The reinforced concrete wall didn't just crack—it pulverized.
In the microseconds before the debris could even clear, Aditya's legendary instincts took over. His veteran reflexes kicked in before his brain could even identify the threat. With a sharp snap of his fingers, his high-tier Flux armor materialized instantly, casting a protective crimson barrier around Jeena and the control consoles.
But before Aditya could step forward to engage, a blur of intense heat cut through the dust cloud.
It was Leo.
Driven by raw adrenaline and a week of relentless practice, Leo executed a flawless, super-speed
Fire Walk
. He moved so fast his silhouette stretched into a line of pure flame, bypassing Aditya entirely. In a single fluid motion, Leo channeled his energy into a condensed blade of thermal Flux and slashed straight through the center of the lunging Calamity Vector.
Schllt!
The massive monster didn't even have time to roar. Its body was cleanly cleaved into two perfect pieces, crashing heavily onto the training floor as the flames cauterized the wound instantly.
Silence returned to the room, save for the sound of Leo breathing heavily, his hands still smoking.
Aditya deactivated his armor, his eyes wide with genuine surprise as he looked at the rookie. "That was incredible, Leo. It was quick, precise, and perfectly executed. That is a very high-ranked movement technique."
Leo wiped the sweat from his forehead, a rare, proud smirk breaking across his face. "Thanks, sir. I've been practicing that move for a very long time."
Aditya nodded approvingly, but his expression quickly returned to its usual iron-clad seriousness. He turned to face the group. "Listen up, trio. There's no time to celebrate. We need to know if this breach was isolated. Go straight to the communications hub and check if there are any active missions available in the
Ice Land Sector
. We cannot leave the country's jurisdiction right now, and the AIEG Head Office in Ice Land will have the answers."
"Yes, sir!" the trio shouted in unison, quickly moving out toward the exit.
Before Hope could step away, Aditya caught his eye. "Do not slack off on your hard training, Hope. We are officially out of time."
Hope gave a determined nod and followed Leo out, leaving the destroyed training hall completely empty.
The Hidden War
Once the heavy steel doors sealed the rookies outside, Jeena stepped out from behind the terminal, her face pale. The sudden attack was over, but the underlying tension in the room was heavier than ever.
"So, Aditya," Jeena murmured, crossing her arms. "What is the real plan here? This wasn't a random monster attack."
Aditya walked over to the shattered wall, looking out into the distance. "Our window is narrowing. We need to go over the archive logs from that specific six-day window back on
November 19, 2023
."
Jeena gasped. "November 2023? But Aditya, that's far too late to fix the roots of this. And what about the current rumors? The Agency... they've started kidnapping children."
"I know," Aditya said, his voice dropping into a dark, dangerous octave. "I contacted James right before Hope and I arrived at the training grounds. Ever since Dustin died, the entire top brass of the Agency has been acting completely illogical. Northern New York is a massive territory, and without a strong, moral leader to hold them back, they've lost their minds. Individually, those high-ranking operatives are incredibly powerful, but they lack a true guiding compass."
Aditya leaned against a cracked pillar. "James gave me one vital piece of intel. Originally, there were 16 elite members running the shadow operations. With Dustin gone, 15 are left. However, four of those core members have been operating outside of New York. But they are all flying back. Every single one of them is converging for a massive summit on
November 20th
."
Jeena's eyes widened as she connected the pieces. "It's a trap... I know exactly what your plan is. You're waiting for all of them to gather in one place so you can eliminate them all at once. But Aditya, are you insane? It's difficult enough to survive a fight against a single high-tier member. Are you absolutely sure about this?"
Aditya let out a cold, sharp laugh. "I'm reckless, Jeena, but I'm not stupid. Who said anything about fighting them all at once? If I try to take them all on together, eliminating even four or five of them would be an absolute nightmare, especially while I'm stretched thin training these rookies."
Jeena blinked, caught off guard. "Oh. Then... what's the alternative?"
Aditya turned back toward her, his eyes flashing with a lethal, unyielding focus.
"I'm going to hunt them down," Aditya whispered. "And I'm going to kill them one by one."