Sherach led us deeper into the fortress, past the clamor of the training grounds and into the silent, hallowed sanctum of the Vanguard. Here, the air was cold and heavy with static mana. Runic torches flickered with steady blue flames, illuminating ancient friezes that depicted the bloody history of our order.
At the corridor's end stood a pair of towering obsidian doors, etched with sigils that pulsed like a heartbeat. Without a word, Sherach pushed them open.
The chamber beyond was vast, dominated by floor-to-ceiling arched windows that looked out over the jagged peaks of the Vanguard Range. In the center sat a circular table of polished black stone, its surface a living map of the continent.
Around it sat the Commanders.
Every single one of them was a Tier-9 (Diamond) Captain. The sheer density of their combined mana made the air feel like liquid. One sat folding his arms, some leaned back with deceptive casualness, others sat like statues, eyes closed in deep meditation.
Near the far window stood a man with spiky white hair, the fringes fell over his right eye. His hands tucked into his pockets. An eyepatch covered his right eye, and he didn't even bother to turn as we entered. He was Ryan, a man whose silence felt more dangerous than most people's shouts.
At the table, a man with crimson-red bangs falling over his eyes broke the silence.
"Yo. What's up, Sherach?" Jura asked, his voice carrying a streak of amusement as he examined us.
Beside him, a woman in a dark shinobi uniform adjusted the long scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Her eyes were like needles. "You've kept us waiting too long, Sherach," Yuri said, her voice a cold, melodic blade.
"If it isn't the famed Ninja-Captain herself," Sherach replied with his trademark grin. He strolled into the center of the room, completely unbothered by the predatory stares of his peers. Sherach clapped his hands once, breaking the stillness.
"Sorry for the delay, everyone. My team had a little... field trip."
Sherach gestured behind him. Kael stepped forward, unrolling the rough brown cloth. With a grunt, he dropped the Varakhan Dreadlord's blade onto the stone floor.
CLANG!
The sound rang through the hall like a funeral bell. Even shattered, the obsidian metal radiated a faint, oppressive heat which lingered the echo of the Abyss. A ripple of genuine shock passed through the room.
"That blade..." one captain whispered.
"That's an Infernal Commander's weapon," Jura noted, his posture straightening.
Sherach spread his arms proudly. "Correct. My squad just cleared the Enchanted Wilderness which was a Tier-8 Raid Zone."
"..."
Silence. Absolute and suffocating.
"You're telling me," Yuri said, her voice dropping an octave, "that these children survived that slaughterhouse? The Wilderness has wiped out an entire elite squads twice over in the last year." She looked at us, her gaze searching for the lie.
"Explain."
Kageno wanted to interrupt the conversation when she referred to us as children which made him felt deeply insulted but I stopped him with a hand which he surprisingly obeyed.
Sherach chuckled. "Oh, it gets better."
He kicked the edge of the cloth, revealing the massive, hardened Heart of the Tree Demon. The murmurs erupted instantly.
"Impossible... they took down both?"
"A group of Tier-1s... and a single Tier-7?"
Jura let out a low whistle, resting his chin on his fist. "Well... I'll be damned."
Across the room, Ryan still hadn't moved. He remained by the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if we were beneath his notice. Only the slight shift of his single left eye towards the broken blade betrayed his attention.
Sherach leaned in, his grin sharpening. "And before anyone asks... yes, they did the work themselves."
The doors groaned open again, and an elderly man in deep violet robes hurried in, followed by a flurry of assistants. The man was the Overseer of Arcane Research. His eyes immediately locked onto the broken Dreadlord blade.
"Ah…" He approached slowly, his expression sharpening.
"…an infernal weapon?" He fell to his knees beside the blade, his eyes wide with a scholar's hunger.
"Remarkable... this infernal density..." He stood up quickly, motioning to his staff. "Secure them! These artifacts are too volatile for open air. Then go to the research division immediately for deep-structure analysis!"
The overseer turned towards the captains.
"Infernal relics are too dangerous to remain in open circulation."
His gaze settled on the shattered blade.
"These items will be transferred to the Arcane Research Division for deep analysis." Within moments, the spoils were being carried away. The chamber immediately fell quiet again. As the assistants hauled the trophies away, the room settled into a new, tense quiet. Jura leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
"Well… looks like Sherach's squad just made quite the entrance." Yuri studied us for another moment before speaking softly.
"…Interesting."
Yuri turned her gaze toward Kageno. Her eyes shimmered with a faint, violet light. She was using a Stealth Appraisal skill, trying to peel back the layers of his power. She narrowed her eyes slightly. Her gaze shifting to his tattooed hand and he stared back at her in return. He knows she was trying to analyze him but had failed to.
Kageno didn't flinch. He locked eyes with her, his expression turning predatory.
"You know," Kageno said, his voice a freezing whisper that cut through the room, "I considered it a grave blunder to appraise me without permission."
Yuri scoffed, though her eyes widened in surprise. "Ohhh...? No wonder you survived. That's some insane perception you've got there, kid."
"Another rule, lady. Never call me a kid. You're younger than me." He snapped.
Yuri chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her fingers.
"My, my… such attitude."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You're interesting, Kageno. Most rookies don't talk back to captains."
"And has no one told you that you're too annoying?" Kageno snapped back.
Sherach chuckled at his reply.
'Yeah that's true. I find her annoying during our card games.' Sherach said deep within while rubbing his chin enjoying the whole show.
Yuri's lips curved slightly.
"Oh? My apologies then."
Her violet eyes gleamed.
"Next time I'll call you something more appropriate… like trouble."
I smirked internally to myself. My God Sage system had already chimed in.
<[WARNING: CAPTAIN YURI IS UTILIZING STEALTH DETECTION SKILL. BLOCKING INITIATED.]>
She had tried to scan us both and came up with nothing but static. I could see the gears turning in her head. She was realizing that our Tier-1 badges were nothing more than pieces of cheap tin.
Sherach clapped his hands, signaling the end of the meeting. "Well! That concludes the report. Come on, team. You've earned a rest."
He stretched lazily, turning back toward the exit. "How about we head to the Vanguard Academy? I think the students deserve to see what a real mission looks like."
As we walked out, I could feel the weight of their stares. None of the captains stopped us as we walked toward the doors.
But as we exited the chamber, several pairs of eyes followed our backs with quiet curiosity.
As we reached the doors, Ryan finally shifted his gaze from the windows.
His lone eye rested briefly on me… then Kageno.
For the first time since we entered the chamber…
he smiled.