​Commander Reed stood in the center of the university courtyard, her voice steady but tinged with a deep, mournful nostalgia as she began to map out the remains of the world’s most iconic city.

​"New York state or city is divided into five main boroughs, each offering a distinct vibe," Reed began, her eyes scanning the students. "Located where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic, New York City stretches across a vast coastal area with Manhattan at its core. The surrounding regions span north, south, east, and west, blending city life with suburbs. I will give a simple breakdown of the main areas around and within the city, as the gateways are located in these five areas."

’Wow, is this city that big?’ Rose thought in surprised.

’My home is in Queens, I came over to Manhattan to study, I wonder if my parents all safe.’ Grace thought, clenching her fists in fear.

’Are we going to travel to all these places, how long will the journey take?’ Austin thought in mild surprise.

​Reed exhaled a weary breath, her posture stiff as she raised her hand to begin the count.

​"The 5 Boroughs inside New York City are... North: The Bronx—Known for the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, and being the birthplace of hip-hop." She dropped one finger.

​"Two; Center: Manhattan, our current location. It was a bustling commercial and cultural hub, home to Central Park, Times Square, and iconic skyscrapers." She lowered another finger, her gaze briefly flickering toward the shattered skyline.

​"Third; East: Queens—The largest geographically and the most ethnically diverse borough in the city." She dropped a third finger.

​"Fourth; Southeast: Brooklyn—It was famous for its trendy neighborhoods, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Coney Island. It’s now a dead zone, even more dangerous than Manhattan." Reed’s expression clouded with a sudden, sharp sadness as she lowered a fourth finger.

​"Fifth; South: Staten Island—The most suburban and residential borough, connected to Manhattan by the free Staten Island Ferry. Also, very dangerous," she concluded, finally lowering her hand. "The five gateways are located in these places."

​Mirabella slowly nodded her head, her mind processing the strategic layout. "We are in Manhattan," she noted, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the immediate area.

"But why haven’t I seen any gate?" She raised with a raised eyebrow.

​"You haven’t seen it because it’s right above us, hundreds of miles in the sky," Reed replied.

​The words hit like a physical weight. Mirabella’s head snapped upward, her gaze piercing through the thick, swirling canopy of dark ash clouds.

​"You see, those ash in the sky came out from that Gateway, and it’s even more dangerous than the ones in the city," Reed explained, her tone urgent. "If someone inhale that thing, they will die instantly. Not only that, no technology can survive it... The whole ash is like an EMP, so we can’t get in there."

​Mirabella lowered her gaze back to the Commander, her brow furrowed in deep thought. ’If the gate is right above us, why didn’t I sense it, even when I already reached Lv500... Is there something wrong about those gates?’ she wondered. The logic of the world usually allowed her to sense massive energy signatures, yet this remained a void in her perception.

​Reed’s next words, however, froze her in place.

​"Miss Mirabella, the gates are being guarded by one unknown creature. It’s a human. That’s for sure, but it has strength we haven’t seen before—it’s even stronger than an Emperor level... But there is something strange about it. They can’t move pass one thousand meters from the gateway."

​Mirabella’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. "These?! What do they look like? Any mark or clothes sign you can point out?"

​’She has no reason to lie to me, but if they’re stronger than even a Lv500 being, they must be from the Third World,’ Mirabella thought, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to click into a terrifying new shape.

​"They are humans, but have curve horns which start from their forehead, pointing upwards," a man in a white scientist’s outfit interrupted, stepping forward while nervously adjusting the glasses on his nose. "They are in black armor, which looks like scales. Even nuclear weapons can’t destroy them and the gateway."

​The scientist’s voice trembled slightly as he continued. "We got helped with the Vice president, and from him, we got the launch codes, and used Nuclear weapons... but still, those gateways didn’t even crack."

​A deep, menacing frown appeared on Mirabella’s face. The atmospheric pressure in the courtyard suddenly shifted, turning heavy and cold.

​"Hey you," Mirabella said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, low register. "I am from Earth... I am not a fool, and I know Reed is a lot smarter than this. So tell me..."

​She didn’t need to shout. Her energy began to bleed out from her form, a suffocating Lv500 aura that made the air hum. Behind her, the Dragon Academy students moved as one, their hands resting on the hilts of their legendary and epic weapons. The American soldiers and Reed herself tensed, their heart rates spiking.

​"These five places you mentioned were once cities, having hundreds of thousands of people," Mirabella continued, her gaze turning arctic. "So tell me, why would you drop nuclear weapons on such places?"

​The thought of it sickened her. ’I know the destruction a nuclear weapon can cause. Dropping it in a city and wiping it out completely—then what about the survivors still hiding in it? Did they sacrifice them all for nothing?’

​Reed stepped forward, her hand raised to silence the scientist before he could stammer a reply. She looked Mirabella directly in the eyes, her face a mask of grim resolve.

​"Miss Mirabella," Reed stated firmly. "I assure you, we only dropped a nuclear weapon on Staten Island."

​Hearing her words, Mirabella raised a skeptical eyebrow, the tension in the air remaining taut as she waited for the justification of a decision that had likely erased thousands of lives in an instant.