King Magnar's gaze met Max's next, and for a brief second, the old king gave him a slight, approving nod—acknowledging Max not as a child to protect, but as a warrior standing on the same field.
Then, without wasting another breath, Magnar turned his sharp, commanding eyes toward Nova, the leader of the Sun Faction, who stood idly with his forces, just like the demons—watching, doing nothing.
"So," Magnar said coldly, "you've joined him."
"I did what's best for the human race," Nova replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his expression calm and arrogant as he gestured casually to his unmoving army. Without any shame, he took his forces and positioned them alongside the demons, simply watching the battlefield, waiting like vultures for the chaos to thin the herd.
