The sun rose over the Weeping Expanse —
not with warmth,
but with the cold light of coming war.
The Heartland Citadel stood taller now.
New walls gleamed under the broken sky, repaired with multiplied stone and fortified with Sovereign runes.
The cracked crown banner snapped in the fierce morning wind.
And the Sovereign Bastion was born.
[System Notification]
[First Phase of Sovereign Fortress Completed: Sovereign Bastion (Level 1).]
[Defensive Strength: 63%.]
[Siege Resistance: 120% compared to standard fortresses.]
[Morale Boost Active: +25% to All Defenders.]
Kaelen stood atop the newly rebuilt eastern tower, Sovereignblade Astryn across his back.
He stared out at the distant horizon.
He could feel it.
Armies gathering.
Enemies sharpening their blades.
A storm rising.
And he smiled.
Gathering the Pathbreakers
The core Pathbreakers assembled in the Heartland's courtyard.
Their armor was mismatched.
Their weapons were rough-forged.
Their faces were tired.
But their eyes burned.
They were no longer simply a guild.
They were the heart of a nation.
The Naming
Kaelen stepped forward, his voice carrying across the courtyard.
"You followed me when the world mocked us."
"You stood when kings ordered us to kneel."
"Now, we stand not for revenge."
"Not for hatred."
"But for a future no one else dared to dream."
He drew Astryn and drove the blade into the stone at his feet.
The cracked-crown sigil blazed across the rising walls.
"From this day forward," he said, voice fierce and unshakable,
"you are the First Sovereign Vanguard."
[System Notification]
[First Sovereign Army Founded: Sovereign Vanguard.]
[Effect:
Combat Morale Boost +30%.
Loyalty Bond Strengthened.
Pathfinder System Unlocked (Grants small buffs when forging into unknown lands).]
The Sovereign Vanguard
Eren became the Warchief, leading the vanguard strike forces.
Mira became the Huntmistress, commanding scouts and long-range attacks.
Selina became the Heartwarden, protector of life and healer of the wounded.
Damon became the Ironwall Commander, defending the Bastion gates.
Lyra became the Windblade, master of aerial support and surveillance.
And at the center of it all,
stood Kaelen.
The Sovereign Commander.
The dream that began in dirt and blood had taken root.
And now it would bloom —
fed by loyalty, sacrifice, and iron will.
Meanwhile — Marching Armies
Across the eastern plains, dust rose like a second sun.
Hundreds of mercenaries.
Royal Hunter Squads.
Guild mages.
All marching under black banners.
All coming for the Heartland Citadel.
The first Sovereign War had begun.
And the world would soon learn:
That titles meant nothing without will.
That armies meant nothing without purpose.
That against true Sovereigns,
the old world would break.
Back at Heartland Citadel
Kaelen finished inspecting the defenses.
Archery towers lined the walls.
Reinforced gates were set.
Emergency evacuation tunnels mapped.
Traps and runic mines buried beneath the fields.
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't polished.
But it was enough.
Because Sovereigns didn't rely on perfection.
They relied on resolve.
Kaelen placed a hand over his cracked-crown sigil.
"Let them come."
"This Bastion will not fall."
"This dream will not break."
Above the fortress,
the morning wind carried the Pathbreaker banners high.
And in that broken sky,
the future of a world
began to beat louder than ever before.