The great hall of the Azure Dragon Clan, an assembly of the clan's mightiest warriors, was heavy with an air of anticipation. The doors swung open to reveal Torra Zhen, the Patriarch of the Ancient White Tiger Clan. A mountain of a man with sharp, unwavering golden eyes, his very presence commanded attention. The pressure of his aura caused even the most seasoned warriors to tense. His arrival had been announced long before he reached the clan's heart, as the movements of a White Tiger are known unless they are meant to be a secret.
Seated on a grand throne of carved obsidian, Shin Rai chuckled and rose to greet his equal. "Torra Zhen, you old beast. You certainly know how to make an entrance."
Torra smirked and stepped forward. The two patriarchs clasped forearms, and the simple motion released a shockwave that rattled the great hall. "I had to see if your bones still had some strength left in them," Torra replied, his voice a rumbling thunder.
Laughter filled the hall, but everyone knew this was more than a simple visit. The air grew heavy as Shin Rai gestured to the assembled warriors. "You've come at an opportune time. I was about to announce a decision that will change the course of this era."
Torra nodded and stepped forward. "Then allow me to stand beside you as we declare it."
The hall fell into an absolute silence.
Shin Rai's voice boomed. "From this day forth, the Azure Dragon Clan and the Ancient White Tiger Clan will stand as one with the Phoenix Cry Empire. We will no longer act as separate forces in this Great Collapse but move with purpose, forging a path that no power can deny."
Torra Zhen stepped forward, his voice equally powerful. "Our clans have stood independent for generations, bowing to no one. This is not submission—it is strategy. We will not be caught in the schemes of the lesser sects nor torn apart by petty politics. This is an alliance of strength, forged by warriors, for warriors."
A murmur of shock rippled through the gathered elite. A true alliance between these three great forces was unheard of.
Shin Rai turned his gaze toward his son. "To prove this alliance is real, Raikai and Shinryu will return with Xue Mor to the Phoenix Cry Empire. Let them be the living proof that our forces move as one."
Torra Zhen added, "And in preparation for the coming chaos, we will send the next generation's strongest warriors to train within the Death Nights. There, the true monsters will be forged."
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
The Death Nights—a place only the most fearless dared to tread. A battlefield hidden in the shadows, where survival meant more than just skill. It meant becoming something more than human.
Shin Rai smirked, watching the crowd absorb the weight of their words. "The weak will fall. The strong will rise. And our alliance will shape the fate of the Mortal Realm."
Outside the Hall…
As the meeting ended, Xue Mor, Raikai, and Shinryu stood beneath the night sky, the reality of their next steps sinking in.
Raikai stretched, cracking his neck. "Death Nights, huh? Sounds like fun."
Xue Mor rolled her eyes. "You think everything sounds like fun."
Shinryu, arms crossed, watched the stars above. "It won't be easy. The Death Nights will push us further than anything before."
Xue Mor smirked. "Then we'll just have to prove why we're the ones leading this generation."
Raikai grinned. "Heh. Now that, I can agree with."
The night wind howled, carrying their silent promise into the unknown.
The path ahead would be brutal. But they were ready.