The icy wasteland of Borealis stretched out, a frozen hell that seemed to swallow all warmth.
The winds screamed through the barren expanse, brutal and relentless, choking every breath.
Under the harsh, pale light of the moon, the land appeared ancient, a desolate void of ice and shadow.
Every person present knew the weight of Valdemar's words.
They were a direct, open threat to Divine Drakebane. But they were more than that.
They were Tanqueria's declaration. "We will kill Divine Drakebane."
This was no small threat. It would fracture the balance of power, rip apart the world's fragile order.
A mad, reckless decision, one that could tear everything apart.
Gustov's body ached as he summoned the last of his strength. He rose with urgency in his voice. "Mr. Drakebane, please, wait! I have to speak with Valdemar!"
Robin's fist remained poised, deadly.
Alexander rushed to Robin's side, breathless. "Please, Mr. Ramsey, don't do this. Tanqueria Palace would never make such a mistake."
He steadied Gustov, who wavered on his feet. "General, you must use the Tanqueria War God Token. You alone can stop Valdemar!
"Without it, Tanqueria will be doomed!"
Alexander knew that only Gustov could prevent what was about to unfold.
If Valdemar carried through with his threat and launched a micro-nuke at Robin, it wouldn't just end Divine Drakebane.
It would end everyone here.
It would shatter Tanqueria, leaving it in ruins.
At Tanqueria's borders, the army Eight Great Royal Houses of Draconia were already poised, hungry for a reason to attack.
Their hawkish leaders had never stopped calling for the return of the lost northern lands.
One wrong move, one opening, and the situation would spiral beyond control.
Alexander's voice boomed. "Valdemar, if you don't want to become Tanqueria's greatest traitor, you must stop now!
"The whole world is waiting for Tanqueria to destroy itself.
"The West is already eager for a reason to bring us down.
"If that happens, Tanqueria will be crippled."
Gustov's tone was low, heavy with command. "Valdemar, as Borealis' God of War, I order you to stop."
Valdemar's reply was swift and unwavering. "General Binnion, Tanqueria's humiliation cannot go unpunished!
"You alone cannot defeat Divine Drakebane. You cannot stop this madman from wreaking havoc on our land.
"For Tanqueria's honor, I will bear the burden of guilt if I must."
Robin's dark chuckle cut through the air as he shoved Alexander and Gustov aside."You two think you can play me? Move! I'll kill this bastard today!"
Valdemar's voice cracked with arrogance. "Divine Drakebane, if you surrender now, I'll leave you with a full corpse! This way, we avoid a bigger mess!
"Tanqueria is a warrior nation! We won't take your humiliation!"
Robin's grin widened. He moved toward Valdemar, each step slow and deliberate.
Valdemar reacted instantly, leaping into his armored war vehicle, shouting orders to clear the area.
He was prepping for a strike on Robin, his mind already set on using Tanqueria's latest weapon—a micro-nuke with an absurdly wide blast radius.
It was a gamble, but it bought Robin a precious few seconds.
He waved for Jane and Anthony to follow, and in a flash, they raced toward the war vehicle.
The engine roared to life.
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