The dim, cavernous room was thick with unspoken power and subtle tension. A single, heavy wooden table dominated the space, around it, sat the key figures under Sunny.

​Sunny occupied the head seat, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, taking in every subtle shift in the room.

​Seated before him were his inner circle: Nioh, the three-eyed general; Blood Eye and Nicolas, humans whose loyalty had been forged in blood; Star, whose Beastify transformation had added a layer of wild, unpredictable strength; Jinx, the restless, a half-Xenon, and half-dragon race; Lola, the Queen of the Three-Eyed Nation; and Eve, the composed, noble figure from the Dragon race.

​Also present were Josephine. Gioh, the Dwarves' King, his arms crossed; and the new, somewhat nervous guest, Queen Hazel of the Phoenix nation.

​"I see everyone is here," Sunny began, his voice calm, the perfect blend of authority and invitation. He paused, letting his gaze settle on Hazel.

"Before we begin the main agenda, why don't we get to know our new guest?"

​Hazel straightened, trying to project the confidence of a Queen while her heart hammered with desperation. "Greetings, everyone. I will go straight to the point." Her voice was slightly strained.

"I am here to request an Alliance with God Wolf, the Three-Eyed Nation, and the Dwarves' Nation. And... I also want to ask for help."

​"We aren't in any alliance, Queen Hazel," Gioh stated flatly, his arms remaining crossed. His bluntness confused Hazel, who blinked, taken aback.

​"I don't understand," she admitted, her facade slipping.

​"It's simple, Your Majesty," Lola explained, her tone measured and calm.

"We are already under God Wolf's banner. Our nations still operate as they always have, and we hold our thrones, but the main ruler is him."

​Hazel blinked again, her mind racing. 'Two whole nations already surrendered to God wolf? With all their resources and troops?'

She stared at Sunny, the realization of his hidden political reach chilling her.

​"So," she asked, swallowing her pride, "I will have to completely surrender my nation's control before you can help me?"

​Sunny simply nodded, his decision absolute. He wasn't negotiating.

​"Don't worry, Queen Hazel," he said, sensing her inner turmoil. "You will still be the Queen. Your nation will be under my flag—but not yet."

​"Not yet? Why?" Hazel asked, intrigued.

​"I seek balance," Sunny said, resting both hands on the table, leaning forward slightly. His expression was serious.

"The entire nations needs to be under my control before I make this consolidation public. That way, when the greater war comes, all my people will be safe, united under a single, unassailable defense."

​He leaned back. "So, decide. You either sign the Blood Alliance—a vow of loyalty and commitment—or, well, you know the way out. There's no pressure."

​Hazel's silence was heavy. 'The Wendigos have set their sight on the Phoenix nation. If I don't find a powerful backer, they will crush my cities and slaughter my people.'

She knew the Humans and Elves would stand by, watching her soldiers bleed, hoping to exploit the power vacuum.

'But God Wolf—is a confirmed God-rank warrior. He is my only hope.'

​She scanned the room, noticing the absolute confidence in the faces of his subordinates—the loyalty of the Dwarf King, and the Three-Eyed Queen.

​"When you decide to reveal your true status," she finally asked, her eyes fixed on Sunny, "will you take the seat from us?"

​"There is no 'us' yet," Sunny corrected gently, "but to answer your question: I won't take your throne. The rule is rightfully yours. You don't have to donate resources to my nation. You just need to be ready to commit 100% of your troops when needed and follow my strategic instructions. That's all."

​"Very well," Hazel said, her decision made. The safety of her people outweighed her crown. "As long as you will help me against the Wendigos and protect my people, I agree to this."

​Sunny nodded, snapping his fingers. A scroll of ancient, dark parchment appeared and drifted toward Hazel.

​"This is the Blood Alliance," Sunny confirmed. "Sign it with your blood. It ensures complete, unyielding fealty. If you betray me... well, I think you know the consequence."

​Hazel hesitated, a shiver running down her spine. The weight of eternal commitment was immense, but the threat to her nation was immediate. She drew a knife from her storage, cut open her palm without flinching, and placed it onto the scroll. It flared, shattered into particles, and absorbed into both her and Sunny.

​"Done," Sunny smiled, a genuine expression of welcome that eased the tension. "Welcome to the family."

​"Welcome," the others chorused, their voices a unified blend of races and species.

'Why does it feel like I've joined a cult?'

Hazel thought, a faint flicker of humor in her relief, unaware that her thought was perfectly audible to their new supreme ruler.

​"Now, tell me, Queen Hazel," Sunny asked, "what trouble are you in?"

​"I have received intelligence that five hundred thousand Wendigos will be attacking my capital, two days from now," Hazel explained, urgency returning to her voice.

"I don't have time to prepare, and my main troops are far away. If the capital falls, everything will be ruined. There are more than one million Phoenix lives there."

​"What's the total number of your standing troops?" Sunny asked, already formulating a defense.

​"Seven hundred thousand, mostly high-level fighters but not many powerful warriors," she answered. "Oh... and we also have three hundred thousand Mercenaries, all Elite Class."

​'The Elves' nation is using their trade system to maintain power balance.' Sunny mused inwardly.

'They keep the truly formidable Grand Class Mercenaries under their command, only selling Elite Class and below to the other nations to keep everyone in check.' His lips curled in a subtle, confident smile.

'Thank goodness the System allows me to continuously create Mercenaries. Currently, I have over five billion Grand Class Mercenaries, strong enough to neutralize even the Star Nation.'

​He suppressed a fleeting memory of a certain weapon he should have destroyed before leaving:

'Back then, I don't even know that weapon existed, if my memories haven't fully recovered, I won't have ever known such a thing is behind the star nation. No matter. Back then, I was only thinking of survival. Now, I think of dominance.'

​Sunny exhaled and nodded, his decision instantaneous. "Okay. I will give you five million Mercenaries. They'll be Grand Class, and they'll help you win this war. Tell me the results immediately, or if anything unexpected happens, let me know."

​"Five million!" Hazel gasped, leaping to her feet, her Queenly decorum forgotten in a wave of profound relief and gratitude.

"Thank you so much, God Wolf! You just saved the lives of millions of phoenixes!" She bowed deeply, a gesture reserved only for a savior.

​"Okay. Okay. No need to be so formal, Queen Hazel. Please, sit down," Sunny said warmly.

​"Yes!" She nodded, settling back into her seat, a genuine, radiant smile finally replacing her fear-wrought expression. Her people were safe.

​"Now," Sunny said, turning his focused attention to Nioh.

"Let's get to business."

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