The giant vortex remained still, silently releasing a wind current that carried a different smell from the other side.

  Focused gazes fell on it as the ground rumbled from the steps of the dragons, coming toward them after the disturbance had settled.

  Everyone gathered behind Orion, except the Remnants.

  With firm gazes, they stared at his back.

  "Orion."

  Henrietta, still next to Tetra, called his name.

  As his eyes settled on her, she let go of the words weighing on her.

  "Please save them."

  Nothing else needed to be said for him to understand her request.

  Giving her a firm nod, Orion looked forward.

  "I'll have the Valkyries find peace. Their souls will return to this world."

  Taking his first step forward, he approached the massive opening.

  The women of the group all exchanged a glance before nodding at each other.

  Amelia took the first step and joined him. Following right after, Karteira took his other side.

  Tetra and May, slightly behind, paced themselves to catch up with them.

  Flying overhead, Senia, Olivia, Mia, and Nia all joined the group and hovered freely above Orion.

  Lastly, Deveralna, her sharp eyes locked on her husband's back, slithered in his direction at an increased pace.

  As Orion arrived in front of the entrance, he turned his waist slightly.

  "Let's move."

  Those words were dedicated to those who were to accompany him to this unexplored land, whom no one ever dared to try finding.

  Elliott clenched Vanitas in his right hand with tension filling his mind. This was a rare emotion that he ever so rarely felt.

  But since befriending Orion, his heart has learned to accept those feelings.

  A hand grabbed his left hand, lifting it to chest height.

  With a smile, Layla covered his hand with both of hers.

  "Don't worry. We'll definitely bring those emotions to rest."

  "..."

  Having someone who understood him felt strange to Elliott. It was different from what had happened with Miasma.

  His gaze moved to his father, who made himself barely noticeable behind him. After glancing back at his companion, he nodded firmly.

  "You're right."

  With the sword of his mother in hand, Elliott took the first step forward. But just after a few steps, he stopped and turned around.

  "Follow me, father. You will witness it all, right?"

  "Yes."

  Blanc closed his eyes as he joined his son's side, still doubtful about his circumstances.

  But he was past the act of doubting. All he could do was bear witness to the fulfillment of Orion's promise.

  At the same time, right after Orion asked everyone to join him, Olivia turned her head to the left.

  Her piercing demonic gaze fell on her subordinates, who rushed in their direction the instant they obtained the unspoken order.

  Only one maid stayed behind, doubting herself.

  Celeste, staring at the ground in hesitation, stood motionless as the other maids left and joined their masters.

  "What is on your mind?"

  A proud beastman, tall and handsome, walked beside her while looking forward.

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  His striking black hair covered his forehead in strands, blown by the wind coming out of the vortex.

  Turning her face toward him, Celeste smiled helplessly.

  "Am I good enough to join them? Won't I be a bother?"

  "If you are doubting my observations, which are the same as his, wouldn't it be an insult to us?"

  Her face showed panic as a bead of sweat formed on her temple.

  "I... didn't mean to be rude. You've been very patient with me, and I'm grateful."

  "You have both been an incredible help."

  Nylon smiled lightly while glancing at her.

  "Then it's settled. Stop torturing your mind and act. Aren't you a proud beastman, recognized by all of us?"

  A warm wave of emotion traveled through her body, causing her goosebumps.

  The proud ways of the beastman. She had been strongly taught them by Nylon. Under no circumstances would she ever forget them, even while hesitating.

  "Always hunt your prey, relentlessly and efficiently."

  "Those who hurt your family..."

  Nylon finished her sentence, making it seem as though they were of one heart.

  "Will pay with their blood."

  They smiled at each other earnestly. The bond between them was strong, and they were slowly becoming aware of it.

  Rapidly, they joined the other and waited for Orion to enter the portal.

  On the side, with a large crate in front of her, Stella prepared to join the group.

  She had everything ready to help everyone during their invasion.

  What was inside the crate was carefully tucked in, still unrevealed to the concerned people. What was certain was that whatever was inside was enough to turn any battle around straight away.

  Lastly.

  The dragons, waiting on the right side, waited patiently to join them. Lucensia, Tenebrisis, and Libranil expelled a massive cloud of smoke from their nostrils, displaying their nature to the whole world.

  All three were excited to support Orion and his companions.

  But, out of the ones who should have stayed behind, a surprising soul joined Orion's side.

  "..."

  Glancing at the woman, Orion frowned.

  "What is it?"

  "Weren't you supposed to stay here?"

  "Titania?"

  The master of 'Life' and 'Death' smiled while grabbing the brilliant sword in her left hand strongly.

  "I am coming with you."

  "Before being a woman, I was a warrior."

  "For me to relinquish this life, I need to bring peace to my mother."

  "Only then, I will leave my regrets behind."

  This somehow made Orion even more perplexed, but ultimately, he smiled and nodded.

  "We have many strong women around here. Knowing that you're with us is always welcome. I won't refuse more help."

  "But promise me..."

  His face turned dark as he pressured her with just his eyes.

  "Do not throw your life away."

  "No more sacrifices."

  She showed no sign of being pressured and, instead, lightly moved her head up and down.

  "I had no plans to do that."

  Orion's expression returned to his neutral one, and with a stern face, focused forward.

  "Good. We have enough with me."

  Hearing that, Amelia punched his left shoulder.

  "Hey!"

  "Hahaha~"

  Lifting the mood with what appeared to be a joke, Orion made everyone smile. With the tension slightly lifted, he moved his hand toward the rift.

  "..."

  His hand entered the vortex, sinking deeper into the formless breach in the fabric of space-time.

  As he took one step inside, he felt the surrounding energy.

  "!"

  But suddenly, a strong force pulled the parts that had entered.

  "Shit!"

  Orion tried to control the vortex, but its perfectly concealed critical state attained its greatest intensity.

  "Everyone who isn't part of this, run away!"

  The vortex began to devour Orion as he spoke.

  "Flee! As far as you can-"

  Horrified by his expression and the actual events, the women standing behind him watched as the vortex grew more by the second.

  But one thing was certain.

  They would never let Orion disappear ever again.

  "We're coming for you!"

  The Agathion family jumped into the breach. Stella picked up the crate and threw it into it, fearing for the worst scenario. Right after, she also jumped inside.

  Everyone concerned joined the group, while the Remnants followed Orion's last order.

  As they ran away, they watched as the vortex grew exponentially.

  The dragons entered the portal, devoured in just a second, as if they were never here to begin with.

  As the dark space stretched endlessly and quickly caught up to the fleeing Remnants, Kelsea tripped on a rock.

  "Kelsea!"

  Chelsea turned around and picked up her sister, but it was too late.

  "No-"

  "I'm sor-"

  Both vanished into the vortex.

  "Damn it!"

  Refusing to let them disappear, Keleanos turned around and willfully let the vortex swallow him whole.

  "I knew I felt something bad would happen."

  Heto gritted his teeth as he watched Henrietta stop in her tracks.

  "There is no escape, I see."

  Amelia's mother smiled dryly as the darkness devoured her.

  Moments later, Heto also vanished from Horizon, leaving no one left.

  After a few more seconds, the vortex attained criticality and collapsed on itself, destroying the path back to Horizon.

  ***

  Ejected violently from a breach, Orion began to free-fall with no sense of orientation.

  "Shit! Where am I?!"

  He flapped his wings, trying to recover his center of gravity.

  After a few seconds, he managed to do so and frantically looked around him.

  *ROAR*

  Hearing a familiar sound, Orion looked up, only to see the same thing happening to Libranil.

  As he looked carefully, he noticed a handful of people being thrown out of seemingly nowhere.

  "Where are you?!"

  "Grab onto me!"

  Tetra fell down the sky, trying to catch the hand of a blonde woman, both unable to recover their stability.

  Seeing this, Orion immediately leaped upward to catch the two women falling rapidly.

  His path crossed the falling dragon. Just as he moved inches from it, Orion's vision slowed down drastically.

  Stretching his right arm, he grabbed Libranil's massive claw and pushed it in the same direction he was going toward, suppressing the force that was disorienting the dragon's senses.

  Libranil recovered before flapping its wings wildly.

  With his help, she managed to take flight and stabilize into the air.

  Seeing his success, Orion didn't hesitate a single instant. He ignored the dragon and focused on the two still falling.

  Tetra had managed to grab Henrietta's hand and pull her closer to her chest. The speed at which they were falling forced Tetra to hide her face.

  "I got you!"

  Feeling the intense pressure disappear, they both opened their eyes.

  "Orion!"

  Surprised, Tetra looked ready to burst into tears.

  Even Henrietta felt relieved to see his face, as she wasn't supposed to cross the threshold of the breach.

  "!"

  But, as all of this went down, another person fell past him.

  For a brief moment, time slowed down for Orion as Marie plunged head first right next to him, clenching her chest with both hands.

  Feeling a dreadful feeling, he felt overwhelmed by the situation.

  The gears in his head worked beyond the usual speed, trying to find a solution to his predicament.

  "..."

  Turning his head to the white and black dragon, Orion frowned. He looked at the two women he was helping and made a difficult decision.

  "Tetra, hold on to her for dear life."

  "I get it!"

  Hugging Henrietta even tighter, she braced herself.

  "Orion?!"

  Before she could ask anything, Orion pushed them toward Libranil.

  "Help them, Libranil!"

  Right after, Orion inverted his position and faced downward. He activated the last 'Gear' available to him and pushed both feet on an invisible platform.

  The sound barrier-shattering blast that ensued made Orion drop at an unprecedented speed, closing the distance with Marie.

  But what appeared to be the ground also came on fast. There was very little time to save her.

  His wings tightly packed against his body, he fell like a meteor.

  As a last resort, he opened them wide before creating one last impulsion to boost himself.

  'Reach!'

  Extending his hand, he was close to grabbing her.

  Marie noticed him and also extended her hand in an attempt to be rescued.

  As their index fingers touched, a few seconds remained before touching the hard surface below them.

  *CLASP*

  The instant Orion grabbed her hand, he pulled with everything he had, pulled her into his arms, and braced himself.

  With one last attempt to save himself and Marie, his wings, the 'Gear', and the 'Overdrive' worked to save them.

  *SPLASH*

  At the very last instant, Orion managed to stop his descent. The shockwave caused by his abrupt stop caused a massive crater on the water's surface, rapidly filling itself again.

  Libranil simultaneously crashed next to him, right into the water. It was a softer landing than what Orion and Marie went through.

  "Orion! Are you alright?"

  Tightly holding on Libranil's back scales, Tetra shouted. Henrietta seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as their nightmarish entrance finally came to a finale.

  "Where... are we?"

  Recovering her senses, Marie looked in front of her.

  "I don't know."

  Orion stared in disbelief as a radiant sky and an endless sea stretched in front of them.

  But something was even more shocking.

  "..."

  A city, lighting the depth of the sea, rested in front of them.

  'Where have we landed?!'

  The beginning of the 'Celestial War' began that very day, as the group split apart and crashed in various areas of the planet.