The four friends walked shoulder-to-shoulder toward the main headquarters. After submitting their official mission reports at the front desk, they headed straight for the training grounds.
There, sitting on a bench and casually scrolling through his mobile phone, was Aditya. Hearing their footsteps, he glanced up, his sharp eyes scanning the group.
"So, the four of you actually made it back ready for hard training," Aditya said, locking his phone.
"Always ready, bro," Leo replied, a grin stretching across his face.
Aditya stood up, his expression a mix of approval and his usual sternness. "Hope, I saw the report. You killed your first Vector. Congrats. And Perry, your metrics show you are improving day by day." Then, his gaze shifted to Miller. "And Miller... once again, you didn't kill a single Vector."
The group burst into laughter, knowing Miller's notoriously laid-back personality. Miller just rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly.
Aditya didn't smile. "I don't recall making a joke," he said flatly, making the group quiet down instantly. But secretly, Aditya was observing Hope. He noticed the bright energy and confidence radiating from him. Look at how happy he is, and how well he carries himself now, Aditya thought to himself. He has completely transformed in just two or three days.
🗺️ The New York Mission Briefing
Aditya called everyone into a huddle, his voice turning dead serious.
"Listen up. Today is November 15th. I have a definitive plan for us. There is an elite group in New York called the NVA. They currently have 19 active special human members. Right now, fifteen of their people were put into a coma by just one of their rogue members, but a 20th member is arriving shortly for a massive meeting. We are going to strike them before they can organize."
He looked at the squad. "Our attack is set for November 19th. The strike team will consist of me, Jenna, and the four of you. You four will be divided into two groups of two. Your objective: neutralize two B-tier threats. Jenna will handle the A-tier threat. And I will personally take down the S-tier."
Jenna, who had been leaning against the wall, crossed her arms and frowned. "Wait a minute, Aditya. You think I can't handle an S-tier?"
Aditya looked her straight in the face without blinking. "Definitely not."
Leo, Perry, Hope, and Miller choked back laughs.
"You bastard!" Jenna snapped, her face flushing with irritation. "I am stronger than you, okay?!"
"In your dreams," Aditya replied smoothly, completely shifting the topic before she could blow a fuse. "Alright, enough talking. We need to train hard for the next four days. Let's see who fights who today."
He pointed at the court. "Match one: Perry versus Leo. Match two: Hope versus Miller. Perry, Leo—you're up first."
⚔️ Sparring Match: Speed vs. Flame
Leo and Perry stepped onto the center of the training field, creating a respectful distance between each other.
Leo didn't waste a single second. He immediately tapped into his core, activating his internal energy. "Let's start this off hot. Fire Path!"
A blazing aura of crimson flames erupted around Leo's fists. But across from him, Perry didn't look worried at all.
"I knew you'd start with that, Leo," Perry said with a confident smirk. "But if you think you can compete with me in speed using that composition, you're already out of the game."
"We'll see about that!" Leo lunged forward.
"Super Flash!" Perry roared.
In a split second, Perry's body blurred into pure light. His speed exploded—moving a massive 1.5x faster than Leo's maximum velocity. Leo's eyes widened in sheer shock as his fiery punch struck nothing but empty air. He struggled to even track Perry's movements.
"Over here!" Perry's voice echoed.
"Volcanic Ball!" Leo spun around, throwing a massive sphere of concentrated fire straight toward the voice.
Clang! With blinding speed, Perry drew his weapon and sliced the Volcanic Ball completely into harmless pieces. Before the embers could even hit the ground, a sudden gust of wind brushed against the back of Leo's neck. Perry had reappeared directly behind him.
"Like I said," Perry whispered playfully, "you really think you can match my competition?"
What followed was a brutal, high-intensity showcase of martial prowess. For 30 grueling minutes, Leo unleashed explosive bursts of fire, trying to trap his opponent, while Perry used his Super Flash velocity to dance around the flames, counter-attacking from every blind spot. Both were sweating heavily, their breaths ragged, pushing their bodies to the absolute limit.
Leo backed away, wiping sweat from his forehead, a fierce determination burning in his eyes. "Alright, Perry... no more games. I'm taking this to the next level. Vector Flux!"
Perry's smirk returned, his own aura flaring violently as he gripped his weapon tight. "Suits me perfectly. I'll use my Vector Flux too. Let's end this fight right here