The first warning did not come from Nivara, Crymsaria, or Qliphoth.
It came from the sky itself.
An excruciating sound tore through the lower regions of Yggdrasil, so deep that for a moment Vergil had difficulty telling whether he was truly hearing it or feeling it through his bones. It sounded like the impossible combination of a colossal creature roaring, millions of tons of wood snapping at the same time, and some dimensional structure being twisted beyond what it was meant to endure. Reginleif immediately covered her ears, Brynhildr raised her head, and nearly all of the unconscious Valkyries shuddered together.
Above the gigantic crater, Yggdrasil's roots began to move.
