He held up the [Heart of Azureus]. It pulsed with a terrifying blue light.
"To the Syndicate: Your experiment is over. Your data is corrupted. Your assets are liquidated."
He looked directly at the lens, as if staring into the soul of every enemy commander.
"To the Dragon King: You want a throne? Come and take it. But bring a shovel, because you will need to dig your own grave."
Alvian's voice dropped, becoming a whisper that thundered through the water.
"The vacation is over. I am back. And rent is due."
He cut the feed.
The city exploded into sound. Cheers from the survivors. Roars of rage from the invaders. The line had been drawn in the sand, and Alvian stood on the other side, daring the world to cross it.
Deep within the Abyssal Trench, miles below the floating city of Azureus, the darkness was absolute. The water pressure here was enough to turn steel into paste, a crushing weight that preserved the silence of the grave.
But the silence was broken.
