From afar, Rosalia and Agnia signaled for the warriors to move out while the two of them remained behind with the hostages. The flood of warriors surged toward the capital like a living tide.

The warriors from the Ice and Fire Clans wore wide, almost disbelieving smiles. The Fire warriors had already begun to admire Max’s strength. No one had truly believed he could pull this off, yet here he was, leading an ambush against two giant empires as if he had been born for it.

Deep down, many of them understood that if he could keep conquering like this, Voidstar would one day rise from a kingdom into an empire of its own. And they, the first men to help build it, would be the ones to benefit most.

Marcus and William led the twenty warriors of the Ice Clan. They knew they were nothing compared to the larger force beside them, yet to them, this felt more thrilling than anything Henry had ever offered.

By now, William had fully accepted Max as his leader. He no longer cared that Max was human, nor that he was the one who had taken Rosalia’s heart. Now, William wanted power too. The thought of rising from a hidden tribe with barely any warriors into a kingdom bold enough to challenge empires made his blood boil with savage excitement.

And despite the hatred carved deep into both clans’ blood, the two forces were actually working together under Max’s rule.

But the Wind Clan warriors wore ugly, terrified expressions. Max’s power had not merely shattered the gates. It had begun eating through the defensive wall itself, spreading like poison, devouring stone and mana alike until whole sections collapsed into rubble.

Alarm bells rose loud across the capital. Max had expected that much. No attack on a capital would ever happen without noise.

He was prepared.

Using void magic, he forced his plunge to halt before his body could smash into the ground. Darkness coiled around him, slowing his fall until he landed in a low crouch before the giant palace.

He stood there alone.

Guards rushed in from every direction to surround him, their faces full of confusion and fear. He had appeared out of nowhere, completely exposing their people to danger. What terrified them even more was the army now crashing in behind him like a black wave. Their strongest warriors had already been sent away to fight the human devil.

So how was the devil himself standing here?

How was the human who wielded magic as dark as the night suddenly at the heart of their capital?

Realization hit them all at once. Panic twisted their faces into rage, and they charged him with their weapons raised.

"Goodnight..." Max snapped his fingers.

Darkness exploded from him like a tsunami.

In the next instant, mana was stripped from the capital in a massive pulse, ripping the strength from warriors and civilians alike. Bodies collapsed in confusion. Guards dropped mid-charge, their weapons slipping from numb fingers as they crashed onto the streets. The alarms continued ringing, but the men beneath them had already fallen.

The warriors rushing into the capital did not know whether to laugh or cry. They had prepared themselves for battle, yet Max alone had crushed the city’s first line of resistance in a single breath. This monstrous strength was beyond anything they had ever dared imagine wielding.

"Clean the city up," Max ordered, his face cold and composed. "Gather all the people, tie them up, and force them into submission. No matter what."

Outwardly he looked calm, but inside, caution gnawed at him.

Something was wrong.

The wind rose sharply around him, coming from the direction of the palace. No... not something.

Someone.

The first gust hit like a blade. It screamed past his cheek and carved a clean cut across his void armor, the air itself sharpened to a killing edge. Another followed from below, exploding upward like an invisible spear and forcing Max to leap back. The cobblestones where he had stood split apart, shredded by compressed wind.

Then the entire square trembled.

A violent current descended from above. Wind twisted into spiraling arcs around the palace spires.

In the next second, a figure flew out from the palace heights.

It was the silhouette of an old man, yet there was nothing frail about him. His wings were vast and green. Wild currents coiled around his body in rings, making him appear less like a man and more like the eye of a living tempest.

His long green hair was thrown back by the gale, his robes thrashing violently, while his eyes burned with ancient authority. Every flap of his wings sent slicing currents through the air, carving deep grooves into the ground below.

"The old emperor!" The Wind Clan warriors cried out, their faces filling with guilt, shock, and desperate hope.

None of them dared stop to kneel with Max still present. Their families remained at his mercy, and if they rebelled now, they feared he would slaughter them without hesitation. Yet hope still rose in their chests. If the old emperor could defeat Max, then perhaps the tide would finally turn. Perhaps they could still be free.

"Who dares invade my son’s empire?" The old man roared, his voice aged, yet thunderously powerful. "Who dares harm the people of the Wind Dragon Clan?!"

The moment he spoke, the winds answered.

Dozens of compressed blades of air screamed toward Max from every angle. They struck his void armor in rapid succession, splashing sparks of darkness into the air and forcing him back across the ruined square.

Max narrowed his eyes.

This old monster was powerful. Far too powerful. He could tell it instantly. This man was stronger than Thor.

While Max had expected someone formidable to remain behind, he had never imagined a warrior on an emperor’s level would be waiting here.

The old emperor did not stop.

With a savage sweep of his arm, the wind above the capital folded inward and crashed down like an unseen mountain. Buildings shuddered. Roof tiles were ripped away. Warriors from both sides had to dig their feet into the earth just to avoid being flung aside.

Max crossed his arms and summoned more void around himself, but even then the gale shoved him backward several steps, grinding his boots against stone.

He summoned his void blade, the air around it warping violently.

The ancestral Ice Beast reacted at once, understanding his intent. With a furious cry, it dove from above to collect him, frost spilling from its wings as it cut through the raging winds.

From afar, both women felt their bodies shiver. The man hanging in the sky above the capital was no ordinary ruler. He was a name known in whispers and legends alike.

The Emperor Baldric.

"Isn’t he supposed to be dead?" Rosalia’s face went pale. She had heard stories that he was even stronger than her grandfather.

"It seems the Wind Empire hid its strength well..." Agnia bit down on her upper lip. She had believed this would go far more smoothly, yet the sudden appearance of such a monster had flipped the entire situation on its head.