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...."
