Jade folded her arms across her chest, one eyebrow raised, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as she shifted her weight.
"Well, that's that," she said, rolling her shoulder lazily before turning on her heel.
"Expeditious introductions are—uh, nice to meet y'all. Let's sit down instead of talkin' while standin' like statues."
Without waiting, she started walking deeper into the facility. Ai and Kiyomasa exchanged a glance before following. Dennis fell in step behind them, his posture straight as ever.
As they walked through the corridor, Ai leaned toward Dennis.
"…what's her deal?" she whispered.
Kiyomasa matched her pace. "Yeah… she's kinda… intense. And the way she talks—half of it just flies over my head."
Dennis continued walking straight. "I must admit," he said quietly, "I do not fully understand her either."
Ai let out a small breath. "She's like a walking dictionary."
Dennis gave a small nod. "All that aside, she is one of the strongest assets on our side. That is precisely why she resides here."
Kiyomasa blinked. "…here? Underground like this?"
"She operates in silence," Dennis explained.
"Rarely leaves this facility. Her life is in constant danger."
Ai's expression sharpened. "Danger? Why?"
"Miss Jade possesses a rather… extraordinary ability. She can manipulate the flow of vana within a person's body."
Before Dennis could respond—Jade stopped.
Abruptly.
She turned around slowly, eyes locking directly onto them. "Y'all really gotta cease the clandestine vocalizations," she said flatly.
"I can fuckin' hear all that."
Kiyomasa flinched. "S-sorry!"
Jade waved her hand dismissively, already turning back. "Relax. It's cool. We workin' together, elemental boy. Just ask me straight instead of doin' this side-commentary thing."
They reached a wider meeting space with a large metal table. Jade dropped into a chair, crossing one leg over the other.
"Aight," she said. "Before y'all keep speculatin', lemme break it down myself."
She pointed lazily at Dennis. "My ability—like homeboy said—lets me manipulate vana flow inside a body."
She paused, then clicked her tongue, looking a bit frustrated as she searched for "normal" words. "But that explanation? It's... uh... insufficient. It's too small."
Ai leaned forward.
Jade started talking faster, her words beginning to blur together. "See, there ain't no predefined 'pathways' in the anatomical structure.
Vana originates from your core, your crystal, your mark, then disperses throughout your body like a dynamic, non-linear energy system
What I do is intercept that distribution and effectuate a total systemic override. I can distort it, redirect it—basically I'm rewiring the whole circuit in real-time."
Kiyomasa blinked, his brain clearly fried. "…I understood like… ten percent of that."
Jade stared at him, then let out a long, heavy sigh, rubbing her temple.
"My bad. I'm... tryin' to talk easy. It's hard." She leaned forward. "Your power starts here," she tapped her forehead. "Then it goes through your body like... like water in pipes."
She made a slicing motion. "I cut those pipes—you're fucked. No juice. No magic. You just a regular person again. I... uh... shut you off."
Ai's eyes narrowed. "…that's actually insane."
Jade smirked. "Yeah. That ain't even the whole deal. I can also do the flip side. Some folks can't get powers 'cause their bodies are... uh... dysfunctional. Messed up. The energy don't move right."
She tapped the table. "I can force a temporary bridge. Fix the flow so their body learns how to handle it. Eventually—they get their own natural rhythm. They... they adapt. They grow."
Kiyomasa leaned forward. "So… you can give people powers?"
Jade shrugged. "Not exactly. But I facilitate the manifestation. I make it happen. That's why I'm valuable. When we catch the bad bitches? I shut 'em down—makes talkin' real easy. Plus, I can see the flow. Your feelings, if you're sick, if you're... uh... unstable—I see all that."
Ai slowly nodded. "…so you're basically a walking scanner and a power regulator."
Jade pointed at her. "Exactly. See? You catchin' the vibe. Your cognitive synthesis is—uh, you're smart."
Dennis finally spoke. "And she is also a tactical genius. Over the past fifteen years, under her direction, the number of remnants in this sector has decreased drastically."
Jade smirked, looking away. "Appreciate it, Dennis. But honestly? This whole setup... it's a drag. It's boring."
She leaned her head back. "Stayin' cooped up down here all the time... it's hella... monotonous. Fucking boring. There's only so much you can do when you're stuck in the dark."
Then her gaze snapped back to Ai. "That's why," she said, pointing directly at her, "I'm gonna teach you how I move. My game."
Ai blinked. "…how? Our abilities aren't even similar."
Jade grinned. "Don't matter. You don't need the same trick—you need to understand the... the architecture of the flow. The structure. Leave that to me. I'll make you quiet."
Then she turned toward Kiyomasa. "…and you."
Kiyomasa straightened. "Y-yes?"
Jade tilted her head, squinting. "Why you so dead, man? You actin' all... unassuming. Like you ain't even there."
Kiyomasa scratched his cheek. "I just… don't really know what to say."
Jade clicked her tongue. "Nah, that ain't it. You gotta step up. Get in the mix. Can't stay in the back like a... like an extra. You ain't just some random ass—you're a symbol. You gotta... uh... embody that."
Kiyomasa froze for a second. Then slowly… he smiled. "…I'll try," he said.
Jade leaned back, satisfied. "Good. That's the... expected response."
Dennis spoke while crossing his leg,"Miss Jade,I must ask there is something else related to your power, right?"
Jade leaned back, her hair falling back showing the weight of her frustration as she let out a jagged sigh, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yeah, well, the reality of the situation is exactly like I articulated—I can alter vana and all that, but it's a double-edged blade, you feel me?"
She tapped a rhythm on the metal table, her eyes darting between Ai and Kiyomasa.
"See, if it's a remnant we talkin' 'bout, me messin' with their internal architecture—uh, their vana flows—would straight up catalyze an immediate augmentation of their combat efficacy.
Basically, I can make 'em way stronger, way faster, way more dangerous. Now, I ain't out here pullin' miracles on the heavy hitters; I wouldn't be able to use my abilities on remnants that are already way above my pay grade.
But let's say there's a 3-star remnant? I can flip the switch and instantly up their power to that of a 1-star. I can force that evolution, no shit."
She paused, her expression darkening as she stared at the sterile floor.
"That's exactly why I'm such a high-priority target for those freaks. I'm a walking cheat code. If they ever caught me, they wouldn't just kill me.
They'd treat me like a... like a tool. A slave. They'd keep me in a cage just to force-feed 'em power-ups until my own core is fucked. It's... uh... it's a real bad situation. That's why I'm stuck in this hole."
She looked up, her black eyes sharp again.
Jade pushed her chair back with a faint scrape against the metallic floor and rose to her feet, stretching one arm over her head while the other rested loosely on in her pocket. Her shoulders rolled slightly as if easing tension she had long grown used to carrying.
"Anyways," she said, glancing between them, her tone casual again, "I got some stuff to finish. Y'all go rest up. We'll talk more once I'm done."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the far end of the room, her footsteps fading into the low mechanical hum of the underground facility. The faint sway of her coat disappeared past the doorway, leaving behind a strange silence.
Ai, Kiyomasa, and Dennis remained seated.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Dennis slowly crossed his arms, his fingers tucking neatly beneath his sleeves as his gaze lowered slightly in thought.
"…I understand now," he said.
Kiyomasa straightened a little, his brows knitting together as he leaned forward, resting his elbows lightly on his knees.
"What do you understand?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Dennis lifted his head, his expression calm, composed—yet thoughtful.
"There are multiple reasons why Sir Zazm deployed us here," he said.
Ai, who had been leaning back slightly, shifted her posture—bringing one leg over the other and resting her chin lightly on her knuckles.
"One of them is obvious," she said, her tone steady. "To learn control."
Her eyes flicked toward the direction Jade had left.
"And since everything boils down to vana… there's no better person to learn from than someone who can literally manipulate it."
Dennis gave a small nod.
"That is correct. That is one of the primary reasons—your training."
Kiyomasa tapped his fingers lightly against his knee, thinking.
"…then what's the second?"
Ai answered before Dennis could.
"Protection," she said simply.
Kiyomasa turned to her.
"…for who?"
Ai's gaze didn't shift.
"For Jade."
Dennis nodded again, confirming it.
Ai leaned back slightly, exhaling through her nose.
"Figures," she muttered. "There aren't many strong people here. Keeping her hidden isn't enough—she needs actual protection. Us being here covers that."
Kiyomasa blinked, then let out a small breath of realization.
"…wow," he said, sitting back. "Zazm really thought of everything."
Dennis's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.
"His foresight is… exceptional," he replied.
Ai's lips curled into a smirk, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"…or," she said quietly, "he already knows what the future holds."
Kiyomasa glanced at her, unsure whether she was joking or not.
Ai shifted again, uncrossing her legs and placing both feet flat on the ground as she leaned forward slightly.
"Anyways," she continued, "that's not all."
Kiyomasa blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Ai spoke saying, "When I talked to Zazm before we left… he specifically said there were a few reasons he chose me and you for this mission."
She lifted her gaze.
"And I'm pretty sure 'a few' doesn't mean just two."
Kiyomasa scratched his cheek lightly, processing that.
"…yeah," he admitted, "that makes sense."
Dennis uncrossed his arms and stood up smoothly, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve with a small, practiced motion.
"Well," he said, "for now, that is all we can deduce."
He turned slightly toward the exit.
"Let us rest, as Miss Jade suggested."
Ai pushed herself up, stretching her arms slightly above her head before letting them fall to her sides.
"Yeah… might as well," she said.
Kiyomasa stood as well, rolling his shoulders once before stepping forward.
The three of them walked out together, their footsteps echoing softly as the door slid shut behind them.
—
The scene shifted.
A vast night stretched endlessly above.
The sky was deep—so deep it seemed almost bottomless—painted in shades of dark blue and black, scattered with countless stars that shimmered like fragments of something eternal. Not a single cloud dared to obscure them.
The wind moved freely—strong, cold, and constant.
It swept across a massive cliff that stood high above a dense forest below. The trees stretched endlessly, their dark silhouettes merging into one another, forming a sea of shadow beneath the open sky. Occasionally, the wind would pass through them, causing waves of rustling leaves that rippled outward like whispers carried through the night.
At the very edge of that cliff—
sat a lone figure.
Zazm.
He sat with quiet stillness, right at the brink where one more inch would send him into the forest below. His posture was straight, composed—yet relaxed in a way that felt almost unnatural given the height and the wind.
His long coat fluttered behind him, the fabric snapping and flowing with every passing gust. Strands of his hair slipped free, swaying across his face before being carried away again.
His hands rested on his lap, fingers interlocked loosely, unmoving.
The wind roared around him.
Yet he did not move.
Slowly, his gaze lifted toward the sky.
His dark black were hollow.
They reflected nothing.
Not the countless stars above him.Not the faint glow of the night. Not even the subtle flickers of light that danced across the horizon.
It was as if the sky itself refused to exist within them.
A void, staring into something far beyond.
His breathing remained calm, steady—almost inaudible against the wind.
"So… Kiyo and Ai have reached," he said quietly.
His voice was low, carried away almost immediately by the wind as if the world itself had no intention of holding onto it.
His gaze lowered slowly.
From the infinite sky…to the endless forest below.
The darkness beneath seemed alive in its own way—layers upon layers of trees blending into a single mass, stretching beyond sight. The faint movement of leaves created a subtle rhythm, like the world breathing in silence.
"What does the future hold…?" he murmured.
The question drifted into the night, unanswered.
Above him, the stars continued to shine—quiet, distant, eternal.
Below him, the forest whispered endlessly.
And between the two—sat a man whose eyes reflected neither.
---
Ai walked through the sterile, dimly lit hallway, her boots clicking rhythmically against the metal floor. The air even though being so underground was extremely fresh.
"Yo, Ai! Where you headed?"
She paused, glancing back as Kiyomasa jogged to catch up, his expression a mix of confusion and mild exhaustion.
"Miss Jade summoned me," Ai replied, adjusting the collar of her jacket.
"I assume she pinged you too."
Kiyomasa nodded, falling into step beside her. "Yeah, she did. Told me to hit the training room, but man… this place is a literal labyrinth. I've been turning corners for ten minutes and I'm pretty sure I've seen that same gray door three times."
"Well, me neither," Ai admitted, scanning the identical-looking doors. "This facility wasn't exactly built with a tourist map."
They continued navigating the maze-like corridors for a while longer, the atmosphere growing more oppressive the deeper they went.
Suddenly, two firm hands dropped onto their shoulders from behind. Both of them spun around instinctively—only to see Jade standing there, a cocky smirk plastered on her face.
"I think I summoned y'all to the gym, or am I straight up tweaking?" Jade asked, her voice echoing in the narrow hall.
Kiyomasa straightened his posture, clearing his throat. He looked Jade dead in the eye, trying to look as intellectual as possible.
"We were… uh… profoundly incapable of navigating the spatial layout to locate the designated training chamber, and consequently, we merely wandered around in a state of aimless perambulation."
Ai leaned in close to him, her voice a harsh whisper. "What the fuck are you even saying?"
"I'm trying to use hard words," Kiyomasa whispered back, looking frantic.
"You know, to make an impression. Match her energy."
"It's not working," Ai deadpanned. "Just talk like a normal person."
Jade brushed a stray strand of dark hair out of her face, her smirk widening. "I suppose the fault in this navigational breakdown lies with my own lack of clarity—my bad. It's on me. Just follow the leader."
They followed her through a heavy reinforced vault door that hissed open, revealing a cavernous training hall. The ceiling was lost in shadows, and the floor was made of a dull, shock-absorbent alloy.
Jade walked to the dead center of the room and turned around, her presence suddenly shifting from casual to commanding.
"Look, I ain't no certified pedagogue—I ain't no teacher," she started, her eyes sharpening.
"So y'all better listen closely the first time. Don't make me repeat my self like I'm some broken record."
She raised her right hand. Slowly, a deep red energy began to gather around it. It didn't just cover her hand; it wrapped around it, flowing like a liquid that defied gravity. The energy moved in layered strands—thin, vein-like currents weaving around each other, pulsing faintly like a rhythmic, predatory heartbeat.
Occasionally, sharper fragments would flicker outward like jagged embers, glowing with an intense crimson hue before dissolving back into the swirling flow.
Ai and Kiyomasa stood in silent awe. The sheer density of the vana was suffocating.
"That's… amazing," Ai whispered.
"It's… It's…" Kiyomasa struggled, his words failing him completely.
"It's hauntingly beautiful, correct?" Jade finished for him, her voice dropping to a low hum.
Kiyomasa could only nod.
"I'm with you on that," Jade said, watching the red strands dance around her knuckles.
"This right here is vana in its most primal, unadulterated state. It's the source of every trick y'all pull. But listen: bringing it out like this? In its pure form? That's technically an impossibility for the masses. It stays inside the body, movin' through fixed channels like blood."
"So not everyone can just… pull it out and fight with it?" Ai asked, her eyes fixed on the pulsing red glow.
Jade shook her head. "Nah. The only way regular folks use it is by 'processing' it. You turn vana into a fireball, or lightning, or whatever. But that ain't pure vana—that's just a derivative. A byproduct. Pure vana only exists inside you."
"But you're doing it right now," Kiyomasa pointed out.
Jade's smirk turned sharp. "That's 'cause I'm a special case—an anomaly. Y'all, the only exceptions to this rule are folks with specific gifts like mine, or monsters who've spent centuries mastering their internal vana architecture. It's a literal biological override."
"So what's the advantage?" Ai questioned, taking a half-step forward. "Why go through the trouble of pouring out pure vana?"
Jade didn't answer with words. She simply threw a loose, lazy punch into the air. There was no physical weight behind the movement; it looked like she was swatting a fly.
BOOM.
The pure vana on her hand detonated upon contact with the air. A massive, invisible shockwave erupted, carrying an intense burst of crimson pressure.
Despite standing several meters away, Ai and Kiyomasa were lifted off their feet and sent flying backward. They skidded across the floor, catching themselves in a crouch, eyes wide with genuine shock.
"Now you comprehend the magnitude of the situation? You catchin' the vibe?"
Jade asked, walking toward them. "Pure vana is straight-up cataclysmic. It's destructive on a level processed powers can't touch. That's why your body won't let it out—it would tear a normal human apart to have this flowin' outside the lines. It's straight up dangerous."
Kiyomasa stood up, dusting off his clothes, his voice trembling slightly. "That's insane… but Miss Jade, with power like that… there's no way you're just a 1-star. You've gotta be a 0-star threat."
Jade's eyes twinkled. "I took you for a slow-poke, but turns out you're rather perceptive in a combat environment. You're sharp. Yeah, my stats sit at the 0-star level. I'm built different."
"But aren't there only a few known 0-stars in the world?" Ai asked, frowning. "We've never even heard your name."
"That just means the obfuscation is working—I mean we are on the right track," Jade chuckled.
"I don't get it," Ai said.
"Look, there's a few of us 0-stars—me and homeboy Dennis included—who operate in total silence. It's strategic. If the enemy never gauges our true strength, they can't plan for us. It's all part of a massive system. We out here movin' like hunters on 'treets."
"Dennis is a 0-star too?" Kiyomasa blinked.
"I mean, I knew he was strong, but damn."
"I had a hunch," Ai muttered, "but I thought he was just a really high 1-star."
"Anyway, let's quit the yappin' and stay focused on the objective," Jade said, reaching up to untie her hair. The dark locks fell over her shoulders.
"I didn't get a chance to properly comb this out this morning. My hair lookin' all wild."
She looked at them both, a predatory glint in her eyes. "You guys have exactly as much time as it takes me to comb and tie my hair back up. Your mission? Land a single hit on me. No powers. No vana tricks. Just pure physicals. Show me what y'all got."
Ai and Kiyomasa looked at each other, then back at Jade.
Jade's laugh was sudden and sharp.
"What? Y'all hesitant? You really think a couple of rookies are gonna hurt me? You think I'm that fragile?"
She doubled over for a second, cackling.
"Man, a dull-ass bitch and a 'Ms. Top of the World' really think they can do somethin' to me? That's precious. Y'all stay sleepin' on me."
Ai's face flushed with a mix of irritation and competitive fire. She dropped into a low, aggressive stance. "Don't complain when you get a bruise."
Kiyomasa shifted his weight, his eyes locking onto Jade.
Jade raised her hand, her expression turning mock-serious. "Wait, hold up. This ain't fair. This is straight up lopsided."
Kiyomasa relaxed slightly, nodding. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Two on one is a bit much. How about we go one at a ti—"
"Yeah, now it's fair," Jade interrupted. She pulled a black strip of cloth from her pocket and tied it firmly over her eyes. She reached into her other pocket, pulled out a small comb, and began leisurely running it through her hair.
"Come get some."
Ai's boots bit into the alloy floor, the friction kicking up the smell of burnt rubber as she pushed off. She didn't wait for Kiyomasa; she was a blur of raw, twitchy kinetic energy. She launched a flurry of jabs—short, piston-like strikes aimed at Jade's throat and solar plexus.
Jade's head bobbed. Left. Right. Quarter-turn. The air from Ai's fists whistled past Jade's ears, but the woman didn't even stop the rhythmic motion of the comb.
"You're over-indexing on velocity, girl," Jade grunted, the comb still gripped in her teeth.
"Your cardiovascular output is peaked, but your accuracy is straight-up trash. You're just hittin' oxygen."
Kiyomasa saw the opening. He leaped, clearing ten meters in a single explosive bound, his shadow looming over Jade as he came down with a heavy axe kick.
Jade didn't look up. She didn't have to. She stepped back into a deep, lazy lunging stance, let the heel of Kiyomasa's boot crash into the metal floor an inch from her toe—the impact sent a localized tremor through the plates—and then she used his momentum. She leaned her shoulder into his shin, shunting him sideways into Ai's path.
The two collided with a dull thud of bone.
"Aight, enough of this disjointed nonsense," Jade said, spitting the comb into her hand. She started gathering her hair into a thick bundle.
"Y'all look like two stray dogs fightin' over a bone. Coordinate or get liquidated. Your synchronized efficacy is non-existent—uh, y'all suck at teamwork."
Ai spat a bit of blood from a nipped lip and grabbed Kiyomasa by the shoulder, hauling him up. "Attack constantly, Don't let her breathe."
They moved as one.
Kiyomasa went for the sweep, his leg cutting through the air like a scythe, while Ai launched a flying knee aimed directly at Jade's blindfolded face. It was a perfect trap. If she jumped, Ai caught her. If she stayed, Kiyomasa broke her base.
Jade just hummed.
She hopped—not high, just enough to let Kiyomasa's leg pass under her. While in mid-air, she twisted her torso 180 degrees. Ai's knee grazed the fabric of Jade's oversized shirt, but Jade's hands remained behind her head, fingers weaving the hair tie through the dark locks.
Jade landed on one foot, pivoted, and leaned back at a 45-degree angle to avoid a follow-up cross from Kiyomasa.
"Still too loud," Jade whispered.
Ai landed and immediately transitioned into a spinning back-fist. Kiyomasa backed it up with a heavy straight right. The two strikes came from opposite poles, timed to hit Jade's temples simultaneously.
Jade dropped.
She hit a full split on the floor, the metal groaning under the sudden weight of her displacement.
The two fists collided above her head with a loud crack of knuckle on knuckle. Before they could recoil, Jade used her palms to blast herself off the floor, flipping backward through the air.
She tucked her chin, pulled the hair tie tight, and snapped the elastic.
Snap.
The ponytail was set.
She landed softly, ten meters away, her back turned to them. She reached up, slowly pulled the blindfold down around her neck, and turned her head just enough to show one dark eye over her shoulder.
"Time's up," she said, her voice dropping that "teacher" facade for something cold and heavy. "Y'all had your fun playin' tag. Now, let's see how y'all handle a 0-star actually participatin' in the conversation."
The air in the room didn't just get heavy; it felt like it turned into liquid lead. The deep red vana began to seep out of her skin, not in strands this time, but in a thick, rolling fog that smelled like a thunderstorm hitting a junkyard.
Ai's breath hitched. Her lungs felt tight, like someone was squeezing the oxygen out of the room.
"She didn't move... even once."
Kiyomasa's hands were shaking. Not from fear, but from the sheer atmospheric pressure Jade was putting off. "She was just... Messing around."
Jade turned around fully, her arms hanging loose at her sides, the red energy pooling around her boots.
"Now," Jade smirked, the expression showing a lot of teeth.
"Let's see if y'all can survive the first lesson without catchin' a permanent expiration date."
_____________________