The rumors spread everywhere: "Frozenfire is moving." The Frozenfire forces were expanding, conquering the northern border in just fifteen hours without rest.
Riureas sat at his study table, filled with frustration and anger as he heard the rumors. He realized that if they didn't save Crystella and find Yullues quickly, Dusk-land could fall into Frozenfire's hands.
The situation had changed. Earlier, their only plan was to find Yullues and Crystella. Now, they had to do much more.
Riureas understood that his world was no longer in his control—he had to act. Then an idea came to him: an alliance. He would unite Dusk-land, Hydromenia—the city of water—and the Four Witches. Together, they could form a new kingdom strong enough to resist any threat, whether from Frozenfire or the Gotnovaric Empire.
"Clara!" Riureas called out.
"Yes?" Clara appeared instantly, teleporting into the room.
"Go to the kingdom of Hydromenia and read this scroll to them. It's a treaty." He handed her a ten-inch scroll containing an important message.
Clara nodded and vanished.
"Now that's settled… Elra!" Riureas called again.
"Yes?" Elra was already beside him.
"Come with me. We need to go to the government office and speak with the leaders." Without waiting, Riureas left the room, and Elra followed closely.
Meanwhile, in the government office, Vellia was drinking coffee.
Riureas burst through the door with full force.
"What are you doing, just sitting around?!" he shouted, his expression filled with fury.
"I'm sorry, what?" Vellia asked, setting her coffee aside.
"Listen, let's discuss this plan," Riureas said, his tone softening into a calm determination.
Moments later…
"So you're saying that by creating an alliance between two kingdoms, you can solve this problem against Frozenfire?" Vellia asked, sipping more coffee.
"You know, drinking so much coffee will kill you," Riureas replied bluntly. "But yes—this federation I'm planning will be permanent. Is that acceptable?"
"Federation, hmm…" Vellia thought for a moment. "Alright. I'll bring this to the highest officials, and it will be done—"
"Don't worry," Riureas interrupted with a mischievous smirk. "I'll make them follow me soon enough."
Suddenly, Clara teleported back into the room.
"Report! Elizabeth has agreed. Hydromenia will join us as part of the new federation," she said proudly.
"Whoa! That quickly? You already secured the alliance with Hydromenia?" Vellia asked in shock.
Clara declared firmly, "He is the author, and he will remain the author. Whoever dares to oppose him will fall."
"Now it's our time to leave," Riureas said. "By tomorrow, the new federation will rise." He and his companions left.
Vellia sighed in relief.
The next day, Elizabeth of Hydromenia and Vellia, representing the government, stood before the gathered crowd. The signing of the Novelista Treaty had begun.
Riureas stood in the center, flanked by Vellia and Elizabeth, as the ceremony commenced.
The hall echoed with the sound of quills scratching parchment as the last agreements were written. The leaders stood tall, their voices steady but carrying the weight of history.
Elizabeth: "Hydromenia accepts the terms. Our rivers shall feed your armies, our fleets shall guard the seas. In return, we claim our seat in the council of the federation."
Riureas: "Dusk-land stands firm. Our forges and soldiers are yours, our borders your shield. In return, we demand that every kingdom sworn to the treaty shall come to our aid when war calls."
Vellia: "Then let it be so. The Witches shall bring their wisdom, their spellcraft, and their wards to protect the realms. But know this—our magic will serve not one crown, but the balance of all."
For a moment, the three leaders exchanged glances—no hostility, no rivalry, only the gravity of what was about to be born.
Vellia raised her hand, and with a gesture, the scroll of the treaty floated into the air, glowing with runes of binding.
Vellia: "From this day forth, let it be known across every land: the Novelista Federation is founded. An alliance of kingdoms, bound by oath and by need, to stand against any darkness that threatens our world."
Elizabeth placed her hand over the glowing scroll.
Elizabeth: "For Hydromenia, I swear."
Riureas stepped forward, his hand joining hers.
Riureas: "For Dusk-land, I swear."
Finally, Vellia touched the scroll, her voice firm and clear.
Vellia: "For the Witches, I swear."
The runes flared brilliantly, casting light across the entire hall. The treaty sealed itself, becoming more than words—becoming law, binding kingdom to kingdom, and future to future.
Outside, the gathered crowd erupted in cheers as heralds announced the birth of the Novelista Federation. Flags were raised, bells were rung, and hope spread like fire through the streets.
Riureas stood between Elizabeth and Vellia, his voice carrying over the celebration.
Riureas: "Let this day be remembered. Not as the day we feared Frozenfire, nor the Gotnovaric Empire—but as the day we chose unity. From this moment, we rise together as the Novelista Federation!"
Elra and Clara stood besides Riureas, as the ceremony continued, more plans have been declared.
Riureas stepped forward one last time, his voice echoing through the great hall.
Riureas: "This new kingdom shall not be divided. My servants will see to it that every citizen of both our states is evacuated to safety. Tomorrow is the day we rise—the day we fight, and the day we eliminate every single one of our enemies."
With that declaration, he closed the ceremony. The crowd bowed, the leaders departed, and the hall slowly emptied—yet the weight of his words lingered, heavy with promise and with dread.
The Novelista Federation had been born in unity. Tomorrow, it would be baptized in war.
The ground trembled beneath the march of Frozenfire's army—four hundred thousand knights advancing in unbroken formation. Their banners, black and crimson, rippled like a storm on the horizon.
From the high cliffs overlooking the valley, Riureas, Elizabeth, and Vellia stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the endless tide of steel.
Elizabeth whispered, almost in awe, "So many… an ocean of soldiers."
Riureas' gaze sharpened. "Numbers mean nothing if they cannot see what waits for them."
Below the cliff, hidden among the forests and rocks, the armies of the Novelista Federation lay in silence. Dusk-land's steel-clad legions, Hydromenia's naval infantry, and the covens of the Witches waited in perfect stillness, ready for the signal.
Vellia raised her hand, the faint glow of runes gathering around her palm. "The moment they enter the valley, we strike. They will not leave it alive."
The enemy continued its relentless march, unaware of the trap closing around them.
Riureas' cloak billowed in the wind as he spoke, his voice calm but edged with fire.
Riureas: "Let the world remember this day—not as the day Frozenfire marched, but as the day Frozenfire fell."
The cliff fell silent again, the leaders waiting, as the enemy stepped closer and closer into the jaws of the ambush.
The signal was given.
Riureas vanished in a flash of light, reappearing high above the battlefield. He floated against the night sky, the full moon rising behind him like a crown of silver fire.
Stretching out his hands, he began to weave ancient runes, the air itself trembling beneath his power. Shadows gathered, swirling into a storm that blotted out the stars.
His voice thundered across the valley.
Riureas: "Special skill—Night Middle!"
The heavens split open. A torrent of blazing meteors, wrapped in black flame, rained down upon the earth.
Frozenfire's four hundred thousand knights never had the chance to raise their blades. In an instant, the valley became a furnace—steel shattered, armor melted, and screams were drowned beneath the roar of the falling stars.
When the light finally faded, nothing remained of the great army. Only smoking craters and the silence of death.
From the cliffs, Elizabeth and Vellia watched in stunned silence, their faces lit by the glow of the ruined battlefield.
Elizabeth whispered, barely able to breathe: "He… destroyed them all."
Riureas slowly descended, the moon still shining at his back, his eyes cold and unyielding.
Riureas: "This is the fate of those who dare oppose the Novelista Federation."
As the dust of annihilation still hung in the air, Clara and Elra appeared on the cliff in a flash of light. Elizabeth and Vellia turned as they arrived, their expressions tense.
Elra pressed a hand to the ground, her eyes closing. A shiver ran through her body.
Elra: "…No. This isn't over. I can feel them—more soldiers. Frozenfire has sent more than we imagined. Six hundred thousand… marching this way."
Elizabeth's face drained of color. "Six hundred thousand? After what we just saw? Impossible…"
Vellia clenched her fist, her voice sharp. "So it was only their vanguard. Frozenfire is throwing everything they have."
Clara's eyes narrowed as she looked to the sky, where Riureas still floated beneath the moonlight.
Clara: "Then it's time. He cannot face this storm alone. The Federation must fight."
Elra rose to her feet, determination burning in her eyes.
Elra: "If Riureas unleashed his power, then we must unleash ours as well. This is no longer a single battle—this is war."
The four women stood together, watching as the horizon began to tremble once more, dust clouds rising from the march of an even greater host.
Elizabeth drew her blade, its steel catching the moonlight.
Elizabeth: "Then let us meet them—not as separate kingdoms, but as one Federation."
Vellia lifted her staff, runes sparking to life.
Vellia: "Let the world see what unity can do."
Together, they stepped forward to join Riureas, the leaders of the Novelista Federation preparing to unleash their combined might against the oncoming horde.