High atop the jagged, skeletal remains of the Empire State Building, two hundred dark figures perched like silent gargoyles. They overlooked a city that had become a graveyard, their eyes fixed on the distant flickers of movement—a military convoy snaking its way toward New York University.

​At the center of the formation stood the vanguard: Jessica, Nirvana, Andrew, Ethan, and Honky. Unlike the struggling Eagle Academy, which had withered under the planet’s harsh debuffs and relentless attrition, the Sword Academy members radiated a lethal vitality. They had treated the monster-infested streets of New York as a high-octane furnace, burning through the carnage to forge higher levels.

​"Should we follow them?" Andrew asked, his arms crossed over a chest plate scarred by recent combat.

"Hmm...."

​Jessica didn’t answer immediately. Her Mythic Eye, once a standard blood-red, had transitioned into a profound, shimmering gold. It was a Second Stage evolution, achieved through the sheer strain of constant life and death battles. To her, the world was no longer solid; she saw the oscillating frequencies of spiritual energy, the jagged outlines of active skills, and the shimmering lies of illusions.

​"Eve is inside that car," Jessica stated, her finger tracing the path of the lead armored vehicle.

’But why is she with them? Did she join forces with them or what?’ Jessica thought with a slight frown.

​"Hmm, so the Eagle Academy already befriended the survivors in this small world," Honky noted, his brow furrowed. His gaze remained fixed on the trucks. "Resourceful, but desperate, it shows they are weaklings." He added.

​"Come on. We should at least know their destination," Jessica commanded. Without a moment’s hesitation, she leaned forward and plummeted into the abyss of the city streets.

"We will gain nothing following them." Nirvana rolled her eyes.

"Be quiet Nirvana, she is the captain! We must obey her." Andrew snapped at her, and jumped down.

"You!!" Nirvana was speechless.

"He is right... We all know you don’t take her as your Captain, but we all do." Honky said, and also jumped down.

"....?!"

​The remaining members followed as one, a synchronized descent of shadows following their Captain into the heart of the ruins. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

__

​[One Hour Later - New York University]

​The massive iron gates of the university creaked open, groaning under the weight of the incoming convoy. The armored lead vehicle rolled in, followed by five monolithic military trucks, their tires crunching over debris that had been meticulously cleared.

​Waiting for them in the courtyard were 240 students of the Dragon Academy. They stood in a phalanx of terrifying precision, their auras so dense they seemed to distort the air around them. These weren’t just students; they were a standing army of high-level elites.

​The heavy doors of the armored transport hissed open. Commander Reed stepped out, flanked by Eve, Captain Justin, and four senior officers. As they walked toward the formation, the soldiers behind Reed instinctively tightened their grip on their rifles.

​’Justin wasn’t lying,’ Reed thought, her tactical mind reeling. ’These youngsters... Their internal pressure is even more suffocating than the Eagle Academy’s. This isn’t just hope; this is a force of nature.’

​"Welcome."

​The sea of students parted. Mirabella walked forward with a rhythmic, predatory grace. Beside her, Cupcake had abandoned his smaller form, manifesting as a three-foot-tall tiger whose fur seemed to ripple with condensed energy.

​’An Emperor level?!’ Reed’s heart hammered against her ribs. ’The girl is a monster, and that beast... even if its aura is slightly beneath hers, it’s an early emperor level entity in its own right.’

​To the absolute shock of the American soldiers, Commander Reed—the highest remaining authority in the United States, a woman who had held the fragments of a nation together after the President’s disappearance and the prior Commander’s death—lowered her head and bowed.

​Reed controlled hundreds of thousands of lives and the last of the nation’s heavy ordnance, yet she stood in deferential silence before a woman who hadn’t even seen her thirtieth year.

​"There is no need for that, General Reed," Mirabella said. Her voice was a calm silk that carried over the wind.

​Mirabella maintained her composure, but internally, she acknowledged the weight of the woman before her. Reed was a survivor who had built a sanctuary out of a graveyard, protecting thousands while the world burned.

​’America is vast, and these monsters have turned her cities into isolated islands,’ Mirabella mused, her eyes scanning the weary lines of Reed’s face. ’You are lucky we were given a Third Objective.’

​"I like getting to the point," Mirabella stated aloud. "I need you to tell me how to protect this city and make sure it will never be invaded again."

​Reed looked up, stunned. The prospect of a permanent New York stronghold was the dream of every survivor—a headquarters for the human race to begin the long climb back to planetary dominance.

​"Miss Mirabella, you are indeed direct," Reed said, squaring her shoulders. "There are five gateways around New York. Each of these five is anchored in the main boroughs." She held up five fingers, her expression turning grim.

"Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. Each one is a festering wound in reality."

​"Continue," Mirabella commanded. "I want to know everything."

__

​A few blocks away, Jessica stood on the precipice of a luxury high-rise, her arms folded as she watched the exchange through her golden gaze.

​"What are they talking about?" Ethan asked, frustrated. His eyes flickered down toward Miranda, Alice, and Angela, who were waiting for his signal. "Should we get closer?"

​"No," Jessica replied. "Nirvana." She called.

​"On it," Nirvana whispered with a soft sigh.

​She extended her hand, palm open. A complex, rotating runic circle flared into existence before her. It hummed with a low-frequency vibration, catching the sound waves traveling through the air and reconstructing them with crystalline clarity.

​As Reed’s explanation of the five gateways filtered through the rune, the members of the Sword Academy froze. The scale of the task—and the potential for power—became instantly clear.