When Freya awoke from her dazed state, she struggled to blink. Through her still-blurry vision, the first thing she saw was a blood-red sky. Her vision gradually widened. Along the edge of the heavens hung pillars of smoke soaring into the sky, while clusters of crystals streaked overhead, and now and then a burst of fire lit up the dark eastern horizon.
The light of the stars had already appeared in the sky, scattered and twinkling across the pale-purple heavens in the east.
Every so often, a bright flash exploded in the sky. Perhaps a battleship was firing, or perhaps one was falling. Only then did she make out what was closer: Silver Dragon Lady was looking at her with concern, her left eye tightly shut as silver blood continuously streamed from it.
Freya remained dazed for a moment before finally remembering what had happened. In a hoarse voice, she asked, "Lady Missril, your eye?"
Missril shook her head, indicating that she was fine.
"I'm sorry..." Freya whispered.
"It wasn't your fault," Missril replied. "You did more than well enough."
"Did we succeed?"
Missril nodded seriously.
Freya felt a wave of blissful dizziness. She stared blankly at the golden-red clouds as the light of the setting sun seemed about to set the entire sky ablaze. After a long while, she finally regained enough strength to ask softly, "Did we win?"
"We won part of it," Missril replied.
"Part of it?"
Silver Dragon Lady silently moved aside, allowing Freya to see the scene on the other side of the sky. Above the golden clouds, the center of the battlefield was already calm and clear. The enormous portal had vanished without a trace. Freya stared motionlessly, and white pallor gradually spread across her cheeks.
At some point, a golden flame had been