There was an atmosphere of celebration on the streets of New York, yet an unsettling chill lingered deep within the Secret Admiral's heart. The sunlight was slowly fading, and clouds of smoke hovered over the ruined sections of the city. Victoria's blue eyes were fixed on the empty stretch of sky where, just moments ago, the colossal Shadow Hunter mothership had stood.
Again and again, she called out the Truth Fairy's name in her mind."Truth? Can you hear me? Don't joke around—come out!"But there was only silence… an unbearable emptiness echoing inside her thoughts. Victoria's body began to tremble. She had won an enormous war, crushed thousands of aliens into the dust, yet her dearest friend—the one who had been her shield—was no longer by her side.
Just then, a heavy and cold voice rose from behind her.
"You've won such a massive battle, yet instead of joy, why does your face show so much tension? And that tiny little friend of yours… the fairy… where is she?" the ninja asked from behind, noticing the Secret Admiral's distress.
Victoria jumped. She turned around. The Black Ninja was cleaning his blood-stained sword and slinging it across his back. His mask hid everything except his eyes—but those eyes held a sharp, unwavering alertness.
A storm of questions erupted in Victoria's mind. How does he know about Truth? Did I ever tell him? No… Truth always stays hidden. Can I trust this stranger? Could this be some new trap by Aethna? Could he be behind the sudden disappearance of the Truth Fairy?
"How do you know about her?" Victoria asked in a harsh tone, her fists clenched tightly.
The ninja exhaled a cold breath and stepped forward slowly. "During the battle, I saw her whispering in your ear. And when you were looking up at the ship, she was still around you. I am a ninja, Admiral. Nothing, not even the slightest movement, escapes my eyes. She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
Victoria's resolve began to crumble. She realized that, at this moment, she needed someone's help."She… she might still be inside that ship," she said in a trembling voice. "Our plan was for her to shut down the shield while I launched the attack. She did her part, but the ship's captain initiated a light‑speed jump. Maybe Truth couldn't get out in time and is now trapped inside the ship, lost somewhere in space."
The ninja remained silent for a few moments, as if lost in deep thought.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he said at last. "You have the power to fly. You can go into space. Chase that mothership—and I'll come with you to help, because you won't be able to face all of them alone."
Victoria shook her head slowly in despair."I can't go… not right now. The parents of another friend of mine have been kidnapped by some city thugs. If I don't go to save them, those people will kill them. How can I be in two places at the same time? I don't even understand anymore what I should do first—save Truth, or save those innocent people?"
The ninja placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stepped forward. His tone was now firm and resolute."Listen, Admiral. Don't worry about those people. You go into space and find your tiny friend. The ship's captain could harm her. As for the mafia and your friend's parents… I'll take care of them. The streets of New York are my home, so I'll find them easily."
The Secret Admiral wanted to accept the ninja's help, yet she was conflicted—she didn't truly know him. So she looked straight into his eyes. There was no deception there, only a strange, burning intensity."You… but why would you do this?"
"Because today, you helped me save this city and fight its enemies. I can at least repay that much," the ninja said, then leapt powerfully onto the rooftop of a nearby building."Go, Admiral! Bring your friend back!"
Victoria bowed her head for a brief moment, then gathered all her cosmic energy into her legs. With a blue explosion, she shot upward at lightning speed, tearing through the clouds and racing toward space.
Meanwhile, in an old warehouse in New York where the alien attack had left relatively little damage, darkness pressed even heavier. This was the stronghold of the Iron-Skull mafia gang.
But the ninja had already tracked the gang to this very place, moving along the walls like a shadow. He had questioned a few nervous locals, who seemed to know about the mafia. They told him how a group of armed thugs had kidnapped a couple and were holding them in a warehouse a short distance away.
The ninja approached a man and asked gently, "Which way leads to that warehouse?"
Far away, in the infinite depths of space, the Shadow Hunter ship still raced at light-speed. Inside the ship's medical bay was a high-tech energy cage. Within it lay the unconscious Truth Fairy. Her right wing was burned, and her clothes were coated in dust.
General Samuel, his face burning with rage, stood outside the cage. He slammed his fist against the wall."A tiny little insect has ruined my entire mission! My army… and my power… challenged by mere earthlings!"
"General, this is no ordinary insect," his medical representative said fearfully. "It possesses mental powers. It may be the friend of that girl—the guardian of Earth."
Samuel looked toward the Truth Fairy with a cruel smile."You're right. The moment she regains consciousness, we'll squeeze her mind dry. I want every secret of the Secret Admiral—her weakness, her real name, and the source of her power. And if she doesn't talk… I'll torture her to death."
At the same time, in the Dark Heaven where light had never reached, Aethna sat upon her massive throne. Before her stood Rhinosrus, her most loyal and powerful demon.
A fire of ancient hatred burned in Aethna's eyes."Rhinosrus! I am very pleased with your work, and you will surely be rewarded. But on Earth, Samuel has failed. That foolish human relied only on technology, not on fear. And in any case, he is no longer of any use to us—so we will need to devise a new plan."
"You are absolutely right, Lord Aethna. Just give the order—tell me what you desire—and I will turn it into reality," Rhinosrus asked in a deep, thunderous voice.
"We need an old friend—Dr. Zathura. He is humanity's greatest enemy. He enjoys playing with the human mind. At present, he is imprisoned in Area‑51's high‑security facility because he conducted illegal experiments on thousands of people," Aethna said, projecting a holographic map before them.
"Do you wish to have him freed from that prison, Lord Aethna?" Rhinosrus asked, bowing his head.
Aethna rose to her feet, her black wings spreading across the chamber as she spoke."You understand correctly, Rhinosrus! That scientist will build a Demonic Transmutation Machine for me, to be placed in the heart of New York. That machine will spread like a virus and, within a few hours, transform the entire city's population into demons—without any pain. We won't even need to fight. Without any hurdles, they will turn into demons on their own." As she spoke, Aethna burst into loud laughter.
Rhinosrus nodded in agreement."You are absolutely right, Dark Goddess. A plan devised by you never fails. If you grant the order, I will go and free that scientist and bring him here," Rhinosrus said, rising to his feet.
But what was this machine Aethna was speaking of, and who exactly was the scientist Dr. Zathura? And would the Secret Admiral succeed in rescuing the Truth Fairy? Would the ninja manage to free Victoria's parents from the mafia's clutches?