The silence hanging over the Main Fighting Hall was absolute. The magnetic shields slid completely open, letting a massive gust of wind carry away the smoke. The reinforced titanium floor was utterly destroyed, reduced to a hollow crater of concrete and steel.
Every single high officer in the boardroom stood frozen, their eyes wide in complete shock. Even Aditya, usually cold and bored, stared at the ruined arena with wide eyes.
On the sidelines, Leo, Perry, and Miller were speechless. A twenty-foot, B-tier Vector... vaporized to its very last cell in a mere fifteen-second match, Leo thought, his heart hammering against his chest. How did the game turn that fast?
Before the dust could even settle, Jeena had already leaped down into the crater. She caught Hope's slumping, exhausted shoulders just before he hit the ground. Calling in the automated medical drones, she immediately began moving him toward the medical wing for treatment.
Aditya composed himself, adjusted his gear, and walked straight toward the viewing deck where the stunned global board stood.
He looked up at the main officer who had doubted them, a sharp, confident smile playing on his lips. "A star always shines when the time comes, sir," Aditya said flatly.
The main officer narrowed his eyes, recovering from his shock. "Let's see how many times your star can shine, Commander. Because when a star blasts, it tends to destroy everything around it."
"I will remember your words carefully," Aditya replied, his voice dripping with icy confidence. "And in the future, I am certain you will regret them."
Aditya stepped closer, pressing the issue. "So, are you now confident that Hope is fully capable of accompanying me on this mission?"
A second, high-ranking officer stepped forward, nodding slowly. "Yes. It is decided. Hope has proven he is ready and capable for the deployment."
Officer 3 frowned, crossing his arms. "Yes, he is ready. But do not let him engage high-ranked enemies without direct orders."
Aditya gave a respectful nod. "With all due respect, sir, I will properly follow your advice."
"Very well," Officer 3 said, his tone softening slightly. "Wishes for your mission. Defeat all of them and return with good news."
"Thank you for the wishes, sir. We will."
"When do you plan to deploy?" Officer 3 asked.
"We move out in five hours, sir."
The officer raised an eyebrow. "Is the boy truly good to go in five hours after a clash like that?"
"I have already spoken with Jeena," Aditya explained calmly. "She confirmed that while Hope has minor injuries and a severe loss of energy, five hours in the recovery pod will have him fully healed, refilled, and ready for deployment."
The main officer waved his hand, finalizing the paperwork on his digital screen. "Then go and make your tactical plans."
"Yes, sir. Thank you for granting the submission," Aditya said. Turn around, he walked out of the command center and headed straight for the medical wing. Behind him, Leo, Perry, and Miller quickly followed his lead.
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, deep within a subterranean dark zone untouched by the AIEO's scanners, a dark energy flickered.
A low-tier Vector knelt in the shadows, trembling. "King... our B-rank Vanguard Vector has been eliminated."
From the darkness, a massive, imposing silhouette stirred. The Vector King's voice boomed like thunder under the earth. "How? Who killed it, and where?"
"We... we have no idea, my Lord," the creature stammered, sweating profusely. "The energy frequency doesn't match a single recorded operative in the Hero Agency's database."
The Vector King's eyes flashed with a toxic, animalistic light. "Then go back and check again. If you return to me without information next time, your head will end up inside my stomach. Clear?"
"Yes, King! Right away! I will scan their updated global network immediately!" the creature shrieked, scrambling back into the darkness.
Back at the academy's medical hall, the automated doors slid open as Aditya and the three rookies walked in.
Hope was sitting up in the high-tech recovery pod, translucent liquid draining away as the green healing lights faded.
"Are you feeling alright, Hope?" Aditya asked, stepping up to the console.
Hope grinned, stretching his arms. "Yes! I feel great. My energy core is already completely refilled."
Aditya turned his sharp gaze toward Jeena, who was analyzing a holographic floating screen. "Jeena, any idea why Hope's armor color suddenly transformed into pure white?"
Jeena didn't look up from her scanning device, her fingers flying across the keys. "I knew you were going to ask that. I attached a sub-quantum sensor device to his suit before the fight. According to the preliminary data, the color shifted because the core heat density reached an impossibly high frequency. The thermal energy was so hyper-compressed that the orange spectrum completely white-outed. I'm going to run a deeper biochemical research sequence on it."
Aditya stared at the screen, narrowing his eyes. "It seems mysterious... but given time, mysteries automatically solve themselves."
"Exactly. Leave the research to me," Jeena smiled.
Leo suddenly shoved his way forward, his eyes shining with excitement. "Man, that transformation was legendary! The sheer calamity of the flux you released was awesome, Hope!"
Hope puffed out his chest, leaning back in his bed with a smug grin. "Of course it was awesome! A high-user skill requires an awesome user. You guys are too boring, that's why you get attacked. You need to make yourself cool, intelligent, and smart like me."
The medical room erupted into laughter.
Leo rolled his eyes, laughing. "Oh, I see how it is! Next match, I'm going to purposely get injured early just so I can make a dramatic comeback and show off like you!"
"Count me in!" Perry smirked, popping her gum and crossing her arms. "I'm definitely doing the exact same thing next time, Hope."
Hope pointed a finger at Leo, acting like a wise old master. "Remember, Leo, after doing a massive showoff, the power requirements are extreme. Don't faint on me."
"Alright, alright, next time we fight together, we'll see!" Leo laughed.
Miller shook his head, smiling warmly at Hope. "Wow. I have to admit, you are significantly more powerful than the last time we saw you train."
Aditya watched his squad banter for a moment, a rare, genuine smile crossing his face before he snapped back into commander mode. He clapped his hands together, gathering their attention.
"Alright, cut the talk," Aditya commanded, his tone turning sharp and professional. "Get your gears packed and head to the armory. I'm going to finalize the flight arrangements for the mission."
Aditya turned toward the exit, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Next stop... New York.