Enemy spotted. Assemble and prepare to defend!
Of course, Soldier 11 understood what the signal flare meant—it was the Obsidian Squad's flare, after all.
"Zane, hold on a second."
Soldier 11 raised a hand to stop Zane, her expression turning serious as she stared at the flare. In her mind, a mental map of the Obsidian Squad's assigned area quickly unfolded.
She swiftly pinpointed the location of the flare and planned the optimal route to get there.
As a member of the Obsidian Squad, Soldier 11's professionalism was beyond question. When she got serious, she never fell short.
Behind her, while she was analyzing the situation, Zane stood silently, gazing into the distance.
But what he saw was entirely different.
In the sky, the flare burned bright—but on the ground, a purple-black aura glowed just as fiercely, as if a flare had detonated there too.
The purple-black light burned like a raging fire, blazing across the land—brilliant and dazzling in Zane's eyes.
"Ethereals…"
"Quite the dramatic move. I wonder what they need me for… kinda looking forward to it…"
Beneath the Fool's Mask, his pale golden hair drifted in the breeze, the ends catching the light. His starry eyes gleamed, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Around him, dense Ether energy shimmered faintly, as if it might condense on his body at any moment.
"Meow?"
At his feet, Nocturne picked up on the shift in his mood and energy. It looked up, tilting its head.
Its soft meow brought Zane back to his senses.
He calmed himself, lowered his gaze, and gave Nocturne a small smile.
"Sorry. Got a little carried away just now."
Nocturne didn't understand what had just changed in him, but it already saw Zane as a close companion. It wasn't scared—just curious.
"Let's go."
Soldier 11 turned to Zane, frowning slightly as she sensed traces of dense Ether energy nearby.
What just happened?
She gave Zane a suspicious glance but said nothing. The flare was the top priority right now.
Zane gave a small nod and followed her into the distance.
...
A while later—
The central region of the Zero Hollows.
Whoosh—
A sharp sound sliced through the air overhead. Zane looked up and caught sight of a distant black dot and the trail it left behind.
As he wondered what it was, several more streaked past, flying overhead.
This time, he got a clear look.
The latest standard-issue combat aircraft of the Defense Army—
Jian 20.
"What are you looking at?"
A sudden tap on his shoulder. Soldier 11 stepped up beside him, looked in the same direction, and explained:
"Jian 20. The Defense Force started using them last year.
But to be honest, most of them ended up with the Staff Army."
"The regular Defense Force still uses the older models. Compared to the Jian 20, they're way behind in performance."
She took a bit of pride in being able to explain something to Zane for once.
After being overshadowed for so long, she was eager to reassert herself—though it might take some work.
"You don't know the specs?"
Zane asked in a soft voice.
"Huh? I'm not a pilot. How would I know the specs of a fighter jet..."
Soldier 11 shook her head—this really was beyond her.
Then something clicked in her mind. She frowned.
"Wait—why are you asking?
Don't tell me you're planning to shoot one down?"
Zane didn't answer. His silence made her eyes go wide.
"You are thinking about it!"
She leaned in closer, lowering her voice with a scowl.
"Black Night's End, we're partners now—you can't just pull a stunt like that! If we end up enemies again..."
She shivered.
If that happened, everything she'd done up to now would brand her a traitor—the very thing she despised most.
"Relax…"
"I can't fly anyway."
Zane waved her off with a chuckle, reassuring her.
At that moment, another shadow loomed overhead.
A massive transport aircraft flew slowly by, its mechanical rumble resonating through the air. It wasn't fast, but its movement was steady—like a giant whale drifting through the sky.
Noticing his curiosity, Soldier 11 organized her thoughts and explained:
"As the name 'Obsidian' implies, this Staff Army unit is called 'Heaven's Judgment.'
It's the only aerial unit in the Staff Army, with a total of 127 members."
"But that's not our concern. Our mission is to get through this area—the place where the flare was launched is our destination."
She gave him a quick explanation, then continued weaving through the ruined, abandoned high-rises toward their objective.
Zane followed, thinking back on what he'd just seen.
"Heaven's Judgment, huh… Pretty commanding name."
His voice drifted to Soldier 11's ears. She didn't turn around, but her reply came without pause.
"Heaven's Judgment has a motto that everyone in the Staff Army knows."
'When humans first looked up at birds, steel-forged wings were already taking shape, born from a burning desire. The storm stirred by Heaven's Judgment will sweep away all in its path.'
Beneath her goggles, Soldier 11's eyes sparkled.
"There's a phrase you'll hear a lot from their people—proof of their pride."
"Heaven's Judgment doesn't carry out judgment from the heavens."
"They are the judgment, wielding the sky as their sword."
The words reached Zane's ears, clear and resonant.
Not messengers of the gods—
But gods themselves...
"What about the Obsidian Squad?"
He asked calmly, curiosity lacing his tone without stirring his emotions.
"We are the Forgers of the Dark Night. We were given the name Obsidian—you know what obsidian is, don't you?"
"We are unbreakable. We stand firm. We are eternal.
We are the bulwark of the earth—
The shield of hope for humanity."
At the mention of Obsidian, Soldier 11's pride was plain to see. Her voice carried a trace of excitement, her loyalty unmistakable.
"Heh. Looks like I'll get to see what this so-called shield of hope really looks like soon."
Zane smiled faintly. Soldier 11's words didn't stir fear in him—if anything, they piqued his interest.
He hoped both "Heaven's Judgment" and "Obsidian" would live up to their names.
As their voices faded, the two fell into silence.
They walked on quietly until Soldier 11 suddenly spoke again...