Whispers of Power
The strategic room hummed with tension as Val, Bo, Riggs, and Fon stood in a tight semicircle around General Luis. The older man's steely eyes swept over the team before settling on Val. Dr. Lewis sat at the edge of the room, silent, his expression one of deep thought.
"We've received word of an escalating conflict on the outskirts of a critical territory," General Luis began. "A faction suspected to have ties with Black Lotus has moved in, holding an important government building and threatening the civilian populace. Local law enforcement is overwhelmed, and this is where we step in as the special elite force."
Bo straightened, the faint clink of his gear punctuating the silence. "Any intel on their abilities?"
"Preliminary reports suggest a mix of elemental manipulation and enhanced weaponry," General Luis replied. "Expect Aurum-rank fighters, possibly a few who could give even seasoned operatives a challenge."
Fon's eyes flickered, nervous but determined. He knew the stakes were rising. Riggs nodded, face impassive as always.
Val glanced at Dr. Lewis, who shifted and met his eyes. There was no need for words; they all understood that this mission could stir echoes of something larger.
General Luis reached into a drawer and withdrew four small cases, opening them one by one. "These pins signify your rank," he said, distributing the Aurum (Gold) rank badges to Bo, Riggs, and Fon. He handed Val a separate case with a sleek, obsidian-black pin—marking him as the only ARM-ranked operative in existence.
Each pin was attached to a small chain that would fasten from the center of the chest to the shoulder, gleaming against the matte black of their cloaks.
When Bo, Riggs, and Fon saw the Black pin on Val's cloak, emotions surged within them, but pride had surged more within them.
The team's uniform shifted subtly; while their masks and hooded cloaks remained, the addition of their ranks was significant, a silent warning and a symbol of unparalleled strength.
The weight of the ARM pin in Val's chest was more than just metal. It was legacy, secrecy, and power combined.
Dr. Lewis stood up, breaking the silence. "Remember, this mission is controlled and classified. But make no mistake, eyes will be watching. If rumors spread about an ARM-ranked soldier within the elite, we need to be prepared for what follows."
Val met General Luis's eyes. "Understood. We'll proceed with caution."
General Luis's eyes softened for a moment, then hardened again with military resolve. "Deploy within the hour. I expect your return, mission accomplished, and without unnecessary exposure."
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The city outskirts were a fortress of ruin. Buildings, shattered and half-standing, created a labyrinth of crumbling stone and debris. The distant clamor of sirens and gunfire echoed through the streets.
The team advanced silently, black cloaks blending seamlessly with the dark.
It was a covert operation of the highest order, yet the presence of law enforcement and military observers stationed in hidden outposts lent the air an added gravity.
General Luis's voice rang in Val's Mind Link. Maintain discretion, but ensure no enemy escapes.
Understood, Val replied, the black ARM pin resting cold against his chest. He allowed the wind to catch his cloak, the shimmering chain of his rank clinking subtly, a reminder of what it meant.
Riggs, Bo, Fon—assume positions, Val directed and linked the three. Their pins gleamed under the brief flashes of moonlight.
The three dispersed, while Val was standing atop a dilapidated building.
Val's team moved swiftly, cloaked in black, with their Aurum (Gold) pins glinting as they leaped into the fray.
Bo's voice hummed through the link, calm and ready. Positions secured. No visible movement at my post.
Fon whispered, voice tinged with excitement. Scouting complete on the east side. They've got barriers up—flickers of elemental defenses.
Val nodded in acknowledgment. Stay alert.
The ground trembled suddenly, and a thunderous crash sounded nearby. Riggs' voice cut in, steady and grave. Val, hostiles inbound. Multiple signals—high combat potential.
Engage fast. Val replied with a cold, commanding tone.
As Val watched from a higher vantage point, a solitary figure atop a partially crumbled building that overlooked the chaos. The wind picked up, ruffling the hem of his cloak like shadows, while the chained link tinkered with the wind.
He stood motionless, eyes scanning the battlefield with the detached calm of a predator assessing its territory. The chain linking his black pin glimmered when the moon's pale light caught it, a quiet, lethal promise of the power he held.
His voice, steady and commanding, crackled through the Mind Link. Bo, watch your flank. Riggs, push left and isolate their vanguard. Fon, disrupt their formation.
Below, Bo summoned a jagged barrier of ice, deflecting a barrage of shrapnel aimed his way.
Riggs shifted, a blur as he carved through three combatants with ruthless efficiency. Fon launched a series of rapid, earth spikes, forcing their foes to scatter and break their lines.
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Inside a camouflaged military vehicle stationed half a kilometer away, Corporal Reyes peered through a pair of binoculars. He was stationed alongside two other operatives, monitoring the progress of the elite force sent in by General Luis.
"Report, Reyes," came the voice of his superior over the comms.
"Sir, visual confirms our operatives are Gold-ranked," Reyes whispered, his voice tinged with awe as he scanned Bo, Riggs, and Fon with their Aurum pins glinting in the moonlight. The operatives beside him exchanged glances, the sight alone sending a murmur of respect through the small team.
"General Luis had said there were four of them, can you confirm?"
"Wait," Reyes said, his voice tightening.
His eyes fell upon the figure standing atop the dilapidated building. At first glance, the operative appeared unranked, a shadow watching over the fray. But then a glint caught his eye—something dark, almost blending with the black of the cloak.
He zoomed in, heart hammering as he took in the black pin and the delicate chain that marked it. A shiver coursed down his spine. "Sir, I…I think we have confirmation of an ARM-ranked user."
A stunned silence followed, then the superior's voice crackled back, this time with a note of disbelief. "Are you sure, Reyes? The ARM user is rumored, not confirmed.", though saying it, he already is trying to connect to General Luis.
Reyes's words were now drowned in the background, "Sir, I'm certain. The black pin…it's there-" Reyes replied, voice shaking slightly.
General Luis replied, "Yes."
"Is it really true that the fourth member of the team..." the superior gulped, then continued, "Is an ARM user?"
General Luis paused for a bit, then continued, "I hope sending my team brings reassurance to this operation.", then the connection had cut off.
The two operatives beside him, who heard the confirmation, shifted, their gazes hardening with newfound reverence.
The superior only heard of those as rumors, rumors that an ARM user would always be accompanied by select Aurum (Gold) rank users.
If the myth was true, then, fuck. They were in the presence of a living legend, the only ARM-ranked user.
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The battlefield was chaos incarnate, a symphony of screams, clashing steel, and raw elemental power.
A sudden explosion tore through the street as an enemy, wielding volcanic energy, unleashed a fiery surge that sent molten shrapnel flying. The heat seared the air, the scent of scorched earth mingling with the sharp tang of blood.
Val's eyes narrowed. It was time to show them what an ARM user could do. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the rooftop, teleporting in a blur of darkness that seemed to fold space around him.
He reappeared in the heart of the battle, the sudden presence of a shadowy figure causing a ripple of panic among their foes.
The moon's silver light bathed him, casting shadows that flickered like living things. His cloak billowed in the wind, the black pin gleaming like a shard of midnight.
His voice, a cold edge that carried through the din, resonated with chilling finality. "Surrender or die."
An enemy commander stepped forward, muscles tensed, lightning-infused gauntlets crackling with deadly force. Recognition flared in his eyes, followed by disbelief.
"The ARM user… it's true," he whispered, before lunging, a war cry tearing from his throat.
Val moved with inhuman fluidity, sidestepping with a grace that seemed to make the air itself recoil.
The enemy commander lunged, gauntlets surged with power, crackling with volatile lightning that split the night sky, the raw power illuminating the twisted snarl on his face.
Val's eyes flickered, cold and calculating. With a flick of his wrist, the air around him convulsed, and a void-like fissure ripped open with an otherworldly groan, its edges pulsating with an abyssal shimmer.
The commander's attack, a jagged spear of electrified force, was drawn in, swallowed whole by the dark maw.
The rift shuddered, then snapped shut with a resounding clap that echoed like thunder. The sound hit like a physical force, rattling the bones of those nearby, sending a shockwave of silence across the battlefield.
Realization dawned too late on the enemy commander's face. The void hadn't just absorbed his strike—it had retaliated with deadly precision.
A thin, nearly invisible wound opened across his chest, blood spraying out.
Val stood unmoving, the gleam of his black pin catching the moonlight as silence followed in the wake of his devastation.
Around him, the enemy faltered, hesitated. Their fiercest warrior crumpled, lifeless, blood pooling at Val's feet.
Above the chaos, Corporal Reyes and the operatives in the nearby vehicle watched through their binoculars, frozen in stunned disbelief. The brutal efficiency, the inhuman fluidity, and the sheer presence of the ARM-ranked user—they were witnessing a legend.
A collective breath was held as Reyes whispered, almost reverently, "It's true. The legend is real."
The commander's body hit the ground with a muffled thud.
Val's gaze swept the battlefield, eyes cold and detached. "Who's next?" he said, his voice an ominous curse carried by the wind.
The wind carried the challenge, rustling his cloak and the gleaming black pin at his chest, a symbol no longer hidden, no longer a rumor.
The challenge rippled through the battlefield, rustling his cloak and the gleaming black pin at his chest, a symbol no longer hidden, no longer a rumor.
With Val at the center, his team swiftly engaged the remaining enemies, ensuring no one escaped as per General Luis's command.
This was more than a mission—it was a declaration.