[Next Morning - The Lab]
"Jane, don't forget everything I told you," Annie said, her voice steady but filled with a hidden concern. She had spent the last hour briefing Jane on the technicalities of their mission and the personalities they were about to encounter.
Jane nodded, her expression unusually serious. "No problem, Annie. I've got it."
As Jane turned to leave the lab to meet Velora and Lyla, Annie called out one last time. "By the way, Jane... your bio-rhythms have shifted. You have successfully forged with your spiritual energy. It looks like you won't be needing the pills anymore. You've become the energy itself."
Jane paused, a slow, confident smile spreading across her face. "Finally. I can feel it... I'm stronger than I've ever been." She reached for her celestial katana, which was leaning against the doorframe, and looked back at her "Thank you, Annie. For everything."
Jane left the lab and made her way to the surface, where Velora and Lyla were already preparing for departure. To her surprise, Leo was standing there waiting for them. Jane immediately ran to him, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Don't worry," Leo whispered, returning the embrace. "I'm fine. Nova stabilized me."
Jane pulled back, her eyes bright. "I promise, when I'm back, we're going to have a lot of fun. No more training for a while."
Leo managed a small smile. "No problem. I have a lot of things I want us to try out... and I have some good news for you when you return."
Velora cleared her throat, checking her watch. "Sorry for interrupting the moment, but we have to go now. The Council doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Jane's expression instantly cooled as she looked at Velora. "Okay."
Lyla, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, led the way onto the mini-plane. Velora followed, and Jane paused at the door to give Leo one last wave. "I'll be back soon!"
As the plane took off, Leo watched it disappear into the clouds. *They're going to be surprised when they hear I've successfully forged with you too, Nova,* he thought.
*Indeed,* Nova replied in his mind. *But Leo... I sensed something in Jane just now. Her energy is immense. It's as if she has become a spiritual being herself, yet she still maintains a physical body. It's a rare and dangerous evolution.*
Leo sighed, walking back toward the base entrance. *I'm too tired to worry about the 'how' right now, Nova. As long as she's safe and she doesn't have a time limit on her fights anymore, that's all that matters.*
***
**[In the Plane - En Route to Seoul]**
Lyla sat by the window, a glass of red wine in her hand, watching the world pass by below. Jane stood behind her like a silent guardian, while Velora sat across from them.
"So, Velora," Lyla said, her voice calm but her eyes sharp. "How many Commanders will be present?"
"Probably all of them," Velora replied. "Since they stripped Akira of his rank, there are seven of us left to decide the fate of the remaining bases."
Lyla turned to Jane. "Jane, be careful today. You're about to meet people who hold the power of nations in their hands. They are powerful in ways you never thought existed."
Jane's reply was short and cold. "Not a problem."
***
**[Seoul, South Korea - Global Command Center]**
The plane touched down on a private rooftop hangar in the heart of Seoul. Lyla stood up, her metallic stick shifting into its scythe form for a brief second—a display of readiness—before she deactivated it, her eyes flashing red with a surge of energy.
As the doors opened, two elite guards—humans radiating significant spiritual pressure—stood at attention. They bowed deeply as Lyla stepped out, followed by Jane and Velora.
They were led into a massive, high-tech building and directed to the central council chamber. Inside, seven Commanders sat around a massive circular table. Each one was flanked by a personal bodyguard—individuals who looked like they could level a city block on their own.
Lyla took her seat at the empty spot reserved for her, with Jane standing like a statue behind her. Velora moved to her own seat, her own guard stepping up behind her.
The 1st Commander, a man with graying hair and eyes like flint, broke the silence. "Since everyone is present, let us begin. Lyla, I see you didn't bring Akira or that... creature he's been harboring. May I ask why you saw fit to accept a disgraced commander into your base?"
Lyla met his gaze without flinching. "The demon in his care wields a weapon of legendary power. We need that strength for the coming war. No human can wield it, but we have others who can."
The 3rd Commander—the man who had replaced Akira—interrupted with a sneer. "So that's your plan? You harbor outcasts so the 'entity' in your base can wield forbidden weapons? Is that it?"
"Yes," Lyla answered firmly. "These beings are not our enemies. They are allies who can help us win a war we are currently losing."
The 5th Commander scoffed. "Allies? These are the same species that killed your parents, Lyla. And now you want to rely on them for our survival?"
Lyla's fist clenched on the table, her knuckles turning white. "Do not speak of my parents. I am relying on them because our current methods are failing. We cannot win this war as we are."
"What makes you so sure?" Velora asked, her voice quiet but echoing in the room.
Lyla looked at her old friend. "Because the entity in my base has seen the truth. There are ranks among the invaders—Harbingers and Origins. Two Origins are dead, but the one with us has explained the scale of what we face. There are nine Harbingers still active, each one a walking apocalypse. The Origin in my base killed the 10th Harbinger with a single word. Can any of you claim that kind of power?"
The 4th Commander leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "That's exactly why we need to be careful. You're harboring something that can kill with a word. Was that the same entity responsible for the 'Great Eyes' that appeared over the planet yesterday?"
"Yes," Lyla admitted. "That was her."
"I understand your position, Lyla," Velora said, "but this isn't enough to convince the Council."
The 1st Commander stood up, his voice booming. "That is one issue. The second is your technology. Your 'pills' are a failure, Lyla. We have decided to strip you of your rank."
Jane's hand flew to her katana. She slammed the hilt against the ground, the sound echoing like a gunshot. Her eyes flared a brilliant, terrifying blue. "A failure? I can sense the energy in all of your bloodstreams. You've injected raw spiritual particles directly into your veins. You're all walking time bombs, and you know the risk of what you've done."
Lyla raised a hand, and Jane immediately fell silent, though her eyes remained locked on the 1st Commander. "I apologize for her outburst," Lyla said calmly. "But you say our technology is a failure. May I ask why?"
The 1st Commander sneered. "The pills have a time limit. That is a fatal flaw in a real war. No demon is going to wait for you to swallow a pill in the middle of a fight. Furthermore, there is a limit to how many a human can consume before their body rejects them entirely. You are obsolete, Lyla."
Lyla felt a surge of anger at the insult to her sister's life's work. Jane leaned down and whispered, "Can I speak?" Lyla gave a small nod.
Jane stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the seven Commanders. "You think your 'infused energy' is better? You have zero understanding of spiritual energy. When a human body is forced to host foreign particles, it eventually fails. It breaks down. That's why you have so many 'failed test subjects' in your basements. You're forcing your bodies to adapt to a poison. Our pills use a time-frame to prevent that breakdown. They contain a spiritual micro-chip that regulates the energy flow, consuming the excess before it can destroy the host, releasing it only as the body adapts."
The 1st Commander smiled thinly. "A clever explanation. But it still leaves you with a time limit."
"There is one thing I haven't mentioned," Jane countered, her voice ringing with confidence. "Once a body has fully adapted to the energy through the use of the pills, the energy bonds permanently. You no longer need the pills at all. You become the energy."
Lyla looked up at Jane in shock. "Jane? How do you know this?"
Jane smiled down at her. "Annie told me to say that if they brought it up. She's been monitoring my progress. I've already achieved it, Lyla. I don't need pills anymore."
Lyla's heart swelled with pride. *My sister... even from the lab, she's still protecting me.*
Velora stood up, her curved blade humming with a low, dangerous vibration. "I challenge you, Jane. Prove that your technology is worth the risk. Prove it by defeating me."
"No! Stop this, Velora!" Lyla shouted, standing up.
"If you can't prove your worth," Velora continued, ignoring Lyla, "we will have no choice but to dismantle Base 105. You've broken the rules by harboring Akira, the demon girl, and an unknown entity. But if your 'tech' can rival my power, we might reconsider. Who supports the challenge?"
One by one, the other Commanders raised their hands. Only Lyla remained still.
Jane stepped forward, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her katana. A cold, eager smile crossed her face. "No problem. I've been wanting to test my new strength anyway."
**To be continued...**