A day had passed since Harden was discharged from the hospital. He was instructed not to participate in any Abyssal Raids for at least a week. As he arrived home, he found his brother, Hawkins, gearing up for a mission. Dressed in a black T-shirt and gi trousers, Hawkins was clearly prepared for battle.
"Another mission?" Harden asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Yep," Hawkins replied curtly, checking his gear one last time. Without lingering, he left the house and drove straight to the Mythical Fighters' HQ.
Upon reaching the HQ, Hawkins made his way to the boss's office. Entering the room, he was greeted by two familiar faces: his father and boss, Finn, and Jayden Spade, the second-strongest Platinum Mythical Fighter. Hawkins offered a respectful bow toward Finn but seemed to deliberately ignore Jayden.
"I'm here as requested, Boss," Hawkins said.
Finn leaned forward in his chair, his expression stern. "Your mission starts in a few hours. As I mentioned earlier, Jayden will be your partner for this operation."
Hawkins shot a brief glance at Jayden but said nothing.
"The objective," Finn continued, "is to stop the members of the Cataclysmic Revolt. Interrogate them if possible and bring them to me—dead or alive. Failure is not an option. Any loose ends will only bring us more trouble."
Finn's piercing gaze swept over the two of them. "However, your reputations precede you. You'll be recognized almost immediately. To avoid this, you'll use innate abilities to alter your appearances."
With that, a man entered the room and placed his palms on their faces. Hawkins felt a strange energy wash over him. His blonde hair turned jet black, his long, pointed nose became small and rounded, and his hazel eyes shifted to a piercing blue. Jayden's transformation was equally drastic—his short, black hair grew long and flowing, and his dark eyes turned a warm shade of brown.
The man handed them new ID cards. "Your identities have also been altered. Hawkins, you're now Alexander Green, a Gold Rank three-star fighter. Jayden, you're Owen Greyrat, a Gold Rank two-star fighter."
Finn nodded, satisfied. "That's all you need. Don't fail me."
Dismissed, the duo left the office and headed to the Abyss. Upon arrival, they found a group of mythical fighters gathered, chatting among themselves as they awaited instructions.
"This isn't a field trip!" a booming voice interrupted. The speaker, Hercules, was a towering figure, six feet tall with bulky muscles clad in heavy armor. His commanding presence silenced the chatter instantly.
"We're sorry, sir!" the fighters stammered, bowing their heads. Hercules scoffed and walked off, clearly unimpressed.
"Hey there," Alexander said, offering a shy smile as he approached the group.
"You must be the three-star Gold Rank fighter we heard about—Alexander, right?" A man extended his hand. "I'm Jason."
Alexander shook his hand. "And this is Owen," he added, nodding toward Jayden. "He's not great with people, so please excuse his manners."
Jason chuckled. "No problem." He introduced Alexander and Owen to the rest of the team: Miguel, Sandra, Layla, and Hercules.
Alexander silently observed the group, analyzing their strengths. Miguel was clearly a brawler—his muscular build and dreadlocks gave it away, and his Mythical Force seemed concentrated in his fists. Layla and Jason were harder to read; their friendly demeanor felt suspiciously like a façade. As for Hercules, his arrogance was palpable. He likely saw the rest of the team as inferior, a trait that would make him difficult to work with.
"What do you think?" Owen whispered, his tone cautious. "Any guesses about who's with them?" He avoided directly mentioning the Cataclysmic Revolt, wary of anyone with eavesdropping abilities.
"If I had to guess, it'd be the friendly ones," Alexander replied.
Owen nodded. "Jason and Layla. I had the same thought. No matter—we'll crush them if needed."
Their conversation was interrupted by a suited man who approached the group. "I've evaluated the Abyss's energy levels," he announced. "They're unstable, so expect the unexpected. Hercules is the team leader. You may proceed."
The team entered the Abyss, each fighter on high alert. Alexander smirked to himself. I wonder how strong the Cataclysmic Revolt members are. They've set their sights on my brother—bad move. I'll crush them thoroughly.